Explore a different side of Tokyo

   23.09.2026    Updated: Cameron Hagan

One of my favourite evenings in Tokyo was spent on a traditional riverboat, eating seafood and laughing alongside Japanese families. The staff were bubbly and enthusiastic, the whole evening ran effortlessly, and there was a warmth to the experience that stayed with me long after we returned to our hotel.

It was one of several moments during my September visit that revealed a different side of Tokyo. Over three full days, I explored quiet temple grounds, visited a sake brewery and watched birds in a Japanese garden as they sang and danced together. I also made time for Shinjuku’s tucked away bars and the famous Shibuya Crossing, but some of my strongest memories came from places beyond those familiar names.

For anyone hoping to explore Tokyo off the beaten path, there is plenty of scope to give the capital an extra day or two in your Japan itinerary. Whether you enjoy history, gardens or discovering a destination through its food, Tokyo rewards a little curiosity. These were the experiences that made the greatest impression on me, and the ones I would consider when planning a stay beyond the usual highlights.

Cameron is a marketing executive for TransIndus, the UK's leading Asia specialists.

Discover old Tokyo in Shibamata

Shibamata was one of the most welcoming neighbourhoods we visited. Its streets had a friendly, leisurely feel, and I enjoyed simply walking around in our small group. The traditional shops and restaurants on the approach to the temple give you a reason to take your time before reaching the main attraction.

For visitors looking for old Tokyo beyond the more familiar Asakusa (a different historic district), Shibamata is an appealing place to explore. There is enough to hold your interest without making the morning feel like a succession of major sights. A neighbourhood walk allows space for the smaller details that can disappear when you are following a packed schedule.

At its heart is Shibamata Taishakuten, a Buddhist temple particularly known for its elaborate wooden carvings. The workmanship and attention to detail were flawless, with the garden adding to the sense of calm in and around the temple. Everyone in attendance understood and respected this tranquility; save for a few twittering birds, you could hear a pin drop when walking around. Together, they made this one of the most relaxing visits of the trip.

I could imagine this working especially well near the beginning or end of a Japan holiday, when a gentler morning might be welcome. Allow time for the streets around the temple as well as the temple itself. The pleasure of Shibamata lies partly in how easily the two fit together. Depending on traffic and where your hotel is, you can expect a 45-60 minute drive to Shibamata.

See Tokyo from the water on a Yakatabune dinner cruise

Our first evening brought one of the trip’s highlights: dinner aboard a Yakatabune, a traditional Japanese pleasure boat with a banquet-style dining space. These boats have roots in the leisure culture of the Edo period, and today offer a wonderfully sociable way to spend an evening on Tokyo’s waterways. The boat’s internal décor was bright and striking, perfectly setting up the mood for the evening.

The seafood was superb, drinks were included on the cruise, and the staff brought considerable energy to the evening. What I particularly enjoyed was sharing the atmosphere with Japanese families who were clearly having as much fun as we were. Eating and laughing together gave the experience a sense of occasion without making it feel formal.

A dinner cruise also gives you a different perspective on the capital. Having spent the day moving between places on land, taking to the water changes the pace and opens up the city around you. It makes a satisfying evening activity in its own right, with dinner and sightseeing woven together. One highlight was seeing the 634-metre Tokyo Skytree illuminated in the dark while outside on the top deck of the Yakatabune, towering over the rest of Tokyo.

For me, this experience would be a strong addition to a Tokyo itinerary for travellers who enjoy convivial meals. What stayed with me was how quickly the boat became a shared occasion. I would choose this for an evening when you want something lively rather than purely scenic.

Interested in a culinary tour of Japan? Check out our Taste of Japan escorted group tour.

Slow down in Kiyosumi Gardens

Kiyosumi Gardens was among my favourite nature experiences in Tokyo. The scenery was beautiful, the atmosphere exceptionally peaceful, and the walk offered an opportunity to slow down - seldom found at home. The smell of fresh air coupled with the sunny day added to the serenity.

The wildlife gave us plenty of reasons to pause. We saw herons, a kingfisher and turtles, along with other musical birds. For anyone interested in nature or photography, these encounters add another dimension to the garden: you can appreciate its design while also watching what is happening around the water.

I would recommend setting aside time here even if gardens are not normally the focus of your holidays. After several busy days, a place where you can walk without hurrying can be particularly rewarding. You do not need to fill every hour in Tokyo with a major attraction.

For keen gardeners and bird enthusiasts, Kiyosumi deserves more than a brief stop between appointments. Leave enough room in the day to linger – you do not need all day, just a few unhurried hours. Of all the places we visited, this was one where I most appreciated being able to pay attention to the surroundings rather than think about where we were going next.

Explore western Tokyo at Jindaiji Temple

Our day in western Tokyo introduced a landscape that felt far removed from the capital’s better-known streets. Jindaiji Temple, surrounded by greenery, provided a peaceful contrast to the busy city centre. The complex felt intimate, and there were relatively few tourists during our visit.

I liked its manageable scale. You could enjoy the grounds without needing a lengthy visit, and the natural setting was an important part of the attraction. For travellers who appreciate smaller religious sites, it offers a gentle way to include another aspect of Tokyo.

The area is also well known for Jindaiji soba. Soba noodles are thin Japanese noodles made from buckwheat flour, which have a firmer texture than noodles you may have at home. We went to a lovely little restaurant with an intimate family feel and cosy interior décor to try these renowned soba noodles. I was not disappointed!

Visit Ishikawa Brewery for a Tokyo sake experience

The Ishikawa Brewery tour was a real standout. I loved learning about how the sake brewing process differs to wine and beer; the visit offered something distinct from the winery and brewery tours many western travellers will have experienced before.

For example, "seed koji" is added to steamed rice to grow the active koji, which produces enzymes that convert rice starch into the fermentable sugars that yeast needs to create alcohol. This is where it differs from wine, as grapes used in wine naturally produce the exact same simple sugars that seed koji creates from rice starches. This is precisely why seed koji is needed in producing sake - to unlock the sugars which rice cannot produce on its own.

There is particular pleasure in exploring a familiar part of a country’s food and drink culture in greater depth. Sake appears on restaurant menus throughout a Japan holiday, but a dedicated visit gives it time and an opportunity to understand, which a hurried choice over dinner rarely allows.

Walk beside the river at Mitake Gorge

Later, we visited Mitake Gorge, where the Tama River runs through a landscape of woodland and rock. The stretch we walked was peaceful and gentle, with attractive gardens in the small settlements along the way. On the river, people were enjoying white-water rafting, bringing a playful and joyous note to the scenery.

I enjoyed the gorge, although it was not my personal highlight of the trip. Its value for me was the opportunity to spend time outdoors and see how different rural Tokyo can feel from the city centre. That distinction matters when choosing what to include in a limited stay.

If you enjoy riverside walks and want a day with more greenery, Mitake is worth discussing with our travel specialists as part of your plans. If your time in Japan already includes extensive countryside exploration, you may prefer to use your Tokyo days for other experiences in and around the city that draw your interest.

Enjoy a sumo experience

Our sumo experience was one of the most entertaining parts of the visit. The wrestlers were friendly and welcoming, and encouraged participation in a way that made the option feel comfortable. The experience was very well run and plenty of fun.

Lunch introduced us to chanko nabe, the hot-pot dish which is synonymous with sumo training and lifestyle. Combining the meal with the activity brought another aspect of the sport into the experience.

My advice would be to arrive willing to get involved, to whatever extent feels comfortable. Much of the enjoyment came from the interaction with the wrestlers and their ability to put people at ease. It was the kind of occasion where a little enthusiasm was greatly rewarded. It’s also worth mentioning that the wrestlers were incredibly careful when demonstrating their skills with volunteers!

For travellers who enjoy a more participatory cultural activity and want to learn more about Japan's national sport, it could bring a welcome change from walking tours and temple visits.

Make time for the Edo Tokyo Museum

The Edo-Tokyo Museum really impressed me. It was fascinating, much larger than a quick stop could do justice to, and full of material about the city’s past and how citizens have lived throughout different generations. I spent an hour here due to our busy itinerary, but for anyone with a deep interest in history, I would recommend two if time allows. There was enough to absorb that I could happily have spent an extra hour looking around.

The opportunity to learn about and visualise life in Edo and the development of Tokyo helped connect the places we had been visiting. A temple, a traditional neighbourhood or an evening on the river becomes more interesting when you can place it within a broader understanding of the city. It is clear that the displays, audio guides, and interactive exhibitions were created with great care and even greater pride.

What appealed to me was the ability to explore everyday life alongside the wider story of Tokyo. History becomes easier to relate to when you can see how people lived and how their surroundings changed.

If history is a particular interest, consider making the museum a substantial part of a day. I would be reluctant to squeeze it into the last available slot between other activities. Of all the visits on our programme, this was the one that most clearly deserved more time.

An evening in Shinjuku and Shibuya

We explored the Shinjuku district independently one evening, finding tiny bars with a great atmosphere. The bar we visited had banknotes from a variety of countries – presumably from visitors – and had a capacity of just 8 people on each floor, with the bartender passing up pints to the upstairs customers through a hole in the ceiling!

I would leave some free time in your itinerary for this sort of late evening discovery if it suits your interests. A guided programme can introduce you to places you might otherwise miss, while an unscheduled evening gives you freedom to follow your curiosity. The excellent public transport system in Japan makes it very easy to explore on your own - just be wary that public transport does not always run all night, so check when the last service is online in advance.

We also visited Shibuya Crossing, which was quieter than expected but that could be due to visiting on a Monday night. Even Tokyo’s most recognisable sights have their own rhythms. If you want to see the real chaos of the Shibuya Crossing, our guide recommended visiting between 5-8pm on weekdays, during rush hour. Speak to your TransIndus specialist and they can weave in a visit during peak times around your schedule and interests.

Choose a restful base for your Tokyo holiday

Our base was The Prince Sakura Tower Tokyo. I also inspected the nearby Takanawa Hanakohro, which is connected to The Prince Sakura Tower by the communal garden area. The spacious rooms and beautiful gardens (pictured above) stood out, as well as the authentic ryokan-style rooms at Takanawa Hanakohro which are hard to find in central Tokyo. After busy days of visits and evening meals, that sense of space was something I particularly appreciated.

The hotel experience belongs in the same conversation as the sightseeing. Rest is important on any holiday, so returning somewhere with greenery and room to unwind can make a meaningful difference. It is worth thinking about how you want your mornings and evenings to feel, as well as which places you want to see. Our TransIndus consultants can help find the perfect stay for you – from boutique homestays, to grand hotels, to ryokan-style escapes.

Plan your own Tokyo adventure with TransIndus

My strongest recommendations from this trip would be the Yakatabune evening, Ishikawa Brewery, Kiyosumi Gardens and the Edo-Tokyo Museum. Shibamata would also be high on my list for a quieter morning, while the sumo show would suit travellers keen to get a hands-on experience.

You could shape a stay around history and gardens, or give food and drink more prominence with a brewery visit and memorable meals. Western Tokyo offers another option for those who would enjoy time beside a river and a change of scenery. The key is to allow each experience enough time, including the journeys between them.

At TransIndus, we can help you choose the experiences that best suit your interests and bring them together within a tailor-made Japan holiday. Explore our luxury Japan holidays and speak to our specialists about making Tokyo a rewarding part of your journey, with time for the places you have always wanted to see and a few discoveries of your own.

Finally, I owe a great thank you to the Tokyo tourism board, who facilitated my journey to discover a different side of this hugely rewarding city, as well as our outstanding guide, Yuka. Arigato Gozaimasu!

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