Tokyo. What a place. As you walk the crammed streets, ride the insane subway, visit the various bars / restaurants / shops that cater for any niche, you start to realise just how big and varied Tokyo is. It also has so many different centres in their own right that you could spend weeks wandering around and only see a sliver of the place. Instead, best thing to do is just get yourself lost in the mayhem of it all.
The world’s biggest city and a true mega wow experience.
For each of the 5 times I’ve been to Tokyo, its mainly been for lash / partying, which felt like a blur, so I won’t try and write a review. Instead, I just have a few tips / thoughts:
Nights out:
- Kick your evening off with the Robot Restaurant. It’s hard to describe – it’s kind of like a robot / giant animals / skaters / burlesque show with booze, and, I think food, added. All very odd, but heaps of fun and is in Shinjuku (next to Golden Gai) so a great place for going out.
- Golden Gai is a great spot for drinks – 200 tiny bars crammed into within something like 5 very small streets right next to each other, some with only room for 4/5 people. Quite a unique experience.
- Geronimos in Roppongi is an institution and invariably has great atmosphere. Good fun banging the drum and signalling the handbrake is off.
Transport:
- Be prepared for lots of taxis – Tokyo is huge and getting from area to another can take a while.
- The subway is often quicker but can be a maze to navigate, especially as many of the lines are run by different companies. Biggest tip is just ask for help and they’ll be happy to point you in the right direction.
Places I enjoyed:
- The famous Shibuya Crossing is worth a visit.
- Tokyo Skytree is good for a view of the city.
- Getting up early for the fresh fish market.
- Gutted each time I missed the Sumo Wrestling. That looks awesome.
Accommodation
- There are so many places to stay in Tokyo that there is something for everyone and really depends on what your itinerary and budget is, so I won’t go into specific recommendations.
- But, I would recommend the capsule hotels – the ones where you sleep in a capsule rather than a room. The shared services, such as onsens are usually superb, and its just a fun very Japan-style experience whilst also being typically cheaper than normal hotels.
Short trips from Tokyo
If you do have more time, I really recommend:
- Taking the 2.15 hour bullet train to Kyoto for a classical Japan feel, seeing the imperial heart and sampling some of the Japanese whiskies in the famous Suntory distillery – for more details and tips, see the individual travel entry for – Cycling around Kyoto and sampling whiskies in the Suntory Distillery.
- Climbing Mount Fuji in Summer – you go from central Tokyo to the summit and back easily within 24 hours for what is a real bucket-list item. For more details, see this individual travel entry – Climbing Mount Fuji in Summer.