Tourist attractions Tokyo

The Ueno district blends into Ueno Park, which is a great place to take time out close to the business district. You can get something to eat in one of the cheap snack joints in the area and eat it in the shade of the cherry trees before visiting the..

A must-see museum whose collection of treasures is astounding both in terms of scope (110 000 exhibits) and quality. Four buildings, an affiliated research centre, two restaurants… you would need at least a whole day to see everything. If you don't h..

Designed by the architect Tange Kenzo, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (town hall), which bears a passing resemblance to Paris's Notre Dame Cathedral, is easily identifiable. You can go up either of its two skyscraper towers (243m) to enjoy amazing..

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, which became the imperial garden after 1906, brings together several distinct styles. Next to a Japanese garden, in the "stroll garden" category developed in the urban environment, you will find an English la..

Enshrined in the Meiji-jingu temple are the venerated and deified spirits of Emperor Meiji (who died in 1912) and his wife, Empress Shoken (who died in 1914). This shrine (1920) is also one of the most important Shinto buildings in Tokyo and it is wh..

Now rid of its brothels and kabuki actors dressed as women, Asakusa has redeemed itself since the devastation of the Second World War. It has become a commercial district that is popular with tourists and whose main street, Nakamise-dori, is lined wi..

Founded in the 7C and dedicated to Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, the Buddhist temple of Senso-ji was toppled by the bombings of the Second World War. This reconstruction, identical to its 17C appearance, with its pagoda and Shinto shrine, provides a ..

The spectacular Edo-Tokyo Museum, whose design is inspired by the traditional Japanese rice loft, is home to a striking collection that recounts the history of Tokyo from its very beginnings. Children can have their photo taken in rickshaws or sedan ..

In addition to the temporary exhibitions, you can see part of the permanent collection which focuses on the last 50 years of 20C art: Gerhard Richter, Roy Lichtenstein, David Hockney, Frank Stella, Julian Schnabel and a number of Japanese artists suc..

Built in 1627 and extended in 1651, this Shinto shrine, which was founded to house the relics of the shogun, has miraculously escaped the disasters which have hit Tokyo. Stop to admire the magnificent Chinese-style door. The two dragons which flank i..

The district of Yanaka has remained miraculously untouched by natural and man-made disasters. Filmmakers come here to shoot footage of an idealised version of urban Japan, a pleasant flashback to a past with fewer cars and buildings. The promenade ru..

This delightful studio and home laid out around a fine Japanese garden was the property of the sculptor Asakura Fumio (1883-1964), the father of modern Japanese sculpture. His bronzes, in particular his studies of cats, exhibit a truly feline agili..

Tokyo's National Museum of Modern Art presents a good summary of Japanese art from the Meiji period up to the 1980s. Of the 9 000 works in its collection, 300 are on display at any one time. A few artists deserve a special mention: Tomioka Tessai (18..

The Yushukan War Memorial Museum divides opinion. There has been much discussion about this military museum, which has found itself under fire for presenting the history of the wars of the last century from a biased Japanese perspective. This aspect ..

Housed in a delicate-looking glass and steel building that is an experiment in weightlessness and transparency, the Tokyo International Forum has stood in the heart of the business district since 1997. The huge sums of money and technological prowess..

Established in 1966 by Sazo Idemitsu, founder of the eponymous large oil company, this museum is renowned for the quality of its temporary exhibitions. Its collection includes some very fine Japanese pieces (Hizen porcelain, masterpieces by the paint..

Malraux himself once sang the praises of this arts centre with a fine and well-presented collection. Come and admire the judicious selections made by the great collector Ishibashi Shorijo, who also founded the Bridgestone Group. The Bridgestone Museu..

Europeans will be surprised by the absence of noise in this modern shopping Mecca. The ubiquity of neon will come as less of a shock. Built in the 19C, Ginza was established on a site ravaged by fire. A few fine examples of the original brick buildin..

Tsukiji Jogai Market wakes early, at 5am, and starts with the day's tuna catch being sold to the highest bidder. This is the world's largest fish market and it closes at 11am, leaving you ample time to wander through the piles of crates containing li..

Tokyo, which is on a par with Shanghai when it comes to architecture of gigantic proportions, has a liking for shopping complexes housed in skyscrapers. Roppongi Hills is a foremost example, with its innovative design esplanades, shops, cinemas, muse..