Mirai-kan
Miraikan in Odaiba alternatively called the Future Museum and the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, the Miraikan houses displays on aerospace engineering, genetics, and is also the sometimes-residence of Honda’s robotic ambassador Asimo.
Umeda Sky Building/Floating Garden Observatory (Osaka)
At just 40 stories tall, the Umeda Sky Building might not seem like anything to get excited over, especially in a country where skyscrapers are a dime a dozen. What makes it special, though, is the final approach to its open-air rooftop observation deck: an escalator with nothing between it and the ground some 173 meters (568 feet) below.
Hakone Tozan Train line
The town of Hakone, famous for its hot springs, is located high in the mountains of Kanagawa Prefecture, Tokyo’s neighbor to the south. While there are numerous routes into the heart of Hakone, the most picturesque is the rail switchbacks of the Tozan Line, especially as the leaves turn in autumn or the hydrangeas bloom in June.
Omotesando
Stretching out from Harajuku Station, the tree-lined boulevard known as Omotesando is the place for fashionistas who enjoy turning the sidewalk into their catwalk as they stroll from one high-end boutique to the other. Can’t afford anything from the Bulgari or Diore branches? No problem. Grab some ice cream to go from the local Ben and Jerry’s, find a nice vantage point, and enjoy the free fashion show of people watching on Omotesando.
Meiji Shrine
Tokyo’s premier Shinto shrine was built in 1920 in remembrance of the emperor Meiji and his wife. In contrast to the hustle and bustle of Asakusa’s Sensoji Temple, Meiji Shrine is an oasis of calm in the center of the capital. The shrine’s expansive wooded grounds are, astoundingly, not a natural forest, but the result of extensive planting of trees donated during its construction.
