Tokyo on a Budget

Highlights include 1) people watching during cherry blossom season; 2) shopping at the world's largest department stores; and 3) discovering the neighborhoods.

Quick Tips:

Best Way To Get Around:

Kimi ryokan is the brainchild of a couple of Japanese brothers who, having traveled extensively in Europe, vowed to build a place of accommodation for budget travelers. They succeeded spectacularly. For a very attractive price, you get a room that may be spartan and small (enough to accommodate two single futons and a small table), but spotless (our room had brand new tatami mats still smelling of freshly woven bamboos), and furnished with an air conditioner-a godsent. Over the number of years since the Kimi was established, footsteps of the numerous pensioners have polished the cypress floor to a beautiful shine that made walking barefooted amazingly pleasurable. The staff spoke flawless English-our cashier/check-in clerk grew up in Los Angeles. The only minor flaw that would prevent Kimi from getting a perfect rating from me is that the bathrooms can use a bit more regular cleaning. They are not dirty, just not as clean as I would have expected from the condition of the rooms. Remember to bring towels to Kimi, as the front desk will only give you a face towel.

One other thing that may be problematic to some travelers is the neighborhood in which the Kimi ryokan is located. Ikebukuro is billed as a working-class and "entertainment" district. Some may call it the "darker" side of Tokyo. By dark, they would mean that it is dirtier, seedier, full of "love hotels," "hostesses" pimping for businesses in the streets, and young yakuzas-in-training standing around to lend the hostesses more clout. However, as this neighborhood also houses two of the largest department stores in Tokyo, which operate long hours, we saw many many women walking alone comfortably after dark. In truth, Ikekuburo is a lot more tame than many other places I have been to.

For those who can dish out about $200 per night, the Westin Hotel, located in a happening neighborhood called Ebisu, is definitely the place to stay. Some critics have even said that the Westin gives the Four Seasons, which spends more than a million dollar on each room of its hotel, a run for its money.

The Westin Ebisu is gorgeous, though a bit pretentious, as everything in the lobby is made with marble. Rooms are huge by Japanese standard. It''s a deal of the century if you can manage to get it free, like I did, by signing up with Starwood''s American Express Free Fridays program (for every five nights you stay during a specific period, you get two free Fridays anywhere in the world). Rooms are furnished with classic European furniture, and each includes a make-up desk, a large writing desk, a couch, and separate shower and tub. Even the tea bags are symbols of luxury: they are made with woven linen. The Westin is conveniently located about 10 minute walk from the nearest subway. The fun thing is that you do go through a shopping complex to get there.

The Tsukiji market handles close to 3000 tons of marine products totaling close to 30 million a day. In scale, it is incomparable. It must be the biggest fish market in the world. Upon getting to the market, head straight for the main attraction-the tuna auction. There, seas of freshly-caught and flash-frozen tunas weighing hundreds of pounds would have been laid out in lines on the floors of the market. At 5:30 a.m. the tuna auction starts. "How much do you bid?," the auctioneer of a wholesale firm, who typically would stand on top of a vegetable crate, asks in a loud voice. Answering this, a lot of authorized buyers bid against each other. The auction then moves on to the next fish in a frenetic pace. It is said that some fish sells up to $60,000 (yes, I mean US dollar) each. The name of the successful purchaser is marked on the tuna. At about 7:00am, bidders and other retailers from the market will carry the tuna priced at auction to their own stalls and lay them out so that caterers and other purchasers can buy them easily. There, besides tuna, there are some other 400+ fishes from all around the world of every imaginable variety. The colors are eye-popping, and the market is just a great feast for the eyes. After you have walked some of these stalls, head to the rear of the market where heaps of styrofoam stretching up tens of feet are heat-treated and recycled. It is an amazing sight to behold.