| Population | Over 12 million |
| Language(s) spoken | Japanese |
| Currency | The Yen |
| Average temperature | Summer: 80F (with humidity); Winter: 60-70F |
| High season | April to October |
Although Tokyo has traditionally been known as a place of business, a recent recession has made the city an economically viable tourist destination. In fact, it's been burnt, sacked, rebuilt, destroyed, and rebuilt again, and the roads and wards (neighborhoods) are so varied and confusing that even taxi drivers lose their way.
Tokyo is truly another world. In a city of 12 million, there's so much to do that a lifetime wouldn't be enough. Remember that Tokyo-born residents get lost in their own city, so if you feel like exploring, go ahead. In many ways, it's the best thing you can do in a city this size. But in three days, you can see some interesting stuff, and if you follow this itinerary, you'll see some bling, some gods, and some sumo.
From the airport, the cab is likely to run you $135 US. It's easier to opt for a hotel shuttle or one of the high-speed trains that take around an hour.
Hotels can obviously be pretty pricey but the Roppongi Mansions are less than $200 a night, the Marriot goes for about $150 a night and the Guess T hostel, found in the Imperial Gardens right in the center of the city, goes for about $35 a night.
Most travelers are surprised by the pricey exchange rate offered in Japan. Be sure you have enough money coming in, and understand that Tokyo is a very expensive city. Yen is dealt in the tens of thousands, so have a good grasp of the rate before you buy anything.
Day 1: Life of the Rich and Famous
Once you get in, take a walk in the Imperial Gardens to refresh yourself. The flight will have taken you at least 12 hours, the voyage into Tokyo another two, so stretch 'em out in the middle of the city.If you want to see Tokyo at its international finest, make your way to the Omotesando area, the most fashionable in the whole of Tokyo. Attractions include shopping, Oriental art shops and a refreshingly large area of greenery. You can easily spend an entire afternoon there. Check out the Dior and Prada stores, where the buildings are as impressive as the merchandise inside.
Find your way, if you're feeling flush, to Ginza, the most expensive cluster of bars in Tokyo. Behind the boutique-lined streets of Ginza, an underground bar called Hajime can be found within the maze of alleys and buildings. In this district, generations of geisha have entertained regulars. Once you find it, and its entrance from an alley, you'll be treated to a bizarrely modern and slick experience, something you could only find in Tokyo.
As strange as it sounds to us, there are certain bars that foreigners aren't allowed into, so if you're going to bar hop anywhere outside of Roppongi, best to get a Japanese friend who can either get you in or steer you clear.
Day 2: The History
Hop on the subway and make sure you know where you're going and how to get there. Also, if you're claustrophobic, this is possibly the worst place for you in the world, as people pack the subways at rush hour.Get out of the city to visit one of the most beautiful and historic shrines. Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun, died in 1616, and, the following year, was given the posthumous name Tosho-Daigongen (The Great Incarnation Who Illuminates the East). The Imperial Court declared him a divinity of the first rank, thenceforth to be worshipped at Nikko, in the mountains north of his city, at a shrine he commissioned before his death.
The shrine of Tosho-gu. The one here, built in the ornate style called gongen-zukuri, dates from 1627. Miraculously, it survived the disasters that destroyed most of the other original buildings on the hill -- the fires, the 1868 revolt, the 1923 earthquake, the 1945 bombings -- making it one of the few early Edo-period buildings in Tokyo.
The real glories of Tosho-gu are its so-called Chinese Gate, which you reach at the end of your tour of the building, and the fence on either side. Like its counterpart at Nikko, the fence is a kind of natural history lesson, with carvings of birds, animals, fish, and shells of every description. The cost is 200, and the site can be visited daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
When you get back, move to Roppongi, the nightspot where you'll be more likely to mind the foreign crowd. This place is pretty wild, thick with international travelers from Australia, Israel, Canada, Britain, France, and the States.
Day 3: Sumo!
There's nothing like watching live sumo matches. Matches of high rank Sumo wrestlers, such as Yokozuna (the highest rank in sumo) and Ozeki (second-highest rank in sumo) are really exciting, but it's also recommended to start watching from the morning matches (Mae-zumo), where new sumo wrestlers fight. Take your time and have a good look at Sumo in KokugikanThere, you'll learn about sumo, Japan's national sport, and see how the city of Edo changed into the Tokyo of today. Visitors can try a hearty sumo wrestler's meal of "chanko nabe," or sample the locally brewed beer.
The address is 1-3-28 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, Tokyo, about a two-minute walk from Ryogoku station, JR Sobu line.
For your third night out you can go to Roppongi again, always a blast, or you can try to navigate your way through the raunchiest night scene in Tokyo, located in Shinjuku's Kabuki-cho. The options range from the marginally respectable down to the merely sleazy. Bars (straight, gay, cross-dress, sado-masochistic), nightclubs, cabarets, discos, hole-in-the-wall pubs, love-by-the-hour hotels: Kabuki-cho has it all.
A quick note on food and service. There are large areas in Tokyo where you simply won't encounter English. Most of the service industry -- hotels, restaurants -- that tourists visit regularly can speak English, but other than that, a restaurant you just pop into may or may not be able to serve you in English. Of course, it'd be nice to learn some Japanese before going to Tokyo, and will likely be considered polite if you say domo arigato (as long as you don't say Mr. Roboto) along the way, but my advice is ask for guidance from someone at your hotel in terms of restaurants close to you.
On the subject of food, sushi is not the only Japanese dish. As you'll see on "Sumo" day, the Japanese love grilled meat and fish. I wouldn't limit myself to sushi (it's pretty expensive anyway). Ask your hotel manager for the best food in the ward you end up in.
Another interesting fact about Tokyo is that you'll come across long bike racks along the streets holding hundreds of bikes, all of them unlocked. After a night out in Roppongi, don't be tempted to take a bike for a joy ride. Stealing a bike lands you in jail for 21 days, minimum. There is a reason people can leave their bikes unlocked.
tips for the trip
Resources:
Tokyo Travel Guide
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