Exploring Tokyo does not always have to be expensive. The following are some free or cheap activities to enjoy while visiting Tokyo:

Take walks in some of the city’s gardens and parks

Tokyo offers various scenic parks where people can enjoy a jog, picnic, or just relax. Some of the best gardens in the city centre are the Shinjuku Gyoen, which has a wide variety of plants and trees, tea houses and other recreational areas; and the Yoyogi Park, which is like an open-air entertainment area that has no shortage of music, dancing, flea markets and other events.

Visit museums

Many Tokyo museums charge entrance fees of less than 500 yen, so going to a couple won’t make a big dent in your travel budget.

Depending on your interests, you can check out historical museums like the Fukagawa Edo Museum, which is home to traditional houses during the Edo Period; animation museums such as the Suginami Animation Museum, to learn how anime are made; or the Sumo Museum in Ryogoku if you are keen to find out more about the origins of sumo wrestling in Japan.

Go window shopping

Whether you are into clothes, shoes, bags, action figures, manga or gadgets, Tokyo has different shopping areas that cater to people who just want to feast their eyes with the newest products and most luxurious brands.

For example, Ginza is for high-end clothing and footwear, while Akihabara or Nakano Broadway is for toys and cheap electronics or games.

Admire the public architecture

Home to some of the world’s most unique buildings, Tokyo has an abundance of marvellous architecture that you should not miss.

In Ueno, the Main Building of the National Museum of Western Art by renowned Swiss-French architect Le Corbusier still stands and is a fantastic example of a modern-style piece. In Ginza, there are the Maison Hermes building (which serves as the corporate headquarters of Hermes) by designer Renzo Piano, and the Tokyo International Forum, an exhibition centre with large glass windows and shaped like a boat, designed by Uruguayan architect Rafael Viñoly Beceiro.

Visit historical landmarks found in downtown Tokyo

Some of the best historical treasures of Tokyo are the Sengakuji Temple, which serves as the graveyard of the “47 Ronin”; Hachiko’s statue right outside the Shibuya station; and the Yasukuni Shrine, a Shinto Shrine built during the Meiji Era.