Crossing the streets in front of the Shibuya Station is an experience on its own. Approximately 3,000 people cross the road at a time. Many street artists gather in this area to show their performances. You can also find the statue of the famous and loyal dog Hachikō between the station and the intersection. The crossing is most electrifying after dark, particularly on Friday and Saturday evenings, when neon signs and enormous screens bathe the crowds in a kinetic glow. For the best perspective, head to Mag’s Park, the rooftop observatory atop the Shibuya 109-2 department store, which offers a panoramic view of the human tide below.

Shinjuku Gyoen offers a serene escape from Tokyo’s skyscraper district, blending traditional Japanese landscapes with elegant French formal gardens and expansive English lawns. Originally an imperial retreat (1906), it reopened to the public in 1949 and remains a favourite for picnics and cherry-blossom viewing. Don’t miss the sleek greenhouse brimming with tropical plants, the historic Taiwanese pavilion overlooking reflective ponds, or Momijiyama’s fiery autumn maples. With over a dozen cherry varieties, the bloom season stretches unusually long.

North Wall Arts Centre is an award-winning multi-disciplinary arts centre containing a 200-seat theatre, an art gallery, and two studio spaces. It has been created for the advantage of emerging artists across a range of disciplines. It opened its doors in 2007 and was created from a former Victorian swimming pool. The centre has won several national awards for its innovative design.

Lord Howe Island is one of Australia’s premier birdwatching destinations, with 14 species of seabirds breeding here in their hundreds of thousands. The island also has more than 130 permanent and migratory bird species, including the unique Lord Howe Island woodhen, vast flocks of migrating shearwaters and rare providence petrels.