Best Visiting around Tokyo and Surroundings Spot List

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.

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.

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.

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.

Haibara is a washi shop in Nihonbashi that has been around for over 200 years. They sell various types of washi, from letters sets to kazari fans and paper products. The shop is also for the fact that Takehisa Yumeji, an artist famous for drawing beautiful women in the Taisho period (1912 - 1926) designed many of the patterns for this shop's letter writing sets, envelopes and uchiwas. The ”Jabara (rickrack/zigzag) letter writing set” is the shop's most popular item, with dotted lines at every folding point, and you can just tear off the part you need to use.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 place along the beach where Omiya-no Matsu (pine tree of Omiya) and a statue of Kanichi and Omiya are situated is the most photographed place in Atami. The bronze statue is based on the novel, Konjiki Yasha (The Golden Demon), written by Koyo Ozaki, which gained popularity in the Meiji period (1868-1912). The novel greatly helped make the name of Atami known throughout Japan.

Beautiful lacquerware with black and vermillion is a traditional craft which represents Japan. ”Kuroeya” which has been operating in Nihonbashi since 1689 is a shop famous for lacquerware. The shop displays lacquerware from all over Japan, as well as their own original products. Apart from the standard bowls and chopsticks, there are spoons, forks and wine glasses that will match a western table setting too. There are also hand-mirrors and accessories that would be great as a gift to yourself or someone else.

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