24 hours in Tokyo: how to enjoy Tokyo's biggest attractions in one day

The decision to move Tokyo’s iconic seafood wholesale market from Tsukiji to Toyosu in 2018 was a controversial one. While the Toyosu facility, with its temperature-controlled auction floors and visitor observation decks, is better equipped to handle the mass quantities of fresh fish that arrive every morning, there was a charm to Tsukiji Market’s roughness that made it feel authentic to Tokyo. 

Thankfully, a good portion of Tsukiji Market survived the overhaul and still operates in the original location. Some of the shops sell supplies like professional kitchen knives and hinoki chopping boards, but the real highlights are the street food and fresh sushi offered at budget-friendly prices.

For a bright and early start, we recommend a hot egg sandwich from Shouro Honten – a famous tamagoyaki (Japanese omelette) shop that’s been in business since 1924. If you’re still hungry at 8.30am, you can head to Tsukiji Komoro Sushi (pictured above) for a sushi platter or bowl of kaisendon (assorted sashimi over rice) ranging from ¥1,650 to ¥4,400. 

After breakfast, take the 05-2 Tobu bus from Tsukiji-Sanchome to Shin-Toyosu Station (five stops), where you'll find teamLab Planets – an immersive digital art exhibition with interactive installations. Most of the kaleidoscopic artworks here change with the seasons, with red and orange colour palettes in the autumn and bright pink hues to match the cherry blossoms in spring.

Some sections of the museum involve wading around in ankle-deep water, while most of the dry installation spaces have mirrored floors. If you're wearing tight jeans or a skirt and want to comfortably tour the space, there are changing rooms and sets of loose-fitting trousers that you can borrow and change into for free.

(Ed: If you can plan your trip at least a month in advance, it's worth swapping this out for the newly opened teamLab Borderless – provided that you book your tickets far ahead.)

Next, hop on the Yurakucho line from Toyosu Station to Ginza-Itchome. Take a quick peek at the queue for Ginza Hachigo – one of Tokyo’s most popular ramen joints that’s notorious for its competitive seating. If the line isn’t a mile long, jump in. Otherwise, make your way to Bongen for a cup of coffee to fuel a few hours of window shopping. 

G.Itoya is one of our favourite spots in the city for nifty Japanese stationery. With 12 floors to peruse, one could easily spend hours rifling through the racks of cute stickers and rolls of washi tape. Alternatively, swing by Ginza Six to see the art installation in the main atrium and flip through the art books at Tsutaya Books Ginza on the sixth floor. On the same floor you'll find Tsuquiya, which does one-of-a-kind clear-soup tonkotsu ramen. Then, go down a few floors to Nakamura Tokichi for some matcha dessert.

(If you’re hungry for a big lunch, make a pit spot at Ushigoro S Ginza and splurge on a yakiniku course to get your wagyu fix. Or, check out one of these top restaurants in Ginza.)

Now that lunch is sorted, take a short walk to the Kabukiza Theatre, which is just around the corner from Ginza Six, to see if you can grab a last-minute ticket to an afternoon performance of Japan’s traditional all-male theatre. Even if you aren't catching a show, you can still learn about the theatre and its traditions at the Kabukiza Gallery on the fifth floor of the main building. Exhibits include a series of props, costumes and even a scaled-down model of a Kabuki stage that serves as an excellent photo op.

In the afternoon, jump on the Hibiya line from Ginza Station to Roppongi Station, where you'll spot the iconic red Tokyo Tower from the main crossing. While this area has a reputation for being one of Tokyo’s rowdiest nightlife spots, during the day it serves as a high-brow art neighbourhood with some of the city’s biggest museums. 

There’s always something exciting happening at The National Art Centre, where past exhibitions have included retrospectives from the likes of Yayoi Kusama and Gustav Klimt. The same goes for the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi Hills, which regularly hosts unmissable contemporary art exhibitions featuring artists like Chiharu Shiota and Takeshi Murakami.

If you fancy a snack, pop into the kakigori shop Yelo for a humongous, impossibly fluffy bowl of shaved ice. The flavours come in classic varieties like matcha and tiramisu, as well as more unusual offerings like carrot and mascarpone ice for adventurous eaters.

At 5pm, take the Oedo line from Roppongi Station to Aoyama-Itchome and transfer onto the Hanzomon line bound for Shibuya. This is the home of the famous Hachiko statue – dedicated to the loyal dog who showed up to the site every day to greet his beloved owner– and the chaotic Shibuya Scramble crossing.

There are a few places in the vicinity where you can get a bird’s eye view of the action here, but it’s hard to beat the outdoor observation deck of Shibuya Sky if you can spare ¥2,200 for a ticket.

For dinner, head over to the nostalgic alleyways of Omoide Yokocho, which is packed with cheery yatai-style food stalls – some of which have been in business for several decades. We’ve got a guide highlighting some of the best bites on offer, but if you only eat one thing, make sure it’s the piping hot tsukune meatballs at Tachan.

The most sensible way to follow-up dinner in Omoide Yokocho is an adventure down the alleyways of Golden Gai. These narrow streets are packed with roughly 200 tiny bars that stay open until the wee hours.

Some of these places are only open to patrons on a by-introduction basis, while others actively welcome newcomers visiting from faraway places. Every little bar has its own personality and it’s good fun bouncing from place to place as you exchange jokes with locals and travel anecdotes with other globetrotters. If there’s anywhere in Shinjuku to make new friends, Golden Gai is the place.

If you feel you’ve had enough drinks for one night, gather a group of companions and get yourselves a karaoke booth. Shinjuku is chock full of late-night karaoke establishments like Live Band Karaoke Stage in Kabukicho, so your only challenge will be in mustering the energy to belt through ‘Living on a Prayer’.

Located on the second floor of an old wooden house in Golden Gai, Nagi comes steeped in the atmosphere of the neighbourhood, with a smell that hits you as soon as you walk in the door. And no wonder – the speciality here is pungent niboshi ramen, made by boiling vast amounts of dried sardines for 12 hours to create a distinctive, boldly flavoured soup.

We recommend the Tokusei Sugoi Niboshi Ramen, which comes generously laden with slices of chashu pork, menma (seasoned bamboo shoots), scallions, nori seaweed and a soft-boiled egg, and with a mix of curly and wide, flat noodles. 

In hectic – and at times grubby – Shinjuku, urban spa Thermae-Yu is an oasis of calm and cleanliness featuring eateries, lounge chairs and several hot spring baths. There are both indoor and open-air baths with different minerals, all at varying temperatures. Thermae-Yu has water delivered daily from Izu, an area famous for its natural volcanic springs, to fill the rotenburo (open-air baths).

If you don’t fancy getting your hair wet, try a unique Japanese sauna experience in one of the stone rooms. The ganbanyoku stone saunas are set between 40 degrees Celsius and 50 degrees Celsius. Depending on what type of stone you’re lying on, benefits are said to range from improved metabolism to better blood circulation.

Once you’ve rejuvenated in the hot springs, take one of the first trains from Shinjuku Station to Harajuku Station on the Yamanote line. With so few people around, this is the best time to stroll the grounds of Meiji Shrine – a century-old landmark revered for its stunning Shinto architecture.