Best Free Things to Do

Taking Part in a Festival: Tokyo offers a myriad of annual festivals, ranging from processions of portable shrines to ladder-top acrobatics. Be ready to battle good-natured crowds, as festivals can be unbelievably packed.

Strolling a Japanese Landscaped Garden: There's no better escape from Tokyo's urban jungle than a stroll through one of its landscaped gardens, especially in spring when irises, wisteria, peonies, azaleas, and other flowers are in bloom. Top picks are Hama Rikyu Garden, Koishikawa Korakuen, Shinjuku Gyoen and -- in nearby Yokohama -- Sankei-en Garden.

Soaking Away your Cares: Tokyo now has its own hot-spring spas, thanks to drilling that released therapeutic waters from deep below the surface. Top on my list is Oedo-Onsen Monogatari, a theme-based spa that emulates bathing houses of yore with its feudal-era replica architecture, shops, restaurants, indoor and outdoor baths, and more.

Hunting for Bargains at Flea Markets: You never know what treasure you might find at one of Tokyo's weekend outdoor flea markets, where vendors sell everything from used kimono to antiques and curios. Go early, and be sure to bargain.

Experiencing the Serenity of the Tea Ceremony: Developed in the 16th century as a means to achieve inner harmony with nature, the tea ceremony is a highly ritualized process that takes years to learn. You can experience a shortened version at several Tokyo hotels.

Catching the Action at Tsukiji Fish Market: Get up early your first morning in Japan (you'll probably be wide awake with jet lag, anyway) and head straight for the country's largest fish market, where you can watch the seafood auctions, browse through stalls of seafood, and sample the freshest sushi you'll ever have.

Getting the Royal Treatment at Department Stores: Tokyo's department stores are huge, spotless, and filled with merchandise you never knew existed; many also have first-rate art galleries. Shibuya and Ginza boast the greatest concentration of department stores. Service in a Japanese department store is an unparalleled experience: Be there when it opens, and you'll see employees lined up at the front door, bowing to incoming customers.

Attending a Kabuki Play at the Kabukiza Theater: Kabuki has served as the most popular form of entertainment for the masses since the Edo Period. Watch the audience as they yell their approval; watch the stage for its gorgeous costumes, stunning settings, and easy-to-understand dramas of love, duty, and revenge.

Feasting on a Kaiseki Meal: Although expensive, a kaiseki feast, consisting of dish after dish of artfully displayed delectables, may well be the most beautiful and memorable meal you'll ever have. Splurge at least once on the most expensive kaiseki meal you can afford, and you'll feel like royalty.

Walking the Imperial Moat: It's an easy, 4.8km (3-mile) walk around the Imperial Palace moat, especially beautiful in spring when the many cherry blossoms are aflame. Don't miss the attached (and free) East Garden.

Viewing Cherry Blossoms at Ueno Park: Ueno Park is famous throughout Japan for its 1,000 cherry trees, attracting multitudes of company employees and organizations. It's not, however, the communing with nature you might think, as everyone drinks, eats, dances, and sings karaoke, seemingly oblivious to the shimmering blossoms above. Observing Tokyoites at play here is a cultural experience you won't forget.

Sitting Pretty in Shinjuku: On the 45th floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office (TMG), designed by well-known architect Kenzo Tange, an observatory offers a bird's-eye view of Shinjuku's cluster of skyscrapers, the never-ending metropolis and, on fine winter days, Mount Fuji. Best of all, it's free.

Rubbing Elbows in a Yakitori-ya: There's no better place to observe Tokyo's army of office workers at play than at a yakitori-ya, a drinking man's pub that also sells skewered grilled chicken and bar snacks. It's fun, noisy, and boisterous.

Watching the Big Guys Wrestle: Nothing beats watching huge, almost-nude sumo wrestlers, most weighing well over 300 pounds, throw each other around. Matches are held in Tokyo in January, May, and September; catch one on TV if you can't make it in person. Great fun and not to be missed.

Getting a Massage: After a hard day of work or sightseeing, nothing beats a relaxing massage. Shiatsu, or pressure-point massage, is available in the privacy of your room at virtually all first-class and most medium-range Tokyo hotels, as well as at a number of clinics in the city, many of which offer acupuncture as well.

Escaping Big-City Life in the Temple Town of Yanaka: With its many temples, offbeat attractions, sloping hills, and peaceful narrow streets, Yanaka makes for a wonderful half-day escape from the crowds of Tokyo.

Appreciating the Beauty of Ikebana: After seeing how flowers, branches, and vases can be combined into works of art, you'll never be able to simply throw flowers into a vase again. You can learn the basics of ikebana, Japanese flower arranging, at several schools in Tokyo. Exhibitions of ikebana are held regularly at Yasukuni Shrine and department stores. Shows are often free.