Things to do in Kokubunji

Built as a broadcast tower and opened to the public in 2012, Tokyo Skytree has quickly become a must-see attraction. The world's second-tallest structure behind the 828-metre Burj Khalifa in Dubai serves as a digital terrestrial broadcasting centre for Tokyo and the surrounding region. The public can ride up to the two observation decks and enjoy 360-degree views of Tokyo against the stunning back drop of Mount Fuji in the distance.

Back in 1958 Tokyo's brand-new TV networks needed a tall antenna array to transmit signals, and the city needed a national symbol as it struggled to emerge from the devastation of World War II. The result was the 333-metre high white and orange Tokyo Tower, a structure that bears more than a passing resemblance to France's Eiffel Tower and which has just celebrated its 55th anniversary. The two observatory points quickly became major tourist attractions and the tower now attracts around 2.4 million visitors a year. As well as the amazing views, there's a small art gallery, the Guinness Book of World Records Museum Tokyo, and a wax museum in a complex known as Foot Town, found at the base of the tower.

If you need a break from relentless modernity of the city, the Buddhist temple of Sensoji, in the old downtown quarter of Asakusa, is the place to head to. Instantly recognisable by the huge akachochin red lantern that marks its entrance, the temple has stood on the same spot for over a thousand years.

Marvel at Shibuya Crossing’s flashing neon lights, gigantic video screens and up to 2,500 pedestrians surging into the street simultaneously. The experience is chaotic and compelling. This intersection encapsulates the city’s energy and is a popular setting for Tokyo street scenes in photos and motion pictures, including Sofia Coppola’s Lost in Translation.

From the 1600s to 1867, shoguns ruling Edo, as Tokyo was then called, resided in Edo Castle on this site in central Tokyo. The castle was the largest in the world at that time. In 1868, when the shogunate was displaced, Japan moved its capital from Kyoto to Tokyo and occupied the Edo Castle site. After fire destroyed much of the complex, they built a new imperial palace in 1888, much of which remains today. The walls, towers and moat bridges are reminiscent of how the site was hundreds of years ago, when ramparts and moats played a critical role in protecting the complex.