There is so much to see and do in Tokyo that, unless you have a month or two to explore, you’ll need to be careful about how you spend your time if you want to tick everything off your bucket list! Some of the city’s best-known attractions are overrated, and they aren’t worth your time or money. Here are eight to skip, what to do instead, and one bonus tip for getting beyond the city. Hopefully, this list will help you make the most of this magical city and leave more room for the art, history and architecture that make it worth the trip.
- Don't go up Tokyo Tower or Tokyo Skytree
- Don't get caught up looking up restaurants on Yelp or Tabelog
- Don't go out of your way to visit only the popular shrines
- Don't Always Head to Coffee Shops in the Morning
- Don't Buy Your Souvenirs at Souvenir Shops
- Don't Drink in Golden Gai
- Don't Get Lured Into Going to a Maid Café
- Don't visit Takeshita Dori if you're looking for Tokyo's Underground Fashion Scene
Don’t go up Tokyo Tower or Tokyo Skytree
A view from atop the city, especially one as large and sprawling as Tokyo, is always a valuable experience. But the lines and the cost of Tokyo Tower or Tokyo Skytree can easily outweigh the enjoyment once you reach the top. If you’re only in Tokyo for a week, you probably don’t want to spend part of it lined up for an elevator.
Instead, Head to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building
Head to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku and take the elevator up to the 45th-floor observatory, 202 metres above the city, where you get an unbelievable view of the skyline, plus a view of the Skytree itself. Admission is free. If you’re looking for a view that comes with a stylish rooftop garden, head to Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku, where the sixth-floor Omohara Forest offers a stunning green space with ample room to relax. Although a Starbucks backs onto the garden, you can carry your own food and drinks up to the top. It really is the perfect place for a conbini picnic (“conbini” is short for Japanese convenience store).
Don’t get caught up looking up restaurants on Yelp or Tabelog
When travelling, you want to make the most of your experiences and avoid wasting money on a touristy or subpar restaurant. For this reason, even I find myself obsessively reading reviews of where I want to eat. Sometimes I do it in advance, but when I’m stuck reading review after review in the middle of my adventure, I can’t help feeling I’m wasting precious travel time. In Tokyo, much of that effort isn’t necessary: casual spots are everywhere, and it can feel as though you could close your eyes, twirl around and walk straight into a restaurant serving some of the best food you’ve ever eaten!
Instead, walk in anywhere with a line!
Don’t waste your time trying to find the perfect place to eat. Wander until something calls your name and draws you in. If there is one particular restaurant you ABSOLUTELY have to try, make a reservation first, because popular restaurants in Tokyo often book up weeks in advance.
Don’t go out of your way to visit only the popular shrines
Meiji Shrine is often at the top of every traveller’s list, but honestly, there are so many other shrines in Tokyo, just as impressive, that you’ll simply happen upon them. Although Meiji is perhaps the most famous, there are many I would rate much higher. Don’t stress about going far out of your way, or queuing at busy times, for these so-called “must-see” shrines.
Instead, skips the lines and find a hidden neighbourhood shrine
My favourite part of Meiji Shrine is the wall of sake barrels along the approach, which you can admire for free before you ever reach the shrine buildings. The most beautiful shrine I found in Tokyo was one I had never heard of before, tucked away in Akasaka. I won’t tell you where (although I do mention it in some of my other posts), because I want you to go out and find your own unique place! If you do, let me know in the comments!
Don’t Always Head to Coffee Shops in the Morning
While there are some incredibly cool coffee shops in Tokyo, they can get expensive, especially if you stop at one every morning. A tall Frappuccino at Starbucks runs about ¥700, or roughly US$4.50.
Instead, Head to Your Local Conbini
There are dozens upon dozens of flavours and strengths in hot and cold cans, as well as freshly brewed coffee from the machine at the front of the store, usually for somewhere between ¥140 and ¥400 depending on size. Order a latte and it comes out frothy and foamed. I think I prefer the coffee at 7-Eleven to Lawson or FamilyMart, but they’re all really good. There are even chilled Starbucks cups in regular and seasonal flavours at roughly a third of what you’d pay in a Starbucks shop, so skip the lines and buy them here!
Don’t Buy Your Souvenirs at Souvenir Shops
I’m not talking about something unique like a handmade kimono from Kyoto. I’m talking about the little knick-knacks you’ll find in the touristy shops purposefully placed right in front of popular attractions, which tend to be priced for convenience, not value.
Instead, Head to the Nearest 100 Yen Shop!
100 yen shops are the coolest place to find all sorts of things to use both on your trip and when you get home. If you’re a crafty person, you’ll find adorable and CHEAP items like notebooks, stickers, washi tape and more! It was honestly hard for me to hold back from buying up the entire section. But best of all, for our purposes, are the souvenirs. You can find delightful Japan-themed magnets, ceramic bowls with cherry blossoms, bamboo chopstick sets and more, mostly for only 100 yen (plus tax). Some items cost more, so check the price tag.
TIP: Some 100 yen shops still take only cash, so keep some on hand. If you don’t want to spend all of yours, try the DAISO in Harajuku: it’s a big store in a busy tourist area, and it accepts major credit cards.
Don’t Drink in Golden Gai
Golden Gai is one of those long-talked-about tourist attractions that doesn’t always live up to the hype. Tucked into Shinjuku, it’s known for its narrow, winding alleys and teeny-tiny bars, roughly 200 of them. Most have their own theme and seat only five to ten people, and many charge a cover of around ¥500 to ¥1,500 per person before you’ve ordered a drink, which adds up quickly if you bar-hop. Some bars post signs outside reading “regulars only” or “Japanese speakers only.” The ones that do welcome tourists felt overpriced to me, and much of the authenticity seemed long gone.
Instead head down to Shinjuku’s Omoide Yokocho
Omoide Yokocho, or Memory Lane, is a gritty little district also in Shinjuku, with the funny English nickname “Piss Alley.” Despite the name, this place is happening! Its tiny yakitori joints, a holdover from the postwar years, are full of locals and tourists alike, making new friends over cups of sake and cold beer, with skewers often costing just ¥100 to ¥200 each. It’s a great area to strike up conversations with locals, who may point you toward hidden gems. A few stalls charge a small cover, so check before you sit down.
Don’t Get Lured Into Going to a Maid Café
Maid cafés are all over neighbourhoods like Akihabara, where staff in maid uniforms may still be handing out flyers on the street and inviting you into their cafés, although it’s less common than it once was. If that sounds a bit, well, sketchy, you’re right to be wary of following a flyer to an unfamiliar café. Inside, you’ll find cutesy interiors where the maids putter about serving food and drinks that cost more than at an ordinary café, on top of an hourly seating charge, often ¥500 to ¥1,000. Some of the meals are decorated or moulded to look like adorable animals, but to me the food itself is more novelty than cuisine.
Pictures with the maids cost extra, and you can even pay for a song or a performance. Maid cafés have become as much a tourist draw as a local hangout. And while it’s not a total scam and is indeed a bizarre experience, there are plenty of other fantastically themed restaurants where you can find the same impressive theming without the maid uniforms.
Instead, try visiting another experiencial themed restaurant!
If you’re looking for an experiential restaurant, there are lots of fun ones to choose from! Zauo, the fishing restaurant in Shinjuku, is another unusual kind of eatery, where you catch your own dinner. You get a rod and some bait and try to hook the exact fish you want to eat. If you land something, they’ll prepare it for you grilled, deep-fried, as sashimi and more. If you don’t catch anything, not to worry: there are still lots of menu items you can order. The LockUp, a haunted-prison restaurant where monsters chased diners between spooky cocktails and wild dishes, was an experience you didn’t soon forget, but its last branch closed in 2022.
Don’t visit Takeshita Dori if you’re looking for Tokyo’s Underground Fashion Scene
Harajuku is still a wildly exciting place to shop, but Takeshita Dori today is geared mostly toward youth-oriented kawaii fashion and crowds of tourists, while the more alternative scene has moved to the backstreets. I still have fun visiting Harajuku, but don’t come here expecting to see Lolitas, goths and punks roaming the streets.
Instead, head over to Shimokitazawa
Shimokitazawa is where you’ll find some of the best-curated vintage shops in all of Tokyo, with genuine second-hand clothing at fair prices. It has long been known as a hub for the city’s youth subculture, a world away from the crowds of Takeshita Dori. There are dozens of eclectic restaurants, cafés and, best of all, clothing shops open up and down the winding alleyways of this delightful district.
And finally…don’t spend all your time in Tokyo!
Even if you only have a week in this great city and can’t make it out to other cities like Kyoto, Hiroshima and Fukuoka (although if you can swing it, I highly recommend you do!), there are plenty of small towns only an hour or two by train from Tokyo. These places will transport you away from the hustle and bustle of the big city and into a calmer world of mountains, temples and sea air. Nikko, Enoshima, Hakone and Kamakura are just some of the beautiful towns that will give you a glimpse of another side of Japan, and a taste that may well force you to find time to return!
Tokyo rewards the traveller who is choosy with their time. Skip the long queues, the pricey souvenirs and the tourist-trap tables, and you’ll have more room for what makes this city magical, whether that’s a free view from the 45th floor, a neighbourhood shrine you find by chance, or a skewer in a lantern-lit alley. Save a few days for the towns beyond the city, too. And if you’re anything like me, you’ll be back again, and again, and again, and again…
1 COMMENT
Jacob
9 years agoGreat tips! That ramen looks incredible!