By rail
Tokyo station, the shinkansen hub
East Asia · Japan
Tokyo, Japan
Neon, shrines and the world's great food city
Getting there
By air
Haneda (HND) or Narita (NRT), Haneda ~20 km; Narita ~65 km
Best time to visit
March to May and October to November — cherry blossom and autumn leaves
Don't miss
Senso-ji
The Meiji Shrine
Shibuya Crossing
The Tokyo Skytree
Things to do
Shibuya Crossing
An early breakfast at the Tsukiji outer market
Shinjuku's lanes at night
A day in Asakusa
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Morio · CC BY-SA 3.0
What to pack
Comfortable walking shoes, a small towel, a coin purse (cash is still common)
A quieter corner
Yanaka, an old-Tokyo neighbourhood of temples and cats
Questions travellers ask
When should I visit Tokyo, and what should I bring?
March to May for the cherry blossom, or October to November for the autumn leaves. Pack comfortable walking shoes, a small towel and a coin purse, as cash is still common.
Which Tokyo airport is closer to the city?
Haneda (HND), at about 20 km, against roughly 65 km for Narita (NRT). If you're arriving by rail, Tokyo station is the shinkansen hub.
Where should I eat in Tokyo?
Start with an early sushi breakfast at the Tsukiji outer market, fit in a bowl of ramen, and spend an evening at the izakayas under the tracks in Yurakucho.
Is there a quieter, old-fashioned side of Tokyo?
Head to Yanaka, an old-Tokyo neighbourhood of temples and cats.
About Tokyo
- Coastal
Where it is
Tokyo is the capital of Japan, spread across the Kanto Plain of Honshu at the head of Tokyo Bay, with Mount Fuji visible to the south-west on clear days.
History
Tokyo began as Edo, a small castle town that became the seat of the Tokugawa shoguns in 1603 and grew into one of the largest cities of its age. Renamed Tokyo, the eastern capital, in 1868, it became the imperial capital under the Meiji emperor. Rebuilt after the Great Kanto earthquake of 1923 and the firebombing of 1945, it hosted the Summer Olympic Games in 1964 and again in 2021.
People
Tokyoites speak Japanese, and the city draws people from every corner of the country. The old downtown neighbourhoods of Asakusa and Kanda keep their shrine festivals, such as the Sanja Matsuri each May, when portable shrines are carried through the streets, while daily life runs on the rail network and the neighbourhood izakaya.
Known for
- Senso-ji temple and the old streets of Asakusa
- The Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park
- Sushi, ramen and the Tsukiji outer market
- The neon districts of Shinjuku and Shibuya
- Cherry blossom in Ueno Park
Did you know?
Shinjuku Station is recognised by Guinness World Records as the busiest railway station in the world, used by millions of passengers every day.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.