Lonely Planet Pocket Tokyo , livre ebook

Contents

Plan Your Trip

Welcome to Tokyo
Top Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Shopping
Parks & Gardens
Architecture
Pop Culture
Museums & Galleries
Temples & Shrines
For Kids
LGBT+
Four Perfect Days
Need to Know
Neighbourhood Map

Explore Jakarta

Marunouchi & Nihombashi
Ginza & Tsukiji
Roppongi, Akasaka & Around
Ebisu, Meguro & Around
Shibuya
Harajuku & Aoyama
Shinjuku
Kagurazaka, Kōrakuen & Around
Ueno & Yanesen
Asakusa, Ryōgoku & Sumida River

Worth a Trip

Ghibli Museum, Mitaka

Walking Tour

Kiyosumi-Shirakawa & Fukagawa

Survival Guide

Survival Guide
Before You Go
Arriving in Tokyo
Getting Around
Essential Information
Language
Behind the Scenes
Our Writers
Welcome to Tokyo
A fusion of past and future, Tokyo dazzles with its traditional culture and passion for everything new. More than any one sight, it’s the city itself that enchants visitors. Stretching as far as the eye can see, yet surprisingly easy to navigate, Tokyo presents the best of Japanese experiences, including superlative culinary and arts scenes.

Shibuya Crossing | TOMML / GETTY IMAGES ©
Tokyo Top Sights

1 Sensō-ji
Tokyo’s oldest temple complex.

JOSE FUSTE RAGA / GETTY IMAGES ©

Tokyo Top Sights

1 Tsukiji Market
Tokyo’s top culinary destination.

NIRADJ / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Tokyo Top Sights

1 Meiji-jingū
Tokyo’s signature Shintō shrine.

COWARDLION / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Tokyo Top Sights

1 Imperial Palace & Kōkyo-gaien
Explore Tokyo’s historical imperial heart.

TOOYKRUB / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Tokyo Top Sights

1 teamLab Borderless
Interactive digital art experience.

TEAMLAB BORDERLESS, ODAIBA, TOKYO ©;

Tokyo Top Sights

1 Roppongi Hills
Showstopper shopping and entertainment complex.

JENNY JONES / GETTY IMAGES ©

Tokyo Top Sights

1 Golden Gai
Iconic bohemian bar district.

MLENNY / GETTY IMAGES ©;

Tokyo Top Sights

1 Tokyo National Museum
World’s largest Japanese art collection.

LEO DAPHNE / ALAMY STOCK PHOTO ©

Tokyo Top Sights

1 Rikugi-en
Edo-era garden inspired by poetry.

TAKASHI IMAGES / SHUTTERSTOCK ©;

Tokyo Top Sights

1 Ghibli Museum
Master animator’s magical world.

ROBOT SOLDIER: © MUSEO D’ARTE GHIBLI, SEAN PAVONE / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Tokyo Top Sights

1 Sumo at Ryōgoku Kokugikan
Japan’s ancient sport.

J. HENNING BUCHHOLZ / SHUTTERSTOCK ©;

Tokyo Top Sights

1 Kabukiza
See Japan’s top performing art.

MUSEIMAGE / GETTY IMAGES ©
Eating

As visitors to Tokyo quickly discover, the people here are absolutely obsessed with food. The city has a vibrant and cosmopolitan dining scene and a strong culture of eating out – popular restaurants are packed most nights of the week. Best of all, you can get superlative meals on any budget.

URAIWONS / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Tokyo Dining Scene
Tokyo foodies take pride in what they like to think of as their ‘boutique’ dining scene. Rather than offer long menus of elaborate dishes, many of the best restaurants make just a few things – and sometimes even just one! Sushi shops make sushi; tempura shops make tempura. A restaurant that does too much might be suspect: how can it compare to a speciality shop that has been honing its craft for three generations?
Tokyoites’ twin passions for novelty and eating out means that the city is also a hotbed for experimentation. Trends come and go, but one that has stuck around – and spread roots – is the city’s homegrown farm-to-table movement. Increasingly, owner-chefs are working directly with rural producers to source ingredients, which might be used in orthodox-style Japanese cooking or creatively, to add a new twist to a classic dish or a fresh take on an imported one.

Izakaya
Izakaya ( 居酒屋 ) translates as ‘drinking house’ and an evening spent in one is dinner and drinks all in one: food is ordered a few dishes at a time along with rounds of alcoholic drinks. It’s fine to order a soft drink instead, but it would be strange to not order at least one drink. Some serve only the classics; others incorporate Western dishes or fusion ones. While the vibe is lively and social, it’s perfectly acceptable to go by yourself and sit at the counter.

Best Budget
Commune 2nd Hip outdoor space with vendors serving all kinds of dishes.
Misojyu Trendy new spot for miso soup and creative onigiri (rice balls).
Delifucious Fish burgers from a former sushi chef.

Best Midrange
Innsyoutei Elegant, but affordable, traditional Japanese in a beautiful wooden building.
Hantei Skewers of deep- fried meat, fish and vegetables in an old wooden building.

Best Top End
Kikunoi Tokyo branch of legendary Kyoto kaiseki (haute cuisine) restaurant.
Asakusa Imahan Historic restaurant for top-class sukiyaki (sautéed beef dipped in raw egg).
Inua Tokyo’s hottest table, from Noma-alumnus Thomas Frebel.

Japanese Classics
Kanda Yabu Soba Specialising in soba since 1880.
Maisen Long-time favourite for tonkatsu (deep-friend pork), in a former bathhouse.
Bird Land Upscale yakitori from free-range heirloom chickens.

Best for Sushi
Kyūbey Rarefied Ginza sushi at its finest.
Nemuro Hanamaru One of the city’s best kaiten-sushi (conveyor-belt sushi restaurants).

Best Izakaya
Narukiyo Cult-fave spot on the fringes of Shibuya.
Shinsuke Century-old local institution adored by sake aficionados.
Donjaca Vintage mid-20th-century vibe and home-style food.

Tokyo in a Bowl
Ramen

SASAKEN / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Noodle Trends
Tokyo has a passion for ramen: the noodles are the subject of profuse blogs and a reason to stand in line for over an hour. By conservative estimates there are over 3000 ramen shops in the capital (some say 4000). One of Tokyo’s hottest dining trends is nouveau ramen, creativity distilled in a bowl of noodles and the best budget gourmet experience around. Grabbing late-night ramen after a rousing round of karaoke is a taste sensation you don’t want to miss.

o Top Places for Ramen
Nagi ( 凪 ; % 03-3205-1925; www.n-nagi.com ; 2nd fl, Golden Gai G2, 1-1-10 Kabukichō, Shinjuku-ku; ramen from ¥890; h 24hr; d JR Yamanote line to Shinjuku, east exit) Smoky niboshi (dried sardine) ramen in late-night haunt, Golden Gai.
Afuri ( あふり ; www.afuri.com ; 1-1-7 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku; ramen from ¥980; h 11am-5am; v ; d JR Yamanote line to Ebisu, east exit) Light citrus-y broth and contemporary cool.
Tokyo Rāmen Street ( 東京ラーメンストリート ; map ; www.tokyoeki-1bangai.co.jp/ramenstreet ; basement, First Avenue, Tokyo Station, 1-9-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku; ramen from ¥800; h 7.30am-11.30pm; d JR lines to Tokyo, Yaesu south exit) Eight top vendors clustered at Tokyo station.
Ginza Kazami ( 銀座風見 ; % 03-3572-0737; 6-4-14 Ginza, Chūō-ku; ramen from ¥950; h 11.30am-3pm & 5.30-10pm Mon-Sat; b Ginza line to Ginza, exits C2 & C3) Delicious ramen broth flavoured with sake lees.

GARY S CHAPMAN / GETTY IMAGES ©

Drinking & Nightlife

Make like Lady Gaga in a karaoke box, sip sake with a merry salaryman in a tiny postwar bar, or dance under the rays of the rising sun at an enormous bayside club: that’s nightlife, Tokyo style. The city’s drinking culture embraces everything from refined teahouses and indie coffee shops to craft-beer pubs and maid cafes.

TAKETAN / GETTY IMAGES ©

Where to Drink
Roppongi has the lion’s share of foreigner-friendly bars, while Shinjuku offers the retro warren Golden Gai and the LGBT-friendly bar district Ni-chōme.
Other top party districts include youthful Shibuya and Harajuku; Shimbashi and Yūrakuchō, which teem with salarymen; and Ebisu and nearby Daikanyama, both of which have some excellent bars. Asakusa’s Hoppy-dōri is a fun, retro-style hang-out.

What to Drink
Japan’s national beverage is sake, aka nihonshū ( 酒 or 日本酒 ), and is made from rice. According to personal preference, sake can be served hot ( atsukan ) but premium ones are normally served well chilled ( reishu ) in a small jug ( tokkuri ) and poured into tiny cups known as o-choko or sakazuki .
The clear spirit shōchū ( 焼酎 ) is made from a variety of raw materials including potato and barley. Because of its potency (alcohol content of around 30%), it is usually served diluted with hot water ( oyu-wari ) or in a chūhai cocktail with soft drinks or tea. Sake and shōchū are common drinks to order at izakaya – along with nama (draft beer).

Best Bars
Lonely Classic Golden Gai bar run by the same guy for over 50 years.
BenFiddich Original cocktails made using freshly ground spices and herbs.
Gen Yamamoto Savour superior fruit cocktails at this Zen teahouse-like bar.

Best for Craft Beers
Popeye Get very merry working your way through the most beers on tap in Tokyo.
Two Dogs Taproom Great range of craft beer and decent pizza in Roppongi.

Best for Karaoke
Karaoke Rainbow Shibuya’s most popular karaoke spot, free for the first hour.
’Cuzn Homeground Offering a wild night of warbling in Asakusa.
Pasela Resorts Six floors of rooms in Roppongi.

Best Clubs
Womb Four levels of lasers and strobes at this Shibuya club fixture.
Contact Sign up online to get into Tokyo’s coolest members-only club.
Circus Tokyo Underground venue focusing on experimental music.

Best for Tea
Sakurai Japanese Tea Experience Enjoy a contemporary take on the tea ceremony.
Cha Ginza Stylish modern version of a teahouse in the heart of Ginza.
Chashitsu Kaboku A chance to sample super- viscous koicha green tea.

Best for Indie Coffee
Cafe de l’Ambre Ginza institution specialising in aged beans from around the world.
Toranomon Koffee Baristas in white lab coats operating a sleek coffee bar.
Iki Espresso Relaxed Aussie-style place serving excellent coffee and breakfasts.

Shopping

Since the Edo era, when courtesans set the day’s fashions, Tokyoites have lusted after both the novel and the outstanding. The city remains the trendsetter for the nation, and its residents shop – economy be damned – wi