Kanto attractions

Japanese culture and history enthusiasts with a passion for architecture and design will love the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum. Set within Koganei Park in western Tokyo, the traditional buildings on display were moved or reconstructed here in an effort to preserve Japanese architectural history, much of which had already been destroyed through fire, earthquakes, or war. Walk around and see how people once lived in Japan, from farmers to politicians.

Otherwise known as Hello Kitty Land, Sanrio Puroland is an indoor theme park designed around the friendly cartoon cat and other popular Sanrio characters. With its bright colors and adorable design, it epitomizes Japan’s kawaii (cute style) culture. Even though it’s a train ride from central Tokyo into the suburbs, it’s worth the trip—you’re likely to leave Sanrio Puroland with a lighter outlook on life.

Tokyo’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan for short) is a fun place that’s dedicated to technology and the way it affects our lives. Visit the family-friendly attraction to see robot demonstrations, enjoy interactive exhibits, watch films projected on a domed screen, and listen to talks with scientists. It’s especially popular with kids and teens, but a great pick for all ages.

London isn’t the only place in the world where Harry Potter fans can get a behind-the-scenes look at the making of their favorite movies. Warner Bros. Studio Tour Tokyo transports you into the wizarding world of the film franchise with exhibits and recreated film sets featuring Platform 9 3/4, Diagon Alley, the Ministry of Magic, the Forbidden Forest, and more.

Toyosu Fish Market is one of the largest wholesale fish markets in the world. Having replaced the famed Tsukiji Fish Market, today’s site consists of three interconnected buildings on Tokyo Bay, featuring stalls selling wholesale fish, fruit, and vegetables. Toyosu is the place to witness lively early-morning tuna auctions and taste some of the freshest seafood in Japan at its on-site restaurants.

Tokyo Solamachi is a vibrant shopping and entertainment complex surrounding Tokyo Skytree, one of the world’s tallest towers. Visitors can enjoy panoramic city views from the Skytree observation decks, then explore over 300 shops, selling everything from fashion and character goods to homeware and souvenirs. The complex also features a large food market and diverse dining options, making it easy to spend an entire day shopping, snacking, and relaxing.

Kabukiza Theatre is often touted as one of the best places in Tokyo to watch kabuki—a type of Japanese performing arts that dates back to the early 17th century. With translations available, it’s a great choice for tourists keen to experience this traditional form of theater.

Tokyo Midtown is a mixed-use complex with six towers. Within the complex, you’ll find apartments, a luxury hotel, shopping, dining, gardens, and galleries. You could spend a whole day or more in and around Tokyo Midtown, admiring the art and browsing the boutiques. It’s conveniently located in the Roppongi area, which has other attractions and reasons to visit, including dining and nightlife.

Considered to be the most famous crossing in Japan, Shibuya Crossing—also known as the “Shibuya Scramble Crossing”—is also said to be the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. It allows people to cross from all directions in front of Shibuya station and immerses visitors in Tokyo’s fast-paced lifestyle, plus it is a popular meeting place and a prime Tokyo photo spot.

Doraemon is one of the most distinctive and beloved of Japanese manga characters: a blue robot cat who time travels back from the 22nd century. He was created in 1969 by manga artist Fujimoto Hiroshi, who used the pen name Fujiko Fujio. The museum named after him is a Doraemon-lover’s dream destination, and a fun activity for other travelers, too.

Happo-en—Japanese for “beautiful garden from every angle”—perfectly describes this ornamental Japanese garden in Tokyo’s Shirokanedai area. Walk down Happo-en's winding paths, admire its centuries-old cherry and maple trees, stop for tea in the traditional tea house, or enjoy a meal at one of its on-site restaurants. And don't miss the garden's oldest tree—a Japanese bonsai that’s more than 500 years old.

Combine art and sightseeing with a visit to Mori Art Museum (Mori Bijutsukan), a prestigious contemporary art museum in a great location in central Tokyo. Beyond the art, take advantage of the museum's setting—on the 53rd floor of the Mori Tower—and its access to Tokyo City View, an indoor observation deck offering near 360-degree views of Tokyo. You may even glimpse Mt. Fuji on a clear day.

The National Museum of Western Art is renowned for being one of the leading destinations in Japan for seeing Western art, with pieces spanning the 14th century to the early 20th century. It showcases work by many world-renowned artists, including Gauguin, Manet, Monet, Renoir, Picasso, and Pollock. Notably, the museum has also achieved UNESCO World Heritage Site status, making it a popular spot for art lovers visiting the city.

Step into the spotlight at Madame Tussauds Tokyo, where you can strike a pose with iconic figures from film, television, music, sports, history, politics, and more. Located at Decks Tokyo Beach in Odaiba, the Tokyo branch of the world-renowned Madame Tussauds features more than 70 life-size wax figures from around the world—including Leonardo DiCaprio, Marilyn Monroe, and Brad Pitt. Here, you can explore themed zones, take photos, and learn facts about each celebrity.

The Tokyo Camii and Diyanet Turkish Culture Center is one of the biggest mosques in Japan. Initially built in 1938 for Tatar Russian refugees, it was later rebuilt and revamped into a grand, domed Ottoman-style mosque. It’s now a center of Turkish and Muslim culture and worship in the Japanese capital. Visitors can explore the beautiful interiors, and visit the on-site halal market and café.

The 19th-century Tokyo Daijingu Shrine is one of the city’s most significant Shinto shrines. Dedicated to sun goddesses and deities of creation who are believed to oversee matchmaking, it attracts worshippers who come to pray for love and marriage, draw fortunes, and purchase love charms. The shrine is also notable as the first place to host a traditional Shinto wedding ceremony, and it remains a popular wedding spot today.

At Tobu World Square, see some of the world’s most famous sights without leaving Japan. Just outside Nikko, the park displays more than 100 miniatures of architectural landmarks, about half of which are UNESCO World Heritage sites. Travelers of all ages enjoy spotting icons such as the Pyramids of Giza and the Eiffel Tower.

Soaking in an onsen—a bathhouse fed by natural hot springs—is an unmissable experience while in Japan. Travelers to the Lake Yamanaka area near Mt. Fuji should check out the Beni Fuji no Yu Onsen. In the winter there are beautiful views of the mountain, and it’s a great place to revive tired muscles after a hike in the warmer months. The onsen is a cultural experience no matter the season.

Tokyo Dome City is a massive entertainment complex in central Tokyo. It’s home to a baseball stadium, an amusement park, an arena for boxing and martial arts, a hotel with more than 1,000 guest rooms, a bowling alley, hundreds of shops and restaurants, and a spa complex. As well as being the home stadium of the Yomiuri Giants baseball team, the Tokyo Dome—which can seat up to 55,000 people—regularly hosts touring musicians.

If the sky-high buildings and flashing neon of Tokyo’s central Shinjuku neighborhood weren’t intimidating enough, wait until you encounter giant lizard-monster Godzilla peering down at you from eight floors up. OK, no need to panic—this isn’t the “real” Godzilla from the 1954 classic Japanese horror movie, but this model was installed atop the Toho building in 2015.

Experience the thrills of one of Japan’s largest indoor theme parks at Tokyo Joypolis, on Odaiba island in Tokyo Bay. Spanning three floors, this SEGA-themed amusement center offers many games and attractions, including virtual reality experiences, 3D attractions, amusement rides, simulators, arcade games, opportunities to win or grab prizes, print sticker machines, and even an indoor roller coaster. It’s a fun destination for all ages.

Towering over DiverCity Tokyo Plaza shopping mall in Odaiba, the Unicorn Gundam Statue is a must-see for anime and manga fans. Standing nearly 65 feet (25 meters) tall, this giant figure replaced the original RX-78-2 Gundam in 2017. The new statue is a big draw because of its ability to transform between “Unicorn” and “Destroy” modes—complete with special evening light shows.

Better known to travelers as the “cat temple,” Gotoku-ji is a Buddhist temple in western Tokyo that is thought to be the birthplace of the maneki-neko (beckoning cat), a good luck charm believed to bring fortune and success to its owner, commonly seen in shops throughout Japan. The temple is home to thousands of maneki-neko figurines in various sizes, colors, and materials, which create a spectacular display.

In a city with many high buildings and observation decks, the Tokyo City View Observation Deck (Tokyo Sky Deck) is one of the best. Its perch is the 52nd floor of the Mori Tower, a sleek mixed-use skyscraper in the Roppongi neighborhood, famous for its nightlife. There are three galleries with views toward different landmarks, and the renowned Mori Art Museum on the 53rd floor is worth visiting at the same time.

Tokyo's underground trains are a major part of the city's enormous and efficient rail network. The two companies operating here—Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway—connect to above-ground lines. Getting around this huge city by underground train is easy, even if you don’t read Japanese. It’s important to know which service you need to use to get where you want to go—the metro or the subway—so you enter and exit the right stations.

Tokyo Sea Life Park is one of the largest aquariums in the city. Housed in a glass dome in Kasai Rinkai Park, it sits across the bay from Tokyo Disneyland® and DisneySea®. As it’s government-run, the exhibits lean toward educational rather than “flashy” or trendy, but it's an affordable, family-friendly attraction in the busy, often expensive Japanese capital, which is not far from the central city.

Located in Hino City, a suburb of Tokyo, Tama Zoological Park is not your typical zoo. Spanning over 129 acres (52 hectares), the park is renowned for its open, spacious, and naturalistic habitats, where animals roam freely in their habitats. Visitors come here for the Lion Bus, which rides through the lion enclosure, as well as the bird dome, butterfly house, and many more surprises.

The Sumida Hokusai Museum’s reflective aluminium-clad building casts a striking figure among the wooden homes of Tokyo’s Sumida ward, but it’s what’s inside that truly dazzles. The museum is dedicated to one of Japan’s most beloved artists: Hokusai Katsushika. The ukiyo-e woodblock master is responsible for the instantly recognizable The Great Wave Off Kanagawa artwork, which was part of his collection Thirty-Six Views of Mount Fuji.

Always buzzing with energy, Takeshita Street is a popular shopping street in Tokyo’s trendy Harajuku district. Famed for its fashion, anime, and cosplay shops, the street attracts a fun and youthful crowd who flock to its fashion boutiques, purikura photo booths, gashapon capsule toy machines, and stores selling kawaii (cute) items. The area is also known for its sweet treats, including candy floss and crepes.

Consider a visit to the Small Worlds Miniature Museum when Tokyo’s sheer size and scale start to feel overwhelming. Perhaps ironically, it’s touted as one of the largest miniature museums in Asia. The numerous themed areas reproduce historical, realistic, and fantastical miniature worlds at 1:80 scale, which are sure to delight both adults and kids.