Imperial Palce
Located on the former site of Eco Castle, the Imperial Palace is one of Tokyo’s biggest tourist attractions and the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. This large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district, used to be the seat of the Tokugawa Shogun who ruled Japan from 1603-1867.
Many of the areas of the palace can be viewed from outside the palace, as the inner grounds of the palace are generally not open to the public except for January 2nd (New Year’s Greeting) and February 23rd (the Emperor’s Birthday, when visitors are able to enter the inner palace grounds and see the members of the Imperial Family, who make appearances on the balcony throughout the day.
On other days, 75 minute guided tours are offered at 10am and 1:30pm daily except on Sundays, Mondays, and national holidays. Make your reservations in advance HERE.
Adjacent to the inner grounds of the palace are the Imperial Palace East Gardens which are open to the public throughout the year.
Yasukuni Shrine
This Shinto shrine was founded by Emperor Meiji in 1869 and commemorates those who died in service to Japan from the Bosnian War of 1868, the two Sino-Japanese Wars 1894 and 1937 respectively and the First Indochina War of 1946.
Kanda Shrine
Another Shinto shrine, this one dates back 1,270 years and is an important shrine for both warrior class and citizens of Japan, especially during the Edo period.
Akihabara
Known as Tokyo’s “Nerd District,” Akihabara is full of arcades, claw games cosplay and all the nerd-culture you can handle. This buzzing shopping and gaming hub is famous for its electronics retailers and arcades as well as its shops and cafes that cater to manga, anime, video games, and maid bars. Maid bars are a key component of Japanese nerd culture. Here staff dressed in french maid costumes focus on making everything cutesy. They perform dances and routines that fully embrace Japanese Kawaii culture.
Yurakucho
This district, just one stop south of Tokyo Station on the JR Yamanote Line, along with the adjacent Ginza districts, forms an atmospheric dining and retail area that boasts one of Tokyo’s best restaurant districts, that resides under the brick arches of the elevated JR Yamanote Line, known as Gado-shita. These small watering holes fill up almost all the space beneath the tracks for 700meters on both sides of the Yurakucho Station. The restaurants range from traditional izakaya and yakitori joints where you can grab a beer and good cheap food as well as some fine dining establishments hidden amongst them.
