Tokyo is undoubtedly one of my favorite cities I’ve been to, and for many, it needs little introduction. Steeped in tradition yet at the forefront of modern technology, there’s an electric energy in the air that makes you feel like anything’s possible in the city. I’ve found the people to be incredibly kind and helpful, and the efficiency at which everything runs is jaw-dropping. It’s also massive, with so many things to do, places to see, and metro lines to change to that it might all seem a little overwhelming for the first-time visitor. So here’s a quick first-timer’s guide to Tokyo for you to kickstart your adventure around its many distinct neighborhoods.

My friends and I were in Tokyo for the last leg of our grad trip that took us from Osaka to Kyoto. After spending a night in a capsule hotel in Shinjuku, we made the trip to Kawaguchiko to get a closer look at Mt Fuji, before finally heading back to Tokyo. Not the most straightforward itinerary, but it worked for us. In total, we spent about five days in Tokyo, though you could easily extend your trip to a week or more if you take it slow.

Getting Around

The rail system is very comprehensive and not as intimidating as it looks! It should cover almost everywhere you want to go. I don’t think we used the buses in Tokyo because we’d just walk everywhere – you get to see a lot more by slowing down and wandering around. As usual, Google Maps was also very reliable in providing options for different ways to get to our destination.

You may also want to consider getting a day pass if you foresee a lot of traveling between stations. For one, there’s the JR Line 1 Day Pass (Tokunai/Metropolitan District Pass) that gives you unlimited rides for one day on all 76 stations on the JR lines (only JR lines). Purchase it on the same day that you’re going to use it from the ticket vending machines under the ‘Discount Ticket’ category – it’s JPY 750 for adults, JPY 370 for children. We found this pretty useful as it covers key stations like Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, and Tokyo station, and you save a lot of time by not having to fumble for coins for a ticket each time you travel.

Shinjuku

Shinjuku is probably what comes to mind when you picture Tokyo – tall buildings with large neon signs, a non-stop flow of human and vehicular traffic, people in bars slurping down ramen and chatting with friends over some beer after a long day’s work. For that reason alone, it’s worth walking around Shinjuku to soak in its atmosphere, particularly at night. If you’re arriving in Tokyo via the bullet train, you’ll probably find yourself in Shinjuku station, one of the busiest stations in the world.

Check out the two free observatory decks on the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building to get a panoramic view of the entire city. On a clear day, you might even be able to spot a tiny Mt Fuji from far, though when we went, we didn’t have any luck. This is a pretty good alternative to the Tokyo Sky Tree, which you’d have to pay for. While the view isn’t that much to rave about, it’s a good way to get your bearings and step away from all the hustle and bustle below.

You could probably spend a whole day just shopping in the many retail outlets around Shinjuku station. When you desperately need a hit of caffeine, check out the highly popular Blue Bottle Coffee (originally from Oakland, California) in NEWoMan, a mall on the south side of the station.

We initially headed there for a quick stop because my friend, Cai, wanted to get some supplies, but the cold brew was so addictive that we went back again the following day just for another taste. Made with fresh beans, the cold brew was deliciously rich and smooth, and with just the right level of sweetness.

For an insanely long list of 101 things to do in Shinjuku, including the famous bizarre Robot Restaurant (pricey and advance booking required, plus we weren’t that interested so we skipped it): Time Out Tokyo

Shibuya

The scramble intersection at Shibuya is famous for being the busiest intersection in the world, and one of the top things to do in Tokyo is joining the crowd and crossing (somewhat aimlessly) from one street to the other. It didn’t feel that busy when we went on a weekday night (see gif below), so if you want to see it at its peak, perhaps go on a weekend afternoon instead.

Head up to Tsutaya’s Starbucks on the second floor for a better view of the crossing, though it’s likely that the Starbucks will also be full of people with the same idea. Shibuya has a trendy, youthful feel, with plenty of small shops to check out past the intersection.

Just a short walk from Shibuya station is the famous statue of Hachiko, immortalizing the most faithful doggo that ever lived. Hachiko would meet his owner, a professor at the Tokyo Imperial University, at Shibuya station every day after work. Even after his owner passed away while giving a lecture at work, he continued to wait at Shibuya station every day until he died, more than nine years later. WHAT A GOOD BOY. Definitely stop for a picture with him. More details on his story here.

You can also take cute photo stickers as a souvenir for your trip at purikura machines, and there happen to be quite a few in Shibuya! The three of us took a couple of photos to relive our secondary school days when neoprints were all the craze in Singapore. It’s quite a fun, albeit mildly stressful experience – all for around 500+ yen! The cost and quality of the final product will vary depending on the machine that you pick, so choose wisely before you wander into the first available machine.

After frantically rushing to get into position for the photos, you’re given a time limit to digitally decorate and write whatever you want on them. Sometimes (read: often), the end result turns out weird and horrifying, especially if you already have makeup on. I often end up with disproportionately huge eyes with too many layers of mascara and eyeliner, but it’s all in the name of a laugh.

Harajuku

So, this leads me to the next neighborhood, Harajuku! It’s probably the most unique and distinct of all the neighborhoods in Tokyo and a haven for people-watching. Japanese teenagers dress up in all kinds of styles to express themselves, and you’re likely to come across a few while walking through Harajuku.

The Harajuku fashion style is bold, colorful, and vibrant – extremely eye-catching, yet playful and usually very girly. If that’s not your kind of thing, there are also plenty of small shops along the main shopping street of Takeshita-dori selling vintage clothes and branded streetwear.

At peak periods e.g. weekend afternoons, be warned that the narrow streets are made even more claustrophobic with the sheer crowd people squeezing through in both directions. However, if you go at a quieter time, the trade-off is that you won’t get to spot as many cool people strutting their style, which is more or less the whole point of heading to Harajuku! We went twice – the first time was a rainy weekday night, so the streets were pretty empty. The second time in the afternoon was a world of difference.

If you get hungry, grab a crispy, freshly baked cream puff from Croquant Chou Zaku Zaku, an unmissable shop along Takeshita-dori. It’s a long choux stick covered with almonds with creamy Hokkaido custard inside, and it makes for a pretty good snack! There are also a couple of popular creperies dotted around Harajuku if you’re looking for something sweeter. Some of the famous ones include Marion Crepes, Angels Heart, and Cafe Crepe Laforet Harajuku, though I can’t recommend any as we didn’t try them.

A must-visit for dog lovers is the Harajuku Mameshiba Cafe. I must admit that this was one of the attractions in Harajuku that I was looking forward to the most throughout my time in Tokyo, because I really like dogs but don’t own any! The Harajuku Mameshiba Cafe ONLY has mini Shiba Inus, and they’re all really well-behaved and cute.

At JPY 780 for a 30min slot and a small drink from their vending machine, it might be a little pricey, but I really enjoyed it. You enter in batches of a limited number of people at designated times, and everyone is given a quick briefing on what they can and cannot do in both English and Japanese. The dogs seemed calm and well taken care of, and they’ll wander around adorably and let you pet them. Because of their small size, it was a little hard to get photos with them. And before you know it, your time is up.

If you’re keen to visit, do head down early and get tickets for the Mameshiba Cafe as soon as you arrive in Harajuku, before you do any shopping. There’s usually a long line for tickets, and you don’t get to choose your time slot, which can be two hours or more after the time of purchase. We reached around 2.30pm and only entered around 4.10pm.

The Harajuku Mameshiba Cafe is situated right above the Owl Forest (which you can also check out if you’re interested, owls are also very cute) along Takeshita-dori. There’s a slight discount if you purchase tickets to the Owl Forest and Mameshiba Cafe together.

To get away from the crowds at Harajuku, take a leisurely stroll through the nearby spacious Yoyogi Park towards Meiji Jingu, a shrine in Yoyogi Park dedicated to the late 19th-century Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. I loved the slow walk that we took through the dense tree-lined path. It felt like a little green oasis right in the heart of one of the busiest cities in the world; a welcome change from Tokyo’s other attractions.

Asakusa

Asakusa is one of the more traditional districts of Tokyo, and what I love most about this district is that it has retained an old-town atmosphere that makes you feel like you’ve stepped back in time. Fun fact: Asakusa used to be a major entertainment district before WWII destroyed large parts of the city, and it has since been overtaken by other more modern neighborhoods like Shinjuku. So although Asakusa is most famous for Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest temple, it’s also a nice historic area to walk around and explore.

You’ll pass through two huge, iconic entrance gates with giant lanterns on the way to the Sensoji Temple. The first gate, Kaminarimon (‘thunder gate’), is a symbol of Asakusa – you’ll see little red lanterns in the form of magnets and plastered on t-shirts soon enough in the little shops along the Nakamise shopping street, just past the Kaminarimon. Nakamise shopping street is only 250m long, and a pretty good place to get your typical touristy souvenirs.

When you’re done, head out of the Sensoji Temple and cool down with an intense matcha ice-cream at Suzukien Asakusa, just a stone’s throw away. Suzukien is a must-visit for fans of matcha, and will sift out the true fans from the weak. Aside from seven other flavors, Suzukien has seven grades of matcha that you can choose from. Each level is richer and more intense than the previous one, which also means that it’s more bitter, and not for everyone.

It was at Suzukien that I found out that I wasn’t as huge a fan of matcha as I thought I was. We got two different levels of matcha in the middle of the spectrum, and I strongly preferred the less intense one. I really wanted to like the other one, but it reminded me too much of grass… Definitely a matter of personal preference though, I think my friends liked the stronger one. Give it a try and see what suits your taste!

Before leaving Asakusa, you might want to check out the eye-catching Asahi Beer Tower across the Sumida River. It’s the beer glass-shaped building with a big golden flame on top, which is supposed to represent the frothy head of Asahi beer. Also, we found out that this Asahi Flame is sometimes referred to as the ‘golden turd’, kin no unko, which gave us a good laugh.

For more things to do in Asakusa: Japan Guide

That about sums it up for the highlights of my top four must-visit districts of Tokyo.  Each neighborhood has its own distinct charm, and visiting each one added another layer to my experience of Tokyo. After eating my way through Osaka and immersing myself in the colors of Kyoto, I particularly enjoyed soaking in the quirky and seemingly boundless energy of Harajuku.

If you’ve found this helpful, share it with your friends! Let me know in the comments if you’ve got any more recommendations to add – more suggestions are always welcome! Otherwise, why not proceed with Part 2 for more things to do on your first trip to Tokyo?