Tokyo

Tokyo’s oldest temple, approached through the lantern-lit Nakamise shopping street.

The world’s busiest pedestrian scramble, best viewed from the Shibuya Sky observation deck.

A tranquil forest shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji, beside the fashion district of Harajuku.

A bustling warren of stalls for the freshest sushi breakfast and Japanese street food.

An immersive, walk-through digital art museum of water, light, and infinite mirrors.

The serene former grounds of Edo Castle at the city's heart, with stone ramparts, moats and seasonal gardens - a peaceful, free stroll through Tokyo's samurai past.

A vast, tranquil garden blending Japanese, English and French landscape styles - a green oasis amid Shinjuku's skyscrapers and one of Tokyo's top cherry-blossom and autumn-leaf spots.

At 634m, the world's tallest tower offers dizzying glass-floor views across the endless metropolis to Mount Fuji on clear days, plus a shopping and aquarium complex at its base.

The neon-blazing capital of anime, manga, games and electronics - towering arcades, retro-game shops, maid cafés and gadget emporiums. A sensory overload best explored after dark.

A sprawling park packed with Japan's finest museums - the Tokyo National Museum, science and art galleries - plus a zoo, a pond and glorious spring cherry blossoms.

Widely rated among the world's very best sushi counters - sublime, intimate omakase from a three-Michelin-star master. Bookings are famously near-impossible; go via a hotel concierge.

World-renowned omakase sushi - an unforgettable splurge (reservations essential).

A beloved Aoyama institution in a former bathhouse, serving impossibly tender, crisp breaded pork cutlets. The benchmark for Tokyo tonkatsu.

Famous tonkotsu ramen eaten in focused solo booths - a Tokyo rite of passage.

The first ramen shop in the world to earn a Michelin star, famed for delicate shoyu broth finished with black-truffle oil. Arrive early for a meal ticket.

A warren of tiny, smoky post-war alley stalls beside Shinjuku station, grilling skewers over charcoal. Atmospheric, cheap and utterly Tokyo - pull up a stool and point.

Bright yuzu-shio ramen beloved for its citrusy, lighter broth.

The atmospheric izakaya said to have inspired Kill Bill - skewers and soba.

A breathtaking urban sanctuary crowning a Otemachi tower, with soaring washi-and-stone interiors, a vast spa and serene views over the imperial gardens.

A modern ryokan in Otemachi with tatami rooms and a top-floor hot-spring bath.

The Shinjuku skyscraper hotel of “Lost in Translation,” with sweeping city and Fuji views.

A sleek Ian-Schrager-designed hotel with greenery-filled interiors, a buzzy rooftop bar and knockout views toward Tokyo Tower.

A bright, design-led hostel with a great café-bar in an atmospheric old neighborhood.

A sleek, supremely convenient hotel right at Shibuya Station.

A bright, design-savvy hotel a short walk from Shibuya Crossing, with a cool café and clean, modern rooms at a friendly price.

A fun, well-located Shinjuku hotel famous for the giant Godzilla head on its terrace, steps from Kabukicho's nightlife and the station.