Tokyo is a city with modern living and old-fashioned manners, of state-of-the-art skyscrapers and ancient shrines. In short, it is a city waiting to be explored.
How to get there: Tokyo’s main international gateway is Narita Airport. Make sure you visit PriceCheck’s website to get the best deals on the cheapest flights.
Things to do in Tokyo:
- Go to the Cherry Blossom Festival. March and early April is cherry blossom season! So pack a picnic basket and be captivated by the canopies of blush pink blossoms. Parks such as Ueno Onshi Park and Shinjuku-gyoen National Garden are famous for their cherry groves and make for excellent picnic spots.
- Visit the Imperial Palace. Explore the beautiful gardens of the Imperial Palace, the residence of the emperor of Japan. You can go on a boat ride, discover the ruins of Edo Castle, take a palace tour and if you are lucky you might even see the emperor himself!
- Eat sushi. When you go to Italy you eat pizza and pasta. When you go to Japan you eat sushi! So get your chopsticks ready!
- Visit Senso-ji. Follow in the footsteps of countless travellers by exploring Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest and most famous Buddhist temple. If you feel like embracing their culture you can be “purified” outside the temple by water and smoke. Waft the smoke towards you, then wash your left hand, wash your right hand, wash the ladle, and put it back.
- Watch Sumo wrestling. Sumo wrestling is an authentic Japanese experience and unlike any sporting event on earth – where else can you see massive guys in nappie-like cloth slap and shove each other till one of them falls over? Make sure you experience this highly ritualistic sport from the safety of the stands!
- Sing karaoke at Smash Hits. Warm up your vocal cords, because now is your opportunity to become a Japanese rock star! Grab the mike and embrace this fun party tradition.
- Visit Meiji Shrine. A visit to a shrine is a must-do when you visit Tokyo. Meiji Shrine is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken who brought western culture and modernisation to Japan.
