Not to miss

Tsukiji Central Fish Market

If it lives in the sea, it's probably for sale in the Central Fish Market, where acres and acres of fish and fish products pass hands in a lively, almost chaotic atmosphere. Everything is allotted its own area, and a quick scan of the loading docks will reveal mountains of octopus, rows of giant tuna, endless varieties of shellfish and tanks upon tanks of live exotic fish.

About 2246 tonnes of fish, worth over 1.8 billion yen (US$15.5 million), are sold here daily; that's 615,409 tonnes of fish worth some US$4.25 billion a year. It's not unheard of for a single tuna to fetch an incredible around 20 million!

The auctions are not officially open to the general public, but if you are of a mind to go (trust us - it's worth it!), you have to be there around 05:00 to see the action. Afterwards, you are free to visit the wholesalers market, and wander around the seemingly endless rows of fishmongers.

The stalls are set up to sell directly to restaurants, retail stores and other commercial enterprises. In fact, some of the hundreds of merchants have been here for more than 20 generations! The hustle and bustle can be intoxicating, and as long as you're there before 08:00, some kind of push and pull will doubtless be going on. Keep in mind however that the market shuts completely by 13:00 for cleaning. Although the market is not as odoriferous as you might think, you still don't want to wear your nicest clothing (and especially not your best shoes).

Tradition has it that you should finish your visit here with a sushi breakfast. Daiwa Sushi is within the market itself and gathers long, long lines.

Between the Central Fish Market and the Outer Market is Namiyoke-jinja, the Shintō shrine where wholesalers and middlemen come to pray before work. Highlights are the giant gold parade masks used for the lion dance, and the dragon-shaped taps over the purification basins.

If you've arrived too late to see the fish auctions, or maybe you just can't stand the thought of dead sea creatures, we can almost guarantee you will find something of interest in Tsukiji's Outer Market. With that said, if you hate food in general, well, there is not much we can do to help you.

The Outer Market is neither as famous nor as breathtakingly busy as its inner counterpart. But that is usually a blessing, given that it allows you the time you need to browse all kinds of seafood (naturally) and produce, noodle shops, tiny cafés and cooking supply shops. In addition, you'll also find boots, baubles, baskets, plates, picks (of the tooth variety) and pottery, all at reasonable prices.

It can be quite an education to see how those Japanese foods you've always loved are actually made, and to learn what all those tiny bowls and plates are used for. In short, the Tsukiji Outer Market is a one-stop shop for anything you need to prepare and serve that next great Japanese meal. Be sure to first check your country's import restrictions if you plan to take any food products out of the country.

Ueno-Kōen (Ueno Park)

Tokyo's oldest public park has several names: its Sunday name, which no-one ever uses, is Ueno Onshi Kōen; some locals dub it Ueno no Oyama (Ueno Mountain); and English speakers call it Ueno Park. Whichever you prefer, Ueno Kōen makes for a pleasant city escape.

There are two entrances to the park: the main one takes you straight into the museum and art gallery area, a course that might leave you worn out before you get to Ueno's temples. Instead, it's better to start at the southern entrance between Ueno JR Station and Keisei Ueno Station, and do a little temple viewing en route to the museums. From the JR Station, take the Ikenohata exit and turn right. Just around the corner is a flight of stairs leading up into the park.

Slightly to your right at the top of the stairs is the mother of all meeting places, a statue of Saigō Takamori. Fans of the movie The Last Samurai should note that Katsumoto, the character played by Ken Watanabe, was loosely based on Takamori, a Tokugawa loyalist who gained legendary status among the common Japanese. The Meiji government, capitalising on this fame, posthumously pardoned Saigō, and granted him full honours. Today he remains an exemplar of the samurai spirit.

Bear to the far left and follow a wide tree-lined path until you reach Kiyōmizu Kannon-dō, modelled after the landmark Kiyōmizu-dera in Kyoto. During Ningyō-kuyō those wishing to conceive a child leave a doll here for the Senjū Kannon (the 1000-armed Buddhist goddess of mercy), and the accumulated dolls are burnt ceremoniously each 25 September.

From the temple, continue down to the narrow road that follows the pond, Shinobazu-ike. Through a red torii (gate), on an island in the pond, is Benten-dō, a memorial to Benten, a patron goddess of the arts. Behind the temple you can hire a small boat (03 3828 9502; row boats per hr around 600, paddle boats per 30min around 600; 09:00-17:00 Mar-Nov) to take out on the water, weather permitting.

Make your way back to the road that follows Shinobazu-ike and turn left. Where the road begins to curve and leaves Shinobazu-ike behind, there is a stair pathway to the right. Follow this path and take the second turn to the left. This will take you into the grounds of Tōshō-gū (03 3822 3455), which was established in 1627 (the present building dates from 1651). This is a shrine which, like its counterpart in Nikkō, was founded in memory of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Inside, beyond the subdued worship hall, Ieyasu's shrine is all black lacquerwork and gold leaf. Miraculously, the entire structure has survived all of Tokyo's many disasters, making it one of the few early Edo structures still extant. There's a good view of the 17th-century, five-storey pagoda Kanei-ji, now stranded inside Ueno Zoo, to your right as you take the pathway into the shrine. The pathway itself is fronted by a stone torii and lined with 200 stone lanterns rendered as gifts by daimyō in the Edo period.

Ghibli Museum

When you saw Spirited Away by Miyazaki Hayao (or Princess Mononoke, Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbour Totoro and so on) you probably fell in love with its mythical themes, fanciful characters and outrageous landscapes. Needless to say, do did every kid in Japan, which means you need to arrange tickets long before you arrive at this museum of the work of Ghibli, Miyazaki's animation studio.

Visit the website for info on booking a ticket at least a month before your trip.