Tokyo Things to Do

Eclipsing the Eiffel Tower in height by just 13 meters and modelling itself on Paris’s older and more famous landmark, the candy-striped Tokyo Tower has been a feature of Tokyo’s skyline since 1958. Still the world’s tallest self-supporting steel tower, it has since been left behind in the height stakes by other structures and stands at just over half the height of Tokyo’s newest skyscraper and viewing tower, the Tokyo Skytree.

The first time you visit Tokyo, you’re going to be surprised at the juxtaposition of old and new. Feudal palaces and Buddhist temples are in the same city as high-tech architecture and fast-pace urban living. Seriously, Tokyo is from the future, but it also wants you to revere its past–and rightfully so; Japan’s history is fascinating and colorful, and its reserved beauty is apparent in how it shows up in everyday life.

As I’ve said before, tour packages are generally the way to go when you’re a first-time traveler; Tokyo tour packages vary in duration and sights. Most of them seem to include either a cruise on Tokyo Harbor or the Sumida river, the Asakusa Kannon Temple, Akasaka Palace and Tokyo Tower. They’ll take you through the Ginza district and the Nakamise shopping street, and most will show you some remnant of the Edo period such as the Imperial Palace.