Top Places to Visit in Tokyo

Find out my top attractions in Tokyo that everyone must see!

1. Shibuya

aaIMG_4623.jpgNew York has Times Square, Paris has the Champs-Élysées, and Tokyo has the Shibuya Crossing. This is probably one of the most recognised urban spots in Japan, so seeing it in person is even more amazing. In the day time, it is filled with workers, shoppers and tourists, and at night-time everyone comes together to sing some karaoke!

2. Meiji Shrine

aaIMG_7503.jpgThe Meiji Shrine sits amongst a forest in the middle of Tokyo. To get there, you walk through brown wooden torii gates in Yoyogi Park – a nice change to the usual bright orange ones you see in Japan! The Shinto Shrine was built in 1920, but was destroyed WWII Tokyo air raids. Recent restoration was carefully done to keep its authentic style.

3. Ghibli Museum

aaIMG_4535.jpgThere are two kinds of people who travel to Japan – people who are visiting this country because of this museum, or people who have never even heard of the word ‘Ghibli’. The Ghibli Museum showcases amazing works of Hayao Miyazaki, a Japanese film director, producer and animator who helped establish the film company Studio Ghibli. It is a must see for everyone; kids, teenagers, parents or grandparents, just be sure to book your tickets well in advance!

4. Sensō-ji / Asakusa Shrine

aaIMG_7445.jpgThis is where some of Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temples and shrines stand next to each other. The Sensō-ji Kannon temple is dedicated to the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy and was established in 645 AD. It is a very busy tourist attraction, seeing over 30 million visitors annually, and you can see why it’s so popular due to its traditional ancient Japanese beauty.

5. Tokyo Disneyland / DisneySea

aaIMG_4651.jpgThere are plenty of Disney parks across the world, so that’s why we decided to visit Tokyo DisneySea. This park is water based with areas such as American Waterfronts, Mediterranean Harbours and my favourite Mermaid Lagoon. Check out all the interesting foods too such as Toy Story Alien-shaped dumplings, curry popcorn in the Arabian Coast and blue shaven ice at each street cart to cool you down!

6. Tokyo Imperial Palace

aaIMG_7555The Imperial Palace is the primary residence of the Emperor of Japan, and it’s a lot quieter than you may think. We visited at the evening time just to view it from the outside and there was nobody else there apart from the security guards. Unfortunately we didn’t have enough time to visit the inside, but next time we will visit when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom.

7. Shinjuku

aaIMG_7545Shinjuku is another popular district in Tokyo, standing as a major administrative and commercial centre. It also contains Shinjuku Station, the busiest railway station in the world! Although it’s a huge, busy district, I never felt so safe. I would recommend visiting the Golden Gai and Shinjuku Gyoen.

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