Tokyo

Overview

Tokyo is best read as overlapping neighbourhoods, each with its own pace. The trains move quietly. Shopkeepers remember you. A two-seat coffee bar can change your idea of espresso. Then a wall of neon, and you remember where you are.

Neighbourhoods

• Yanaka
  Old Tokyo — temples, cats, a quiet shōtengai.
• Shimokitazawa
  Used records, theatre, café chairs on the sidewalk.
• Daikanyama
  Architect-designed shops around Tsutaya Books.
• Kagurazaka
  Stone alleys behind Iidabashi — old Tokyo refinement.

Top Landmarks

• Meiji Jingu
  A forested shrine in the middle of the city.
• Tsukiji outer market
  Tamagoyaki, knives, and a bowl of donburi.
• TeamLab Planets
  Immersive digital art — book ahead.
• Tokyo Skytree at dusk
  Watch the city's lights come on layer by layer.

Food & Cafés

• Afuri ramen
  Yuzu-shio broth, clear and citrus-bright.
• Tonkatsu Maisen
  Crisp pork cutlet in a 1960s bathhouse.
• Standing sushi bars
  Cheap, fast, often better than the famous places.
• Convenience store breakfast
  Onigiri, egg sandwiches, hot coffee — do it.

Getting Around

Get a Suica or Pasmo card. The Yamanote loops the city's main neighbourhoods; subway lines fill the inside. Skip taxis except late at night.

Sample Itinerary

1. Day 1
   Asakusa, Yanaka stroll, Shibuya crossing at night.
2. Day 2
   Meiji Jingu, Harajuku, Daikanyama bookshops.
3. Day 3
   Tsukiji market breakfast, Ginza, Shimokitazawa for dinner.

Local Notes

• Talking on the phone on trains is considered rude.
• Many small restaurants seat six people and don't take cards.
• Trash bins are rare — carry a small bag.
• The last train is around midnight; taxis after that are pricey.