A quick note: Tokyo is the biggest, most over-organized, most efficient city on Earth, and the one most first-time visitors over-pack their itinerary in. The smart move: pick 3 neighborhoods (Shibuya/Harajuku, Asakusa, Shinjuku), do them deeply, and let the others be «walk-throughs». Use this guide like advice from a friend who knows which conveyor-belt sushi is actually good and why you should NOT buy a JR pass for a 5-day Tokyo trip.
This page is your complete starting point.
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Tokyo is the world's largest urban area: 37 million people in the metro region, 23 special wards in the city core, and 24-hour energy in Shinjuku. This complete Tokyo travel guide covers Narita + Haneda airport transfers, the Suica IC card (the only thing you need for transport), neighborhood breakdowns from quiet Yanaka to neon Akihabara, the conveyor-belt vs. omakase sushi decision, where to find the best ramen at 1am, and the cultural rules that will keep you from being «that tourist».
Tokyo's population is just under 14 million in the city proper. The Yamanote Line loop train circles the central districts in 60 minutes; everything important is inside it. Shibuya is the cool neighborhood (scramble crossing, fashion, nightlife), Shinjuku is the business + nightlife center (Golden Gai, Omoide Yokocho), Asakusa is the historic district (Sensō-ji temple, traditional crafts), Ginza is luxury shopping, Akihabara is the electronics + anime quarter, Harajuku is youth-fashion + Meiji Jingu shrine. The 4 main JR lines + Tokyo Metro + Toei Subway cover everything.
Whether you're staying 4 days or 2 weeks, the sections below cover the essentials: which IC card to buy, the Suica + Pasmo difference, the right neighborhood to base in (Shinjuku for transit, Shibuya for energy, Asakusa for atmosphere), where to escape crowds, and how to do day trips to Mt. Fuji, Hakone, Nikko and Kamakura.
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