Eager to find out what's trending in Tokyo right now? Checking out our monthly roundups of hot new openings will point you in the right direction, but every now and then it's also worth taking a step back and poring over some cold hard data.
We've crunched the numbers once again and now bring you a handy ranking of the 20 most viewed venue entries on our site in July. From restaurants and bars to local shops, parks and pools, they might help give you an idea of what both Tokyoites and tourists are buzzing about right now.
Let's look at rankings 20-11 first:
Making its first appearance in the top 20 is Aoyama's Tokyo Whisky Library. And for good reason: with the international reputation of Japanese whisky growing at a rapid pace, anyone not very familiar with but willing to learn more about quality malts best make straight for this superb bar (which is also one of our top 10 Tokyo date bars). Its shelves are stacked with over 1,200 different distilled spirits, sourced from all of the world’s major whisky (and whiskey) regions.
Coming in at number 14 is another top 20 debutant: Ginza Six. We suspect it's mostly thanks to that mega-complex's fancy depachika food floors, which are of course especially attractive for those looking to escape the summer heat for a moment.
And now, the top 10:
Anywhere Door and its fellow frozen dessert purveyors made a concerted charge into the top 50, taking up a total of six spots and proving that it sure is hot in the capital right now (as if any further evidence was needed). Another big jumper was Gotokuji, the Setagaya 'cat temple' that clearly benefitted from being included on our list of Tokyo's top 10 Instagram spots.
Apparently not willing to let felines hog the spotlight, Roppongi's Snoopy Museum held on to its usual spot in the top 10. In addition to 'Peanuts' creator Charles M Schulz's original illustrations and other artworks, it's got a souvenir store almost the same size as the galleries and – of course – a themed café where you can bite into sandwiches and pancakes decorated with Snoopy's likeness.
Our popularity ranking's podium positions saw zero movement, with undefeated champion Robot Restaurant leaving its competition in the dust once again. While we predict an even more ice cream-dominated list in August, whether any venue can tackle Shinjuku's hive of mecha madness remains to be seen.