Top 10 Check-in Spots in Tokyo

Widely appraised as the most beautiful bookstore, the Tsutaya Books at T-Site in Daikanyama is a popular check-in spot. It is one of the iconic attractions of Daikanyama and one of the most visited places by tourists. Tsutaya Books was originally founded with the philosophy of providing a connected lifestyle of books, movies, and music. Infusing a new generation of ideas with entrepreneurship, Daikanyama T-Site was born.

T-Site is operated by the CCC Group. It builds an area where the specialty T-Site stores are connected via aisles. When you grow tired of the books, walk out of the bookstore and find a CCC-built lifestyle, with a variety of food and beverage options. You may enjoy your time with your family or pets in the spacious courtyard, which is enough to keep you busy for the rest of the day. The area can be reached from Daikanyama Station of Tōyoko Line, Tokyu Railway; or from Ebisu Station of Yamanote Line of JR.

If you are tired of the bustling Shinjuku and Shibuya, why don’t you have a taste of the hipster lifestyle by wandering the alleyways and the specialty shops in Nakameguro? Take a stroll through the Canal in Nakameguro, you may admire the beautiful cherry blossoms and landscapes and take pictures of the beautiful scene.

Close to Daikanyama and Ebisu, Nakameguro is one of the few laid-back getaway places in the bustling city of Tokyo, in addition to the cherry blossoms and landscapes. A number of stationery grocery shops stand on the riverways on both sides. Inside of the alleyways, you may find a number of distinctive restaurants, cafés, grocery stores, and more. Amongst them, Traveler’s Factory is well known in the stationery industry, and is a pilgrimage for hipsters, offering a wide range of stationery, storage items, and ornaments. A leather-covered notebook, stamp paper tape, and even a mini, sophisticated chalk pen hidden in a notebook would blow your mind away.

As Tokyo’s most famous shopping paradise, Omotesandō is a trendy shopping street. Being the intersection between Omotesandō and Meijidōri, it is home to some of Japan’s most famous domestic brands and international brands alike. There are many international brand flagship stores and boutiques.

The understated and elegant streets are filled with international flagship stores, high-end fashion houses, accessories boutiques, and high-end dessert shops, cafés, etc. When you are tired from walking, you may sit down and have a sip of coffee in the nearby café. One only realizes how elegant the shopping experience can be when in Omotesandō, where streets are covered by lush green tall trees. Among them, the Tokyu Plaza Department Store, which is decorated with mirrors on the entrance, may give you the impression of being inside of a kaleidoscope. It is one of the most Instagram-able spots in Tokyo.

Hikawa Shrine within Kōenji is Japan’s only weather shrine and is located near Kōenji Station of JR, less than five minutes’ walk from the Southern exit. The “weather shrine” was born in April 1944 in the Army Weather Department of the Japanese Army. For the army, weather conditions were an important factor in strategizing and fighting. Although science-based weather forecasts exist, the weather shrine remains an important faith for weather observers to pray for accurate readings and for peacefulness. Weather shrines should have been dismantled after the war, but survived due to omissions in investigations. It was eventually migrated to the Hikawa Shrine of Kōenji.

Kōenji is also an area filled with independent cafés, used goods shops, and small music venues that attract young people to explore and take pictures. The Awa Dance Festival hosted before the Kōenji JR Station in late August each year in the summer is one of Tokyo's major events. About 10,000 people would dance together during the festival. It is a seasonal traditional event in late summer in Tokyo.

The district surrounding Ikebukuro Station is known for anime and entertainment, with plenty of anime shops, game centers, and themed cafes. In addition to Akihabara the ultimate Otaku haven, Ikebukuro is also known as the sanctuary of Otaku ladies. Most notable of all must be the “Sunshine City” and “Otome Road”. In addition to various clothing stores and restaurants, Sunshine City also has many pilgrimage sites for Otakus, such as NAMJATOWN the indoor amusement park, “Gashapon Department” with over 3,000 capsule toy vending machines, and the super-cute and dreamy “Sanrio Cafe” often appearing on Instagram. In the eastern part of Sunshine City, there are many must-visit shops for Otaku ladies on “Otome Road”. For example, “animate” the anime shop or “ACOS” the Cosplay store, Butler cafe, etc.

There are also aquariums, indoor theme parks, planetariums, and more in the surrounding area. Therefore, visitors of all ages can definitely have a lot of fun from it.

The first country park in Japan, Inokashira Park is home to a tranquil lake, lush forests, and natural trails. You may rent a boat from Inokashira Lake in the middle of the park. During Springtime, the park is one of the popular cherry blossom viewing destinations. Every spring, the lake would be surrounded by cherry blossoms. It is a pleasure to come during the cherry blossom season, view the beautiful flowers, and picnic under the cherry blossom tree. There are also markets hosted on holidays. In the market, you may find artists selling their original products, performing live shows, etc. It is a perfect place to relax and enjoy nature.

Adjacent to the park is the Ghibli Museum where a collection of characters produced by animation grandmaster Hayao Miyazaki are displayed, such as Totoro the mystical animal, robots in Castle in the Sky, and many more. Many visitors are attracted to the museum. Stepping into the museum, it is as if the visitors are invited into the animated world of Miyazaki. You may find scenes of his animation everywhere. The most popular of all must be the super-adorable Totoro ticketing booth, which always has a long queue of people lining up to take pictures. Tickets to the Ghibli Museum must be booked in advance on the official website.

Visually immersive experience has become popular in recent years. TeamLab which originated in Japan has also carried out several exhibitions overseas. For an original flavor of the experience, TeamLab Borderless located in Toyosu is something you cannot miss. This digital art exhibition asks the visitors to experience art with their bodies through lighting and lines, providing a stunning visual and interactive experience.

The exhibition consists of multiple sets of works, including a “sunfall” on slopes, soft black holes, an endless crystal universe, dancing with the koi fish, and a flora universe. Each piece allows visitors to immerse themselves completely in the work to become one, interacting with digital works, and capturing stunning photos.

Whether you are a die-hard fan of Gundam or not, the 1:1 ratio Gundam dynamic model exhibited in the Yokohama Coast area is definitely a check-in spot you cannot miss. With a height of 18 meters, the Gundam model can squat and simulate walking with the accompanying sound effect. It is definitely better to watch than a 4D movie. The physically 1: 1 ratio Gundam model is not the first in Japan. Since 2012, Bandai has built several Gundam models of 1:1 ratio around the world after the first of its kind made an appearance in Odaiba. But the 1:1 on display in the Yokohama Coast, RX-78f00, is the first to add full movable joints to the body of the machine, allowing the Gundam to do squats and simulate walking movements. The RX-78f00 is giant when looking from afar. It is active twice per hour to show different movements, with different sound and light effects.

It is worth mentioning that after the light is on at night, different visual effects can be seen. You may want to experience both styles by viewing it before nightfall. Gundam Factory Yokohama recently extended its exhibition period to March 31, 2024.