Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I'm visiting Tokyo later in the week, and I would love to hear what you love about the city? Sites, neighborhoods, etc...any must do, or must see things? Thank you so much!!
I'm visiting Tokyo later in the week, and I would love to hear what you love about the city? Sites, neighborhoods, etc...any must do, or must see things? Thank you so much!!
I like that it is alive 24/7
Been to Tokyo twice but never been to Ginza, i heard it's nice but it's the most expensive part of the city.
I spended most of my time in Shibuya & Minato because i think those are the most welcoming to foreigners.
Never been to Shinjuku at daytime but at nighttime it's only nice when you can speak Japanese very well if you don't want to get ripped off in a club.
I'm visiting Tokyo later in the week, and I would love to hear what you love about the city? Sites, neighborhoods, etc...any must do, or must see things? Thank you so much!!
There's a gazillion things to do in Tokyo. But, it's better if you fine-tune your interests, and go for whatever reason you came to Tokyo to do and see.
If you're staying at a tradional ryokan in Asakusa, it sounds like you've done a little research into what you want to see and experience.
I'll state the traditional usual haunts of first time visitors - Shibuya, Ebisa, Shinjuku, Harajuku, Ropongi, etc. Any guide book, and you'll see pages upon pages of information on each of those neighborhoods.
Tokyo ... you know, for all the hype, I didn't really like Tokyo. Too crowded. Too noisy. Too smelly in places ... and in many parts it's just another big, dirty, crowded city and I've seen that before (I grew up in Chicago and have seen big city in other areas of the world too).
If I were to pick, I'd say to go to Harajuku just to see the girls in their fashionable outfits, and go to this once place I remember seeing where guys with Harley Davidson outfits and bikes battle for fashion and bike supremacy. Roppongi is overrun by foreigners but if you want an escape where you can speak English no problem, it's a good place to go to. While you're near Harajuku, visit the Meiji Shrine. It's a nice respite of traditional Japan in the heart of modern Japan. Also, Yoyogi park is nice on a nice day.
Do go to the Imperial Palace. If anything, it's good irony to visit the grounds of the same emperor who was ruler of Japan during WWII through today.
Go to Ginza if you like drinking. But do be careful and read the menus meticulously. You can empty your wallet on a small snack and a couple drinks easily.
If you're into anime, moe, maid, and electronics, then Akihabara has your name written all over it. It's interesting to go there ... once ... maybe twice, unless you want electronics, then go more often.
If you want shopping, shibuya and omotesando and omotesando hills are good places to go.
Check out the English-friendly Japan website (Google it to also find the Australian creator's Youtube videos, where he has many friendly videos on what to do and stuff in Japan). That has some businesses and handy tips on what to do and what not to do while in Japan.
Also, it probably belabors a point you probably already heard dozens of times, but do brush up on Japanese phrases like "Where is the toilet?" (TOI-LE WA DOKO DESU KA?), "How much is it?" (II-KU-RA DESU KA?), numbers, etc. The numbers are probably the hardest to remember because prices routinely jump into the thousands and there's little nuances of large numbers, like happ-yaku-en (600 yen) and san-byaku-en (300 yen).
Also, remember your manners. Remember all those little manners that your mom told you not to do as a kid, you know, like not talk on the bus or on your phone loudly, don't spit out your gum, cover your mouth, etc? Well, it's as if the vast majority (like 99%) of people in Japan literally followed mom's advice. Do yourself a favor and follow the crowd on those. Since you're a foreigner you'll be forgiven for most small things like how to properly place your chopsticks (one exception, NEVER put your chopsticks upright sticking out of rice ... they do similar things during funerals, so DON'T do that) but for larger issues, like talking on the phone on the train or bus, or being rude to other people, or jaywalking, people will likely not want to help you as much.
Finally, do not be put off if you see a "no foreigners" sign somewhere on a small restaurant or bar. Most likely, it's not a super-nationalist hangout (though some do exist). Rather, a foreigner probably made a big commotion and ruckus at one point and ruined it for everybody. Be angry at the reason why that's there in the first place, not the establishment's owner responding to it. Most likely, you'll never see one, but the rare 1/1000 chance you do ... it's either you wandered into a seedy area where borderline or actual prostitution happens or because someone ruined it for everyone else.
Good luck! Check out tripadvisor as well for more info.
I only spent a few days in Tokyo but it was like any large city. Lot's to do, you'll have a great time. I agree with the above poster. Don't point and laugh at the size difference, you know the basic foreigner dumb stuff and you shouldn't even get a look. There are a lot of travelers to Tokyo from around the world for business and pleasure. I went for both. It's polite to know some basic Japanese greetings but you will get along fine without it. I've known plenty of people who didn't know a word of Japanese and had a great time there. I am fortunate to know all basic communication so it was pretty easy for me, the same might go for you.
I spent most of my fun time in the Chiba Prefecture. Chiba Prefecture This website has most of the great attractions in Chiba.
Disney Land is there. lol Had the family with me. Also beautiful gardens, fields of flowers, parks, water ways. I had a great time, I hope you do as well. We went over to Korea from there and spent a week in Seoul. The food was amazing there as well.
On that note I went before the great earthquake. I'm not sure if that has effected anything in Chiba? I'm sure someone currently in Japan will chime in and let you know if it has.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
We went over to Korea from there and spent a week in Seoul. The food was amazing there as well. 
