- Tokyo is a huge city with several district articles containing sightseeing, restaurant, nightlife and accommodation listings — consider printing them all.
Tōkyō (東京; [1]) is the capital of Japan. At over 12 million people in the official metropolitan area alone, Tokyo is the core of the most populated urban area in the world, Greater Tokyo (which has a population of 35 million people). This huge, wealthy and fascinating metropolis brings high-tech visions of the future side by side with glimpses of old Japan, and has something for everyone.
Districts
Map of Tokyo, Yamanote line in Green, Chuo line in Orange
Huge and varied in its geography, with over 2,000 square kilometers to explore, Tokyo prefecture (東京都 Tōkyō-to) spans not just the city, but rugged mountains to the west and subtropical islands to the south. This article concentrates on the 23 central wards (区 ku) near the bay, while the western cities and the islands are covered in a separate article.
The geography of central Tokyo is defined by the JR Yamanote Line (see Get around). The center of Tokyo — the former area reserved for the Shogun and his samurai — lies within the loop, while the Edo-era downtown (下町 shitamachi) is to the north and east. Sprawling around in all directions and blending seamlessly into Yokohama, Kawasaki and Chiba are Tokyo’s suburbs.
Central Tokyo
Shinjuku at night
- Chiyoda, the seat of Japanese power (both political and economical) that includes the Imperial Palace, the Ministries near Kasumigaseki, the Parliament in Nagatacho, the corporate headquarters of Marunouchi, and the electronics mecca of Akihabara
- Chuo district, including the famed department stores of the Ginza and the fish markets of Tsukiji
- Minato, including the business centers of Akasaka and Shinbashi and the neighbouring nightclub district of Roppongi, the port district (at least in name) which includes the artificial island of Odaiba, the skyscrapers of Shiodome
- Shinjuku, home to luxury hotels, giant camera stores, futuristic skyscrapers, hundreds of shops and restaurants, and Kabukicho, Tokyo’s wildest nightlife and red-light district
- Shibuya, the fashionable shopping district which also encompasses the teenybopper haven of Harajuku (also home to the Meiji Shrine) and the nightlife of Ebisu
- Shinagawa, a major train hub and business center
- Toshima including Ikebukuro, another giant train hub
- Meguro, a residential area with a few nice parks and museums
Old Tokyo (Shitamachi)
- Sumida by the river of the same name, including Ryogoku, home of the Edo-Tokyo Museum and Tokyo’s main sumo arena (Ryogoku Kokugikan).
- Taito and Bunkyo, the heart of Old Tokyo featuring the temples of Asakusa and many museums of Ueno
- Koto, between the two rivers Sumida and Arakawa, located on just the south of Sumida. It is famous for the former woodland in Kiba, and Kameido Tenjin the shrine worshiping Michizane Sugawara known as the father of study in Kameido.
- Arakawa
- The South part of Adachi
Suburban wards
- Edogawa
- Itabashi
- Katsushika
- Kita
- Nakano
- Nerima
- Ota
- Setagaya, an upscale residential area that houses the student drinking spot of Shimokitazawa
- Suginami
- Adachi
Understand
Over 400 years old, the city of Tokyo grew from the modest fishing village of Edo (江戸). The former seat of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Imperial family moved to the city after the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The metropolitan center of the country, Tokyo is the destination for business, education, modern culture, and government. (That’s not to say that rivals such as Osaka won’t dispute those claims.)
Culture
Tokyo is vast: it’s best thought of not as a single city, but a constellation of cities that have grown together. Tokyo’s districts vary wildly by character, from the electronic blare of Akihabara to the Imperial gardens and shrines of Chiyoda, from the hyperactive youth culture mecca of Shibuya to the pottery shops and temple markets of Asakusa. If you don’t like what you see, hop on the train and head to the next one, and you will find something entirely different.
The sheer size and frenetic pace of Tokyo can intimidate the first-time visitor. Much of the city is a jungle of concrete and wires, with a mass of neon and blaring loudspeakers. At rush hour, crowds jostle in packed trains and masses of humanity sweep through enormous and bewilderingly complex stations. Don’t get too hung up on ticking tourist sights off your list: for most visitors, the biggest part of the Tokyo experience is just wandering around at random and absorbing the vibe, poking your head into shops selling weird and wonderful things, sampling restaurants where you can’t recognize a single thing on the menu (or on your plate), and finding unexpected oases of calm in the tranquil grounds of a neighbourhood Shinto shrine. It’s all perfectly safe, and the locals will go to sometimes extraordinary lengths to help you if you just ask.
Language
It’s easier than ever for English speakers to navigate their way around Tokyo without speaking any Japanese. Signs at subway and train stations include the station names in romaji (Romanized characters). It can be helpful to know some tips for ordering in restaurants, shopping in stores, and asking for directions. Learning the katakana script is not difficult and most words written with it can be understood by English speakers so it can be useful even for people with no Japanese vocabulary. If you plan on asking for directions to Tokyo destinations, it especially helps to carry the name of the destination written in Japanese characters.
Expenses
The cost of living in Tokyo is not as astronomical as it once was. Deflation and market pressures have helped to make costs in Tokyo comparable to most other large cities. Visitors from San Francisco, New York, London, Paris and Toronto will not be at all surprised. Travelers should budget a similar amount of money for their stay in Tokyo as they would for any other great city in Europe or North America. Locals will know the bargains, but experienced cheapskates from anywhere in the world can get by with a little ingenuity.
Get in
| Luggage delivery
Send your bags into town before you arrive—Tokyo is crowded. Lugging even a moderately sized suitcase through the subways and up stairs can be difficult, particularly during rush hour. Delivery services (takkyuubin) deliver luggage dependably and quickly to nearly any address. You can send almost any shape or size of luggage, even bicycles, from and to the airport. One exception: if you have bottles of alcohol in your luggage, you’ll have to carry those yourself even if the airline allowed them in your in checked baggage.
At airports and major train stations, look for a sign that says “Baggage Delivery” or something similar. The most common company is called Kuroneko-Yamato, which has an easy-to-spot black-on-yellow logo of a mother cat carrying her kitten. Other companies include Nittsu and Sagawa. Japan Post, the national postal service, also offers luggage delivery called “Yu-Pack”. Fees are based upon distance, expect to pay around ¥2000 within the greater Tokyo area. Usually, the delivery is performed the following day, in a specified time range.
This works the same way on departure. Most hotels and many convenience stores will take care of the pick-up for you, but you should check delivery times in advance, so that your luggage can arrive in time for your flight. Most services require that you send your luggage to the airport two days prior to your departure. You can pick up your luggage in the airport lobby. This makes getting to the airport a breeze. This service can also be used for intercity travel. |
In Japan, all roads, rails, shipping lanes and planes lead to Tokyo.
By plane
Tokyo has two large airports: Narita for international flights, and Haneda for (mostly) domestic flights.
Narita Airport
- See also: Narita
Tokyo’s main international gateway is Narita Airport (成田空港) (IATA: NRT) [2], located in the town of Narita nearly 70 kilometers northeast of Tokyo and covered in a separate article. A brief summary of options for getting there and away:
- Easiest: Limousine bus direct to major hotels, ~120 minutes (subject to traffic), ¥3000
- Fastest: Narita Express to Tokyo Station, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Yokohama, 55 minutes, ¥2940 (Japan Rail Pass valid)
- Cheapest: Keisei Limited Express train to Nippori/Ueno, ~80 minutes, ¥1000
- Most expensive: Taxi to the city, more than ¥30,000
Haneda Airport
Haneda Airport (羽田空港 IATA: HND) [3], officially known as Tokyo International Airport, in Ota is the busiest airport in all Asia despite being (almost) entirely limited to domestic traffic. Terminal 1 houses the JAL group including Skymark and Skynet, while Terminal 2 is home to ANA and affiliate Air Do. Shuttle services to Hong Kong, Seoul-Gimpo and Shanghai-Hongqiao use the small separate International Terminal, which is connected to the main domestic terminals by a free shuttle bus that runs every 5 minutes.
The easiest and most scenic way from Haneda to the city is the Tokyo Monorail [4] with a station in each terminal running to Hamamatsucho (16 min, ¥470), from where you can connect to almost anywhere in Tokyo on the JR Yamanote line. The other, slightly cheaper alternative is the private Keikyu (京急) line, which has a single station between the terminals and runs to Shinagawa (19 min, ¥400) and Yokohama (27 min, ¥470). Keikyu also runs trains to Haneda from the Toei Asakusa subway line, and even a few direct services to Narita. Note that there is no JR service to the airport, and the “Airport Terminal 2″ station that pops up in some route search engines is located in Narita, not Haneda!
Expect to pay anywhere from ¥4,000 to ¥10,000 for a taxi to central Tokyo.
Chōfu Airfield
Chōfu Airfield (調布飛行場 Chōfu hikōjō) serves only some turboprop flights to the Izu Islands south of Tokyo. The nearest railway station is Nishi-Chōfu on the Keiō Line, a 15-minute walk away. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Chofu or Mitaka stations.
By train
Tokyo Station
There is a frequent intercity Shinkansen service to and from Tokyo Station (東京駅 Tōkyō-eki) in Chiyoda, from where you can easily connect pretty much anywhere in the city on the JR Yamanote or Metro Marunouchi lines. For all northbound trains, you can also hop on at Ueno, while all westbound trains stop at Shinagawa.
For non-Shinkansen services, Shibuya and Shinjuku stations offer local connections to the west. Ueno and Ikebukuro stations connect you to the northern suburbs and neighboring prefectures.
- The Shinkansen Tour [5]. Deeply discounted bullet train and accommodation packages exclusively for foreigners. Bullet train services into Tokyo run from Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka.
By car or thumb
While you can drive into the city, it’s really not recommended as the city can be congested, signs may be confusing and parking fees are astronomical.
Hitchhiking into Tokyo is pretty easy, but hitchhiking out is considerably more difficult. It’s definitely possible for determined cheapskates though, see Hitchhiking in Japan for a detailed list of tested escape routes from the city.
By bus
Highway bus services link Tokyo to other cities, resort areas and the surrounding prefectures. There are JR and private bus companies. Bus service may be cheaper, but the train is probably more convenient. If you have a JR pass, then you should generally stick with the trains.
Long-distance buses use a number of terminals scattered throughout the city, but the main JR depot is at Tokyo Station’s Yaesu-minamiguchi (八重洲南口) exit, while Keio and some other private companies use the Shinjuku Highway Bus Terminal (新宿高速バスターミナル), opposite Yodobashi Camera near the West Exit.
- The JR Bus Group [6]. A major operator of bus services to and from Tokyo. Seat reservations for JR Buses can be made in train stations at the same “Midori-no-Madoguchi” ticket windows used to reserve seats on trains. Moreover, the Japan Rail Pass is valid on all bus runs between Tokyo and Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka.
- 123bus [7]. A company that has nightly bus services to and from Tokyo. Its bus services link many cities in Japan. Online booking available in English.
By boat
One of the great ports of the world, Tokyo also has domestic ferry services to other points in Japan. However, none of the regular international ferries to Japan call at Tokyo.
The main long-distance ferry terminal is Ariake Ferry Terminal [8], located on an artificial island adjacent to Odaiba in Tokyo Bay. The nearest station is Kokusai-Tenjijo-Seimon on the Yurikamome line, but it’s still a bit of a hike. You can also take a direct bus from Shin-Kiba station on the Metro Yurakucho line. The main services from this terminal are:
- Tokyo-Tomakomai (Hokkaido): Kawasaki Kinkai Kisen, 03-3528-0718. This ferry has no passenger facilities, so it can only be used if you have a car; fares for a car and driver start at ¥25,820.
- Tokyo-Tokushima-Kitakyushu: Ocean Tokyu Ferry, 03-5148-0109. Tokyo-Kitakyushu passenger fares are ¥14,000 for second class, ¥26,600 for first class.
Ferries to the Izu and Ogasawara Islands leave from Takeshiba Terminal (竹芝客船ターミナル), adjacent to Takeshiba station on the Yurikamome line. Cruise liners tend to use the Harumi Terminal (晴海客船ターミナル), best accessible on bus 都05(To-05) from Tokyo station Marunouchi South Exit or 東12(Tou-12) from Tokyo station Yaesu exit. International ferries and cargo ferries that also take passengers can leave from other terminals too, enquire with your shipping company.
Get around
Subway lines with transfer stations labeled. The Yamanote surface line is in black. Not included on this map is the entire Fukutoshin Line (brown line) which runs south from Ikebukuro next to the Yamanote Line and terminates in Shibuya.
A Yamanote Line train.
By train and subway
Tokyo has the most extensive mass transit system in the world. It is clean, safe and efficient – and confusing. The confusion arises from the fact that several distinct railway systems operate within Tokyo – the JR East network, the two subway networks, and various private lines – and different route maps show different systems. Avoid rush hours if possible; trains get overcrowded very easily.
The defining rail line in Tokyo is the JR Yamanote Line (山手線), which runs in a loop around central Tokyo; being inside the Yamanote loop is synonymous with being in the core of Tokyo. Almost all inter-regional JR lines and private lines start at a station on the Yamanote. JR’s lines are color-coded, and the Yamanote is green. The JR Chuo (中央線, orange) and Sobu (総武線, yellow) lines run side-by-side, bisecting the Yamanote loop from Shinjuku on the west to Tokyo on the east. JR’s other commuter lines, the Saikyo and Keihin-Tohoku, run off the rim of the Yamanote loop to the north and south. JR East has a good English information line, 050-2016-1603 or 03-3423-0111.
Tokyo has an extensive subway network with frequent trains, and these are primarily useful for getting around within the Yamanote loop. The Tokyo Metro [9] runs nine lines: Ginza, Marunouchi, Hibiya, Tozai, Chiyoda, Yurakucho, Hanzomon, Namboku and Fukutoshin lines. Toei [10] operates the Asakusa, Mita, Shinjuku, and Oedo lines. In addition, there is a largely underground Rinkai Line, a private line which is operated by Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit [11] (web-site only in Japanese) or TWR, that passes through the island of Odaiba.
A number of private commuter lines radiate from the Yamanote loop out into the outlying wards and suburbs, and almost all connect through directly to subway lines within the loop. The private lines are useful for day trips outside the city, and are slightly cheaper than JR. Among these, the most important to visitors is arguably the Yurikamome [12] which offers great views on the way to the island of Odaiba.
Fares and hours
Most tickets and passes are sold from automated vending machines. Keep in mind that JR trains are free with a Japan Rail Pass [13].
Prepaid fare cards are convenient and highly recommended because they allow you to ride trains without having to read the sometimes Japanese-only fare maps to determine your fare. There are two brands of prepaid fare cards, JR East’s Suica, and PASMO, offered by private (non-JR) lines. Functionally they are completely interchangeable and can be used on just about every subway, train and bus line in Tokyo (with the noted exception of JR’s Shinkansen and limited express trains).
The fare cards are rechargeable “smart cards”: you simply tap your card on the touch pad next to the turnstile as you go in, and do the same when going through to exit. There is an initial ¥500 deposit that you must pay when purchasing a fare card, but up to ¥20,000 in value can be stored on each card.
Most private lines also maintain the older non-rechargeable Passnet cards, available in 1000, 3000 & 5000 Yen units. If you get towards the end of your card e.g. you have 70 Yen left, then you can either buy another card and use them together in the turnstiles (in which case it will remove the 70 Yen from the 1st card and take the remainder from the new card) or you can use the card as credit for an ordinary ticket.
There are also some special tickets that allow unlimited travel, but most are unlikely to be useful to tourists unless you’re planning to spend half your day on the train.
- The Tokunai Pass (都区内パス) is a one-day pass good for travel on JR lines anywhere in the 23 wards of Tokyo (including the entire Yamanote Line and many stations surrounding it). It costs ¥730, making it economical if you plan to make five or more train hops in one day. A variant is the Tokunai Free Kippu (都区内フリーきっぷ), which also includes a round-trip into Tokyo from stations in the surrounding prefectures. The Monorail And Tokunai Free Kippu, which is good for two days and includes a round-trip from Haneda Airport to central Tokyo, is also sold for ¥2,000.
- The Tokyo Free Kippu (東京フリーきっぷ) covers all JR, subway and city bus lines within the 23 wards. It costs ¥1,580 for one day, and covers a number of areas that are not served by JR, such as Roppongi and Odaiba.
- The Holiday Pass (ホリデーパス) covers the entire JR network in the Tokyo metropolitan area, including Chiba, Kanagawa, Saitama and west Tokyo. It costs ¥2,300 for one day, and is only available on weekends, national holidays and during summer vacation (July 20 through August 31).
If you’re paying a la carte, subway and train fares are based on distance, ranging from ¥110 to ¥310 for hops within central Tokyo. As a general rule of thumb, Tokyo Metro lines are cheapest, Toei lines are most expensive, and JR lines fall somewhere in the middle (but are usually cheaper than Metro for short trips, i.e. no more than 4 stations). Many of the private lines interoperate with the subways, which can occasionally make a single ride seem unreasonably expensive as you are in essence transferring to another line and fare system, even though you’re still on the same train. E.g. changing between Metro and Toei subway lines amounts to paying the sum of each fare: minimum fare Metro ¥160 + minimum fare Toei ¥170 = ¥330.
It pays to check your route beforehand. The Tokyo Transfer Guide [14] by the Tokyo Metro and Toei subway companies, is an online service that allows you to plan subway and train travel from point A to point B, based on time, cost, and transfers. This guide provides information for Tokyo only, and there are other sites which additionally cover the whole country, see the Japan page. Some major stations have terminals providing information similar to the Tokyo Transfer Guide.
If you can’t figure out how much it is to the destination, you can buy the cheapest ticket and pay the difference at the Fare Adjustment Machine (norikoshi) at the end. Most vending machines will let you buy a single ticket that covers a transfer between JR, subway and private lines, all the way to your destination, but working out how to do this may be a challenge if you are not familiar with the system.
Most train lines in Tokyo run from around 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 a.m. During peak hours they run about once every three minutes; even during off-peak hours it’s less than ten minutes between trains. The only night when regular passenger services run overnight is for the New Year’s Holiday on select lines.
For additional information for train travel in Japan generally, refer to the By rail section in the Japan article.
By taxi
Taxis are very pricey, but may be a value for groups of three or more. Also, if you miss your last train, you may not have another choice.
Fares generally start at ¥710 for the first two kilometers and can add up rapidly. A 20% night surcharge is tacked on from 22:00-5:00 (10 PM to 5 AM). As a rule of thumb, a daytime trip across the city from Tokyo station to Shinjuku station will cost approximately ¥3000, while a daytime trip from Tokyo station to Haneda Airport costs around ¥6200. These examples are based on standard routing and traffic conditions, so your actual fare may vary in relation to the estimated fare.
Do not count on your taxi driver speaking English–or knowing more than the best-known locations, though most taxis have GPS “car navi” systems installed. The best and easiest thing to do is to prepare a map marked with where you want to go, and point it out on the map to the taxi driver. If you are staying at a hotel, they will provide a map. If possible, get a business card, or print out the address in Japanese of any specific places you wish to go. However, because in Japan streets are often unmarked, if the taxi driver does not have GPS he may not be able to do more than take you to the general vicinity of where you want to go. Also, note that taxis can get caught in traffic jams. No tips are expected or given.
Taxi rear left passenger doors are operated by the driver and open and close automatically. Don’t open or close them yourself.
By car
Tokyo is a gigantic warren of narrow streets with no names, with slow-moving traffic and extremely limited and expensive parking. In this city with such an excellent mass transit system, you would need a good reason to want to drive around instead. While renting a car can make sense in Japan in some contexts (e.g., visiting a rural onsen resort), in general it is neither convenient nor economical to rent a car to get around metro Tokyo. Taxis are much more convenient if your budget allows it; walking or public transportation is much less expensive and given the difficulties of navigation and finding parking in popular areas, probably easier too.
If you do decide to plunge in and drive around by car, the main expressway serving Tokyo is the Shuto Expressway, abbreviated to Shutoko (首都高) [15]. The main loop line forms a circle around central Tokyo, similar in fashion to how the Yamanote Line does it by rail. But whereas the Yamanote Line charges ¥130-250 for a single trip, driving a car onto the Shutoko in Tokyo entitles you to pay a nominal entry fee of ¥700 every time you enter the system, with additional tolls (¥300 or ¥500) collected at various other locations.
By bus
The few areas within Tokyo that aren’t easily accessible by train are served by various bus companies. Buses have a fixed fare regardless of distance (typically ¥200 or ¥210), and fares are not transferable; however most buses do accept Suica or PASMO fare cards (see above). Compared to the trains, the buses run much less frequently, carry fewer passengers, and are much slower. This makes them amenable to the elderly residents of Tokyo, but rather inconvenient for travelers, who will also have to deal with lack of information in English and sometimes very well hidden bus stops. Bus routes can be fairly complicated and are often not listed in detail at the bus stops; signs on the buses themselves often list only two or three main stops in addition to the origin and destination. Inside the bus stops are usually announced clearly several times, but rarely displayed in English. North-south routes are useful in the Western side of the city since train lines (Odakyu, Keio, Chuo, and Seibu) tend to run east-west.
By ferry
The Tokyo Cruise Ship Company operates a series of Water Bus [16] ferries along the Sumida River and in Tokyo Bay, connecting Asakusa, Hinode, Harumi and Odaiba. The ferries feature a recorded tour announced in English as well as Japanese and a trip on one makes for a relaxing, leisurely way to see the waterfront areas of Tokyo. Of particular note is the super-futuristic Himiko ferry [17] designed by anime and manga creator Leiji Matsumoto [18], which runs on the Asakusa-Odaiba Direct Line. You might want to arrive well before the departure time just in case tickets on the Himiko sell out!
By bicycle
Bicycles are very commonly used for local transport, but amenities like bicycle lanes are rare, drivers pay little heed to bikes and traffic can be very heavy on weekdays, so if you use a bicycle, do not be afraid to cycle on the sidewalk (everyone does). Keep in mind, however, that parts of Tokyo are surprisingly hilly, and it’s a sweaty job pedaling around in the summer heat. Central Tokyo can still be covered fairly comfortably by bike on the weekends. Tokyo Great Cycling Tour [19] offers a one day guided tour for biking around major tourist spots in Tokyo, like Marunouchi, Nihonbashi, Tsukiji, Odaiba, Tokyo tower, Imperial palace and so on.
By foot
In this large city with such an efficient public transportation system, walking to get from point A to point B would seem a bit stupid at first glance. However, as the city is extremely safe even at night, walking in Tokyo can be a very pleasant experience. In some areas, walking can be much shorter than taking the subway and walking the transit (the whole Akasaka/Nagatacho/Roppongi area in the center is for instance very easily covered on foot). If you have the time, Shinjuku to Shibuya via Omotesando takes roughly one hour, Tokyo Station to Shinjuku would be a half a day walk, and the whole Yamanote line Grand Tour takes a long day.
See
Lanterns at Chingodo, Asakusa
Tokyo has a vast array of sights, but the first items on the agenda of most visitors are the temples of Asakusa, the gardens of the Imperial Palace (in Chiyoda) and the Meiji Shrine (in Harajuku).
Tokyo has many commercial centres for shopping, eating and simply wandering around for experiencing the modern Japanese urban phenomenon. Each of these areas have unique characteristics, such as dazzling Shinjuku, youthful Shibuya and upmarket Ginza. These areas are bustling throughout the day, but they really come into life in the evenings.
If you’re looking for a viewing platform, the Tokyo Tower is the best known but a rather overpriced, not to say uninspiring, choice. The highest spot in Tokyo is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building (in effect, Tokyo’s City Hall) in Shinjuku. Its twin towers have viewing platforms that are absolutely free, and offer a great view over Tokyo and beyond. However, the best option would probably be from the World Trade Center Building (10:00-20:00, or 21:00 in July and August, 620 yen) at JR Hamamatsucho station which, although not as high, offers stunning views of Tokyo Tower and the waterfront due to its excellent location, especially at dusk. A recent addition to the viewing platforms around Tokyo is Tokyo City View in Roppongi Hills, Roppongi — admission is a steep ¥1500, but includes admission to the Mori Art Museum. Another good option, if you don’t mind traffic noise and smell, is the Rainbow Bridge at Odaiba, whose pedestrian walkways are free. The night-time view across Tokyo Bay is impressive but the walkways close at 8:00 pm.
The city is dotted with museums, large and small, which center on every possible interest from pens to antique clocks to traditional and modern arts. Many of the largest museums are clustered around Ueno. At ¥500 to ¥1,000 or more, entrance fees can add up quickly, but the GRUTT Pass [20] allows access to 56 of them for a flat ¥2000 fee. The pass can be purchased from any participating museum and is valid for two months.
Itineraries
- Classic Tokyo, Modern Tokyo — a one-day tour of the old and the new
- One day in Tokyo — a hectic whirlwind tour of the many faces of the city
Do
Picnic in the Yoyogi park during the cherry blossom
- Eat a sushi breakfast at the Tsukiji Fish Market.
- Take a boat ride on the Sumida River from Asakusa.
- Lose yourself in the dazzling neon jungle outside major train stations in the evenings. Shibuya and east Shinjuku at night can make Times Square or Piccadilly Circus look rural in comparison – it has to be seen to be believed.
- Enjoy a soak in a local “sento” or public bath. Or one of the onsen theme parks such as LaQua at the Tokyo Dome (Bunkyo) or Oedo Onsen Monogatari in Odaiba.
- Go to an amusement park such as Tokyo Disney Resort, which consists of Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea which are the world’s most visited and second most visited theme parks respectively, or the more Japanese Sanrio Puroland (in Tama), home to more Hello Kittys than you can imagine.
- Check out the hip and young crowd at Harajuku’s Takeshita-Dori (Takeshita Street) or the more grown up Omotesando.
- In the spring, take a boatride in Kichijoji’s lovely Inokashira Park, and afterwards visit the Ghibli Studios Museum (well-known for their amazing movies, like Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke), but you will need to buy tickets for these in advance at a Lawson convenience store.
Tokyo Dome
- Take the Yurikamome elevated train across the bay bridge from Shimbashi station to the bayside Odaiba district, and go on the giant ferris wheel – the largest in the world until recently.
- Watch a baseball game, namely the Yomiuri Giants at the Tokyo Dome, or the Tokyo Yakult Swallows at Jingu Stadium. Nearby Chiba hosts the Chiba Lotte Marines.
- Take a stroll through the Imperial Palace’s East Gardens (open to the public daily at 9am, except Fridays and Mondays).
- Have a picnic in a park during the cherry blossom (Sakura). Unfortunately Sakura only lasts for about a week.
Learn
The curious can study traditional culture such as tea ceremony, calligraphy, or martial arts such as Karate, Judo, Aikido and Kendo. There are also many language schools to help you work on your Japanese. Several universities in Tokyo cater to international students at the undergraduate or graduate level.
- Keio University (慶應義塾大学 Keiō Gijuku Daigaku), [21]. Japan’s top private university (unless you ask a Waseda student). Established in the samurai days of yore and has a stuffier rep than Waseda, with alumni including former prime minister Junichiro Koizumi. Main campus in Mita.
- Tokyo Institute of Technology (東京工業大学 Tōkyō Kōgyo Daigaku), [22]. Tokyo’s top technical university. Main campus in Ookayama.
- University of Tokyo (東京大学 Tōkyō Daigaku), [23]. Japan’s uncontested number one university, especially strong in law, medicine and literature. Passing the entrance exams is fiendishly difficult if you’re Japanese, but getting in as one of its 2000+ exchange students is easier. Five campuses scattered around town, but the original one is in Hongo.
- Waseda University (早稲田大学 Waseda Daigaku), [24]. Japan’s top private university (unless you ask a Keio student), famous as a den of artists and partiers. Main campus in Waseda.
Work
Teaching English (or to a lesser extent, other foreign languages) is still the easiest way to work in Tokyo, but the city also offers more work options than other areas of the country: everything from restaurant work to IT. Certain nationalities are eligible for working holiday visas: for others, work permits can be very hard to come by without a job offer from a Japanese company. Consult your local Japanese consulate/embassy as far in advance as possible.
Buy
If it is for sale anywhere in the world, you can probably buy it in Tokyo. Items to look for include electronics, funky fashions, antique furniture and kimono, and specialty items like Hello Kitty goods, anime and comics, and their associated paraphernalia.
Cash payment is the norm. Although credit cards are more and more widely accepted, they are far less widespread than in most other developed countries. Most Japanese ATMs do not accept foreign cards, but post office, 7-11 and Citibank ones do and usually have English menus as well. The crime rate is very low, so don’t be afraid of carrying around wads of cash as the Japanese do. See Buy under Japan. for general caveats regarding electronics and media compatibility.
There are numerous convenience stores throughout Tokyo, which are open around the clock, and sell not only food and magazines, but also daily necessities such as underwear and toiletries. Supermarkets are usually open until 10 PM, while drugstores and department stores usually close at 9 PM.
Anime and manga
Akihabara, Tokyo’s Electric Town, is now also the unquestioned center of its otaku community, and the stores along Chuo-dori are packed to the rafters with anime (animation) and manga (comics). Another popular district for all things manga/anime is the Nakano ward and its Broadway Shopping arkade. Check out the mandarake shop for loads of used and rare mangas.
In recent years there has been an “otaku boom” in Akihabara. A lot of attention in particular was paid to the town thanks to the popular Japanese drama “Densha Otoko”, a love story about an otaku who saves a woman who a train, subsequently following their courtship.
Akihabara is known for its many live performances, some of which has drawn negative attention due to extremist performers.
Antiques
Serious collectors should head for the Antique Mall in Ginza or the Antique Market in Omotesando, which despite the rustic names are collections of small very specialist shops (samurai armor, ukiyo-e paintings, etc) with head-spinning prices. Mere mortals can venture over to Nishi-Ogikubo, where you can pick up scrolls of calligraphy and such for a few thousand yen.
The Antique Festival (全国古民具骨董祭り) [25] is held over the weekend about 5-6 times a year at the Tokyo Ryutsu Center, on the Tokyo Monorail line, and is well worth a visit.
Books
Jinbocho is to used books what Akihabara is to electronics. It’s clustered around the Jinbocho subway stop. the Blue Parrot is another shop located at Takedanobaba on the Yamanote line, just two stops north of Shinjuku.
Cameras and electronics
Ever since Sony and Nikon became synonymous with high-tech quality, Tokyo has been a favored place for buying electronics and cameras. Though the lines have blurred since the PC revolution, each has its traditional territory and stores: Akihabara has the electronics stores, including a large number of duty-free shops specializing in export models, and Shinjuku has the camera stores. Unfortunately, local model electronics are not cheap, but the export models are similar to what you’ll pay back home. It’s also surprisingly difficult to find certain things e.g. games machines.
Fashion
Shibuya and neighboring Harajuku are the best-known shopping areas for funky, youthful clothes and accessories. Note that, almost without exception, clothes are sized for the petite Japanese frame.
Department stores and exclusive boutiques stock every fashion label imaginable, but for global labels prices in Tokyo are typically higher than anywhere else in the world. The famous Ginza and Ikebukuro’s giant Seibu and Tobu department stores (the largest in the world) are good hunting grounds. Recently, Roppongi Hills has emerged as a popular area for high-end shopping, with many major global brands. Other department stores in Tokyo are Mitsukoshi, Sogo, and Takashimaya. Mitsukoshi is Japan’s biggest department store chain. It’s anchor store is in Nihonbashi.
Kitchenware
The district for this is Kappabashi Street near Asakusa, also known as “Kitchen Town.” The street is lined with stores selling all kinds of kitchen wares — this is where the restaurants of Tokyo get their supplies. It’s also a great place to find cheap Japanese ceramics, not to mention plastic food!
Music
Ochanomizu is to the guitar what Jinbocho is to used books. There, you’ll find what must be the world’s densest collection of guitar shops. Plenty of other musical instruments (though not traditional Japanese ones) are also available.
Souvenirs
For touristy Japanese knickknacks, the best places to shop are Nakamise in Asukusa and the Oriental Bazaar in Omotesando, which stock all the kitschy things like kanji-emblazoned T-shirts, foreigner-sized kimonos, ninja outfits for kids and ersatz samurai swords that can be surprisingly difficult to find elsewhere. Both also have a selection of serious antiques for the connoisseur, but see also Antiques above.
Street markets
Bustling open-air bazaars in the Asian style are rare in Tokyo, except for Ueno’s Ameyoko, a legacy of the postwar occupation. Yanaka Ginza in the Shitamachi Taito district, a very nice example of a neighborhood shopping street, makes for an interesting afternoon browse.
There are often small flea and antique markets in operation on the weekend at major (and minor) shrines in and around Tokyo.
Eat
The sheer quantity and variety of food in Tokyo will amaze you. Department stores have food halls, typically in the basement, with food which surpasses top delicatessans in other world cities. Not only is cold food on offer, but also food to go. Tokyo has a huge amount of restaurants, so see the main Japan guide for the types of food you will encounter and some popular chains. Menus are often posted outside, so you can check the prices. Some shops have the famous plastic food in their front windows. Don’t hesitate to drag the waiting staff out to the front to point at what you want. Always carry cash. Many restaurants will not accept credit cards.
Tokyo has literally tens of thousands of restaurants representing more or less every cuisine in the world, but it also offers a few unique local specialties. Nigirizushi (fish pressed onto rice), known around the world around simply as “sushi,” in fact originates from Tokyo. Another is monjayaki (もんじゃ焼き), a gooey, cabbage-filled version of okonomiyaki that uses a very thin batter to achieve a sticky, caramelized consistency. It is originally from the Tsukishima area of Chuo and today there are many restaurants near Asakusa offering monjayaki.
- Hot Pepper Available in various editions, by region, around Tokyo, this free magazine offers a guide to local restaurants in Japanese but provides pictures and maps to the restaurants. Some restaurants even offer coupons. Most restaurants within this magazine are on the mid-range to high end scale.
Although Tokyo is famous for its sky-high cost of living, it offers a wide range of dining opportunities to satisfy every taste bud of its vast population. While there are many reasonable eateries available, the city is also abundant in prestigious restaurants of a variety of cuisines, both domestic and international, where sophisticated food prepared by renowned chefs are served. All kinds of food for all budgets– this is what describes Tokyo’s food culture and its excitement best. Some of the best cusines include: Sushi, Kaiseki Ryori, and Teishoku.
Budget
Go to the convenience store (konbini), there is one every second corner. Really, the options may surprise you. You can get rice balls (onigiri), bread-rolls, salads, prepared foods (like nikuman and oden), and drinks (both hot and cold) for ¥100-150, bento lunch boxes for around ¥500 and sandwiches for ¥250-350. At some convenience stores, microwaves are available to heat up your food for no additional cost. Supermarkets (suupaa) are usually cheaper and offer a wider choice, but more difficult to find. (Try Asakusa and the sidestreets of Ueno’s Ameyoko market for local–not big chain–supermarkets.)
Also, look for bentō shops like Hokka-Hokka-Tei which sell take-out lunch boxes. They range in quality and cost, but most offer good, basic food at a reasonable price. This is what students and office workers often eat.
Noodle shops, curry shops, and bakeries are often the best option for people eating on the cheap. They are everywhere. The noodle bars on every corner are great for filling up and are very cheap at ¥200-1000. You buy your meal ticket from a vending machine at the door with pictures of the dishes and hand it to the serving staff. The one question you will typically have to answer for the counterman is whether you want soba (smaller diameter) or udon (larger diameter) noodles. Some offer standing room only (but with a counter to place your bowl), while others have limited counter seating. During peak times, you need to be quick as others will be waiting.
Fast food is available just about everywhere, including many American chains like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, and KFC. But if you are visiting Japan from overseas, and wish to sample Japanese fast food, why not try MOS Burger, Freshness Burger, Lotteria, or First Kitchen? If you’re looking for something more Japanese, try one of the local fast food giants, Matsuya, Yoshinoya or Ootoya. For under ¥500, you can get a giant bowl of meat, rice, and vegetables, sometimes with egg thrown in for good measure. Drinking water or hot ocha (Japanese green tea) is usually available at no extra cost.
Raw fish enthusiasts are urged to try kaitenzushi (conveyor belt sushi), where the prices are very reasonable. Prices are depending on the color of the plate, so be sure to check before they start to pile up.
Many of the larger train and subway stations have fast, cheap eateries. Around most stations, there will be ample choices of places to eat, including chain coffeeshops (which often serve sandwiches, baked goods, and pasta dishes), yakitori places, and even Italian restaurants.
The ubiquitous “izakaya”, a cross between a pub and a casual restaurant, invariaby serve a good range of Japanese dishes and can be good places to fill up on the cheap in the evening. Many chains have picture menus.
Mid-range
By tradition the basement of almost any department store, including Mitsukoshi, Matsuzakaya, or Isetan, is devoted to the depachika (デパ地下), a huge array of small shops selling all kinds of prepared take-out food. You can assemble a delicious if slightly pricey picnic here — or, if you’re feeling really cheap, just go around eating free samples! The very largest department stores are Tobu and Seibu in Ikebukuro, but Shibuya, Ginza and in fact any major Tokyo district will have their fair share. Shinjuku Station is home to several famous department stores, such as the Keio and Odakyu department stores. Many stores begin discounting their selections at about 7pm each night. Look for signs and stickers indicating specific yen value or percentage discounts. You will often see half-price stickers which read 半値 (hanne). This discounting is also common at supermarkets located at the smaller stations, although the quality may be a notch or two down from the department stores, it’s still perfectly edible.
Splurge
There are countless very expensive restaurants in Tokyo, but one splurge is worthwhile for fans of sushi. The best sushi in town, if not the world, can be found in Tsukiji, fresh from the famous fish market. Figure on ¥3000 for a set meal, which is a bargain compared to how much sushi of similar caliber would cost elsewhere. A sushi breakfast in Tsukiji, after exploring the fish market, is a great option for the jet-lagged traveler’s first morning in Tokyo.
For upmarket Japanese eats, Ginza is guaranteed to burn a hole in your wallet, with Akasaka and Roppongi Hills close behind. You can limit the damage considerably by eating fixed lunch sets instead of dinner, as this is when restaurants cater to people paying their own meals instead of using the company expense account.
Drink
Propaganda, Roppongi
The party never stops in Tokyo (but generally takes place in Karaoke bars amongst locals during the week), and you will find good little bars and restaurants everywhere. You will also find that you are never far from a beer vending machine in Tokyo.
If you’re new in town then hit Roppongi for establishments which specialize in serving foreigners, although things can get a little rowdy in some gaijin bars. The area is pretty dead during the week but livens up a little on Friday and Saturday night. Furthermore, this area might not be to everyone’s liking as it is generally overflowing with foreigners, hostesses and most annoyingly ‘patrons’ who will continually hassle you to visit their gentlemens clubs. Be warned, a drink will typically cost you 5000 Yen in a gentlemen’s club, hence the reason for the vast number of pimps hassling foreigners. At least the pimps are easy to spot.
Hub pubs are available in Roppongi, Shibuya and most major stations, which resemble English pubs and are reasonably priced. Gaspanic clubs are also in those 2 areas which provide decent music, if nothing more. Throughout Tokyo, Happy Hours which typically last for a couple of hours between 5pm and 7pm at weekends and to 9.30pm during the week, will take the typical cost of a pint in a Western bar down from 900 Yen to 500 Yen, or lower if willing to stand. The First Bar does cheap cocktails in Roppongi on a Sunday night.
If you are looking for a more Japanese and/or pleasant international experience, visit Shibuya for cool nightclubs and dancing. The bar area is between the station and the area where the love hotels are located. Just head over the footbridge straight ahead when you go out of the station and then take a right and follow the neon from street to street. Shinjuku is home to Kabukicho, Japan’s largest red-light district, and the massive gay bar district of Ni-chome. As a gaijin, you will also experience a great deal of hassle in this area, similar to Roppongi. A little further from the city center are Shimokitawaza, Koenji and Nakano, which are full of good bars, restaurants and “live houses” offering underground/indie music, and popular with students and 20/30-somethings.
The cheapest nights out would be at Japanese-style watering holes called izakaya (居酒屋), which offer food and drink in a convivial, pub-like atmosphere. Cheaper chain izakaya like Tsubohachi (つぼ八) and Shirokiya (白木屋) usually have picture menus, so ordering is simple even if you don’t know Japanese. Night out Western-style can get expensive, with clubs and live houses enforcing weekend cover charges in the ¥2000-5000 bracket (usually including a drink coupon or two) and a single drink at a bar as much as ¥1000.
For a splurge on a beverage or two, Western Shinjuku’s Park Hyatt Tokyo houses the New York Bar on level 52. Providing stunning views day and night across Tokyo it was also the setting for the movie Lost in Translation. Cocktails here start around ¥1400 – single malt whiskies are upwards of ¥2000.
Sleep
There are thousands of hotels in the Tokyo area, ranging from cheap to very expensive. They are distributed throughout the city, with some of the high end and the low end almost everywhere. Many Western-style hotels, especially those affiliated with American hotel chains, have English-speaking staff.
Budget
Much of Tokyo’s budget accommodation can be found in the Taito area, especially Asakusa and Ueno. But if you are not afraid of being a little bit off-center, you may have a look to the surroundings: Yokohama, etc.
Capsule hotels are generally the cheapest option. They may be reluctant to play host to foreigners as there are quite a few rules of behavior which may be difficult to explain; see the Japan article for the full scoop. Most capsule hotels are men-only. Asakusa Riverside [26] and Akihabara Capsule Inn [27] are among the very few to have women-only floors.
24-hour comic book library/internet cafes have become common around Tokyo. This is one of the cheapest ways to crash if you miss your last train and need to wait for the early morning transit service to get started. No bed, but you have a comfy chair and a PC and/or DVDs if you can’t sleep. Later in the evening, karaoke boxes often offer discounted prices for the whole night, they usually have a couch you can sleep on.
One of the cheapest ways to stay can be also a youth hostel, prices start at 1200, e.g. in the Shinjuku area.
Mid-range
There is a wide range of choices in hotels while at Tokyo, most of the hotels are rated 3 stars or more. Tokyo is among most of the other cities when it comes to hotels because their services and hotel locations are the best of the best. Some hotels one should try are The B Akasaka Hotel, Peninsula Hotel, Tokyo Dome Hotel, Century Southern Tower Hotel, Shiba Park Hotel, Court Yard by MariottTokyo Ginza Hotel, Intercontinental Tokyo Bay Hotel, ANA Hotel, Mitsui Garden Hotel, Mets Shibuya Hotel. Of these hotels,they all have great city views. Most interestingly, Tokyo Dome hotel has an attraction right outside of it . Tourists can check in and have a whole day of fun at the amusement park and mall; best thing is, they can come back to their room anytime and relax after such an adventrous evening!
Keep an eye out for what is called a business hotel. The rooms are usually tiny, but they are conveniently located near stations and rates start from around ¥6000. Staff may speak minimal English, but it’s not too hard to figure out. These are the best options for solo travelers. Affordable chains found throughout Tokyo include Tokyu Stay [28], which offers free internet access and breakfast, and Sunroute [29].
Tokyo has some self-proclaimed ryokan (Japanese inns) that cater largely to foreign tourists, mostly concentrated around Ueno and Asakusa. While not as opulent as the real thing, they offer a sample of Japanese home life at affordable rates.
Japan’s infamous love hotels can be a reasonable (and interesting) option in Tokyo. Shibuya’s Love Hotel Hill offers the widest selection in the city. If you’re really going to spend the night, be sure to check in for a “stay” rather than a “rest”. Be warned that some love hotels (at least around Shinjuku) have a ‘No speak Japanese, no stay’ policy, presumably to avoid confusion over billing.
If you plan to stay more than one week, you can try weekly-mansion [30]. These are flats you can rent for short periods of time for reasonable prices. Rates are around 5000¥ per day for one or two people. However everything is done in Japanese and it helps greatly to know someone in Japan who can speak your language. Gaijin houses (guest houses for foreigners) can also offer good prices.
Splurge
You can spend a fortune on accommodation in Tokyo. Most of the high-end international chains are well represented. Particular concentrations of luxury hotels can be found in western Shinjuku (including the Park Hyatt Tokyo, featured in Lost in Translation), around Tokyo station (best here are the Seiyo Ginza and Four Seasons Marunouchi), and in Akasaka.
There is also a large cluster of luxury hotels in what is euphemistically termed “Tokyo Bay”. These hotels are in fact located in Chiba, an adjacent prefecture, and are handy for visiting Tokyo Disneyland but quite inconvenient for touring Tokyo itself.
Contact
Good connections are available at Internet cafes everywhere. Expect to pay ¥400-¥500 per hour. “Gera Gera” is a popular chain. Paid WiFi service is also taking off in Tokyo with reasonable coverage – at a price. WiFi services are probably not convenient for those just visiting.
If you bring your own computer with a WLAN card, it is possible to find a free connection in a fast food outlet like McDonald’s or Mos Burger. You also have a good chance to find a free connection in one of the numerous coffee shops. Just look for a wireless connection sign in the front window or computers within the shop.
Stay safe
Tokyo is probably one of the safest big cities you will ever visit, and Japan in general is one of the safest places to visit in the world. Street crime is extremely rare, even late at night, and continues to decrease. However, “little crime” does not mean “no crime”, and common sense should still be applied as anywhere in the world.
Small police stations, or Koban, can be found every few blocks. If you get lost or need assistance, by all means go to them; it’s their job to help you! They may, however, have difficulties with English, so some knowledge of the Japanese language helps.
Take the usual precautions against pickpockets in crowded areas and trains. The red-light and nightlife districts can be a bit seedy, but are rarely dangerous. Note some small, back-street drinking establishments in red-light districts have been known to charge extortionate prices.
Still in a jam? Call Tokyo English Life Line [31], tel. 03-5774-0992, daily 9 a.m.-11 p.m.
If you make it as far out as Izu Islands, note that visitors to Miyakejima Island are currently required to carry a gas mask, due to volcanic gases. Those in poor health are advised against travelling to the island.
Get out
From Tokyo, the entire surrounding Kanto region is your oyster. Particularly popular destinations nearby include:
- Hakone — for hot springs and views of Mount Fuji
- Kamakura — home to dozens of small temples and one Big Buddha
- Kinugawa — home to Edo Wonderland, a theme park recreating 1800′s Japan
- Nikko — grandiose shrine and burial site of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu
- Tokyo Disney Resort — with Tokyo Disneyland (just like the ones everywhere else) and Tokyo DisneySea (an only-Japan theme park which includes some unique rides and some imported rides from Disney parks outside of Japan)
- Yokohama — Japan’s second-largest city
The Tokyo area also has some less-famous destinations that are easy day trips from central Tokyo:
- Ashikaga — historical hometown of a famous shogun clan
- Hachioji — a refreshing climb up Mt. Takao through a forest to a shrine and beer garden
- Kawasaki — home to the Nihon Minka-En park with 24 ancient farmhouses (more interesting than it sounds), not to mention the shrine of the Lord Big Iron Penis
And don’t forget the islands to the south of Tokyo:
- Izu Islands — easily accessible seaside and hotspring getaways
- Ogasawara Islands — 1000 km away from big-city bustle, for whale watching, diving and those who want to get away from it all
