Learn about Japanese culture, Japan's state-of-the-art science and technology.
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Kokyo Gaien National Gardens
Also known as the Imperial Palace Outer Gardens,this park is widely cherished for its quintessential Japanese landscapes. Spacious green lawns dotted with black pines blend harmoniously with the historical remnants of Edo Castle's moats and gates.
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National Diet Building
The Japanese Diet is held in this building. Here, Japan's only legislative body makes laws and determines fiscal budgets. Note how the building is symmetrical on both sides. On the left facing the front is the House of Representatives, while the right side is occupied by the House of Councilors (formerly the House of Lords).
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Bank of Japan Head Office
The Bank of Japan Head Office, erected in 1896, was the first modern national government (national important cultural asset) to be built by a Japanese architect. As part of a one-hour guided tour, visitors can also view the undergrond vault, which was used until 2004.
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Tokyo Tower
Tokyo Tower is a broadcasting tower, built in 1958.It offers spectacular views of Tokyo, in all the city's three-dimensionality, from its two observation decks at 150 meters and 250 meters.
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Tokyo Metropolitan Wholesale Market Toyosu Market
Toyosu Market comprises three blocks: block 7 with the seafood wholesaling building, block 6 with the seafood auctions building, and block 5 with the fruit and vegetable wholesaling building. The new market has been designed to ensure food safety, while implementing efficient logistics and first-rate environmental measures.
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Waseda University
Waseda University is renowned for the high quality of its teaching and research. Campus tours are available in which Waseda student guides explain historical episodes and student life; tour participants also have the chance to visit sites that are usually not open to the public, such as the Okuma Auditorium clock tower, etc.
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National Museum of Nature and Science
This is the nation's only comprehensive science museum. It features two permanent exhibits: the Japan Gallery and the Global Gallery. The different floors offer different themes, including dinosaur fossils, stuffed animal specimens, scientific.
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TOKYO SKYTREE
TOKYO SKYTREE is the world's tallest stand-alone communication tower. From the two observation decks at 350 m and 450 m, visitors can take in a spectacular view of the Tokyo night sky, and experience the illusion that they are walking through the air. The nearby Soramachi shopping area (300 shops) and the Aquarium are popular spots.
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The National Museum of Western Art
This is Japan's only national museum showcasing the art of the Western world. The Main Building, designed by architect Le Corbusier, was registered as a World Cultural Heritage Site in 2016.
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Water Bus
You can get on a water bus and visit several sightseeing areas along the Sumida River, including Asakusa and Ryogoku, while enjoying a waterfront view. Some routes have a water bus with a unique near-futuristic design.
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Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Observatories
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Buildings are one of the most prominent landmarks in Tokyo. From the observatory on the 45th floor at a height of 202 meters, you can get a panoramic view of Tokyo, including Tokyo Tower and TOKYO SKYTREE, along with Mt. Fuji if it is clear enough. Tokyo Sky Guide is a special viewing guide for the observatory, offering information on a total of 32 spots you can see from the observatory in 15 languages.
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Sunshine 60 Observatory “Tembo Park”
Located on the 60th floor of Ikebukuro’s Sunshine 60 building, this observatory re-opened in 2023 after its major renovation. You can get a panoramic view of the city from 251 meters above sea level. It features a well-stocked space with seasonal plants and flowers on the floor covered with artificial turf.
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Hama-rikyu Gardens
This garden, which used to belong to the Tokugawa Shogun family, the most powerful family in the Edo period, has a Shioiri Pond and abundant nature. A shioiri pond is a tidal pond that draws in sea water, creating changes in the pond associated with the tide. It is now the only tidal pond in the Edo gardens of Tokyo.
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Sensoji Temple
Worshippers and tourists flock to Sensoji, Tokyo's oldest temple. Nakamise is along the main approach to the temple, a 250-meter-long shop-filled street connecting the outer Kaminarimon gate to the second Hozomon gate.
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Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum
This open-air museum contains 30 reconstructed and historically important buildings originating from the Edo period and up to the middle part of the Showa period. Contemporary scenes from daily life—such as the lighting of a farmhouse hearth fire—are reenacted inside the buildings.
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Kiriko Cut Glass Studio Ojima
Traditional Edo kiriko cut glass is produced here at this studio. Workshops are held for the public. In particular we have the appropriate tools for elementary school and junior high school students. A pen is used to create a draft on a small transparent glass, which is then placed on a disk for etching. The finished piece is put in a box for the visitor to take home with them. This is a very safe endeavor, so it's well worth giving it a try!
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Ganso Shokuhin Sample-ya Kappabashi Store
Ganso Shokuhin Sample-ya makes realistic-looking replica food items. This store sells fun and unique products created through the art of food replicas. Visitors can also try their hand at making traditional faux food out of wax.
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Meiji Jingu (Shinto Shrine)
The Meiji Jingu, built in 1920, honors the Emperor Meiji and his wife the Empress Shoken. The sacred forest surrounding of the shrine is comprised of some 100,000 trees donated from around the nation. The stately atmosphere of this place is truly an oasis-in-the-city for the visitor.
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Yakata-bune (excursion boats)
The yakata-bune excursion boat has been a tradition since the time of the samurai. Take a boat ride down the Sumida River, mentioned in the Manyoshu—Japan's oldest collection of poems—and enjoy not only the night view but the most delicious tempura as well.
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Suginami Animation Museum,Tokyo Polytechnic University
The Suginami Animation Museum is the first facility where visitors can enjoy, learn, experience and understand Japanese animation in a structured way. With hands-on special effects and post-production activities to try, as well as special exhibitions etc., there are lots of things for visitors to do that will help them to learn about animation in an enjoyable way.
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Sumo Museum
This museum collects, preserves, and exhibits (6 times/year) materials related to sumo, from woodblock prints and banzuke sumo wrestler rankings to ceremonial aprons.
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Some-no-sato OCHIAI (Futaba-en)
Futaba-en is a dye studio that has been carrying on the tradition of the Edo katazome dyeing technique for over 100 years. The artisan skills on show here have been officially designated as a traditional craft. One-day lessons and classes are available.
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National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan)
Through exhibits and lectures, the Science Museum offers the visitor an opportunity to think, discuss, and experience cutting-edge technologies that shape the future—everything from familiar science to cutting-edge technology.
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Central Breakwater Landfill Site
This is where Tokyo's waste is sent for final disposal. It's an ideal place to consider the issue of waste disposal in large cities. Following a presentation that gives an overview of landfill facilities, it is possible for visitors who have their own vehicular transport to visit a landfill site, a large waste-crushing process facility, and a non-flammable waste-processing facility.
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The Hydrogen Information Center "Tokyo Hydrogen Museum"
At the Tokyo Suiso-miru, visitors learn about the future of hydrogen—an invisible substance—as well as how hydrogen will be utilized in our society—by both touch and direct experience. At this unique comprehensive learning center, everyone gets the opportunity to understand hydrogen.
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Daiichi Sankyo Kusuri Museum
Here you can have fun learning about medicine through CG images and interactive games. As well as studying how medicines work and how they are developed, visitors discover the history of Nihombashi, an area that has been synonymous with the medicine business since the Edo period.
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Panasonic Center Tokyo
At this showroom, visitors have the opportunity to experience Panasonic's latest initiatives, technologies, and more. Don't forget the AkeruE, a museum where ideas are transformed into something concrete. Events and workshops are also held on the weekend.
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Tokyo Yumenoshima Tropical Greenhouse Dome
This facility comprises a movie theater, a special exhibitions gallery, an event hall, and a giant domed greenhouse containing tropical and subtropical plants (including those from the Ogasawara Islands). The adjacent Shin-koto Incineration Plant provides heat for the greenhouse.
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Printing Museum, Tokyo
This museum showcases the history of printing—from its origins through the present day—all over the world. It also illustrates its value as a communications media, the value of print media, and all of its possibilities.
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METoA Ginza
METoA Ginza, Mitsubishi Electric event area, showcases the latest technologies of the Mitsubishi Electric Group with a view to a more sustainable society, at a fun hands-on exhibit hall featuring visuals, AR, etc.
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Japan National Stadium
Launched as of April 2022, the stadium tour is a chance for visitors to experience the amazing legacy of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020. Check details from the Stadium tour Website.
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Japan Olympic Museum
This museum, established by the JOC, is a center of information for Japan's Olympic movement. It houses various exhibits and visuals, showcasing the value of the Olympics.
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TOKYO FORWARD TOKYO 2020 Legacy Exhibition
An exhibition in Yurakucho featuring assets actually used in the Tokyo 2020 Games Opening Ceremonies. Experience competitions through digital technology and snap selfies at photo spots.
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Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park Sona Area Tokyo
Armed with tablet PCs and placed in a simulated earthquake scenario centered on Tokyo, visitors learn how to survive the first 72 hours after a major earthquake. The facility also shows animated videos and holds workshops and events focusing on disaster preparedness.
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Honjo Life Safety Learning Center, Tokyo Fire Department(Honjo Bosaikan)
At this disaster prevention facility, visitors gain knowledge and know-how in a fun way. Take unique tours of simulations including earthquakes, fires, and wind/rain, led by instructions. There are also areas where visitors can tour on their own.
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Ikebukuro Life Safety Learning Center,Tokyo Fire Department(Ikebukuro Bosaikan)
A tour of this facility gives visitors experience in dealing with disaster situations. Visitors go through an hour and 40 minutes of disaster preparedness training with an instructor. Every Friday evening, a special “Night Tour,” assuming a scenario with a fire at night, is held.
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JICA Global Plaza
The Plaza offers programs featuring interactive exhibits that teach visitors about the current living environment in developing countries, global issues, and international collaboration; as well as workshops and lectures by people who have worked on projects in developing countries.
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Izu Oshima Volcano Museum
Featuring a variety of exhibits and simulation capsules pertaining to the volcanoes of the world including Mt. Mihara, this is a fun place to learn. Also on view in the Visuals Hall is a powerful series of visuals depicting the gorgeous natural environment of Oshima and the lives of the people here.
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Furusato-taiken Hall
This facility is a unique place where visitors can relax in a pastoral setting, primarily experiencing the natural environment and culture of Oshima. Specific workshops include squeezing camellia oil, vegetable dyeing, and local performing arts (groups only). Official Website
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Odoriko no Sato Museum
The Odoriko no Sato Museum has two sections: the Former Minatoya Ryokan and the Former Jinnomaru Residence, both of which were built during the Meiji Period. Go through them slowly and deliberately as you take in the atmosphere of times past.
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Oshima Native History and Traditional Crafts Museum
At this local museum, visitors learn about the formation, history, and people of Oshima. The museum houses some 600 pieces of folk materials including descriptions of the volcanoes of Oshima, “Oshima and the Sea,” “Pottery and Stone Tools of the Jomon Period,” “Women's Customs,” and “Festivals of Oshima.”
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Palais La Mer (Oshima Seashell Museum)
This is an unusual museum in Japan. It houses not only shells from Izu and the Ogasawara Islands but also 50,000 shells in 4,000 different varieties from Japan and countries around the world. Also on display are many shell fossils, folk crafts incorporating shells, etc.
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WATERS takeshiba
Located in the waterfront area nearby Hama-rikyu Gardens, this complex facility has various tenants, including Shiki Theatre, a special theatre for Shiki Theatre Company, a hotel, and a commercial facility, as well as a dock for the Water Bus. There is an artificial tidal flat, where efforts are currently being made for environmental regeneration of Tokyo Bay, which used to be called “Edomae,” making it a great place to learn about the environment.
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SMALL WORLDS
One of the biggest indoor miniature parks in Asia. There are various kinds of inquiry learning programs under the themes of SDG, career education, STEAM education, international understanding, and cutting-edge technologies, offering a place for voluntary learning through experiences.
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Kawasaki Robostage
This is a showroom of the latest robots produced by Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd., where you can see how high the level of their technologies is and think about co-existence of humans with robots. There is a hands-on program, where you can try programming to actually get an industrial robot moving. There is also a hands-on program for children to perform programming of an industrial robot to cause it move (Advance reservation is required. There are age limits for participants.)
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JIDAIYA
JIDAIYA offers various cultural experience programs, such as rickshaw and kimono experience, in Asakusa. In the “SDGs with Furoshiki” program, you can learn how to use furoshiki (Japan’s traditional wrapping cloth) for wrapping and other purposes, which allows you to practice the SDGs without any hassles while being exposed to traditional Japanese culture. You can also learn about the history of rickshaw, the ultimate ecological vehicle in alignment with the SDGs, and get a chance to actually drive a rickshaw as an occupational experience.
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RED° TOKYO TOWER
Opened in Tokyo Tower Foot Town in 2022, this biggest e-sports park in Japan offers a wide variety of games, from sensory video game machines with cutting-edge technologies to easy games that younger children can enjoy.
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NTT History Center of Technologies
Owned by the NTT group, one of Japan’s biggest telecommunications company groups, this museum exhibits a huge number of historical assets of the group. With the display of rare old telephone machines and the history of portable phones across four floors, you can learn how the telecommunication technologies have advanced.
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Police Museum
This facility is a place where you can learn about the history of the Japanese police force from its beginning to today, as well as the current activities of Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. Fun activities are also offered, such as anime movies, police-work simulators, and a police motorcycle riding experience. Main exhibitions are accompanied by descriptions in English.
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Meteorological Science Museum
This museum displays observation instruments for weather and earthquakes, systems where you can learn about the information on disaster prevention, and theaters where you learn about/feel the natural environment of Japan. Some of the exhibits and activities are available with English subtitles. There is a full-time commentator who is a certified weather forecaster, so you can ask any questions about weather and earthquakes.
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NHK Museum of Broadcasting
Opened in 1956 as the first broadcasting museum in the world, this museum has been serving as a place to learn about the history of broadcasting for its advances and developments over about 100 years. It features experiences as an announcer or weather forecaster in a studio as well as exhibitions under different themes, including dramas, music programs, and children’s programs.
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Jindaiji Temple
This old temple of the Tendai Sect of Buddhism was founded in 733. On the temple grounds, you can find historic cultural assets here and there, including the Sanmon Gate with a thatched roof, the gorgeous Hondo main hall, and the statue of a seated Shaka Buddha, which is the oldest National Treasure in eastern Japan. Jindaiji Daruma Ichi Fair, which is held in March every year, is considered one of the three biggest Daruma Ichi fairs in Japan.
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Showa Kinen Park
With a total area of 180 ha, this national park offers a place where visitors can enjoy seasonal nature and flowers throughout the year, including tulips in spring, and yellow gingko leaves in autumn. There are lots to see in this park, including Open Field, Japanese Garden, and Hanamidori Cultural Center, making it a place where you can spend whole day and never get bored.
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Takao 599 Museum
This is a museum where you can learn about the animals, plants, and the history of Mt. Takao as well as manners for mountain climbing. Various special exhibitions and experience-based events are offered on an irregular basis. The huge lawn space has a place where kids can play with water, offering a place of rest and relaxation for visitors.
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Mt. Takao
With an altitude of 599 meters, this mountain offers various hiking routes with different distances and difficulties, as well as cable cars and lifts, using which you can get to the summit on foot in about 40 minutes. There is also Yakuoin Temple with a history of over 1,000 years and Trick Art Museum. It is one of the most popular destinations for excursions of schools in Tokyo.
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Tama Forest Science Garden
Along with various types of samples including lumber samples displayed at the exhibition hall “Mori no Kagakukan,” you can learn about forests and the lumber industry. A guided tour (10:00) is offered in the garden, which teaches you how to distinguish different kinds of trees and what to see during each season.
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