Tokyo, Archetypal Modern Metropolis

You could explore Tokyo for weeks, but for me, I usually get a bit overwhelmed after 4 or 5 days. If you can, take in Tokyo in stages so you can appreciate it. Take side trips out to the various attractions near the city for a break.

Electronics Stores:
Tokyo’s electronics stores are a sight to see. They’re most often massive, multi-leveled, incredibly bright, and stocked with the latest in technology in every form imaginable. It can get to be a bit much - the lights and air-conditioning combine to burn out your eyes after an hour or so - but if you’re into looking at electronics, it’s hard to beat these places. Despite Japan being a very expensive country, you can often find electronics that haven’t been released yet (or will never be) in the U.S., which, at the same time, are a couple hundred dollars cheaper than in the States. My personal favorite is the Yodobashi Camera in Shinjuku.

Temples:
There are ancient Shinto and Buddhist temples and shrines all over Tokyo and often in unexpected places. There are the big ones like Senso-ji and Meiji, but the best ones are usually tucked away in unexpected places. Part of the fun is coming across them, so explore as much as possible and see how many you can find.

Parks:
If you can’t make it out of the city, some of the large parks around town can be a great relief from the urban chaos. Shinjuku Gyoen, a 10-minute walk from central Shinjuku, costs a few hundred yen for entry (a few dollars) and has a lot of nicely landscaped areas where you can just chill out for a while. The greenhouse, with a number of plants from around the world, is very nice. For a free park away from the center, head out to the very pleasant Inokashira Park in Mitaka City (a 20-minute train ride).

Neon:
Walk around at night in the centers of the city and marvel at how much light there is everywhere. The people reflect that energy, rushing around in all directions late into the night.

Quick Tips:

Information:
If you find yourself lost or unsure about something, head for the nearest police box. Police are very helpful, though you may need to speak a bit of Japanese to communicate. Alternatively, train stations have help desks and signs in English that point them out. Try that out, and the person may be an English-speaker.

Cheap Food:
For a cheap bit to eat, head for the train station. There are always cheap places serving noodles and other basic Japanese stuff. Some of them require you to buy a ticket for your food item from a vending machine and hand it to the cook, which is useful if you don’t speak the language.

Buying Train Tickets:
This can be tough - though in general Tokyo has everything written in English as well as Japanese, the signs showing which stations cost which amount (up above the ticket machines) are almost always completely in Japanese (and Chinese characters no less). If you’re in doubt, just buy the cheapest ticket possible, and when you get off the train, there’ll be a window or machine for "fare adjustment," where they’ll tell you the difference you need to pay, if any.

Best Way To Get Around:

Trains:
Tokyo has a very extensive underground and commuter train network, which is efficient, clean, and fast. It can all get very confusing and expensive, however. Research this as much as possible before going. Trains during rush hour are packed and uncomfortable, but you might want to do this once to get the authentic experience.

Walking:
Walking is a great way to see things, but everything is so spread out that you’ll eventually want to get on a train to get where you’re going. Walk until you’re tired of it; there’s sure to be a station somewhere nearby.

Airport:
You have many options from Narita airport. The Narita Express train is your best bet, though it might hurt your budget at about US. It has assigned, comfortable seats and space for luggage, and it takes an hour. Alternatively, take the Keisei Line in. It takes about the same amount of time, but is a little less comfortable and generally more packed. It’s a bargain at about US. Never take a cab in, as this will run you upwards of US.

At ¥3,500 per bed per night (about US$32), this is about the cheapest accommodation you'll find in Tokyo, especially if you're traveling alone. Those under the age of 15 stay for ¥2,000.

Overall, this is a clean, well-maintained place with a helpful staff. It is divided into two wings, on the 18th and 19th floors of a building. This is one of the main perks in that it affords great views of Tokyo, especially from the bath area.

Beds are dorm-style, each room sleeping about 15 people. There is a curtain that you can draw so that you have privacy, and there's a mandatory lights-out time, as well as curfew, so you shouldn't have any problem getting to sleep. Mattresses are pretty hard but are survivable. The bathrooms and bath are shared.

One of the interesting things about this place is the range of people staying there at any given time. There are the usual backpackers from various countries, along with Japanese senior citizens, entire families, middle-aged women, etc.

It's not very well sign-posted, but it is very close to Iidabashi station (depending on which exit you take of course). If you ask around, people there will point you to the right building.

Food and internet access are available. Meals can be had for between ¥400 and ¥900 (US$3 to US$8 or so). You can also get bottles of beer and other assorted drinks. There are also some fast-food places nearby, as well as restaurants.

Their website is http://www.tokyo-yh.jp/eng/e_top.html

Mos Burger is the standout burger chain in Japan. There are many others, such as the ubiquitous McDonald’s, as well as Lotteria, Freshness Burger, etc., but none can compare to Mos Burger. It's one of the cheapest places you could hope to eat at in Tokyo, and though it's essentially just a fast-food/burger place, they have just the right amount of original products to set them apart.

The highlight of all of their offerings is the rice burger, which essentially replaces the bun with rice that's been formed into discs. The result is a delicious new take on the burger concept, with a range of available alternatives to the standard meat patty as well. You can get it with pork, fish, vegetables, etc. inside. The only drawback with this is that it tends to fall apart halfway through.

An unexpected aspect of the place is that they have a range of coffee and tea beverages on offer that tend to be quite good in general. One interesting-looking thing I never tried was the green tea latte. I'll be certain to check it out next time I go though.

Finally, onion ring fans will be glad to hear about the oni-pote side, which is a combination of onion rings and fries.

Remember, when specifying size in Japan, there's generally an S, M, and L size, which are read as the letters pronounced in Japanese. Thus, you would say esu, emu, and eru respectively. Don't worry if you forget this - saying "small" or "large" is usually equally as understandable.

The museum is run by Hayao Miyazaki's production company, Studio Ghibli, which has produced animated films such as My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away. In many ways, it's oriented towards children, and you'll surely see a lot of them there, but adults who have any interest in the films will enjoy it as well. If you don't know or don't care for the films, it might be a little boring.

How to Get There:
Getting to the museum requires a train ride from the center, which takes about 20 minutes on the Chuo Line. From the Mitaka South Exit, it's about a 15-minute walk. There are signs that make it pretty obvious – essentially, you need to walk towards Inokashira Park and then turn right to walk along it for a stretch. Alternatively, there's a special bus that runs between the station and the museum and charges a couple hundred yen per person.

Getting Tickets:
The museum sells only advance tickets, which means you can't just show up. On any given day, it's packed, with a queue waiting to get in (though it doesn't take too long), so it's advisable to get tickets before you leave on your trip if possible. There are offices around the world where you can do this. For more information on that, go to the website at http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/welcome.html and click on the only thing in English, "Ticket Information." There's other useful stuff there too. The charge is ¥1,000 for anyone over 19 years old (about US$10).

The Museum:
The space is very original in its design. Great care seems to have been taken to reflect the type of worlds one finds in the films. It’s been decorated and outfitted with a very fun, imaginative style. There are a few floors, and though it requires some dodging of groups of school kids, the whole place can be seen in an hour or two. There’s a good, if expensive, gift shop on the top floor, and there’s a restaurant outside. There’s also a place to leave any bags you might have. As a bonus, admission includes the screening of an animated short (about 15 minutes) that generally hasn’t been released anywhere. What they show cycles every once in a while. Throughout the museum is a lot of interesting stuff, some of which takes you through the production of one of their films and some of which features the characters they’ve created in some really cool exhibits.

Inokashira Park:
If you’ve made the trip out to Mitaka and are done with the museum after a couple of hours, you might like to spend some more time walking around Inokashira Park, which surrounds the museum. Mitaka has a much more relaxed atmosphere than the center of Tokyo, and the park is an equally relaxed, pleasant place to hang out in.

If you're in Tokyo with a bit of time to travel outside of it, I strongly urge you to try and get on the Bullet Train, called Shinkansen. Of course, your destination will be worthwhile on its own, but, for me, the Shinkansen is a destination of its own. For one thing, it's great to see the extent of efficiency with which these things operate. At Tokyo Station at any given time, there are dozens of trains heading in various directions, and all manage to arrive and depart exactly on time. If you happen to be on a train that leaves 60 seconds late, there will be profuse apologies for the inconvenience, and they'll usually send a cleaning crew onboard before you get on, so the train you get on is always immaculately clean.

My favorite aspect of the ride is the speed. It's not often that one gets to travel so fast on the ground. As far as I'm aware, the trains move at up to 190 miles per hour, about the upper limit for most of the world's high-speed trains. It's a surprisingly smooth ride, and tearing through the countryside at those kinds of speeds is really a lot of fun.

Another great aspect is the snack cart ladies that come through from time to time with a range of drinks and food items. They always bow upon entering and exiting the car. Conductors are immaculately dressed and unfailingly polite. It comes as a real shock when you're used to trains in most other parts of the world, and it makes it hard to go back.

The only drawback of Shinkansen travel is the cost of the tickets. Getting to Kyoto from Tokyo, one way, costs in the area of $100, for example. But if you're planning to travel beyond Tokyo and are deciding between a flight and the train, I would urge you to go with the train. In many cases, it will get you there just as fast, and the entire process will be much easier. And if you're looking to experience Japan fully, I think your trip isn't complete without a ride on the Shinkansen.