Whether you fly to Tokyo for three days or three weeks, during any one of the city’s four beautiful seasons, these are the best free things to do in Tokyo.
1. Bathe in the neon lights
Lots of images come to mind when you think of Tokyo, but the majority of them include neon signs. A free way to see Tokyo at its fluorescent best is by walking down the streets of Shinjuku, Kabukicho or Yasukuni Dori. However, Politely decline if someone in Kabukicho tries to talk you into visiting its Robot Restaurant, which is definitely not free.
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2. Get lost in the world’s busiest train station
Another advantage of making Shinjuku the first stop on your quest to find free things to do in Tokyo is that it’s home to the JR Shinjuku station. You don’t need to buy a ticket to marvel at the tens of thousands of hourly commuters in this station, which boasts more than 200 entrances and exits.
TIP: If you have a Japan Rail Pass you can also enter the secure area free-of-charge, and get a closer look at the serpentine web of train tracks that weave together inside the station.
3. Make an urban pilgrimage
Tokyo is perhaps the world’s most modern city, but there’s plenty of history and heritage to be appreciated here as well. Ride the subway to Asakusa, home to the 7th-century Senso-ji Temple that’s attracted pilgrims to Tokyo since it was known as Edo and even before. Or, head to the Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, where you can also appreciate the rich history.
4. Admire the wicked style of Harajuku Girls
Gwen Stefani took some flack for her portrayal of Japanese culture during her short-lived career, but she was dead-on about the striking style of the so-called Harajuku girls. While they’re fewer in number than they used to be, your best bet for seeing someone dressed in “Gothic Lolita” style is to stroll down Takeshita Street, which is home to lots of other unique characters, to say the least.
5. Take Tokyo’s most iconic selfie
Shinjuku is the most famous district in Tokyo to see neon lights, but the most iconic single attraction in the city is the Shibuya Crossing located near the train and metro station of the same name. Whether or not you take a selfie at this famous (and famously busy!), diagonal crosswalk, it’s one of the top free things to do in Tokyo.
6. Watch a world-famous tuna auction
It would be tempting to assume that attending a tuna auction at Tsukiji Fish Market is expensive, on account of its “must-see” status for many travelers. In fact, the only thing you need to spend is your time, specifically waking up around three a.m. so that you can arrive at the tuna office before four and nab a spot in line!
7. Unleash your inner anime fanboy (or girl!)
Even if you don’t geek out in a Manga shop, dine at a Maid Café or pose for a pic with a guy in a Pikachu costume. Tokyo’s anime hub Akihabara deserves a visit. Like Shinjuku and Shibuya, Akihabara is at its most photogenic after night has fallen, which makes sense when you consider that its name means “Electric Town” when translated to English.
8. Stroll through a Japanese garden
Just as Tokyo is home to more history than you’d imagine, it also has an almost unbelievable quantity of green space. From the public areas of the Imperial Palace, whose canals are particularly beautiful during the Sakura season in spring, to the lush Koishikawa Garden and its picturesque pagoda, Tokyo is far from a concrete jungle.
(NOTE: If you want to be really Japanese and carry a colored parasol as you walk, you might have to shell out some yen!)
9.Visit the (fake) Statue of Liberty
If you can get past the fact that Tokyo’s Statue of Liberty is fake, visiting it is a worthy use of your time. Including this as one of Tokyo’s free attractions necessitates walking across the Rainbow Bridge to Odaiba Island (as opposed to paying for a ticket on a futuristic, driverless train), but you’ll find that the effect pays off when you see a statue of the robot Gundam not far from Lady Liberty’s Japanese replica.
10. See all of Tokyo—and Mt. Fuji
Tokyo has hundreds of skyscrapers and therefore dozens of viewpoints, but many of them unfortunately cost money. The good news? One of the best—the Shinjuku Metropolitan Government Building—is free, although you will have to pay if you want to enjoy a beverage in its rooftop restaurant. On clear days, you can even see Mt. Fuji beyond Tokyo’s seemingly endless skyline!
11. Looking for more free fun in Tokyo?
In spite of being massive, Tokyo is also incredibly easy to explore, on account of the walk-ability of its various neighborhoods and the vast, efficient railway lines that connect them. If you’ve got a few hours to blow before you head to Narita or Haneda airport to catch your return flight to the United States, just get lost
(We mean that in a friendly way, of course.)
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