Tokyo
Tokyo is Japan's capital and largest city, known for dense neighborhoods, temples such as Senso-ji, founded in 645, and a rail network that covers most of the city.
We may earn a commission. It never decides our picks.
Tokyo is the capital of Japan and its largest city, sitting on Tokyo Bay in central Honshu. The Tokyo Metropolis, as the region is officially called, includes 23 central wards, the Tama area to the west and island chains in the Pacific to the south. The central wards hold several of the best-known sights: the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Senso-ji temple in Asakusa, and the crossings and shopping streets of Shibuya and Shinjuku, all reached by train.
Tokyo suits a first trip built around food, shrines, gardens and museums. Edo-mae sushi takes its name from the fishing grounds of Edo Bay. The climate is humid subtropical, with hot, humid summers and cool winters, so spring and autumn are the most comfortable months for walking. Plan several days for the central wards, and add time for the Tama area or the islands, which need a ferry or flight.
Tokyo in five
- Base on the line you will use mostShinjuku for trips west to Hakone and Fuji, Tokyo Station for the shinkansen, Asakusa for the direct airport line.Where to stay in Tokyo
- Fly into Haneda if you canHaneda is 15–30 minutes from central Tokyo by train. Narita takes about an hour, so late arrivals there cost you the evening.
- Put Suica on your phone before you landIt works on every train, bus and most convenience stores. Top it up in the wallet app and skip the ticket machines.Money in Japan
- Sensō-ji before 8am, Shibuya after darkThe temple is calm at dawn and the crossing is at its best at dusk. Swap the order and you get the crowds at both.Asakusa at dawn
- Day-trip, don't move hotelsKamakura, Hakone and Nikko are each two hours or less by train. Keep one base and travel light.Hakone: day trip or overnight
Neighborhoods
Where to stay in Tokyo, the full guide
Shinjuku
- Best for: First trip, nightlife, Hakone and Fuji
- To airport: Haneda 35–50 min, Narita 80–90 min by N'EX
- Price band: $$
- JR, Odakyu, Keio and three subway lines meet at one station
- Omoide Yokochō and Golden Gai within a 10-minute walk
- Romancecar to Hakone and highway buses to Fuji leave from here
Skip if the world's busiest station sounds like a chore with a suitcase.
We may earn a commission. It never decides our picks.
Asakusa
- Best for: Culture, early risers, budget
- To airport: Direct on the Asakusa line: Haneda about 45 min, Narita about 60 min
- Price band: $–$$
- Sensō-ji and Nakamise on the doorstep, empty before 8am
- Sumida River walks with views of Skytree
- Quiet after 9pm, with few late bars
Skip if you want nightlife outside your door.
We may earn a commission. It never decides our picks.
Need to know
- Airport
- Haneda (HND) 15–30 min to central Tokyo. Narita (NRT) about 60 min by Skyliner or N'EX
- Transit card
- Suica or PASMO, on your phone or as a card
- Hotel tax
- ¥100–200 per person, per night, on rooms from ¥10,000; 3% of the rate from April 2027
- Emergency
- 110 police, 119 fire and ambulance
- Late trains
- Most last trains leave between midnight and 12:30am
Weather by month
- Rainy days
- Festival
- Best
- Good
- Mixed
- JanuaryClear6 rainy daysHigh10°Low2°Cold, clearJanuaryClear
Good
- High
- 10°
- Low
- 2°
- Precipitation
- 55 mm
- Rainy days
- 6
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Cold, clear
- FebruaryPartly cloudy7 rainy daysHigh11°Low3°Plum blossomFebruaryPartly cloudy
Good
- High
- 11°
- Low
- 3°
- Precipitation
- 52 mm
- Rainy days
- 7
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Plum blossom
- MarchRain13 rainy daysHigh15°Low7°Blossom startsMarchRain
Good
- High
- 15°
- Low
- 7°
- Precipitation
- 152 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Blossom starts
- AprilRain12 rainy daysHigh19°Low11°Blossom, busyAprilRain
Best
- High
- 19°
- Low
- 11°
- Precipitation
- 140 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Blossom, busy
- MayRain12 rainy daysHigh23°Low16°Golden WeekMayRain
Best
- High
- 23°
- Low
- 16°
- Precipitation
- 161 mm
- Rainy days
- 12
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Golden Week
- JuneRain14 rainy daysHigh26°Low20°Rainy seasonJuneRain
Best
- High
- 26°
- Low
- 20°
- Precipitation
- 186 mm
- Rainy days
- 14
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Rainy season
- JulyRain16 rainy daysHigh30°Low24°Hot, humidJulyRain
Mixed
- High
- 30°
- Low
- 24°
- Precipitation
- 192 mm
- Rainy days
- 16
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hot, humid
- AugustRain15 rainy daysHigh31°Low26°HottestAugustRain
Mixed
- High
- 31°
- Low
- 26°
- Precipitation
- 150 mm
- Rainy days
- 15
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Hottest
- SeptemberRain15 rainy daysHigh28°Low23°Typhoon riskSeptemberRain
Good
- High
- 28°
- Low
- 23°
- Precipitation
- 216 mm
- Rainy days
- 15
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Typhoon risk
- OctoberRain13 rainy daysHigh22°Low16°Clear, mildOctoberRain
Best
- High
- 22°
- Low
- 16°
- Precipitation
- 207 mm
- Rainy days
- 13
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Clear, mild
- NovemberPartly cloudy9 rainy daysHigh17°Low11°Ginkgo goldNovemberPartly cloudy
Best
- High
- 17°
- Low
- 11°
- Precipitation
- 92 mm
- Rainy days
- 9
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Ginkgo gold
- DecemberClear7 rainy daysHigh12°Low5°Lights, coldDecemberClear
Good
- High
- 12°
- Low
- 5°
- Precipitation
- 54 mm
- Rainy days
- 7
- Snowy days
- 0
- Days with storms
- 0
Lights, cold
Average daily high and low in Tokyo, 2016–2025. Rainy day: 1 mm of rain or more.
Festivals: May Kanda Matsuri, Sanja Matsuri · Jun Sannō Matsuri · Jul Tokyo Idol Festival · Aug Fukagawa Matsuri, Kōenji Awa Odori, Jingu Fireworks Festival, Tokyo Idol Festival
Right now in Tokyo
Local time, today's weather and the exchange rate, refreshed through the day.
13
- Feels like
- 12°
- Humidity
- 83%
- Wind
- 5 km/h
- Chance of rain
- 2%
Tokyo
05:06 AM
Tuesday, November 3
- Today19°12°2%Tuesday: Cloudy. High 19°, Low 12°. Chance of rain 2%.
- Wed15°13°27%Wednesday: Rain. High 15°, Low 13°. Chance of rain 27%.
- Thu19°13°93%Thursday: Rain. High 19°, Low 13°. Chance of rain 93%.
- Fri21°14°27%Friday: Cloudy. High 21°, Low 14°. Chance of rain 27%.
- Sat17°11°25%Saturday: Cloudy. High 17°, Low 11°. Chance of rain 25%.
- Sun15°9°8%Sunday: Cloudy. High 15°, Low 9°. Chance of rain 8%.
Updated 03:15 AM local time · Powered by WeatherAPI.com · Weather data by Open-Meteo.com
Money
Mid-market rate1 USD = 157.5 JPY
Rates from Nov 2, 2026 · Rates By Exchange Rate API
Coming up
- Tokyo Dome · concertStray Kids World Tour "RUN IT"Nov 6 – 8, 2026 · Rooms near the venue
- Tokyo Dome · concertENHYPEN World Tour 'BLOOD SAGA'Dec 1 – 2, 2026 · Rooms near the venue
- TokyoGrand Sumo in TokyoJan 10 – 24, 2027 · Read the event guide
- Belluna Dome (Seibu Dome) · concertBruno Mars The Romantic TourJan 15 – 28, 2027 · Rooms near the venue
Every year
- AprShingen-ko FestivalFuji Five Lakes, a day trip
- MayKanda MatsuriTokyo
- MaySanja MatsuriTokyo
- JunSannō MatsuriTokyo
- Jul–AugTokyo Idol FestivalTokyo
- AugFukagawa MatsuriTokyo
- AugKōenji Awa OdoriTokyo
- AugJingu Fireworks FestivalTokyo
Day trips by train
Day trips from Tokyo, the full guide- KamakuraAbout 1 hr JR Yokosuka line from TokyoThe Great Buddha, hillside temples and a beach walk. Go on a weekday.Read the guide
- Hakone75–90 min Odakyu Romancecar from ShinjukuOnsen, the ropeway over Ōwakudani and Lake Ashi. Stay one night if you can.Read the guide
- NikkoAbout 2 hr Tobu limited express from AsakusaTōshō-gū's carved shrines and the waterfalls above town. Leave by 8am.Read the guide
- Fuji Five LakesAbout 2 hr by train or highway bus from ShinjukuLake Kawaguchi and the Fuji views. Clear mornings from October to February are best.Read the guide
Before you go to Tokyo
We may earn a commission. It never decides our picks.
Rules for Tokyo, checked
- Check entry requirements on the Immigration Services Agency of Japan website before you fly, and complete any arrival procedures it lists for your route.Source
- Declare meat, plants and cash above the declaration threshold on arrival. Check the Japan Customs website before you pack any medicine, since some common ones are restricted.Source
- Many onsen and public bathhouses refuse guests with visible tattoos, so check the rules at each place before you go.
- Smoke only in designated areas. Many Tokyo wards ban smoking on the street, so check where you can smoke before you walk.
All Tokyo guides
Things to doBest day trips from Tokyo by train: eight options ranked by effortHead to headNikkō, Hakone or Kamakura: which Tokyo day trip should you pick?Where to stayWhere to stay around Tokyo: five bases for day trips and onsen nights
CultureWhy Sensō-ji hands out so many bad fortunes
Trip ideaThree long weekends from Tokyo by rail, none of them Kyoto
Photo essayAsakusa before the shops open: 5am to 8am in forty frames
Where to stayWhere to stay in Tokyo: six areas compared by airport and evening
Things to doAsakusa at dawn: an early walking route before the crowds arrivePlan around Tokyo
Entry, money, rail passes and the best time to go
Read the guideAsakusaOld east Tokyo, quiet before 8am and after dark
Read the guideShinjukuThe station, the bars and the free night view
Read the guideHakoneOnsen, lake and a Fuji view from Shinjuku
Read the guideMoney in JapanCash, cards and Suica on your phone
Read the guideTokyo FAQ
Where should I stay in Tokyo on a first trip?
Shinjuku if you want nightlife and trains west, Asakusa if you want quiet mornings and a direct line to both airports. Both put most sights within 30 minutes.
Haneda or Narita?
Haneda, when the fare is close. It is 15–30 minutes from central Tokyo. Narita is about an hour away by Skyliner or N'EX, and more by bus.
How many days do I need in Tokyo?
Three full days covers the main neighborhoods. Add one day for each day trip, such as Kamakura or Hakone.
Do I need a JR Pass for Tokyo?
No. Most of your riding in Tokyo is on the subway and private lines, which the pass does not cover. Use Suica and pay as you go.
Tokyo or Osaka: which should I visit first?
Tokyo for scale and the widest choice of neighborhoods and day trips. Osaka for food, a looser pace and easy trips to Kyoto and Nara. Most first trips do both, joined by a shinkansen of about 2.5 hours.