You would expect a city that would rank top 40 in population when compared to countries (yes you read correct, 37+ million people live in Tokyo); there would be chaos and basically you see people walking on top of each other. On the contrary you find a city with lots of energy that flows in balance across the people that live and visit this great city.

It would be crazy to suggest an itinerary in just one post, my idea is to share some of the places you must go when visiting this majestic city. Tokyo size but most important the role it has in Japan makes it a destination where you need to be prepared to spend many hours exploring and get lost on purpose; once you get situated in the city moving from point A to point B is not difficult and the public and private options are many. You can build multiple day tours for every different type of tourist enthusiast, and not only the transportation will help you but also the great people living in the city will help you and try to navigate to your destination.

TOKYO SKYTREE If you want to see how the city can fit more than 37 million people go on top of the Tokyo Skytree and get a 360 view of the city from the tallest structure in Japan. It is a television and radio broadcast site, and when you see it from a distance looks like a futuristic tower where you would control air travel of spaceships entering the city airspace.

I would suggest you buy the tickets online, so you have an easier entrance procedure, in the location you can find many restaurants and some stores where you can buy gifts if you want. You have 2 options floor 350 and floor 450 (high and higher), we bought the basic ticket and for us was great, since the objective was to learn about the place and have a 360 perspective of the city from above. The views are great, and you can truly get a sense of the magnitude of the city and how packed it is… Great to do this after you have an initial tour of the city, in that way you can identify places that you have been, we could identify some of the temples we visited and the Asahi HQ a building that looks like a beer served in a glass (Go and find it!!!)

MEIJI SHRINE One of the things I learn during my visit is that in Japan people based their faith in mainly 2 religion Buddhism and Shinto, interesting that they are more focused on the spirituality and worship rather than doctrines. You can find many shrines across Tokyo; numbers talk of about 85,000 shines in Japan. One of them and an impressive one is the Meiji Shrine in honor of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.

The shrine was built in 1920 and many of the buildings were destroyed after World War II, it was rebuilt after public funding efforts. As you pass under the gate, there is a great vibe and feel of relaxation; more than 100,000 trees are part of this shrine making it a big oasis in the big city of Tokyo. You can see people doing their rituals and if you are lucky there are weddings happening, so you can get a glimpse of the ceremony and the wardrobes they use (we were lucky to see). Expect to be here at least an hour so you can walk calmly and enjoy all the great images.

SHIBUYA CROSSING Who would have thought that a street crossing could be an attraction, well in Tokyo you can find the busiest street crossing in the world. Complete madness when the stoplight is green, and you see up to 3,000 people crossing at the same time. Not only you have hundreds of people there, also you have Billboards with sound and big trailers crossing the street with proportions of some Japanese artist. Is mayhem but an organized one, as Japan order and cleanliness is top even on this congested street.

SENSOJI TEMPLE One of the oldest temple in Japan and for sure one of the most visited sacred places in the world (Some publish it as #1), with the amazing entrance through a gate with 2 goods a long street with plenty of stores ending at the temple. This temple also was rebuilt after World War 2, the gate was burned in a fire so in 1960 was done again. You will find many tourist and locals here, one particular thing here is that you see groups of girls renting traditional Kimono and stroll through the temple.

KABUKI THEATRE In Ginza neighborhood you can enjoy one of the traditional arts form the Kabuki performance with it dance, drama and decorated costumes. This theater provides you with the opportunity to enjoy the art for, by either buying a full day ticket or buying a third act ticket so you can see a part of it (the complete show takes 5-6 hours). Since is in Japanese is a bit difficult to follow but if you like theatre the experience can be a good way to admire a very traditional art form.

Ginza, Shinjuku, Akihabara, Ueno, Harajuku, Odaiba Districts One of the top things I recommend is to spend a day just going in the metro and moving from district to district. Tokyo public transportation is immense and more importantly easy to use. Visiting these districts will give you a clear understanding of the diversity you can find in the city. From well-renowned boutiques to full buildings with everything of Anime that you can imagine, to parks that you can walk at your leisure; it will be a day you will love.

TEAM LAB MUSEUM For a unique interactive art experience with the latest digital technology this is the place to go. A different museum versus the traditional ones, you will find multiple digital art exhibitions displayed in a huge space and the artworks are projected across walls and floors, and immersive installations of light and sound that move and reflect by your movements and touches. You will be part of the digital artworks, make sure to bring your camera as it’s the perfect place to take Instagram photos.

DISNEY SEA For a different Disney experience you can go to the Disney Sea theme park, one of the most visited parks in the world and the second one behind Tokyo Disneyland. As the name refers, you will walk through different ports in the park, from the American or Arabian ports to some more imaginative like the Mermaid Lagoon. The park feels different to other Disney parks, but what makes this park great are the employees and shows, the level of service and showmanship are top versus other theme parks outside Japan.

This is my third post on Tokyo, and as you can see there is tons to do and explore in Tokyo; in my previous posts I also shared about how awesome is the food and bar scene in Tokyo. We have Japan as a most go back place, for sure we will be back to continue exploring and enjoying all the great things this country has to offer.

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