Tokyo · Things to do

Tokyo's oldest temple, in Asakusa, entered through the Kaminarimon gate and the Nakamise shopping street. The main hall opens 6:00–17:00 from April to September and 6:30–17:00 from October to March; entry is free and the grounds stay open and lit after the hall closes.

A Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, set in a planted forest between Harajuku and Yoyogi stations and the busiest place in Japan at New Year. Opening follows sunrise and sunset and changes every month — about 5:20–17:20 in September — so check before an early visit.

The largest collection of Japanese art and archaeology anywhere, in Ueno Park, open 9:30–17:00 with last entry at 16:30. The Honkan building alone takes a couple of hours; the closed days sit on a calendar on the site, so check before you go.

The art collective's permanent Tokyo venue, in the basement of Azabudai Hills since February 2024 — rooms with no fixed route where the works wander between them. Tickets are timed and bought in advance online, and they sell out well ahead at weekends.

The retail and restaurant streets that stayed put when the wholesale market moved to Toyosu in 2018 — knife shops, tamagoyaki stands, sushi counters, tuna. Trade is mostly morning, and many shops close on the days the Tokyo central market is shut, which the association posts on its calendar.