Three top things to do in Tokyo

1. Matcha tea ceremony at the Nezu museum 

You want to arrive at the museum at about 11am. When you do, head straight into the gardens and get a ticket for a timed slot at the tea place. Wander around the gardens and the small but well-curated museum until it’s time. The service is quite casual but very nicely done. The tea is frothed well and the sweets are seasonal; when I last went the irises were in bloom, so the sweets were shaped like irises. 

2. the sumo

A classic Japanese experience! There are six tournaments a year, each lasting for 15 days. Tickets go on sale about 3 months beforehand, and go quite quickly. You probably don’t want to sit in the more expensive seats, which are essentially square cushions; get the Western chair-seats further back. There is some great merch; I have a towel with Shodai on it, and a signed handprint by Asanoyama. 

If you aren’t there at the right time, it’s also possible to book to watch a sumo practice early in the morning. This is meant to be amazing, because you are so close to the wrestlers and can feel the force as they clash. 

3. Cocktails at the New York bar

The New York bar of the Park Hyatt hotel is the bar where Bill Murray and Scarlet Johansson spend a lot of Lost in Translation. It’s got a great view, great drinks and a real buzz. From 5:30pm to 6:30pm there is no cover charge (¥3k, ie £15ish), no queue and no jazz. From 6:30pm a cool jazz band strikes up and everything gets much more lively.

Bonus!

Catch a baseball game. The two main teams in Tokyo are The Yomiuri Giants and The Yakult Swallows (make sure to get a little umbrella to wave when The Swallows score a run!) Tickets are quite easy to come by and it’s a great evening out. In the summer they often have firework displays at the top of the 7th.

PS I’ve made a Google Maps list of all my favourite places in Japan from my 6 months, which you can access here.