Getting Around Tokyo
Getting around Tokyo
As
Japan's largest city and the world's largest and most densely
populated metropolitan area, Tokyo travel can seem daunting at
first. The idea of actually traveling in Tokyo can seem difficult to
grasp for the uninitiated. How can anything move amidst all those
people and buildings packed so closely together?
Fortunately, the Japanese have an almost unrivalled propensity for efficiency and Tokyo travel is not only easy to do, it's even easier to really enjoy. For all its size, hustle, bustle, and people, getting around Tokyo is a lot of fun.
Granted, packing onto overloaded commuter trains and subways isn't everyone's idea of fun, but Tokyo's transportation system is so well run, and Tokyoites so well trained in its efficient use, the whole experience of Tokyo travel is fluid.
From buying your train or subway pass to stepping onto one of Tokyo's many train and subway lines, the process is almost completely automated. Ticket machines not only have screens that display English, they speak English as well making it pretty easy to get the right ticket.
All subway and train stations in Tokyo also have signs in at least two languages (English and Japanese), and usually three (Chinese as well) so finding your way to the correct gate is even easier. And if you prefer not to read, most stations use a color coded system of identifying train and subway lines as well.
If your Tokyo travel experience brings you to Tokyo as a tourist, you'll find the Yamanote line one of the best ways to get around in Tokyo. This circular train line connects many of the famous districts of Tokyo such as Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, and Akihabara with Tokyo's 29 main train stations.
While trains are a fairly inexpensive and very efficient way to get around Tokyo, travel is often best when it's on foot: there is so much to see and do in Tokyo that it's almost impossible to plan a visit without missing something fantastic. So often the best Tokyo travel method is on foot, wandering the streets, alleys, and shopping districts to see where they take you.
Whatever method you use to get around, Tokyo travel is guaranteed to be a fascinating and unique travel experience. Whether it's your first visit to Tokyo or your 21st, there is always something new to see or do.
From great local restaurants tucked away in back alleys that haven't changed in decades, to modern attractions that seem to belong in a future century, Tokyo travel really does offer something for everyone.
Areas and regions of Tokyo
Shibuya - popular with the younger generation, Shibuya is famous for its nightlife, fashion, shopping, and people watching
Shinjuku - home to the world's busiest train station, and the Tokyo Government building, with plenty of shopping, dining, and drinking
Asakusa - old Tokyo at its best, with plenty of shrines and temples such as the famous Senso-ji a Buddhist temple
Harajuku - if you like teen fashion and cosplay (costume play) add Harajuku to your Tokyo travel itinerary
Odaiba - a man made island of shopping centres and modern architecture
Akihabara - heaven for consumer electronics lovers, Akihabara is the place to buy the future of any home electronics today
Ginza - Japan's, and therefore one of the world's, premier high-end brand shopping districts where even window shopping can cost an arm and a leg
Roppongi - location of the flashy Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi Hills developments, Roppongi is is also home to thriving nightlife frequented by expats living in Japan
Kappabashi - if you own a restaurant in Tokyo, this is where you can buy just about anything you need. And if not, it's still a popular tourist area
Ameyoko - a black market area in the 1940's, Ameyoko is today a vibrant street market area near Ueno
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