Tokyo: The ultimate city guide

Tokyo is the most relentless, well-organised, and well-fed megacity on earth. It rewards a 'pick a few neighbourhoods and go deep' approach more than a tick-list — there are 23 wards and you could spend a month here without seeing the same area twice.

Getting Around

• Suica or Pasmo IC card — load it once, tap on every train, bus, and convenience store
• JR Yamanote Line — the loop line that connects most of Tokyo's main districts
• Tokyo Metro — covers everything the JR doesn't; 9 lines, colour-coded, very clean
• Walking — neighbourhoods like Shibuya, Harajuku, and Shimokitazawa flow into each other
• Avoid taxis — outside late-night, the trains are faster and a fraction of the cost

Neighbourhoods

• Shibuya — the famous scramble crossing, Hachiko statue, late-night izakayas
• Shinjuku — Golden Gai's tiny bars, Omoide Yokocho ('Piss Alley'), Kabukicho nightlife
• Asakusa — Senso-ji temple, traditional shopping, more old-Tokyo atmosphere
• Akihabara — anime, manga, electronics, retro arcades
• Harajuku and Omotesando — youth fashion on Takeshita-dori, designer architecture nearby
• Shimokitazawa — second-hand shops, indie cafes, Tokyo's bohemian heart
• Roppongi and Ginza — upscale dining, art museums, expat nightlife
• Yanaka — survived the wars; the closest thing to old Tokyo that still exists

What to See

• Shibuya Sky — the best skyline view, book online in advance
• Senso-ji Temple — Tokyo's oldest temple; visit at dawn or after dark to skip the crowds
• Meiji Shrine — forested shrine in the heart of the city, next to Harajuku
• TeamLab Planets — immersive digital art, advance tickets only
• Tsukiji Outer Market — for breakfast sushi and fresh seafood
• Toyosu Market — the new wholesale fish market with the famous tuna auction
• Ghibli Museum — books out a month in advance, Mitaka
• Imperial Palace East Gardens — free, calm, central

Where to Eat

• Sushi — Sushi Dai (Toyosu) for the bucket-list omakase queue, or any Sushiro for excellent budget sushi
• Ramen — Ichiran (chains), Afuri (yuzu shio), Ippudo (tonkotsu); local hole-in-the-walls beat most of them
• Yakitori — Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku, smoky alley experience
• Tonkatsu — Maisen in Aoyama is the classic; the rosu cutlet is the move
• Convenience stores — 7-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart all do legitimately great food 24 hours
• Depachika — the basement food halls of department stores; arrive an hour before closing for half-price gourmet

Where to Stay

• Shinjuku — best transport hub, busiest, never sleeps
• Shibuya — central, walkable to Harajuku, slightly more expensive
• Asakusa — cheaper, more atmospheric, a bit further from nightlife
• Ginza / Marunouchi — high-end, easy Shinkansen access
• Capsule hotels — try one at least once, particularly Nine Hours or The Millennials

Four nights minimum. Tokyo is a city that punishes itinerary speed-runs — pick three neighbourhoods, eat at three different times of day in each, and you'll get more out of it than ten ticked-off attractions.