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Figure out the stuff you really don’t want to miss
Click through these categories for a quick look at my favorite places & things to do. Pick three or four attractions (or two neighborhoods) for each day you plan to spend in Tokyo.
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Check out the special festivals & events that will be happening while you’re in town
Don’t forget that there are lots more flower seasons that are as amazing as the cherry blossoms. Here’s a guide to when they bloom and where:
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If you don’t build in a little shopping time, you’ll have REGRETS
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Now that you’ve got your list of stuff to do, head over to Travel Hacks for help figuring out the best way to put together an excellent trip, where to eat & stay, how to get around, and where to take the kind of photos that will turn your friends pink, purple and green with envy.
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Here’s a quick overview of every attraction, with links to more detailed information
And if you know where you’re going, here are the detailed descriptions of all the places I think are worth a look
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And of course, you’ll need some airplane reading, right? How about a novel set in Tokyo…? (The first in the series is Nightshade)
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Alphabetical listing – click for quick descriptions of all destinations & links to more info
DIRECT LINKS, A-Z
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SHRINES & TEMPLES
Daibutsu (the giant Buddha in Kamakura)
Fukugawa Fudo (the fire ceremony temple)
Gotokuji Temple (hundreds of cat figures)
Hokokuji (the bamboo temple in Kamakura)
Ikegami Honmonji (red pagoda and 10,000 lanterns festival)
Imado Shrine (lucky cat matchmaking shrine)
Kanda Myojin (the anime & manga artist shrine)
Meiji Shrine (most famous shrine in Tokyo)
Nezu Shrine (azaleas & red torii gate tunnel)
Nishiarai-Daishi (peony garden temple)
Sasuke Inari Shrine (the fox shrine in Kamakura)
Senso-ji (big red temple in Asakusa)
Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (big shrine in Kamakura)
Yasukuni Shrine (most controversial)
Yushima Shrine (plum and chrysantemum festivals)
Zeniarai Benten (the money-washing shrine in Kamakura)
Zojoji (hundreds of Jizo figures with pinwheels)
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GARDENS
Arisugawa Park MAP
Denpo-in (secret garden at Senso-ji temple)
Kyu Shiba-rikyu Teien MAP
Mukojima Hyakka-en MAP
Nai-en Garden (at the Meiji Shrine)
Ni-no-maru Imperial Gardens MAP
Sankei-en Garden (in Yokohama)
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MUSEUMS
Borderless (TeamLab Digital Museum)
History Garage MAP
Miraikan MAP (National Museum of Emerging Science & Innovation)
Mori Art Museum MAP
Nezu Museum MAP
Nihon Minka-en (historical park with thatch-roofed farmhouses)
Sengakuji Temple Museum (47 ronin museum)
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ONLY-IN-JAPAN EXPERIENCES
Performance Experiences
Visit the Monkey Park at Mt. Takao
Visit the World’s Smallest Live Jazz Bar
Participation Experiences
Tokyo Dome City amusement park
Visit the Monkey Park at Mt. Takao
Double Your Money at the Money-Washing Shrine
Borderless (TeamLab Digital Museum)
Smile Fight at the Explorascience Museum
Learn the Secrets Hidden in Woodblock Prints
Go inside 23 thatch-roofed farmhouses
Eating Experiences
Eat Weird Flavors of Ice Cream
Shopping Experiences
Japan Traditional Craft Center
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NEIGHBORHOOD WALKS
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While you’re in Japan, read a novel set in Tokyo!
“A genuinely gripping crime thriller which wrong-foots and perplexes the reader throughout, drawing us in emotionally . . . Highly recommended.”
