More than any single sight, it’s Tokyo itself that enchants visitors. The city is a sprawling, organic thing, stretching as far as the eye can see. Tokyo is always changing, and with its diverse collection of neighborhoods, no two experiences of the city are ever the same.
Some areas feel like a vision of the future, with ever taller, ever sleeker structures popping up each year. Other neighborhoods evoke the past, with low-slung wooden buildings and glowing lanterns radiating surprising warmth along their laneways. Elsewhere, drab concrete blocks hide edgy art galleries and cocktail bars and every sidestreet hints at possible new discoveries.
In Tokyo you can experience the whole breadth of Japanese culture, from sumo wrestling and kabuki theater to cutting-edge contemporary art and, on a more playful note, giant robots and anime characters.
Here are the best neighborhoods to explore on a visit to Tokyo. We recommend picking just a couple of areas close together to discover in one day. The city is huge and while public transport is effortlessly smooth, you don’t want to spend half the day getting around.
Most visitors to Tokyo are naturally drawn to the city's geographical and cultural centerpiece, the Imperial Palace. You can happily pass a day exploring this historic complex and the surrounding streets. Immediately east of the palace, the high-powered business district of Marunouchi has blossomed in the past decade, with a slew of new and revamped buildings housing high-end hotels, shops and restaurants.
Tree-lined Naka-dōri has morphed into one of Tokyo's most pleasant thoroughfares – the ideal way to saunter from Tokyo Station's handsomely reappointed red-brick frontage to Yūrakuchō, taking in the dramatic architecture of the Tokyo International Forum on the way.
Historic Nihombashi is the bridge from which all distances to Tokyo are measured. A pleasant morning or afternoon can be devoted to browsing the elegant Mitsukoshi and Takashimaya department stores, along with the Coredo Muromachi shopping, dining and entertainment complex.
If you work up an appetite, many Marunouchi landmarks have restaurant and food floors packed with options – try the Shin-Marunouchi Building or the KITTE Marunouchi shopping complex. With millions of travelers passing through, Tokyo Station offers all kinds of quick and easy meals as well as bentō (boxed meal) sets, which are great for train journeys or picnics in the Imperial Palace East Garden.
Nihombashi, the location of Tokyo's original fish market for 3400 years, is also a top culinary destination, with many venerable gourmet food shops and restaurants. Being mainly business districts, Marunouchi and Nihombashi are not big spots for a night out, although plenty of bars
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The winning photos of the 2023 Siena Creative Photo Awards celebrating artistic photography have been released by the renowned Siena Awards festival of visual arts. and they are a remarkable recognition to visionary artists using photographic processes and images.
Shanghai is known for its forest of skyscrapers with the world’s third-largest megatower leading the charge. Travelers wary of heights will find a medley of things to do at ground level including the historic waterfront, trendy Xintiandi, and the ancient Yu Garden. In terms of where to stay in Shanghai, the city is a playground of high-rise luxury hotels with infinity pools, rooftop bars, and awesome skyline views. The best hotels in Shanghai, China, are near or within eyesight of The Bund.
London is a vibrant, culturally diverse and perpetually evolving city made up of a series of interconnected, but independent, neighborhoods. In all, London is broken up into 32 boroughs that make up what is known as Greater London. Within those 32 boroughs there are roughly 48 neighborhoods as some straddle between two boroughs.
The official end of summer is near, but that does not mean you have to stop adventuring—especially if you have a stash of miles and points to pay the way. In fact, come fall, airlines, hotels and credit card companies are eager to woo new business after the summer rush, offering special offers and promotions that can refill your loyalty program account in a jiffy. Plus, seasonal perks and benefits often pack extra value into the journey. Here is everything you need to know to make the most of September's best loyalty rewards program deals.
Iconic is a word that gets thrown around a lot, including in describing the world’s best-known hotels – but in the case of the Park Hyatt Tokyo, that moniker is fitting. Built as Japan’s first western luxury hotel in 1994 at the top of a high-rise in Tokyo’s bustling Shinjuku district, the Park Hyatt was designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Dr. Kenzo Tange, considered to be the father of modern Japanese architecture.
London’s gastronomic scene is famously fantastic and knows no bounds. No matter where you go in the capital, good food is all but guaranteed. However, there’s been some real magic in Mayfair lately, with a handful of hyped new restaurant openings that live up to—or exceed—expectations.
Whether you are a first-time visitor to Tokyo or know the city well, there are plenty of surprises waiting on the capital’s doorstep. The temples and shrines of Nikkō and Kamakura offer a window into Japanese history, while Mt Takao, Hakone, and Izu Oshima Island provide a natural contrast to Tokyo’s crowded, urban heart.
The Japan Pavilion at Epcot in Disney World is sometimes overlooked around the World Showcase. But there's a new restaurant in the pavilion that offers sweeping views of the lagoon (and the evening fireworks display).
Choosing where to stay in Tokyo – the largest city on the planet – can feel like a minefield. Look one way and you’ll find lantern-lit alleyways and Shinto shrines peeking out from behind evergreens. Turn the other and you’ve got neck-creaking skyscrapers and streets drenched in neon. Divided into 23 special wards and countless districts and unique neighborhoods, the Tokyo hotel scene is equally dynamic and you’ll want to find lodging that reflects your beat.
In a country revered for its hospitality, nowhere says omotenashi quite like a Japanese ryokan. Ryokan are a type of inn where guests are encouraged to mingle in communal ochanoma (tea rooms) and unwind in onsen baths. While associated with rural destinations in Japan, there is a prevalence of authentic ryokan in Tokyo.