Over 450 Locations! Visit the Tokyo Tourist Information Desk to Upgrade Your Travel Experience

*This article was sponsored by the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau.

*The number of Tokyo Tourist Information Desks is accurate as of August, 2024.

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What Is the Tokyo Tourist Information Desk?

The Tokyo Tourist Information Desk offers a treasure trove of local travel information and advice to domestic and overseas travelers. The facilities registered with this service are operated by local municipalities and private businesses and are certified by the city of Tokyo. These visitor-friendly venues include traditional tourist information centers, hotels, restaurants, and sightseeing facilities.

Let’s explore the benefits of visiting these information desks while in Tokyo.

Highlight #1: Over 450 Locations in Tokyo! There’s a Good Chance You’ll Find One Nearby!

You can find the Tokyo Tourist Information Desk at over 450 locations across Tokyo, including its major train stations and popular sightseeing destinations. Get all the travel help you need during your time in Tokyo with ease!

The Tokyo Tourist Information Desk is also available in the Tama area and the Tokyo Islands. The west Tama area of Tokyo encompasses 30 municipalities and over 350 mountains, perfectly blending the beauty of verdant nature and the convenience of city living. The Tokyo Islands are formed by a total of 11 islands blessed with stunning natural landscapes and rich marine resources.

Travelers can experience the unique charms of Tokyo’s various locales with support from the Tokyo Tourist Information Desk.

Highlight #2: Enjoy an Enriched Travel Experience by Engaging with the Local Community!

As mentioned above, the facilities registered to this service are not limited to conventional tourist information centers. You'll find it in electronic retailers, department stores, cafes, traditional handicraft shops, and various other shopping and lodging facilities.

This means that you have the opportunity to gain access to exclusive local insights not listed online or in guidebooks, such as the lesser-known spots that locals like to visit or personal recommendations for eateries. If you are revisiting Tokyo and looking for a fresh perspective, these information desks will help you discover new facets of the city.

Highlight #3: Available in Multiple Languages

One of the most frequent challenges international travelers encounter during their stay in Japan is the struggle to communicate with staff at various facilities due to language barriers. 

The Tokyo Tourist Information Desk offers assistance not only in Japanese, but also in English and several other languages! Locations that don’t have multilingual staff on hand can instead connect visitors to multilingual call centers through monitor displays.

Enjoy a comfortable visit to Tokyo with the multilingual support of the Tokyo Tourist Information Desk.

Highlight #4: Pick Up a Wide Range of Sightseeing Brochures, Absolutely Free!

Some locations offer a variety of travel brochures, including the Tokyo Travel Guide, the city’s official guidebook. These guides are available in nine languages: Japanese, English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), Korean, German, French, Spanish, Italian, and Thai.

The Tokyo Travel Guide is a guidebook packed full of information, including the city’s top landmarks, shopping districts, transportation systems, and tourist maps. The book also offers useful tips such as utilizing the 1-day open ticket on the Tokyo Metro subway, and even introduces the top attractions in Tokyo’s popular sightseeing areas and walking courses if you prefer to tour on foot. It is a comprehensive resource that covers all the major tourist areas of Tokyo, making it the perfect introduction for visitors experiencing the city for the first time.

【View the digital brochure for the Tokyo Travel Guide】

Japanese: https://www.gotokyo.org/book/actibook/2303_tg_JP/HTML5/pc.html#/page/1

English: https://www.gotokyo.org/book/actibook/2303_tg_EN/HTML5/pc.html#/page/1

Other examples of brochures and pamphlets you may stumble across at the Tokyo Tourist Information Desk include localized walking guide maps or introductions to vegetarian or Muslim-friendly facilities and eateries.

【View the digital brochure for the TOKYO MUSLIM Travelers' Guide】

Japanese: https://www.gotokyo.org/book/actibook/2303_muslim_JP/HTML5/pc.html#/page/1

English: https://www.gotokyo.org/book/actibook/2303_muslim_EN/HTML5/pc.html#/page/1

【View the digital brochure for the TOKYO Vegan & Vegetarian Restaurant Guide】

Japanese: https://www.gotokyo.org/book/actibook/2303_vege_JP/HTML5/pc.html#/page/1

English: https://www.gotokyo.org/book/actibook/2303_vege_EN/HTML5/pc.html#/page/1

Despite having so much useful information in them, they're completely free! So, if you see them, do pick them up - they could come in helpful on your Tokyo trip!

Other Services (Only Available at Certain Locations)

Sightseeing Information Terminals

Some locations come equipped with free sightseeing information terminals. Available in English, Chinese (Simplified and Traditional), and Korean, users can easily search for information on sightseeing destinations, dining options, events happening in town, and more.

We Visited a Tokyo Tourist Information Desk!

To truly test the usefulness and convenience of the Tokyo Tourist Information Desk, we decided to visit one in person!

We chose to check out the Hama-rikyu Gardens, a 10-minute walk from Shimbashi Station. Established in the early Edo period (1603-1868), it's one of Tokyo's largest “daimyo” (ruling lord) gardens and is renowned for its stunning cherry blossoms and autumn foliage. The garden is also famous for the breathtaking contrast between traditional Japanese scenery and the modern skyscrapers of Tokyo.

Hama-rikyu Gardens’ spacious grounds offer a wealth of attractions and activities. Visitors can stroll along the paths, admire beautiful seasonal flowers, and join all kinds of events held throughout the year.

Hama-rikyu Gardens also has its own Tokyo Tourist Information Desk. Stepping inside, we were immediately impressed by the amount of brochures guiding visitors through the gardens, along with a variety of Tokyo Travel Guides in multiple languages.

Services here are available in English, Chinese, and French (with Chinese and French on a part-time basis), eliminating most language barriers for non-Japanese speakers. Alongside information on the Hama-rikyu Gardens itself, the desk offered guidance on sightseeing attractions across the wider Tokyo area, making it useful for planning out your Tokyo itinerary.

Here are some comments from our editorial team:

"I was surprised to see so much information here, about the Hama-rikyu Gardens and much more!"
"It's great to be able to find out about nearby sightseeing spots and other ways to make the most of Tokyo."
"The wide range of pamphlets ready to be picked up made it really convenient!"

Our visit gave us all the assurance we needed to recommend the Tokyo Tourist Information Desk for a smooth and fulfilling Tokyo trip.

Check Out the Official Website for More Valuable Insights!

The official Tokyo Tourist Information Desk website is rich in valuable content for Tokyo visitors! Available in multiple languages (Japanese, English, Simplified and Traditional Chinese, and Korean), the site can be used to search for the nearest Tokyo Tourist Information Desk from your current location. To add to the convenience, users can also search their vicinity for sightseeing destinations, sorted by popular tourist area.

What’s more, the website also helps you locate information desks by the services offered - whether you’re looking for cultural experience workshops, baggage deposits, ticketing and booking arrangements, SIM card rentals, free Wi-Fi spots, or more.

Official website (Japanese): https://tokyotouristinfo.com/
Official website (English): https://tokyotouristinfo.com/en/

Visit the Tokyo Tourist Information Desk for All of Your Travel Needs!

The Tokyo Tourist Information Desk is your helpful assistant in ensuring a safe and comfortable stay in Tokyo. If you are visiting Tokyo, keep an eye out for a sign like the one below, and feel free to drop by to discover what it has to offer.

*Images in this article are for illustration purposes.