Ginza is famous for being a trendy hotspot, but it's also a downtown area with shops that were founded over a hundred years ago. Department stores and luxury boutiques line the route from Nihonbashi to Ginza. It's a long established tradition to shop and stroll while the road is closed to traffic. Luxury hotels, world class cuisine from talented chefs, and a collection of glitzy clubs will make this area popular with anyone looking for a night out.

There are countless opportunities to shop in the Shibuya and Harajuku districts, especially in shops that focus on Japan's "Kawaii" culture. The trendiest areas are around Shibuya’s Center district, Harajuku's Takeshita-dori and in Omotesando. If you need to recharge from all the shopping, you can easily refresh yourself in Meiji Jingu or Sasaki Park. In contrast, Ebisu has a more grown up ambiance of calm and cool. At the Museum of Yebisu Beer you can learn about the beer that was responsible for the town’s name, and enjoy dining at the popular noodle shops in the surrounding area.

Traces of the history and culture of the Edo (old Tokyo) era remain vividly in Ueno and Asakusa. Spacious Ueno Park is a great place to relax and visit a variety of different museums and galleries. At Ameyoko which starts in front of Ueno station, the grocery stores and clothing shops are crammed alongside fishmongers. It gets particularly busy at the end of the year, when many people go on shopping sprees. The town of Asakusa, developed around Sensoji temple, has many shops selling goods and clothing from old Japan, making it a great place for souvenir hunting. It's also known for various annual festivals, and the whole district gets involved with the huge Sanja Festival in May.

Not so long ago the Akasaka and Roppongi areas were famous for their nightlife, high-class restaurants, bars and clubs. More recently, with the opening of Roppongi Hills, Tokyo Midtown and Akasaka Sacas, the area has declared itself as the most fashionable spot to be seen. The area also hosts the National Art Center and the Mori Art Museum and lots of trendy art galleries.

Ikebukuro is an area of massive development. Several thousand tenants occupy two giant department stores and shopping malls, where all sorts of shopping and gourmet foods can be enjoyed. The 60-story building at the east entrance of the station, Sunshine City, is a landmark within Ikebukuro and features an aquarium, planetarium, theme park as well as an observation platform. The popular name for the western side of this area is "Otome Road" (Maiden Road) and there are many shops selling products related to anime with a female theme. It has rapidly become the worldwide headquarters for ‘otaku’ or geek culture.

Haneda / Kamata is known for its airport with many hotels popping up with the increase in international flights. It’s also an area that offers many shrines and temples with ancient origins including Anamori Inari Shrine or Ikegami Honmonji temple which is visited by more than 300,000 people in October's Buddhist Oeshiki festival. The area around Kamata station is lined with restaurants and is lively until late at night. In particular, it’s known for the large collection of tasty gyoza specialists.

Ochanomizu boasts its academic foundations starting with Yushima Seido, the birthplace of modern day Japanese education. The area has kept its college town feel with several university campuses. If you head towards Jinbocho, you'll find musical instrument and sports equipment shops, and an area of used bookstores for students and anyone interested in literature and the arts. Akihabara is well-known for its computer and electronic goods stores, and is now hugely popular as the must-visit mecca for people interested in anime and games. Kanda is an office district where you can find loads of reasonably priced izakayas popular with professionals who stop to eat and drink before making their way home.

Yotsuya and Iidabashi are areas that developed around the outer moat of the Imperial palace. Nearby in Kagurazaka, there is an old red-light district with a photogenic feel evocative of the ambiance of old Tokyo. Narrow paths with stone paving remain to this day, and there are long-standing restaurants with geishas and quaint old cafes in townhouse buildings.