Things to do in Tokyo, by neighborhood
Tokyo isn't a list of attractions, it's a city of neighborhoods, and each one is a different evening. Here's the whole guide by area: all 1317 places I vetted myself. Tap a neighborhood for what it is known for, how to get there, and what to eat.
Start with a plan
Shibuya 69
Energy capital. 69 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Shinjuku 73
The city in miniature: skyscrapers west, Golden Gai's tin-roof bars and Omoide Yokocho's yakitori smoke east, Shinjuku Gyoen's gardens an unexpected hush in the middle. 73 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Asakusa 79
Old-Tokyo temple district. 79 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Ginza 110
Old-money Tokyo. 110 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Harajuku & Omotesando 72
Takeshita Street's teenage chaos one block from Omotesando's quiet luxury, the most architecturally beautiful shopping street in Tokyo. 72 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Ueno & Yanaka 63
Museum row meets a low-key neighborhood untouched by the bubble years. 63 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Akihabara 27
Anime, manga, retro arcades, ramen counters at 2am. 27 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Roppongi & Toranomon 164
Where Tokyo's new towers, Azabudai Hills and Toranomon Hills, meet old embassy-row leafiness. 164 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Oshiage & Skytree 26
Tokyo Skytree's neighborhood. 26 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Ebisu & Daikanyama 52
Tokyo's quietly stylish quarter. 52 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Nakameguro 34
A canal lined with cherry trees, lit by lanterns in spring. 34 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Tokyo Station & Marunouchi 47
The polished heart of central Tokyo around Tokyo Station. 47 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Tsukiji / Tsukishima 33
Tsukiji's outer market still buzzes at 7am (the wholesale market moved to Toyosu, the outer market stayed). 33 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Shimokitazawa 26
Tokyo's vintage capital. 26 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Shimbashi & Shiodome 33
Salaryman Tokyo after dark. 33 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Nihonbashi 46
Old merchant Tokyo. 46 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Kanda & Jimbocho 27
Old-Tokyo Kanda and the secondhand-book district of Jimbocho. 27 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Yoyogi-Uehara 20
A calm, well-off pocket west of Yoyogi Park. 20 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Meguro 22
The Meguro Station side, away from the Nakameguro canal crowds. 22 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Shirokane 22
Old-money Shirokane and Shirokanedai. 22 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Around Tokyo 10
Walking tours from JAPAN IN 4K filmed beyond the main guide neighborhoods: Odaiba, Shinagawa, Ikebukuro, Nakano, Koenji, Machida, and others. 10 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Takadanobaba 18
Student town by Waseda University: cheap eats, all-night izakaya, Sendai horumon, and the retro-arcade scene. 18 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Kiyosumi-Shirakawa 24
A low-rise east-side pocket that became Tokyo third-wave coffee capital, wrapped around the classic Kiyosumi strolling garden and a cluster of galleries. 24 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Ryogoku 23
Sumo country. 23 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Nakano 31
Ten minutes west of Shinjuku on the Chuo Line. 31 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Kagurazaka 43
Old geisha district on a hill above Iidabashi, with stone-paved back alleys, small shrines and a lot of small French restaurants. 43 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Odaiba 21
Man-made islands across Tokyo Bay, with a small beach, the Rainbow Bridge and big indoor attractions. 21 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Ikebukuro 34
Tokyo's big north-side hub: department stores, anime shops along Otome Road, and Sunshine City with an aquarium on the roof. 34 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Kichijoji 27
A relaxed west-side town built around Inokashira Park: a pond with swan boats, a small zoo, and the Ghibli Museum at the far end. 27 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Koenji 22
A scruffy, friendly west-side town of used clothes, live houses and cheap curry, ten minutes from Shinjuku on the Chuo Line. 22 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Sangenjaya 19
A lived-in neighborhood two stops from Shibuya, with a maze of tiny bars behind the station and a free view deck on top of Carrot Tower. 19 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.