Neighbourhoods
Shimokitazawa
Vintage shops and a genuinely local, unhurried indie feel.
Yanaka
Old-Tokyo backstreets that survived the war and postwar rebuilding — a rare quiet pocket.
Shibuya / Shinjuku
The neon, high-density core most visitors picture — essential but exhausting for a full stay.
Things to do
Tsukiji Outer Market, morning
The wholesale auction moved to Toyosu, but the outer market's food stalls remain the better visitor experience — go hungry before 10am.
teamLab Borderless or Planets
Genuinely worth the hype and the advance-booking hassle — book weeks ahead for a specific time slot.
Shimokitazawa, unhurried afternoon
No must-see list — just wander the vintage shops and duck into a listening bar by evening.
Omoide Yokocho (Piss Alley), Shinjuku
Tiny yakitori stalls under the train tracks — arrive right at opening for a seat.
Golden Gai bar-hopping
Dozens of tiny, themed bars seating 5–10 people each — pick one with an open seat and an English sign welcoming visitors if it's your first time.
Eating & drinking
Any standing sushi counter (not a tourist-menu spot)
Some of Tokyo's best sushi is served standing up at lunch counters for a fraction of dinner-omakase prices.
A conveyor-belt (kaiten) sushi chain
Not a downgrade here — chains like Uobei or Sushiro are genuinely good and a fun, fast intro meal.
A depachika (department store basement food hall)
Any major department store's basement level — Isetan or Takashimaya — is a world-class food hall worth an hour alone.
Day trips
Local logistics
City-specific transport and safety notes — for country-wide context, see the Japan guide.
The subway/JR combination is extensive and precise to the minute — get a Suica or Pasmo IC card immediately (tap-to-pay on your phone works too) rather than parsing individual tickets. Trains stop running around midnight; plan late nights around that.
Exceptionally safe, even late at night and even for solo travelers — genuinely one of the safest large cities in the world. The only real caution is Kabukichō's touts steering people toward overpriced bars.
Pacing & budget
Pacing: 4 days covers the major districts; 5 allows a day trip without feeling rushed.
Budget: Runs at or slightly above Japan's national mid-range average — still notably cheaper than comparable global cities like London or New York.
Visa, money, culture & transport for all of Japan
Currency, key phrases, getting around by train, and everything that applies to your whole trip — not just Tokyo.