Tokyo nightlife: a neighbourhood guide

This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Justin Miller, a Tokyo-based DJ and English teacher. He shares what he's learned about Tokyo after living in Japan for 15 years. It's been edited for length and clarity.

When you think of a culinary-fuelled trip in Tokyo, what comes to mind? Sushi from Masuda? Ramen from Fu-unji? Maybe. And while we don’t recommend skipping the classics, it’s your moral imperative to make some space for a new wave of Japanese fare: Neapolitan-style pizza.

When visiting Tokyo, it’s key to book a luxurious hotel that feels like a serene retreat removed from the crowds. After all, Japan’s sprawling capital is populated by 37 million people, making it the single largest city in the world.

The Peninsula Tokyo is synonymous with impeccable service, spacious rooms and tasteful luxury, however in addition to this elegant guest experience, there are also many one-of-a-kind amenities and experiences that might surprise you. You’ll turn the corner in your hallway to see something unexpected or find a nook in your room that offers more than the eye perceives at first glance. For gourmets, there’s also a room service experience that gets a modern update for the discerning culinary traveler. Here are five things to experience at The Peninsula Tokyo that you won’t find elsewhere.

Plenty of travelers prefer to just pay the listed price of the item and be done with it, but bargaining a price down is expected in many cultures—especially at flea markets and bazaars, where vendors often inflate prices and expect potential buyers to argue them down.

Tucked away on a quiet corner in Shinjuku, a stone’s throw from the venerable Park Hyatt Hotel, lies Tokyo’s most unlikely 5-star property. More Manhattan than Tokyo, the Kimpton Shinjuku Hotel is nothing like most traditional Japanese luxury hotels. Inspired by New York’s art and fashion scene, and housed behind an art deco-style façade reminiscent of the skyscrapers of the Big Apple, the Kimpton is a breath of fresh air in a mostly staid luxury market – modern, youthful, stylish, whimsical, and edgy. It is everything a New York boutique hotel would want to be, only it is located in the heart of one of Tokyo’s most popular areas.

Most people think traveling from the US to Europe means crossing the Atlantic Ocean, usually on a six-plus-hour flight. However, there’s a whole other part of Europe smack in the middle of the ocean that melds the green, rocky hillsides of the UK with the Mediterranean vibes and culture of Portugal.

At the southernmost tip of South America is the region of Patagonia, spread between Chile and part of Argentina. The region is one of the most extreme on earth, with huge mountains, rushing rivers, massive glaciers, rare wildlife, and the remnants of volcanos so tall they’re often shrouded in weather patterns different from those at the base. It’s extremely undeveloped and wild, thanks to federal protections from the two countries.

When Ariel Stark-Benz looks back on his time living in Tokyo in 2015, he has no idea how he got so much done: “Tokyo is a relentless workday that turns into a dinner that turns into a party, and somehow a lot can materialize at the end of it,” says Stark-Benz, who spent his stint in the city overseeing brand marketing duties for The New Order Magazine and helping the team at Son of The Cheese—an Americana-inspired Japanese streetwear brand—with a coinciding summer collection and the opening of their flagship store and sandwich shop, Buy Me Stand.

It’s a cliché to say that Japan is a land of contrasts – but, in terms of accommodation, it really is. There are some weird and many wonderful places to stay, from personal capsules and love hotels to lodgings in five-star luxury.

Respect the environment in Tokyo with our green guide to the city, taken from travel bible Great Escapes.

A town of steaming onsen hot springs, ancient teahouses and world-class art galleries, presided over by spectacular Mount Fuji and reflected in the mirror-like surface of Lake Ashi, Hakone has it all. What’s more, it’s easily accessible on a daytrip from Shinjuku, Tokyo, a train journey of about eighty minutes on Odakyu Electric Railway's Romoncecar. There are many good reasons to catch the Tokyo to Hakone train – read on for some of the best.