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Photo: Kakidai, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
For those interested in theatre arts, the Kokuritsu Gekijyo holds performances in traditional arts ranging from Kabuki, Noh drama, Bunraku puppet theatre, etc. You may want to check the schedule and make a reservation beforehand.
The National Theatre of Japan is a complex consisting of three halls in two buildings in Hayabusachō, a district in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The Japan Arts Council, an Independent Administrative Institution of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, operates the National Theatre. It primarily stages performances of traditional Japanese performing arts. The National Theatre is currently closed for the “National Theatre Reconstruction Project - Towards a New Adventure” since the end of October 2023.
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国会議事堂
Housing Japan's bicameral legislature, it was built in the 1920s. The most recognizable symbol of the Japanese government, it was built from Japanese building materials, features a pyramidal roof and is surrounded with green areas. The nearby free Kensei Kinenkan (between the Diet and the water) has a nice view on it, and tons of political artefacts to satisfy those interested in Japanese politics. English tours are available on weekdays by reservation only, but the tour focuses almost exclusively on the architecture of the Diet Building such as the origin of building materials or the dimensions of rooms, with little consideration for political procedure or historicity.
日枝神社, Hie Jinja
Another prominent shrine in Tokyo. Located atop a little hill at the edge of the area. Reached by a steep flight of stairs under a veritable tunnel of orange torii, the shrine grounds are an oasis of tranquility in the middle of Tokyo and, in good weather, a popular place for a lunchtime picnic. The Sanno Matsuri (山王祭) festival it hosts in June is counted among the 3 Great festival of Tokyo, featuring the usual panoply of music, dancing, yatai stalls and sake.
皇居 Kōkyo
Surrounded by a series of moats and high walls, the site of the former Edo Castle has been the official residence of the Japanese imperial family since 1868. Reputedly the most expensive square kilometre in the world, which during the height of Japan's bubble was estimated to be worth slightly more than California. The inner palace gardens and buildings are closed to the general public except on the second day of the New Year (January 2) and the Emperor's birthday (February 23), when the imperial family makes a public appearance, and the emperor gives a speech to his assembled subjects. However, foreigners can also apply online to join a free guided tour (M-F at 10:00 and 13:30). If you're feeling lucky, you can also try just showing up at the Imperial Household Agency office located in the northwest corner of the Imperial Palace Park, which is open 09:00-12:00, 13:00-14:00; if there's space, you can join a tour on the same day. Tours are conducted only in Japanese, but electronic audio guides (in English) will be lent to foreign visitors free of charge. At the end of the tour, visitors wishing to enter the East Gardens (see next entry) will be given entrance cards and allowed through to the gardens via a private gate, allowing them to bypass the lines at the main Ōte-mon entrance; pay attention to the announcement in Japanese and queue up as directed.
北の丸公園, kita-no-maru kōen
Connected to the East Gardens on the north side is this park. Offering much of the same, it is a convenient way to get to Yasukuni Shrine. The park also houses the Nippon Budōkan (日本武道館), which regularly stages martial arts competitions and live concerts, as well as the Kagaku Gijyutsukan (科学技術館, Science museum).
靖國神社 Yasukuni-jinja
A controversial shrine to Japan's war dead, housing the souls of some 2.5 million people killed in Japan's wars — including convicted war criminals executed by the Allies. A favorite haunt of right-wing groups in black loudspeaker-equipped trucks, and often visited by Japanese and Taiwanese politicians, drawing sharp criticisms from neighbors China and South Korea in the process. Consider keeping your visit to the shrine secret if you have Chinese or Korean friends or relatives. Open daily and free entrance adjacent to Metro Hanzomon line Kudanshita station, or cross the bridge north from Kitanomaru Park. Festivals take place most notably in mid-July and mid-October, which can attract as many people and vendors as it does on New Year's Day when the Japanese come to pray for a prosperous year. It can also get quite crowded during cherry blossom season.
Kept in impeccable shape, the gardens of the Imperial Palace are particularly beautiful during the March and April plum and cherry blossom seasons. During the Edo period, this was the heart of the Shogun's castle, and you can see the tenshudai, the raised platform where the tenshukaku (main keep) was once located, and an open field that was once the site of the honmaru goten, the Shogun's main residential palace. Entrance is free through a number of gates; you will be given a plastic entrance card at the gate, which you are obliged to return upon leaving; most visitors use the Ōte-mon (大手門) gate near the Ōtemachi subway station (exit C10). Also an easy walking distance from Tokyo station.