Tokyo at 24 is the greatest city on earth and the temples will still be there at 40.
By day#
- Street go-karts through Shibuya and across the Rainbow Bridge, in a costume. You need an international driving permit.
- teamLab Planets or Borderless, booked ahead.
- Shimokitazawa: vintage, records, curry, a theatre. Koenji: the louder version.
- Harajuku on a Sunday: Takeshita Street's crepes, the fashion, Meiji Jingu's forest next door.
- Akihabara: retro game shops, arcades, a maid café once for the story.
- A sumo morning practice at a stable (booked), or a tournament if one's on.
- A sento: the painted Fuji, the hot bath, the cold bath, the vending-machine milk after.
- Tsukiji outer market at 8am, eating from five stalls.
- A day trip: Hakone's ropeway and onsen, or Kamakura's beach.
By night#
- A baseball game: Giants at the Dome or Swallows at Jingu, beer girls, cheer squads, the umbrella dance. The best night out in Tokyo for the price.
- Golden Gai: two hundred bars, six seats each, the ones with English signs want you (nightlife guide).
- Karaoke until the first train at 5, in a private room with a drink button.
- Shibuya's clubs; Koenji's live houses; Nichome's friendly bars.
- A yakatabune dinner boat on the bay, with friends.
- Late ramen, then the first train.
Money#
Almost all of it is cheap: Tokyo on a budget, hostels, cash or card. The expensive ones are the go-karts, teamLab and the clubs' drinks.
Meeting people#
Hostel bars, Golden Gai, the weekly language exchange and solo travel meetups in Shibuya and Shinjuku, a game, a club. Post your dates on Roavi Community: travellers in Tokyo the same days appear together, and you can find your karaoke crew before you land. How to meet other travellers in Tokyo, solo in Tokyo.
Young Tokyoites are the hard part: friendly, shy, and in bars you'll never find. A Local Friend your age is the direct route; Japan invented the idea, so nobody here finds it strange.
Tokyo in your twenties? Post your dates and find your people.
Post your tripFrequently Asked Questions
What are fun things to do in Tokyo for young adults?
Street go-karts in costume through Shibuya, a baseball game at the Tokyo Dome or Jingu, teamLab, bar-hopping in Golden Gai, karaoke until the first train, Shibuya's clubs, a Koenji live house, Shimokitazawa's vintage shops, arcades in Akihabara, a sento, Harajuku on a Sunday, and a Hakone day trip.What are unique things to do in Tokyo?
A sumo stable's morning practice, a yakatabune dinner boat, a maid café or a themed bar once, the Tsukiji outer market at 8am, a sento with a painted Fuji, a Showa-era kissaten, a standing sushi bar, a Mario Kart arcade, a capsule hotel night, karaoke for one.Where do young people go out in Tokyo?
Shibuya for clubs and the crossing, Shinjuku's Golden Gai and Nichome for bars, Koenji and Shimokitazawa for live music and dives, Ebisu for a step up, Harajuku and Omotesando by day. Roppongi is where tourists go and get overcharged.How do I meet people my age in Tokyo?
Hostel bars and events, Golden Gai bars with English signs, weekly language exchange and solo travel meetups in Shibuya and Shinjuku, a baseball game, a club, and posting your dates on Roavi Community so travellers in Tokyo the same days find you. For young Tokyoites, a Local Friend your age takes you to the bars they actually go to.
