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 441 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 27
Energy capital. 27 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Shinjuku 19
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. 19 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Asakusa 26
Old-Tokyo temple district. 26 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Ginza 68
Old-money Tokyo. 68 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Harajuku & Omotesando 25
Takeshita Street's teenage chaos one block from Omotesando's quiet luxury, the most architecturally beautiful shopping street in Tokyo. 25 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Ueno & Yanaka 15
Museum row meets a low-key neighborhood untouched by the bubble years. 15 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Akihabara 9
Anime, manga, retro arcades, ramen counters at 2am. 9 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Roppongi & Toranomon 137
Where Tokyo's new towers, Azabudai Hills and Toranomon Hills, meet old embassy-row leafiness. 137 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Oshiage & Skytree 8
Tokyo Skytree's neighborhood. 8 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Ebisu & Daikanyama 12
Tokyo's quietly stylish quarter. 12 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Nakameguro 10
A canal lined with cherry trees, lit by lanterns in spring. 10 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Tokyo Station & Marunouchi 15
The polished heart of central Tokyo around Tokyo Station. 15 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Tsukiji / Tsukishima 7
Tsukiji's outer market still buzzes at 7am (the wholesale market moved to Toyosu, the outer market stayed). 7 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Shimokitazawa 4
Tokyo's vintage capital. 4 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Shimbashi & Shiodome 16
Salaryman Tokyo after dark. 16 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Nihonbashi 7
Old merchant Tokyo. 7 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Kanda & Jimbocho 6
Old-Tokyo Kanda and the secondhand-book district of Jimbocho. 6 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Yoyogi-Uehara 2
A calm, well-off pocket west of Yoyogi Park. 2 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Meguro 3
The Meguro Station side, away from the Nakameguro canal crowds. 3 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Shirokane 2
Old-money Shirokane and Shirokanedai. 2 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Around Tokyo 4
Walking tours from JAPAN IN 4K filmed beyond the main guide neighborhoods: Odaiba, Shinagawa, Ikebukuro, Nakano, Koenji, Machida, and others. 4 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Takadanobaba 2
Student town by Waseda University: cheap eats, all-night izakaya, Sendai horumon, and the retro-arcade scene. 2 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Kiyosumi-Shirakawa 2
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. 2 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Ryogoku 1
Sumo country. 1 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.
Nakano 14
Ten minutes west of Shinjuku on the Chuo Line. 14 hand-picked spots open with the full guide.