Rough Guides - Pocket Rough Guide Tokyo (Travel Guide eBook)

With its sushi and sumo, geisha and gardens, neon and noodles, it may seem that Tokyo is in danger of collapsing under the weight of its own stereotypes. Yet ticking off a bunch of travel clichs is rarely this much fun, and as you might expect of the planets largest metropolis, theres also enough nuance here to keep you entertained for a lifetime. Ordered yet bewildering, Japans pulsating capital will lead you a merry dance: this is Asia at its weirdest, straightest, prettiest, sleaziest and coolest, all at the same time.

Imperial Palace

Yasufimi Nishi/JNTO

Ginza shopping district

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Caught up in an untidy web of overhead cables, plagued by seemingly incessant noise, the concrete and steel conurbation may seem the stereotypical urban nightmare. Yet step back from the frenetic main roads and chances are youll find yourself in tranquil backstreets, where dinky wooden housesare fronted by neatly clipped bonsai trees; wander beyond the high-tech emporia, and youll discover charming fragments of the old city such as templesand shrineswreathed in wisps of smoking incense.

One way to ease yourself into the city is by taking a relatively crowd-free turn around the Imperial Palacethe inviolate home of the emperor and a tangible link to the past. From here its a quick hop to glitzy Ginza, while the Edo-era spirit of the city lingers on in Tokyos evocative northeast quarter; here, Asakusas primary focus is the major Buddhist temple of Sensji, surrounded by a plethora of traditional craft shops, while the leafy precincts of Ueno Parkcontain several major museums. Also nearby is the weird, wired and wonderful Akihabaraarea, famous worldwide for its electronics stores, and recently rebooted as the focus of Tokyos dynamic manga and anime scene.

South of Ginza, and linked to the mainland by the impressive Rainbow Bridge, is Odaiba, a futuristic man-made island; heading west instead will bring you to nightlife-heavy Roppongi, now also something of an art haven. Fashionistas should head towards on-trend Shibuyaand Harajuku, and the super-chic, boutique-lined boulevards of Aoyama. Also on the west side of the city lies Shinjuku, bursting with towering skyscrapers, endless amounts of neon, TV screens several storeys tall, and arguably the worlds most complicated railway station.

Tokyo is, quite literally, a city of cities, with each of its megaconurbations boasting a different character to the last, and all lassoed together by the above-ground Yamanote rail line whichever Tokyo you desire is ready and waiting for your visit.

Whats new

Tokyo was awarded the Summer Games in 2013, and spent years preparing for its hosting of the event in 2020; the main addition was the New National Stadium, designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Kengo Kuma. Another major change came down Tokyo Bay way, where Tsukijis famous fish market was moved to modern new facilities in Toyosu. Lastly, an imperial succession in 2019 moved all of Japan into a new era, named Reiwa.

Old Imperial Bar

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