Tokyo: 10 Things to Do

By Maryanne Murray Buechner

Introduction

Tokyo skyline travel B.S.P.I. / CORBIS
  • Print
  • Email
  • Share
  • Single Page

Tokyo is a marvelous mix of modern living and old-fashioned manners, slick high-tech gadgets and cutesy cartoon mascots. It's terribly crowded, yet can be strangely quiet. It's home to the understated, and the wacky, and you often find them right next to each other on the sidewalk. That's the beauty of this not-so-pretty city — that, and the fabulous food and unparalleled mass transit system. There are shrines and stone lanterns and other traces of old Japan scattered among the skyscrapers, swanky shopping malls and hole-in-the-wall noodle shops. The trick is to sample it all, to visit the serene garden and the massive office tower with a sky deck. Here's how to see the loveliest — and liveliest — sides of Tokyo in in a day or two.

Connect to this TIME Story

Interact with
this story

  • Facebook
  • Digg
  • Linkedin

From our
partners

  • Find the right hotels at the right price with Yahoo! Travel
  • Tokyo Guide: Find travel deals, hotels and more!

Most Popular »

Full List »
  1. It's Official: Nook Tablets Are Now Ridiculously Cheap
  2. Why They Build Mega Yachts in Central China — an Economic Mystery Story
  3. Who Should The Voice Want to Win The Voice?
  4. All of a Sudden, There Aren't Enough Electric Cars to Keep Up with Demand
  5. <i>World War Z</i>: Brad Pitt vs. the Zombies
  6. How Apple Will Disrupt the TV Market
  7. Scary Movie: The Fear Factor of Mad Men's Season Six
  8. 5 Negotiation Tips From Steve Jobs
  9. Potential Blind Spots in Clearance Process that Gave Snowden Top-Secret Access
  10. Charles Saatchi: The Reclusive Art Collector Behind a British Ruckus
  1. It's Official: Nook Tablets Are Now Ridiculously Cheap
  2. Introducing the Longboard Stroller: Half Baby Stroller, Half Skateboard
  3. Why They Build Mega Yachts in Central China — an Economic Mystery Story
  4. Mind-Blowing: How to Fold a Shirt in Less Than Two Seconds
  5. Who is Hassan Rowhani?
  6. 5 Negotiation Tips From Steve Jobs
  7. All of a Sudden, There Aren't Enough Electric Cars to Keep Up with Demand
  8. Talk Therapy or Antidepressant? A Brain Scan Predicts Which Works Best for Your Depression
  9. Prenatal Exposure to Pollution Raises Risk of Autism in Kids
  10. Adding Red Meat to Your Diet Linked to Higher Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
Get the Latest News from Time.com
Sign up to get the latest news and headlines delivered straight to your inbox.