Tokyo was named the world's best trending destination in Tripadvisor's Travellers' Choice Awards Best of the Best Destinations 2024. The number of foreign tourists visiting Tokyo has been increasing rapidly in recent years, with the city ranking 4th in the “Top 100 City Destinations Index 2023” published by Euromonitor International. Tokyo is attracting increasing attention. Japan as a whole had extremely low numbers of foreign tourists during the COVID-19 pandemic, when it effectively closed its borders. However, tourism has shown an explosive recovery from 2023 to 2024, with the number of foreign tourists visiting Japan approaching pre-pandemic levels. The major contributors to this rebound are tourists from South Korea, Singapore, and in particular, the United States, thanks to a strong dollar and a weak yen allowing American tourists to get more bang for their buck in Japan than they could before the pandemic. And there’s nowhere better to spend their money than Tokyo—one of the greatest cities in the world.

You may be reading this article and dreaming of a trip to Tokyo, or you may have set your sights on starting a business here. If I’m honest, as a Japanese person living in Tokyo, when I first decided to write an article about Tokyo, the first thing that came to mind was the city's tourist attractions. I have seen firsthand the surge in overseas tourists coming to enjoy the city I call home, and I jumped at the chance to help out anyone who might be considering joining their number. However, there are already plenty of detailed online guides for tourists visiting Tokyo. So, I decided to go big. In this article, I will show you some of the ways in which Tokyo can claim to be No.1 in the world.

1. The world's busiest train station

Do you know where the world's busiest train station is located? Is it in India or Bangladesh, well known for photos of people riding on the outside of trains? No, it is Shinjuku Station in the heart of Tokyo, which in 2022 was recognized by Guinness World Records as the busiest railway station. This award was given based on the average number of passengers per day hitting 2,704,703 that year—and that figure was about 20 percent lower than pre-pandemic estimates. Shinjuku Station is served by more than 10 train lines in total, making it not just a Tokyo transit hub, but a gateway to the rest of the country. By the way, Guinness World Records found that the closest competitor to Shinjuku in terms of passenger numbers was Gare du Nord in Paris, which was found to only serve about 0.6 million passengers a day in 2022. The city landscape that you can watch go by as you take a train from Shinjuku Station is explained in detail in a separate article, which is available for those who are interested.

Such is the volume of foot traffic in Tokyo’s major train stations that huge underground spaces have been built that connect these stations with the basement floors of the surrounding buildings, including huge underground malls. Around Shinjuku Station, there are about 100 stores, all clustered in an underground space of about 38,000 square meters with the name Shinjuku Subnade—a great place to go shopping if you happen to come during the rainy season and need to grab some souvenirs while staying dry.

2. The world's largest seafood market

Next on our checklist is Toyosu Market, also known locally as Central Market. Here, 1,400 to 1,700 tons of seafood are traded every day, making it the largest seafood market in the world in terms of both volume of goods and trade value. Operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, only officially licensed vendors are allowed to ply their trade. Seafood from all over Japan is transported to and from Toyosu Market by truck and ship. Seafood is sold by auction and wholesale to restaurants and supermarkets across the city. Toyosu Market is also frequented by overseas exporters, so it’s entirely possible that you’ve already eaten some delicious seafood that made its way through this teeming commerce center.

The morning bluefin tuna auction at Toyosu Market has become a tourist attraction in and of itself. Participation in the auction is available only by lottery following a successful application on the dedicated page, but unless you plan on buying an entire two-meter-long tuna fish, we recommend observing the auction from the second floor aisle (entry is free). The auction usually starts at 5:30 in the morning. The sheer energy of the auctions will be enough to wake you up, though—each fish is sold in only 10 seconds, the hands of bidders and auctioneers alike moving with blinding speed. After watching the auction, we encourage you to do some shopping. In addition to seafood, processed foods and tools necessary for cooking are also available. There are also a number of restaurants at Toyosu Market serving seafood straight from the market itself, although please note that some of these restaurants are for market personnel only. There’s nothing like the taste of fresh seafood served the Japanese way.

Speaking of which, one of the reasons why Toyosu Market has become the world's largest seafood market is because of the enormous popularity of seafood in Japan since ancient times. Today, estimates suggest that the average citizen consumes more than 20 kg of seafood per year. As a matter of fact, the consumption of fish and shellfish per capita per year exceeded 40 kg in the early 2000s, although it has been declining in recent years. In contrast, consumption of meat has been increasing. The decline in seafood consumption and the increase in meat consumption in Japanese households have been attributed to the westernization of the Japanese diet and the rise in seafood prices due to a global increase in seafood consumption.

3. The most Michelin stars in the world

From a bustling seafood market to intimate restaurants: Tokyo’s next claim to fame is as the city with the highest number of Michelin stars. In fact, Japan’s capital has held this title for 18 consecutive years. 2013 saw the registration of Japanese cuisine as a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage, and the traditional brewing process used to create sake, as well as less internationally famous beverages like shochu and awamori, is expected to be added to the list in the near future. Already a culinary capital, the international focus on Japan's food culture is increasing. One of the reasons for Japan's rich food culture is its abundance of seasonal ingredients and its geographical blessings that enhance the taste of those ingredients. These natural elements have given rise to different local cuisines in different parts of Japan and the concept of syun (旬), which refers to the practice of using the best ingredients available at specific times of the year.

One word that should be near the front of every Japanese phrasebook is itadakimasu (いただきます), a polite expression of the verb morau (貰う), which means “to receive.” This word mainly expresses gratitude to the person who prepared the food and thanks for the ingredients, and its meaning is deeply rooted in Japanese culture. As you’re perusing the menu in one of Tokyo’s countless restaurants, keep an ear out for Japanese patrons uttering this word while touching their hands together. Your hosts won’t expect you to to emulate this gesture of gratitude, but if you can, they’ll often be delighted.

4. The most vending machines

Last but not least, Tokyo comes in first place in a quirky yet practical competition: the largest number of vending machines in the world, both per capita and by area. Most vending machines in Tokyo sell soft drinks. However, the city is also home to vending machines that sell alcohol, cigarettes, ramen, meat, and even pizza. If you do get the chance to come here, take a look at the vending machines. You never know what might be on offer at the touch of a button!

In this article, we have looked at the characteristics of Tokyo from the four “world's best” perspectives. There is still much more to write about Tokyo's charms. I hope that if you have a chance, you will actually visit the city and enjoy its charms to the fullest!
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