See the full list of winners

And the award goes to... Last night, a packed Hikarie Hall in Shibuya played host to the inaugural Love Tokyo Awards ceremony, which saw winners crowned in a total of seven categories: Restaurant, Café, Bar, Shop, Product, Activity and Face of Tokyo.

30 essential things to do in Tokyo

Whether you’ve lived here all your life or just landed at Narita or Haneda, we're all completely spoilt for brilliant things to do in Tokyo. From unique attractions and world-famous sights to hotspots in odd spots, by day and by night, from high art to wildlife, there are so many things to do in Tokyo. But we think this list of 30 essential things to do – the result of heated debate here at the office – is a good place to start.

The best restaurants: Tokyo top 100

Setting the criteria for our first list of the 100 best restaurants in Tokyo was the easy bit. Anywhere we felt compelled to revisit again and again was instantly in. The Time Out team visited the newest joints in town and revisited the greats, so we knew which restaurants truly deserve their place in our list. We’re excited to give you Tokyo’s top 100 restaurants, presented in no particular order. In the list below – surely the ultimate guide to the best restaurants in the city – you’ll find it all: the best new openings, classic cheap eats, Michelin-starred establishments with starched linen napkins, vending machine ramen joints, smoky yakitori haunts, family-run izakayas… What they all have in common is that they serve some of the best dishes in Tokyo for any budget, with service befitting the setting. In short, if you’re looking for a great meal, you’ve come to the right place.

The best Tokyo bars

Tokyo’s drinking scene is one of the best in the world, with boundary-breaking cocktail bars taking mixed drinks to the next level, while traditional izakayas bring you back down to earth in the best possible way. Should you be looking for the perfect pint or a cocktail beyond comprehension, our critics have rounded up their favourite bars and pubs across the capital on Time Out’s list of the best bars in Tokyo. Whether it's that place where everybody knows your name or a hangout where you can live it up like the A-list, there’s something for everyone in our guide. If you need a moment for yourself, pick one of our best Tokyo bars for drinking alone, while a sudden craving for Japanese whisky can be satisfied at one of these bars serving world-class malt. And if you're still thirsty, check out our guide to bars specialising in craft beer.

The 50 best Tokyo cafés

Boasting roots that go back at least a century, Tokyo's café culture is a fascinating mix of the old and the new. From old-school kissaten that tenaciously kept the flag flying for good coffee in Tokyo long before anyone had even thought it could become trendy, to the hottest representatives of the 'third wave' coffee movement, you'll find countless cafés, coffee shops, bistros and bars everywhere you go in the city. This roundup of the 50 best Tokyo cafés is meant to be a cross-section of the capital's creative caffeinated community, and features a sample of in-demand newcomers, golden oldies and everything in between – we've even included a couple of places where the focus is more on superb desserts than quality coffee. Be it single origin beans, excellent espresso, artisanal green tea, a nostalgic atmosphere or decadent cakes you're looking for, we've got you covered. Check out the list and follow us on a tour of Tokyo's very best cafés – and if you still need more options, check out our previous take on the best coffee in Tokyo or our roundup of the city's best 100 restaurants.

The 100 best shops in Tokyo

You don't know the meaning of retail therapy until you've shopped in Tokyo. And to prepare you for the ultimate shopper's high, we've rustled up, oh, just 100 of the best shops in Tokyo, from brand-spanking new shops to a range of both well-known and underground spots to satisfy vintage hounds, decor dreamers, paper sniffers and vinyl fiends. And even if you're just in the market for holiday souvenirs, we've got you covered too.

THE PERFECT TOKYO SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

A great shopping experience is about more than just finding what you need: it’s a combination of entertainment, new discoveries and satisfaction. Commerce in Japan has been a refined activity for centuries, and that time-honoured spirit remains alive even today. A range of subtle techniques are used when serving customers and designing shopping spaces – all in order to create a richer experience. Japanese department stores, particularly the three renowned retailers featured below, combine the traditions of Edo-era clothing shops with European and American influences to make your visit as enjoyable as possible.

SHIBUYA – the city’s best entertainment hub

Make no mistake: first-time visitors may find Shibuya more than a little chaotic. This stunningly vibrant neighbourhood is like a condensed version of the massive city around it, with every Tokyo delight imaginable squeezed into a single area. Within a 500-metre radius, you get everything from traditional Japanese culture to the latest films, music and art, not to mention countless restaurants, bars and shops. Start your journey through the chaos of Shibuya at these unmissable spots.