Taito City or Taitō is a district in northeastern Tokyo. Taito City is known for Ueno Park which is home to many world class museums, Tokyo’s largest Buddhist Temple, Senso-ji, and Ameyoko, a shopping street full of shops and restaurants. If you are traveling to Tokyo and looking for an authentic Japanese experience, this must visit district in Tokyo is full of historical landmarks, traditional shrines and temples, genuine Japanese food, with a lively atmosphere and bustling nightlife. Looking for fun things to do in Taito City? I spent three full days exploring Taito City and this post is a list of my recommendations and must visit places.
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Taito City, a historical district located in Tokyo’s northeast region is a district that is often overlooked. Travelers head to other parts of Tokyo like Shinjuku or Shibuya and may often take a day trip to Taito City to see a museum or Senso-ji. But after spending three days in Taito City and still not being able to see everything I had planned, this district deserves more time and attention. The list of things to do in Taito City below is a recommended list of must visit places and things to do in Taitō based on my experiences and research.
1. Ameyoko: Shopping and Food
Ameyoko, A lively shopping district in Ueno is full of shops, vendors, and restaurants.
Street markets in Japan are not as common as other parts in Asia. Early on, I was told that rent is so cheap in Japan that there really is not a need to be outside. But for those that do love markets, thankfully Ameyoko is just across the main street from the train station.
You can find all sorts of goodies from the street vendors here. Many food items can be found here, from Takoyaki to fresh seafood.
Besides food, there are many shops to brose through. You can find a lot of cheap goods here as well. Shops include everything from discount stores to pharmacies.
2. Explore the Temples and Nature at Ueno Park
Surprisingly, Tokyo has so many parks and natural areas to visit, Ueno Park is no exception. If you are looking for things to do in Taito City then I highly recommend the Ueno area and especially Ueno Park.
Ueno Park is home to the Ueno Zoo, museums, temples and shrines, walking paths, cafés, and so much more! You could spend almost an entire day walking the park and exploring the many attractions.
The Ueno Toshogu Shrine and the Fivefold Pagoda of Kan’ei-ji are a must visit temple in Ueno Park. Kiyomizu Kannon-do Temple and Shinoazunoike Benten-do are well worth visiting as well.
3. Nakamise-dori Street: Souvenirs and Local Goodies
One of the more popular and fun things to do in Taito City is walk Nakamise-dori to Senso-ji. If crowds are not your thing, you might want to find a different way to get to Senso-ji, because going up the center of Nakamise-dori is shoulder to shoulder traffic.
Nakamise-dori is between the famous Kaminarimon and Hozomon Gate of Senso-ji. This crowded street is full of fun souvenir shops and places selling Japanese treats on either side. It can seem overwhelming with the amount of shops and people here, but it’s all part of the experience. After all, would it really be Tokyo without all the people?
4. Nezu Shrine: Seasonal Flowers and Torii Gates
Technically in Bunkyo City and not in Taito City is Nezu Shrine but it’s within a 15-minute walking distance from Ueno Park and a must visit Shrine when in the area.
Nezu Shrine is considered one of the oldest in Japan and one of Tokyo’s prettiest and most visited. Nezu Shrine offers all the quintessential Japanese Shrine features you can think of. The bright red Torii Gates, ponds full of Koi Fish, a natural setting, and sense of peace and calmness.
Nezu Shrine is especially beautiful during the Spring season when thousands of Azaleas are in full bloom.
5. Sample Craft Beer
If like me, you are into craft beer and quickly do your research to see if there are any breweries, taprooms, or beerhalls in the area you are traveling to, then don’t worry, Taito City has all of the above!
Three beer related places we visited during our 3 days in Taitō include Yanaka Beer Hall, 2nd Cooper, and the Asahi Sky Room.
Yanaka Beer Hall is a taproom located in a traditional Japanese home. The atmosphere was notable and relaxing, I could have stayed here for hours. The beer on the other hand was just alright. They serve you typical Lagers, IPAs, and Stouts.
The Brewery on tap was called August Beer. The Yanaka Black and the August IPA were my favorites on tap.
2nd Cooper was our go to beer hall in the Ueno area. 2nd Cooper was a great place to visit at the end of the day to kind of reflect and relax. This beer hall had several beers on tap and a large variety of bottles and cans from beers around the world. They also serve bar food.
One beer place that we visited that was alright but felt like it was a must do thing in Tokyo was visiting the Asahi Sky Room. Finding this building was a little confusing. It’s located in Google Maps. Visitors need to take the elevator to the top floor. Here you can get a variety of Asahi Beers on tap. I ordered the Asahi Kuronama and rated it pretty high, it was good for an Asahi Beer.
6. Senso-ji: Tokyo's Largest Buddhist Temple
Tokyo’s most famous temple and largest Buddhist temple is Senso-ji. When visiting Tokyo, Japanese and foreigners flock to Nakamise-dori and Senso-ji.
If you’ve seen photos of Tokyo, you’ve seen photos of Kaminarimon or the “Thunder Gate.” This gate has a famous giant lantern that is popular in almost all photographs. After passing through Kaminarimon and walking past Nakamise-dori, the next gate is Hozomon. The main hall is Kannondo and is well worth walking up the stairs to see the inside. Gojunoto, the beautiful Pagoda towers above the walls on the west side.
If you are looking for must see things or things to do in Taito City, besides Ueno Park, Senso-ji in Asakusa cannot be missed.
7. Sit Down and Sample Food at a Local Izakaya
Want to experience a true Japanese sit down restaurant/bar that serves some of the best food in Japan? Then head to a local Izakaya just outside Ueno Station a block away from Ameyoko Shopping Street.
This area was lined with Izakaya’s and so many great looking ones to choose from. Many Izakaya’s in Ueno had English menus. Izakaya’s are the best way to sample small amounts of Japanese cuisine. This is especially nice when going with a group of people, you can order a cheap drink and plate after plate of delicious food.
We found an Izakaya we liked so much, we went twice!
8. Visit One or Many of the World-Famous Museum
Ueno Park is home to many of Japan’s best museums. Many people venture to Ueno just to visit the museums. You have the Tokyo National Museum, National Museum of Western Art, National Museum of Nature and Science, and the Shitamachi Museum.
While on our long three day weekend in the Ueno area, we visited the Tokyo National Museum and National Museum of Nature and Science.
The Tokyo National Museum is a must. You can potentially spend all day here. We spent about 3 hours here before realizing we still had a full schedule of other things to see and do around Taitō.
The Tokyo National Museum has an extensive collection of exhibits and items all related to Japan. I found the archaeology exhibit to be the most impressive. They also have rotating exhibits here.
The National Museum of Nature and Science was another good one where you can spend several hours in. I mainly came here to see Hachiko, the famous Akita who was known for his loyalty to his owner. But this museum had a nice collection of taxidermied animals from around the world, and other exhibits related to Japanese history, geology, and space.
9. Wait in Line and Enjoy the Views at Tokyo Sky Tree
Tokyo’s Skytree is technically not in Taito City, but it’s close enough. The Tokyo Skytree is a quick and easy walk from Senso-ji, so I recommend doing both attractions while in the area.
The Tokyo Skytree is the tallest structure in Tokyo, at 634 meters or around 2,080 ft. Visitors can take the elevator to the 450th Floor to receive the best views of Tokyo. I recommend coming in the late evening hours to see the city at night, it’s beautiful and mind blowing seeing how huge Tokyo really is.
Tokyo Skytree was up there with places I wanted to visit in Tokyo. I purchased tickets in advance for the Tembo Deck and Tembo Galleria. At the time of visiting (October, 2023) I purchased tickets for 17:00.
Unfortunately, the management of Skytree was very poor. We had to stay in line to get tickets, even though we already paid and had a time slot. Then we were herded like cattle through a maze toward the elevators. Once at the top, it was already so crowded with people there and groups of people getting off the elevators. Then when leaving we stood in line just to get on the elevator down. In the end, we stood in line longer then actually viewing the city which was kind of a let down.
Once we got a clear view of the city from Tokyo’s Skytree, the views were spectacular. At night, you can see city lights as far as the eye can see.
In the end, I am glad I visited Tokyo’s Skytree, the views were incredible but the management and lines were horrible. If you are looking for things to do in Tokyo. Maybe visit the Skytree at a random time on a random day.
10. Walk Through Yanaka Ginza
Yanaka Ginza is a must when visiting the Ueno area. Roughly a 20-minute walk from Ueno Park or a 5-minute walk from Nippori Station, this popular shopping street is full of fun local shops, food vendors, and cafés.
Yanaka Ginza has an old town feel to it yet it is located in the middle of a residential area. I believe this area is also know as cat alley. Many of the shops here are cat themed and there were cat statues scattered throughout Yanaka Ginza.
Aside from shops and cafés, there were Sake Breweries offering locally made Sake and liquor stores with locally crafted beer.
Conclusion
Taito City, offers a nice variety of activities and attractions for anyone visiting the Taitō District of Tokyo. From must visit museums to Tokyo’s biggest Buddhist Temple – Senso-ji, there is something for everyone. Plan at least a two day visit to Taito City to see what Ueno and Asakusa has to offer. Taito City is a must visit district of Tokyo and should not be overlooked.
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