3 Best Sights in Shiodome, Tokyo

The Japanese gift for graphic and commercial design comes into historical perspective in these exhibits featuring everything from 18th-century wood-block prints to contemporary fashion photographs and videos. The museum is maintained by a foundation established in honor of Hideo Yoshida, fourth president of the mammoth Dentsu Advertising Company, and includes a digital library of some 130,000 entries and articles on everything you ever wanted to know about hype.

A tiny sanctuary of Japanese tradition and nature that's surrounded by towering glass buildings is a great place to relax or walk off a filling Tsukiji sushi breakfast. The land here was originally owned by the Owari branch of the Tokugawa family from Nagoya, and when a family member became shogun in 1709, his residence was turned into a palace—with pavilions, ornamental gardens, pine and cherry groves, and duck ponds. The garden became a public park in 1945, although a good portion of it is fenced off as a nature preserve. None of the original buildings have survived, but on the island in the large pond is a reproduction of the pavilion where former U.S. president Ulysses S. Grant and Mrs. Grant had an audience with Emperior Meiji in 1879. The building can now be rented for parties. The stone linings of the saltwater canal work and some of the bridges underwent a restoration project that was completed in 2009. The path to the left as you enter the garden leads to the "river bus" ferry landing, from which you can cruise up the Sumidagawa to Asakusa. Note that you must pay the admission to the garden even if you're just using the ferry.

Opened in October 2018 as the replacement to the legendary Tsukiji Market, the 40-hectare (99 acres) Toyosu Market, like its predecessor, is one the busiest seafood markets in the world, with more than 600 merchants hard at work. The new market is an upgrade in terms of size and modern facilities, but sadly, a downgrade in terms of experience and charm. Visitors get far less access at Toyosu: you are restricted to viewing the early morning auctions from behind glass (you need to apply for a spot online before going) and you can no longer stroll the inner market. There's a fixed route you can follow through the three main buildings, two of which are for seafood, the other for fruit and vegetables. Afterward, head up to the rooftop lawn on the Fisheries Intermediate Wholesale Market Building for bay and city views, then check out the market's restaurants for a sushi or seafood breakfast; some popular Tsukiji restaurants like Sushi Dai have made the move to Toyosu. While this is Toyosu, don't use Toyosu Station as it is a 20-minute walk away; use Shijo-mae Station on the Yurikamome Line.