A unique way to see some very different Tokyo neighborhoods.

Tokyo Big Sight is Tokyo’s premier convention center, and as such you might expect it to be located in the middle of downtown Tokyo. The reality, though, is that Big Sight is located out on an island in Tokyo Bay.

It’s still within the Tokyo city limits, though, which had us wondering, how long would it take to walk from Tokyo Station, which is in the city center, to Tokyo Big Sight?

Before we get started, we should clarify that Big Sight does have rail stations close to the venue, two of them, in fact (Tokyo Big Sight Station on the Yurikamome Line and Kokusai Tenjijo Station on the Rinkai Line), so this walk isn’t a mandatory part of visiting Big Sight to attend Comiket, the Japan Mobility Show/Tokyo Motor Show, or any of the other events Big Sight hosts. But if the trains happen to be shut down, or if you just find yourself in the mood for some urban exploring, how doable is it?

To find out, we started by exiting Tokyo Station via the Yaesu Central Exit, at 10:37 in the morning. From here we needed to head southeast until we got to Tokyo Bay, then cross over part of its waters to get to the Ariake neighborhood, where Big Sight is located.

Despite the distance we were going to be walking, it’s actually pretty easy to navigate from Tokyo Station to Big Sight, as Tokyo Metropolitan Road Route 304 will take you almost the entire way, with just a few turns to make at the beginning and end. The closest place from Tokyo Station to pick up Tokyo Metropolitan Road Route 304 is near Yurakucho Station, so that’s our first en-route destination.

“Yurakucho” might not be a name that international travelers are all that familiar with, but the Yurakucho neighborhood blends into Ginza, one of Japan’s swankiest fashion and shopping districts, so you’ll start spotting fancy department stores and brand-name luxury designer shops as you get closer to Yurakucho Station, which is about a 12-minute walk from Tokyo Station.

▼ From Tokyo Station to Urakucho Station

The Yurakucho subway station is underground, but you can spot the stylized “M” mark of the Tokyo Metro at the top of the entrance stairs.

For our purpose of walking to Big Sight, though, we don’t need to go down into Yurakucho Station. Instead, this is where we can start following Route 304, in the direction towards the Toyosu and Harumi neighborhoods.

We’re going to be on Route 304 for quite a while, which means a pretty big transition in the vibe about 14 minutes later…

…when we get to the Tsukiji neighborhood. Although Tsukiji is no longer the home of Tokyo’s central fish market, many of the vendors that make up the “outer market” are still in business, as are dozens of fantastic sushi and seafood restaurants, so this is still a major attraction for local and traveling foodies alike.

▼ From Yurakucho Station to Tsukiji

From here, we’re just a couple of blocks away from Tokyo Bay, so we’re going to stay on Route 304 and cross over Kachidoki Brige.

Once you get past Tsukiji, you enter into a part of the city that doesn’t get a lot of tourist traffic, and you also get some clear lines of sight across the water that make for cool photo spots.

Look up, and you’ll see plenty of high-rise offices and condominium towers,

We’ve got a few more bridges to cross on our way to Big Sight, with the largest of which is called Harumi Ohashi, or the “Great Harumi Bridge.”

We’re now about 20 minutes past Tsukiji, and from up on the bridge we can indulge in a little plane-spotting, since we’re not far from the flight path for Haneda Airport…

…and we can also take in the view of the Rainbow Bridge, which connects central Tokyo with the Odaiba neighborhood, which is also on an island in Tokyo Bay.

▼ From Tsukiji to the Harumi Ohashi bridge

Once on the other side of bridge, we’re finally in Koto, the ward of Tokyo that Big Sight is located in!

Now it’s time to get off Route 304, as we hang a right and walk along the sidewalk that parallels the elevated Yurikamome Line. At the next intersection we’ll come to Shijomae Station, the closest stop to the Toyosu fish market that replaced Tsukiji’s, and here we turn left.

After making this turn, we keep walking and can see Ariake Arena off to our left…

…and pass right by the Ariake Garden shopping center.

After crossing the pedestrian overpass that goes over the expressway, we get to the Doubletree by Hilton Tokyo Ariake hotel…

…and heading back down to the surface street, we’re only another eight minutes away…

…from Big Sight!

▼ From Harumi Ohashi bridge to Big Sight

Checking or watch, we saw that it was now 12:07 p.m., meaning that we’d been walking for a total of exactly 1 hour and 30 minutes. That’s obviously not a quick little stroll, and with the trip by train from Tokyo Station to Big Sight only taking 20 minutes, we wouldn’t recommend making the journey on foot if you’re in a hurry, or if you’re laden down with all sorts of merch or memorabilia from whatever convention you just got done attending.

But on the other hand, this walk gives you the chance to see Tokyo from angles that most tourists miss out on, and you get a lot of variety in cityscapes and atmospheres as you pass through the different neighborhoods along the way, making you feel like you’ve covered quite a lot of ground without putting all that much strain on your feet. So if you’ve got time and comfortable footwear, the walk from Tokyo Station to Big Sight is a unique and memorable experience.

Photos ©SoraNews24
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