Tokyo draws almost three-quarters of Japan’s tourists every year. A true metropolis, the capital sits at the heart of the Taiheiyō Belt, a continuously urbanised area of 75 million people that stretches along a third of Japan's Pacific coastline. As one of Japan’s two historic capitals (together with Kyoto), Tokyo balances ancient foundations and some of Japan’s most revered historic and religious sites with modernist architecture, forward-thinking urban design and a frenetic pace of life.
The capital is divided into thirteen Special Wards or districts. Each Ward is almost a city in its own right, consisting of multiple communities with a diverse range of architectural, culinary and entertainment options to be discovered. To help plan your trip, we break down where to go and the best things to see in Tokyo, Japan, with an area-by-area guide to 10 of Tokyo’s most-visited districts. Discover must-see highlights and hidden gems in each one, as well as how to get a Tokyo eSIM and stay connected during your trip.
A guide to The Areas of Tokyo
Shibuya
Shibuya is the heart of Tokyo’s commercial district. Like Manhattan’s Times Square or Piccadilly Circus in London, this is a neon-lit central business district depicted countless times on postcards, film and TV. While Shibuya is the name of the entire Ward, it's mostly used to refer to the smaller area immediately surrounding Shibuya Station. The Shibuya pedestrian crossing is probably the single most iconic sight of modern Tokyo. For the best views of the crossing, head to the Starbucks on the 1st floor of the Tsutaya Store or take the elevator to the observation deck of the Shibuya Sky building.
Step out of central Shibuya and visit the Tomigaya neighborhood for some of the best independent shopping in the city. Nearby, you’ll find Yoyogi Park – one of Tokyo’s largest green spaces. The D47 museum is dedicated to every one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, or counties. It’s both an innovative approach to museum curation, as well as a fascinating way for Tokyo visitors to gain an overview of the full spectrum of Japanese culture.
Local highlight: Pay your respects to Japan’s most famous dog at Shibuya’s Hachiko statue. This local hero lived in Shibuya station for 9 years, waiting for his dead master to return from work.
Shinjuku
At first glance, Shinjuku seems to confirm every outside perception of modern Tokyo: neon lights, clustered skyscrapers and constant human and automotive traffic. Shinjuku Station is the world’s busiest train station, processing two million commuters a day. There's much more to this district, and seeing Shinjuku is an essential experience for tourists to Japan. One of Tokyo’s most popular nightlife zones, alongside Akibahara and Shibuya, Shinjuku stays open round the clock.
A stone’s throw from the skyscrapers of central Shinjuku, some of the finest independent restaurants, ramen joints and all-night izakayas can be found in the tiny alleyways of the Golden Gai neighbourhood. Many of these establishments seat a maximum of 8 guests at a time, creating an intimate, family-style atmosphere. It's a great place to people-watch and see nighttime Tokyo.
Local Highlight: For green space, head to the historic Shinjuku Gyoen, a public park renowned for its cherry trees and ornamental gardens.
Asakusa
An essential destination for visitors to Tokyo, Asakusa contains many of the city’s most important historic buildings. Senso-Ji temple is one of the most famous sites in Tokyo, while the surrounding streets are filled with Edo-period houses, providing a respite from the perpetual motion of the city centre
Asakusa is known as Tokyo’s history capital – as well as the wealth of individual historic sites, many of the streets have been restored to their Feudal-era aesthetic. Walking around Asakusa is a noticeably different experience from the high-rise block of Shibuya and Shinjuku. Asakusa is also where you’ll find one of Tokyo’s most famous attractions, the 7th-century Senso-ji Temple. Like many other Buddhist temples in Tokyo, Senso-ji regularly hosts religious festivals and events that are open to the public. Plan your trip accordingly, and be mindful when visiting.
Local Highlight: Leading up to the front door of the Senso-ji is the Nakamise Dori, a long-established shopping street where vendors have been selling souvenirs and food under ornate wooden awnings for centuries.
Toshima
Just north of Shinjuku, Toshima is a great alternative for travellers who don’t want to stay directly in the city centre. Just outside Shibuya, Toshima is an inner-city ward with plenty to see and do. The Ikebukuro neighbourhood is the commercial and entertainment centre of Toshima, lined with late-night bars, traditional izakayas, restaurants and shopping centres. Together with the Akibahara area, Toshima is one of Tokyo’s two main focal points of the anime and manga industries- fans of the art form flock here to browse the many independent bookshops, publishing houses and cinemas dedicated to the medium.
Local Highlight: Toshima Ward is also home to one of the only Frank Lloyd-Wright designed buildings outside of the USA – the Jiyu Gakuen. This former school is now a public museum, and a must-see for architecture fans.
Ginza
Ginza is the premier high-end shopping and dining destination for wealthy Tokyoites. Formerly a district of Tokyo’s predecessor, the Feudal-era city of Edo, Ginza typifies Japan’s delicate balance of the ancient and modern. Centuries-old teahouses and flagstone streets border modernist skyscrapers and avant-garde fashion houses, including the Renzo Piano-designed Hermes store and the Nakagin Capsule Tower. Ginza is a great place to spend a day window-shopping (or actual shopping, budget permitting) and visiting the terraced outdoor cafes that line Chuo Dōri Street.
Local Highlight: One of the best things to see in Tokyo is a show at Kabuki-za, the country’s leading theatre for traditional Japanese Kabuki plays.
eSIM Tokyo data plans
Akihabara
‘Electric City’ is the apt nickname given to this youthful quarter. It perfectly describes the local industry as well as the buzzing atmosphere. Once famous for black-market activity, Akihabara (often called 'Akiba') has emerged as a hub for the electronics and gadgets industry, as well as a thriving entertainment district.
The streets of Akiba are the holy grail for anime fans. Together with the Ikebukuro area in Toshiba, Akihabara is the center of the Otaku subculture – one of Japan’s most successful global experts, this is an umbrella term for die-hard fans of Japanese Anime, Manga and video games. Independent publishers, giant bookshops, arcades and dedicated anime-themed bars and restaurants line the streets of the compact central neighbourhood.
Local Highlight: Akiba's main high street, Chuo Dōri, is closed to traffic on Sundays. This is the best time to wander around and soak up the area's unique character.
Harajuku
Takeshita Dōri street in Harajuku is the heart of the Japanese fashion scene. Nearly every Japanese fashion label maintains a physical store in and around this area, while weekend flea markets and countless thrift stores make this a shopping paradise for tourists and locals alike. Harajuku stays busy at night – together with Shibuya and Shinjuku, it’s one of the three Tokyo areas with the most active nightlife.
For a more upmarket experience, head to the neighbouring district of Omotesando. This affluent area is mostly known for its abundance of designer shops, gourmet restaurants and some of the most expensive housing in the city.
Local Highlight: As with much of Tokyo, in Harajuku, the futuristic and the traditional overlap at every street corner. Just a couple of stops from the cutting-edge fashions of Takeshita Dori, the Meiji-jingu Shrine is a memorial to the erstwhile Emperor Meiji. The shrine and ornamental garden are some of the finest examples of Japanese Shinto architecture in the world.
Ueno
Ueno welcomes most visitors in the springtime, as the area is renowned as one of the best places in Tokyo to see Sakura, or cherry blossoms.
Visit Ueno Park to learn about the city’s lengthy history. Visitors can easily spend a day or more exploring the park alone – Ueno Park is dotted with public museums, including the must-visit Tokyo National Museum. This sprawling complex houses millions of artifacts detailing and distilling the arts, architecture and culture of thousands of years of Japanese history. Ueno Zoo is also a popular attraction for families with children.
Local Highlight: For an authentic local experience, head to the old Ameyoko neighborhood in the evenings and discover its collection of traditional Izakayas, Yakitori restaurants and late-night bars.
Odaiba
Unique doesn’t begin to cover it – from the location itself, an artificial island in Tokyo Bay, to the enormous Gundam Robot Statue that dominates the skyline, Odaiba encapsulates Tokyo’s reputation for eccentricity.
Primarily an entertainment district, this compact neighbourhood is packed with things to see and do. Relax at Odaiba Beach, go shopping in one of the island's three malls, and wonder why there is a replica Statue of Liberty in the bay.
Local Highlight: If you’re feeling overstimulated, Odaiba park is a hilltop oasis that offers stunning views of Tokyo’s famous Rainbow Bridge.
Bonus: The Imperial Palace District
The Imperial Palace is at the centre of its own region within Tokyo. The building forms the core of a complex of parks, shrines, museums and galleries commemorating Japanese Royalty, nationalism and militarism. The Royal palace is only open to the public two days a year, including the Emperor’s birthday. If you’re not in town then, a private tour is also possible, though these need to be booked weeks in advance.
If you can't make it inside, the surrounding parkland offers many spectacular views of the palace and allows visitors the opportunity to explore the museums and galleries located around the park, including the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art. Even without a visit to the palace, expect to spend at least a day wandering through the grounds.
What to know before visiting Tokyo
Language
Written Japanese takes the form of 4 separate writing systems, often used simultaneously: Romaji, the Latin script; Kanji, a pictographic script adapted from Chinese; Hiragana, a simplified writing system used in place of Kanji; and Katakana, a phonetic script used to write loanwords, proper nouns and other cases where Kanji is insufficient.
As a result, reading Japanese can be incredibly complex for non-Japanese speakers and visitors to Tokyo. Fortunately, most signs in Tokyo public transport stations, and shop signs and menus in central Tokyo will often be written in English as well. When travelling in Tokyo, a translation app is indispensable. Using one with a local Tokyo eSIM ensures you'll be able to communicate wherever you are.
Getting Around
Tokyo has a famously efficient public transport system. All districts on this list can be easily reached by subway, bus or taxi. Make sure to download a navigation app, like Google Maps or Citymapper before you travel. Using a local SIM card for Tokyo, or better yet, a Tokyo eSIM, means you'll be able to use these navigation apps as much as you need, without paying costly roaming fees.
Stay connected in Tokyo with a local eSIM
If you’re traveling to Tokyo, one of the first things you’ll need is a reliable mobile internet connection. Using your regular phone provider in Japan can lead to spiraling international roaming fees, while replacing your SIM with local Tokyo SIM card means losing access to your messages, contacts and two-factor authentication services.
The easiest way to get online on your phone in Japan is with a Tokyo travel eSIM. These combine the best of both worlds - they allow you to access high-speed mobile data abroad for a prepaid local rate and use your phone as you normally would. These plans work throughout Japan. No swapping out SIM cards, and no international roaming fees. Just find the right data package for your trip, download your Tokyo eSIM before you travel and get online the minute you land, for a fair price. If you're travelling with a tablet, you can also purchase iPad eSIM plans for Japan.
eSIM Data Plans for Japan
Mobile Data Plans for the APAC Region
For longer journeys across multiple countries in the Asia-Pacific region, consider downloading a regional APAC eSIM. These function just like a Tokyo eSIM, with the added benefit that they remain valid in an extra 13 countries, including China, Vietnam, Indonesia and South Korea. Find out more and buy an eSIM with our Asia-Pacific data packages.
If you're travelling further, be sure to check out our guide to the 10 best cities in Japan outside Tokyo.
