Japan · --:-- local time
Tokyo
Precision by day, lantern light by night.
Tokyo is less a single city than a constellation of neighbourhoods, each with its own rhythm. Quiet residential lanes sit a few minutes' walk from some of the busiest crossings on earth.
Plan around districts rather than sights: a morning in a temple garden, an afternoon of design shops, an evening in a narrow alley of small counter restaurants.
Neighbourhoods
Shibuya
Energy, music and the famous crossing.
Yanaka
Old-Tokyo lanes, temples and craft shops.
Shimokitazawa
Vintage stores, cafés and small theatres.
When to go
Spring and autumn are the most comfortable seasons. Summer is hot and humid; winter is cool, dry and often clear.
Getting around
An extensive rail and metro network covers the city. Rechargeable IC transit cards work across most lines.
Where to stay
Shinjuku and Shibuya suit first-time visitors; Ginza and Marunouchi are central and calmer in the evening.
