Free Things-to-do in Tokyo that we enjoyed

Tokyo is such a sprawling Metropolis and there are so many things to do here that you can spend days exploring the city. In our 3 days there, we feel that we were able to experience a lot of things and also realised that so many of them were free. As always we share based on our own experience and in the spirit of the same, this post is not a laundry list of free things to do in Tokyo but those that we enjoyed and didn’t feel were a waste of time.

1. Senso-ji Temple – a Buddhist temple in Asakusa, it’s one of the oldest temples in Tokyo. It’s bright, beautiful and well maintained and it was, for us a new experience visiting a Buddhist temple. It was really crowded though when we visited late morning so suggest you to find out the off-peak timings and visit then.
2. Meiji Shrine aka Meiji Jingu – is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife empress Shōken located in Shibuya. We loved the evergreen forest cover and the peacefulness of the place.
3. Hamarikyu Gardens – is a public park located at the mouth of the Sumida river. We enjoyed strolling in the park with beautiful yellow flowers and cherry blossom/sakura trees which were just starting to bud and flower.

1. Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building aka Tocho – located in Shinjuku, is the HQ of Tokyo Metropolitan Government but that’s not the attraction. The best part is that you can go up to the observation deck on the 45th floor, for free. And enjoy a 360 view of the sprawling Tokyo city. If the day is clear you can see as far as Mount Fuji and catch an amazing sunset.
2. Shibuya Crossing – you might think what the big fuss is about. But we enjoyed watching all the people cross at the same time. Mostly everyone was in a hurry and we crossed a few times, along with everyone else just for the fun of it – being part of the whole crowd and making timelapse videos. To let you know, there’s a Starbucks right across the crossing where people go to watch the crossings. If you can grab a seat by the window you can enjoy it while sipping a drink.
3. Takeshita Street – is a pedestrian shopping street in Harajuku. When we arrived and looked at the street from a slight elevation it seemed like it was bursting at the seams and there was no more place for any more people to enter. So we took a deep breath and walked-in. Turned out to be a sensory pleasure albeit an overloaded one. Here you can buy everything from beret caps, cute socks to knick-knacks and when you get tired and hungry, we suggest you have the Crepes with ice-cream from Sweet Box – no we insist!
4. Akihabara – If you’re an Anime or electronics aficionado, this place is for you. Just walking around in the area you’ll spot all sorts of games, actions figures and collectibles from Manga and others. If you’re not a fan, that’s fine – just go and witness this side of Japan as well.
5. Ginza – although it’s a shopping district with many upmarket stores, we enjoyed window shopping and strolling along the street – because on the weekends, the main road becomes a pedestrian only street and no vehicles are allowed.

We hope this post was useful and gives your some ideas for planning your own travels to Tokyo. See our full Japan trip itinerary here.