Tokyo – The Sprawling Metropolis

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is the largest city in the country, one of the most populous cities in the world, and the Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world. This massive city has a lot to see and do, from old temples and shrines, to modern skyscrapers and shopping. There is lots of great food to try and packed streets to get lost in, and if you fancy a break from the city then Mount Fuji makes for a great day trip out of Tokyo.

Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower is the iconic white and orange radio tower in Minato. It was the tallest building in Japan at 332.9 metres before being overtaken by Tokyo Skytree. At the base of the tower you’ll find shops and restaurants, and if you choose to take the elevator up you can visit two observation decks.

The observation decks provide a great view over Tokyo. If you’re lucky and the sky is clear, you’ll also be able to see Mount Fuji in the distance. I recommend getting to the top observation deck for sunset, as we were lucky enough to see the sun set behind Mount Fuji.

Senso-Ji Temple

Senso-Ji Temple is an ancient Buddhist temple and the oldest temple in Tokyo, with its foundation dated to 645AD. The temple area includes the main hall, a five-storey pagoda, and large gates. Passing through the first gate, Kaminarimon, you will find Nakamise-dori street which leads to the temple. Nakamise-dori street is packed with many shops selling traditional goods, food, and souvenirs.

At the end of Nakamise-dori street you’ll pass through the second gate, Hozomon, and be in the inner complex of the temple where you’ll find the main hall and the five-storey pagoda. You can also find many food vendors in this area. The streets surrounding the temple are also full of shops and restaurants.

The temple is worth visiting during the day and night. The shops of Nakamise-dori street start to close around 6pm, but the temple is lit up for the night. A good spot to get an aerial view of the temple and surrounding area for free can be found opposite the Kaminarimon gate, at the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Centre. This spot is relatively unknown and much quieter than at street level.

Imperial palace and Gardens

The Imperial Palace in Tokyo is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. Unfortunately, when I visited in February the palace was closed for a local holiday, but the gardens were still open.

The gardens are built on the site of the now ruined Edo castle. You can see the foundations of this castle as well as a replica model of it. Within the gardens you’ll also find the old castle gates and guardhouses, ponds, waterfalls and, depending on the time of year, plum blossoms.

Meiji Jingu Shrine

Meiji Jingu is a large Shinto shrine in Tokyo, built to honour the spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken. The shrine was built to commemorate the emperor’s role in the Meiji Restoration of Japan.

At the southeast entrance to the park, you’ll pass under the massive Meiji Jingu Ichino Torii gate. From here you can follow the winding path through the forest past the decorated sake barrels to eventually reach the main hall of the shrine. The shrine is also set in a large park with many different routes to explore.

Nezu Shrine

The Nezu Shrine is another Shinto shrine in Tokyo, predating the Meiji Jingu Shrine by over 200 years. This shrine is smaller than Meiji Jingu but features many red torii gates similar to the Fushimi Inari Shrine in Kyoto.

Upon entering the grounds of the shrine, you call follow the path to the left through the red torii gates along to the main hall.

Akihabara

Akihabara is a shopping area located around the metro station of the same name. The area is also known as Akihabara Electric Town because of the electronic goods for sale here. This is the place to shop if you are interested in anime, manga, Pokemon, or video games, or if you’re looking to purchase electronics in Japan. There are many shops packed with collectibles from every Japanese entertainment franchise, and you can purchase electronic goods dating back years. In this area you’ll also see lots of maid cafes and arcades.

Tokyo Skytree

As of 2024, Tokyo Skytree is the tallest building in Japan at 634 metres. You can ascend the tower to get a view of Tokyo from the observation deck, though we chose not to do this because the queue was so long and we had already been up Tokyo Tower. Around the base of the tower there is a large shopping mall featuring many well-known brands including one of the Tokyo Pokemon Centres. I’d recommend going up this or Tokyo Tower, not both, so you’re not queuing and spending money to see the same view twice.

Tokyo Station

Tokyo Station is the main inter-city rail terminal in Tokyo, and also serves some metro lines in the city. The building itself is impressive to see, but underneath the station lies a large shopping mall with plenty of restaurants too. Heading through the station to the east side will bring you to the Nihonbashi business and shopping district. You’ll find lots of shops here including the Pokemon Centre Tokyo DX and Pokemon Cafe.

Shibuya Crossing

Shibuya Crossing is the world’s busiest pedestrian crossing. The crossing sits outside Shibuya station and can see as many as 3,000 people crossing at a time. Honestly, it feels no busier than any other crossing in a major city, but you may like to people watch from one of the viewpoints dotted around the crossing. To the north of the crossing is a shopping area where you’ll find the Disney store and a mall with yet another Pokemon Centre and Nintendo store.

Shinjuku

Shinjuku generally covers the entire area surrounding Shinjuku station. This is one of the busiest areas in Tokyo and includes the administrative centre of the city. Here you’ll find many shops and restaurants. One place I’d recommend visiting here even if you’re not planning to eat anything is Omoide Yokocho. This tight alleyway is home to many small restaurants and izakaya.

Another highlight of Shinjuku is the Godzilla head atop the Gracery Hotel. This is really cool to see if you’re a fan of the movies, while the surrounding streets are packed with shops and restaurants that are fun to explore.

Metropolitan Government Building

As previously mentioned, Shinjuku is the administrative centre of Tokyo. Towards the west side of Shinjuku, you’ll find the Metropolitan Government Building. This is one of the tallest buildings in Tokyo and it has a free observatory at the top offering great views of the city and Mount Fuji if you’re lucky. As it’s less well known, it’s also quieter than Tokyo Tower and Skytree, meaning you don’t have to queue as long and you don’t have to pay to reach the top.

Takeshita Street

Takeshita Street is another popular pedestrian shopping area in Tokyo. This street features various fashion and sweet stores. It’s perhaps not a street to go out of your way to visit, but if you’re at the nearby Meiji Jingu Shrine you might like to visit. On the other side of Takeshita Street, you’ll also be able to visit Togo Shrine.

Mount Fuji

Mount Fuji is Japan’s tallest mountain at 3,776.24 metres. This active volcano is located about 100km southwest of Tokyo and is worth visiting for a day trip during your time in the capital. Mount Fuji is often nicknamed the ‘shy mountain’ because its summit is regularly shrouded in cloud. Seeing Mount Fuji takes some luck and planning with the weather. We were very fortunate during our trip to Tokyo in that we were able to see Mount Fuji on multiple days.

The first time we saw Mount Fuji was from the Tokyo Tower observation deck, with the sun setting behind the mountain. Our second time was during a day trip to the mountain, and the third time was on the plane flying from Tokyo back to Busan. We got a great view of the mountain out of the plane window. We visited in winter so Mount Fuji was capped with snow.

Your best chance of seeing Mount Fuji is by taking a day trip to the mountain. We booked our trip through Klook.com. Follow the link here to view the tour at Klook.com. DISCLAIMER – this is an affiliate link from which I’ll receive commission for any payment made. We opted for the chartered car tour to give us more freedom in where we went and how long we stayed at each stop along the way. The drive from Tokyo to the Mount Fuji area is about two hours, so around four hours of the day is spent driving.

Our first stop was at Arakurayama Sengen Park. This park is on the hillside of Mount Arakura and offers a great view of Mount Fuji. At the entrance you will pass some shrines that are worth a look, then you’ll climb many steps to the famous red Chureito Pagoda. This is where you’re likely to get the best view of Mount Fuji.

Our next stop was to the shore of Lake Kawaguchi. When we arrived the clouds were beginning to obscure the view of Mount Fuji, but there are cafes and gift shops around the lake where you can take a rest.

For lunch our driver took us to a restaurant on the outskirts of Oshino, before heading into the village to see the Oshino Hakkai. These are eight freshwater springs located throughout the village. The village contains some traditional thatched roof buildings and various tourist shops selling souvenirs and food that are dotted around the springs. You’ll have time to wander around the village and buy gifts, and if you’re lucky you’ll catch another glimpse of Mount Fuji.

By now in the day it was almost time to make the drive back to Tokyo. Our driver recommended one last spot for us to see before she took us back to the city. This last stop was at Lake Yamanaka. On the frozen shores of the lake we saw some swans waddling about, but Mount Fuji was hiding behind the clouds again.

As we drove away from here on our way back to Tokyo we caught one last glimpse of the mountain for the day. We wouldn’t see it again until we flew out of Tokyo the following week.