135 Best Sights in Tokyo, Japan

The most fun part of this aquarium in southwestern Tokyo is walking through an underwater glass tunnel while some 450 species of fish swim around and above you. There are no pamphlets or explanation panels in English, however, and do your best to avoid weekends, when the dolphin and sea lion shows draw crowds in impossible numbers. Take the local Kyuko Main Line from Shinagawa to Omori Kaigan Station. Turn left as you exit the station and follow the ceramic fish on the sidewalk to the first traffic light; then turn right.

This lovely 150-acre park was once the estate of the powerful Naito family of feudal lords, who were among the most trusted retainers of the Tokugawa shoguns. After World War II, the grounds were finally opened to the public. It's a perfect place for leisurely walks: paths wind past ponds and bridges, artificial hills, thoughtfully placed stone lanterns, and more than 3,000 kinds of plants, shrubs, and trees. There are different gardens in Japanese, French, and English styles, as well as a greenhouse (the nation's first, built in 1885) filled with tropical plants. The best times to visit are April, when 75 different species of cherry trees—some 1,500 trees in all—are in bloom, and the first two weeks of November, during the chrysanthemum exhibition.

When an inlet of Tokyo Bay receded around the 17th century, Shinobazu became a freshwater pond. Abbot Tenkai, founder of Kanei-ji on the hill above the pond, had an island made for Benzaiten, the goddess of the arts. Later improvements included a causeway to the island, embankments, and even a racecourse (1884–93). Today the pond is in three sections. The first, a wildlife sanctuary, is home to the city's lotus flowers; this is the only place in Tokyo you can see them bloom from mid-June through August. Some 5,000 wild ducks migrate here from as far away as Siberia, sticking around from September to April. The second section, to the north, belongs to Ueno Zoo; the third, to the west, is a small lake for boating. In July, the Ueno matsuri (festival) features food stalls and music events at the pond's edge. At the pond's southwestern corner, there is also a bandshell with various music events throughout the year.

Perched in the middle of Shinobazu Pond, this temple is dedicated to the goddess Benten, one of the Seven Gods of Good Luck that evolved from a combination of Indian, Chinese, and Japanese mythology. As matron goddess of the arts, she is depicted holding a lutelike musical instrument called a biwa. The temple, built by Abbot Tenkai, was destroyed in the bombings of 1945; the present version, with its distinctive octagonal roof, is a faithful copy. You can rent rowboats and pedal boats at a nearby boathouse.

Japanese society in the days of the Tokugawa shoguns was rigidly stratified. Some 80% of the city's land was allotted to the warrior class, temples, and shrines. The remaining 20%—between Ieyasu's fortifications on the west, and the Sumida-gawa on the east—was known as Shitamachi, or "downtown" or the "lower town" (as it expanded, it came to include what today constitutes the Chuo, Taito, Sumida, and Koto wards). It was here that the common, hardworking, free-spending folk, who made up more than half the population, lived. The Shitamachi Museum preserves and exhibits what remained of that way of life as late as 1940.

The two main displays on the first floor are a merchant house and a tenement, intact with all their furnishings. This is a hands-on museum: you can take your shoes off and step up into the rooms. On the second floor are displays of toys, tools, and utensils donated, in most cases, by people who had grown up with them and used them all their lives. There are also photographs and video documentaries of craftspeople at work. Occasionally various traditional skills are demonstrated, and you're welcome to take part. This small but engaging museum makes great use of its space, and there are volunteer English-speaking guides.

Time seems to heal wounds quickly in Japan. Only six years after the Shogitai had destroyed most of Ueno Hill in 1868, the Meiji government permitted Tokugawa loyalists to be honored with a gravestone, erected on the spot where their bodies had been cremated.

Imagine what it's like to be a giant in this novel indoor theme park dedicated to miniatures. Surprisingly spacious, Small Worlds takes you on a journey through different fantasy lands, times, and countries. Watch a small rocket launch, look out for hidden characters, or create a mini-me and become a permanent resident of Small Worlds.

The multi-level museum began its life to showcase works by painter Seiji Togo (1897–1978) who was a master at capturing grace on canvas, but now hosts not only exhibits of his work from their collection alongside pieces by other Japanese and Western artists, such as Gauguin and Cezanne, at any given time. The museum also houses van Gogh's Sunflowers.

Hachiko is the Japanese version of Lassie; he has even been portrayed in a few heart-wrenching films. Every morning Hachiko's master, a professor at Tokyo University, would take the dog with him as far as Shibuya Station and Hachiko would go back to the station every evening to greet him on his return. In 1925 the professor died of a stroke. Every evening for the next seven years, Hachiko would go to Shibuya and wait there until the last train had pulled out of the station, and as this story of loyalty spread so grew Hachiko's fame. During the dog's lifetime, a handsome bronze statute of Hachiko was installed in front of the station, funded by fans from all over the country. The present version is a replica—the original was melted down for its metal in World War II. This Shibuya landmark is one of the most popular meeting places in the city. Look for the green train car fronting the JR station; the statue is off to the side, where everyone is standing.

As chief of staff of the Meiji Imperial army, Takamori Saigo (1827–77) played a key role in forcing the surrender of Edo and the overthrow of the shogunate. Interestingly, Saigo himself fell out with the other leaders of the new Meiji government and was killed in an unsuccessful rebellion of his own. The sculptor Takamura Koun's bronze, made in 1893, sensibly avoids presenting Saigo in uniform, but instead with his dog. Entering Ueno Park from the south, the statue is on the right after climbing the large staircase on your way to Kiyomizu Kanon-do Temple.

Suginami is home to more than 100 animation studios, making it by far the animation creation center of Tokyo. Although you can’t visit those studios, you can learn about animation at this compact, free museum, which has exhibits on anime history and how anime is made, plus interactive exhibits that include digital screens on which you can try drawing (or trace using templates) your own anime.

This aquarium has some 750 kinds of sea creatures on display, plus daily behind-the-scenes tours and animal feeding sessions with staff. An English-language pamphlet is available, and most of the exhibits have some English explanation. If you get tired of the sea life, head to the Manten planetarium, where you can see 400,000 stars. And if that still isn't enough to keep you occupied, try the 60th-floor Sky Circus observatory for great views of the city and virtual reality rides.

Based on the principle of dividing profits three ways, Suntory, Japan's beverage giant, has committed a third of its profits to what it feels is its corporate and social responsibility to provide the public with art, education, and environmental conservation. The establishment of the Suntory Art Museum in 1961 was just one of the fruits of this initiative, and the museum's current home at Tokyo Midtown Galleria is a beautiful place to view some of Tokyo's finest fine-art exhibitions. Past displays have included everything from works by Picasso and Toulouse-Lautrec to fine kimonos from the Edo period. The museum also runs occasional tea ceremonies; check the website for the monthly schedule.

Kite flying is an old tradition in Japan. The collection here includes examples of every shape and variety from all over the country, hand-painted in brilliant colors with figures of birds, geometric patterns, and motifs from Chinese and Japanese mythology. You can call ahead to arrange a kite-making workshop (in Japanese) for groups of children.

This several-hundred-meter shopping street between Shibamata Station and Taishakuten Temple has retained an old-Tokyo vibe, its wooden buildings having escaped the heavy bombing that flattened much of Tokyo at the end of World War II and the subsequent post-war redevelopment. Although the street developed as the approach to Taishakuten, its connection to the temple takes a back seat for most visits to the street snacks sold here. The Sando is lined with small, family-run stores selling traditional snacks, such as savory senbei (rice crackers), dorayaki (sweet pancakes), kuzu-mochi (sticky rice cakes), and the Shibamata classic that is kusa-dango (sticky rice dumplings on skewers that appear a deep green because they include mugwort in the mix). For the latter, stop by Monzen Toraya.

Established in 1629, then rebuilt after the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, Taishakuten Temple is entered through a towering wooden gateway at the end of Taishakuten Sando shopping street. While stepping inside the grounds is free, it’s best to pay the additional fee to enter the inner sanctuary and garden, the former of which is adorned with intricate wood carvings depicting the life and teachings of buddha.

Another attraction almost next door to Sanrio Puroland, this museum has an eclectic collection on display. You’ll find fine art, prints, sculpture, photography, and even crafts, largely by artists with a connection to the university since it was established in the 1930s.

More a wildlife park than a zoo, this facility in Hino City (just north of Tama) gives animals room to roam; moats typically separate them from you, although for an additional fee you can take a bus ride through the lion enclosure for an up-close experience. To get here from Tama's main sights, take the Tama Monorail four stops from Tama Center Station to Tamadobutsu-koen Station.

Tokyo's largest rotating exhibition space is home to major international modern and contemporary exhibits as well as smaller shows (usually free) and is worth visiting for the architecture alone. Architect Kisho Kurokawa, a cofounder of the influential metabolist movement in 1960, created a stunning facade that shimmers in undulating waves of glass, and the bright exhibition space with its soaring ceilings feels a bit like being inside the set of a utopian sci-fi movie. The building houses seven exhibition areas; a library; a museum shop; a pair of cafés; and a restaurant, Brasserie Paul Bocuse Le Musée, offering fine French dishes.

Take the JR Yamanote Line to Otsuka, cross the street in front of the station, and change to the Toden Arakawa Line (aka Tokyo Sakura Tram)—Tokyo's last surviving trolley. Heading east, for ¥170 one way, the trolley takes you through the back gardens of old neighborhoods on its way to Oji, once the site of Japan's first Western-style paper mill, built in 1875 by Oji Paper Company, the nation's oldest joint-stock company.

The tiny hillock Benten-yama, with its shrine to the goddess of good fortune, is the site of this 17th-century belfry. The bell here used to toll the hours for the people of the district, and it was said that you could hear it anywhere within a radius of some 6 km (4 miles). The bell still sounds at 6 am every day, when the temple grounds open. It also rings on New Year's Eve—108 strokes in all, beginning just before midnight, to "ring out" the 108 sins and frailties of humankind and make a clean start for the coming year. Benten-yama and the belfry are at the beginning of the narrow street that parallels Nakamise-dori.

The symbol of old Kawagoe can’t be left out of a guide, although there isn’t actually much to do at this 16-meter-tall (52-foot) bell tower other than take a photo. Originally built in the 1600s, the current structure dates to the 1890s, when it was rebuilt following a fire that destroyed much of Kawagoe. It’s just north of the Ichibangai shopping street.

Mickey-san and his coterie of Disney characters entertain here at Tokyo Disneyland the same way they do in the California and Florida Disney parks. When the park was built in 1983, it was much smaller than its counterparts in the United States, but the construction in 2001 of the adjacent DisneySea and its seven "Ports of Call," all with different nautical themes and rides, added more than 100 acres to this multifaceted Magic Kingdom. Most people buy the One-Day Passport, which gives you unlimited access to the attractions and shows at one or the other of the two parks. See the park website for other ticketing options.

Billing itself as an "urban entertainment zone" the Tokyo Dome City complex hosts a small amusement park, restaurants, shops, a hot spring and spa, as well as Tokyo Dome itself. The outside amusement park has a selection of rides for children, though the Thunder Dolphin roller coaster is a thrill at any age. The Spa LaQua hot spring makes for a relaxing end to a day of sightseeing, offering a selection of baths and saunas. Tokyo Dome itself is home to the Tokyo Giants baseball team and frequently holds concerts and other events.

This postmodern masterpiece, the work of Uruguay-born American architect Rafael Viñoly, is the first major convention and art center of its kind in Tokyo. Viñoly's design was selected in a 1989 competition that drew nearly 400 entries from 50 countries. The plaza of the Forum is that rarest of Tokyo rarities: civilized open space. There's a long central courtyard with comfortable benches shaded by trees, the setting for an antiques flea market the first and third Sunday of each month. The Forum itself is actually two buildings. Transit fans should take a stroll up the catwalks to the top, which concludes with a view of the Tokyo Station JR lines.

By far the most eclectic of Ueno's art museums, the Tokyo Metropolitan hosts large-scale exhibitions ranging from classic masterpieces to modern architecture. The museum's smaller galleries often play home to group exhibitions of painting, photography, calligraphy, sculpture, and nearly any other kind of art one can dream up. Many smaller exhibits are free.

Dominating the western Shinjuku skyline, this grandiose, Kenzo Tange–designed complex is clearly meant to remind observers that Tokyo's annual budget is bigger than that of the average developing country. Locals either love or hate the building, but on a clear day, from the observation decks on the 45th floors of both towers (663 feet above ground), you can see all the way to Mt. Fuji and to the Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture. Several other skyscrapers in the area have free observation floors, but city hall is the best of the lot. The Metropolitan Government website, incidentally, is an excellent source of information on sightseeing and current events in Tokyo.

The three-story cylindrical complex of this aquarium houses roughly 600 species of fish and other sea creatures within a dozen areas, including Voyagers of the Sea (Maguro no Kaiyu), with migratory species; Seas of the World (Sekai no Umi), with species from foreign waters; and the Sea of Tokyo (Tokyo no Umi), devoted to the creatures of the bay and nearby waters. To get here, take the JR Keiyo Line local train from Tokyo Station to Kasai Rinkai Koen Station; the aquarium is a 10-minute walk from the South Exit.

This work of Kingo Tatsuno, one of Japan's first modern architects, was completed in 1914, with Tatsuno modeling his creation on the railway station of Amsterdam. The building lost its original top story in the air raids of 1945, but was promptly repaired. In the late 1990s, a plan to demolish the station was impeded by public outcry. The highlight is the historic and luxurious Tokyo Station Hotel, on the second and third floors. The area around the station is increasingly popular for dining, shopping, and entertainment.