Ueno Park

Ueno Park has carried Tokyo's outdoor cruising reputation for decades — specifically the hedged garden paths behind the big concert hall near the station's Park exit, from around 8pm, busiest in summer.

Know before you go: Japan's rules are cultural as much as legal — total discretion, no public affection, and never photograph anyone. Activity here is subtle to the point of invisibility; if you can't read it, it isn't happening. The real weight of Tokyo's scene is indoors anyway — Shinjuku Ni-chōme's bars and the 24 Kaikan sauna towers do what parks do elsewhere.