Unique Things To Do In Tokyo

An Overview of Tokyo

Tokyo is the largest city and the country’s most famed urban sprawl. The city is situated roughly in the center of the Japanese archipelago, known for its stunning number of landmarks, intense urban culture, sakura tree streets and various temples. Tokyo has one of the most efficient transportation and city-sound management systems in the world, making traveling the city straightforward and intuitive. The people of Tokyo are hardworking and cosmopolitan, capable of directing visitors in English and other second languages. Tokyo draws the lion’s share of Japan’s tourists each year, thanks to its strange culture, exciting nightlife and wonderful designs. With features like the Imperial Palace, the Tokyo Skytree and Shibuya crossing, there are dozens of unique things to do in Tokyo.

Unique Things To Do In Tokyo

Nine Hour Asakusa Hostel

One of the more famous (or infamous) features of densely populated Tokyo are the capsule hotels. These hotels and hostels save space by providing a small, cozy wall capsule to sleep within. For those visiting Tokyo on a budget, places which offer this service like the Asakusa Hostel are a good option.

Fantasy Dining Alice in Labyrinth

Toyko is full of strange, themed cafés and restaurants. This restaurant has a surreal Alice in Wonderland theme with bright pastries, costumed servers and abstract decorations.

Hachikō’s Grave

Hachikō was a beloved Japanese Akita dog who lived from November 1923 to March 1935. The loyal canine gained a place in Japanese culture’s heart after he continued to steadfastly wait for his owner, Hidesaburō Ueno, every day for nine years following his ownder’s death. Hachikō’s ashes are buried on a stela next to Ueno’s grave, inside a bamboo fence.

Meiji Jingū (Meiji Shrine)

This is a popular shrine dedicated to the ascended spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. The Shrine is linked to Yoyogi Park, a large green space with parks, lakes, fountains and expansive forested areas. The shrine doesn’t contain Emperor Meiji’s grave, which is found at Fushimi-momoyama.

Godzilla Head

This is a humorous landmark found atop the Toho building Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward. Godzilla rises over the street with an open mouth, claws gripping the edge of the building, animatronic eyes occasional glowing while smoke spews forth. It’s a popular sight in a very active shopping and entertainment district.

Shinjuku Ward

Shinjuku Ward or Shinjuku City is a huge nightlife district in Tokyo, home to numerous clubs, thriving entertainment zones, upscale hotels, private karaoke rooms and numerous restaurants. The area is known for containing attractions such as the popular, winding alleys of Shinjuku Golden Gai and the grassy expanses of Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden,

Kabukicho Robot Restaurant

Found in the Shinjuku Ward, Kabukicho is a famous entertainment sub-district known for clubs, pubs, snack bars and adult-oriented entertainment. The Robot Restaurant within hosts sci-fi dinner shows with themed food. Performances include a dizzying array of performers, including robots, dragons, blue-haired dancers, drums, neon lights, lasers, smoke and floor-shakingly-loud music.

8bit Old School Arcade Café

This retro café serves drinks while allowing guests to play on old-school gaming systems.

Omoide Yokocho

This landmark location goes by two names: “Memory Lane” and the more colorful vernacular “Piss Alley.” In both cases, the alley is crammed with layers of old school bars and restaurants down narrow corridors. The street has an uncanny similarity to the alleys found in “Blade Runner.”

Vowz Bar

This is a tranquil bar which is staffed entirely by practicing Buddhist monks. The bar serves delicious mixed drinks alongside temple meals.

Chiyoda City

This ward is home to the Imperial Palace along with numerous other serene features. Currently serving as the seat for Japan’s current government, Chiyoda City is decorated with moats, shrines, museums, peaceful pathways, the Kokyo Gaien National Garden, the Ninomaru Garden, and Nippon Budokan, which hosts martial art tournaments and other events.

Ekibenya Matsuri

Found inside a metro station, this is a busy bento-takeout shop with a wide range of options.

Kite Museum

This uplifting museum is filled with a stunning array of artistic kits, including Indonesian dried leaves, giant woodblock-print samurai and historical Japanese kites. The museum is somewhat difficult to find, as it’s located on a third story of an unassuming office building. However, several kites are visable in the upper windows.

Vampire Café

This entertaining café is themed after the popular fanged monsters, with the staff dressed as vampires and the food horror-themed.

The Ghibli Clock

Studio Ghibli Inc. is the beloved Japanese Animation studio based in Tokyo, responsible for animated masterpieces such as The Tale of the Princess Kaguya, Spirited Away and Kiki’s Delivery Service. The Ghibli Clock is a giant sculpture connected to the Nittele Tower in Tokyo, built after popular mechanical themes and designs found in Ghibli films. The clock is enormous and includes various mechanical motions, making visiting it one of the most unique things to do in Tokyo. The clock jumps into action every day at noon, 3 PM, 6 PM, and 8 PM on Monday to Friday with extra shows on Saturday and Sunday. It’s recommended to arrive sightly early to see the display.

Hamarikyu Gardens

These beautiful gardens are filled with lakes and views of the bay. The gardens contain the only remaining tidal pond in Tokyo. There is a small entry fee required.

Sengakuji Temple

This small Buddhist temple near Shinagawa Station is the famed final resting place of the legendary 47 Ronin, also known as the Akoroshi, the “masterless samurai from Ako.” The 47 Ronin story (also called Chūshingura) is treated as a legendary myth, but it followed real samurai and events which took place in the 18th-century. The avenged master of the ronin and the 47 Akoroshi are all buried at this site.

Mohri Garden Medaka Fish

Located near the Roppongi Hills urban community, this small garden is home to a school of tiny, hardy Medaka Fish. These fish are the descendants of the first Earth-vertebrae to mate. Their ancestors traveled through space aboard the NASA shuttle Colombia, eventually returning to Earth where they continued to breed. The pond is now home to thousands of their descendants.

Sensō-ji

This is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, known as one of the most significant temples in Tokyo and the oldest in the city. The temple contains over 1,300 years of history and remains one of the most popular and unique things to do in Tokyo.

Old Blind Cat

This is a famous jazz bar, known for it’s authentic atmosphere, long history and excellent music.

Tsukiji Outer Market

This is one of the most famous fresh fish markets in the world, home to fresh and processed seafood, elegant knives, amazing restaurants and other shops. Much of the fish served here is delivered directly from the famed Toyosu Market.

Koukokuji Buddhist Temple

While this temple is home to a pair of the world’s oldest gingko trees, the Buddhist statues surrounding the area are also worth a glance. The temple is filled with brightly-colored, digital Buddhas glowing softly along the walls.

Chanko Nabe Shinzan

Run by a former sumo-wrestler, this shop serves some of the same soups, meals and dishes that traditional Sumo Wrestlers use to prepare for their venerated sport. Much of the shop is sumo-themed.

Akihabara Electric Town

Affectionately called Akiba, this is an enormous shopping hub famed for it’s numerous electronic shops, tech stores, manga venues, the Tokyo Anime Center, toy floors, trading card shops and maid-and-butler cafés nearby.

Ramune

Ramune is one of the most popular novelty drinks for foreigners visiting Japan. This beverage is a soda which is served in a traditional bottle, which is stoppered with a glass marble.

Magokoro Tennyo

Also known as the Goddess of Sincerity, this tremendous artwork depicts the magokoro (sincerity) of Mitsukoshi. The vast, swirling wooden carving with numerous jewels and paints embedded shows a tennyo, or female spiritual being in Japanese Buddhist mythology. The artwork is rightfully considered an unmatched masterpiece.

Ghibli Museum

This museum showcases the astonishing work of animation studio Studio Ghibli. The museum has exhibitions of some of the most iconic film characters as well as quaint buildings, all found within Inokashira Park.

Ninja Tokyo

This restaurant serves Japanese dishes with a ninja-themed staff. The entertaining venue performs magic tricks and other entertainment for visitors.

Giant Gundam Robots

This is an enormous 18-meter tall Gundam robot found in Yokohama.

Decora Creamery

This location is known to sell absolutely enormous cotton cady treats, larger than a human’s torso.

Shiro-Hige Cream Puff Factory

This compact café serves themed cream puff treats in different shapes, while also offering other novelty food options.

Manjū

Manjū is a traditional Japanese treat with an anko filling.

Daifuku

Daifukumochi, or daifuku is a wgashi treat made of round mochi stuffed with sweet fillings.

Wind Chime Making Workshops

Edo-style wind chimes are a beautiful aspect found in Japan, and Tokyo has workshops that allow for their glass creation. For example, Mr. Shinohara at Shinohara Maruyoshi Furin is fluent in both English and Japanese and offers classes on glassblowing, creating and decorating wind chimes. The chimes made can be brought home.

Street Go Karting

One of the more unique things to do in Tokyo involves driving in go-karts around while dressed up as Mario Characters. These tours must be booked in advance and are taken with a drive along tour guide.

Teamlab Borderless Art Museum

Teamlab is an international art collective which creates interactive immersion art displays where visitors are placed inside trippy rooms filled with lights, mirrors, projectors, patterns and swirling music. Experiencing the surreal artistic journey is one of the most unique things to do in Tokyo. .

Kabuki-za in Ginza

Kabuki is the iconic classical form of Japanese dance-drama known for heavily-stylized storytelling performances, elaborate costumes and distinct makeup styles. Kabuki-za in Ginza is the primary theater in Tokyo for the traditional kabuki style.

Taiko Drumming Classes

Taiko are traditional Japanese percussion instruments with many sub categories. It’s possible to book classes and workshops thorughout Tokyo which teach the techniques to drum properly.

Harry the Hedgehog Café 

This adorable café in Tokyo can be found in both Harajuku and Roppongi. The café specializes in hedgehog styled treats and several live hedgehogs happily lounging in glass habitats.

Tokyo DisneySea

Tokyo DisneySea is a massive water-based theme park unique to Japan. The park is themed around legends of the seas with a focus on concepts like Mediterranean Harbor, Mysterious Island, Mermaid Lagoon, Arabian Coast, Lost River Delta, Port Discovery and American Waterfront. In each case, the park was specifically designed for adults and couples than standard Disney parks.

Jinbōchō

Kanda-Jinbōchō, also known as Jinbōchō or Jimbōchō, is a district in Chiyoda. The area known to host used-book stores and publishing houses while also serving as a poplar curio shopping zone.

Bonsai Care Workshop

There are small formal classes in Japan which allow guests to select a tree and hachi (the formal name for a bonsai pot) before being walked through bonsai care by an expert. Visitors can receive tools and a hachi to bring home with them at the end of the workshop.

Amezaiku Workshop

Amezaiku is the astonishing art of crafting Japanese candy. An artist practicing this style uses multi-colored mizuame to create candy sculptures, often creating gorgeous, sugary creations. There are official workshops to learn how found in Tokyo.

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