Tokyo "Tourist Traps" and Alternatives

Above, the Shibuya 109 department store. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tokyo is one of the most populated cities in the world. This can be a problem when one adds to the local population the hordes of foreign visitors (over 30 million last year) at many of the popular tourist "traps".

But there are alternatives and Live Japan has listed 8 tourist traps to avoid with suggestions on where to go instead.

I'll have to admit that some of the places Live Japan says to avoid I actually enjoy visiting.

They begin with:

If you plan to visit Japan, Tokyo is most likely at the top of your list for many reasons. Being the capital city of Japan, the center of business and one of the most important and iconic cities in the world, Tokyo is the ultimate urban destination. 

As the world’s most populated city, Tokyo brings in millions of tourists every year and the trend is increasing. According to surveys by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, in 2018 there were about 14 million foreign visitors to Tokyo. And almost 6 trillion yen was spent by these visitors while in Tokyo. That is a lot of tourist money, meaning hotels, restaurants, shops and tourist attractions are competing for tourist attention and dollars. 

And although anywhere in Tokyo is filled with amazing things to do and see, some places are a little over-crowded and have a distinct "touristy" vibe. Here is a list of nine places that might be considered tourist traps and some alternatives if you want to skip the long lines and discover someplace new.

To read more, go here.