How To Do Tokyo After Dark

Neon-radiant Tokyo comes into its own at night, but there’s more to Electric Town than sky-high restaurants and bars. Enjoy Tokyo aglow from a different angle with one of these after-dark activities.

The highest tower in all the land (teetering in at an impressive 634m) is not for the faint of heart, but shut your eyes and hold on tight as you ascend in the lightning-speed elevator, and you will be rewarded with staggering 360 ̊ unobstructed views of the city – and even Mount Fuji on a clear day. The twinkly nighttime panoramas from broadcasting needle, Tokyo Skytree, are prettier still. Ask your concierge to organise fast-track entry (only bookable online via a Japanese website).

Alternatively, skip the crowds altogether with an exclusive, breathtakingly romantic late-night chopper ride with Excel Helicopter Cruising. Buckle up and whoosh in over downtown Tokyo or venture further afield towards Mount Fuji.

If you live to eat then you might want to explore some of the many vibrant epicurean delights that Tokyo has to offer after dark. Savvy pride of private tour guides, Context Travel, will take you on a whistlestop night tour through dazzling Shibuya, ducking into the alleyways, train stations and basements that secrete some of the city’s most modest but raved-about eateries. And if you haven’t quite plucked up the courage to brave a rowdy local izakaya – Japan’s version of a pub – now’s your chance, with your chef-guide giving the inside track on all the best pit-stops for hops, shochu and yakitori snacks.

Dodge the summer heat, and hit the streets at night with the Kōenji Awa Odori festival, held every last weekend of August. Firing off as the sun sets at 5pm on Saturday and Sunday, a procession of 10,000 dancers and musicians take over the wide road that runs south of JR Koenji Station. Awa Odori is a 400-year-old traditional dance from Tokushima, and although it may seem simple, the performers spend weeks creating their own unique moves.

Also in August, celebrating the ‘last day of summer’, Hodogaya Candle Night sees the plum garden (ume-en) in Hodogaya Park illuminated with thousands of candles lining the paths, backed by a spiritual musical soundtrack. Look out for the Tsugaru Jamisen performances and fire dancers too.

Exhausted after a day of sightseeing? LaQua onsen is open 22 hours a day, with five floors of rain showers, massages, scrubs, steam area, outdoor onsen and roller-coaster park views, all handily located in the city centre. Go for the detoxifying rhassoul Moroccan clay treatment at Arau, one of the mini salons tucked inside the complex. Aaaah…

Tokyo SkyTree / Sumida-ku / 8am-10pm / tokyo-skytree.jp

Excel Helicopter Cruising / Urayasu Heliport / 14 Chidori / Koto-ku / +81 4 7380 5555 / excel-air.com

Koenji Awa-Odori / 24-25 Aug, 2019 / koenji-awaodori.com

Hodogaya Candle Night / 31 Aug, 2019 / Hodogaya-ku / Yokohama / Kanagawa

Night Food Tour / Context Travel / contexttravel.com