Not to miss in Tokyo

Light-roast filter coffee in a small shop beside the tracks; the upstairs seats look out over passing trains.

Go on a weekday morning

Norwegian vintage-furniture coffeehouse serving light roasts by day, then switching to a cocktail bar after dark.

Come late afternoon, stay for cocktails

Pioneer of light-roast single-origin coffee in Tokyo; try a pour-over or batch brew near the Jimbocho book district.

Pair with a secondhand bookshop stroll

Bean-shop format where staff ask your taste, then brew a matching single origin; more tasting counter than sit-down café.

Ask staff to pick your beans

Neighbourhood tempura counter famous for its egg tempura lunch set, a local-favourite bargain far from the tourist centre.

Arrive before opening; queues form

Grilled eel over rice, with the upgraded unaju the usual order; start with grilled eel liver while you wait.

Order the superior unaju

Character-themed ramen shop in the PARCO basement, serving hearty bowls to fans of the popular Chiikawa franchise.

Visit at off-peak hours

Ginza tempura counter known for sweet potato and uni in shiso; lunch courses cost far less than dinner.

Book lunch for better value

The scramble intersection outside Shibuya Station's Hachiko exit; shoot from rooftop or window viewpoints above, especially after dark or rain.

Shoot at night or after rain

Tokyo's oldest temple with its red lantern gate; nearly empty at sunrise and floodlit in the evening, crowded by mid-morning.

Go at sunrise

Free observation decks about 200 metres up give wide skyline views, with Mount Fuji sometimes visible on clear days.

Visit on a clear day

Canal lined with cherry trees; best at blue hour in late March to early April, otherwise a quiet riverside stroll.

Weekday early evening in sakura season