Tokyo

Hama-rikyū Gardens

浜離宮恩賜庭園

It was built by 17th-century shoguns for their private enjoyment. Hama-rikyu is now a public walking garden with an all-season range of flowers and flowering trees. The highlight is the tea house, picturesquely set on a small island in the middle of a pond, where green tea and sweets are available starting at ¥500, and ¥1000 for a set. The garden is next to Tsukiji fish market. A boat which runs up the Sumida River to Asakusa used to depart from inside the garden, but has been suspended indefinitely.

Park admission ¥300 (age 65+ ¥150, primary school children free)

Hanazono Shrine

花園神社

More remarkable for its location than its appearance, but it's a nice place to take a breather. There's often a flea market in the surrounding park on weekends.

Sugamo

巣鴨

Popularly known as "Grandma's Harajuku" (obaachan no Harajuku), and indeed most shops in the area do seem targeted towards an older clientèle. For the (rare) tourist, however, this means a plentiful supply of tea, pottery, kitchen implements and clothes in styles that went out of fashion 50 years ago. The area is at its liveliest on the 4th, 14th and 24th of each month when a street market is held.

Tsukiji Hongwanji

築地本願寺

A Jōdo Shinshū temple just a few blocks away from the fish market, worth seeing because of its unique, South Asian-inspired architecture. Buddhist services are held in English on Saturday evenings.

Tsukiji Outer Market

築地場外市場 Tsukiji jōgai shijō

For more than 80 years, Tsukiji was the world's largest wholesale fish market. Although the wholesale operations (including the famous tuna auctions) closed in 2018 and moved to Toyosu, the outer market remains in place and continues to welcome the public with stalls selling fresh fish, sushi, produce and kitchen supplies. Suggested plans for the former inner market site include a sport stadium or an anime/manga themed entertainment facility.

Varies by shop, but typically Mon-Sat 09:00-14:00, closed holidays and most Wednesdays·Free

RyuGin

龍吟

Moved from Roppongi in 2018. Combining a deep respect for the Japanese culinary heritage with a will to pushing boundaries has made Nihonryori RyuGin to regarded as one of the world's best restaurants. Serves a daily-changing fix menu based on what's available at the market.

From ¥27,000 per person

Sukiyabashi Jiro

すきやばし次郎

This three Michelin star restaurant and its owner/chef, Jiro Ono, were immortalized in the 2011 documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi. The highly expensive course is omakase only - Jiro himself selects 20 nigiri pieces daily based on that day's catch from the Tsukiji fish market. You are not expected to use soy sauce, as many pieces are already brushed with it. The restaurant only has ten counter seats, and due to its popularity, advance reservations are required by telephone in Japanese. While reservations open on the first day of every month for the following month's seating, they almost always sell out the same day. Reservations via a concierge (hotel, American Express, etc.) may be the best way for foreign visitors to secure a seat.

11:30-14:00, 17:30-20:30 (Closed Sat evenings, Sundays, public holidays, New Year's holiday and mid-August)·¥30,000

Tsukiji Outer Market

The Outer Market of the Tsukiji Fish Market contain a bewildering array of shops. One shop carries nothing but dried seaweed, another knives, another is just bowls of all shapes and sizes! After you've had your sushi breakfast, wander around these shops and pick up something interesting.