Ultimate Tokyo Travel Guide: What to Do on Your First Visit to Tokyo!

Ultimate Tokyo Travel Guide: What to Do on Your First Visit to Tokyo!

If it’s your first time going to Tokyo, it can be overwhelming. With so many guides online and people saying all of these mustd do things, how can you figure out what you should be doing during your first trip to Tokyo? In this video, we’ll look at the top attractions in Tokyo to see which are for you and which you can skip. Let’s go to Tokyo. The next station is Hey guys, Hong here and today we are going to dive into Tokyo and break down the mustsee attractions and activities to see if it’s really worth it or not. I understand that different people are into different things like some people travel for food, some for nature, and some for culture amongst other things. So, I will present some of the most popular things to do in Tokyo as information for you to decide if it’s worth it for you. Let’s dive into it. Let’s start off by walking through some of the major areas of Tokyo and what there is to do there and see if it’s worth it for you. If this is your first time in Tokyo, then head to the Time Square of Tokyo, the Shabuya Crossing. This is the world’s busiest crosswalk with up to 3,000 people crossing it at a time during peak hours. This is a lively spot to be with plenty of shops and restaurants around. And this spot alone can keep you busy for your entire stay in Tokyo. There are trendy shopping areas like the Shabuya 109 Mall and the Shabuya Park Mall, which also has a Pokemon Center featuring the Pokemon Mewtwo. There are massive Gachapon stores like Sepla here for you to get your gotacha fix and arcades like the Taito Arcade to keep you busy. And then of course there are plenty of amazing restaurants and places to eat like one of my favorite conveyor belt sushi places. If you want to check out a unique dining experience, go to Shabuya Niku Yokoto, which translates to meat alley and where you will find a lively area filled with tons of small restaurants. And you can try premium meats like Wagyu along with some more unique meats like horse meat or beef sushi for those of you who don’t like raw fish but want sushi. Nearby the crossing, you will also find Mi Naki Mii, which is a unique izakaya or Japanese bar that you can see from the outside, but it doesn’t have an entrance, at least one that’s not easily noticeable. The entrance is actually cleverly disguised as a refrigerator with one door being an actual fridge and the second being an entrance, so you will have to enter through the correct door. The Shabuya crossing itself is located at the Hiko exit in Shabuya station which is named after the famous dog and the famous statue of Hachiko is here as well. So you can check that out because the Shabuya crossing is directly outside of Shabuya station which is the second busiest train station in the world. It is very convenient to go to and visit no matter where you are staying in Tokyo. And I might be a little biased as this is one of my favorite areas in Tokyo. But regardless, this area is definitely worth a visit if it is your first time to Tokyo. One quick note is that Shabuya Station is currently undergoing renovations, which is going to overhaul the station area completely and is scheduled to be completed in 2034. So, it may be busier and more congested in the meantime as they close areas for construction. Nearby Shabuya, you will also find the Harajuku area, which is the birthplace of Harajuku culture, which is the over-the-top kawaii and trendy Japanese styles, especially with the youth in Japan. The most popular area is Takashita Street, which is where you will find tons of Harajuku fashion stores lining this packed and chaotic street. You will also find the famous Toi Candy Factory, which has the famous massive rainbow cotton candy. This is perfect for Instagram. Nearby, you will find one of the densest concentrations of luxury flagship stores in the world. So, if fashion is your thing, then the Harajuku area has you covered. The Maji Shrine is just steps away from Takashita Street, but feels like a world of a difference as this takes you away from the chaotic craziness of the fashion world and into a shrine with massive Tory gates and ancient history. Harajuku is right between Shibuya and our next stop. So, next on our list, let’s take a look at Shinjuku. This is the location with the world’s busiest train station and has plenty to do and see. And there’s a reason the station here is so busy. Nearby, you will find the Shinjuku Goyan National Garden, which is one of Tokyo’s largest parks and is one of the most popular locations to view the cherry blossoms in Tokyo. There is an admission fee of 500 yen to enter the park. One of the most popular areas of Shinjjuku is the Kabuki Cho area, which is Japan’s largest entertainment and nightlife district and is right next to Shinjuku Station. And with its iconic red gate, you can’t miss it. This area is nicknamed the sleepless town because of its energy and nightife. Here you will find the famous Godzilla statue that overlooks Kabuki Cho as part of the Hotel Gracery, which has a Godzilla view room for true Godzilla fans. If you are into bars, then the Golden Guy area is perfect for you with tons of tiny themed bars that offer an unforgettable experience. The Omoid Yoko Cho area is right next to Kabuki Cho. And this narrow alley is packed with Yakuri stalls and old school isekas which bring about a unique and nostalgic Showa era vibe. Kabuki Cho also has tons of host and hostess clubs that line the streets here as it is the red light district of Tokyo. So that’s something to note. If you want a unique show experience, you can check out Samurai Restaurant Time, which is the successor to the famous Robot Restaurant that closed in 2020. This is a completely over-the-top show and experience that is unforgettable for sure. If you want some unique restaurants here, then check out the Alice in Fantasy Book Restaurant, which is a restaurant themed after the Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland with plenty of unique themed food. The Nanario Tenmari Uta restaurant serves sushi with everyone trying to get a seat in one of the ball tables, which is themed after a tenari, which is a hand ball typically embroidered. Though the tenur tables fit two to three people and are not designed for large parties, but this is another perfect for Instagram type spot. If you want to put in a bit of work for your food, then you can check out the fishing restaurant Zho where you can fish or catch your dinner. and the restaurant will prepare it for you. You can also order without fishing for those of you who either don’t want to or are just unlucky and can’t catch a fish. There is also a Xiao location in Shibuya as well. Shinjjuku is also filled with shops of all kinds with plenty of unique locations like the Kinokunia Shinjjuku main store which is a massive 8floor bookstore on the eastern side of Shinjuku that has over 1 million books. The Sakayo main flagship store is in Shinjjuku and is a massive art supply store. No matter what kind of person you are, you will find something to do and shop for in Shinjjuku. If you are into anime, then go a bit north of Shinjuku and we will find ourselves in Iikbukuro, which is one of the two major anime hubs in Tokyo. But Iokuro is considered Japan’s center for otoé or female focused anime culture. You will find plenty of anime stores in the area like Mandarak and anime and you will find it to be a bit tamer than the over-the-top anime culture in Akihabara which we will get to in a bit. The anime store in Iikbukuro is also the largest anime store in the world. Some describe the anime culture here as classier than Akihabara. This area is also right next to the Sunshine City Mall, which was one of Japan’s city within a city concept malls, which houses an aquarium, planetarium, observatory, hotel, museums, restaurants, and plenty of shopping. The aquarium here is Japan’s only rooftop aquarium and is 40 m above the ground or 131 ft and features the penguins in the sky exhibit which showcases penguins swimming above you with the city in the background. The mall also features one of the largest Pokemon centers in Tokyo called the Pokemon Center Mega Tokyo. Inside the Sunshine City Mall, you will also find a quirky indoor theme park named Namja Town with its main attraction being the Guyoza Stadium and Desert Alley. The Guyoza Stadium features different types of guoza from all over Japan and allows you to compare them against each other to see which will win over your taste buds. There’s even a frozen gyoza vending machine here. Then after this, finish up your meal by going to the Lucky Bag Dessert Alley and getting some tasty desserts from all over Japan. Now, a visit to this area wouldn’t be complete without visiting the world’s largest gachapon store, the flagship Gachapon Department Store, which has over 3,000 machines. There is plenty to do in Ikokuro. And if you are looking for a slightly quieter area than Shibuya or Shinjjuku, but want plenty of fun things to do, especially anime things, check out Ikibukuro. Now, let’s talk about the anime capital of the world. When you think about anime in Japan, the first place that comes to mind for most people is Akihabara, which is the opposite of Iikbukuro with anime items themed mainly for men instead of women. You will find tons of anime here lining all of the stores along the streets here like the famous Radio Kaiiken store, Amiiamy Aami, Mandarak Animate, and plenty more. You can also find arcades here such as the famous Gigo Arcades and the brand new Silcat Arcade which opened on November 22nd, 2025, which at the time of publishing this video is currently opening day. Akihabara is also known for being Japan’s electric town, with this area becoming famous after World War II for selling surplus radio and electronic parts. This has led the area to evolving into a hub for consumer electronics, and you can find plenty of that at the Yodabashi flagship store here in Akihabara. This massive store complex has anything and everything electronic that you can think of. So, if tech and gadgets are your thing, then this is where you want to be. There is even a massive food court, batting cage, and driving range in the building. If you want something completely unique to Akihabara, then you can go to the AKB48 theater to watch the famous Japanese singing group AKB48. Though, tickets are hard to get and are often given out on a raffle system, so you have to get lucky. Akihabara is also a hub for retro gaming. So if you are into collecting rare consoles or games, then there are plenty of shops here for you to look through. Lastly, if you are in Akihabara, you will find made cafes everywhere. The two most popular ones are the Maid Dreaming Cafe and the Atome Cafe. This can be a slightly bizarre experience for foreigners, but if it is your first time in Japan and you really want a memorable experience, then check that out. If you want to experience Tokyo’s anime culture, then this is the place to be. I have in-depth guides that go into detail about activities in Japan like the maid cafes and also areas in Tokyo like Shibuya, Shinjjuku, Akihabara, and more. So, if you want to see more of that, go check that out on my channel. If you want an area that’s a bit more peaceful and a bit less anime heavy, then nearby you will find Yueno. The biggest draw to Jueno is the Jueno Park, which is famous for its over 1,000 cherry blossoms and was Japan’s first public park. The park is also free, unlike the previously mentioned Shinjjuku Goyen National Garden, but is usually more crowded for cherry blossom season. As a result, this massive park also houses some very popular attractions like the Yueno Zoo, which has giant pandas and is Japan’s oldest zoo. The park also has the highest concentration of museums in Tokyo with Japan’s oldest and largest museum, the Tokyo National Museum, which houses over 100,000 items from art to artifacts, along with the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, the National Museum of Nature and Science, and plenty more. The park also has temples, massive ponds with boating and lotus fields, and even the Bentendo floating shrine. Once you finish up at Yueno Park, check out the nearby Amyia Yoko Cho, also known as the Amiyoko Shopping Street, which is a street filled with stores selling street food, souvenirs, and plenty more. Bordering Yueno, you will also find Yanaka Ginsa. This is a unique area that was one of the few areas in Tokyo that survived the World War II bombings and still has a true Edeto era feel to it. If you are into older culture and history, this is a unique spot in Tokyo. It is also known as Cat Town with cat themed shops, snacks, and souvenirs everywhere. Keep an eye out as you walk, and you will spot cats on the rooftops and around the area as well. If you are into shaved ice, then check out Himisudo, which is famous for using the best ingredients to make the best tasting shaved ice. This is a unique area of Tokyo with many of the shops being familyrun for generations, and this area is run by locals as opposed to being heavily influenced by chains and larger stores. So, if you are into historical culture and want a different side of Japan as opposed to the tourist heavy areas, this is a unique must-see place on your first trip to Japan. The flip side of this is the modern-day Ginsa and that is where you will find massive department stores filled with flagship chains like Unilo, Louis Vuitton, Muji and more. If you are into shopping and fashion, then Ginsza is the place you want to be. Ginsa is also the home of some of the most exclusive sushi restaurants in the world, like Cubet, which is a very small omocas restaurant where reservations are required and are hard to get. But the sushi is some of the best and most flavorful in the world. Ginsa is surrounded by tons of things to do like the famous Pokemon cafes where you can get super cute Pokemon themed food right next to a massive Pokemon center. Also nearby Ginsa you will find the famous Tokyo Station which is iconic in and of itself. And right next to that is the Imperial Palace which is a beautiful site. And if it is your first time in Tokyo, this is worth a stop unless you are going to a city like Osaka, which has a more grand castle with the castle keep still intact. Now, I don’t have time to dive into every single area in Tokyo, but those are some of the biggest ones where people stay during their first time in Tokyo. But one other one that is also very popular that I don’t want to skip is Asakuza. And this area has the famous Senoji Temple and Nakamise shopping street, which is a street lined with vendors and a fun place to shop and buy souvenirs. The temple is the oldest in Tokyo, founded in the year 628 AD. However, the temple was completely destroyed in World War II and was rebuilt afterward to resemble what it looked like previously. Many people love staying in Asakusa because it is lively during the day but a quieter area at night compared to places like Shinjjuku and Shibuya. This area is also quite close to the Tokyo Skytree which is the largest tower in the world and is also where the famous Kirby Cafe is. A few other key places that are worth checking out during your first time in Tokyo are the life-size Unicorn Gundam in Oda, which is somewhat near the famous Team Lab Planets, which is an interactive and immersive art exhibition that is perfect for Instagram. There is also Team Lab Borderless, which is next to Tokyo Tower and offers a similar experience, but instead of the rooms being linear, it is borderless with the rooms all interconnected and no defined map, allowing you to wander and explore as you find new hidden rooms. If you are not into art, this may be a pass, but if you are into social media and Instagrammable places, this is a mustsee spot. And as I mentioned, Team Lab Borderless is also right next to Tokyo Tower, which is also an iconic location to go and visit. Lastly, one place that people love to visit in Tokyo is Disneyland and Disney Sea. These two theme parks are beloved by Disney fans and serves up unique food and attractions that you will only find in Japan. It does however get crowded here and lines for the rides do get fairly long, so be prepared to wait for a while if you do come here. Tickets for Disneyland and Disney Sea are much cheaper in comparison to Disneyland and Disney World in the United States, coming in at less than half of the cost of a ticket in the States. From the chaotic Shabuya Crossing to the anime hubs of Tokyo, there is plenty to see and experience on your first trip to Tokyo. And there’s so much more that I didn’t get to cover here. What are your must-see spots in Tokyo? Let me know in the comments section down below and I will see you guys in the next one.

Overwhelmed by all the things you can do in Tokyo? Here are some of the most popular things to do in Tokyo so you can see if it’s worth adding to your Tokyo itinerary. We’ll walk through some of the most popular areas like Shibuya, Shinjuku, Asakusa, Akihabara, and more and look at unique places to eat and things to do in each of those places to give you the best ideas for your Tokyo adventure. It’s time to go to Tokyo.

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Chapters:
0:00 – Intro
1:01 – Shibuya
3:39 – Harajuku
4:36 – Shinjuku
7:50 – Ikebukuro
10:11 – Akihabara
12:18 – Saving Money in Japan
12:33 – Ueno
13:52 – Yanaka Ginza
14:58 – Ginza
16:15 – Asakusa
17:10 – TeamLabs
17:56 – Disneyland/DisneySea
18:28 – Final Thoughts

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