13 best indoor things to do in Tokyo to escape the bad weather

The Azabudai Hills complex is the latest addition to the Toranomon-Azabudai redevelopment project and combines the works of some of the world’s greatest architects. The three skyscrapers are designed by Pelli Clarke & Partners while the nature-inspired landscaping in the public and lower-level spaces is the creation of the studio run by British designer Thomas Heatherwick.

Azabudai Hills is so massive that you could spend a whole day within its many indoor spaces without stepping foot outside. Firstly, it's home to the teamLab Borderless digital art museum, filled with a host of new and improved immersive installations. If you can't get tickets at the door, hop over to the Azabudai Hills Gallery, whose exhibition now centres around Alexander Calder's amazing mobiles. You can also take in a panoramic view of the city (including Tokyo Tower) from the 33rd-floor Sky Lobby at Mori JP Tower – if you're planning to dine in at Dining 33, Dining 33 Pâtisserie à la Maison or Sky Room Cafe & Bar.

If all you want is to eat and drink, you'll be spoilt for choice here at Azabudai Hills. In fact, there are so many cool restaurants that you'll find it hard to choose. To get you started, here are some of our favourites: Sushi Azabu for affordable omakase, Orby for casual French bistro fare, and Mr Cheesecake for one of Tokyo's most sought after cheesey desserts. 

With stunning design that features a vertical rooftop garden embedded into a reflective, geometric facade, the new Tokyu Plaza Harajuku Harakado shares aesthetic DNA with Tokyo Plaza Omotesando Harajuku directly opposite.

A total of 75 shops, restaurants, bars and other businesses can be found across Harakado’s nine above-ground and three basement levels. Mixed among the shopping opportunities are a number of cool experiences. For instance, you'll find an authentic sento bath with retro vibes in the basement, two floors of dining and drinking options, a free library of Japanese magazines, plus an art-filled relaxation space.

In a perfect world, all bookshops would be like this. Tokyo's Klein Dytham Architecture won an award at the World Architecture Festival for their work on Daikanyama T-Site, which is spread across three interlinked buildings adorned with lattices of interlocking Ts. That 'T' stands for rental chain Tsutaya, whose seemingly bottomless pockets helped fund the kind of book emporium that most capital cities can only dream of.

It's easy to lose hours thumbing through the selections here, which include a good range of English-language titles, art books, antique tomes and magazine back issues. There are also music and DVD sections as well as a Starbucks in the complex. If you're looking to enjoy some vintage periodicals and cocktails in a sophisticated setting, the upstairs Anjin lounge is hard to beat.

Open 22 hours a day, this deluxe hot spring facility offers various baths, relaxation spaces and top-notch dining options. Sink into a soothing natural spring bath under the night sky, or enjoy a blissful massage before the break of dawn.

Upon check-in, you're provided with a set of comfy loungewear for your stay, allowing you to unwind between sessions in co-ed areas such as the new low-temperature sauna, bedrock baths, or dining spots. Alongside your bathing experience, LaQua offers a selection of beauty treatments, including Thai massages, aromatherapy head spa treatments and Korean body scrubs. And in case that's not enticing enough, a recent revamp introduced an outdoor cocktail lounge complete with a foot pool, offering an impressive view of Tokyo Dome City.

Shinjuku’s bustling nightlife district of Kabukicho is home to Tokyu Kabukicho Tower, Japan’s largest hotel and entertainment complex. The towering skyscraper spans 48 storeys and five basement floors, with plenty to keep you entertained for an entire day indoors. To give you an idea of what you can expect, there's a cinema, arcade, interactive game centre, yokocho-inspired food hall and much more. 

Tokyu Kabukicho Tower also features artworks by 26 artists scattered throughout the building, including art rooms inside the building's Hotel Groove Shinjuku. With that in mind, keep your eyes peeled for artworks as you explore the tower.

Tokyo Station's gorgeous red-brick building is an architectural wonder, built in 1914 by the acclaimed Meiji-era (1868-1912) architect Tatsuno Kingo. Its mostly underground cavernous interior is filled with shops and restaurants, and feels like a city in itself.

Sample the many different types of Japanese noodles at Tokyo Ramen Street, and then move on to the bars and izakaya at the underground ‘yokocho’ Black Fence Alley. Don’t miss Tokyo Character Street, where you can stock up on Japanese souvenirs and anime merchandise from Rilakkuma to Pokémon to Studio Ghibli. If you're looking to check out more restaurants inside Tokyo Station, here are our recommended cafés and restaurants.

If you have just one day to devote to museum-going in Tokyo and are interested in Japanese art and artefacts, this is the place to visit. Japan’s oldest and largest museum houses over 110,000 items. The main gallery Honkan displays the permanent collection of Japanese arts and antiquities, which range from paintings, ceramics and swords to kimonos, sculptures and the like.

The Toyokan building features five floors of artworks from other parts of Asia while the Gallery of Horyu-ji Treasures houses some of Japanese Buddhism’s most important and ancient artefacts from the seventh-century Horyu-ji temple in Nara. There are also a couple of restaurants in the complex, and a good gift shop.

Can’t get enough of stationery? Ginza Itoya sells everything from regular stationery and Japanese calligraphy goods to fancy fountain pens, designer paper, art tools and more. The first eight floors are reserved for shopping and are divided by function (think 'home', 'desk', etc), while the higher floors host a business lounge and an urban vegetable farm with salad leaves grown in hydroponic bins (the greens are then used in the dishes served at the 12th floor café).

You can also get your mail sorted on the second floor: purchase your cards and letters, write and decorate them at a designated space, and then send them off at the in-store postal area.

teamLab Planets is conveniently located right next to Shin-Toyosu Station and offers a more intimate interaction compared to its sister museum Borderless. It has just nine installations, but they are spread out across a full 10,000sqm, giving them lots and lots of space each. These include the made-for-Instagram indoor-outdoor Garden Area with the Moss Garden of Resonating Microcosms and Floating Flower Garden. There’s also an onsite vegan ramen restaurant, where you can enjoy noodles in a room surrounded by trippy digital art.

We won't spoil all the secrets, but for starters, no shoes are allowed inside the museum, and you'll be wading through knee-deep water in some places. We highly recommend wearing something above the knee (although skirts may not be the best idea due to the amount of floor mirrors); the museum offers a wrap-around if needed.

Located under the railway tracks between Asakusa and Tokyo Skytree, Lattest Sports is perfect for families with kids as it has something for everyone. First, it's home to bouldering gym The Stone Session, which welcomes all from beginners to regular climbers; it even offers classes for children. Toddlers who aren't old enough to boulder can enjoy the sandpit next door, which costs ¥500 per 30 minutes. It's equipped with mini slides, shovels and toys to keep the little ones busy.

Parents, on the other hand, can relax with a coffee or tea (or something stronger) at the on-site café while the kids work on their excess energy through climbing and playing. It'll be a fun day for everyone away from the heat. 

Located on the western outskirts of Tokyo in Tama-shi, Sanrio Puroland is a roughly half-hour train ride from Shinjuku Station. This theme park is an homage to all things Sanrio, the company that produces the patron saint of hypercuteness.

Attractions include a Hello Kitty musical, peeking in on Hello Kitty’s house to see her go about her daily life, and of course the chance to meet the cat herself complete with photo-ops. As expected, the shopping facilities are extensive and they offer everything imaginable stamped with Kitty-chan’s likeness. 

This indoor amusement park in Odaiba is packed with Sega’s virtual-reality attractions, where you'll find twenty thrilling rides spread out across three floors. Rest assured, bilingual instructions are available for each game.

Hop on a boat of the virtual Wild River ride and be part of an exciting rafting adventure, or board the Wild Wing, a hang-glider moving through tropical islands. The Zero Latency VR attraction, on the other hand, is perfect for gamers who always dreamed of turning into one of their video game heroes. Team up with six of your friends and fight dozens of wild zombies while you're armed with a laser gun plus the latest equipment in VR technology.

The Kabukiza Theatre has been a Ginza landmark since it opened in 1889: fires and wartime attacks damaged and almost destroyed it, but it was rebuilt every time. Traditional kabuki dance-drama performances (known for their elaborate make-up and costumes) are held most days of the month, and if you aren't sure about committing to an entire show, there are single-act tickets, called Hitomaku-mi, available for purchase at the door or online for around ¥1,000 to ¥2,000.

Even if you’re not catching a show, you could easily spend a few hours here as there are restaurants and shops in the basement, as well as a kabuki gallery on the 5th floor of the adjacent tower. Next to it is Jugetsudo Ginza Kabukiza, a serene tea shop and café looking out at a small Japanese garden. Here you can enjoy some matcha dessert and try different types of Japanese tea while waiting for the weather to clear up.