Where to stay in Tokyo

For a first trip, stay in Shinjuku or Shibuya — both sit on the JR Yamanote loop line, with endless food, shopping and nightlife. Pick Ginza or the Tokyo Station area for a polished, central base, Asakusa or Ueno for old-Tokyo atmosphere and lower prices, and Shimokitazawa if you want a laid-back, local neighborhood.

How to choose: stay near the Yamanote line

Tokyo is enormous, but it runs on rails. The JR Yamanote line loops around central Tokyo, linking Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, Ueno, Akihabara and Tokyo Station, and dozens of metro and private lines branch off it. Being a short walk from a station on or near the loop matters far more than the exact neighborhood. Hotel rooms are compact everywhere — check the square footage before booking if you have big luggage.

Tokyo areas compared

Shinjuku: the neon heart

Skyscrapers, the busiest station on the planet, a Godzilla head peering over a hotel roof, and millions of lights after dark. Shinjuku has everything: the tiny bars of Golden Gai, the yakitori smoke of Omoide Yokocho, the red gate of the Kabukicho entertainment district, and the calm of Shinjuku Gyoen, a garden mixing Japanese, English and French styles. Stay on the west or south side of the station for a quieter night.

Shibuya: controlled chaos

Home to the scramble crossing, where crowds surge from every direction without colliding, and the Hachiko statue, Tokyo's favorite meeting spot. Trendy, young and full of shops and bars. From here, Daikanyama with its stylish T-Site bookstore and the cherry-blossom canal of Nakameguro are a short ride away.

Ginza and Tokyo Station

Tokyo's most elegant district: flagship stores, department-store food halls and some of the best sushi anywhere. On weekend afternoons the main street becomes a pedestrian promenade. It's close to the Imperial Palace gardens and Tokyo Station's bullet trains, which makes it a great base for day trips.

Asakusa and Ueno: old Tokyo

Asakusa feels like slow motion: Senso-ji, the city's oldest temple, behind its huge red Kaminarimon gate, the Nakamise shopping street and traditional inns. Ueno Park next door is packed with museums, temples, a lotus pond and the country's oldest zoo, and Ueno has a direct train to Narita airport. Nearby, Yanaka — with its peaceful cemetery and the old-fashioned Yanaka Ginza shopping street full of cats and snacks — is a glimpse of pre-war Tokyo. Hotels around here are usually cheaper than in Shinjuku or Ginza.

Harajuku, Roppongi, Akihabara and Shimokitazawa

Harajuku is Takeshita Street's riot of fashion and sweets next to the forested Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park. Roppongi mixes art museums with clubs that run until dawn. Akihabara is electronics towers, maid cafés and arcades, while Nakano Broadway is the collectors' insider alternative. Shimokitazawa is a maze of vintage shops and cafés — lovely for a stay if you don't mind a short train ride to the center.

Top things to do in Tokyo

• Senso-ji in Asakusa, early in the morning before the crowds.
• Shibuya Crossing — watch it from an upper-floor café, then cross it yourself.
• Meiji Shrine — giant wooden torii and a forest in the middle of the city; you may see a traditional wedding.
• Tokyo Skytree or Tokyo Tower — night views over the city; on clear days, Mount Fuji.
• teamLab Borderless — immersive digital art that reacts to your movements.
• Tsukiji Outer Market — street food and sushi; the wholesale market itself has moved to Toyosu.
• Golden Gai and Omoide Yokocho for an evening drink in a bar for six.
• Odaiba — the life-size Gundam robot and the bay views.
• Quiet escapes: Todoroki Valley, a real wooded gorge with a waterfall, the lanes of Kagurazaka, and Yanaka Cemetery.

What to eat

• Ramen in a tiny counter shop down an alley in Shinjuku or Akihabara.
• Sushi around the old Tsukiji market.
• Matcha — lattes, desserts and ice cream in the cafés of Harajuku and Omotesando.

Practical tips

• Get an IC card. Suica or Pasmo works on almost every train and bus and in convenience stores and vending machines. You can also add one to your phone's wallet.
• Let your maps app navigate. Tokyo's rail network is run by several companies; your maps app will tell you the line, the platform and even which exit to use.
• From the airports. Haneda is close to the city by monorail or train; from Narita, take the Narita Express to Tokyo Station and Shinjuku or the Skyliner to Ueno.
• When to go. Late March to early April for cherry blossoms (book early), and October–November for autumn color and mild weather. Summer is hot and humid.
• Etiquette. Keep your voice down on trains, don't eat while walking in busy areas, and don't tip.

The scam to skip

Tokyo is one of the safest big cities in the world, but the touts in Roppongi and Kabukicho are a real exception: they promise free entry or cheap drinks, and you end up with a huge bill and intimidating staff at the door. Good bars in Tokyo don't need street touts — just say no. Other classic traps are covered in common tourist scams and how to avoid them.

How many days?

Four or five days covers Shinjuku and Shibuya, Asakusa and Ueno, Harajuku and Meiji Shrine, a market morning and an evening in Golden Gai. With a week, add Odaiba, Shimokitazawa and a day trip to Mount Fuji or Hakone. Combining Japan with China? See things to do in Shanghai.

Tokyo in TripGist

TripGist maps Tokyo's ten key districts with their character, the classic sights and local finds like Todoroki Valley and Nakano Broadway, ramen and sushi tips, how to navigate the trains and the tout warning. Free and ad-free.