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The great wooden torii on the southern approach to Meiji Jingū Tokyo Tower above the city, seen from Roppongi Hills Mori Tower Neon signs over Yasukuni-dōri in Shinjuku at night Anago (sea eel) nigiri at a sushi counter Marunouchi’s Naka-dōri under the winter illuminations

The city guide to Tokyo, Japan

Best of Tokyo · This week

Article of the weekWild Tokyo: Forest Shrines, Garden Ponds and the Mountains BeyondA forest planted by hand around Meiji Jingū, the lawns and ponds of the great gardens, white-eyes in the plum blossom and crows in the treetops, and…Read the article In depthTokyo fun factsFun facts about Tokyo, each with its source: Edo renamed Tokyo in 1868, the zero point of Japan’s roads on Nihonbashi, Tokyo Skytree’s 634 metres…Read the article In depthTokyo on film: from Tokyo Story to Perfect DaysTokyo on film: Ozu’s Tokyo Story (1953), Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation at the Park Hyatt (2003), Satoshi Kon’s Tokyo Godfathers (2003), Makoto…Read the article In depthTokyo at the table: eleven three-star dining rooms, and a bowl of sobaMore MICHELIN stars than any other city, sushi counters of eight seats, tempura fried in front of you, kaiseki, French and Chinese of the highest…Read the article Coming upChristmas in TokyoChristmas in Tokyo 2026: the Marunouchi Illumination from 12 November, the Roppongi Hills Christmas Market from 21 November to 25 December…Plan your Christmas

Launch edition · Autumn 2026

The red carriages of the Glacier Express crossing the stone arches of the Landwasser Viaduct below a snow-capped peakSister guideULTIMATE Rail JourneysThe story of the train, the great journeys and where to book themA cruise ship in the Bay of Kotor, MontenegroSister guideULTIMATE CruisesLines, ships and itineraries, from river to expeditionThe Matterhorn in winter above ZermattSister guideULTIMATE Ski ResortsSeason dates, hotels, après and ski schools, resort by resortThe Villa Ephrussi de Rothschild and its gardens, Saint-Jean-Cap-FerratSister guideULTIMATE PropertyAzabu, Aoyama and the bay: freehold for foreign buyers

Tokyo, district by district

Tokyo is a city of many centres: the palace, the station and Ginza at its heart; old Nihonbashi and Asakusa to the east; Roppongi, Toranomon and Azabudai with their new hills; Shibuya, Omotesandō and Shinjuku to the west; and the villages of Ebisu and Nakameguro. Here are its grand hotels and every three- and two-star table of the 2026 MICHELIN Guide, the noodle shops with a Bib Gourmand, the temples, gardens and museums, and journeys to Hakone, Mount Fuji, Kamakura, Nikkō, Yokohama, Kawagoe and Kyoto. Every listing is checked against the venue’s own website or an official source, and anything we can’t confirm is left out.

Old Edo and the new city: Tokyo’s great sights

In depth

Old Edo and the new city

Tokyo·In depth

Sensō-ji, Meiji Jingū, the palace gardens, Skytree and the Shibuya crossing: how to see Tokyo without wearing yourself out.

Read the story

Tokyo, district by district

Eight districts, each with its own guide: the palace, the station and Ginza; old Nihonbashi; Roppongi and Azabudai; Toranomon and Akasaka; Shibuya and Omotesandō; Shinjuku; the villages of Ebisu and Nakameguro; and Asakusa and Ueno in the old north-east.

The red-brick Marunouchi building of Tokyo Station and the plaza before itNeighbourhood guideGinza & MarunouchiThe palace, the station and GinzaThe renovated ground floor of the Nihombashi Mitsukoshi main storeNeighbourhood guideNihonbashiWhere Edo did businessAzabudai Hills on opening day, with Tokyo Tower behindNeighbourhood guideRoppongi & AzabudaiArt, towers and the Azabu tablesThe Shibuya scramble crossing at nightNeighbourhood guideShibuya & OmotesandōThe crossing and the avenueThe lit sign at the entrance to Shinjuku Golden GaiNeighbourhood guideShinjukuTowers, gardens and Golden Gai

By train

The Yamanote Line makes a loop through Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Ueno: plan a day east and a day west, and let the loop do the rest.

  1. Neighbourhood guideEbisu, Daikanyama & NakameguroThe village side of Tokyo
  2. Neighbourhood guideAsakusa & UenoTemples, museums and old Tokyo
  3. Neighbourhood guideToranomon & AkasakaThe new business heart

History & heritage

Edo Castle and the shogun’s city, the merchants of Nihonbashi, the eastern capital of 1868, the earthquake of 1923, the rebuilt city and the Olympics of 1964 and 2021.

Old castle walls in the East Gardens of the Imperial PalaceHistory & heritageTokyo: history and heritageEdo, the shoguns and the eastern capital

Before you go

Haneda or Narita, the 90-day stay, the new tax refund, IC cards and the seasons, and three days that work for a first visit.

Before you goTokyo essentialsEntry, money, 119 and the seasonsInside a Tokyo Metro trainGetting aroundGetting aroundAirports, the metro and the bullet trainThe Kaminarimon gate of Sensō-ji with its great red lanternItineraryTokyo in three daysEast, centre and westTokyo Tower lit orange among the towers of Minato at nightLuxury guideLUX LivingThe finest addressesThe lobby of The Peninsula TokyoItineraryThe Gold weekendThe Palace Hotel and Ginza
  1. ItineraryThe Platinum weekendAman and two three-star tables

Our advice

Sensō-ji at dawn, Shibuya at dusk

Sensō-ji’s grounds are open before the shops of Nakamise and after they close: come early or late. Book SHIBUYA SKY for a sunset slot well ahead, then see the crossing from the street after dark. The great sights

The ULTIMATE letter

Tokyo in your inbox

An occasional email with new places, events, neighbourhood guides and our latest in-depth articles. No spam, ever.

Beyond Tokyo

Hot springs and Mount Fuji to the south-west, the Great Buddha of Kamakura by the sea, the gilded shrines of Nikkō in the cedars, the port of Yokohama, Little Edo at Kawagoe and Kyoto by bullet train.

The red torii of Hakone Shrine standing in Lake AshiBeyond TokyoHakone & Mount FujiLakes, hot springs and the mountainThe bronze Great Buddha of KamakuraBeyond TokyoKamakuraThe Great Buddha by the seaThe carved and gilded Yōmeimon gate of Nikkō TōshōgūBeyond TokyoNikkōShrines in the cedar forestMinato Mirai and its big wheel at sunset, with Mount Fuji beyondBeyond TokyoYokohamaThe port cityThe wooden Toki no Kane bell tower among Kawagoe’s old housesBeyond TokyoKawagoeLittle Edo
  1. Beyond TokyoKyotoThe old capital

Our advice

Give Fuji a winter morning

Mount Fuji hides in cloud for much of the summer. The clearest views come on cold, dry mornings from late autumn to early spring: from Lake Kawaguchi, from Hakone, or from the right-hand side of a westbound Shinkansen. Hakone & Mount Fuji guide

Tokyo in depth

Old Edo and the new city, eleven three-star tables and a bowl of soba, screens and stages, the hotels in the sky, the department stores and the new tax refund, the bullet train and what a foreigner may buy: the stories behind Tokyo.

Marunouchi’s Naka-dōriChristmas in TokyoGolden avenues, a Christmas market and the New Year at the shrinesA wooden footbridge over a pond in Shinjuku GyoenIn depth: nature & wildlifeWild TokyoForest shrines, garden ponds and the mountainsA tempura set with rice, miso soup and dipping sauceThe back storyTokyo at the tableThe stars and the soba

At the table

The best counters seat eight and book weeks ahead; lunch is often the easier way in, and a bowl of Bib Gourmand soba is never far away.

  1. The back storyScreens, stages and white cubesTokyo’s arts
  2. The back storyWhere Tokyo sleepsTowers, ryokan and hills
  3. The back storyShopping in TokyoAnd the new tax refund

Asia with the ULTIMATE guides

Tokyo is one of the ULTIMATE guides of Asia: west to Shanghai and Hong Kong, south to Bangkok and Singapore, out to sea from Yokohama, and the great train journeys beyond.

The Lujiazui skyline lit up at night across the Huangpu RiverULTIMATE ShanghaiShanghaiThe Bund and the French ConcessionHong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria PeakULTIMATE Hong KongHong KongThe harbour cityThe towers of the Central Business District lit up at night, reflected in Marina BayULTIMATE SingaporeSingaporeThe garden city

The ULTIMATE City Guides around the world

See all Asia & Indian Ocean

Planning a longer journey? Each city in the network has its own independent guide, written with the same care and checked place by place. Here are the guides that are live, with more on the way.

Pura Tanah Lot on its rock in the sea in late-afternoon lightIndonesiaULTIMATE BaliTemples on the rocks and the cliffs, the rice terraces of a UNESCO landscape, resorts above Ubud’s gorges and the beach clubs of the west coast.The Grand Palace reflected at dawnThailandULTIMATE BangkokThe Grand Palace and Wat Arun on the river, the grand hotels of Charoen Krung, MICHELIN stars from street food to tasting menus, rooftop bars and the Thai islands.The red Thê Húc bridge on Hoàn Kiếm LakeVietnamULTIMATE HanoiHoàn Kiếm Lake and the Old Quarter, the Temple of Literature, the Metropole, phở and the MICHELIN stars, and Hạ Long Bay beyond.Hong Kong Island and the harbour at night from Victoria PeakOur sister guideULTIMATE Hong KongThe harbour from the Peak, the Star Ferry, Cantonese dining rooms with MICHELIN stars, dim sum in the lanes of Central and the museums of West Kowloon.An aerial view of a small island ringed by reef in the MaldivesOur sister guideULTIMATE MaldivesUndersea restaurants and overwater bars, Hanifaru Bay’s mantas, the whale sharks of South Ari, private islands and the little capital, Malé.The Taj Mahal Palace and the Gateway of India from the harbourIndiaULTIMATE MumbaiThe Taj and the Gateway of India, Marine Drive’s Queen’s Necklace, three UNESCO sites, modern Indian restaurants and day trips to Elephanta and the Ghats.

See all 82 guides

HOT TOPICS · Have Your Say

From our readers: Tokyo’s visitors and locals on its counters and starred tables, temples and gardens, bars in the sky and the bullet train to Kyoto.

    Have your say in HOT TOPICS

    This week's pick

    Sensō-ji

    Asakusa·Temple

    Sensō-ji’s grounds stay open after the halls close, and the Kaminarimon is lit at night: come after dinner, when Nakamise’s shutters are down and the lanterns glow.

    Find out more

    Every list in the guide

    Plan your day

    Cold soba noodles on a bamboo trayItineraryA day of counters: soba, wagashi, ramen and Golden GaiOne dayA Tokyo Cruise water bus on the Sumida RiverItineraryA day in old Edo: Nihonbashi to Asakusa by riverOne dayOmotesandō’s zelkova avenue at sunsetItineraryA property viewing day: Azabu, Aoyama and ToranomonOne day

    Know your neighbourhoods

    Our favourites right now

    Restaurants

    1. 1Tokyo at the table: eleven three-star dining rooms, and a bowl of sobaTokyo · In depth
    2. 2Tokyo CuisineTokyo · In depth: food
    3. 3RyuGinHibiya · Japanese
    See all 84

    Cafés

    1. 1Café de l’AmbreGinza · Coffee house
    2. 2Koffee Mameya KakeruKiyosumi-Shirakawa · Coffee bar
    3. 3Blue Bottle Coffee Kiyosumi-ShirakawaKiyosumi-Shirakawa · Coffee roastery
    See all 13

    Bars

    1. 1Peter: The BarHibiya · Hotel bar
    2. 2New York BarShinjuku · Hotel bar
    3. 3Star Bar GinzaGinza · Cocktail bar
    See all 8

    Hotels

    1. 1Where Tokyo sleeps: towers above the palace, ryokan and the new hillsTokyo · In depth
    2. 2Aman TokyoŌtemachi · Grand hotel
    3. 3Palace Hotel TokyoMarunouchi · Grand hotel
    See all 25

    Sights

    1. 1Old Edo and the new city: Tokyo’s great sightsTokyo · In depth
    2. 2Tokyo: history and heritageMarunouchi · In depth: history and heritage
    3. 3Sensō-jiAsakusa · Temple
    See all 18

    Arts & Culture

    1. 1Screens, stages and white cubes: Tokyo’s artsTokyo · In depth
    2. 2Tokyo National MuseumUeno · Museum
    3. 3The National Museum of Western ArtUeno · Museum
    See all 22

    Parks

    1. 1Wild Tokyo: Forest Shrines, Garden Ponds and the Mountains BeyondTokyo · In depth: nature & wildlife
    2. 2Shinjuku Gyoen National GardenShinjuku · National garden
    3. 3Yoyogi ParkHarajuku · Park
    See all 9

    Walks

    1. 1Yanaka, Nezu and SendagiYanaka · Walk
    2. 2Asakusa and the Sumida RiverAsakusa · Walk
    3. 3Omotesandō and Aoyama: a walk through architectureOmotesandō · Walk
    See all 7

    Shopping

    1. 1Shopping in Tokyo: department stores, Ginza and the new tax refundTokyo · In depth
    2. 2Nihombashi Mitsukoshi Main StoreNihonbashi · Department store
    3. 3Nihombashi TakashimayaNihonbashi · Department store
    See all 11

    Health

    1. 1Emergencies: 119 and 110Tokyo · Emergency
    2. 2St Luke’s International HospitalTsukiji · Hospital
    3. 3Japanese Red Cross Medical CenterHiroo · Hospital
    See all 10

    Property

    1. 1Buying in Tokyo: open to foreign buyers, and the neighbourhoods they chooseTokyo · In depth
    2. 2Foreign buyers in JapanJapan · The rules
    3. 3The Real Estate Brokerage ActJapan · The rules
    See all 5

    Developments

    1. 1Azabudai HillsAzabudai · Development
    2. 2Toranomon Hills Station TowerToranomon · Development
    3. 3Shibuya Sakura StageShibuya · Development
    See all 7

    Cars & drivers

    1. 1Tokyo taxisTokyo · Taxis
    2. 2Tokyo MKTokyo · Taxis and chauffeurs
    3. 3Nissan Rent a CarTokyo · Car hire
    See all 5

    Getting Around

    1. 1Getting around Tokyo: the loop, the metro and the bullet trainTokyo · In depth
    2. 2Haneda AirportŌta · Airport
    3. 3Narita International AirportNarita · Airport
    See all 10