Top Five Things To Do In Tokyo

From skyscrapers to street hawkers, high technology to Shinto shrines, Tokyo is a place where contradictions run so far into extremes, they bend round and meet each other. With its fast-paced lifestyle to its outlandish fashion, Japan’s capital city is a statement unto itself.

1.Alternative shopping

Tokyo is known for its busy shopping districts, offering the best in fashion from the designer boutiques of Omotesando to the high streets of Shibuya, via the wacky cultural stamp of Harajuku. But the city also plays host to some of the most interesting market districts in the world. The Asakusa district is one of the most popular parts of town, and the Nakamise main shopping street is lined with stalls selling all kinds of traditional souvenirs. But our favourite for alternative shopping has to be the legendary Tsukiji Fish Market. Seafood stalls all hawking their wares – from seafood platters to fresh oysters and octopus, on ice or in buckets – are clustered around the main market building and there’s a good quality sushi bar inside.

2.Museum-hopping

The oldest public park in Tokyo and a popular hang-out spot, Ueno Koen also serves as a museum complex, containing as it does some of the best museums in the city including the Tokyo National Museum, the largest museum of Japanese art in the world, the National Science Museum and the National Museum of Western Art. Other city museum highlights include the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which charts the history of the city from the Edo period to the present day, and the Mori Art Museum which sits on the 53rd floor of Mori Tower in the famous Roppongi Hills district.

3.Bird’s eye view

There are various observation decks and high-in-the-sky towers from which to view the city (many, like the museum above, double up on functions to make the most of the space), but the undisputed winner of all birds-eye views has to be the view gained from the top of the Tokyo Tower. At 333m, it is the world’s tallest self-supporting tower. Lit up by 176 lights, this glittering focal point commands spectacular views out over Tokyo from two observation decks; from the upper tier it is possible to see all the way to Mt Fuji and beyond.

4.Bullet train

The shinkansen burst onto the scene in 1964. Though since surpassed in speed by other international train lines, the 300km/h bullet train is an important part of Japanese transport history and a trip down the iconic tracks even now feels futuristic – it just goes to show how ahead of its time the design was. The tracks connects Tokyo to most of Japan’s major cities and if you are thinking of indulging in a short break from the capital to Kyoto or Osaka, then this is the only way to travel.

5.Island living

The hustle and bustle of Tokyo brings to mind its skyscrapers sooner than it does beaches, but in fact it does technically have its own – the Ogasawara islands, accessible by a weekly ferry, are administratively part of the capital city yet are a world away from its hustle and bustle. Beautiful beaches and coves, lush sub-tropical vegetation, hills and mountains and year-round warm weather are all standard fare among the islands. This is one hidden gem worth discovering, should you have the time and leisure. You won’t be disappointed.