Tokyo

Unrivaled food scene, and wild nightlife, Tokyo is a rush of pure adrenaline. This vast and multifaceted city is famously cutting edge, yet its ancient Buddhist temples, vintage teahouses, and peaceful gardens offer a serene escape — and a poignant reminder of the city’s long history.

Tokyo is a love them or hate them type of city. Tackle the city's wildest nightlife in Shinjuku; drop by teenybopper haven in Harajuku; explore old town Tokyo in Asakusa; and hit the shops in Shibuya. Slide into the city's quiet cracks for a green tea latte and some downtime; but remember there's no escaping this city's bright lights.

Tokyo has it all – all sorts of excellent and corky museums, grand temples, atmospheric shrines, and lovely zen gardens. It is a city filled with Japanese history, but also modern, futuristic neo-sci-fi streetscapes that make you feel like you’re a part of the Blade Runner movie. Tokyo’s 13.8 million inhabitants are equally proud of its ancient history and culture, as they are of its ultra-modern technology and architecture.

You’ll find Michelin star restaurants next to vending machines selling surprisingly tasty meals. And you’ll find long-standing traditions like tea ceremonies and sumo wrestling just blocks away from eccentrically costumed teenagers that live and breathe Japanese pop culture.

These beautiful contradictions are what makes Tokyo such a unique and interesting place that appeals to travelers of all ages, budgets and interests. 

With so many things to do in Tokyo, it can be overwhelming trying to plan your first trip to this crazy city. But fear not – I am here to help!

In Japan, free wifi is hard to find and Google Maps can only be accessed when you’re online. Subways and trains in Tokyo are highly sophisticated and you will need real-time train schedule most of the time to get on the right train. 

Buying individual train tickets for your everyday commute in Tokyo can a huge time waster. Save time with a Suica card which you can use from subways, trains to buses. You can even use your Suica card to buy groceries from convenience stores.

By picking a highly convenient hotel in prime locations in Tokyo like Shinjuku or Ginza, you will not only save some money from transport expenses but you will save a lot of time! Less commute time means more time to explore the beauty of Japan.

A lot of people in Tokyo love to cosplay — a form of roleplaying where people wear costumes to represent a character (often found in animes and mangas). One of the good ol’ favorites of the Japanese when it comes to cosplaying or ‘dressing up’ are waitresses dressed in those frilly Victorian maid costumes. In line with their ‘character’, they will even act as if they’re servants and then treat others as their masters. Now apply that idea to a café, splash it with small games, cutesy demeanor, brief performances and picture-taking with ‘customers’ and that’s where you get the famed maid cafés of Japan. It’s quite an experience, I’m telling you! 

No matter if you’re not an otaku, it’s quite nice to do a quick stop by places like Mandarake or Tokyo Anime Center in order to get a closer look into the lifestyle. Mandarake, a gigantic 8-floor complex that is full of merchandise related to anime and manga, is the best go-to space if you’re a hardcore otaku or at least a knowledgeable one at that; whereas I believe that a visit to the Tokyo Anime Center is best done first by people who have no idea of the otaku scene in order to gain a better understanding of it.

After this on a cultural aspect, do you fancy a stroll in a Japanese garden? Get that and more at Shinjuku Gyoen. In addition to native, traditional gardens, the 144-acre park pockets French Formal and English Landscape gardens, all of which are worth the modest entrance fee. Landmarks are stunning and impossible to forget, like a Taiwan Pavilion perched along a serene pond.

Tokyo may not have as many temples as Kyoto, but Senso-ji isn't the city's most popular just by default. The atmosphere alone here is one for the bucket list. Senso-ji, the temple itself, is at the end of the shopping street, while a recently renovated five-story pagoda stands to the left (ranking in as the second tallest pagoda in Japan).

Tokyo is the city never sleeps! Most of entertainment facilities in Tokyo are open for all day long, and nightlife in Tokyo is as enjoyable as at day time. Here are the most recommended activities and things to see in Tokyo at night!

Robot Restaurant has been one of the most popular tourist attractions in Tokyo for past years. It’s located in the biggest red light district in Tokyo, Kabukicho, Shinjuku district. Robots, neon-lights and pretty girls.. let’s party in the most extravagant way! You can reserve your seat at Robot Restaurant through the link blow with the special discounted rate!!

Shinjuku is Tokyo’s best neighbourhood for night-out with three famous nightlife spots. Kabukicho: the biggest red light district in Japan, Golden Gai: cozy and unique bar area and Omoide Yokocho: old-fashion and nostalgic Izakaya alley.

Shinjuku nightlife wouldn’t complete without eating local dishes and at traditional izakaya bars. Try this Tokyo Bar Hopping Food tour by Magical Trip to explore hidden izakaya bars at night.

And when it comes to food Tokyo is best known for its sushi, ramen and izakayas.

Every Japanese specialty and regional cuisine is available in Tokyo.

Tokyo's French and Italian restaurants are among the best in the world.

You'll find the most choices near train stations, office blocks and on the restaurant floors of department stores.

Needless to say, you cannot just show up at Tokyo's high-end restaurants and expect to be seated. Some restaurants will accept direct reservations from foreign travelers and have English speakers on hand. However, this is not common. Some people have accused Tokyo's high-end restaurants of racism for refusing to accept direct bookings from foreign guests. Unfortunately, many such places have had bad experiences with foreign guests making bookings but then not showing up. As usual, a few bad apples have spoiled it for everyone. Thus, the best way to get a reservation at a high-end place is to book through your hotel's concierge. 

That being said at present, Tokyo is home to many awe-inspiring places and attractions that lure people here from around the world. One of the things that Tokyo is majorly known for and any Tokyo tour guide cannot miss out on is anime. A major part of modern Japanese culture reloves around anime and manga. Moreover, the trend of these has also earned a huge audience worldwide, many of which travel to Japan for the same reason. Some of the greatest places where you can find yourself lost in the anime world are Ghibli Museum, Fujiko·F·Fujio Museum, Pokemon Center MEGA Tokyo, Akihabara, Tokyo One Piece Tower, Nakano Broadway, J-WORLD TOKYO, Odaiba Gundam, Tokyo Disney Resort, Sanrio Puroland, etc.

I hope you’ve found my Tokyo itinerary helpful for planning your trip! Peace out!