Tokyo

So this is my update on travel tips in Japan. Enjoy :)

Tokyo Metropolis, the official name for the prefecture (I'm not sure if I can call it a prefecture), is the capital of Japan and is the largest metropolitan area in Japan (surprise surprise). I'm not going to bore you with the details of Tokyo, but you can look it up if you're interested: Tokyo, Wikipedia. And here's a map just so you can get a gist of where it's at;


View Larger Map

So why go into huge detail about this place? For two reasons;

1. I spent most of my time in Tokyo on a number of occasions so I like to think I know it pretty well
2. There is a lot to do and each place has it's own special little Tokyo to offer

How to get around Tokyo

Your main mode of transport is by train (and subway if you think they are two separate things). You can take a bus to go to your destinations instead, most of the time it is cheaper than going by train. But I can't recommend it because to get around Tokyo by road is crazy. It can take 2 to 3 times longer to reach your destination by bus than by train. Unless you want to spend most of your time on the bus (not to mention figuring the bus routes out), use the trains.
The train and subway system of Tokyo is complex, extremely complex. I wanted to scare you with a picture of all the lines and stations, but I couldn't find one that wasn't copyright protected, so I will share a link to a site that sells these maps. I'm not recommending you purchase the map (it costs 84,000 yen, whether it's worth it or not is up to you), just take a look at the map and set your faces to stunned.

• Tokyo Train Map

So if that didn't scare you or confuse you, I don't know what will. If I did scare you, let me comfort you with some follow up words, you don't need to master the train map. All you need to know is where you want to go, where you currently are, and how to get there.
Because there are numerous lines and numerous stations that host different train lines, there are many ways in which you can reach your destination. Each way has their own price, own journey time and own number of train switches so it might be handy to know your options. There are too many options to cover that I can't go into detail of how you should get to certain places. I will, however, share a link that will help you in making your travel choices.

• Tokyo Train Route Finder

This site is excellent, I used it all the time in Tokyo. It will give you several options, how much each trip will cost, how long each trip will take and how long the travel distance is. Very handy if you want to know the cheapest option, the fastest option etc.
Oh and yes, some train lines can be more crowded than others. You may not like crowded trains (especially the last trains on the major lines, you cannot move at all you are so squished), it can become an unpleasant experience. But don't let that bog you down, the trains are clean, they are always on time, if they aren't on time they apologize to you at least twice at every station, the doors open at the precise location they are meant to and the train rides don't take too long.

How to purchase your train ticket

All ticket purchases are done by machine, you don't need to talk to anyone. Some major stations have train staff at the ticket machines to assist people who look like they need a hand. I think most of these people can speak English so don't be afraid to talk to them. Most ticket machines can be switched to English anyway, so don't be too scared about trying to decipher Japanese.
Unfortunately buying your ticket isn't as simple as pressing a button to the destination you want to go to (there are some exceptions on some lines). You have to know how much your destination will cost. Once you know that, you press the button for the price tag, put your money in and viola, you have your ticket. But it can be very confusing and daunting if you're doing it for the first time. Especially if you have to change train lines, you have to press the button for the other train line menu and find the price tag for the destination from where you are now. It can be confusing, but if you get used to it, it gets easier.
There is one other option. You can buy a rechargeable card. All you do is recharge it and the card does all the calculations for you. You just go through the ticket gate, slide it across the card reader and away you go. No need to look up the price of your ticket and any confusing ticket machine related things. I recommend using the PASMO rechargeable card.

• Pasmo Website

All the relevant information is on the website. You can purchase it at any ticket machine that has the PASMO symbol on it, it costs 500 yen. When you buy it though you have to put in 1000 yen, you get the PASMO card with 500 yen credit on it. It is really convenient, you can even use it to buy your groceries or a can from a vending machine. It takes away the hassle of buying your ticket every time, I highly recommend getting one.

There is one thing you should be careful of while travelling by train; don't go out of a station if you are changing trains. You break your trip and it will cost you more to get back in and catch the train you were meant to.
This seems simple, just don't go out a ticket booth, but in a huge station like Shinjuku it's a little complicated. There will be times where you will have to go through a ticket booth, but you have to go through the transit ticket booth instead of the regular ticket booth.
You have to be careful of where you are going and it can be frustrating with all the people traffic everywhere. If you are not sure, ask the train staff, usually they will be right next to the ticket booth. These guys don't usually know much English so you may have to be patient with your Japanese listening and speaking skills.

So now that I've covered how to get to places, here's a list of the destinations I recommend going to (I will go into more detail of each place in their own respective pages);

• Akihabara
• Asakusa
• Harajuku
• Ikebukuro
• Kasai Rinkai Koen
• Odaiba
• Roppongi
• Shibuya
• Sinagawa 
• Shinjuku
• Ueno
• Yoyogi

I purposely didn't put Disney Land on the list because when it comes down to geography, Tokyo Disney Land isn't in Tokyo, it's in the neighbour prefecture, Chiba.