TOKYO TRAVEL GUIDE: Things to Do & See (2025)

TOKYO TRAVEL GUIDE: Things to Do & See (2025)

Have you ever dreamt of traveling to Japan? Thinking of planning a trip to Tokyo? It is by far one of my favorite travel destinations. The thing about Tokyo is it’s a massive city. Think New York City times 1000. It’s beautiful and sometimes overwhelming, but it is the perfect mix of ultra modern and ancient tradition. Where do you even start when it comes to planning a trip to Tokyo? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. In this video, we’re breaking down some of the absolute mustd do experiences for your first trip to Tokyo. Check it out. [Music] Takashita Street also offers unique and affordable shopping. And if you’re someone like me that appreciates being different, you can definitely find unique items you won’t see anywhere else. Think accessory stores with walls of colorful, quirky, and inexpensive jewelry, hair clips, and bags. Also, think themed socks and tights. A huge variety of patterns and colors. If you like character goods, you’ll find it here. They’ll have stores dedicated to characters such as Hello Kitty and My Melody and other cute characters. Some of you are too young to remember Tower Records, but for those who do, you know Tower Records is not just a record store. It’s a cultural landmark. And you’ll be happy to know that Tower Records still exists across Japan. I visited their flagship store in Shapula and it was everything. Um, when you walk up to the store, you’ll see the famous No Music. no life sign and it occupies nine full floors. So, this isn’t a boutique shop. It’s a music mega store. Let’s talk food for a minute. I’ve been to Japan several times and what I can guarantee you is that you’ll find amazing sushi, amazing ramen, amazing traditional Japanese dishes. But what I didn’t realize is that you will find some amazing donuts at Crispy Cream. Yes, you heard that, Crispy Cream. I ran into two locations, one at Shinjuku and one at Shabuya. [Music] Yayo Kasama is one of my favorite artists. She’s a 96-year-old Japanese artist that voluntarily lives in a mental health facility to treat her lifelong illness of anxiety, depression, and hallucinations. She is famously known for her polka dot theme artwork, and she has done collaborations with luxury brands like Louis Vuitton. Her Tokyo Museum is an intimate journey into an artistic universe. It’s housed in a sleek, minimalistic white building in the quiet Shinjjuku ward, and it feels more like a private gallery. Exhibits are spread over five floors, and you’ll see recent and lesserk known works, poetic and literary works, and you also see themed rotating exhibitions. The museum changes its exhibitions every 6 to 12 months and they focus on different periods or themes in her work. The infinity mirror rooms are the main draw and what Yayo Kasami is well known for. Um, it’s an intimate and serene atmosphere and there’s time ticketing to get in with only a small number of people admitted every 90 minutes. Tickets are sold online only, typically on the first day of the month at 10:00 a.m. Japanese Standard Time for the entire following month. They sell out fast, sometimes in minutes or even in seconds. You cannot buy tickets at the door. Japan is well known for their dance festivals. So when I planned this trip to Japan, I wanted to make sure we were there during a time when a dance festival was taking place. We went to go see the Super Yoscoy festival in Tokyo. And it was a very vibrant explosion of sound, color, and synchronized movement that took over the streets of Herumi, Tokyo. And this particular festival happens every August. I think a dance festival in Japan is a mustsee if you’re looking to experience the energetic side of Japanese traditional modern fusion culture. This particular festival features over 5,000 dancers and they’re organized into more than 100 teams. The ground literally vibrates from the stomping feet and booming music. The basis of this festival is yoscoy and that’s a dance style that originates from kochi perfeure characterized by the use of naruku which are small wooden clappers. Teams also incorporate modern hip hop and jazz to salsa rock music and even anime themes. So you’re likely to see traditional hoppy coats alongside futuristic costumes all within the same performance. Each team will have its own unique theme, costume, and musical arrangement. The music is relentless, but it’s exhilarating, and each team performs to its own recorded soundtrack, but a live band or vocalist often accompanies them on a moving truck. The combination of the booming speakers and the shouting dancers and the constant clocking of Naruko is an auditory feast. Of the tours you should take while visiting Tokyo, Japan is Hakone National Park at Lake Ashi. The primary draw is the landscape. The deep blue waters of Lake Ashi are perfectly framed by lush forested mountains. And on a clear day, the majestic cone of Mount Fuji forms a picture perfect backdrop. We took a Hakone visit, which is a circular tour of sorts you can create using various forms of transport. We started with a Hakone Tazone railway scenic train ride. And then we went up to the volcanic valley of Awakani via a cable car and ropeway. Then we cruised across Lake Ashi via a pirate ship. And then we returned by bus to our starting point. [Music] Our Kadani volcanic valley is an active volcanic zone. You can see and smell the Sophia steam vents and it’s most famously known for the curo tomago black eggs boiled in the hot springs. Legend says eating one of the eggs adds 7 years to your life. When visiting Japan, Mount Fuji is definitely a mustsee. Mount Fuji is more than just a mountain. It is the country’s most iconic and spiritual symbol. It’s located southwest of Tokyo. It’s a nearly perfect volcanic cone that stands at 3,776 m, making it Japan’s highest peak. It has been a central pillar in Japanese spirituality, primarily in the Shinto religion. There are a network of shrines that form a sacred perimeter around its base. These shrines are not just places of worship. They are historically the starting points for pilgrimages and are dedicated to the gods or spirits of the mountain. Be sure to visit the shrines located at the base of the mountain. Tokyo has two major airports. Dorita and Haneda. I have flown into and out of both airports. For this most recent trip, I flew into and out of Haneda. Gone of the days when airport shopping meant a few dusty dutyfree shops. Haneda is an exceptional airport luxury shopping experience. It’s the perfect place for a lastm minute tax-free splurge. All prices are tax-free, providing an automatic 10% savings for high-end ticket items like watches, leather goods, jewelry. This can be a significant discount compared to buying in the city. The service in Hanida’s luxury boutiques is consistently excellent. It’s always polite. They’re knowledgeable and very efficient. The vast majority of the best high-end shopping is concentrated in the international terminal, which is terminal 3. The best boutiques are located after security and passport control. Ensure you have enough time to browse. It’s recommended to clear security at least two to three hours before your flight if you plan to shop seriously. Of course, all major credit cards are accepted, and having your passport and boarding pass readily available is essential for the tax-free process. If you like the content in this video and you’re interested in more, please like, share, and subscribe. [Music]

Tokyo is HUGE! Don’t waste time figuring out where to go. Here is some of our favorite spots in Tokyo for an epic first visit. Not stock photos/video but actual footage from our most recent trip!

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