An honest guide to the six neighborhoods that make or break your trip — Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, Asakusa, Tokyo Station/Marunouchi, and Shimokitazawa — with Tokyo's golden rule (proximity to JR and metro stations is everything), real hotels from capsules to luxury ryokan with USD price ranges, neighborhood food, and a nightly budget breakdown.
An honest guide to the six neighborhoods that make or break your trip — Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, Asakusa, Tokyo Station/Marunouchi, and Shimokitazawa — with Tokyo's golden rule (proximity to JR and metro stations is everything), real hotels from capsules to luxury ryokan with USD price ranges, neighborhood food, and a nightly budget breakdown.
In Tokyo, neighborhood equals train line. The JR Yamanote is the loop that links Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo Station, Ueno, and more — staying a few minutes from one of its stations solves 80 percent of your daily commutes.
Buy a Suica or Pasmo card at the airport (top it up at any machine), or activate Suica in Apple Wallet or Google Wallet: tap the gate and ride JR, the metro, and buses without buying a ticket for every trip.
Shinjuku is the most connected base (the world's busiest station, 3.5 million people a day) and ideal for a first trip; Shibuya is younger and more walkable; both have hotels from USD 80 to USD 600.
Ginza is the luxury district and goes quiet at night — rates from USD 250 to USD 1,200, close to the Tsukiji Outer Market and the great department stores; Tokyo Station/Marunouchi is the best hub for anyone bound for Kyoto, Hakone, or Nikkō by bullet train.
Asakusa delivers old Tokyo (Sensō-ji temple, ryokan with urban onsen) for USD 60 to USD 200 a night, with the bonus of sitting near the Skytree and the Sumida River.
An honest guide to the six neighborhoods that make or break your trip — Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ginza, Asakusa, Tokyo Station/Marunouchi, and Shimokitazawa — with Tokyo's golden rule (proximity to JR and metro stations is everything), real hotels from capsules to luxury ryokan with USD price ranges, neighborhood food, and a nightly budget breakdown.
