Tips for your trip to Tokyo

Far and expensive, but always magical … especially for those who were fed “bread and Anime-Manga” … Tokyo resists in the rankings of the most popular tourist destinations. Not only for the beauty and dynamism that characterizes it, but also because many Western writers have chosen it as their home and tell all its secrets in their best seller books. It is therefore not surprising that the dream of a holiday in Tokyo is increasingly widespread. And Tokyo is always ready to welcome anyone, with its embrace of lights and smiles that have made it a legend.

When to go

The best time to visit Tokyo is spring, between March and early June. Not only because it’s the climatically more pleasant season, with cool breezes and gentle sunshine, but also because it’s cherry blossom season. The unique spectacle of the billions of white/pink petals that fill the city’s gardens and sidewalks lasts only a few days. So, being there in the right place at the right time guarantees the privilege. Avoid summers, which are too hot and humid, and winters; they are cold and often include violent storms.

Travel documents

To enter Japan you need a valid passport and return airplane ticket; both must be shown at checks and must always travel with you because they may be required elsewhere. No particular vaccination is required (the Covid vaccination is no longer necessary) and the classic three-month tourist visa is not required either, at least for European and American tourists. Some countries need a visa for their people to enter Japan. In that case, check with consulates or embassies to find out if your country is on the list. If you plan to rent a car, you must have an international driving licence. Health insurance is strongly recommended.

What to pack for your trip to Tokyo

Tokyo is beautiful all year round, even if the most “livable” period is spring. And it is a city with a thousand faces, which includes sea, mountains, entertainment but also elegant clubs. So you will need to have a little bit of everything in your suitcase: light clothes, sportswear, elegant clothes, hiking clothes, bathing suits … and cameras, of course!

Some items are essential and you will have to make sure you have them in your suitcase before packing everything up. We are talking of: the adapter for electrical outlets; useful medicines (they do not always have the same names in Japan as in Europe) against fever, stomach diseases, particular pathologies such as diabetes or heart problems; vocabulary or glossary of the most used words in Japan; sheets and bathrobes … not everyone is happy to sleep on futons that may have been used by others previously and not everyone likes kimonos to be used in public toilets!

How to get to Tokyo

Tokyo is served by numerous airports, of which the most important for tourism are Haneda (HND) and Narita (NRT). The airports are connected not only to the city’s downtown but also to every single district thanks to the highly efficient city buses and trains. The railways are the soul of Japan, and Tokyo has hundreds of stations. It will therefore not be a problem to move to and from the Japanese capital.

How to move through Tokyo

If you want to stay in Tokyo and spend your holidays getting to know it all, forget the car forever! Driving in Tokyo, if you are not a “native”, is highly discouraged. But alternatively you can choose among dozens of solutions with public and private transport. The urban surface trains, the subway, the buses work perfectly. But you can also use “bike sharing” because moving by bike in Japan is practical and safe, even in a metropolis like Tokyo. Where possible, decide to walk. The hidden corners of the capital cannot be discovered if you go too fast.

What to see

There are literally MILLIONS of interesting things to see in Tokyo. A lifetime is not enough to know it all. Create your personal itineraries perhaps by reading the books of some resident writers (the Italians Marco Togni, Laura Imai Messina, the Japanese Banana Yoshimoto, Haruki Murakami, Yukio Mishima, the American Clark Grover) or by consulting a good tour operator.

Among the many things that you should absolutely admire in Tokyo we suggest: the Imperial Palace with its gardens, Ueno park, Tokyo Tower, Senso-ji temple, Kanda temple and the districts of Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Akihabara. From Tokyo you can move to visit volcano Mount Fuji, and also get to the beaches of Yokosuka, Miiura and Kamakura.

Not far from the capital is the Chichibu-Tama-Kai National Park, one of the many oases of free greenery that dot Japan, even the most urbanized and apparently “stuffy” metropolis.

What to do and NOT to do in Tokyo

In Tokyo you will have to walk and wander around a lot, so prepare yourself mentally for the hard work. But it will be an effort repaid by the discovery of monuments, neighborhoods and beautiful places. You can eat in typical restaurants, but also in western ones, you can take part in neighborhood celebrations and experience unique things such as thermal baths, certain types of massages, certain spiritual experiences. Tokyo needs to be discovered, so don’t be afraid to wander around, discover, ask for information and enter the hidden corners of the metropolis.
Avoid:

• make too much noise ( Japanese don’t like rudeness!),
• imitate or mock the bows (for them they are signs of respect more than greetings),
• break the little rules of every day – for example, smoking under a “no smoking” sign, here you really CANNOT DO IT!
• take the very expensive local taxis, better choose some private companies or buses;
• take the train at peak times.

It’s bad taste in Tokyo: blowing one’s nose publicly and loudly, giving coins in hand (put them on a shelf and the other person will take them from there), touching too much or laughing too loudly, pushing to pass, jumping a queue.

If you have a cold, wear a medical mask. The Japanese people have been using them for many years, and not just against covid: it’s good manners not to transmit diseases to others, so if you’re sick, don’t leave the house, or do it with a mask on your face. Avoid certain districts full of discos and red light clubs, especially if you are alone. They are not always safe places after a certain time.