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Tokyo ranked as one of the best cities in the world for nighttime tourism

A recent study rates the capital as one of the best spots globally for night owls and after-dark sightseeing

Kaila Imada
Written by
Kaila Imada
Digital Editor, Time Out Tokyo
Shibuya night view
Photo: Kawee Wateesatogkij/Dreamstime
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While Tokyo is great to explore any time of day, it truly comes alive at night – it’s a 24-hour city through and through, as we explored in our latest 24 Hours in Tokyo issue. The capital is widely praised for its safety, stunning night views and affordability, making it a top-tier choice for travellers worldwide. 

The folks over at UK-based travel booking site Travelbag seem to agree, as they’ve just listed Tokyo as one of the top destinations for evening tourism in their ranking of the most beautiful cities come sundown. Responding to growing interest in nighttime tourism, Travelbag compiled the ranking by evaluating factors such as Instagram hashtag volume, light pollution levels, safety after dark, and the number of late-night venues across cities worldwide.

Shinjuku Kabukicho
Photo: Fabrizio Chiagano/UnsplashUndated stock photo of Shinjuku Kabukicho

On their list of the ten most beautiful long-haul cities (as seen from the UK, presumably) at night, Tokyo came in at number two, trailing only New York City. According to the survey, Tokyo is a great place to spend an evening thanks to its lively alleyways like Shinjuku’s Golden Gai, a plethora of local izakaya, and a stunning cityscape that blends futuristic lights with traditional aesthetics.

Tokyo was also praised for its plethora of options when it comes to hanging out at night, with nearly 1,000 venues open late into the evening. Additionally, the city scored a respectable 75 out of 100 for its nighttime safety.

Kyoto Gion night
Photo: Sean Pavone/DreamstimeAn undated stock photo of Kyoto's Gion district at night

Along with Tokyo, Kyoto made the list in sixth place. The old capital doesn’t have nearly as many late-night venues, with just over 110 spots, but it scored impressively high on the safety scale, earning an 83 out of 100.

Here’s the full top ten ranking: 

  1. New York City, USA
  2. Tokyo, Japan
  3. Dubai, UAE
  4. Singapore, Singapore
  5. Muscat, Oman
  6. Kyoto, Japan
  7. Sydney, Australia
  8. Seoul, South Korea
  9. Toronto, Canada
  10. Melbourne, Australia

For more information on the ranking, visit the website. 

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