Tokyo

At over 12 million people, Tokyo is one of the biggest cities in the world. It is also huge and varied in its geography, with over 2,000 square kilometres to explore. The Tokyo Metropolitan District includes 23 central wards (区 ku) near the bay and several outlying cities and towns (市 shi) to the west. There are even a couple of Pacific islands that are officially part of Tokyo. You will find the biggest crowded high-rise districts, but also shambling old wooden low-rise neighbourhoods, and even mountainous parks. BackgroundOver 400 years old, the city of Tokyo grew from the modest fishing village of Edo. The former seat of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Imperial family moved to the city after the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The metropolitan centre of the country, Tokyo is the modern destination for business, education, culture, and government. (That’s not to say that rivals such as Osaka won’t dispute those claims.) LanguageIt’s easier than ever for English speakers to navigate their way around Tokyo without speaking any Japanese. Signs at subway and train stations include the station names in romaji (Romanized characters). There are also many districts of Tokyo (such as Roppongi) with establishments that cater specifically to gaijin (foreigners). Once you’ve decided to venture beyond the gaijin scene, however, the language barrier is more likely to become a problem, so it can be helpful to know some tips for ordering in restaurants, shopping in stores, and asking for directions. ExpensesThe cost of living in Tokyo is not as astronomical as it once was. Deflation and market pressures have helped to make costs in Tokyo comparable to most other large cities. Visitors from San Francisco, New York or London will not be at all surprised. Travellers should budget a similar amount of money for their stay in Tokyo as they would for any other great city in Europe or North America. Locals will know the bargains, but experienced cheapskates from anywhere in the world can get by with a little ingenuity. Send your bags into town before you arrive - Tokyo is crowded. Lugging even a moderately sized suitcase through the subways and up and down stairs can be a nightmare. So, what can you do? Use the ubiquitous delivery services (takkyuubin) which give cheap, dependable, fast service to anywhere. How does it work? At any airport or major station, look for a sign that says “Baggage Delivery” or something similar. The most common company is called Kuroneko. Their black-on-yellow logo of a mother cat carrying a baby cat is easy to spot anywhere. Write your hotel address, pay a small fee based on size and distance, and simply collect your bag the next day at your hotel. ArrivalIf you have good bags with wheels and you are not travelling in peak hours, taking your bags on the train into the city is ok, but a bit of a challenge. Another option is a baggage service. This works the same way on departure. Most hotels and even many convenience stores will take care of this for you. The service is extremely dependable. You can send almost any shape or size of bags (even a bicycle) to the airport ahead of time. They are never late and always in good condition. Just pick up your stuff in the airport lobby. It sure makes getting to the airport a breeze. It even makes intercity travel easy if you have a lot of stuff. Narita AirportAlmost all international services fly into Narita Airport (NRT), inconveniently located nearly 70 kilometers northeast of Tokyo. The airport has two terminals, Terminal 1 for major foreign airlines (e.g. United, British Airways) and Terminal 2 for Japanese airlines and smaller foreign airlines. Each terminal has its own train station, and there is a free shuttle bus between them. City AccessThere are two train lines from Narita and both will get you into Tokyo. The JR line connects conveniently to Tokyo station (for shinkansen - “bullet trains” - to the rest of Japan) while the Keisei line has direct trains to Haneda airport, as well as central Tokyo. The Keisei line is the cheaper option but requires the most skill to figure out what you want and where you are going. It does, however, provide the most hassle-free service to Haneda and Ginza. The fastest and most expensive way into Tokyo is the Japan Rail (JR) Narita Express into Tokyo Station for about ¥3,000; note that the train is free if you have a Japan Rail Pass. Keisei’s Skyliner service costs less than ¥2,000 but goes to Ueno instead. Both services require reservations and guarantee you a seat. The budget option is the ordinary Keisei train, which costs less than ¥1,000, but takes ten minutes longer, is often crowded at rush hour (although boarding at Narita is rarely a problem) and may prove confusing for first-timers as not all trains terminate in Ueno. Some Keisei trains run through to the Toei Asakusa subway line, which goes to Asakusa and Ginza. If you have a JR pass then you should exchange it at the JR ticket counter and use it to reserve your train into Tokyo and possibly your onward train from Tokyo if the latter is a shinkansen. If you do not have a JR pass then a JR train is generally the most expensive way to get to/from Narita, with the Keisei the cheapest and the bus somewhere in between. There is also a network of Airport Limousine shuttle buses that serve most major hubs within Tokyo, stopping at major hotels. Prices are comparable to the express train services, but are convenient for the first-time traveller as they take you directly to your hotel. The Airport Limousine is also the best way to transfer to Haneda Airport. (Article from/based on Wikitravel article and may be copied freely) |