Tokyo

Tokyo International Cruise Terminal receives cruise liners.

Opened on September 10, 2020, Tokyo International Cruise Terminal gives the world’s largest cruise ships access to Tokyo. Its Odaiba location is within reach of major transport hubs, including Shinkansen stations and two international airports.

From a convenient southern central-Tokyo position, the cruise terminal gives easy access to the city’s major tourist attractions. Historically and culturally important Kamakura and Nikko are also within day-trip range. Indeed, it is an excellent base for tourists wanting to experience Japan’s traditional and modern cultures.

Tokyo has two airports, Narita Airport and Haneda Airport; check their websites for ground transportation.

A printable map to take with you.

Vast Tokyo is best understood as a constellation of cities grown together, rather than one city. District character varies wildly: Akihabara’s electronic blare, Chiyoda’s Imperial gardens and shrines, Shibuya’s hyperactive youth-culture mecca, and Asakusa’s pottery shops and temple markets. If one does not appeal, take the train to another for something entirely different again.

Do not become too focused on ticking off tourist sights. For most visitors, Tokyo is principally about wandering at random and absorbing the atmosphere: looking into shops full of weird and wonderful things, trying restaurants where nothing on the menu or plate is recognisable, and discovering unexpected calm in a neighbourhood Shinto shrine’s tranquil grounds. It is perfectly safe, and locals sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to help if asked.

Despite Tokyo’s vast array of sights, most visitors usually begin with Asakusa’s temples, the Imperial Palace gardens (in Chiyoda) and Meiji Shrine (in Harajuku).

Toyosu Market: unlike the old Tsukiji fish market, its auction among buyers is closed to the public. Visitors can observe from a second floor viewing deck or, after registration, from a same-level room separated by a window. Near the waterfront, one corner of the Toyosu buildings contains Uogashi Suijinja, a shrine for a fish market on the shore. An elevator reaches the rooftop, whose landscaped terrace provides panoramic views over parts of Tokyo’s skyline. Eating and drinking are prohibited there.

English speakers can navigate Tokyo without Japanese more easily than ever. Subway and train signs show station names in romaji (Romanized characters). Practical tips for restaurant ordering, shopping and asking directions can really help. Katakana is not difficult to learn, and English speakers understand most words written in it, making it useful even without Japanese vocabulary. When seeking directions, carrying the destination name in Japanese characters is especially helpful.

Check routes beforehand. The Tokyo Metro and Toei subway companies provide Tokyo Transfer Guide, an online service planning subway and train journeys from point A to point B by time, cost and transfers.

Although very pricey, taxis may represent value for groups of three or more.

When boarding a taxi, let the driver remotely open and close the left rear door rather than doing so yourself. Do not tip taxi drivers, as service is included in the price.

Without Japanese, or when travelling somewhere not well known, give the driver the precise destination address on paper or, better, point it out on a map. Japan’s address system can therefore confuse even local taxi drivers.

Tokyo’s many commercial centers allow shopping, eating and simple wandering amid the modern Japanese urban phenomenon. Each has a distinct character, including dazzling Shinjuku, youthful Shibuya and up-market Ginza. They bustle all day, but truly come alive in the evening.

Japan’s currency is the yen, issued as ¥10,000, ¥5,000 and ¥1,000 notes plus ¥500, ¥100, ¥50, ¥10, ¥5 and ¥1 coins.

Japanese ATMs are becoming more useful, and most allow withdrawals from overseas accounts; post offices also offer them. Major cards work at most large-city stores and restaurants, but carry sufficient cash for rural visits. Japan remains very much a cash society, and some stores, hotels and restaurants refuse cards regardless of location.

Tipping is considered rude, so do not do it!

Across the country, more cafes are providing customers with free WiFi. Costs vary: some coffee shops offer free Wi-Fi, while others charge by the hour for cable-enabled PCs.

Japanese shops and department stores generally open daily, including national holidays except New Year's, from 10:00 or 10:30am until 7:30 or 8:00pm. Some specialty shops close Sundays and national holidays. Department stores sometimes shut for one irregular day each week, but different closing days mean shoppers can always find an open store.

Japan’s Public Holidays.