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.
21.07.2023 - 08:35 / roughguides.com
Where first, Tokyo or Kyoto – it should be an easy choice, right? They’re polar opposites, after all: Tokyo is a land of neon and skyscrapers, the archetypal metropolis; Kyoto is full of kimono-clad geisha, temples and tea ceremonies. So just decide whether you want your first glimpse of Japan to be cutting-edge modernity or high-brow tradition, and your choice is made.
But as with everything else in this tantalising and contradictory country, it’s not quite that clear-cut. Here are a few ways to make that difficult choice.
It’s hard to eat badly in Japan no matter where you are, but there are a few key differences between the food scenes in Tokyo and Kyoto. If you’re not keen on wall-to-wall Japanese food, Tokyo may be a better bet. The capital is far more multicultural, and home to some of the best French, Italian and Chinese restaurants in the world.
Kyoto is more traditional, packed with places to try Japanese dishes you might not have seen back at home. If in doubt ask for the teishoku (set meal), and you’ll probably end up with a slightly overwhelming array of tasty dishes. Kyoto is also home to a thriving café culture, with standouts including riverside efish, book-filled Cafe Bibliotec Hello and vegetarian Mumokuteki.
The two cities both have amazing high-end cuisine – you could almost eat at a different Michelin-starred restaurant every day of your trip if you had the cash. Tokyo has plenty of cheap spots, often clustered into districts like Omoide Yokochō in Shinjuku, but you’ll generally find Kyoto a little cheaper overall.
Shinjuku, Golden Gai, Tokyo, Japan © Shutterstock
In Tokyo, there’s a huge amount of choice. As the city’s so large, rather than looking up a few places you want to go to, it’s best to head to an area you’re interested in and just see what takes your fancy.
Roppongi is the traditional nightlife area but is a little commercial; try Shimokitazawa for low-key bars and live music, or head away from the main drag in Shinjuku for world-class clubs and music venues. Golden Gai is also a must-do, a tiny area of tumbledown bars and karaoke spots.
Kyoto’s club scene is unfortunately pretty dire, but has a few notable exceptions; try Club Metro, based in an abandoned section of a subway station with DJs, live bands and avant garde performers.
The heart of Kyoto’s nightlife is its bars (especially izakaya, Japan’s answer to the pub) – there’s a huge variety of independent places around Shijō and Sanjō streets, just west of the river.
© oneinchpunch/Shutterstock
Tokyo has some stunning spots to take a breather, but most of them are parks or gardens rather than “nature” in the strictest sense. The only really “wild” experience is at the Institute for Nature Study in the Meguro district; it’s a
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.
There's pretty much only one reason I ever step inside a 7-Eleven in the US, and it's when I'm craving the artificial sweetness of a blue-raspberry Slurpee.
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.
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.
Asia is home to several of the world's greatest mega-cities, from Tokyo to Bangkok, Hong Kong to Shanghai. And while each of these is undoubtedly a fascinating, thrilling place to visit, sometimes it's nice to revert back to life on a more human scale. Here's six small cities in Asia well worth a visit.
Situated at the northern and southern extremes of this long, thin country, Vietnam’s two main cities lie more than one thousand kilometres apart.
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.