Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan
Alleyway izakayas, hidden bars, temples, and the views worth booking ahead.
Food
- Omoide Yokocho Shinjuku 'Piss Alley' — tiny izakayas and yakitori stands
- Golden Gai Shinjuku a warren of narrow bars, great for hopping
- Tsukiji Outer Market Tsukiji go early; sushi, wagyu, and sweets (closed Sundays)
- Toyosu Market Koto the wholesale fish market
- Udatsu Sushi Nakameguro a refined omakase
- Yokozuna Tonkatsu Dosukoi Tanaka Sumida a sumo lunch — book well ahead
Drinks
- Nonbei Yokocho Shibuya 'Drunkard's Alley' — tiny bars under the tracks
- GreenWood Minato everything made from scratch by the owner
- Benfiddich Shinjuku famous, hard to get into — apothecary cocktails
- Bar Centifolia Shibuya another famously hard-to-get-into classic
- A10 Shibuya a record-lined speakeasy hidden behind lockers
- Janai Coffee Ebisu a coffee-themed bar behind a coffee shop; solve the puzzle
- Tokyo Confidential Toranomon a rooftop bar
To-do
Temples & gardens
- Senso-ji Asakusa Tokyo's most famous temple — lit up at night
- Meiji Jingu Harajuku huge torii gates in an expansive forest
- Ueno Toshogu Ueno gold-gilded and underrated
- Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden Shinjuku stunning in fall and for cherry blossoms
- Ginkgo Avenue Meiji Jingu Gaien golden in the fall
- Ueno Park Ueno museums, temples, a pond and a zoo
Views & art
- Shibuya Sky Shibuya 360° views; book ahead
- Shibuya Crossing Shibuya the world's busiest intersection
- teamLab Planets Koto immersive art — book ahead
- Tokyo Tower Minato best viewed from the Prince Park Tower sky lounge
- Tokyo Skytree Sumida
- Yayoi Kusama Museum Shinjuku book ahead
Neighborhoods & more
- Shimokitazawa Setagaya bohemian, thrift shops and coffee
- Nakano Broadway Nakano anime and manga mall
- Koganeyu Sumida a sento (public bath) that serves craft beer
- Monzen-Nakacho Koto old-downtown, Edo-era atmosphere