Last updated on September 8th, 2021 at 02:15 pm
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is a world unto itself or, as some like, call it a concrete jungle. It’s a restless city with endless activities for both adults and kids. Tokyo has so much to offer that there is no way you won’t find an event or place to see that you won’t like. And it’s not only this that will make you love this incredible city. If you’re not convinced yet, here are ten things to love about Tokyo.
10 Things To Love About Tokyo
Table Of Contents
It was pretty hard to narrow it down as I have had a big crush on Tokyo since my first trip there in 2012, but I did it!
Also, if you’re planning a trip to Tokyo, you may want to look at my in-depth Tokyo Travel Guide to help you out.
#1 The cleanness
This city is squeaky clean, and it’s honestly EXTRA DUPPER SUPER lovely, to be honest. I have honestly never seen in my life, anywhere in Europe at least, such clean public transportation, public toilets (imagine this for a second, clean public toilet, it’s real, I’m telling you), clean streets and so on. They take such good care of their infrastructures; it’s crazy. I think some big cities could use some of this as an inspiration!
Recycling is also essential in Japan, so thumbs up to this. There’s rubbish sometimes, obviously, but it’s so tiny that you hardly notice it.
Okay, except if you’re coming out of bars/pubs at 5/6 am in Shibuya or elsewhere.
#2 The public transports
It’s safe to say that if you ever took public transportation in Paris, you know how much of a nightmare it can be, and if you don’t, then trust my words, as a daily Parisian commuter, I can assure you it can be painful.
Tokyo’s subway is on a whole other level; it’s modern, extremely clean (some staff were cleaning the column of the station one day), and the best thing is, it is so RELIABLE. They are always on time!
However, now there’s one con as nothing can ever be always perfect; it’s pretty expensive.
#3 The Food
I think it’s impossible to say Tokyo/Japan without even including food. And I’m pretty sure most of us love to eat our way across a country! Naturally, I couldn’t write 10 Things to Love about Tokyo without mentioning food.
Plus, you can find so many cheap street foods, it’s effortless to eat correctly in Tokyo without breaking the budget.
I wrote an exhaustive list of 10 foods you need to try in Tokyo/Japan here on my Ultimate Tokyo Travel Guide!
#4 Konbini/ Vending Machines
Are you feeling a little hungry in the middle of the night? Don’t you worry, you won’t have to wait until the following day? You can pop by one of the countless konbini to get a snack or more if you feel like having an onigiri or whatever you fancy at that moment, no one will judge you.
#5 Restaurants
Restaurants are pretty different from your usual restaurants in the western world; I mean not entirely, but there are undoubtedly some unusual yet super cool features such as the following ones:
- Food Display – before you enter any restaurants, most of them have plastics foods displayed in their front windows, so even if you have no idea what’s written, you can still pretty much know what they serve! It comes in handy to pick a restaurant quickly.
- Machine to Order – In some restaurants, you can order directly outside from a device, then all you have to do is pick a seat/be seated and hand over your ticket, and the food will be brought to you shortly after.
- Call Button – Most restaurants have a call button on the table, which means unless you call for a waiter, you got all the time you want to choose from the menu! Also, if you need something, it’s much smoother with the call button, no need to spend minutes trying to catch the attention of a waiter – perfect!
Also, in Japan, tipping is not a thing. It’s super easy to eat and order in restaurants in Tokyo even as a foreigner, so no worries!
Some helpful posts about Tokyo and Japan:
- Day Trip To Nara
- Attending A Concert In Japan
- Themed Restaurants In Tokyo
- A quick guide to Disneyland Tokyo
- Day Trip: Hiking Mt Takao
BOOK A TRIP TO TOKYO
#6 Modern Toilet
Yes, modern toilet. You read this right. Toilets in Tokyo and Japan are a bit more elaborate than your standard toilets.
By this, I mean that, if you use them you can drop the toilets paper as with those toilets as they do the washing of both your front and rear, seat warming and deodorisation. I think it’s a bit weird but not so bad. Most people I talked to either love it or hate it. However, whether you like it or not, the heated seat is an excellent feature in my opinion.
Some toilets even lift the lid by themselves when you step into the room (which frightened me as I stepped into Pompompurin restaurants toilets in Harajuku).
This being said, what’s crazy is that while there are some of the most technological toilets, you can also find in some station toilets from what I would refer to as an old toilet; by this, I mean squat toilets. Maybe it’s just me, but I hate this kind of bathroom.
#7 Game Center
Tokyo is full of Game Center; you can find them in pretty much every hot spot. They offer many different kinds of games, and there’s also a UFO catcher there, with stuffed toys, figurines, or even food!
They got a relaxed vibe to them; even if you don’t particularly like the video game or arcade, it’s something you need to experience once! You can have plenty of fun there!
Usually, you can also find Purikura machines there, which, wait for it, is something you need to try as well!
Purikura machines are pretty much a photo booth.
Still, you get to select a background, have your skin smoother to the moon and back, big aliens eyes (although you can choose the size), and very lean limbs, then you decorate it at the end with stickers doodles or writing.
So, now that might sound like the silliest thing to do, but it’s an excellent way to keep memories as the pictures come out as stickers, and sometimes the outcome is pretty funny. There’s a wide range of machines offering different templates, backgrounds and so on!
#8 Perfect blend of modernity and traditionalism
It is well known that Japan is a country that, despite being utterly modern, has kept a lot of its culture and tradition. And it especially shows within the architecture of the country.
Even in big cities like Tokyo, it’s not only into a specifically dedicated area that you can see bribes from the past. If you pay attention to details, it’s everywhere.
One minute you could be walking on a busy street, and a minute later, you could find yourself in a Temple/Shrine.
The perfect example of this is the Tokyo Tower with Zozo-ji! If you’d like some more inspiration about Tokyo, you can check out those Tokyo Quotes or my Tokyo photo diary!
#9 The Temples and Shrines
Following what I said above, Japan is a country where Shintoism and Buddhism play a large part in the culture, so it’s not unusual to find shrines and temples where you’d expect the least. Tokyo might be a big busy city, but there are still temples there!
Asakusa is the traditional part of Tokyo. This is where you can expect some beautiful temples/shrines and tons of fantastic souvenir shops with craft items.
Each temple has its architecture and decorations. Those religious places play an essential role in Japanese life and are honestly a delight to visit for travellers.
#10 Nature
I suppose that when you think of big cities, nature isn’t the first thing you’d think about; however, nature is well present in Tokyo you can find countless great parks there.
The most famous parks in Tokyo are the following ones, they’re all perfect for a picnic, strolling around or enjoy the cherry blossoms in Spring:
- Yoyogi-kōen
- Shinjuku Park
- Ueno Park
Or you could even go on a hike in Tokyo if you decide to take a day trip to Mt Takao as I did. It was one of the highlights of my last trip; it’s such a tremendous cheap activity. Also, excellent cardio to burn off the calories from all the yummy foods you ate!
And that’s a wrap on my 10 Things To Love About Tokyo! Although I feel like I covered this list, this list could go on and on, which, in my opinion, are the most loveable things about Tokyo.
Have you ever been to Tokyo? If so, tell me what the thing you loved the most about this city was?
LIKE IT? PIN IT!
10 AMAZING THINGS ABOUT TOKYO TO LOVE
Christie says
This is a great list! Tokyo is one of the cities I want to visit most, and I can’t wait to experience all of this myself 🙂
Lyne says
Thanks! Tokyo is awesome, I’m sure you will love it when you will visit 🙂
prabhu says
great tips to travel in japan, next monday i am coming there and want to visit all place which you mentioned in this post. Thanks for sharing good travel experience.
Lyne says
Have fun! 🙂
La Dame Who Fell To Earth says
The fact that you mentioned Japanese food with those pictures actually makes me so hungry! I also can’t believe that the city is so clean too? Tokyo seriously looks beautiful I can’t wait to go someday <3
TheGreatAmbini says
I really want to visit Tokyo! It looks like such a vibrant place and the food looks insane. I had no idea it was so clean, but that’s one of the things I hate about London. I am looking forward to exploring the temples too, thanks for a great post
Holly Goodyear says
Omg I love it, I’m hoping to go to Japan at the end of the year and reading things like this make me so excited!
PonytailPretty says
What a great list! Its so helpful to know that in a lot of restaurants they have a visual of what they’re serving lol Very helpful if there’s a language barrier. Its also so nice to know how clean the city is. I have to be honest and say that because it is such a busy city, I thought it would lack in the cleaniness department. I hope to visit one day!
Melissa Downham says
I have been wanting to go to Tokyo for as long as I can remember! And now my 8 year old daughter has been begging me to go. It’s definitely on the list!
katherinefenech2017 says
If I can rely on public transport to be on time and be clean (this is such a huge thing) then I don’t mind paying a few extra dollars for the privilege. Of course I wouldn’t visit just for the public transport, your photos of the sights are beautiful!
Michelle says
This is such a great list. I would love the cleanliness of the city as well. That sounds fabulous. I’m not so sure about that toilet though?!
Ruth says
Oh wow! I have been wanting to go to Tokyo for the longest time ever. Seems like the city has a perfect balance of many aspects. I think I am mostly attracted by the food. I have never heard anybody complaining about the food in there. By the way, I visited Slovenia a few weeks ago and I found the country incredibly clean. I wonder how it compares to Japan.
Louise says
I’m absolutely dying to get to Tokyo – and Japan generally in fact! It’s a country that really fascinates me as it has so many things that are totally unique to the country. I would absolutely love the food and the countryside looks stunning too. I really hope I get there soon!
josypheen says
For me, Tokyo is all about the food! I loooove all the interesting things you can eat. It looks like most of the commenters said the same thing!) I also really love the less famous, quirky areas if you just walk and have a good explore.
I love that you also went to Takao-san too. I blooming LOVE it there, especially in the autumn! Did you get to see a=the amazing view of Mount Fuji?
Baia says
Tokyo is for sure on my bucket list. It seems such a diverse country, the one I am sure I will enjoy a lot. Thanks for the tips and recommendations. Saving your post of the future
Teresa says
Tokyo is just the best. I miss the food and the toilets (weird thing to say in one sentence, lol).
Jade says
Tokyo is one of my favourite cities in the world! I really need to get back there. Your photos have given me some wanderlust!
blondevoyagenyc says
I miss Tokyo! What a wonderful city. Asakusa was probably one of my favorites 🙂 You really pointed out the best spots 🙂
spanishnomad1 says
I loved Japan!! I pretty much was saying, yep, I love that too, with every item of your list >D
ariellekurtze says
Japan is absolutely gorgeous. I’ve always wanted to visit and it’s definitely on our bucket list! I loved your details and photos. Thanks for sharing!
shanyyizhaki says
Such a great list! Tokyo seems like an incredible place and definitely on my plans for the future. Thank you for sharing!
Colleen says
I’d love to visit Japan someday and your list made Tokyo much more appealing (I’m not a big city girl).
mwantje says
I had heard Japan was clean, but most of these were new to me! Food in the middle of the night? Cool! I always think of temples and shrines being outside of the city, so that is interesting! Thank you for these.
Lana says
Love this post!! I went to Tokyo 6 years ago so i’m sure it’s changed a lot but I loved everything about it! Especially all of the funky restaurants ?
Bella Wilson says
Japan is incredible. Photos are mesmerizing. I can’t even imagine your emotions when you saw it all in reality. Just super. I hope I can be there!
Cruisin' Lady says
We were booked on a 2 week tour of Japan last May but, of course, had to cancel. I don’t know if I will ever get there now. I was fascinated with your description of the modern toilets!
Jamie Sharpe says
Tokyo is one place that I haven’t been to. So hopefully this comes in handy soon!
girlwithherviews says
Tokyo is on my list and has been for a while. I’m so enamoured in the temples and shrines that I see in photos and the food. Can’t wait until I finally get to see it in person! Great post!
Krista says
It’s great to know that the city is so clean, and that despite it being modern it still has traditional aspects to it as well.
Ildiko says
I am so intrigued and excited to hopefully visit Tokyo (soon), but on that same not I am overwhelmed and daunted by the task of planning such a trip. It really seems so intimidating. I have read many places about the cleanliness and the amazing food. I actually ready about the toilets too, as we were researching bidets for our home. So funny!
Val says
I’m totally in love with Tokyo, such a great city!! Love the photo of that restaurant, I miss those cute traditional eateries 🙂
SecretMoona says
These are all the reasons why I love the country so much! The cleanliness shocked me, as a Parisian, I wasn’t prepared to see the streets without rubbish. One other thing I love is how genuinely nice people are. I have been several times and can’t get enough.
Taylor says
Tokyo is my favorite city behind NYC! I truly love how futuristic it is and also how clean the entire city is. I went in 2018, but would love to revisit sometime soon during cherry blossom season. 🙂