Free entry
PlaceActivities
The National Art Center, Tokyo
A glass-fronted art destination in Roppongi. The building is free to enter; exhibitions have their own tickets.
The Tokyo edit
Places worth your time
The museums, garden and temple behind our Tokyo selection.
The museums, garden and temple behind our Tokyo selection. Explore our growing Tokyo selection, with checked details and official sources.
PlaceActivities
Tokyo National Museum
Give Ueno a museum day. Start with the Japanese galleries, then choose a smaller corner of the collection to linger in.
PlaceActivities
Mori Art Museum
Contemporary art on the 53rd floor of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. Choose the exhibition before choosing your date.
Free entry
PlaceActivities
Sensō-ji
A free temple visit in Asakusa, with the great gates and main hall as an anchor for exploring the neighbourhood.
PlaceActivities
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Trees, lawns and a change of pace near Shinjuku. A paid garden visit with seasonal hours, worth giving a little breathing room.
Free entry
PlaceActivities
Meiji Jingū
Trade Harajuku’s shopfronts for the long, wooded approach to Meiji Jingū. An early visit leaves room for a slow lunch in Aoyama.
PlaceActivities
Hama-rikyū Gardens
A tidal pond, pine trees and Shiodome’s towers in the same frame. Give this waterside garden an unhurried hour.
Free entry
PlaceActivities
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Observatories
Tokyo stretches out from the 45th floor, with no observation-deck ticket to buy. A useful Shinjuku stop when the sky clears.
PlaceFood & drink
Bar TRENCH
Thirteen seats on an Ebisu side street, with herbal spirits, carefully made cocktails and a walk-in rhythm that suits a small group.
PlaceFood & drink
Bellovisto
Forty floors above Shibuya, a seated bar with a broad city view and a reason to give the skyline time to change.
PlaceFood & drink
The SG Club
A Shibuya address with two public moods: an easygoing street-level drink at Guzzle or a more deliberate evening downstairs at Sip.
PlaceCulture
Nezu Museum
Art, a garden and a slower pace in Minami-Aoyama, with admission tied to the exhibition calendar.
PlaceConcerts
WOMB
Shibuya after dark, with a club programme that makes the final stop a destination of its own.
PlaceCulture
Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum
Art Deco rooms and a garden make Shirokanedai an architectural afternoon.
PlaceCulture
Ōta Memorial Museum of Art
Ukiyo-e offers a quieter counterpoint to the streets of Harajuku.
PlaceCulture
Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum
Art inside a red-brick landmark brings a different texture to Marunouchi.
PlaceCulture
NTT InterCommunication Center
Media art and technology meet in the galleries of Tokyo Opera City.
PlaceCulture
Eisei Bunko Museum
The Hosokawa collection gives this quieter corner of Bunkyo its cultural anchor.
PlaceCulture
National Museum of Nature and Science
Natural history and scientific discovery give Ueno another major museum destination.
PlaceCulture
Ebara Hatakeyama Museum of Art
Tea culture and Japanese art shape a focused visit in Shirokanedai.
PlaceCulture
Tobacco and Salt Museum
Two everyday materials open an unusual route into social and industrial history.