This is Tokyo's oldest and most revered Buddhist temple. A giant lantern watches over large crowds and swirling smoke from a massive incense cauldron - the smoke is said to have healing powers. Originally founded in AD628 to enshrine a statuette of the Kannon Bodhisattva (the Goddess of Mercy), damage from bombing raids means that today you'll find a magnificent, five-storey reconstruction.
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Tourist offices
Tokyo Tourist Information Center (TIC)
Address: 2-8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Tel: +81 3 5321 3077
Opening Hours:
Daily 0930-1830.
https://www.gotokyo.org/en/plan/tourist-info-center/index.htmlThe Japanese National Tourist Organisation (JNTO) runs Tourist Information Centres (TIC) in Shinjuku (Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Shinjuku Expressway Bus Terminal), Keisei Ueno Station, Tachikawa, and at Haneda Airport. English-speaking staff are a fantastic source of local knowledge.
Sensō-ji Temple
Opening Times: Daily 24 hours (grounds), 0600-1700 (hall).
Admission Fees: No
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
2-3-1 Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo, Japan
Website:
www.senso-ji.jp
Shibuya Crossing
Over 1,000 pedestrians cross the multi-cornered intersection at a time when the crosswalk lights turn green, with huge screens and neon signs on the buildings along the roads flashing advertisements at all hours. Most visitors like to cross it a few times, though it is equally satisfying to observe the mayhem from a distance.
Opening Times: Daily
Admission Fees: No
Address:
Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
For an impressive blend of Japanese, English, and French gardens, head to Shinjuku Gyoen. Once part of a feudal lord's home during the Edo period (1603-1867) and then owned by the royal family, it opened to the public in 1949. Today, it is a popular place for families to have a picnic on a sunny day. It is one of the best places in Tokyo to catch a glimpse of cherry blossom in the spring. There is a small admission fee.
Opening Times: Tues-Sun 0900-1600 (October to mid-March)
Tues-Sun 0900-1730 (Mid-March to June)
Tues-Sun 0900-1830 (July to August)
Tues-Sun 0900-1730 (August to September)
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
11 Naito-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Telephone: +81 3 3350 0151
Tokyo SkyTree
Tokyo's SkyTree is the second tallest building after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai. It stands at 634m (2,080ft) and opened its doors in 2012. The two observation decks (Tembo Deck and Tembo Galleria) are the main draws. Reach the top and be blown away by the sheer scale of the Tokyo Metropolitan Area, the largest city in the world.
Opening Times: Daily 0800-2200.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
1-1-2 Oshiage, Sumida, Tokyo, Japan
Website:
www.tokyo-skytree.jp/en
Ueno Koen
Ueno Koen, Japan's first public park, is a hotbed for nature and culture. There are six museums located within the park, namely the Tokyo National Museum, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, National Museum of Nature and Science, National Museum of Western Art, Ueno Royal Museum and the Shitamachi Museum. There is also a boating lake and a zoo.
Opening Times: Various, depending on the seasons.
Admission Fees: No (yes for the museums)
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
5-20 Ueno-koen , Taito-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Website:
www.tokyo-park.or.jp
Edo-Tokyo Hakubutsukan
Housed in what looks like a colossal white spaceship, the Edo-Tokyo Museum is a wonderful place for visitors to get a feel for Tokyo's history and culture before the city became Tokyo in 1869. Highlights include a replica of Nihombashi 'Bridge of Japan' and models of homes and businesses, including a bookstore and how publications in woodblocks were made.
Opening Times: Tue-Fri 0930-1730, Sat 0930-1930, Sun 0930-1730.
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Telephone: +81 3 3626 9974.
Website:
www.edo-tokyo-museum.or.jp
Meiji Jingu
The atmospheric Meiji Jingu (Meiji Shrine) is tucked away in a dense forest between Shinjuku and Shibuya, two of Tokyo's busiest districts. To pay respect at Meiji Jingu, you bow before entering the wooden torii gate, then proceed to the washbasin (temizuya) to rinse your hands and mouth (but do not touch the dipper with your lips). At the shrine, you bow twice, clap your hands twice, make a wish if you would like to, then bow again.
Opening Times: Various. See the website for detail.
Admission Fees: No (but charge for the Gyoen Inner Garden)
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
1-1 Yoyogi, Kamizono-cho, Shibuya-ku, Japan
Website:
www.meijijingu.or.jp/english
Tokyo Disney Resort
Tokyo Disney Resort is a faithful replica of the Californian original, complete with Adventureland, Westernland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, as well as shows, parades and firework displays. The unique DisneySea Park, set against the backdrop of Tokyo Bay, offers several themed areas and is proving popular with children and adults.
Opening Times: Daily 0900-2200
Admission Fees: Yes
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
1-1 Maihama, Urayasu-shi, Tokyo, Japan
Yasukuni-jinja
Perhaps the most controversial of all Tokyo's sites, this shrine houses the souls of those killed in various Japanese wars. The controversy arises because of more than two million souls honoured here, over a thousand of them were convicted war criminals. There is an on-site museum displaying historical materials.
Opening Times: Daily 0900-1700 (museum 0600-1800).
Admission Fees: No (charge for the museum)
Disabled Access: Yes
UNESCO: No
Address:
3-1-1 Kudankita, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo, Japan
Website:
www.yasukuni.or.jp
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