A SIMPLE CITY GUIDE TO TOKYO
We’re writing this during the final weeks of the Rugby World Cup 2019. The fact that we’re watching the games play out in Japan was quite enough to get us reminiscing about our 5 weeks exploring those brilliant islands, the neon metropolises, and the glorious mountains of the Kii Peninsular - nearly all of which we’ve covered in some detail. Except, it seems… Tokyo. Given that the vast majority of Tourists coming to Japan arrive into it’s enormous capital, it seems remiss that we haven’t provided a simple city-guide, so we wanted to try. When you’re faced with the opportunity to explore the largest metropolis on the planet… where do you start?
To keep things easy, we’ve penned a ‘simple’ guide to Tokyo. Nothing too extra, or weird, or complicated. Not too much overwhelming detail, not too many Japanese symbols, nothing about etiquette, or which slippers to wear when - Just the basics:
How to get around
Where to stay
What to visit
What to do
We hope it helps you throw yourself into the scrum…
Getting around Tokyo:
One of the best things about Tokyo is that every single part of the city is connected by at least 2, perfectly run, very clean train lines which are never, ever, late. Fair warning, this does sometimes add a layer of complication when working out your trips around town. Typically you'll be faced with changing between them, which means getting your head around what goes where, and which does what. A quick summary:
This is just the Metro map… it doesn't; include any overground JR or Shinkansen services.
THE METRO - Otherwise known as the underground - If you’re a Londoner, you will fair well, my friend. Do note that the metro is run by two different companies, so sometimes you have to do weird things like ‘fair-adjustments’ - we never really got our heads around these. We just assumed that if our ticket didn’t work in the barrier, we should go to the fair adjustment counter… it normally worked.
The Shinkansen!
THE JR: LOCAL SOBU & YAMANOTE LINES - There are 2 local lines for Tokyo that are part of the JR (Japan Rail) Network. These are the Sobu Line (crossing west-east) & the Yamanote line (which is a loop). Basically two local stopping services.
THE JR: RAPID CHUO LINE- This is basically the line you would take to get between Japan’s cities assuming your are NOT taking the Shinkansen (that’s the even more rapid service). Despite it being more of an inter-city line, there are at least 4 stops for Tokyo (it’s a really big city) so it can be useful to jump on if you want to make big-leaps across it quickly (like from Shinjuku to Tokyo Central).
All the JR Lines do also have their own variants based on speed (helpfully also referred to as Local & Rapid) - The speed of the train will be denoted as follows (the only Japanese symbols in this article!):
Local (普通) – stops at every station.
Rapid (快速) – skips some stations.
Express (急行) – skips a lot more stations. The fee for these trains is higher than the local/rapid trains.
Limited Express (特急) – only stops at major stations. Also requires an extra fare (sometimes as much as JPY4000)
THE SHINKANSEN (BULLET TRAIN) - The famous super speedy train that connects most of Japan’s major cities. It’s fun, but it is also very, very expensive.
The whole train system takes a while to figure out, but most sign-posting is in English & we continuously received help from strangers whilst staring blankly at the route maps - You will never be stuck for long.
The biggest tip we can offer is to make sure you’re looking at the right map for the station you want to go to - i.e. accidentally looking at JR line route map when the station you want to get to isn’t on a JR line and you actually need the metro, this happened to us more times than we care to admit…
Despite being a little daunting at first, this pretty extensive network of trains does mean you can stay wherever you like and not be further than a 25 minute train journey to any of the tops sites.
The Imperial Palace
Where to stay in Tokyo?
Ryogoku
This is the Sumo district! The big Sumo stadium is here & you’ll probably see a few athletes wandering around. Not too touristy & plenty of izakaya’s (bbq restaurants) around that area charge local prices. There are a couple of hostels around here too:
Anne Hostel - We stayed here on our first night in Tokyo. It’s clean, pretty Japanese (i.e. Tatami mats, floor-dining-tables, etc) and offers free tea & coffee and a well stocked communal kitchen. Nothing fancy but pleasant and a reasonable price (reasonable for Japan…) for a private double at around £50, and around £13 for a bed in an 8 person dorm.
Kuramae
Not far from Ryogoku, this place has plenty of local charm - nice cafes & independent shops etc. Much quieter than elsewhere and a couple of great hostels to choose from that are more like mini-boutique hotels:
Focus Kuramae - We were here for 4 nights. It’s lovely. We had our own (very small) double room. Great facilities & a bar & kitchen downstairs. Its one of the cheapest places we’ve stayed at about £40 a night but has a very cool vibe.
Nui Hostel & Bar - Slightly nearer the river and a large, beautifully designed space to work/chill out/socialise. Great food options available here too. For a private double you’ll be looking at around £57/night, for a bed in an 8 person dorm, around £25/night.
Asakusa
Bunka Hostel Tokyo - A well designed and stylish hostel in the heart of Asakusa. Super close to loads of great spots to visit including the Denboin Gardens & the Hōzōmon Gate and you’d be spoilt for choice for places to eat, whether that’s the hostels own restaurant (we checked out the menu which looked fantastic) or nearby izakayas and traditional Japanese noodle houses.
Ginza
Within walking distance to Tokyo central station (15mins), its a quite smart part of town.
Imano Ginza - Imano is a hostel branch we love (there’s another across town + one in Osaka). Again - cool vibe, bar & cafe on site, good facilities, but not sure whether they do private rooms.
Shinjuku
This is the nuts part of town to the West of the city - It’s a must to visit but we chose not to stay here. It’s home to ‘scramble crossing’, some of the best ramen in the city & pre-war alleyways packed with smokey Izakaya shops. There’s a bunch of international hotels here, so if you’ve got more to spend this a great shout and you’ll be right in the heart of the action:
Granbell Hotel - This hotel was listed in the hotel category of the Michelin Guide Tokyo 2015. Their rooms, all designed by top-class creators, are highly popular with both domestic and overseas guests. The million-dollar night-time view of Shinjuku from the Roof Top Bar & Terrace G on the 13th floor is a must-see.
Park Hyatt - All of the guest rooms in this particular Park Hyatt are located from the 42nd floor and up… so no matter where you stay, you’ll have a sweeping view of Tokyo. It offers everything you’d expect of the Park Hyatt as well as a free shuttle to and from local stations.
Hozomon Gate in Asakusa
Top sites in Tokyo at a glance:
The Imperial Palace: This tranquil series of gardens is accessible through the walls of the ancient palace and over a moat guarded by black-swans. The Palace inside is a replacement of the Edo period castle that existed on the same site during the time of the Shogun. The palace is the home to Japan’s imperial family.
Ueno Park: If you are visiting Tokyo in the shoulder seasons, this is the place to wander. Bursting with blossom from March to April, and full of fall colours in autumn. It get’s busy with families picnicking or enjoying a Hanami Party during blossom season, but the atmosphere is delightful even with the crowds. Everyone is there to appreciate nature (also, it’s completely free to enter!).
Asakusa Old Town: Including Denboin Gardens & the Hōzōmon Gate
Meiji-Jingu Shrine: One of Tokyo’s largest and probably most tranquil shrines. Getting to this spot includes a pleasant walk through a broad-avenue lined with cedar trees. Somewhere to go to escape the city frenzy whilst still being right in the centre.
Memory lane: (also known as ‘Piss Alley’) This smokey pre-war alleyway in Shinjuku is packed with locals & tourists looking for some after-work beers & eats. Every single tiny vendor is an izakaya restaurant, offering various interesting looking barbecued things…
Scramble crossing: The busiest crossing in the world… though probably because of all the tourists who turn up there to cross it. Either way, it’s impressive and daunting and quite a lot of fun. You can get a good view of the crossing from either the MASSIVE Starbucks on the corner (be prepared to queue), or from the rooftop of the shopping centre on the corner - They have a specific viewing area and charge a fee.
Ueno Park
Our top 5 tokyo activities:
Find a Panoramic View of the City
Every city guide will tell you to head to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku for a (free) panoramic view across the city from their observation deck. We tried this, and the queue was about a 100ft long!! Naaat happening.
So we found an alternative…
We walked about 5 minutes back towards Shinjuku station & found the biggest tower-block we could - Just so happened it was a hotel called the KEIO PLAZA HOTEL and, guess what?… yep, they have a SKY BAR. Winner.
Literally anyone can just walk into the hotel, jump in the elevator, hit floor 27 and get the most spectacular views across Tokyo (without having to queue!). We were there at 6pm and caught sunset. It wasn’t even busy. Admittedly, we did have to spend £10 on the most expensive beer in the world, but we nursed that & a glass of water & saved ourselves about 2 hours (and didn’t miss sunset). Again, if you aren’t quite as budget-restricted as we were, it’s definitely the kind of place where you could dress up & make an evening of it before heading to dinner in Shinjuku.Get Tickets to a Sumo Tournament
Check whether there are Sumo Tournaments on whilst you are in town! These are set within the calendar year so sometimes will be happening, and sometimes not. If you are visiting Japan with the hope to watch Sumo, definitely check the calendar. You can buy tickets here: http://www.sumo.or.jp/En/ - and you should absolutely book in advance, they are crazy popular.
If you have no luck with an actual tournament, it is also possible to visit the Sumo training stables in Ryoguko - Get Your Guide offer organised events for this which are great opportunities to get close to the action.
It is worth mentioning here that Sumo is a revered and highly respected sport; many of the wrestlers receive the same attention as celebrities, and there is much about the sport which is considered sacred.
Head to Borderless by TeamLab
Borderless by TeamLab - This is, in essence, an electronic art gallery with some serious stunning exhibitions. Best to check their opening times and book in advance as this place is popular with tourists and locals alike given how well many of the installations lends themselves to social media… aside from the endless posing, to step into and engage in art in the way Borderless have managed to facilitate is a unique experience, whilst providing all the futuristic Japanese vibes you could wish for.
4. Get Tickets to a Japanese Baseball Game
Check whether there are Baseball Games on whilst in town (this was one of our favourite experiences! - It’s Japan’s national sport). The Tigers or the Giants are the biggest teams.
If you can find a game at a pitch you can get to (check here by clicking on a date), it’s best to buy tickets directly from the team’s websites. You can do it through an agent but it will be significantly cheaper if you go direct (I booked ours on the Orix Japanese website - total translation nightmare but it is possible… )
Giants: https://www.giants.jp/en/
Tigers: (a guide to getting tickets here) http://www.thehanshintigers.com/2018/01/07/getting-tickets-to-a-game-at-koshien-a-fans-guide/
5. Visit the Studio Ghibli Museum
Admittedly, this probably has quite a specific audience, but you can’t really visit Japan without acknowledging just how wildly popular Anime is here. It is such an enormous part of youth (and not so youth) culture. From movies, TV and gaming to warning signs on the subways and public service adverts on the trains, anime is quite literally everywhere. Studio Ghibli is the heart of this.
It is both an immersive exhibition, cleverly designed to re-create the experience of moving through a film, and an absolute playground.
Located in the suburbs of Mitaka it is 100% necessary to buy tickets before making the journey, again, these are in high demands as there are strict limits on visitors per day (only around 200) so book well in advance: http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/
What to miss:
People always recommend Takeshita street - but we were a bit disappointed. It was so, so crowded (even by Japan’s standards), you couldn’t buy any food because of the queues, and there weren’t actually any people dressed in Kawaii. Booo. The only benefit we found is that it brings you out pretty close to the Meiji-Jingu Shrine, which definitely was worth a visit.
We hope that helps ease you into planning a trip in Tokyo. As with any capital, there is so much to do, and so much to see, it’s impossible to experience it all in only a few days but we hope this has given you the basics, a tippy-top-tourist list to give you a feel for how this urban maze thrives.
Have we left something glaringly obvious off the list? - and no, watching the rugby doesn't count! We’d love to hear from you in the comments. And as always, feel free to ping us any questions over, in the comments or via the contact page. We’ll help where we can.
Want more on Japan? Check out out other articles here.
