Shibuya scramble crossing is one of the busiest crossings in Tokyo. The green light comes on from four directions at once, and several hundred people (during peak hours, the number can reach 1,000) rush simultaneously in all directions, managing to dodge each other with ease built up over the years.

For its picturesque yet orderly crowds, the crossing is beloved by filmmakers, and people worldwide are familiar with it from TV series, movies, and commercial videos. The best spot to watch the hypnotic flow of people is the Starbucks coffee shop on the 2nd floor of the building on the north side of the crossing.

There is also a statue of the faithful dog Hachiko near Shibuya Station, where he used to meet his master, a professor at Tokyo University, every day. After the professor’s sudden death, the dog came to the station every day for nine years, waiting for his master to return. Hachiko became the symbol of loyalty.

Ginza is Tokyo’s most luxurious shopping district, home to prestigious department stores, world-famous designer boutiques, coffee shops, and traditional Japanese restaurants. People come here to learn about the latest high fashion trends and enjoy the creations of the best architects worldwide.

At the same time, Ginza is an art lover’s paradise. There are about 200 art galleries and Kabukiza Theater, which still regularly hosts Kabuki theater performances.

Toshogu Shrine is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the last of the three “Great Unifiers” of Japan and the first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate. The Tokugawa clan ruled Japan for more than two and a half centuries. The shrine was built in 1617 by Ieyasu’s vassal, Todo Takatora, as a mausoleum for Ieyasu. Shogun was posthumously deified with the name Tosho Daigongen (“The Great Deity of the Eastern Light”), and the shrine is dedicated to him. The shrine buildings are richly decorated with wood carvings, colorful paintings, and gilding. Toshogu is one of the most luxuriously decorated shrines in Japan. Fifteen thousand of the best artisans from all over the country gathered to build the shrine. Two million four hundred eighty-nine thousand pieces of gold leaf (enough to cover two and a half hectares) were used to decorate it.

The complex of 42 buildings is UNESCO World Heritage Site. Eight buildings are considered National Treasures of Japan, and the rest are Cultural Treasures of the country.

Kegon Falls is one of Japan’s three most beautiful waterfalls, falling from Lake Chuzenji. It was formed when the Dayagawa River’s flow was blocked by lava after the Nantai volcano’s eruption. The river falls from the 97-meter-high lava barrier in one large and 12 small streams.

The views of Kegon Falls are most famous in the fall, but it’s beautiful at any time of the year: the cliffs are covered with snow in winter, adorned with fresh greenery in spring, and in summer, the sound and mist of the water provide a pleasant coolness.

Todai-ji is a Buddhist temple complex whose main building is one of the largest wooden structures in the world. Built in the mid-8th century by order of the emperor with donations from all over the country, the temple features the biggest bronze statue of Buddha in Japan. Almost all the bronze produced in Japan at the time was used to cast the colossal sculpture. The complex also has several unique wooden structures, including the giant Nandaimon Gate with the famous Nio guard figures, the Bell Tower, and Nigatsu-do Hall. The entire complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.