Skip the Red Town District for Roppongi

Ryokan Sawanoya, in the old-town Yanaka district near Ueno, is a family-run inn with twelve tatami rooms that welcomed foreign guests well before the area did. Two private baths, one cypress and one pottery, overlook a small garden and are reserved by phone for a 45-minute slot between mid-afternoon and evening…

The Tokyo Station Hotel opened in 1915 inside the red-brick Marunouchi station building, now an Important Cultural Property, and reopened in 2012 after a full restoration. From the third-floor corridor guests can see one of the restored domes up close, and some rooms look onto the domes. It sits within the station…

Each November, on the rooster days of the old calendar, Chokokuji Temple and Otori Shrine, side by side in Senzoku near Asakusa, host the Tori-no-ichi fair. Stalls sell kumade, decorated rakes meant to bring good fortune and business success, and the area stays busy late into the night. In 2026 the rooster days are 7…

Blue Note Tokyo is a seated jazz, soul and R&B club of about 300 seats in Minami-Aoyama, near Omotesando Station. Shows run as two sets a night, and the programme changes every few days with international headliners and Japanese stars. Seats are booked through the schedule page on the club's website or by phone, and…

In the open plaza of Tokyo International Forum, in front of Yurakucho Station, the Oedo Antique Market gathers many dealers selling Japanese crafts and old objects, and it is free to browse. It runs on selected dates, roughly twice a month, rather than every week, so check the organisers' calendar for your trip. It is…

Shinjuku Pit Inn is a basement jazz club where the seats face the stage and the programme leans toward innovative Japanese players. Besides evening sets it runs morning and daytime sessions, which cost less than the night show and include a drink. Reserve through the show page, by phone or by email, or walk in for…

From 1 November 2026, tax-free shopping in Japan works as a refund. You pay the full price at the shop and claim the tax back after a customs check at the departure airport, before you check in your bags. Every item on a receipt must be with you, otherwise the whole receipt is ineligible, and the check must be done…

Jimbocho in Chiyoda has around 130 used bookshops, each focused on a field such as art, photography, architecture or rare vintage titles. Opening days vary by shop and many close on Sundays and holidays, so check before you go. Pick two or three specialists by subject rather than wandering at random, and finish at one…