Schwab - Tokyo Maze – 42 Walks in and around the Japanese Capital

Tokyo is a city of contrasts. No other city in the world sees past and present existing side by side in such harmony. To Western eyes however, it may seem unusual to find a modern skyscraper adjacent to a centuries-old shrine. Whether you visit Tokyo as a tourist for a week, or are on an assignment lasting several years, take the tours suggested in this guide as an invitation to immerse yourself in this Japanese symbiosis of myth and modernity.

This is no run-of-the-mill guidebook; it does not claim to describe every single sight, restaurant or hotel. Nevertheless, none of the must-see attractions have been omitted. Emphasis has been placed above all on interesting discovery tours through the city, enhanced by historical and cultural backgrounds as well as information on architectural highlights. Sights have also been included which you wont find in a conventional travel guide. And whats more, youll still have plenty of opportunities to make your own discoveries along the routes indicated on the maps.

The guide is essentially divided into two parts. we explore the area around the city. The information and tips I have put together in this guide have been gathered to the best of my knowledge and checked carefully. Nevertheless, I do not accept any liability for errors. Tokyo is a vibrant city which is undergoing constant transformation.

I would be delighted to receive your feedback on updated information or improvements by e-mail to .

Axel Schwab, January 2022

Through short links www.gomap.de/xxxx I provide you with additional information and updates online. Incidentally, you can follow a short link more quickly if you enter the four-character sequence on www.gomap.de. To avoid repeated typing, save it in the browser favourites of your computer or mobile phone.

#Tip: You can use four helpful features of this book via these short links:

1. Online Maps: The maps reproduced in the guide are no substitute for large-scale city plans or the navigation system on your smartphone. The maps in 21 chapters contain short links which lead to online maps. All the highlights and routes described in the guide are contained in the online maps. These also include additional recommendations regarding restaurants, cafs, shops and hotels, and regular updates.

2. Cafs: Theres a Starbucks on every corner, but I would like to introduce you to the highly varied coffee culture in Tokyo. For this reason you will find caf symbols on the map in each chapter, each of which I will describe briefly in the text. To keep the cafs constantly updated, I use short links in some chapters.

3. Stations: Yamanote stations offer free wi-fi and are quite large, which is why I have included links to the three-dimensional station plans via short links. To access these, enter the four-character code of each station, e.g. www.gomap.de/jy05 for Ueno.

4. Instagram: If you want to get some suggestions for photo spots, youll find a hashtag symbol (#) inside each map. Related Instagram images can be accessed via the short link ha, e.g. www.gomap.de/ha31 for chapter 31. You can also see immediately where there is a scaffold at the moment. If you don't like queues and crowds at popular selfie locations, visit them early in the morning.

#Note: When referring to specific floors in buildings, I have used the customary Japanese notation, e.g. B1F for 1st basement, 1F for ground floor (UK)/1st floor (US), etc.

Greater Tokyo

Around Tokyo

Appendix

Map of Greater Tokyo

a) The map on the following page lets you find out which tours are closest to your hotel or current location. In addition, this map gives a good overview of the location and expansion of each chapter map or if you are looking for a tour along a specific railway line.

By weekday

b) If you want to make the most of each tour, watch out for the weekdays listed in the chapter headlines when all the places are open.

Appendix

c) Selection with the aid of the section. If you would like to visit festivals and events, you can find the link to the tours through this page.

d) Personal interests

I recommend you schedule your tours to suit your personal interests. By referring to the list, you will quickly find the chapter numbers to suit you.

New: The 20 best with Apple Maps Look Around or Google Street View. Additional note for virtual museum visits.

e)

Would you perhaps like to combine two tours? Here, I suggest 10 combinations which work particularly well together. Please look out for the * symbol on the maps.

f)

The analysis of the visit counters of the online maps reveals this readers ranking.

Online Map: www.gomap.de/tkyo

Greater Tokyo has a highly developed railway network. The best line with which to explore Tokyo is the Yamanote loop line, built from 1885 to 1925. The loop is 35 km long and takes you, in about an hour through 30 stations. Half of the following tours within the City of Tokyo begin and end at a station on the Yamanote line. The map areas of these tours are highlighted in grey above. Trains on the Yamanote line depart every 2-3 minutes during the packed morning rush hour (6:30am-9:30am). During the daytime the trains depart every 4-5 minutes, so youll hardly need a timetable. Most remarkably, however, the trains keep to the schedule to the second, and delays are extremely rare.

#Tip: A telephone number has been included for all sights. Once in Tokyo, if you enter this in Google Maps or in Apple Maps, you are sure to find the correct address. This also works when travelling by taxi and when using navigation devices in hire cars. If you would like to test this function in Google Maps at home, you need to change the language to Japanese first.

The subway route map is available free of charge at all subway stations in Tokyo. As this map is almost too small to read without a magnifying glass, you can download it here and print it out in A3 format:

www.gomap.de/tmtr

Even with this large print-out, newcomers to Tokyo will find it a challenge to locate the desired stations and routes. The best thing would be to install an app on your smartphone that works offline before your travel.

#Tip: For train schedules, you can use Apple and Google Maps or a dedicated train app that also requires an online connection.

www.gomap.de/tapp

#Tip: As soon as you arrive, you really should buy a prepaid pass for the public transport network. These are available from every JR station (Suica) or from subway stations (PASMO) and can be used on all JR trains, subway (Metro) and private railway lines as well as buses and in some shops. The prepaid passes can be topped up with cash at ticket machines and many convenience stores. Fares are cheaper in combination with a prepaid pass because ticket prices paid in cash are rounded up. Before you travel home again, your remaining credit and the deposit of 500 paid on purchase will be refunded.

#Tip: In rainy weather, its worth buying a day ticket for the subway and visiting places marked with an umbrella symbol. You wont need an umbrella if you use the suggested exits, for example, Ginza subway station G09, exit A12: G09A12