Tokyo

Travel to Tokyo

Tokyo, the national capital, on the main island of Honshu, is one of the best cities to visit in Japan. The city itself has a population of around 14 million, with the greater metropolitan area clocking in at a whopping 37 million souls.

Glowing neon radiance, skyscrapers, Buddhist temples, fish markets, and more await you in this dazzling megalopolis.

Highlights include taking the city in from above on the observation deck of the Eiffel Tower-esque Tokyo Tower and surveying the greenery of the Imperial Palace’s exquisite gardens and surrounding moats.

Of course, you don’t want to miss the world-famous Shibuya Crossing. The crossing, in the city center, is where multitudes stream over this multi-directional intersection every day.

Bodies scoot across the road in a chaotic, yet functional symphony, which takes place below tall buildings with giant screens secured to their façades

Other spots of note include the ancient Senso-ji Buddhist temple, built around the year 645; the exquisite landscaped Shinjuku Gyoen Garden; the Shinjuku entertainment and shopping district; plus the upscale shopping area of Ginza, one of the best neighborhoods in Tokyo.

Whether you’ve come for the culture, cuisine, clothing, or gadgets, Tokyo is a massive city that will keep you spellbound.

How to reach Tokyo

By air- Direct flights to Narita and Haneda are the most common ways to access the country. Once you arrive, you can jump on an express train or Limousine bus that will transport you into the heart of the city.

By shinkansen - Most shinkansen lines lead to Tokyo. The trip from Osaka/Kyoto takes about three hours. There are also direct trains to/from Kyushu, Kanazawa, Niigata and various destinations in the Tohoku Region and Hokkaido.

Getting around

Tokyo is covered by a dense network of train, subway and bus lines, which are operated by about a dozen different companies. The train lines operated by JR East and the subway lines are most convenient for moving around central Tokyo.

Tokyo's most prominent train line is the JR Yamanote Line, a loop line which connects Tokyo's multiple city centers. The city's 13 subway lines are operated by two companies and run largely inside the Yamanote circle and the areas around Ginza and the area east of the loop line. Most of the many suburban train lines commence at one of the six major stations of the Yamanote Line (Tokyo, Ueno, Ikebukuro, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Shinagawa).