Ueno & Yanesen
Part of the Tokyo National Museum, this building houses the Japanese Archaeological Gallery, full of pottery, talismans and articles of daily life from…
Must-see attractions in Tokyo
Harajuku & Aoyama
The asymmetrical, geometric shape of architect Maki Fumihiko's Spiral Building (1985) may not look very sinuous on the outside, but the name will make…
Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art
Ueno & Yanesen
This museum hosts blockbuster shows with art on loan from local and international museums (such as New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art); you could be…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Studio Ghibli's animation director Miyazaki Hayao collaborated with sculptor Kunio Shachimaru on this fantastic, steampunk-style timepiece beside the…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
A major exhibition space, smaller art galleries and creative studios now occupy this former high school, which has evolved into a forward-thinking arts…
Tokyo
This metal bridge, built in 1888 and within the grounds of the Imperial Palace, was formerly a wooden bridge with two levels, from which its name (meaning…
Tokyo
The hub of Ningyōchō, Amazake Yokochō is a delightful shopping street lined with age-old businesses, including several good craft shops. It's named after…
Tokyo
Stately wood panelling surrounds a small collection of traditional Japanese art and artefacts, including ceramics, paintings and nō (stylised dance-drama)…
Ueno & Yanesen
Take a stroll down the causeway leading to the island on which Benten-dō stands. The temple is dedicated to Benzaiten, the Buddhist goddess of the arts,…
National Film Archive of Japan
Tokyo
Here you'll find an archive of Japanese and foreign films, as well as books, periodicals, posters and other materials. There are daily screenings of…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Asakusa-jinja was built in honour of the brothers who discovered the Kannon statue that inspired the construction of Sensō-ji. Deep red in colour, the…
Ueno & Yanesen
Looking like something straight from a woodblock print, this gorgeous pocket park is worth the stroll from the Sendagi end of Yanaka to view its brilliant…
Tokyo
This museum's excellent collection of Japanese art is sprinkled with Chinese and Korean pottery and a few stray Western pieces – the result of the…
Harajuku & Aoyama
On the grounds of Meiji-jingū (accessed via the shrine's main approach) is the strolling garden, Meiji-jingū Gyoen. It once belonged to a feudal estate;…
Kōrakuen & Akihabara
Operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, TOKAS (short for Tokyo Arts and Space) comprises three floors of galleries with the aim of promoting new…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Climbing the 85 stone steps from Atago-dōri up to this rustically attractive shrine will give you a workout. They are called shussei-no-ishiden (stone…
Ueno & Yanesen
Kiyōmizu Kannon-dō is one of Tokyo's oldest structures: established in 1631 and in its present position since 1694, it has survived every disaster that…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Lifestyle brand D&Department combs the country for the platonic ideals of the utterly ordinary: the perfect broom, bottle opener or salt shaker (to name a…
Tokyo
Featuring a wide selection of exhibits aimed primarily at children and teenagers, the Science Museum has little in the way of English explanations, but…
Ueno & Yanesen
Part of the Tokyo National Museum, the three-storey Gallery of Asian Art focuses on pieces from across the region, including delicate Chinese ceramics and…
Asakusa & Sumida River
For visitors with a keen interest in Japanese sword-making – an art that continues to this day – this museum, which relocated to a new building in 2018,…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
South Korean artist Choi Jeong-Hwa designed the dazzingly colourful robot-themed sculptures and play areas in this kids' park that's part of the Roppongi…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
The rooftop of the Magnet by Shibuya 109 department store has the best views over Shibuya's famous scramble crossing. It's screened with plexiglass, so…
Ueno & Yanesen
In the 14th century, the spirit of a renowned scholar was enshrined here, leading to the shrine's current popularity: it receives countless students who…
Shibuya & Shimo-Kitazawa
Shibuya's main drag is closed to cars and chock-a-block with fast-food joints and high-street fashion shops. At night, lit bright as day, with a dozen…
Harajuku & Aoyama
Kengo Kuma's design for Taiwanese pineapple cake shop SunnyHills uses 3D-modelled latticework that's supposed to evoke a bamboo basket but also resembles…
Asakusa & Sumida River
During the Edo period (1603–1868), Fukagawa was a typical working-class neighbourhood, with narrow alleys and tenement homes. You can get an idea of what…
Ueno & Yanesen
West of the main gate to Tokyo National Museum is the Kuro-mon (Black Gate), transported from the Edo-era mansion of a feudal lord. You can view the…
Odaiba & Tokyo Bay
The future is here. Maybe. ChihiraJunco is a demure lady android created by Toshiba who has her own information counter adjacent to the people-staffed…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Worth searching out is this quirky 40-sq-metre exhibition space in an unmarked old house, hiding down a narrow alley. It's run by contemporary art curator…
Ueno & Yanesen
This 200-year-old bathhouse is now an avant-garde gallery, showcasing Japanese and international artists: the vaulted space just as suited for…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
This gallery hosts interesting exhibitions around various themes but usually involving graphic design. Some exhibitions tackle social issues, while others…
Asakusa & Sumida River
Senso-ji's eastern gate is one of the temple complex's rare, Edo-era buildings: it's been standing since 1618. Though it appears minor today, this gate…
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Reiyukai is a spin-off Buddhism-based sect started in 1930 and this unmissable, monolithic building is its headquarters. The enormous stepped pyramid roof…
Harajuku & Aoyama
A painter and sculptor, Okamoto Tarō was Japan's most recognised artist from the post-WWII period, a rare avant-garde figure with mass appeal. His works…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Built around the turn of the 20th century at the height of the Meiji era, this leafy block was Tokyo’s first European-style park complete with fountains…
Asakusa & Sumida River
This jet-black, inverted obelisk, part of Asahi Beer's headquarters, was designed by Philippe Starck and completed in 1989; atop it sits a 'golden flame'…
Ginza & Tsukiji
Mitsubishi Electric showcases some of its latest technologies, including robotics, in inventive collaborations with artists at this showroom on one corner…
Harajuku & Aoyama
This early masterpiece by architect Tange Kenzō was built for the 1964 Olympics (and will be used again in the 2020 games for the handball event). The…
Asakusa & Sumida River
There are hundreds of drums from around the world here, including several traditional Japanese taiko. The best part is that you can actually play most of…
