The Ultimate Tokyo Challenge Tour: Dare to Explore Differently

Location: Beginning of Takeshita Street, Harajuku

Structure: The travelers split into 2, 3, or 4 groups of participants (depending on the group size). Each group collaborates together. 

Game Concept:

Teams receive several envelopes, each labeled with one or a few key words such as “Tradition” and “Modern Expression.”

Their task is to identify 10 examples for each category in the street and justify their classification.

The first few discoveries might be easy. The rest require sharper cultural observation and reasoning.

Teams reconvene at the end of Takeshita Street for a structured assessment and discussion.

Location: Meiji jungu south pond and inner garden

Structure: No speaking allowed for 10-20 minutes.

Game Concept:

Participants must physically explore angles of the South Pond.

Each team must answer a few perception questions such as:

“Where does the garden appear largest?”
“Find the point where the water disappears.”
“Stand where the sky doubles.”

The questions will be handed out on cards.

Location: Meiji Jingu Shrine – Tokyo’s most important Shinto shrine

Structure: The travelers split into 2, 3, or 4 groups of participants (depending on the group size). Each group collaborates to solve a sequence of scroll-based riddles.

10 rounds total
2-5 minutes per round (might vary depending on the puzzle)

Game Concept:

Guests will take part in a team-based puzzle experience rooted in Shinto symbolism and shrine architecture.

Each group receives one scroll per round. Each scroll contains the same short, poetic text — a symbolic clue hinting at a specific element within the shrine grounds. A 2-to-5-minute timer begins for each round. Teams must observe their surroundings carefully, interpret symbolic meaning, and locate the correct answer within the shrine environment.

Location: Yoyogi Park

Structure: Before the game begins, teams line up, bow to one another, and one member calls out 「お願いします！」 (Onegaishimasu – “Let’s do our best”), reflecting the Japanese tradition of starting even casual sports with mutual respect.

Game Concept:

Baseball is widely regarded as Japan’s national sport. Each team will receive a baseball and begin a controlled game of catch, with the objective of completing 30 consecutive clean catches; if the ball is dropped at any point, the entire team must perform a 20-second plank, and the count resets to zero.