Understand
Over 400 years old, the city of Tokyo grew from the modest fishing village of
Edo (江戸). The former seat of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Imperial family moved to the city after the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The metropolitan center of the country, Tokyo is the destination for business, education, modern culture, and government. (That's not to say that rivals such as Osaka won't dispute those claims.)
CultureTokyo is so vast that it's best thought of not as a single city, but a constellation of cities that have grown together. Tokyo's districts vary wildly by character, from the electronic blare of Akihabara to the Imperial gardens and shrines of Chiyoda, from the hyperactive youth culture mecca of Shibuya to the pottery shops and temple markets of Asakusa. If you don't like what you see, hop on the subway and head to the next one — you may find something entirely different.
That said, the sheer size and frenetic pace of Tokyo can intimidate the first-time visitor. Much of the city is a
terribly ugly jungle of concrete and wires, with a
sensory overload of neon and blaring loudspeakers. At rush hour, crowds jostle in packed trains and masses of humanity sweep through bewilderingly complex stations. Don't try to do too much or get too hung up on ticking tourist sights off your list: a big part of the Tokyo experience is just wandering around at random and finding little urban oases, poking your head into shops selling weird and wonderful things and sampling restaurants where you can't recognize a single thing on the menu (or on your plate). It's all perfectly safe, and the locals will do their best to help if you just ask.
Language It'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. Learning
katakana is not difficult and most words written with it can be understood by English speakers so it can be useful even for people with no Japanese vocabulary. If you plan on asking for directions to Tokyo destinations, it especially helps to carry the name of the destination written in Japanese characters.
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, London, Paris or even Vancouver will not be at all surprised. Travelers should budget a similar amount of money for their stay in Tokyo as they would for any other great city in Europe or North...
