Overview to Tokyo: Travel Guide and Tourist Information

  The Jagged Tokyo Skyline

In comparison with many of the world’s metropolises, Tokyo seems like something from the future. But it’s by no means that simple; in many ways, it embodies the spirit of modern Japan with an intriguing mixture of the hectic pace of modern consumer culture and a Zen-like tranquility.

Spring is probably the best time to visit Tokyo: the weather is very pleasant and the cherry blossom of the famous Yasukani Shrine is in full bloom. Summer in the city, on the other hand, can be oppressively muggy and, with 12 million people in the center  alone, a little uncomfortable.

Although Japanese is one of the most complicated languages in the world, pronunciation is fairly easy and most visitors will be able to pick up the essential travelers' phrases – just don't bank on being able to understand whatever's said back to you!

Shinjuku is the heart of modern Tokyo, full to bursting with people, soaring skyscrapers and the noise of traffic. The train station is wrapped in a hive of narrow alleyways full of noodle bars, cheap stores and all the sights, sounds and smells of the city’s older, scruffier underbelly.

Yasukuni-dori probably sums up the average visitor’s preconception of the city. A massive, gaudy spread of neon advertising, it truly has to be seen to be believed. But across town, Asakusa - the city’s oldest district with its wealth of beautiful temples and important monuments - is completely different again.

Tokyo is a place of excess, dominated in almost every way by its sheer scale. As such, a stay in the city can be disorientating; so many things seem completely alien, distorted or exaggerated. But travel is for those who thrive on the thrill of the unknown and enjoy being confronted with strange new things; and, on that front, few other cities can even come close.

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