Among the most popular tourist attractions in Tokyo are the imperial palace, Meiji temple, the districts of Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ginza, Rainbow bridge, as well as Tokyo Disneyland.
The imperial palace is the official residence of Japan’s emperor, with the complex including several buildings, such as the main palace and private buildings for the imperial family.
Including the gardens, the palatial complex consists of about 3.41 square kilometers of central Tokyo, in Chiyoda, near the main railway station in Tokyo, which is the country’s busiest station in terms of departing trains.
Most of the palace (sankan.kunaicho.go.jp/english/guide/koukyo.html) is usually closed to the public, apart from the eastern palatial gardens, which you can tour freely.
From time to time, the “Imperial Household Agency” (kunaicho.go.jp/e17/ed17-03.html) does offer tours to the palace itself.
Best tourist attractions in Tokyo also include the Meiji temple (meijijingu.or.jp/english/), which is located at the district of Harajuku, and it is a Shinto temple, dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken.
The memorial was completed in 1920, eight years after the death of the emperor, and it is today one of the most visited historic landmarks in Tokyo.
All in all, the temple area consists of a forest of 700,000 square meters, acting as a spiritual home for the Japanese as well as a central place for relaxation for residents of Tokyo.
The area consists of two main areas, Naien and Gaien, of which Naien is the inner-part, and includes the temple buildings and a museum of the treasures that were personally collected by the Emperor.
Gaien part, on the other hand, has the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery museum, with a 80 large mural collection, telling the life tale and heritage of the Emperor’s family.
The region also has several sporting facilities, such as the National Stadium and the Meiji Memorial hall, where Shinto weddings take place.
Among the most popular tourist attractions in Tokyo are the districts of Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ginza, each of which are on their own way Tokyo landmarks and world-famous. All in all, Tokyo has 23 districts.
Shibuya (www.city.shibuya.tokyo.jp/eng/index.html) is best known for the Shibuya Station, one of the city’s busiest, as well as for its place as the center for Tokyo fashion and nightlife.
Of the district tourist attractions in Tokyo, Shibuya has risen to world-fame during the last 30 years especially as a center for Japanese fashion. For this, best parts of the districts include the roads from Shibuya station to Harajuku (especially for teen fashion), Omotesando street (which goes to the Meiji temple), and Sendagaya, which is the central fashion design district.
As a district, Shibuya also features the most two-story TV screens in the world, usually located on the sides of buildings for department stores.
Perhaps the most famous landmark known around the world about Japan, in addition to the nearby Fuji mountain, is located in Shibuya: the famous Shibuya road crossing, where pedestrians can cross the street from all the corners, with three massive TV screens and a jungle of neonlights surrounding the place.
Shinjuku, meanwhile, is known for the world’s busiest train station, the Shinjuku Train Station, from where bullet trains (a Tokyo tourist attraction in themselves) depart to different parts of Japan, but the district is also known for its role as the administrative center.
Shinjuku is also Tokyo’s skyscraper center, due to its western part’s comparatively more stable seismic profile.
The eastern part of Shinjuku has been dedicated to shopping, and also features Tokyo’s “red lights district”, called Kabukicho.
Among Shinjuku’s many highlights as one of the best tourist attractions in Tokyo, is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Center skyscraper, where, at the height of 202 meters, 45th floor, there is an open and free viewing platform, with some of the best views over the city silhouette of Tokyo.
Finally, the district of Ginza is known worldwide as perhaps the most luxurious shopping area anywhere, with many fashion designers having their flagship stores here, even on a global scale.
The most notable of these flagship stores is the Gucci Ginza store, but you will find luxurious shopping also at department stores such as Wako and Mitsukoshi.
The best time to visit Ginza is during the weekends, when the (northern-southern) main route through the district is closed to motor vehicles.
Rainbow bridge is a 570 meter-long bridge crossing the Northern Tokyo Bay between Shibaura harbor and Odaiba, completed in 1993.
What makes this bridge an especially popular tourist attraction is the opportunity to cross it from both sides, Northern and Southern, of the bridge.
If you cross the bridge from the Northern side, you’ll see magnificent views to the Tokyo harbor and the Tokyo Tower.
Crossing the bridge from the Southern side, on the other hand, you’ll have great views to the Tokyo Bay, and, on a good weather, all the way to the Fuji mountain.
The pedestrian crossing has restricted opening times, and during the summer tourism season, the bridge crossing usually opens at 9am. To get to the bridge, both Tamachi station and Shibaura-futo station are an easy walk away.
Among the most popular tourist attractions in Tokyo is the city’s Disneyland (www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp), world’s third most visited amusement park, and the area also features another popular attraction, the Tokyo DisneySea theme park.
The amusement and theme park are located a bit outside of Tokyo, at Urayasu, which is part of Chiba.
The area consists of seven themed regions, including “World Bazaar”, “Adventureland”, “Westernland”, “Fantasyland”, “Tomorrowland”, “Critter Country”, as well as “Mickey’s Toontown.”
Of these, the place’s icon is especially Fantasyland’s Cinderella’s Castle, which is almost identical to the one at Walt Disney World in Florida.
The place has several holiday resorts to stay at, great alternatives for overnight stay when touring the parks. These resorts include Disney’s Ambassador Hotel, Tokyo DisneySea Hotel, MiraCosta, and Tokyo Disneyland Hotel.