Orientation in Tokyo

Geography

As the capital of Japan, Tokyo is a huge metropolis with a population of approximately 13 million people within the nation’s 127 million residents. It has a total area of 2,190 km2（845 mile2）, which is even bigger than that of New York City at 790 km2（305 mile2） and even London’s 1,572 km2（607 mile2）. Tokyo consists of the central 23 wards and its suburbs.

Landmarks

Landmarks are concentrated within the 23 wards, and they include Asakusa with the famous Senso-ji Temple and Shibuya which is known for its gigantic intersection which is crossed by as many as 3,000 pedestrians at any one time. There is also Akihabara which is the mecca of anime and electronic goods, Tsukiji Market where you can view the tuna auctions, the Imperial Palace where the Emperor lives, and the two tall towers of Tokyo Tower and Tokyo Sky Tree.

Food

There is a multitude of restaurants which range from eateries where you can have a meal for only several hundred yen to restaurants which have received Michelin stars. For the quintessential Japanese dish of sushi, dining in Tsukiji is recommended. The areas where famous ramen shops do battle are the ramen streets in Shinjuku and Tokyo Station, Ikebukuro and Takadanobaba.

Getting Around

There are up to 62 electric train lines and more than 900 stations in Tokyo. There are also many trains which operate very conveniently from 4am to around 12 midnight. If you’re just touring around within the city, then a rental car is not necessary. However for tourists, using the bus may not be too handy since without knowledge of Japanese, it might be difficult to understand where to get off.

Accommodations

Convenient accommodations can be found in the Tokyo Station/Ginza area where the Bullet Trains depart, around Shinjuku which has plenty of shopping and entertainment, and the Ueno area which is easy to reach from Narita Airport.