Tokyo Neighborhood Guide – Where You Should Visit And Why

Tokyo is an epic city with a number of cool neighborhoods to pick from. Whether you’re hoping to explore the city’s rich history and numerous temples or see the neon-lit manga neighborhoods and make the most of Tokyo’s nightlife – we have the perfect Tokyo neighborhood guide for you!

The best time to go to Tokyo depends on what attractions you want to see and what your budget is, so keep reading our ultimate Tokyo neighborhood guide to find out exactly which neighborhood is right for you and when you should visit.

Best Time To Visit Tokyo

Let’s jump in and help you figure out what neighborhoods to visit in Tokyo and the best time to go based on your budget and interests!

Best Time And Reasons To Visit Asakusa

Asakusa is one of Tokyo’s best preserved historical areas. It’s dotted with cozy cafes and narrow alleys lined with craft shops and cute artisanal stores. The neighborhood is also the home of Tokyo’s oldest temple.

Completed in 645, the Senso-ji Temple is attached to a five-story high pagoda and on the way out there’s a 200-metre-long shopping street, Nakamise, whose history dates back to the 17th century. 

On the other side of the Sumida River, you’ll find the Tokyo Skytree which has two awesome observation decks you can go to the top of! 

The best time of year to visit Asakusa is in late March or early April when the cherry blossom is in bloom! The cherry trees surrounding the Senso-ji Pagoda come to life in hues of pink which makes it even more impressive, and there are more sunny and clear days than in winter or autumn, so you’ll have better cityscape views from the Tokyo Skytree.

Be warry of when you book your flights in spring. If you come in late April, you might miss the chance to enjoy the Japanese custom of Hanami, the act of observing flowers blossoming and admiring their transient beauty. 

If you can’t make it in spring, another time of year worth considering for a trip to Asakusi is May. Japan’s temples each have their own matsuri, a festival blooming with floats and bright colors, and Senso-ji’s is the third weekend of May! Expect fireworks and bright parades of dancers!

Where To Stay In Asakusa

Here are different hotel options for different travelers:

Best Time And Reasons To Visit Shibuya

Shibuya is one of Tokyo’s more built up and modern areas. It has a NY vibe and is most famous for the epic Scramble Crossing, also know as Shibuya scramble square. This busy intersection can have up to 3,000 people crossing on it at once. It’s by far the busiest crossing in Japan, and possibly the world!

Round the corner from the crossing, you’ll find the Hachiko Statue, which commemorates the life of a loyal local hero, the dog Hachiko, who was alive in the 1920s. 

Shibuya is a great neighborhood to visit year-round as its the liveliness, shopping, and entertainment that people come for. Save some money tax-free shopping at Shibuya 109, the area’s most famous shopping hub! Also worth checking out Miyashita Park for shopping, which as the name suggests also has its own lush park!

Bear in mind that the area is busier in autumn and spring, Japan’s peak seasons, so if you want to save on accommodation prices come in summer, from June to August, or winter, between December and February. 

On the edge of the neighborhood, you’ll find the Meiji Jingu Shrine and the grounds of Yoyogi Park. The temple was built in 1920, nestled amongst a forest of more than 100,000 trees. The landscape is breathtaking year-round but is most impressive in autumn when all the trails are covered in a thick blanket of autumn foliage!

Where To Stay In Shibuya

Whatever time of year you decide to come, here are some top hotels to choose from:

Best Time And Reasons To Visit Shinjuku

Another great year-round destination is the neighborhood of Shinjuku. Notorious for its bustling nightlife! Made up of busy streets teeming with shops, restaurants, and clubs the area is one of Tokyo’s more modern districts. 

That’s not to say there aren’t places with an old-age charm in Shinjuku. The little Omoide Yokocho street, which has the unfortunate nickname ‘piss alley’, is a top spot for a late-night snack or cold beers. 

There are lots of little eateries along the narrow streets that have been there for decades, and whilst the rest of Shinjuku has modernized, this corner of the district seems to have been left behind. The laid-back atmosphere and friendly locals are a welcome break from the flashy neon-lit streets.

If you want to sing karaoke late into the night or go clubbing like a local, head to Golden Gai, a pedestrian area at the heart of the district that is known for its unbeatable nightlife and younger crowds. 

There’s no wrong time of year to come to Shinjuku, and since it’s more known for its nightlife than nature you can come in summer when the weather is warm, and hotel prices are cheaper!

That said, December is also an awesome time to come to Shinjuku because that’s where the Tokyo Christmas Market takes place! Decorated in colorful illuminations, the market sells German Christmas classics, like mulled wine and sausages.

It’s a great place to stay if you want to go on a day trip from Tokyo to Kamakura too as it’s by the well-connected Shinjuku Station.

Where To Stay In Shinjuku

Best Time And Reasons To Visit Ueno

Ueno is a varied neighborhood that has cool attractions for all kinds of travelers. It’s also along the Yamanote Line which loops around the whole city so it’s easy to visit other neighborhoods from Ueno. 

One of the area’s highlights is the Ueno Park. It’s a huge park with more than 1,000 cherry trees, so during spring it turns into a sea of pink blossoms. Even though there are loads of cool things to do in Ueno in every season, because of how many cherry trees there are in the park, late March to early April is definitely the best time to visit. 

Ueno Park also has a collection of museums, a zoo, and various temples dotted around it! Don’t miss the Shinobazu No Ike Bentendo island temple before you leave. Built in the middle of a large pond it’s especially charming in spring when the cherry blossom is out!

Just outside the park you’ll find the Ameya-Yokocho market. The area is a bustling district with loads of cool clothes shops and street food stalls. Historically it was a candy market, and then after World War II you could buy imported goods from America there. Now, there’s not much you can’t find at the Ameya-Yokocho market.

A short walk away you’ll find the famous Akihabara. The area was nicknamed ‘Electric Town’ because of how many electronic shops there are packed into the neighborhood’s cluster of streets. It’s also Tokyo’s manga headquarter, so there’s a neon-lit, cartoon feel to the place! 

If you want to dive headfirst into Japan’s manga subculture head to the Mandarake Complex where you can get the latest comics, and to the Tokyo Anime Centre where you can learn all about manga.

Ameya-Yokocho and Akihabara are areas of Ueno that are great year-round, so if you do decide to come in summer or winter to save money on your trip and avoid the worst of the crowds, you’ll still have loads of fun in Ueno! It is also the perfect time to escape any bad weather in the Tokyo National Museum!

Where To Stay In Ueno

Best Time And Reasons To Visit Ginza

Though it’s not at the top of most travel itineraries for Tokyo, there’s a number of reasons you should consider staying in Ginza. It’s a great destination for foodies who want to spend their time trying Japan’s craziest dishes. 

The Tsukiji Fish Market is in Ginza! Although the wholesale area of the market, which was famous for its giant tuna auctions, was moved to Toyosu. But what used to be known as the outer market is still there. 

Made up of a few blocks lined with food stalls and down-to-earth, local restaurants, the market is the place to go if you want to submerge yourself in Japan’s food culture. They get their fresh fish each morning from Toyosu, so the quality is amazing!

Another reason Ginza is worth considering is because it’s where the Tokyo Station is. The station is super popular because it’s served by the high-speed shinkansen, or bullet train, railway. That means it’s a great neighborhood for anyone looking to go on lots of day trips from the city. Check out our Tokyo to Kamakura day trip to get you inspired!

The neighborhood is also just 20 minutes’ walk away from the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Built on the site of an older Edo Castle, the Palace is surrounded by moats and protective stone walls. It’s still the residence of Japan’s Imperial family (they even make public appearances just after New Year), so you can only go into the palace grounds on guided tours at certain times. 

But the park surrounding the palace is a highlight in itself. Whilst some sections are closed to tourists, you can visit the Kitanomaru Park and areas of the East Gardens. For the best views and photos of the Imperial Palace from afar, head to Nijubashi Bridge.

Ginza is a great neighborhood to come to in Japan’s shoulder and off-peak season. There will be less queues at Tsukiji’s food stalls and hotel prices are more competitive so you can spend your saved cash on food and trips out of the city.

Where To Stay In Ginza

Best Time And Reasons To Visit Roppongi 

Roppongi is a neighborhood in central Tokyo that is popular amongst the expat community in the city. Known for its lively nightlife, the bars, restaurants, and clubs, Roppongi attract lots of visitors and has become a popular destination amongst foreigners in particular. We love it because it’s a great neighborhood to go to no matter the time of year.

The neighborhood was put on the map in the early 2000s when it underwent various redevelopment projects. Most notably is the Roppongi Hills Mori Tower that was built in 2003, a huge entertainment complex that really put Roppongi on the map of coolest neighborhoods in Tokyo. 

Towering above all the surrounding buildings, this 781-foot-tall glass-paneled skyscraper is the 6th tallest building in the city! It has a hotel within it, as well as the Mori Art Museum and one of our favorite observation decks in the city, the Tokyo Sky Deck.

The observation deck is on the 52nd floor, so brace yourself for the vertigo! From the Tokyo Sky Deck, you can see some of the city’s coolest landmarks, like the Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Skytree. If you’re lucky and you visit the observation deck on a clear day, you’ll even catch glimpses of Tokyo Bay and Mt Fuji in the distance! 

Because there tends to be less cloud cover around the summit of Mt Fuji in the winter, it’s the best time of year to come to the observation deck. Summer tends to be cloudier, and the visibility of Mt Fuji is reduced despite it being sunny. You can get your tickets to Tokyo Sky Deck for $8.50 from Klook!

Another thing you can’t miss whilst you’re there is the Mori Art Museum, which is on the same floor as the observation deck, and spans across the 53rd floor of the building. 

They have epic contemporary art exhibitions which showcase different genres like photography, fashion, and design from all over the world. We thought it was a great thing to combine with a trip to the observation deck!

But it isn’t the only cool museum in the Roppongi district. In fact, together with the National Art Center and Suntory Museum of Art the museum is part of the Art Triangle Roppongi. With so many cultural spaces you can visit during the day, and fun nightlife that brings the district to life in the later hours, what’s there not to love about Roppongi?

Where To Stay In Roppongi

Tokyo Travel Tips

How To Get Around Tokyo

Tokyo is easy and quick to get around because the city has a reliable and extensive network of trains, buses, and subway lines. 

There are a few options when it comes to picking a public transport pass. The most varied and the one we’d recommend is the Suica card. It works for Tokyo’s trains, buses, the Tokyo monorail, and subways. There are other transport cards, like the Tokyo Subway Pass, but it only works for the city’s subway lines so it’s less useful.

You can also choose from a number of day-pass transport tickets, but it ends up being more expensive opting for these if you’re staying for a few days. 

One great thing about Tokyo, and Japan in general, is that Google Maps is super reliable and up to date. You can use it to check your travel times, and it’ll warn you about any delays or traffic and give you better alternatives.

For those moments when you need to get somewhere quick or it’s late at night and you don’t want to tackle the city’s transport routes, get a taxi! The city has lots of taxis that are always circulating the roads. Usually there will be taxi stands all over Tokyo midtown, by major stations and top attractions too. 

A few of the apps you’re probably already familiar with, like Uber and DiDi, work in Tokyo! There’s also the taxi app GO. Bear in mind that taxis will cost you significantly more than using your Suica card and getting on the public transport. Generally, taxis in Tokyo cost about $3 per kilometer, but tariffs vary depending on the area, size of your car, and hour. Expect to pay about 20% more after 10PM for example.

Tokyo Neighborhood Map

Here is an easy-to-use map of Tokyo’s most popular neighborhoods so you can get your bearings in this huge city!

Plan Your Trip To Tokyo

Here are some top tips to consider when you’re planning your trip to Tokyo:

Download some of these handy apps before your trip – Check out my article about the 12 apps you should download for your trip to Japan. It includes great apps for navigating, like Maps.me, and apps that’ll help you overcome any language barriers like Google Translate!  

Learn a few basic words and sentences in Japanese to make your trip easier – Want to learn how to say thank you or how to order your coffee in Japanese? Try out the Rosetta Stone app to learn some Japanese! The locals love it when you try to speak Japanese, even if your pronunciation isn’t perfect!

Fly into Haneda Airport instead of Narita Airport – Even though Narita Airport is bigger, it’s further out of the city than Haneda Airport so we recommend flying to Haneda, especially if you want to do some sightseeing on your first day in Tokyo. 

Get yourself a Suica Card when you arrive – The city’s best transport card is the Suica card. It works for the trains, monorail, buses, and subways across the city! 

Bring some local currency, and check your bank’s conversion rate and withdrawal charges – A lot of establishments in Japan still prefer cash, so bring a load of local currency in your wallet and check that your bank will allow you to take out cash at ATMs without facing hefty conversion rates and fees.

Bear in mind these things about Japan’s restaurants – Most restaurants and cafes in Japan don’t open till 10AM or 11AM so breakfast spots aren’t always easy to find. Bear in mind some restaurant areas, like Shinjuku’s Golden Gai area, only open in the evening, and that food markets tend to close earlier in the afternoon. 

Check out the country’s unspoken Ramen etiquette before you go to Japan too!

Consider typhoon season when planning your trip – If you’re just visiting Tokyo this isn’t such a worry as you’ll be in the city but bear in mind that typhoons are something to consider when you’re planning a trip to Japan.

Tokyo Packing Guide

You can pack for Tokyo like you would to any modern city! Bring casual clothes and a book to read at your hotel in the evenings. Some specific items to consider are:

• Comfortable shoes: Lots of Tokyo’s coolest neighborhoods are easiest to explore on foot, so pack some comfy trainers!
• Pack some hand sanitizer: It’s not uncommon for there to be no soap in restaurant toilets!
• Bring a raincoat: If you’re travelling in the autumn or winter be sure to pack a lightweight raincoat. 
• Bring the right travel adapter: You’ll need a 2-pronged Type A for Japan, so check your plugs to see if you need to get an adapter ahead of your trip.
• Pack a load of Japanese yen. Japan is a largely cash-based country, so you’ll likely need cash straight away after landing to buy your Suica card or pay for your first meal. Either way, it’s always a good idea to land with some local currency in case of an emergency!

Check if you need a Visa ahead of time! It’s rare that you’ll need a Visa for a short stay in Japan, but it’s important to check the unique requirements for your country. You can find out more on the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan website.

Tokyo Has So Many Neighborhoods To Explore

Tokyo has loads of different neighborhoods, so it’s a destination you can keep coming back to! Some of them, like Ueno, are best to visit in spring during the cherry blossom season, whilst others areas like Shibuya are great year-round!

With different highlights spread across the city, we’ve broken down the best time to go to Tokyo for each neighborhood. Whether you decide to come in the peak season, offseason, or during Japan’s shoulder seasons – you’re guaranteed an epic city adventure!

Frequently Asked Questions