What to do in Tokyo on a rainy day

Rain in Tokyo rarely means a wasted day. The city is built around stations, and most of these picks sit within a few covered minutes of an exit. Book timed-entry attractions before you leave the hotel; walk-in queues are the main thing that goes wrong on a wet afternoon.

If you only do one thing, choose teamLab Planets in Toyosu: it is entirely indoors, you walk barefoot through water and light rooms, and it takes about two hours. For a cheaper, quieter option, the Ueno museum cluster works in any weather and you can move between buildings under cover.

The picks cluster in four areas, which makes a wet day easy to plan: Ueno for museums, Toyosu and Odaiba for the bay, Ikebukuro for a single-building day, and Ginza or Tokyo Station for food and shopping. Pick one cluster and stay in it rather than crossing the city twice.

Coordinates below are approximate and given for orientation only.

Buy a clear plastic umbrella at any convenience store for around ¥500–¥800; it is cheaper than a taxi and you can leave it behind. Convenience stores also sell hand towels, useful because many public toilets have no dryers.

Trains are the dry option: subway and JR stations connect to department stores and underground arcades, so a route like Ueno to Ginza can be done almost entirely below ground. Use an IC card for trains and coin lockers. If you are travelling with children, choose a single-building stop such as Sunshine City rather than moving between sights.

Restaurants and cafés fill quickly at lunch on wet days. Eat slightly before or after the rush, or book. For evening plans, indoor options such as small bars and live music rooms work in any weather.

Tokyo's wettest stretch is the June rainy season, followed by September, when typhoons can bring heavy rain and transport delays. Rain also falls in short bursts in summer. Winter rain is less common but colder, so a waterproof layer beats an umbrella on windy days.

If your trip is flexible, March to May and October to December give the best odds of dry, mild days. If you are already here in the rain, treat it as a museum and food day and keep the outdoor sights for the next clear morning.