Akasaka
Posh hotels and a good selection of mid-range restaurants can be found in this area bordering Ginza’s northwest side. Sights in themselves, hotels include the New Otani complex, featuring a garden that was once owned by a Tokugawa regent, and ANA Hotel Tokyo, which has skyline views rivaling those of Tokyo Tower.
Asakusa
Today visited for its Sensoji Temple, Five Storied Pagoda, and the Nakamise traditional shopping arcade, this festive neighborhood once was the city’s hot spot for drinking and dancing. Though it never experienced the development that Ginza and others have, it holds its own with an artistic community and some of the city’s top attractions.
Ginza
High on opulence and popularity, Ginza was one of the city’s first districts to implement Western-style brick buildings and gas lamps. Set in the heart of the city, it is the place for those who don’t mind crowds, and serious spenders. But it takes very little to see Asia’s largest fish market, a traditional kabuki play, or the latest gadgets at the Sony building.
Haneda Airport (HND)
Home to one of the world’s busiest airports, which handles more than 60 million passengers a year, Haneda also offers the Keihin Kyuko Railway to Tokyo’s main international airport, Narita. Travelers can also take a 20-minute Tokyo Monorail ride to Hamamatsucho Station, where the Yamanote Line connects to other areas throughout Tokyo.
Iidabashi
A neighborhood of universities and schools, this area shares the city’s Chiyoda Ward with Otemachi, which is the former site of Shibazaki, the most ancient part of Tokyo. It also offers easy access to the Imperial Palace, home of the emperor and imperial family, and East Gardens, which are open to the public.
Ikebukuro
The city’s largest, fastest, and biggest call this neighborhood home. In addition to the world’s largest automobile showroom (Toyota Amlux), it boasts the fastest escalator (at the Tokyo Metropolitan Building Art Space) and two of the world’s largest department stores. A 10-hectare garden, one of Tokyo’s best, is just three subway stops from here.
Nihonbashi
Just north of Ginza, this financial area was named after its bridge, which has been the mile-zero marker for Japan’s national highway network throughout the centuries. Once home to Japan’s first department store, the neighborhood’s more recent contribution to the retail market is a five-story center devoted to shops, cafes, restaurants, and a supermarket.
Odaiba
A popular spot on Tokyo Bay, this manmade island is known for its shops, museums, and arcades, along with the city’s largest stretch of beach. Connected to the city by the Yurikamome monorail from Shimbashi, its main attractions include Rainbow Bridge, Fuji Television, and the Flame of Liberty statue. Le Meridien Grand Pacific offers a unique night view of the mainland.
Roppongi
If Tokyo had a Las Vegas, it would be located here. Birthplace of the city’s 1960s disco scene, this area fostered its reputation as the place to party with the more recent inclusion of restaurants, nightclubs, and other forms of entertainment, such as cabarets and hostess clubs. It is also the place to rub shoulders with Western musicians and celebrities.
Shiba
Located near Hamamatsucho and Tamachi Stations on the Yamanote Line, Shiba is a central spot from which to explore the nightlife of neighboring Roppongi, the upscale shops of Ginza, and the teen fashion scene of Shibuya’s Harajuku. Also nearby is Tokyo Tower, the 333-meter replica of the Eiffel Tower that offers views of Mount Fuji on a clear day.
Shibuya
A busy, youth-oriented shopping district, Shibuya is equally famous for the NHK studios, Olympic gymnasium, and “Hachiko”—the statue of a faithful dog. On weekends, its Harajuku area is abuzz with the meeting and mingling of Tokyo’s most fashionable teens. Neighboring Ebisu, a short subway ride from here, offers a pleasant, quiet alternative to Shibuya.
Shinagawa
Historically the district where feudal lords lived during the Tokugawa Shogunate, this area is now home to many global businesses, including Sony headquarters. It also holds Sengaku-ji Temple, the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art, and the city’s second-largest train station. West of the station is Takanawa, an upscale residential neighborhood.
Shinjuku
This sprawling business, commercial, and entertainment center never lets up. It is a modern Japanese phenomenon with shopping arcades, flashing neon signs, stand-up noodle bars, and side-street video screens. Some two million people pass through the train station alone. Futuristic-looking City Hall offers a free observation deck with great city views.
Ueno
This area offers a glimpse of what life was like before the economic boom of the 1970s and 1980s. Neighboring Asakusa, it is best known for the Ameya-yokocho Arcade, a busy market with interesting stalls. Ueno-koen, a sprawling park with monuments, zoo, pagodas, and a pond, is a must-do. Museums and galleries abound in the area.
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