Where sushi was born, cute is cool, and there are more Michelin-starred restaurants than anywhere else in the world...
Home to almost 14 million people, Tokyo got its start as a sleepy fishing village called Edo. The town’s fortunes shifted after the military ruler Tokugawa Ieyasu established his base of power there in 1603. Edo—along with its prominence—grew rapidly as the influx of feudal lords and workers gave rise to a uniquely dynamic culture.
In 1868, the metropolis displaced Kyoto as the capital of Japan and was renamed Tokyo. During World War II, air raids devastated the city, but in the decades of rebuilding and modernization that followed, Tokyo emerged as a global economic hub. Still, traces of the old town remain.
The result is a dizzying landscape of contrasts and serendipity—Shinto shrines and sculpted gardens set amid clusters of high-rises and warrens of alleys filled with shoebox-sized bars. A nexus of tradition and innovation, Tokyo never ceases to surprise. You’ll get lost in this sprawling metropolis (it’s nearly three times the size of NYC or Singapore), but that’s all part of the fun.
|
|
Culinary capital
The birthplace of sushi and ramen, Tokyo boasts more than 150,000 restaurants, with 226 Michelin-starred establishments—more than New York and Paris combined.
What makes the food scene so dynamic is the tantalizing mix of traditional and avant-garde cuisine: For lunch, you can slurp soba at Kanda Matsuya, a noodle specialist that’s been operating since 1884, and then have dinner at Florilège, where chef Hiroyasu Kawate blurs the lines between contemporary Japanese and French cooking, before finishing the night with a steaming bowl of tsukemen (ramen noodles with a dipping sauce) in Nakano, the neighborhood where the dish was purportedly invented.
The past couple of years have seen greater gastronomic diversity, with new openings from internationally acclaimed chefs such as Massimo Bottura’s Gucci Osteria and Daniel Calvert’s SÉZANNE.
|
|
Kawaii culture
Kawaii culture—the “cute” aesthetic that propelled the success of beloved manga and anime characters such as Sailor Moon and the entire cast of Pokémon—originated in Tokyo.
Working in his Nihonbashi boutique in the early 1900s, painter Yumeji Takehisa created illustrations depicting dreamy beauties with rounded features and large eyes. The designs were an instant hit, sparking a boom in cutesy products specifically aimed at young women. The motifs later inspired the look of Hello Kitty, the adorable character that was created in 1974 and helped turn Sanrio’s founder, Shintaro Tsuji, into a billionaire.
In his book Pure Invention, writer Matt Alt explores how the kawaii phenomenon and other pop-culture trends transformed Japan into a cultural superpower that has conquered the world’s imagination.
|
|
Urban oasis
From the meticulously manicured Hamarikyu Gardens, which were built in the 1st century, to the moat-encircled grounds of the Imperial Palace and the cherry tree-lined lanes of Ueno Park, public gardens offer a welcome respite from hectic city life.
In recent years, large urban developments have cultivated green spaces on tower rooftops, along corridors connecting shopping complexes, and even above highways. The rooftop garden that sits above the newly built Miyashita Park commercial complex covers more than 100,000 square feet and features recreational facilities such as a sand-filled volleyball court. And, the ring-shaped Meguro Sky Garden—built above the junction of two motorways—brims with a variety of flora ranging from pine and cherry trees to bamboo.
Read more
- The creative renaissance happening downtown
- Sake bars, tequila dens, and swish cocktail lounges to wet your whistle
- Thriving neighborhoods where you can experience multicultural Tokyo
|
|
HND flight price history
|
|
$617 Average Going deal
|
|
$1,300 Normal ticket price
|
|
|
|
|
Interested in a trip to Tokyo?
Premium and Elite members can find, watch, and get alerts for specific destinations on their Watchlist.
|
|
|
Round out your trip to Japan
|
|
12 of the best day trips from Tokyo
Read more
|
Kyoto: The cultural capital home to 2,000+ temples and shrines
Read more
|
Osaka: The street-eat hub with punk-rock vibes
Read more
|
Shirakawa-gō: Where you can sleep in a historic farmhouse
Read more
|
|
|
With local expert:
Melinda Joe
|
Melinda is an American journalist based in Tokyo and covering food, drink, and travel in Japan for more than a decade. Her work has appeared in publications such as The Japan Times, Condé Nast Traveler, Newsweek, and Departures Magazine. A certified sake and wine specialist, she is a panel chair for the sake division at London’s International Wine Challenge.
|
|
|
Share with a fellow travel lover by forwarding to a friend.
|
|
|
Get the app today 
|
|
|
