4 Best Places to Visit in Tokyo for First-Timers
If it’s your first trip to Tokyo, it can be hard to choose where to start. This list covers four classic spots that give you a great mix of history, modern city views, art, and local culture.
1. Senso-ji Temple (Asakusa)
The Heart of Traditional Tokyo
Senso-ji has nearly 1,400 years of history and is Tokyo’s oldest temple. After you pass through its iconic Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate), Nakamise-dori—one of Japan’s oldest shopping streets—stretches for about 250 meters all the way to the main hall.
- Key Experience: In addition to visiting the main hall, you can browse traditional crafts along Nakamise-dori and try classic local snacks like age-manju (fried sweet buns) and ningyo-yaki (small sponge cakes). Don’t miss photo spots such as the five-story pagoda and the giant waraji (straw sandals) hanging at Hozomon Gate.
2. Shibuya Scramble & SHIBUYA SKY (Shibuya)
The Center of Modern Energy
Shibuya is the symbol of Tokyo’s ever-changing energy. The famous Scramble Crossing—said to handle up to 3,000 people at once—is the perfect place to feel the “heartbeat” of the city.
- Key Experience: After you experience the crossing on foot, head to SHIBUYA SKY, a rooftop observatory that opened in 2019. From 229 meters above the city, you can see Tokyo Tower, Tokyo Skytree, and even Mt. Fuji on a clear day. It’s one of Tokyo’s most popular attractions, with an open-air, floating-in-the-sky feeling right in the middle of the city.
3. teamLab Planets TOKYO (Toyosu)
A World Where Art and Body Merge
teamLab Planets is a large-scale digital “museum you enter with water,” designed to be experienced barefoot. By walking through the installations, you become part of the artwork—an entirely new kind of museum experience.
- Key Experience: Explore nine immersive installations, including The Crystal Universe with countless points of light, a water-surface area where digital koi swim, and a garden filled with real orchids. It stimulates not only sight but also touch and smell, making it a must-visit destination for visitors from around the world.
4. Meiji Jingu Shrine (Harajuku)
A Spiritual Forest in the Urban Jungle
Meiji Jingu is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Although it sits right next to Harajuku, it is surrounded by a vast forest about the size of 15 Tokyo Domes. This “urban oasis” was intentionally created around 100 years ago using roughly 100,000 trees donated from across Japan.
- Key Experience: Simply walking through the massive wooden torii gates and along the gravel approach makes the city noise fade away. Besides visiting the main shrine, you can also stop by the museum featuring items connected to the Imperial family, and the inner garden (Gyoen), known for its beautiful irises—an ideal place to experience the quiet beauty of Shinto culture.
