PenCities

Top Sights

• Hara Museum of Contemporary Art
  Housed in an elegant former residence built in 1938, the collection is a rich cross-section of international works from 1950 onward. Enjoy the sculpture garden over lunch in the Arata Isozaki-designed café.
  
  Kita Shinagawa 4-7-25, Shinagawa-ku
  (81-3) 3445 0651 haramuseum.or.jp
  
• Happo-en
  On weekdays, you can book a traditional tea ceremony at the Muan Teahouse, and enjoy a stroll through the extensive Japanese gardens, with or without lunch or dinner included.
  
  Shirokanedai 1-1-1, Minato-ku
  Tel: (81-3) 3443 3111
• Kabuki, Bunraku, and Noh Performances
  The stylised movements and elaborate costumery of Japan’s traditional performing arts make for a truly local and unique experience. Shinbashi Enbujo is home to kabuki performances, while the Japan Arts Council site provides listings for noh and bunraku shows at various national theatres.
   
  Shinbashi Enbujo Theatre
  Ginza 6-18-2, Chuo-ku
  (81-3 ) 3541 2600  kabuki-bito.jp
  Japan Arts Council  www.ntj.jac.go.jp
  
• Meiji Shrine
  Anchoring the high-end fashion front of Omotesando is this heavily wooded Shinto shrine, a favourite oasis of birdwatchers and nature lovers.
  
  Shibuya-ku, at Harajuku and Meiji-jingumae stations
  (81-3) 3379 5511 meijijingu.or.jp
  
• Metropolitan Gardens
  Nine historical landscaped gardens – the former estates of shogun, feudal lords, and other magnates – dot the city, giving respite to photography buffs and all who visit.
  
  teien.tokyo-park.or.jp
  
• Musée Tomo
  Dramatically atmospheric, this is the finest place in the city for viewing contemporary ceramic art. The permanent holdings, from the famed Kikuchi Tomo Collection, rotate regularly.
  
  Toranomon 4-1-35, Minato-ku
  (81-3) 5733 5131  musee-tomo.or.jp
• Mitsukoshi Food Floor
  Japan’s oldest department store, Mitsukoshi is the Harrods of Tokyo. The basement food floor of the Ginza branch should not be missed.
  
  B1-B2/F, Mitsukoshi Department Store, Ginza 4-6-16, Chuo-ku
  Tel: (81-3) 3562 1111
• Nezu Museum
  One of the city’s most beloved oases, Nezu Museum invites with a strolling garden and celebrated holdings in Eastern art that include several National Treasures and dozens of Important Cultural Properties. Surrounded by trees yet filled with natural light, the Nezu Café is a relaxing place for lunch or tea.
  
  Minami Aoyama 6-5-1, Minato-ku
  (81-3) 3400 2536  nezu-muse.or.jp
• Nihon Mingeikan
  Unique among Tokyo museums for its dedication to works of beauty by anonymous artisans, The Japan Folk Crafts Museum is subdued, unpretentious, and exquisitely tasteful – don’t miss it.
  
  Komaba 4-3-33, Meguro-ku
  (81-3) 3467 4527 mingeikan.x0.com
  
• Ota Memorial Museum of Art
  This intimate gallery is dedicated to showing ukiyo-e masterpieces from the birth of the tradition onward.
  
  Jingumae 1-10-10, Shibuya-ku
  (81-3) 3403 0880  ukiyoe-ota-muse.jp
  
• Tokyo Sky Tree Info Plaza
  Tokyo Sky Tree is  the world's tallest free-standing communications tower and the tallest structure in Japan at 634 metres (2,080 feet).
  
  Mukojima 1-33-12, Sumida-ku
  Tel: (81-3) 6658 8012   tokyo-skytree.jp
  
• Ueno Park Museums
  Art, culture, and history buffs should allow ample time for Ueno Park, where the world’s largest collection of Japanese art can be seen at the Tokyo National Museum, a complex including the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures by MoMA architect Yoshio Taniguchi. Also within the park are Le Corbusier’s National Museum of Western Art and the National Museum of Nature and Science, with plenty of hands-on exhibits for kids.
  
  Ueno Koen 7-20, Taito-ku
  +81 3 3822 0111 www.kahaku.go.jp