Tokyo

If you still have Robot Restaurant on your Tokyo list, cross it off. It closed in 2020 and never reopened in its original form; the same team now runs the Samurai Restaurant in the same Kabukicho building, an 18-and-over sword-and-costume show that shares some DNA with the old attraction but isn’t a substitute for it. Guides that still recommend the original are working from stale information, and this one gets updated below.

Getting in from the airport

Narita sits about an hour outside central Tokyo, and the fastest way in is the Narita Express or Skyliner train, running somewhere between 1,500 yen by bus and around 3,000 yen by express train depending on the route. Haneda is far closer to the center, generally a 30 to 45 minute train or monorail ride, and if your flight options give you a choice, Haneda saves real time on both ends of the trip. Either way, buy a Suica or Pasmo IC card at the airport the moment you land; as of 2026 there’s a dedicated Welcome Suica and a newer Tourist Pasmo aimed specifically at visitors, valid for 28 days with no deposit required, and it works for trains, buses, and convenience store purchases alike.

Places to go

Toyosu Market, which absorbed the old Tsukiji fish auctions after the move in 2018, is still the place for an early wholesale tuna auction viewing and the freshest sushi breakfast you’ll have all trip, though you now need to book the public auction viewing gallery slots in advance since access tightened after the relocation. Senso-ji in Asakusa remains Tokyo’s oldest temple and the surrounding Nakamise shopping street is touristy but genuinely worth the crush for the approach alone. Shibuya Crossing lives up to its reputation as the busiest intersection anywhere, and the Starbucks overlooking it from the second floor of the Tsutaya building is the classic vantage point, though arrive early since half of Tokyo has the same idea.

Meiji Shrine sits inside a forest that was entirely planted by volunteers a century ago and somehow already feels ancient; it’s one of the few genuinely quiet spots this close to Harajuku’s chaos. Shinjuku Gyoen splits its grounds between English, French, and Japanese garden styles and is worth the modest entrance fee, especially during cherry blossom season when it’s less mobbed than Ueno Park.

Odaiba has changed meaningfully in recent years. TeamLab Borderless, the digital art museum, closed its original Odaiba location and reopened in February 2024 at Azabudai Hills in Minato, a short walk from Kamiyacho or Roppongi-Itchome stations; tickets run roughly 3,800 to 4,800 yen for adults and sell out on weekends, so book online well ahead rather than showing up hoping for a same-day slot. Odaiba itself still has its malls, the Rainbow Bridge views, and Palette Town’s remnants, but the digital art draw has moved across the bay.

Akihabara remains the electronics and anime hub it’s always been, and Harajuku’s Takeshita Street is still the best five-minute crash course in Tokyo youth fashion, crepe stands included.

Activities

Sumo is worth planning a trip date around if you can; the six annual honbasho tournaments are the only time you’ll see it live at Ryogoku Kokugikan, and tickets for the good tournament days move fast. Roppongi still runs the city’s most concentrated nightlife district, clubs and bars stacked block after block. Cherry blossom season, typically late March into early April depending on the year, turns Ueno Park and Chidorigafuchi Moat into genuine spectacles, and both get very crowded during peak bloom, so an early morning visit beats midday. Nikko, about two hours out by train, remains an easy and worthwhile day trip for its UNESCO-listed shrine complex and mountain scenery.

Where to eat

Izakaya culture is the backbone of an ordinary Tokyo night out, small plates and drinks in an unpretentious setting, and the best ones tend to be the least signposted, tucked into narrow alleys with a lantern out front and no English menu. Ramen varies wildly by neighborhood and shop rather than following a strict regional rule, so don’t assume one style dominates one part of the city; try a few different shops and let your own preference decide. Sushi ranges from serious omakase counters that require reservations weeks out to perfectly good conveyor-belt chains where a full meal costs less than a fast food combo elsewhere. Tonkatsu, the breaded pork cutlet, is a reliable, inexpensive lunch anywhere you see a shop specializing in it.

Where to stay

Shinjuku puts you on the Yamanote loop line with easy access to most of the city and a dense concentration of hotels at every price point. Asakusa and Ueno suit a slower, more traditional trip and sit close to the older temples and museums. Ginza is the upscale shopping and dining base if budget isn’t the constraint. Shibuya works well if nightlife and youth culture are the priority, though it’s louder and busier than the other options after dark.

Things to know

English signage has improved dramatically at stations and major attractions, but daily interactions still go more smoothly with a handful of basic Japanese phrases memorized. Bowing, removing shoes at temples and traditional restaurants, and avoiding public nose-blowing are all small courtesies that go a long way. Tipping isn’t expected anywhere and can actually cause confusion if attempted; service is already built into the price. Public toilets frequently include heated seats and bidet functions, and it’s one of the small daily pleasures of traveling here that nobody warns you about in advance.

Transportation

The JR Yamanote Line loops around the core of the city and is the backbone for most first-time visitors’ movement between neighborhoods. The subway network is extensive and, once you understand the transfer logic between JR and Metro lines, genuinely easy to navigate. Buses fill in gaps the trains don’t cover, though they’re less necessary if you’re sticking to central Tokyo. Taxis are clean, safe, and metered, but expensive for anything beyond a short hop, particularly late at night when a surcharge kicks in.

A safety note worth taking seriously

Tokyo is remarkably safe by global city standards, but that reputation has made some visitors careless. Police have flagged Kabukicho, Roppongi, Shibuya, and Ikebukuro specifically for drink-spiking incidents and credit card fraud targeting tourists in recent years, so keep an eye on your drink in nightlife districts the same way you would anywhere else. Near Shibuya Crossing, well-dressed people with clipboards sometimes approach tourists soliciting donations for a fabricated disaster relief fund; walk past them the same way you’d walk past any street solicitation back home. And in dense crowds during rush hour, phone and wallet theft by bump-and-lift teams does happen, so keep valuables in a zipped front pocket rather than a back pocket or open bag.

Final tips

Reserve what you can ahead of time, teamLab tickets, sumo tournament seats, and popular omakase counters all sell out. Get an IC card on day one and stop thinking about individual train fares entirely. And if a guide or friend tells you Robot Restaurant is still a must-see, politely correct them; the show that best captures that spirit now runs under the Samurai Restaurant name, adults only, same neighborhood, different name on the door.