Visiting Japan
A short note on places to go, things to do and watch for when visiting Japan
This post about visiting Japan will be ever-evolving. It will change form, content, expand, etc. It will eventually reference other posts I write, and other posts will reference this one. It is meant for friends and acquaintances so I don’t have to post the same pdf or pictures to people who say “Hey bau, I’m visiting Japan… what should I see? What should I do?”
It is starts with basic info and a bunch of Tokyo links, because someone asked. It will get a lot more detailed over time, with links and addresses, etc. I recommend clicking on the links or googling the names provided. I may later provide sample itineraries.
Visiting Japan
Japan is a big place, with a lot of North and South. There are four major islands, and hundreds of smaller ones. Hokkaido in the North (the northernmost point is north of Vladivostok) is like Montana – wide open spaces, rugged wilderness, tremendous beauty, and bears. Okinawa at the far bottom left in the map is an island paradise – think Hawaii (with Ishigaki Island south of Taipei (roughly the latitude of the Bahamas)). (The distances are roughly equivalent to the overlay on the map below; Japan is placed a little further north than it should be - Tokyo’s latitude is a little south of Raleigh, NC, or about the same as San Luis Obispo (or for Europeanites, maybe 100km south of the southern tip of Sicily, about the same as Crete, or Northern Algeria, or 50km south of Gibraltar on the way to Rabat).
In between, there are a lot of mountains.
When travelling by land, everything on the diagonal vector is easy to reach on the Pacific coast side. If you are on the Japan Sea Coast (the northern coast), it is relatively easy, though slower, to travel along that side.
Getting across Japan, from southern coast to northern coast, takes a bit more effort. There are highways across, and there is the shinkansen from Tokyo to Niigata, but when travelling for a week or more, it is probably best to think of doing things along one side, then doing things on the other, and not trying to criss-cross back and forth (generally, that same advice is valid for travel within micro-regions too, even within Tokyo - see stuff which is close by other stuff, then switch sub-regions).
Kyoto (the yellow dot) is ~2hrs and change from Tokyo by shinkansen. The Ogasawara Islands straight south of Tokyo (the red dot) are less easy (quite time-consuming as a side-trip, but wonderful when you are there). It’s a full 24hrs there by boat. And 24hrs back. And the boat only leaves once every few days.
Japan’s land area is 85% ‘uninhabitable’ because it is mountainous, so at a population of ~120 million, it is a lot of people and culture crowded into relatively narrow land corridors along the coasts and some of the inland plains.
Long and short distance public transport along those crowded corridors is very easy and convenient. Trains are generally similar in cost to taking trains in the US or the Europe (using an average exchange rate), and cheaper if using a Japan Rail Pass, though both have gotten more expensive after a long period of no price changes. For a 1-week or 2-week trip where you plan to travel long distances, DEFINITELY get a Japan Rail Pass before you go to Japan. Travel off the beaten path takes time. Renting a car in Japan can be “expensive”; if travelling in a group off the beaten path, it may be economical both in time and money terms, but for most people, it is not worth the effort (note that people drive on the left, and an international license would almost certainly be required) as almost everything worth seeing as a first or even third-time tourist is more or less accessible by public transport. If you need to, it is usually easy to rent a car from a place near a station (can be found online). Train to last ‘easy’ point and rent a car from there. Having lived in Japan, driven in Japan, traveled across Japan by personal and public transport, I’d recommend public transport.
Lodging is competitive in price with most developed countries, or cheaper. You can definitely stay inexpensively if you veer slightly off the beaten path.
The best times to visit depend on the reason why you go.
If you visit Japan for the classical reasons – temples/shrines/castles/architecture, nature (foliage, flowers, gardens, hiking), and historical sights – then I recommend fall and spring. The timing of fall and spring differs slightly, depending on where you go. For Tokyo and environs, fall foliage usually peaks early November. Further north perhaps a week or two earlier. Far northern Japan may be early-mid October.
Spring is often defined by “cherry blossoms” and the peak season is about a week or two long. Tokyo season usually starts the last week of March, and the peak is about a week later, for about a week. Kyoto is similar timing. Places like Matsumoto and Kanazawa will start 3-6 days later. Sendai a week later, higher altitude areas likely 7-15 days later, Hokkaido maybe weeks later. If you arrive in mid-February to early March, you can try to see plum blossoms, which are much like cherry blossoms (if in mid-March and leaving before the cherries, you can try to find peach blossom orchards, though they are usually further flung, and peach blossoms tend to last longer, so in the slightly more northern parts they are visible to late April).
Winter is also a great time to go. Less hiking, no foliage, but a great time to do an onsen (hot spring) tour. Skiing is great in Hokkaido in January to March but traveling across the north by train after a fresh coat of snow across the landscape can be a real treat. Parts of Japan have great plum blossoms in Jan-Feb. Camellias also bloom in winter. Summer may be an acquired taste (hot, humid, rainy seasons show up in some places) except in Hokkaido and mountain areas, where summer is wonderful, but there are festivals to entertain.
A Brief Note on Names and Pronunciations
Japanese is a language constructed of syllables which make up words (the linguistically-inclined will call them ‘mores’). It is not constructed of letters. Most syllables are made up of what westerners would call a consonant and a vowel. Do re mi. All the consonants can be treated as “hard” with constant sounds (with very few exceptions), and all the vowels are “pure”, somewhat like in Spanish. One can think of the sounds as being staccato-like. It is always consonant first, vowel second in any given syllable.
You can literally speak Japanese with a metronome. Each syllable has a place like a beat in the measure.
a has an “ah” sound like a mid-Atlantic person would say it.
i is “ee” like in the word “beet”
u is almost but not quite like a shortened “oo”
e is like the e in “bed” (as a mid-Atlantic person would say it, not like someone from Mississippi would say it with 3-4 syllables and distinct vowel rotation).
o is like the o in “horse” if you start saying it but leave out the “rse”.
“n” is trickier. At the beginning of a consonant, it is “na” as in NA-go-ya. Sometimes it comes after another syllable, in which case it has a beat of its own. “Mingeikan” has two lonely “n”s and is 6 beats long. Mi-n-ge-i-ka-n.
Vowels sometimes have a line over them like ō in Tōkyō. That means it is a double-beat. Consonants are occasionally doubled up like Nikkō. That means there is a small hitch-beat in the word at the consonant, then you continue.
These things in “romaji” (roman letter Japanese) indicate the syllable count of the word or name.
Isehara is ee-se-ha-rah and is four “syllables” or beats long. Tōkyō is also four beats long. To-o-kyo-o. Long o like the o in horse, not like the yo-yo usually said in toe-kee-yo. So is Nikkō. Ni- - ko-o. What will bother some people is that Kyōto is three beats - Kyo-o-to (the Tō in Tokyo is “East(ern).” The Kyō in both Tōkyō and Kyōto is “capital” and the “to” in Kyōto is “city”).
The language has a singsong-like quality to it, and if you ever try to learn, the best way to be understood is to mimic the singsong nature. Intonation is important to meaning and understanding.
This syllabary can be written in a written language with simple characters called “kana” (かな or カナ). Kanji (漢字) is the Chinese characters you see for names, on menus, in the newspaper. Written language contains both. Kanji is used for word meaning, and kana for the verb endings, participles, prepositions, etc.
Because it is tiresome to always put the accents over the letters (they really only go over the “o”s and “u”s because most doubled “i” are written ii like Niigata, double “e” is beyond rare (usually, an extended “e” sound is done with an “ei” which is actually a rolling vowel sound but “ay” suffices), and double “a” almost as rare), I will usually not write the name with the accents over the letters more than once, if that.
Places to Visit
Japan has a couple thousand years of history, with regional cultures which are somewhat stable over time. Many like to call the culture ‘homogeneous’ but that is an inappropriate descriptor. There are city people, and rural people. There are farmers, forestry people, fisherman, merchants, scholars, carpenters, salarymen, and sushi chefs. There are northerners, southerners, and different cultures in between. Kanto (the eastern plain around Tokyo and Yokohama) culture and norms are different than Kansai (Ōsaka, Kyoto, Kobe, etc) and the dialects may reflect that. Tokyoites might venture a half dozen or more places in Japan and not understand the local dialect, but pretty much everyone will understand Tokyoites. Okinawa, Hokkaido, rural northern Japan is all a bit off the charts and Tokyoites might wish they had subtitles when trying to listen to local conversations in an izakaya.
However, Buddhism, Shintoism, the governance systems, some artistic/societal traditions, etc, have been reasonably uniform over most of Japan for much of the last several hundred if not thousand-plus years. With that governance came city-building/architecture, and art/culture which has helped bridge the regional and social sub-cultures.
One cannot visit all the interesting places in Japan in a week or even a month.
Tokyo is the usual landing spot. Tokyo has shopping, culture in the form of museums, performances, art, fashion, and food. Lots of food. But somewhat less in the way of history the way people think of it when they see pictures of traditional buildings and culture. They are there, but there is less of it than Kyoto and smaller cities around Japan. I love Tokyo, and lived there a long time. But if you can fly into Osaka, Kyoto is a short train ride away and between Kyoto and the day trips you can do, it can be worth all of a ten-day trip if that is what you want to see. Some people could skip Tokyo entirely unless one really wants to see Tokyo for what it is; but even the shopping one can do in Osaka. Me? I could probably do the opposite. For a first trip I could skip Osaka altogether. Different people will feel differently about this and I know a couple of my Osaka-based friends would give me grief if they ever read this.
Northern Japan, Hokkaido, the Japan Sea coast, Kyushu, Shikoku, Okinawa, etc all have their joys, sights, rites, and charm. If you can’t see everything in one trip, they would be good for a second, third, or tenth trip. There is a LOT of tourism goodness in Japan.
Generally, I would suggest planning your trip before going. Transport in and around Japan, and even in and around cities takes time out of your day. I would make a list of things you want to see, then a list of places where they are, figure out when everything is open and closed (museums are often closed on Mondays), and arrange to visit little bunches of places which are close by each other.
Tokyo
Tōkyō is Japan’s capital, with somewhere north of 12 million inhabitants and 35 million people living in the greater Tokyo area. It is the seat of government, the financial centres, head office to many of the major businesses, home to some of Japan’s most modern architecture (and Japan gives good architecture) and there are lots and lots of things to do and see.
Travelling around Tokyo is often defined geographically by where you are in relation to the Yamanote Line, a mis-shapen oval “circular” train line which takes about an hour to do the circuit of 29 stations. It is the thick light green circle line in the map below (the thick lines are above-ground train lines, the thin lines are subway lines, and the white/color striped lines are long-distance shinkansen lines).
Part of the reason for that is the stations along the Yamanote act as the spots on the “hub” where spokes going outward can take you to other places by train.
From Tokyo Station east you can go to the airport, and Chiba, south to Yokohama, north to everywhere north in the inland areas, and it is the departure point for the shinkansen (bullet trains) which go west all the way to Kyoto or Kyushu, or to the northernmost reaches of Honshu.
From Ueno, just four stations north, you can go to the airport or Disneyland via the Keisei Line, or you can go to the Pacific Coast north of Tokyo and eventually all the way to Sendai. You can also take a shinkansen from either Tokyo or Ueno northward to Sendai and parts further north.
From Ikebukuro you can take a train out to the northwestern suburbs, the Seibu baseball stadium, and eventually to Hanno and Chichibu in the mountains.
From Shinjuku, you go west to the western suburbs, to Mt Takao, then eventually out to Yamanashi Prefecture and to Matsumoto City beyond. You can also go to Hakone along the southern coast on the Odakyu Line from Shinjuku, or up to Nikko to the north.
From Shibuya, you can go west southwest, and from Shinagawa (with many of those trains also departing Tokyo), you can go to to Yokohama, Kamakura (or close to it), Misaki-guchi (the southern tip of land on the peninsula straight south of Yokohama - a place to visit the shore, and eat a great meal of bluefin tuna).
Central Tokyo:
There are lots of great smaller museums, great restaurants, good shopping, “culture”, a few great parks. For every visitor to Central Tokyo, I recommend the Mingeikan, the Imperial Palace, a few specialty museums, eating at a decent izakaya, a decent sushi place, and a great tempura place. If you like jazz, visit a jazz kissa or jazz bar or two. I also like Meguro Gajoen, Meiji Shrine, and the associated parks and museums (enter the side parks, the iris garden in the “Inner Garden” in June is awesome). There is also a lot of nature in western Tokyo - good mountains for hiking, river rafting, and whatnot. I also love just lounging and wandering around. Tokyo is a great city for that. Find used book stores in Jinbocho, musical instrument stores in Ochanomizu, fake food stores in Kappabashi, top quality knives in Asakusa. Tokyo is also, in my opinion, the best foodie-city on the planet, bar none.
Museums:
As a general rule, many or most museums in Japan are closed on Mondays. If Monday is a national holiday, museums will be open, and instead will be closed on the day after. Check the website to be sure!
Tokyo is a giant hive of activity, and occasionally construction. A lot of older museums are (or were) in buildings or blocks which were built many decades ago and in the early-mid 2020s appear to be under reconstruction. I have made a best efforts basis here to provide links and whatnot but I cannot always keep up with all the changes, closures, and expected re-openings.
Anyhoo, let’s start.
An absolute personal favourite is the Japan Folkcraft Museum or the Mingeikan which is a 15-minute walk from Shibuya Station. It was founded/built/collected by YANAGI Soetsu, famous designer and collector, who started as a writer and observer of the arts, philosophy, and religion, fell in love with Korean art, set up a Korean Folk Art Museum in Seoul, then came back and set his sights on Japan. Along with potters and craftspeople KAWAI Kanjiro and HAMADA Shoji (both later became Living National Treasures) Yanagi coined the term “Mingei” for “folkcraft” which was defined by the beauty of ordinary people’s functional craftwork - unsigned art. He then spent decades exploring Japan’s regional crafts and collecting works. English potter Bernard Leach showed up in Japan and became friends and travel partners with Yanagi and Hamada and the three became fascinated with English slipware. Later works by both Kawai Kanjiro and Hamada Shoji were heavily influenced by slipware, and Leach’s own work was influenced by the Japanese pottery re-influencing his version of slipware. The Mingeikan is a simple but beautiful traditional-style building (with an annex or two) - a delight to visit, sit in the wonderful custom furniture and run one’s hands down the banister. Every December, from about 8-10 days into the month going for about two weeks, there is a “New Works” Competition where visitors can see and purchase contemporary craft works from across Japan. It is very heavily visited by craft lovers and if you want any hope of purchasing cool stuff, you should be ready to get to the Mingeikan hours and hours before it opens on the first day of the Show. You’ll be let in 20-30 at a time, and those in first have first crack at the goodies. It is possible to spend a LOT of money in that show (ask me how I know). Usually the museum will close for a couple of weeks after the annual New Works Competition to clean up, provide staff with holidays, and set up the next exhibition. That is late December to mid-January.
The Craft Gallery at the National Museum of Modern Art has, sadly, moved to be the National Crafts Museum in Kanazawa. Until a few years ago, it was a favourite in Tokyo but it is a great add-on to a visit to Kanazawa on the Japan Sea Coast - a city eminently worth visiting for a variety of reasons (samurai houses, old castle town, one of the GREAT gardens in Japan, some museums, etc).
The other National Museums are also worth visiting - the National Museum of Modern Art (Takebashi) is a total stunner of a museum, the Tokyo National Museum (also Ueno) is also great, the National Museum of Nature & Science (also Ueno) is cool for families with kids, the National Museum of Western Art (also Ueno), the National Art Center (Minami Aoyama), the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (also Ueno), the Museum of Contemporary Art (Ueno)
ART MUSEUMS
Another favourite art museum is the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum but it may be ,
The Ota Memorial Museum of Art (of ukiyo-e, woodblock prints), in Harajuku. not far from Meiji Shrine,
The Yamatane Museum of Art specialises in Nihon-ga (a particular style “Japan paintings” which were born of references to traditional schools of art such as the Tosa School and Kano School lineages, with more modern influences in woodblock prints and stronger ‘design’ sensibilities in the late 19th and early 20th centuries)
The Tokyo Photographic Art Museum in Ebisu, in the Yebisu Garden Place facility,
The Tomo (Toranomon, near Roppongi) specialises in ceramics, The Suntory (Roppongi, Midtown) specialises in traditional Japanese art, as does the Idemitsu (Marunouchi) which appears to be closed for the foreseeable future but check back on the site), Nezu (Minami Aoyama), Mori (Roppongi) Mitsubishi Ichigokan (Tokyo), and Shoto Museum (Shibuya), and others. Click the links (“open link in new tab”) to see what exhibitions are live now. Some of these museums (other than the Shoto and Tomo Museums, often have a traditional rather than modern collections on display).
The Toguri Museum is open again (it was closed for renovations for a while). It is a porcelain museum featuring Hizen/Imari from Japan, Chinese porcelain, and Korean porcelain. Other museums such as the Nezu and Idemitsu museums mentioned above also have porcelain but the Toguri is dedicated to porcelain. It is great. About a 5-7 minute walk from the Bunkamura Kaikan which itself is 5-7mins walk up the hill from Shibuya Station. Note that Bunkamura, which is on the back side of what used to be Tokyu Honten Dept Store (which closed Jan 2023) closed in April 2024, and the entire site will be a huge construction site for a couple of years, re-opening in 2027 with a very tall building called “Shibuya Upper West Project”.
CULTURAL HISTORY MUSEUMS
The Edo-Tokyo Museum (Ryogoku) is a unique museum of the history of Tokyo, once called Edo, and all parts of life to go with it. Pretty fascinating. East of the Yamanote a few stops. As I check the site, it is closed for renovations until 2026.
The Samurai Museum (Shinjuku), the Sword Museum (Ryogoku, near the Edo-Tokyo Museum), and the Tobacco & Salt Museum (near Tokyo Skytree), and the Sumida Hokusai Museum (Sumida) are all pretty interesting.
Toguri Museum (great Japanese/Chinese/Korean porcelain museum in Shibuya) mentioned above
The Mingeikan mentioned above.
Sankeien (house, garden) in Yokohama, which is wonderful (and a bit like the Nihon-Minkaen described in more detail below) but it is not in central Yokohama. It is worth a morning or afternoon if you happen to be in Yokohama but from Yokohama Station, it is kind of a trek (by train then bus then 10-15mins walk)
Nihon-Minkaen (the Japan Open-Air Folk House Museum - an outdoor folk history museum which has a couple dozen historical buildings reconstructed there with a cool explanatory museum and occasional special exhibitions), southwest of Tokyo - a full morning or afternoon from Central Tokyo. This is a favourite of mine. 20-odd historical (200 to 400+ years old) houses and buildings from different areas around Japan, plus an informative museum with explanations in English.
FOR FAMILY AND KIDS…
Team Labs Planet Tokyo, a fascinating immersive digital experience in Toyosu in eastern Tokyo with a really cool website. Good for adults too.
the Railway Museum (now Saitama City, which is an hour away from central Tokyo, and if going, the Omiya Bonsai village there too),
the Ghibli Museum (Mitaka, west of Tokyo); nota bene closed on Tuesdays
the Tokyo Subway Museum (in Kasai, eastern Tokyo),
the Fire Museum in Shinjuku,
And there are LOTS more good ones. Additionally, there are often art exhibits on the top floor of department stores. Look for posters at the entrances to department stores (especially as you go in from underground from a subway).
Temples & Shrines in Tokyo
For temples and shrines, if you are visiting a variety of places in Japan including Kyoto, I’d concentrate my shrine and temple visits there. There is also Nara, Nikko, and any number of great shrines and temples in other cities. Somehow the shrines and temples in Tokyo just don’t quite measure up to the best of the best in other parts of Japan, but here is a list for the sake of completeness.
Sensoji in Asakusa (northeast of 2 o’clock) is the famous red gate with big roof in all the photos of Japan guide books. It’s worth a visit and there are other things to do in Asakusa (visit the downtown shopping alleys, Kappabashi nearby, the kyu-Iwasaki-tei museum/gardens, the Kiyosumi Gardens, the Hokusai Museum). Sensoji claims history over 1500 years based on fishermen finding a statue of the Kannon Buddha, then a Buddhist priest building a temple there in the mid 600 C.E. timeframe. The priest hid the statue, and it has never been seen since. Nevertheless, it is a big place with nice gate, main building, and definitely worth a visit when you are in the northeast corner of Tokyo.
Meiji Jingu Shrine (Harajuku (about 8:30)) - Meiji Shrine is a working shrine which happens to be the largest in Tokyo - 70 hectares of gardens, more gardens, museums, and shrines, originally built in 1920 to commemorate the Meiji Emperor and Empress Shoken (the Meiji Emperor had passed 12 years earlier). It is reached from Harajuku Station. One walks through the gates then down a long path to the main shrine itself. There are side gardens to the left, museum buildings, and the main shrine hall, and then a large garden park out the back.
Nezu Shrine near Ueno Park (1-2 o’clock, inside). Old, super picturesque. Especially in April to early May when the azaleas bloom and it is a key stop in the Tsutsuji Matsuri (Azalea Festival) in the Bunkyo Ward.
Tennoji (Buddhist temple) in Yanaka is in the Yanasen (Yanaka, Nezu, Sendagi) area (1-2 o’clock, inside), which is one of the old and traditional areas which survived both the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and Allied bombs in WWII. It’s a nice visit in and of itself, with small streets and traditional shops. Tennoji is the big temple in the area, originally built in the late 1200s, closed in the 1600s for heresy, then re-opened, taken over by another sect of Buddhism, and it is now known for being the seat of Bishamonten (Vaiśravaṇa), a god of bravery, and resources. There is also a nice bronze Buddha. Best approached from Nippori Station on the Yamanote, near Ueno.
Kanda Myojin Shrine (2 o’clock) is a big colourful shrine which hosts the Kanda Festival every other year in May. It’s fun to see the hundreds of portable shrines (mikoshi) paraded around. It’s a thing. It can be reached from Akihabara and Ochanomizu stations
Yushima Seido, a Confucian temple in Bunkyo Ward (1-2 o’clock) near Ueno (10 minutes’ trot south of Yushima Tenmangu). Nice stark black buildings. Originally built in the early 1600s, the structures fell in the Great Kanto Earthquake (and fire) of 1923 and were rebuilt in the following decade. The whole thing looks great.
Yushima Tenmangu in Bunkyo Ward (10 mins’ walk north of Yushima Seido). Small, cute. Lots of plum trees in mid-February (they look vaguely like cherry blossoms)
Zojoji Temple is near Tokyo Tower and Shiba Park (about 4-5 o’clock, inside). Founded in the late 1300s. There are a bunch of interesting outbuildings, and a Treasure Gallery. The gate and main hall are nice.
Sengakuji is in Takanawa in southern central Tokyo (can walk from Shinagawa (5-6 o’clock, inside)) and is relatively unremarkable except for the fact it is the resting place of the famous 47 Ronin.
Ryusenji (a.k.a. Meguro Fudo) is in Meguro (7-8 o’clock, just outside), southwest corner of the Yamanote Line (a few hundred meters from Meguro Station). Nearby (other side of the Yamanote) is the Tokyo Metropolitan Teien Art Museum, and the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum. Ryusenji is quite close to the Meguro Parasitological Museum (200-300m away down the same street), which is a private research facility dedicated to studying parasites. The Parasitological Museum shop sells cool t-shirts with designs of parasites that you will not get anywhere else in Japan.
Inokashira Benzaiten is in Inokashira Park in Kichijoji, 15mins out by train from Shibuya on the Inokashira Line (7-8:30-ish, outside about 15mins). It is quiet, and large (because of Inokashira Park). The Buddha is only shown to the public every 12 years in Year of the Snake. The goddess is said to curse couples who show up there. It is near the Ghibli Museum.
Gardens in Tokyo
Some of the best gardens in Tokyo were created hundreds of years ago by feudal lords (daimyo) for the pursuit of relaxation and meditation (Rikugien, Shinjuku Gyoen, Koishikawa Korakuen), falconry (Hamarikyu), recreation (Kiyosumi Teien), etc
For cherry blossoms…
you can’t beat Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden.
There is also the Tokyo National Museum Garden which is on the north side of the Tokyo National Museum (only open for short stints in spring for the cherries and fall for the foliage), though he moat around the Imperial Palace is a great long walk full of cherry blossoms.
Rikugien, which is a garden in the northern part of the Yamanote (12 o’clock).
There is also the Denboin Temple Garden in Asakusa, which few seem to know about, which is attached to the large temple there - Sensoji.
For spring, summer and early fall, there are, in no particular order…
The Kiyosumi Gardens (Kiyosumi Teien) in Koto Ward. Really a top-notch garden, any time of the year. Originally a garden established by a daimyo, which fell out of use, Yataro Iwasaki - the founder of the Mitsubishi zaibatsu, bought it and refurbished it. The garden was destroyed in 1923 in the Great Kanto Earthquake, and several years later was given to the Tokyo Government, which re-refurbished it. It may be the best garden in Tokyo. Near Kyu Isawasaki-tei.
in June… Meiji Shrine Imperial Garden, near Harajuku (two stops south of Shinjuku), especially great in June with the iris garden. Also in June, the Horikiri Shobu Garden in Katsushika Ward, northwest of the Yamanote along the Keisei Main Line (from Asakusa).
the Kyu Furukawa Gardens in Kita Ward (12' o’clock on the Yamanote),
the Higo Hosokawa Garden in Medjirodai,
the Kyu-Yasuda Teien Garden in Sumida, or the Mukojima Hyakka-en, also in Sumida
the Tonogayato Gardens in Bunkyo-ku (not too far from Kyu Furukawa), northern central inner part of the Yamanote
the Nezu Museum Garden, great if you are also visiting the Nezu Museum
Hamarikyu - a big garden just east of Central Tokyo.
The Imperial Palace East Gardens - the only place of the Tokyo Imperial Palace actually open to the public. Around the outer moat there are cherries in spring
Kyu Isawasaki-tei (cool old building, and decent garden)
Sankeien in Yokohama
Houkokuji in Kamakura
For autumn foliage…
Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, in Bunkyo-ku - this is one of Tokyo’s oldest gardens, built as a garden starting 400 years ago,
the previously-mentioned Kiyosumi Gardens,
Mejiro Garden, in Mejiro (about 10-11 o’clock on the Yamanote,
Happo-en (a private garden and banquet business) in Shirokanedai,
In winter, because you happen to want to see gardens and you are in Tokyo in winter…
Kyu Shibarikyu is right in downtown Tokyo, a couple of stops from Tokyo Station.
Other Stuff To Do In Tokyo:
Jazz bars and Jazz kissa. Jazz “kissa” is short for kissaten - a coffee shop - and it is a thing in Japan, especially in Tokyo. It is a coffee shop, usually with great big (relatively efficient) speakers, maybe some tube amps, and de rigeuer, a turntable or two with a wall of records, lorded over by the master-san, often an older gentleman but not always, sharing his love of jazz records and service to those who would slake their thirst and time between meetings with a coffee and cool grooves. Jazz bars will serve alcohol. There are a number of guides to jazz kissa and jazz bars on the internet. I may add links later.
Restaurants galore. I am convinced Tokyo is the foodie capital of the world. Where to go is learned by review, word of mouth/reputation, and friends. There are too many restaurants, and too many websites extolling their virtues, to count.
Shopping and Fashion - Tokyo is THE place to see interesting stuff, on the street or in the shops. Like in most other service industries in Japan, the Japanese take great pride in doing a really great job in creating curated shopping experiences. The back streets of Shibuya, Harajuku, Aoyama are super-interesting, and just outside the Yamanote there is Shimo-Kitazawa which is now super-well-known for being fashionably interesting, low-key, and “unknown.”
Theater and Sport:
Go see Kabuki theater in Ginza (everything here, or schedule at Japan Arts Council)
the Takarazuka Revue (women, playing all roles - male and female, in musicals) in Yurakucho (link)
see a Noh/Kyogen performance in Tokyo, there are several theaters (Sendagaya, Ginza, Shibuya) and The Japan Arts Council has a list of performances and ways to buy tickets and see them.
and while Bunraku (a kind of puppet theater) is originally from Osaka, there are occasionally performances in Tokyo (see schedule at The Japan Arts Council)
a sumo tournament (in Tokyo in the 2nd and 3rd week of January, the 3rd and 4th week of May, and mid-late September) - the official site
Other
Panoramic Views: Tokyo Skytree, the relatively new tower in Sumida Ward, just northeast of Ueno. Near Asakusa and other attractions. Go to the top to see incredible vistas of Tokyo. Other decent views of Tokyo can be had at the top of Sunshine City in Ikebukuro, Shibuya Sky across from the station, Tokyo Tower (new Top Deck in 2018), Tokyo City View at the top of Roppongi Hills Mori Tower. Those are all paid. There is a free observation deck at the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku, and there is a decent free one (but not as high) at the Bunkyo Civic Center in Suidobashi.
Toyosu Fish Market, the new version of the original Tsukiji Fish Market
participate in a Tea Ceremony,
try a lesson in Japanese Flower Arrangement (ikebana) - one could try the Sōgetsu headquarters in Akasaka.
Outer Tokyo:
Lots of nature, more museums, temples, etc. Try Takao-san (Mt. Takao) with dinner at Ukaitoriyama (a fun and quite beautiful place to eat (they’ll be able to function in English, and will pick up you and drop you back off at Takao station on the JR Chuo Line)), or the Okutama area for a hiking day trip. The old part of Kawagoe (northwest of Central Tokyo out the Seibu Line, or the JR Saikyo Line)) is interesting historically and architecturally (the houses along the main drag are built in “storehouse style”). Any good guide to Japan will be able to recommend other side trips.
1-2 Day Trips near Tokyo (seasons matter):
Kamakura is the ancient capital. Worth a long day. 60mins from Tokyo. Leave early. There are many temples, a giant bronze Buddha (which you can go inside) which remains even after a tsunami washed away most of Kamakura hundreds of years ago, lots of history to see. One can start at Kita-Kamakura station and walk, then take the small train to Enoshima at the end.
Okutama: is about 90mins outside Tokyo to the west. Mountains, hiking, rural Japan feeling, onsen (hot springs), river-running by kayak/canoe/raft, small temples, etc. It is a delight, especially in late spring through autumn.
Nikkō: This is the big one. Nikkō is a UNESCO World Heritage site about 90-120mins by train north of Tokyo (depending on where you start from - it can be Shinjuku by JR, or Asakusa by Tobu Line) in Tochigi prefecture. Nikkō Tōshōgu is a Shinto shrine, originally built in 1617, and dedicated to warlord Tokogawa Ieyasu who “unified” Japan in 1600, was the first shōgun, in the Tokugawa Shogunate - the military government which lasted from 1603 until it was overthrown by supporters of the Imperial Court in the Meiji Restoration of 1868, when the Imperial Court (based in Kyoto from 794 AD onward) moved to Tokyo. Nikko has dozens of buildings and structures, shrines, temples, a decent museum or two. There are festivals with processions twice a year in spring and fall. It is a great visit year-round.
Also one can take bus further up the road at day end, stay at Lake Chuzenji; Day 2 first thing see the Kegon Falls, walk the Senjogahara nature trail (2.5hrs) to Yumoto Onsen. Have a dip in the onsen, take a late night bus+train back to Tokyo, exhausted (or stay overnight in Yumoto Onsen, go back early AM and do another day).
Brief History Sidebar: Nominally the Imperial Court had been “in power” for thousands of years until the 20th century. It was based in Asuka (near Nara) from 538 AD, moved to Nara in 710, then moved to Kyoto in 794 and stayed there until the Meiji Restoration. Practically speaking, the various “Periods” (Asuka Period, Nara Period, Heian Period, Kamakura Period, Muromachi Period, Sengoku Period (“Warring States Period lasted for 110-135yrs, much of it overlapping the Muromachi Period), then the “Edo Period” (the Tokugawa Shogunate), mostly saw imperial rule “run” by various Clans who wielded so much influence they pretty much ran things. Shōgun (equivalent to Generalissimo?) was an honorary title, and eventually hereditary, but disputed imperial succession sometimes led to regime change. Example: in 1156, there were two Emperors who claimed the throne; one hired the Taira Clan, the other the Minamoto Clan, to try to enforce their claim to the throne. There was a war. The Taira Clan won. The head of the Taira Clan then installed his own grandson as Emperor. That led to open rebellion between the Taira and Minamoto Clans a few years later leading to 20yrs of war. The head of the Taira clan had exiled Minamoto no Yoritomo to Kamakura, in eastern Japan. Yoritomo came back, led an uprising in 1180, the head of the Taira Clan died the next year, but the war between the Clans - the Genpei War - lasted until 1185 when Minamoto no Yoritomo won. When he consolidated his power, he decided to rule as Shogun. He set up his government in Kamakura, thus commencing the Kamakura Period, and his power there was ‘mandated’ by the Imperial Court in Kyoto. The Imperial Court was nominally in power, but the actual power was with the new Shōgun. The Kamakura Period saw Shoguns and Regents rule for 150 years until Emperor Go-Daigo launched a rebellion against the Shogunate. The Shogunate hired General Ashikaga Takauji to subdue the rebellion but instead he joined it, and overthrew the Kamakura Shogunate. Emperor Go-Daigo tried to restore the Imperial Court and a civilian government to run Japan. General Takauji and others were unhappy about that. He captured Kyoto 5yrs later, Takauji installed a different member of the Imperial family on the throne, got himself appointed Shogun, Go-Daigo fled to set up a “rival” Court, and Takauji set up government in Muromachi (Kyoto), starting the Muromachi Period which lasted until the late 1500s. Where it gets interesting is that the Shoguns lost power around 1400 with the regional lords/warlords (daimyō) taking more power, and finally effectively taking full control of their fiefdoms in the mid-late 1400s. There was a Warring States Period from about 1467 through about 1600, when the above-mentioned Tokugawa Ieyasu won at the battle of Senjogahara. Ninja, samurai battles, etc, all come from this period. Akira Kurosawa’s epic period piece Kagemusha was a story about a criminal taught to impersonate the then-dying Takeda Shingen who was a powerful daimyō in the middle of the 16th century. In my opinion a real highlight of the period is also the development and evolution of zen painting from the early Kamakura Period through the late Muromachi when ink and brush artist Kano Motonobu apparently effectively merged the zen style with the gold leaf and colour Tosa School which had the imperial seal after marrying the daughter of the head of that school. He then was able to garner the top commissions for the imperial family, wealthy families, and temples and could be said to be the start of the Kano School, which remained the most influential school of painting for hundreds of years (my long-held header on Twitter is a double screen painting by Kano Sanraku).
Hakone Area: To the southwest, at the base of Mt. Fuji. Great spring flowers and fall foliage. Lots of hiking, onsens, quite relaxing place to be. Hakone Shrine, Pola Museum, Lake Ashino(ko), Okada Museum of Art. Google it.
Mt Fuji: When you take the shinkansen west, you’ll see it several times. It is the “perfect mountain.” It’s the tallest mountain in Japan and you can hike all the way up. The official climbing season is July 1 to August 30. Even then it’s cold at the top (below 5º) and in-season, it’s a crowded trip up and down. The best way I’ve done it is hike up at night, get there to the top, or most of the way there, at dawn and watch sunrise from top or near top, sometimes with a sea of clouds below you. After one gets to the top, one can have a sit, walk around the caldera, go back down, then sleep for a day. Some people climb outside the official season but it’s not advisable to stretch it too late (and in 2023, the local govt is now getting upset about it, only two weeks past the end of the official season). You might suffer from exposure, it is really cold at the top. If not in decent shape it can be tough on the legs. Can also visit Lake Yamanaka, Lake Ashi (or Ashinoko), and others, and there is a Komagatake Ropeway (cablecar) trip which is OK.
Izu Islands: A trip to the Izu Islands just south of Tokyo. The fastest one is less than two hours by ferry. They are still part of Tokyo and a really interesting change in pace of life and lifestyle. The further south you go, the more tropical they get, but the seafood is usually good on all of them.
Chiba: There are a few interesting things to do out in Chiba, the prefecture east of Tokyo towards the Pacific, and the large peninsula to the south. Near Tokyo it is endless ex-urbia for a few dozen kilometers, then farm country, the airport, etc. Further out, up, and down, it is rural, and there are nice beaches. If going from the Tokyo/Yokohama side, there is a ferry across Tokyo Bay from Kurihama to the Chiba side, and from there it is a short walk to the base of Nokogiriyama. One can walk up, or take the cable car up. There is further to climb at the top, and there is a giant Buddha carved into stone at the top, and another large reclining Buddha, lots of smaller statues, a pleasant hike. There are seafood restaurants below.
Kyoto and Environs
Kyōto is THE place to visit in Japan. Temples, shrines, culture, maiko, architecture, gardens, nature, history, everything you want. If I had only 5 days in Japan and could fly into Osaka not Tokyo, I could conceivably skip Tokyo altogether. A multi-day-trip to Kyoto in order of recommendation: Day 1 - Higashiyama, Day2 - Central & Northern Kyoto, Day 3 - Miyama, Day 4 - Arashiyama. Higashiyama, Central/Northern, and Arashiyama are all multi-day destinations if you have lots of time.
Central & Northern Kyoto
Central Kyoto is worth a day at least: see Kyoto Imperial Palace, Kyoto Gyoen, Nijo-jo (castle), Nishi and Higashi Honganji (check construction/repair status), Sumiya Pleasure House, the Kamogawa area, the historical shops.
Arashiyama
The northern outskirts of Kyoto. Lots and lots of temples, small and larger, and very nice walks between.
Worth at least a day. Lots to see. Can take the train there from Kyoto Station.
Northern & Western Kyoto
Shimogamo-jinja (shrine),
the Botanical Gardens,
Daitokuji and nearby Kenkun Shrine,
Kinkakuji,
Ryoanji
South of Kyoto Station
Just south and east of the station are Sennyū-ji, and Tōfukuji.
I love the looks and quietness of Sennyū-ji.
The Fushimi Inari Shrine south of Tōfukuji is famous for a reason – well worth the trip, and can be done any time day or night I believe. It is a real treat, and going up at night is wonderful.
Just south east of the station is the Toji Temple, with a nice tall pagoda. On Sundays there is a flea/antique market which is cool to look around. You can ‘negotiate’.
The Higashiyama area
Higashiyama is worth another 2 days (minimum). South to North…
Sanjusangendo (just off the map),
Kiyomizudera,
Kodai-ji,
Yasaka Shrine and Chion-in,
north to Heian Shrine,
then head back east to Nanzen-ji and associated temples such as Konchi-in, Shinjoin and Nanyoin, Tenjuan, Nanzen-in, the main temple,
then Eikan-do (shown on map below as Zenrinji) (especially in the fall) just north of that,
the Philosopher’s Path stopping at a few more temples on the way, Honen-in, Anraku-ji, others, before getting to…
Ginkaku-ji a.k.a. Higashiyama Jishoji and the Sen-Oku Hakukokan Museum a couple of hundred meters away.
That is one Very Full Day, better done over two. Or more.
Then further north to Ginkakuji Daimonji up from Ginkaku-ji, Manshu-in (beautiful in fall), the Shugakuin Rikyu Imperial Villa (reservations required well in advance). Maybe more than 2 days in all. And lots of walking. But maybe the most beautiful 2 days of city-walking in your life. A map of Higashiyama is below.
Outside Kyoto
The three side trips below are worthwhile. Koya-san is a looong side trip from Kyoto, but easier from there than from Tokyo.
I think the village of Miyama is definitely worth a day trip.
Nara is another ancient capital. More temples, shrines, musuems/gardens/parks. Easy one hour train from Kyoto Station. Can also go to Yamato.
Mt Koya or Koya-san. Worth the long day/overnight trip. Can stay overnight in a temple which is a treat.
Other Great Places
If you do decide to stay in the Kyoto/Kansai area, other great places are:
South & West of Kyoto
Osaka: castle, shopping, a museum or two, general Osaka-ness.
Nara: noted above. Lots of temples, a big Buddha, some gardens,
Old Kobe
Hiroshima (three hours west): Peace Memorial Park, nearby is Itsukushima/Miyajima – a MUST-SEE if you are here.
Himeji (90mins west): the biggest ‘most classically beautiful’ of the Japanese castles is here.
Okayama: castle, etc
Kurashiki
Northern Shikoku and Naoshima: One can make a trip of sites/seafood/museums (Benesse/Naoshima) across northern Shikoku Island which is quite worthwhile.
East of Kyoto
Ise Shima: Japan’s most sacred Shinto shrines are here. Great seafood. Ago Bay is cool too.
Kumano: the three Kumano shrines are great
North Of Kyoto
From Kyoto, north, can see Amanohashidate, the “birthplace” of Japan in Shinto historical ‘literature’, and the train ride from there to Kanazawa along the seacoast is beautiful.
Kanazawa:
Kenrokuen Garden (best famous garden in Japan),
The “geisha street” of the Higashi Chaya District
I like the Ashigaru Museum which is the house of a low-level samurai, which contrasts with the Nomura family samurai house, which is great.
the Seisonkaku Villa,
the Takada Museum, in Nagamachi
The Ishikawa Prefectural Museum of Traditional Arts & Crafts
and for a slightly niche evening out, try Chuo Mishokugai street “Showa atmosphere” of tiny pubs and bars.
Toyama
South of Kanazawa
Gokayama/Shirakawa-mura. WORTH IT. Google it. Absolutely beautiful.
And further north….
Niigata Prefecture further up the coast has great seafood (and winter seafood is different than summer seafood and they are equally great), great rice and sake (many sake brewers will have tours, with a little tasting at the end), and some cool places to visit. I like Nakano-tei (it has a small but decent museum, and fantastic fall foliage) and the Northern Culture Museum around Niigata. There is also the old Niigata Saito Villa. If going in early May, the Northern Culture Museum has the biggest/best wisteria plant ever.
Further north is a town called Murakami, with an interesting history and some nice little places to visit in the area (two great sake breweries, the remains of a castle, some temples and shrines, and in the late October to December time frame, a salmon run up the Miomote River, and dried salmon cuisine.
Further north from there is Sakata, which was for hundreds of years the wealthiest city along the north Japan Sea Coast area. It has a fascinating rice museum, other museums.