In this wild, wacky world of ours, Tokyo is surely the wackiest place of them all.
I had my first taste of this delicious city in 2015; Scott had finally convinced me to join him and a group of our friends on a trip to Japan to go skiing. We arrived in Tokyo and spent two sensational nights devouring the city, and one day extremely hungover in bed after an overindulgence at all-you-can-drink karaoke (the shochu we had beforehand had nothing to do with it, surely).
I was left wanting more.
The following year, I couldn’t wait to go back to Japan. Another skiing trip, but this time we’d be spending a full week in wonderfully wacky Tokyo. I arrived in full anticipation and was ready to again be enchanted by the glorious city. I love Tokyo, and you either already do, or you’re going to once you travel there. If you’re a first-timer ready to get lost in the weirdness that is Tokyo, I’ve compiled a little list just for you!
It’s full of things I’ve done, places I’ve seen, foods I’ve eaten, bars I’ve drunk at, as well as those that were on my to-do list before I ran out of time.
So here you go…
50 AWESOME THINGS TO DO IN TOKYO
- Go to the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku (I literally cannot recommend this enough).
- Grab a drink in the Golden Gai district.
- Sing your heart out at a karaoke bar in Shinjuku.
- Go shopping & eat colourful fairy floss on the funky Takeshita Street.
- Visit a cat café and give all the rescue kitties a big snuggle.
- Adventure to the top of Tokyo Tower and take in the amazing views.
- Walk across the famous Shibuya Crossing – or people watch from the huge Starbucks!
- Visit Mt Fuji on a day trip from the city.
- Go electronics shopping in Akihabara.
- Spend a night or two in a capsule hotel.
- Try the delicious rice balls from Family Mart.
- Explore the national gardens in Shinjuku.
- Visit a pachinko parlour and try your luck.
- Ride the super-efficient Japanese subway.
- Eat authentic Japanese ramen – mmm.
- Get a beer or hot chocolate from a vending machine on the street.
- See the cherry blossoms in full bloom.
- Take a walk around the narrow streets of the infamous ‘Piss Alley’.
- Visit an onsen and let your inhibitions go.
- Watch a sumo wrestling match.
- Visit the Tokyo National Museum.
- Live like a local in an Airbnb in the city.
- Visit the Meiji Shrine – a green escape within a concrete jungle.
- Check out the wild nightlife in Roppongi.
- Drive go-karts around the city in Mario Kart costumes.
- Go shopping at a Don Quijote – and don’t forget to check out the top level!
- Experience an authentic Japanese toilet.
- Take a sushi making class and learn from the best.
- Go people watching in trendy Harajuku.
- Eat the freshest sushi of your life at the fish markets.
- Go on a ramen and gyoza tour of Shinjuku.
- Channel your inner Disney kid at Tokyo Disneyland.
- Challenge your mates to Mario Kart at a video game arcade.
- Eat out at the Ninja Restaurant in Chiyoda.
- Buy a Strong Zero from the convenience store (don’t get the peach flavour though).
- Take in the view from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building – it’s free!
- Wander the colourful & bright streets of Shinjuku.
- Escape the city in Yoyogi Park.
- Peer into the grounds of the Imperial Palace – home of the Imperial family.
- Grab a drink in the Golden Gai district.
- Visit the Sensoji Temple in the Asakusa district.
- Do some shopping in the trendy district of Kagurazaka.
- Relax at the Institute for Nature (a quiet nature reserve in the middle of Tokyo).
- Watch an early morning baseball game.
- See the replica Statue of Liberty on Odaiba Island.
- Get dressed up in a kimono by local Japanese women.
- Experience an authentic Japanese tea ceremony.
- Find a wacky souvenir at a 100-yen store.
- Get a selfie with the life-sized Godzilla head in Shinjuku.
- Dress up as a samurai for a day in a traditional samurai skills course.
There you have it – 50 ways to keep yourself occupied in the incredible city of Tokyo!
Reposted with the permission of Courtney of CourtyStelt, a twenty-something, travel obsessed Aussie girl always looking for her next adventure.
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