This guide provides all the information you need to know about staying in Tokyo, including the most beautiful Tokyo travel routes, typical Japanese food that you can enjoy there and places to stay. We recommend you visit Tokyo in Spring, when the beautiful cherry blossoms are celebrated, as a sight which has been anticipated by everyone for the entire year.
Here all the details
A lifetime of touring will never be enough to appreciate the numerous sites of Tokyo, so we have compiled a list of travel routes to help you get the best out of Tokyo;
TOKYO TRAVEL ROUTES
TOKYO TOWER is the TV antenna of Shiba Park in the Minato district. Standing at 332.6 meters well earns it the title of the highest self-standing steel structure in the world. It was built in 1958, inspired by the Eiffel Tower, from which it takes its shape.
How to get there: take the subway line E (purple) and stop at Akabanebashi.
Tokyo Tower – Image credit: jphanky08
MEIJI Jingu: one of the most famous Shinto shrines in Tokyo, opened in 1920, and renovated in 1958 after the Second World War, it is located in the district of Shibuya and is dedicated to the Emperor Meiji and his wife, from whom it takes its name. The sanctuary is divided into two zones: Naien, the main garden where there are sacred buildings, and Gaien, where there is an external gallery of paintings of the emperor.
How to get there: take two seperate train lines: the F (brown) and G (green), and disembark at Maij-Jingumae.
ASAKUSA: a famous district of Tokyo which holds the oldest temple in the city, built in 645 BC, the legend says that two fishermen built a statue of the God Kannon (Guan Yin), the head of the temple declared this a sacred statue and he transformed his house into a small temple, turning the place into a place of worship.
How to get there: disembark at either the last stop of the G (orange) that or the Asakusa line A (pink)
Asakusa Tokyo – Image credit: SBA73
TOKYO INTERNATIONAL FORUM a ship in the center of Tokyo: This building, shaped like a vessel, is used mainly for conferences but also contains a library, an art gallery, and several cafes and shops.
Tokyo International Forum – Image credit: Olly Olly Denton
Shinjuku Gyoen NATIONAL GARDEN with a total area of 58.3 hectares, it is one of the biggest parks in Tokyo and with a large variety of beautiful plant-life, most notably there are approximately 1500 cherry trees, a breathtaking sight in spring. It is open daily except Tuesday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm.
How to get there: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is within walking distance from the stops to Shinjuku-gyoemmae and Sendagaya.
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden – Image credit: hamapenguin
TOKYO METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT BUILDING also known as Tokyo City Hall is the seat of the government in Tokyo and its surroundings, is the third highest tower in the city after the Tokyo Tower and the Midtown Tower.
How to get there: Located in the Shinjuku district near the metro station, is a complex of three buildings and the highest measure 243 meters, its shape recalls the Gothic style.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building – Image credit: Wikipedia
IMPERIAL PALACE TOKYO: The largest park in the neighborhood of Chiyoda (3.42 km^2) contains many buildings and the private residence of the emperor.
How to get there: This site is near the central station of Tokyo.
Tokyo Imperial Palace – Image credit: templetons
FUN IN TOKYO
And now the best places to visit if you really want to have fun in Tokyo.
Akihabara the technological district of Tokyo, a paradise for gamers and manga and anime fans! There are many shops where you can find literally anything related to electronics, from the various cables to the most sophisticated computer. Countless shops are anime and manga themed, filled with models and clothes to cosplay the character you like! To find out what the store contains you must enter and explore, even if you do not know the Japanese, the signs outside the shop will give you a good idea.
How to get there: This paradisaic place is in the eastern part of the Chiyoda district just 5 minutes walk from Tokyo Station or the JR Yamanote Line to Akihabara station.
Akihabara Tokyo – Image credit: blog-city
KABUKICHO the red light district in Shinjuku district called ‘Sleepless Town’, the city that does not sleep, ever! In this place you can find the hostess clubs, casinos, bars, hotels but also love theater and movies.
How to get there: It is to the north of Shinjuku station.
Kabukicho red-light district in the district of Shinjuku – Image credit: RichPav
TOKYO Joypolis: a huge place run by SEGA where there are several arcade games such as VR-1 Space Mission, where six people participate in an outer space mission by driving their spaceships or virtual Formula One cars to simulate driving.
How to get there: This playground is near the artificial Odaiba in Minato district, reachable via the Rainbow Bridge.
Joypolis Tokyo – Image credit: SGarin
Other useful and funny informations about Shibuya and Shinjuku districts can be found in our other guide.
TYPICAL JAPANESE FOOD IN TOKYO
Rice is the most consumed food in Japan, it is the basis of many dishes, including the worldwide popular dish sushi. This dish can be divided generally into two main types: the nigirizushi is rice vinegar usually accompanied by sweet seafood that is often stacked accompanied with raw fish, or fried egg. Maxizushi is a typical sushi, a cylindrical rice ball wrapped together with nori (dried seaweed).
Sushi – Image credit: -Sunny-
Among the foods, that you should definitely try is the mythical ramen! It is essentially a dish of noodle soup served with a broth of meat or fish topped with vegetables, eggs, piece of chicken/pork and shellfish.
Ramen – Image credit: cuisinejaponaise
Triangles of rice that can be seen in many manga and animes are called onigiri and are in fact, rolls of rice wrapped in seaweed by typical triangular shape. There are many kinds of onigiri and fillings for you to experience.
Onigiri – Image credit: interq
It is definitely worth trying Yakitori: a skewer of chicken meat cooked on the grill, often seasoned by a sweet sauce, vegetables and eggs.
Yakitori – Image credit: Phelan
Tokyo is considered one of the most expensive cities in the world. Advice for those who do not live in luxury, and do not wish to pay the bill by washing dishes in the kitchen, is to avoid restaurants where the price is not clearly shown. Very practical are restaurants called teishoku a set menu where you usually only bring a dish consisting of meat or fish, and accompanied by a side dish of rice, soup, and pickled vegetables.
Sushi bars are a particularly interesting site – customers sit around a large table surrounded by a variety of freshly cooked dishes carried along a conveyor belt, choosing the one(s) that appeal most to the. Each dish varies in colour, this shows the price of the dish and is simply added to the overall bill. Izakaya is the name of a typical Japanese bar where you can eat everything, even here there are no surprises because the menus contain a list of the images of each dish and its price.
HOTELS IN TOKYO
Needless to say that Tokyo has a hotel on almost every corner, from the most luxurious bedsit to the cheapest. Below is a list of many hotels so you can search for the best quality/price of hotel to suit you.
| Oak Hotel Tokyo Has air conditioning, Internet connection, private bathroom, telephone, and TV, but the prices are lower, about USD 40 for a single room and USD 65 for a double. www.oakhotel.co.jp/english/ |
| Sakura Hotel Bathroom, Internet connection, air conditioning and TV at a very cheap price, a single room USD 40, USD 60 double and triples at USD 95. www.sakura-hotel.co.jp |
| Hotel Asia Center of Japan Not very expensive but it offers various services such as air conditioning, private bathroom, internet access, telephone, satellite TV and single rooms are available between USD 70 and USD 98, doubles between USD 114 and USD 143, triple between USD 130 and USD 163 and at the request quadruple between USD 172 and USD 217. www.asiacenter.or.jp/eng/ |
| Akasaka Excel Hotel Tokyu Offers room service, a mini bar, refrigerator in room, bar, and restaurant. A single room will cost you around USD 190, double from USD 227 to USD 265, for those who desire more luxurious rooms and the possibilty of a suite, their price varies from USD 600 to USD 990. www.tokyuhotelsjapan.com |
| Hotel Park Hotel Tokyo The same services offered by above and the prices are about USD 190 for a single room, USD 280 for double and USD 900 for the suite. www.parkhoteltokyo.com |
| Otani New Otani Inn Tokyo Comfortable hotel at a reasonable price; a single room ranges from USD 95 to USD 183, doubles from USD 180 to USD 400. Three can be arranged to sleep in a double room at a cost ranging from USD 215 to USD 432. hrt.newotani.co.jp/inntokyo/en/ |
| Imperial Hotel Tokyo All the comfort you could possibly want, a pool, sauna, restaurant bar, and room service. Prices for a single room are about USD 300, Room 370 and USD 430 triple. There are also deluxe rooms and imperial, but these are considerably more expensive and the prices are still rising steadily. www.imperialhotel.co.jp |
| Park Hyatt Hotel Tokyo In all, it is simply the most expensive hotel in Tokyo. And the prices..? It is best not to know! www.tokyo.park.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp |
RYOKAN TOKYO – THE TYPICAL JAPANESE HOUSES
Ryokan – Image credit: photobucket
If you really want to enjoy Japanese culture, you really should go into a Ryokan, the traditional Japanese hotels in town. Here are some:
Ryokan Kangetsu
It offers comfort in the form of internet and air conditioning but of an ancient and traditional Japanese culture. The prices vary by the type of room from USD 45 to USD 75 for a single room from USD 77 to USD 110 per double, triples from USD 105 to USD 154, the quad from USD 135 to USD 188 and five from USD 160 to USD 225.
Shingetsu Ryokan
It is located nearby the Asakusa temple Sensoji, its prices range from USD 81 to USD 180 for a normal single room, USD 145 for a standard room and 220 USD for the two people suite, three people are charged from USD 188 to USD 270. For four to five people the cost is USD 320 and USD 360 respectively.
Sakura Ryokan
This too is in the Asakusa district and single USD 56, double USD 95, triple USD 118, quad USD 200, five people USD 227 and six people USD 246.
Ryokan Fuji
It is located in Akihabara, and its prices are approximately USD 51 per person, USD 85 for two, USD 130 for three.
Hotel Edoya
Each room has a bathroom and a fast internet connection, the prices range from USD 65 per person, USD 85 for two, USD 130 for three, USD 150 for four USD 170 for five and USD 190 for six.
MAP OF TOKYO SUBWAY
In conclusion, I would advise you to download the subway map of Tokyo , which is essential to find your way around the complex city.
I hope you have enjoyed this article as much as I have enjoyed making it and it will inspire you to travel to Tokyo.
Sayonara ^ ^ – Article edited & checked by my good friend Huw.
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