Best Visiting around Tokyo and Surroundings Spot List

This museum was established in March 2003 with 3 designers, Issei Miyake (fashion designer), Taku Sato (graphic designer), and Naoto Fukazawa (product designer) as its directors and Noriko Kawakami, a journalist and editor, as its associate director. Not only does it offer exhibitions, but it also offers various programs such as talks and workshops with a concept of ”becoming a venue where day-to-day perspectives and views can be proposed.” The building with a symbolic roof created with an image of ”one sheet of fabric” was designed by Tadao Ando, an architect.

Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa family in the Edo period, established Sanjusangen-do for the peace in the country, national security, and tempering martial arts. The hall built after the manner of ones in Kyoto became the beginning of Yasaki-inari. The name Yasaki also came from ”yumi” (a bow) and ”ya” (an arrow). Fukurokuju (god of happiness, wealth, and long life) of the seven deities is placed at the right side of the worship hall in front of the main building.

Shinjuku Central Park is the largest public park in Shinjuku Ward. It is an urban oasis in the western Shinjuku area where high-rise buildings stand side-by-side. Cherry blossoms bloom in the spring and on weekends, events such as flea markets are sometimes held for local residents. If you wish to take a break from the energy and excitement of Shinjuku and relax among the greenery, take a stroll to Shinjuku Central Park. Photo: Courtesy of Shinjuku Ward

Kannonzaki is a cape protruding into the Tokyo Bay. The cape area is a park with a Western-style lighthouse, a nature museum, and an art museum. You can definitely spend an entire day here.

Ubukeya is a ”Uchi Hamono” shop established in 1783 in Osaka. It was located in Edo during the Bakumatsu period, and is still around now. The store name came from the praises that their products ”can cut your ubuke (soft hair), can cut and remove”. They sell a range of products, from tweezers to Japanese knives, to scissors, western knives and other knives. If you take care of them meticulously, they can even be passed on to your grandchildren's generation. Apart from that, you may also find it interesting to see the wooden, quirky architecture of the shop.

The Tokyo Central Post Office was one of the first postal offices established in Japan in 1871. In 2012, it was moved to the current location that is now the bottom layer building of JP Tower, and has been drawing attention as one of Japan’s tourist spots. The products such as the clear document holders, masking tapes and postcards with the motif of Tokyo Marunouchi Station Building which can only be bought at the Tokyo Central Post Office is popular as a new Tokyo souvenir. If you post a postcard in the mailbox set around various places in Tokyo Station, they will seal it with the date stamp which has the scenery of Tokyo station.

This museum exhibits the history of Japanese advertisements from the Edo period to the present. In addition to the poster exhibits, they also have a TV commercial and AV area, so you will certainly be able to feel the thrill of experiencing Japan's past through its advertising. They have also established a library with a collection of advertisements and marketing-related materials.

Zushi Beach is a beach facing Sagami Bay that is popular among many people, young and old, and is full of bathers in the summer.

If you come to Shibamata, the Tora-san Museum is an absolute must-visit. As explained earlier, it is all about the film series Otoko wa Tsurai yo that revolves around the wandering salesman Tora-san and his sheer eternal story of his unsuccessful love life. Running between 1969 and 1995, it holds the world record for the world’s longest-running movie series starring a single actor. As such, Otoko wa Tsurai yo and its endearing main protagonist, played by Kiyoshi Atsumi, has a large fandom not only in Japan. The museum itself was opened in 1997. Even if you have never heard of this show up until now, the Tora-san Museum is well-worth the visit. The dumpling store and print shop of the series have been faithfully recreated, offering not only a nostalgic paradise for fans of Otoko wa Tsurai yo but also a very authentic glimpse into Tokyo’s 60s and 70s. Other parts of the museum take you even further back: beautiful dioramas show how Shibamata has looked back in the 1930s when Tora-san was a child. There even is a life-sized wagon of a man-powered tramway as it was used decades ago! For fans of Otoko wa Tsurai yo, we highly recommend also visiting the Yoji Yamada Museum, dedicated to the director of the series and many other movie masterpieces – it’s right next to the Tora-san Museum.

Sakura Castle was also used as the government office of the Sakura Domain during the Edo period. What was built in this site of greenery and history was the Sakura Castle Ruins Park. Castle remains can be found in the park such as parts of old towers and dry moats. There are also many large trees such as the Mokkuku Couple evergreen trees which are around 400 years old and have been designated a natural monument by Chiba Prefecture. It is also a place where around 48 varieties of around 1,100 cherry blossom trees proudly blossom during spring. The park hosts tea gatherings for the general public on Sundays and national holidays at the tea room called Sankeitei.

Built in 1919 as a private villa, the former Japanese inn Kiunkaku is one of the Three Great Villas of Atami. Around thirty years later, in 1947, it was turned into a ryokan, meaning a traditional Japanese inn, highly valued and loved by many creative minds such as novelists Osamu Dazai and Junichiro Tanizaki. Nowadays, it is open to the public as one of Atami’s designated tangible cultural assets. The main building in the lush and vast garden is built in a distinctive Japanese style, while mosaics on the walls and stained glass windows are reminiscent of Western aesthetics, creating a wonderful, historical fusion between East and West.

The headquarters of the famous TV Asahi face the lush Mori Garden, being a vital part of Roppongi Hills. On its first floor, the TV Asahi shops sells all kinds of goods and merchandise of the channel. This includes all-time favorites such as Doraemon and Crayon Shin-chan, shows and animations that aren't only majorly popular in Japan but also abroad. Around 2,000 different unique items and a lot of special editions can be found here, making for excellent souvenirs that perfectly represent the modern Tokyo that Roppongi Hills and TV Asahi stand for.

This museum is linked to the Yotsuya Fire Department. Here you can see exhibits of actual equipment, including the first fire engine introduced to Japan in 1917, as well as the helitack first brought into the Tokyo Fire Department. In addition, you can sit in the helitack set up outside. Why not try considering some disaster prevention?

Kyu Asakura House, or the former residence of the Asakura family, is a Taisho-roman style house, which stands in the middle of the metropolis. (Taisho-roman is the cultural style of the Taisho period from1912 to 1926.) You will also enjoy the seasonal view in the garden, which features azaleas and maples.

Sun Beach with palm trees, which many people visit for swimming during summer, has an atmosphere that makes you feel as if you were in a tropical country. The sandy beach is lit up at night, making visitors enjoy a view like a tropical resort. The beach is opened for swimmers every year from the second Saturday of July to August 31. Swimming is allowed from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. during the above-mentioned swimming period. The beach is lit up every night from the sunset to 10:00 p.m.

Nikkotei Oyu is a time-honored inn, which is popular among one-day tourists to enjoy hot spring bathing. There is an open-air bath surrounded by bamboo trees, which is large enough to accommodate some 20 people. There is also a room for up to five people, which is recommended for a family.