Ueno & Yanesen
Not only is this one of Japan's oldest shrines, it is also among the most beautiful – a tough call in a district packed with attractive, historic…
Must-see attractions in Tokyo
Tokyo
Benzaiten, one of Japan's eight lucky gods, is actually the octet's sole goddess; she's also the Japanese incarnation of the Hindi goddess Sarasvati and a…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Most history museums in Japan skirt the issue of WWII or focus on the burden of the common people. Not so here: Yūshū-kan begins with Japan's samurai…
Ginza & Tsukiji
When this impressive branch of the mother temple in Kyoto fell victim to the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923, it was rebuilt in a classical Indian style,…
Ginza & Tsukiji
On the 8th floor of the French luxury goods boutique is a spacious, light-filled gallery that hosts around three different contemporary art shows per year…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Up until just after the 2020 Olympics, this corner of the Sukiyabashi crossing will be an innovative public space. At ground level greenery flourishes as …
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
This Russian Orthodox cathedral, complete with distinctive Byzantine-style architecture, was first built in 1891 under the supervision of English…
Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
Housed in a Bauhaus-style mansion from the 1930s, this museum hosts exhibitions from influential contemporary artists, both from Japan and overseas. There…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
The Toguri Museum of Art has an excellent collection of Edo-era ceramics, displayed in informative, thematic exhibitions with English explanations – great…
Tokyo
Amassed by Bridgestone founder Ishibashi Shōjiro, this is one of the best French impressionist collections you will find in Asia – although it is closed…
Asakusa & Sumida River
The highlight of this museum is a fascinating collection of Japanese folk articles, mainly patched clothing and pieces of fabric, known as boro, gathered…
Tokyo
This architectural marvel designed by Rafael Viñoly houses a convention and arts centre, with eight auditoriums and a spacious courtyard in which concerts…
Ueno & Yanesen
Kuroda Seiki (1866–1924) is considered the father of modern Western-style painting in Japan. This 1928-vintage hall, an annex to Tokyo National Museum,…
Tokyo
This red-brick building, an annex of MOMAT, stages excellent changing exhibitions of mingei (folk crafts): ceramics, lacquerware, bamboo, textiles, dolls…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
This is really a small mall, but many of the tenants are art galleries, including: Ota Fine Arts (www.otafinearts.com), Wako Works of Art (www.wako-art.jp…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
The ICC shows challenging, conceptual works that explore the intersection between art and technology – sometimes including participatory VR installations…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Design Festa has long been a champion of Tokyo’s DIY art scene and its maze-like building is a Harajuku landmark. Inside there are dozens of small…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
This otherwise ordinary office complex is home to more than a dozen public artworks, including one of Robert Indiana’s LOVE sculptures (on the southeast…
Tokyo
This vintage 1960s shopping mall earned Nakano its reputation as an underground Akihabara: it's home to the original Mandarake Complex, the famous manga…
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
Lined with cherry trees and a walking path, the Meguro-gawa (not so much a river as a canal) is what gives the neighbourhood Naka-Meguro its unlikely…
National Museum of Emerging Science & Innovation (Miraikan)
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
Miraikan means ‘hall of the future’, and the hands-on exhibits here present the science and technology that will possibly shape the years to come …
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
It's hard to imagine, but Shibuya Crossing actually sits on the confluence of two rivers: the Shibuya-gawa and the Uda-gawa, which were diverted…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
This three-storey building tucked on a backstreet near Roppongi Hills, is the shared location of three leading commercial galleries: Taka Ishii (www…
Ueno & Yanesen
A key feature of Ueno-kōen is this large, natural pond, much of which is completely covered with giant lotuses that bloom in summer. Go bird- and botany…
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
When Western ideas entered Japan following the Meiji Restoration (1868), many artists set out to master oil and canvas. Others poured new energy into…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
From this 250m-high vantage point, on the 52nd floor of Mori Tower, you can see 360-degree views of the seemingly never-ending city. Admission is included…
Ueno & Yanesen
This shrine honours Tokugawa Ieyasu, the warlord who unified Japan; it's the (much smaller) Tokyo counterpart to Nikkō's grand Tōshō-gū. Resplendent in…
Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo (MOT)
Asakusa & Sumida River
For a primer in the major movements of post-WWII Japanese art, a visit to the permanent collection gallery here should do the trick. Temporary exhibitions…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Kagurazaka’s signature shrine only bears a passing resemblance to the traditional ones around the city. In 2010 the shrine, which can trace its history…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
One of Tokyo’s most elegant and tasteful museums is named after Kikuchi Tomo, whose collection of contemporary Japanese ceramics wowed them in Washington…
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
Tokyo Sea Life Park is the city's best aquarium. Particularly interesting is the exhibit that recreates Tokyo Bay's ecosystem – in case you were wondering…
Ueno & Yanesen
This enchanting gallery, part of the Tokyo National Museum, displays masks, metalwork and sculptures from the temple Hōryū-ji (in Nara Prefecture, dating…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Rising nearly 40m high and glistening in the sun, this stainless-steel contemporary cathedral was completed in 1955. It's the work of Japan's foremost…
Asakusa & Sumida River
The Sensō-ji temple precinct begins at this majestic gate, from which hangs an enormous chōchin (lantern); look under this to see a beautiful carved…
Asakusa & Sumida River
One of Tokyo's most picturesque retreats, Kiyosumi-teien started out in 1721 as the villa of a daimyō (domain lord; regional lord under the shoguns)…
International Library of Children's Literature
Ueno & Yanesen
Occupying a handsome brick-clad building dating from 1906, this branch of the National Diet Library stores hundreds of thousands of volumes including…
Asakusa & Sumida River
This subtemple of Sensō-ji dates to the late 17th century. The deity enshrined here is a guardian of women and the temple is the site of a curious ancient…
Asakusa & Sumida River
At the end of Sensō-ji's Nakamise-dōri, this gate is flanked by two fierce guardian deities. On the gate’s back side are a pair of 2500kg, 4.5m-tall…
National Museum of Nature & Science
Ueno & Yanesen
The Japan Gallery here showcases the rich and varied wildlife of the Japanese archipelago, from the bears of Hokkaidō to the giant beetles of Okinawa…
Shinjuku & Northwest Tokyo
Japan's most celebrated manga artist Tezuka Osamu lived most of his life in Takadanobaba and the neighbourhood couldn't be prouder. In front of the…
