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Roppongi Hills, Tokyo
Photo: John Tran

Rising sun
Justin McCurry
I occasionally love to hate Tokyo, with its crowds, summer humidity, concrete monstrosities and dearth of green spaces. There are, though, plenty of reasons to love this city, as long as you regard overwhelming choice - in restaurants, museums and shops - as a plus. All of the cliches apply: public transport really is second to none (and not as expensive as in London) and the streets are safe to explore alone at night. For the intimidated traveller, comfort fixes are never more than a few blocks away, whether that means a latte (again cheaper than in London) or a burger.

Despite the best attempts of urban planners, some of the old Tokyo remains. These are the shitamachi, the old-style neighbourhoods of wooden houses and tiny restaurants, where harried “salarymen” drink, eat and bad-mouth their bosses. The beauty of Tokyo is that any visitor with a decent map and an adventurous disposition, can explore both sides of the city. Though much will be missed, it is possible feel to peel away a few layers of this constantly changing, and always intriguing, megalopolis.
Best view
The New York Bar
On the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt hotel in Shinjuku. Made famous by the film Lost in Translation, this rather pricey venue nevertheless offers fantastic views of the city, 235 metres above ground.

Park Hyatt Hotel; 52F Nishi-Shinjuku 3-7-1; Tel: 00 81 3 5323 3458

  1. Tokyo
  2. | view
  3. | bar

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Best thing to do for free
Visit Tsukiji fish market
The market, the biggest in the world, is a must-see for any visitor to Tokyo. Huge interest in the early-morning tuna auctions has led to restrictions on the number of observers, but the stalls that surround the market are heaving with sea creatures of every imaginable description. The later you go, the slower your progress as the number of shoppers builds up. But, in any case, this is a place to be savoured. And, amazingly, it doesn’t smell of fish.

Metro: Tsukiji (on the Hibiya line)

  1. Tokyo
  2. | free
  3. | market
  4. | shopping
  5. | food

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Where to watch the world go by
Cafe de Doutor
Grab a seat upstairs by the window on a Saturday afternoon and watch Tokyo’s smart set as they do the rounds of designer clothes shops, department stores and the nearby Apple Store. The cappuccino isn’t bad, either.

Near the main pedestrian crossing in Ginza; also branches all over the city

  1. Tokyo
  2. | watch the world go by
  3. | cafe

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Nighttime hangout
Office
It seems odd that a population that spends its day trapped in an office should want to drink in a bar decorated with photocopiers and waste paper bins, but Office appears to have little trouble pulling in the young crowd. The menu is extensive, the atmosphere friendly, and the drinks keep coming until the early hours.

Leave Exit No 2 of Gaienmae metro station; www.transit-web.com/

  1. Tokyo
  2. | bar

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Cultural highlight
Mori Art Museum
Houses one of the biggest collections of Japanese and Asian contemporary art, with added attractions made available through the museum’s tie-up with the Museum of Modern Art in New York. The 1,500 yen admission fee includes access to the observation deck on the 52nd floor.

52nd and 53rd floors of the Mori Building in Roppongi;

  1. Tokyo
  2. | museum
  3. | culture
  4. | art

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Bring back
Yukata
Friends and family visiting Japan swear by yukata. These light, cotton kimono are easy to pack, cheap, and double up as dressing gowns if the thought of wearing one to the pub on a sunny Sunday afternoon doesn’t appeal.

  1. Tokyo
  2. | souvenir

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Leave there
Slogan T-shirts
Leave behind T-shirts bearing the kanji characters for “Ichiban”. Would you wear a T-shirt with “I’m Number One” pasted across the front if it were in English?

  1. Tokyo
  2. | tourist tat
  3. | clothing

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Time for love
The Daiba waterfront
With Tokyo’s skyscrapers in the distance, this is the perfect place to watch the sun go down.

  1. Tokyo
  2. | romance
  3. | view

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Best-kept secret (till now)
Omoide Yokocho
This alleyway, lined with tiny restaurants and sushi bars, has seen better days but offers an authentic taste of old Tokyo. But don’t leave it too long - the alleyway’s restaurants will move to new premises in a few years to make way for developers. It’s low on comfort, but very atmospheric. If you are into striking up conversations with fellow diners, this is the place.

Shinjuku district

  1. Tokyo
  2. | secret
  3. | eating

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The thing to eat
Sushi
Tokyo is, after all, the home of edomae sushi, the succulent cuts of fish perched on tiny blocks of vinegared rice that will be familiar to many Western diners. The uninitiated should start with the staples, such as maguro (tuna), ika (squid), tako (octopus), ebi (prawn), but for a more authentically Japanese meal, try awabi (abalone), uni (sea urchin) and anago (broiled eel). If sushi rolls are your thing, forego the rather pedestrian California rolls and go for mashed tuna and spring onion. The incurably incautious should sample natto maki. Don’t be put off by the pungent smell and the slimy texture, the flavour is unforgettable for all the right reasons.

  1. Tokyo
  2. | food
  3. | local speciality

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Green space
Shinjuku Gyoen Park
Built exclusively for the Imperial family almost 100 years ago, has been a favourite retreat for Tokyoites since the end of the second world war. It closes a little early, at 4 pm, but is a world away from the concrete jungle that encloses it. Admission is 200 yen for adults.

Take the metro to Shinjuku Gyoen-mae station; www.shinjukugyoen.go.jp/

  1. Tokyo
  2. | park
  3. | escape

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Best ride
Through Asakusa on a rickshaw
If you can get over the mild embarrassment involved, it’s probably the best way to see the neighbourhood’s old streets. Visit Senso-ji temple and stroll down the Nakamisedori shopping street, a good place to pick up trinkets, including those yukata, snacks and, it must be said, a fair amount of tourist tat.

  1. Tokyo
  2. | ride

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Keep the kids happy
Tokyo Disneyland
If you want to keep the kids happy, where else would you go but nearby Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea?

Metro: JR Maihama station (south exit); www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/

  1. Tokyo
  2. | family

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Escape the crowds
Mount Takao
Less than an hour outside Tokyo, is popular with weekend hikers, so go during the week to escape the crowds. Visit Yakuoin temple near the summit or simply wander through the densely wooded foothills. The peak, 600 metres above sea level, offers views of Tokyo, Yokohama and, of course, Mt Fuji.

Take the Keio Line from Shinjuku Station; www.japan-guide.com/e/e3029.html/

  1. Tokyo
  2. | escape
  3. | view

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The film to see before I go
Lost in Translation
For all its faults, Lost in Translation is a reasonably fair representation of Tokyo’s trendier parts.

  1. Tokyo
  2. | film
  3. | film location

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... and the novel to read
In the Miso Soup
Ryu Murakami’s In the Miso Soup is grotesque and compelling, not unlike the city in which it is set.

  1. Tokyo
  2. | books

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Where to eat (budget)
Sakura Suisan
One of several cheap izakaya chains serving such Japanese staples as grilled fish, rice, miso soup, pickled plums, natto - and all at daft prices. You should spend no more than 1,000 yen for lunch and 3,000 yen for dinner, including drinks. Look out for the familiar red jumping fish logo and the chain’s English motto: Every day the same low prices.

There are dozens across Tokyo, but here’s a local favourite: Kawanabe Building B1, Shinbashi 3-7-9, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0004; www.teraken.co.jp/ (Japanese only)

  1. Tokyo
  2. | eating
  3. | budget

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Where to eat (moderate)
Yurakucho yakitori alley
A visit to Yurakucho yakitori alley is a must. Located a few minutes’ walk from Yurakucho Station on the Yamanote loop line, the alley is really a collection of tiny restaurants specialising in grilled chicken on sticks and ice cold beer. Just about every part is on offer, including the skin and cartilage. Fear not - they are delicious. Expect to pay a few thousand yen for a very good feed.

Walk out of the Hibiya exit at Yurakucho, turn left and follow the tracks, and the smoke

  1. Tokyo
  2. | eating

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Where to eat (posh)
Jiro Sushi
Hailed as one of the best sushi restaurants in a city known for its excellent raw fish. This is real melt-in-the-mouth stuff, but it comes at a price - in the region of 30,000 yen per person for a wide selection of food, washed down with cold sake or beer. The only problem with eating here is that the sushi available at much lower prices elsewhere will taste decidedly ordinary.

4-2-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku; Tel: (03) 3535 3600

  1. Tokyo
  2. | eating
  3. | posh

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Where to stay (budget)
The Washington Hotel in Shinjuku
The rooms are clean, and an array of bars and restaurants is just a few minutes’ walk away. The hotel caters mainly for tourists on package tours so it can get noisy at night. Room rates start at 9,400 yen. A 24-hour convenience store is located on the ground floor for those given to late-night attacks of the munchies.

3-2-9 Nishi-Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; Tel : +81/(0)3 3343-3111; www.wh-rsv.com/english/

  1. Tokyo
  2. | accommodation
  3. | budget

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Where to stay (moderate)
Hotel Okura
To stay at the Hotel Okura is to travel back in time. The hotel, a stone’s throw from the British and American embassies, is dark, and wooden and would probably bring on palpitations in contemporary interior designers. What it lacks in street credibility it makes up for in attentive service and a sense of detachment from the hustle and bustle of the nearby Kamiyacho government and business district. Prices start at 33,000 yen.

Hotel Okura, 2-10-4 Toranomon, Minato-ku; home.okura.com/tokyo/index.html/

  1. Tokyo
  2. | accommodation

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Where to stay (posh)
Park Hyatt
Widely considered the place to be seen staying in Tokyo, the Park Hyatt is a favourite haunt of visiting VIPs and assorted celebrities. The hotel is housed in the Shinjuku Park Tower, three pointed towers designed by local architect Kenzo Tange. Room rates start at around 40,000 yen, and the impressive choice of bars and restaurants could leave you parting with at least as much again. But it’s unavoidable if you want the ultimate chic Tokyo experience.

Park Hyatt Tokyo, 3-7-1-2 Nishi Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku; www.parkhyatttokyo.com/

  1. Tokyo
  2. | accommodation
  3. | posh

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Find out what's on
Metropolis
Metropolis, Tokyo Journal and J-Select are the most comprehensive, with Tokyo Notice Board, Tokyo Pocket Guide and Tokyo Weekender all worth a look. They are available at large bookshops, as well as bars and restaurants popular with foreigners.

  1. Tokyo
  2. | events

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Get there from the airport
Airport transfer: Train
Each of the two terminals at Narita Airport is served by a separate railway station, but both offer cheap, regular and direct services to the centre of Tokyo. Alternatively, shuttle buses are available to major hotels, Tokyo station and Shinjuku station as well as other nearby towns and cities.

www.narita-airport.or.jp/airport_e

  1. Tokyo
  2. | transport

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