Citylite: Tokyo
You’re familiar with the stock images. The big crossing with the neon lights, the robo-punkettes, the Hello Kitty girls, the besuited salarymen, the Blade Runner parallels. Yeah, you know Tokyo, don’t you? Visit Japan’s capital and find out.
PLAY
Roppongi is like Sanlitun writ large: yakitori (skewer) restaurants in alleyways, secretive izakayas serving beer and bar snacks, and African men hustling traffic towards “ladybars” with the same vigor as the lads up on Bar Street.
Ginza’s nightlife is more compelling. Get off the subway at Hibiya exit A4 and walk straight until you hit a railway bridge. Bars, clubs and restaurants of all stripes line the narrow streets either side of the railway track. Ginza also makes for a pleasant evening walk among the bright lights and people.
After all, you don’t want to end up like lonely old Bill Murray in Lost in Translation. Oh, you do? While away an evening propping up the bar at the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku. Scarlett Johansson might not walk into your trip, but watching Tokyo stretch out to what seems like infinity is some consolation. Budget travelers can get the same top-of-the-world feeling at the Mori Tower.
EAT
The fishing boats return to shore with their haul in the dead of night; you can get in on the action at Tsukiji Fish Market. The market buzzes with wholesalers and restaurateurs swarming to pick up the best buys. The highlights are the nearby restaurants, where you can sample the freshest sushi known to man. An early – 6am early – start is recommended; a hangover is not. Get off at Tsukiji on the Hibiya line or Tsukijishijo on the Oedo line.
Tokyo is one of the world’s food capitals, so consider investing some of your spending money in something special. Finding Higashi-Yama (03 5720 1300, www.higashiyama-tokyo.jp) among the confusingly numbered blocks of Meguro district is challenging; it’s worth every dead end and wrong turn. Sit at the bar and try chef Hazaki Watanabe’s multi-course tasting menu (around JPY 6,000), which includes fresh tofu, sashimi, fish tempura and a grilled meat main course.
SLEEP
Budget beds are tough to find here; try K’s House (03 5833 0555, http://kshouse.jp/tokyo-e) and Tokyo International Hostel (03 3235 1107, www.tokyo-ih.jp).
At the higher end, Claska (03 5773 9667, www.claska.com) is among Tokyo’s slickest boutique hotels.
Or go minimal with a stay in a love hotel or capsule hotel – for different reasons, both are favored by overworked businessmen.
SHOP
Go window shopping (and see Tokyo’s boldest modern architecture) around the high-end precincts of Omotesando and Aoyama. If you just want to spend, concentrate on Omotesando Hills.
During rush hour, Shibuya – she of the famous intersection – must be one of the most densely populated places on Earth. Go there to rummage the malls, play arcade games and pick up ludicrous gifts.
TIPS
• If you’re leaving Tokyo, a trip on the Shinkansen is a must. Consider organizing a Japan Rail Pass (www.japanrailpass.net) – they’re available from Japan Airlines’ Beijing office (400 888 0808, www.jal.com).
• Tokyo’s subway system is convenient but can be confusing, with surcharges for switching between certain lines. Tokyo Metro’s website (www.tokyometro.jp/global) gives a good overview of the system.
• English is common in signage and on menus, and many service staff can speak functional English. If you can read Chinese, you might be able to decipher some Japanese. If you get totally stuck ordering in a restaurant? Say the English word – staccato with slightly different vowels (for example, make “sandwich” sound more like “sen-do-wee-cho”) – and you might get what you want. Or you may look foolish.
CC images courtesy of Cipher, Jetalone, Joi, Lhoon and Will Hybrid on Flickr
