You are in Tokyo, you had planned a full day out in the city, and it is raining. Here is what is worth doing in the capital when the weather turns.
One note: some of the activities below need booking, so keep an eye on the forecast and plan the rain in.
Teamlab
Teamlab is one of the more absorbing digital art experiences you can walk into: sensory, artistic, and firmly turned towards the future. There are two in Tokyo: teamlab planet and teamlab borderless. The latter opened recently and needs booking well ahead; tickets for teamlab planet are much easier to get. Whatever the weather, it is worth a place in your stay.
Museums
Tokyo has museums in quantity. Art, history, children’s museums, museums built around Japanese culture. There will be one that suits you.
Shopping
Do we really need to spell this one out? Tokyo is a shopping city, and an excessive one. Whatever your budget and your taste, you will find something to take home. Rain is as good a reason as any. You may also want to read our article on our five favourite shops and shopping centres in Tokyo.
Arcades
Akihabara, Shinjuku, Shibuya: many districts have arcades. Try the claw machines, look for the odder gashapon (capsule machines), or play Taiko no Tatsujin, the drum rhythm game. You will lose an hour or two without noticing.
Massage
Often therapeutic rather than merely pleasant, massage in Japan is reasonably priced, and it gives you a pause you will have earned by then. Enough to fill a wet morning or afternoon.
