Hidden gems in Tokyo
Skip the tourist circuit. These Tokyo spots are the ones locals actually send their out-of-town friends to.
Top spots in Tokyo
Shibuya Scramble
CultureShibuya
The crossing — go to Shibuya Sky for the rooftop view at dusk.
TeamLab Planets
CultureToyosu
Immersive digital-art installation — book weeks ahead.
Yanaka
OutdoorsTaito
Old-Tokyo neighbourhood that survived the bombings — cats, temples, sento baths.
Tsukiji Outer Market
Food & DrinkChuo
Tamagoyaki, uni rice bowls and tuna jerky at 8am.
Shinjuku Gyoen
OutdoorsShinjuku
144 acres of formal gardens — peak in cherry blossom and autumn.
Where to eat
Sukiyabashi Jiro Roppongi
$$$$Sushi · Roppongi
The Roppongi outpost (the main shop stopped taking foreigners) — book through hotel concierge.
Den
$$$$Modern kaiseki · Jingumae
Zaiyu Hasegawa's playful tasting — Dentucky fried chicken in a real bucket.
Ichiran Shibuya
$Ramen · Shibuya
Solo-booth ramen — order via vending machine, customise everything.
Narisawa
$$$$Innovative tasting · Minato
Forest-on-a-plate tasting — bread that bakes at the table.
Tonkatsu Maisen Aoyama
$$Tonkatsu · Aoyama
Former public bathhouse turned tonkatsu temple — get the kurobuta loin.
Frequently asked
- Locals' under-the-radar picks include Shibuya Scramble, TeamLab Planets, Yanaka. These are the places that don't show up on the first page of mainstream travel guides.