11 Tokyo Recommendations

An old friend is planning a trip to Tokyo, like many travelers who come to Japan. Posted here are some recommendations of things to see and do (in no particular order), reprinted with permission from a member of CouchSurfing.com.

CouchSurfing is a great way to travel cheap and meet interesting people, try it out!

1. Free tour guides can be arranged here, here, here, here and over there.
2. Meiji Shrine, perhaps the most important Tokyo shrine. (Info)
3. Edo-Tokyo Museum, some history of the world’s largest city
4. A ninja themed restaurant. Yes, the staff are dressed as ninjas.
5. General list of places of interest to foreigners.
6. One of the best electronics shop in Akihabara.
7. Onsen (hot springs) where you can where your swimsuit.
8. Go here to drink afternoon tea.
9. Go here to buy tea. (near Ginza subway station, A1 exit, walk out, go forward and turn left along Suzaran Street, about 200 metres down on the right side)
10. And, of course, climbing Mt. Fuji.
11. Check out Studio Ghibli Museum, home of Miyazaki Hayao’s amazing animation. Though only in Japanese, you can see a few shorts that are only available at the museum. See the link for directions and ticket info.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but hopefully lists a few not commonly found places. For a listing of the most popular attractions check out Yahoo! Travel. If you are going to be covering a lot of ground, check out the JR Rail Pass. Find train times here by clicking on the ‘English’ tab.

Have any other not so known spots? Let me know!