Touching down in Tokyo is like landing on another planet, with few – if any – celebrities.
But don’t let that put you off.
There are plenty of reasons why it should be on your bucket list for 2025 – and ten of them are below, from sumo wrestling to fascinating temples and world-class hotels.
GETTING AROUND IS A SINCH
The city is safe and easy to navigate – the metro signs are in English and lines are colour-coded.
IT FITS NICE BUDGETS
It’s incredibly cheap. In this year’s Post Office Travel Allowance Report, Japan topped the table as the cheapest long-haul destination thanks to the pound performing well against the Japanese yen.
SUMO WRESTLING
Harriet Sime watches a sumo wrestling match in Tokyo (file photo) and says ‘it’s a thrill to witness such an ancient and traditionally secretive sport up close’
Sumo wrestling as a spectator sport is seeing increasing interest from foreign tourists in Tokyo, leading to dining experiences springing up all over the city for when the official sumo tournaments (basho), which take place six times a year (January, May and September) . , is not in action.
At Asakusa Sumo Club in the heart of Tokyo, tourists sit on tables around a 4.5-metre-wide clay-filled ring, known as a ‘donyu’, to watch two former professional sumo wrestlers duke it out in a three-round competition.
The two-hour interactive show begins with a traditional geisha dance before the MC introduces the wrestlers and guests are treated to sake and trays of chanko-nabe’ – a hearty chicken and shiitake mushroom stew traditionally eaten by wrestlers. along with edamame, tofu-wrapped rice and fried chicken. Before the first round begins, the wrestlers, dressed in red and black mawashis, throw handfuls of salt into the ring as a symbol of good luck.
And then they’re off, pushing, shoving and grabbing in an attempt to maneuver each other to the ground or out of the ring (winning techniques).
It’s a thrill to witness such an ancient and traditionally secretive sport up close – and a must-see when exploring Japan (getyourguide.co.uk).
WORLD CLASS HOTELS
Harriet checks in at Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo At Otemachi
There’s a lot of competition when it comes to luxury hotels in Tokyo – but one property that stands tall among the five-star crowd is Four Seasons Tokyo at Otemachi.
Spanning the top six floors of a 39-story high-rise, the location offers the best of both worlds – right in the heart of the city’s busy skyscraper-populated financial district, yet just a few meters from the 280- acre expanse of the Imperial Palace. , where the Emperor and his family live, and which can be explored on foot for free.
The hotel offers what must be one of the world’s best breakfast buffets (think baked local delights from the house bakery, trays of miso soup and udon noodles topped with salmon roe, fizz on tap). But beware – you’ll find it almost impossible to tear yourself away from the sprawling spa, home to five treatment rooms, Japanese-style baths and a 20-metre swimming pool with breathtaking views of the city (you can see Mount Fuji on see a clear surface). day).
Fancy a ride on the bullet train? Tokyo Station, where bullet trains whiz by every two to three minutes, is just a 10-minute walk (fourseasons.com/otemachi).
SHIBUYA CROSSING
Shibuya Crossing stops all cars every 80 seconds, when up to 3,000 people wait for the lights to turn green before scurrying in all directions across five crossings
One of the busiest intersections in the world, a visit to Tokyo is not complete without a trip to Shibuya. Rather than directing the flow of cars and pedestrians simultaneously, the Shibuya Crossing stops all cars every 80 seconds, when up to 3,000 people wait for the lights to turn green before scurrying in all directions across five crosswalks.
Yes, it has become packed with tourists, but that adds to the chaos. For the best vantage point, head to the Starbucks on the north corner and sip coffee while watching the ant-like figures scurry around below.
The intersection is most impressive after dark on a Friday or Saturday night, when the crowds are at their thickest and neon-lit by the signs and flashing TV screens above.
TSUKJI FISH MARKET
Harriet at Tsukji Fish Market, one of the world’s largest fish trading centers
Hundreds of tightly packed traders sell an encyclopedic array of creatures – some dead, some alive – at Tsukji Fish Market, one of the world’s largest fish trading centres.
Be sure to eat at one of the restaurants that spill out from the market stalls, most of which specialize in, you guessed it, seafood.
Not a fan of fish? There’s plenty on offer for meat lovers and vegetarians alike, from smoke stands offering plates of marbled wagyu beef, to counters piled high with omelettes on sticks (just about every variation of food, it seems, is served on wooden sticks).
There are also a variety of specialist gift shops selling everything from kitchen knives to rubber boots.
You’ll need at least three hours to make the most of it.
MEIJI JINGU TEMPLE
Choose Meiji Jingu (above) over the packed Senso Ji Temple, says Harriet
Tokyo’s largest shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken, whose reign (1868–1912) coincided with Japan’s transformation from an isolationist state to a modern nation.
The main shrine, built of cypress wood, is located in a wooded forest, but occupies only a small fraction of the vast forest grounds, which contain some 120,000 trees collected from all over Japan, and several wooden torii (entrance gates) . Go here on a Saturday and you can catch a local wedding, where a procession follows the bride, who is dressed in a white hood called a wataboshi and walks under a giant red parasol. It feels a world away from the nearby neon-drenched districts of Shibuya and Shinjuka.
Exit the southern gates and you’ll pass a large wall of beautifully painted hanging sake barrels, donated by brewers of the national drink from all over Japan. (It’s also a brilliant spot for photos.)
Choose Meiji Jingu over the packed Senso Ji Temple (the city’s most visited). Controversial, I know…
COLD TRAIN
Hop on a bullet train in Tokyo for a high-speed ride through cities, farms and past snow-capped Mount Fuji
Japanese people didn’t invent train travel, but they perfected it.
Instantly recognizable for its striking, sloping nose and sweeping aerodynamic curves, the Shinkansen was the world’s first high-speed train and quickly became known as the bullet train. The trains travel at speeds of up to 200 mph, swinging passengers munching on bento boxes through cities, farms and past snow-capped Mount Fuji. The carriages are quiet, spacious and offer reversible seats.
When traveling from Tokyo to Kyoto, choose a seat on the right in advance for Fuji views.
THRIFT SHOPS
With the pound strong against the yen, there’s never been a better time to pick up some bargain vintage clothes in Tokyo. Shimokitazawa, a former farming town in the west of the city, is a hip creative quarter with a lingering old-Tokyo vibe and one of the largest concentrations of second-hand shops in the city.
Narrow, murals are lined with coffee shops and stylish shops packed with vintage clothes, battered books and vinyl records.
Be sure to stop by Flamingo, Joe’s New York Exchange and Chicago, all of which house carefully organized racks of clothing to suit every style and subculture. It is the perfect antidote to the hectic city life.
VIEWS, VIEWS, VIEWS
Walk into any high-rise or rooftop bar and the views are sure to awe and inspire as Tokyo’s vast landscape unfolds and stretches far into the distant land as if you’ve landed on a planet of never-ending cities.
Dress up for cocktails at Park Hyatt Tokyo – featured in Lost in Translation – on your first night in Tokyo. A perfect introduction to one of the world’s best cities.
