Visit Tokyo

How I did it: A bunch of my friends were going, so I tagged along. Plane ticket was about £500 return from the UK (economy) but I think this may have been cheaper than normal as it was the rainy season which is not generally a time for tourists. We stayed in a decent and relatively affordable hotel, didn't eat anywhere fancy, but spent a lot of money in vending machines!

Lessons & tips: Wander around the city at night, especially Shinjuku, Akihabara and Shibuya. The neon lights of Tokyo have been burned into my brain since some unspecified point in childhood (probably since seeing some late-night subtitled movie on my crackly old TV) and to wander around this vast city just taking it all in was one of the best experiences of my life.

I got around using a Suica card, which is like London's Oyster Card, a top-up travel card which lets you stream through subway and train ticket gates without stopping. It was great, but if you're travelling elsewhere in Japan it's also a great idea to get a JR Pass, which will allow you to do the same thing (except you have to go through the manned gates to show your pass) so only get a Suica card if you haven't bought a JR Pass for that part of your visit.

If nothing else, get about 10 words of the language under your belt.
Yes, no, please, thank you, I don't understand, I do understand, etc.

We went during the 'rainy season' and got grey but dry and warm weather the whole time. I guess I can't provide this as a tip because I think this was a freak occurrence, but it worked very well for us.

Doing some research in advance about what you want to see and do is very helpful. Don't rush around too much. Take in the atmosphere.

Japanese citizens are mostly very friendly and helpful, so don't be afraid to ask for help.

I never felt anything other than safe in Tokyo, ever.

If you're a vegetarian, as I am, firstly accept that you're probably going to have to eat fish/meat stock in soups, and occasionally pick meat out of food, unless you really work hard at it. Beyond that, get meat-free Okonomiyaki (language skills will help), tofu/noodle/soup dishes, vegetarian onigiri from convenience stores (I miss these already - if like me you can't read the labels, figure it out by asking someone and then remember the colours - one of the darker shades of green is spring vegetable, one of the pinks is plum) and an infinite number of pastries, though beware of the pastries which contain stealth meat. It's a bit of a pain, but don't let it affect your holiday.

Drink in one of the bars that only seat about 6 people. And drink sake! I'd never tried it before I went, but you'll be pleasantly surprised if you haven't. There's a good bit for bars in Shinjuku (?) informally called 'Piss Alley'. (Better than it sounds..)

Visit the lake in Ueno Park. This was one of my favourite places. There was some kind of temple with a skyscraper behind it, and turtles and eels (?) making their presence known in the water.

We had a limited amount of time in Japan, and only spent 3 days in Tokyo. It was enough, but at the same time, I could easily have spent more. Next time I'll go for a week. Actually, next time I'd like to stay...

Jun 19, 10:18PM PDT | 0 comments | 2 cheers