Your ultimate guide to Tokyo

Things to do

The best things to do at home right now

Bringing you the best of Tokyo, wherever you are in the world, so you can still experience a bit of Japan at home

Things to do

Tokyo events you can stream online now

Self-isolating at home? Here are the best events, festivals, classes and things to do in Tokyo that are live-streaming now

News

Travel through Japan with these VR videos: Tokyo, Kyoto, Nagasaki and more

Satisfy your wanderlust right from your couch

Things to do

Spring 2020 issue out now

Read the digital edition for free wherever you are

News

Make your own face mask with these simple step-by-step guides

If the stores run out of face masks, make your own

Time in

Music

Yellow Digital Market Opening Party

Shibuya-based music club Yellow Blank Market has launched an online club to provide live-streams of DJ sets

Music

Summer Sonic 2019 Replay: Stay in and Watch

This music fest is streaming some of the most popular performances from last year

Restaurants

These restaurants in Tokyo are now doing home delivery

Enjoy your favourite restaurant meal from the comfort of your home – eating in has never tasted so good

Things to do

Learn how to make classic Japanese dishes with these cooking videos

From tempura and onigiri to sweet desserts, these recipes make more sense when you have videos to guide you through them

Things to do in Tokyo

Today

This week

This weekend

This month

Find more things to do in Tokyo

Coronavirus updates in Tokyo

News

These Tokyo department stores are closed this weekend

The following department stores in Tokyo will be closed on the weekend of April 4-5

News

Japan to distribute two face masks per household to fight coronavirus

These are washable, reusable masks

News

Japan extends entry ban to 73 nations

The decision was made to help contain the Covid-19 coronavirus and prevent it from spreading

News

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike calls on people to avoid all nightlife activities

Tokyo has the largest number of confirmed coronavirus cases among Japan’s 47 prefectures

News

Major parks and gardens in Tokyo are temporarily closed due to Covid-19 coronavirus

Don't worry, the cherry blossoms will still be here next year

News

There's a Japanese word for drinking online with friends: on-nomi

For a good time, make it an on-nomi time

More upcoming events in Tokyo

Tokyo's best restaurants and cafés

Restaurants

Best restaurants at Tsukiji Market

The Tsukiji outer market still has enough sushi and seafood restaurants, food stalls and cafés to keep you well-fed for weeks

Restaurants

Best cheap eats in Tokyo

Your ultimate guide to finding the best cheap restaurants and good value food in Tokyo – all for ¥1,000 or less

Restaurants

Best cherry blossom desserts and drinks

Here are the tastiest, most photogenic sakura desserts and drinks in Tokyo right now

Restaurants

Best ramen in Tokyo

From old-school noodles and tonkotsu classics to soupless tsukemen and spicy favourites – you'll be bowled over by these ramen

Restaurants

Where to eat at Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku

A historic alleyway, Omoide Yokocho is a foodie destination with old-world charm, serving up sushi, ramen, yakitori and more

Restaurants

The 10 things you must eat in Tokyo

As one of the world's greatest food cities, the choices in Tokyo can be overwhelming. So start these 10 iconic Tokyo-born dishes

See more great Tokyo restaurants

Tokyo's best bars and pubs

Nightlife

Best show pubs and burlesque clubs in Tokyo

Show pubs combine cabaret and burlesque performances on stage with food and drink served to your table – here are our favourites

Bars and pubs

Best art bars in Tokyo

These bars and restaurants also double up as a gallery of sorts, serving up cool art alongside food and drinks

Nightlife

Best music bars in Tokyo

A laidback drinking experience, music bars are known for their curated playlists and extensive vinyl collections

1

Bars and pubs

Where to drink tea cocktails in Tokyo

A new generation of tea houses and bars is taking Japanese tea into a boozy new territory

Find more great Tokyo bars

Latest news

News

What Time Out Tokyo editors are doing while staying home

Stay home, quarantine, bored, things to do at home, books, reading, watching, Netflix

News

Arts and crafts you can make with things you have at home

Things to do with kids, stay home, quarantine, bored, DIY crafts, origami, paper art

News

Japan Post suspends delivery of international mail to 153 countries

[Update, April 3]: This announcement seems to have caused a lot of confusion, both inside and outside the Time Out Tokyo office. A phone call with Japan Post...

News

Japan to distribute two face masks per household to fight coronavirus

With the Covid-19 coronavirus pandemic, famously face-mask friendly Japan has been experiencing a serious shortage. Disposable masks have been flying off the...

News

Tokyo extends venue closures and event cancellations until May 6

As the number of new Covid-19 coronavirus cases in Tokyo continues to climb, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government announced on April 1 that it will be extending...

News

Japan extends entry ban to 73 nations

Japan will ban entry from 73 nations and regions starting Friday April 3. The decision was made to help contain the Covid-19 coronavirus and prevent it from...

Tokyo facts and trivia

News

Twitter users are drawing this Japanese mermaid to offer hope in times of coronavirus

Let's get drawing, too

News

Shinjuku’s soap bubble mascot Awawa is here to help with hand-washing

This superhero is now more relevant than ever

Things to do

Tokyo Q&A: Why do so many Japanese people wear masks?

There are more than just health reasons

Things to do

Winter 2020 issue out now: Tokyo on a budget, with free things to do and cheap eats under ¥1,000

Also: indoor theme parks, all-you-can-eat deals, top art galleries, show pubs and more. Read the magazine now for free

Best restaurants by cuisine

Restaurants

Best izakaya in Tokyo

We’ve rounded up some of our favourite English-friendly izakaya: the same rowdy fun, but without the language barriers

Restaurants

Best soba restaurants in Tokyo

Whether you prefer hot or cold soba, we've rounded up the best restaurants where you can slurp on these tasty buckwheat noodles

Restaurants

Best tonkatsu in Tokyo

These restaurants serve some of the best deep-fried pork cutlets in Tokyo

1

Restaurants

Best yakitori restaurants in Tokyo

Grilled chicken on skewers, or yakitori, is a quintessential Japanese soul food. And these restaurants serve up some of the city's best

Restaurants

Best regional Japanese restaurants in Tokyo

Where to savour regional Japanese cuisines in Tokyo, from Hokkaido's grilled lamb to Kyoto's matcha desserts and Osaka's takoyaki

Restaurants

Guide to Japanese desserts in Tokyo

Got a sweet tooth? You've come to the right city as Tokyo offers many decadent Japanese desserts including kakigori, wagashi and more

Getaway tips and ideas

Things to do

The best places to see cherry blossoms in Japan – outside of Tokyo

This cherry blossom season, go beyond Tokyo for these incredible sakura destinations across Japan, from Fukuoka to Sapporo

Things to do

Where to get the best views of Mount Fuji

To see Mt Fuji in all its glory, take a day trip out of Tokyo to these scenic spots in Yamanashi and Kanagawa

Travel

Guide to Hakone: Best things to do, restaurants and bars

With spectacular mountain scenery, soothing onsen and amazing art museums, Hakone makes the perfect short getaway from Tokyo

Things to do

Breweries, wineries and distilleries worth a day trip from Tokyo

Day trip idea: taste and learn about your favourite drinks at the source, be it Japanese whisky, wine, beer or sake

Find more travel ideas

More of Tokyo's best...

Things to do

88 things to do in Tokyo

Discover the city with our ultimate checklist of the best things to do and things to see in Tokyo, from museums and tours to restaurants and bars

2

Museums

Best museums in Tokyo for kids and families

With arts, science, dinosaurs, robots and the opportunity to drive a shinkansen, these Tokyo museums are perfect for the young and old alike

Things to do

Best things to do in Tokyo at night if you're not drinking

Nightlife in Tokyo is more than just the bars and clubs. Here are some top late-night booze-free activities that don't involve drinking

Things to do

50 things to do in Harajuku

Where to shop, eat and drink in Tokyo’s ‘kawaii’ capital

3

Art

Best art museums in Tokyo

Our picks for the best art museums in Tokyo, from traditional Japanese paintings to Renaissance classics and contemporary works

Where to stay in Tokyo

Hotels

Best library-hotels in Tokyo

Fancy sleeping in a library? Here are the best library- and bookstore-hotels in the city for book lovers

Hotels

Best capsule hotels in Tokyo

A new generation of capsule hotels is reinventing the tiny-hotel industry with cool tech and hip designs. Here are Tokyo's top pods

Hotels

Best ryokan in Tokyo

Stay at these Japanese-style inns for a taste of traditional hospitality

Hotels

Cool and unique places to stay in Tokyo

Tired of the cookie-cutter hotel rooms? These one-of-a-kind accommodations in Tokyo will give you a reason to stay in

1

See more Tokyo hotels

Hot new openings

Restaurants

Taizan

Can’t decide between Japanese or Chinese? You can have both at this new Ebisu restaurant, serving up meals made with traditional Japanese ingredients mixed with Cantonese culinary techniques...

Restaurants

Bloody Angle Dougen Tong

All the cool kids come to hang out at this record and café bar just off the busy streets of Shibuya...

Restaurants

Izakaya Masaka

Hidden among the cool restaurants of Shibuya Parco’s Chaos Kitchen, this shitamachi (downtown) izakaya-style restaurant serves only vegan dishes...

Restaurants

Jikasei Mensho

With a total of ten ramen restaurants in Tokyo and a Michelin-starred outpost in San Francisco, ramen master Tomoharu Shono opened his newest location in the basement of Shibuya Parco...

Restaurants

Sicx by Far East Craft

This Ikejiri Ohashi-based café & bar serves over 100 different types of craft gin in a relaxed and modern Japanese-style ambience...

Restaurants

Boiling Point

Taiwan’s speciality hot pot chain Boiling Pot has finally opened its very first outpost in Japan. While Japanese-style hot pot restaurants let you share a pot between you and your fellow diners...