Tokyo

Introduction

Shibuya

© All Rights Reserved Peter

Tokyo, a bustling metropolis aglow with neon lights, is an image of the throughly modern Japan. With 31 million people living in Tokyo and the surrounding towns, the Greater Tokyo Area is the largest metropolitan areas in the world. While these large number of inhabitants can be overwhelming for the traveller at first, especially if trying to take a train at rush hour, Tokyo is one of the safest large cities to travel in. And while Tokyo may seem all glass, steel and neon at first, digging deep can reveal treasures from Japan's historic past.

Neighbourhoods

The Tokyo metropolis consists of 23 city wards (ku), 26 cities, 5 towns and 8 villages, including the Izu and Ogasawara Islands. Listed below are some of the most popular neighbourhoods for travellers.

Shinjuku

The original boomtown in Tokyo, Shinjuku has some of Tokyo's earliest skyscrapers, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. A centre for shopping, the area boasts many major department stores and electronics stores, and on the east side of Shinjuku Station, the golden gai has many bars and nightclubs, though a number of places are private clubs or don’t allow foreigners inside. Shinjuku Station moves an estimated three million passengers a day, making it the busiest in the world.

Shibuya

Where Tokyo's youth go to shop and show off, offering travellers a chance to people watch and the wild fashions of the Japan's hipster. The scramble crossing outside of the Shibuya station Hachiko exist is the world's busiest street crossing, and nearby is the statue of Hachiko, a dog who met his owner every day at the train station, even after his masters death. The devotion of the dog, who returned every day to the station to wait for 11 years after his masters death inspired the Japanese, and also provides a common meeting place.

Akasaka and Roppongi

Akasaka offers many hotels and restaurants close to the active night life in Roppongi.

Ginza

Where Japan's high end consumers come to do their shopping, Ginza offers department stores, upscale shops selling brand-name goods and some of city's finest and most expense restaurants.

Akihabara

If you want to see bright lights, this is the place to go. This part of town is most famous for its numerous electronics stores selling all kinds of gadgets and gizmos. More recently, however, it has become known as the 'otaku' centre of Tokyo. 'Otaku' is basically a sub culture of society made up of both young and old anime and manga lovers. Add to that the maid cafes where gents can go for a cup of coffee while being treated like a king and it's safe to say that Akihabara has firmly placed itself as the capital for animation and electronic fans in Tokyo.

Harajuku

The centre of teenage culture in Japan.

Odaiba

A futuristic shopping and entertainment district.

Asakusa

This district is a good place to get a feel for the "old Tokyo". The main attraction is Sensoji, a 7th century Buddhist temple.

Sights and Activities

Museums

• Tokyo National Museum (Ueno Park) - The largest museum of Japanese art in the world, with artefacts ranging from samurai armour and lacquerware to kimono and woodblock prints. Located in Ueno Park.
• Edo-Tokyo Museum (1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku) - Chronicles the history of Tokyo (known as Edo during the feudal period).
• Mori Art Museum (6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-Ku)- Situated on the 53rd floor of Mori Tower in Roppongi Hills, this museum not only offers great shows of emerging and established artists from around the world, but also some excellent views of the city.
• Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum (8-36 Ueno Koen) - Modern Japanese art is on display in this museum in Ueno Park.
• Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (4-1-1 Miyoshi, Koto-ku) - A selection of post-World War II works are on display in this museum.

Shrines and Temples

• Sensoji Temple.
• Meiji Shrine.
• Sengakuji Temple.
• Yasukuni Shrine.
• Zojoji Temple.

Gardens and Parks

• Rikugien is a Japanese style landscape garden.
• Koishikawa Korakuen is a Japanese style landscape garden.
• Hama Rikyu is a Japanese garden along Tokyo Bay.
• Palace East Gardens is the Imperial Palace's public gardens
• Ueno Park is a public park containing many of the cities most important museums and the Ueno Zoo.

City Views

In a big city, it’s often a good idea to get yourself up high to get a view of the place. The Tokyo Tower (Eiffel tower look-a-like) or Tokyo City View, both close to the Akasaka/Roppongi area both offer views, but both cost money. For a free view of the city, head to the Municipal Building to the west of Shinjuku station, where you can get up high and get a view of Tokyo for no cost. If you’re lucky, you might be able to see Mount Fuji, though due to either overcast skies or hazy smog it is becoming increasing rare to see.

• Tokyo Tower (Eiffel tower look-a-like).
• Tokyo City View.
• Municipal Building.

Other Attractions

• Imperial Palace is located in the centre of Tokyo.
• Tsukiji Fish Market is one of the world's largest fish markets.
• Ryogoku is the centre of sumo. Grand Sumo Tournaments are held here in January, May and September.
• Ueno Zoo is home to several pandas.

Events and Festivals

• Daruma Kuyo is held every February.
• Tokyo International Anime Fair is held every March.
• Kanbai Shimin Matsuri is held every march March and is called the plum blossom viewing festival. The festival is held in Ume-no-Koen and on Jindaibashi Dori.
• Fuji Matsuri (Wisteria Festival) is held every April and located at the Kameido-tenjin shrine in Koto-ku, when the wisterias bloom in late April.
• Sanja Festival is held every May and is one of Tokyo's most important festivals, dating back to the the Edo period (1603-1868), more than a hundred portable shrines (mikoshi) are paraded around the streets by residents near the Asakusa Shrine.
• Kurayami Matsuri is held every May and this long continuing festival is located at Okunitama Shrine in Fuchu.
• Sanno Matsuri is held every other June and is Organized by Hie Jinja in Chiyoda-ku. Celebrated in alternating years since 1681, this procession of around 500 people start in one of Tokyo's business districts and travel some 30 kilometres to the Imperial Palace.
• Tokyo International Film Festival is held every October.
• Tokyo Bay Fireworks is held every August.

Weather

Tokyo lies in a humid subtropical climate zone, with hot humid summers and generally mild winters with cool spells. Summers are wetter than winters, most rain falls in September and October. Snowfall is only sporadic, but does occur each year. Average temperaturs are between 25 and 30 degrees Celsius from June to September with warm nights, around 20 degrees. Winters from December to February are around 10 degrees or a little more during the day, and slightly above zero at night.

Getting There

By Plane

There are two main airports: Narita International Airport (code NRT) and Haneda Airport (code: HND). Haneda (officially Tokyo International Airport) offers mainly domestic flights but a growing number of international routes are added. Narita International Airport, in Narita, Chiba Prefecture, is the major gateway for international travelers. Some of the main links with Tokyo Narita include those to/from London, Los Angeles, New York City, Sydney, Paris, Amsterdam, Auckland, Kuala Lumpur, Mexico City, Moscow, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Mumbai, Bangkok, Seoul, Beijing, Shanghai Pudong International Airport, Dubai, Frankfurt, Cairo, Istanbul, Perth, Copenhagen, Zürich and Hanoi.

To/from Narita

• Rail: From Narita, there are two train options to Tokyo. The Narita Express offers service between the airport and Tokyo Station vary from as little as 53 minutes to 70 minutes depending on the time of departure. The price from the airport to Tokyo station is 3,140 yen in ordinary class. Keisei's Skyliner limited express travels to Nippori Station in 51 minutes and Keisei Ueno Station in 56 minutes. The price of the Skyliner from Narita Airport to Keisei Ueno Station is 1,920 yen. Remember that a JR pass covers the cost of this train.
• There is also a monorail service running between Haneda and Narita airports.
• Bus and taxi service also exists between the airport and Tokyo. However, they are much more expensive and take longer than the trains, so these are not recommended.

To/from Haneda

• Rail: Haneda Airport is served by the Keihin Kyuko Railway (Keikyū) and Tokyo Monorail. The monorail has two stations (Haneda Airport Terminal 1 Station and Haneda Airport Terminal 2 Station); Keikyū operates a single station between the terminals (Haneda Airport Station).
• Keikyū offers trains to Shinagawa Station and Yokohama Station and through service to the Toei Asakusa Line, which makes several stops in eastern Tokyo. Some Keikyū trains also run through to the Keisei Oshiage Line and Keisei Main Line, making it possible to reach Narita International Airport by train. Although a few direct trains run in the morning, a transfer along the Keisei Line is generally necessary to reach Narita.
• Tokyo Monorail trains run between the airport and Hamamatsuchō Station, where passengers can connect to the Yamanote Line to reach other points in Tokyo, or Keihin Tohoku Line to Saitama, and have a second access option to Narita Airport via Narita Express, Airport Narita, or Sōbu Line (Rapid) Trains at Tokyo Station. Express trains make the nonstop run from Haneda Airport to Hamamatsuchō in 16 minutes. Hamamatsuchō Station is also located adjacent to the Toei Oedo Line Daimon station.
• The airport can be reached by a the Bayshore Route of the Shuto Expressway and is also accessible from Route 1. Scheduled bus service to various points in the Kanto region is provided by Airport Transport Service and Keihin Express Bus.

By Train

Shinkansen bullet train

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Shinkansen service arrives at Tokyo station, located near the Imperial Palace grounds and the Ginza commercial district. From this station, Central Japan Railway Company operates the Tōkaidō Shinkansen service to Osaka, and East Japan Railway Company operates Shinkansen services to Akita, Nagano, Niigata, Hachinohe and Shinjo.

In addition to JR Rail, the following companies operate services in Tokyo: Keikyu operates 5 lines, Keio 6, Keisei 7, Odakyu 3, Seibu 13, Tobu 12, Tokyu 8, and 5 additional companies operate one line.

Check the Japan Rail website for more details about schedules and prices to many cities in the country, including Sapporo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka and Hiroshima.

Getting Around

By Car

By Public Transport

Tokyo has one of the best train systems in the world. Looking at a metro map can be a bit daunting at first because of the number of lines but after while it is quite easy to navigate the city by it. Remember that on JR lines you can actually use a Japan Rail card for free rides! One things that is a bit confusing is that most train stops will only have one, maybe two signs in Romanize text, making it difficult to spot your stops. So pay very close attention or count the number of stops you need to go.

By Foot

Tokyo is massive therefore walking one part to another is a bit time consuming. It is best to take the train to one area then walk around.

By Bike

Eat

A resturant in Ginza, Tokyo

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Though you can easily run up tabs of ¥10000 per person in the nicer restaurants, it’s possible to eat really well for a decent price. There are many places offering really good meals with lots of variety for ¥500 and ¥1000 a meal, often with quite large portions.

The Tsukiji fish market is a great place to get a cheap breakfast. As the workers are winding up their work day in the early morning, there are numerous stales selling either fresh sushi or soba noodles. The Tsukiji fish market is located near the Tsukiji Shijou Station on the Oedo subway line and Tsukiji Station on the Hibiya subway line.

Near Tokyo Station are a number of yakitori restaurants, offering numerous small dishes, usually on skewers and cooked over an open fire, and big beers.

In the summer, many department stores host “beer gardens” on their roof tops. They often have “all you can drink and eat” specials (timed for 60 or 90 minutes), and provide you with good beer and a do it yourself grill to cook your food on a hot plate.

Drink

Shinjuku

To the east of Shinjuku is some great discount shopping, as well as the red light district and the area called the Golden Gai. The Golden Gai is a number of really small alleys filled with bars that many Japanese hit after work. However, a number of places are private clubs or don’t allow foreigners inside. Those that do allow foreigners usually charge a cover charge and pricey drinks.

Sleep

Accommodation in Tokyo is expensive! Even budget hostels can cost upwards of 4,000 yen a night for a dorm room and is most likely located far from everything. That being said a trip to Japan is not complete without a day or two in Tokyo, so budget wisely. One option is to leave your bags in the lockers in the train station stay up all night and sleep in a 24 hour McDonalds. The salary men do it!

Budget

Mid-Range

Upscale

Work

Learn

Keep Connected

Internet

Phone

See also International Telephone Calls

Post

The Japanese postal service is excellent! Domestic and international mail service is very quick and reliable. The prices for sending letters, postcards and parcels vary depending on where you send if from and to which country you send it too, and of course depends on weight as well, so check this calculation page of Japan Post for more details. Post offices generally are open from 9:00am to 5:00pm on weekdays, closing at weekends and also on national holidays, though a few open on Saturdays from 9:00am to 3:00pm. Central post offices are sometimes open until 7:00pm, open on Saturdays from 9:00am to 5:00pm and on Sundays and holidays from 9:00am to 12:30pm. Another thing to remember is that the post office is one of the few places in Japan that is guaranteed to have ATMs that take international cards.