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Japan

Tokyo

Tokyo was a fishing village called Edo until 1603. By 1720 it had more than a million people — decades before London or Paris reached that size — and it has rebuilt itself twice since.

Find flightsBest time: Late March to April for blossom, or October to November for autumn colour
The five-storey pagoda and temple roofs at Senso-ji in Asakusa
Tokyo

A short history

Edo became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603 and grew into one of the largest cities on earth. It was renamed Tokyo, the Eastern Capital, in 1868. The twentieth century then took it apart twice — the 1923 earthquake and the bombing of the Second World War — and both times it was rebuilt quickly and at scale. That is the reason an ultra-modern skyline stands so close to preserved Edo-era temple districts: the new was not built over the old so much as beside it, wherever there was room.

Crowds crossing the Shibuya scramble beneath lit signage

Why travellers love it

Few cities hold tradition and futurism at this distance from each other without one feeling staged. The food is exceptional at every price level, not only at the top, and it is one of the best-connected cities in Asia.

Cherry blossom branches framing the Tokyo Skytree against a blue sky

Before you go

Many nationalities enter Japan visa-free for short stays and others apply online; check your passport before booking. Late March to April is cherry blossom season and October to November is the autumn colour — both are beautiful and both are busy, so book early. Get an IC card at the airport for the trains, and carry some cash: Tokyo is far less card-friendly than its skyline suggests.

Highlights

  • Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa
  • The Shibuya crossing
  • Tsukiji outer market
  • The teamLab digital art museum

Complete your trip

Two things worth sorting before you fly.

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