Tokyo presents a different view at every turn. It’s one of the world’s main economic centres, and its most populous agglomeration. The business of Tokyo is business, but you can still find harmony and small-scale gardens on back streets. Around the corner from neon and concrete, you may find the bonsai-lined courtyard of a traditional inn.

The streets are a confusing maze, so a map is essential. The transit system is excellent, however, and there are kobans (police boxes) throughout the metropolis, as well as a populace generally willing to help answer questions.

Because of the language barrier, most visitors to Tokyo are there on business, but there is plenty for leisure travellers to see. And despite its reputation, Tokyo doesn’t have to be fearsomely expensive. With some planning, it’s possible to visit Tokyo on a reasonable budget.

When to travel to Tokyo

Although Tokyo’s busiest foreign-tourist season is summer, the city lends itself to visiting year-round. In fact, when the rest of Japan is besieged with holiday-mode Japanese during Golden Week (Apr 29-May 5) and summer holiday (mid-July through Aug), Tokyo can be blissfully empty, as Tokyoites pour out of the city to the countryside. Mid-February, hotel rooms may be in short supply as high-school students from around the nation converge on Tokyo to compete in entrance exams for the city’s prestigious universities. And from the end of December through the first 3 or 4 days of January, it seems as though the entire nation shuts down, including most restaurants and museums.