Tokyo might be a touch eccentric, but it’s a great gateway to Japan – and there are hotels and dining for any budget. Matthew Hampton reports
Japan is strange. Or so we are led to believe. But the Manga and Hello Kitty-obsessed Tokyo on TV and in the movies isn’t entirely accurate; beneath Tokyo’s oddball surface exists a wonderful city, perfect for a sophisticated short break before a tour of Japan.
Ensure your clients don’t get lost in translation by recommending some of the following.
Where to stay
The Park Hyatt, in Shinjuku, will forever be known as the Lost in Translation hotel – the bar, restaurant and rooms will be familiar to anyone who’s seen the movie.The views from the 41st floor lobby are stunning, but Hyatt isn’t the only luxury brand in town – competition comes from the Conrad, the Ritz-Carlton, the Four Seasons, the Mandarin Oriental and others.
For a more local flavour, a ryokan is a real treat. These traditional inns are a shrine to Japanese living, furnished with tatami mats and futons. Guests must abide by strict etiquette, but it’s a fascinating insight into Japanese life. Ryokan Andon is a good budget choice from £41 night; Sadachiyo is more luxurious from £93 per night.
Capsule hotels, beloved of travel shows, do exist, but their coffin-like rooms are usually only occupied by drunk Japanese businessmen who have missed the last train home.
In the bed-and-breakfast sector, minshuku are independently run guest houses, usually offering rooms in a family house. Meals can be taken with the family so it’s a good – and cheap – way to immerse yourself in Japanese culture. Rooms are from around £30 per night. A pension is more like a traditional bed and breakfast, costing from £40.
By day
While Japan is a treasure trove of history and tradition, Tokyo is not the best place to discover it. Fires, earthquakes and heavy bombing at the end of the Second World War robbed Tokyo of much of its heritage. Most of what can be see today has been built in the last 60 years.There are Buddhist and Shinto shrines all over the city, but even these have been rebuilt or remodelled, so concentrate instead on the new.
Getting around is easy – a £3.50 metro pass will take you all over the city. Head to Akihabara for an immersion into all things geeky. Stores such as Yodobashi Camera stock everything from computers to automated toilets.
Japanese-made electricals are cheaper than at home. Akihabara is also the centre of the Japanese obsession with Manga comic books and DVDs.
Upmarket Ginza is more fashion friendly – all the usual luxury goods stores can be found here, as well as a more unusual shopping experience: the Tsukiji Fish Market. A Tokyo institution, this massive covered market keeps the city supplied with its staple menu: seafood of every description.
More aquatic fun can be had at an onsen (bath house). Powered by natural hot springs, these traditional spas are a local favourite. As usual, strict etiquette applies: bathing is always done naked, but segregated by sex. Getting squeaky clean is paramount, so scrub vigorously before leaping into the piping hot communal bath.
Emerge before dusk and head over to Shibuya on the subway. This busy hub is particularly lively during rush hour, as thousands of workers flock over the enormous Hachiko pedestrian crossing (video). Coming the other way are hordes of teens heading for a night out – it’s a great spot for people watching.
By night
Roppongi, the slightly seedy district filled with clubs and hostess bars, will always be synonymous with Tokyo nightlife.
It is possible to have a wild night out here, but Shinjuku is the more stylish option. There are plenty of seedy places here too, but also stylish shops, bars and restaurants. It’s also Tokyo’s most gay-friendly district.
Roppongi Hills is an entertainment complex that opened within Roppongi in the mid 1990s. Filled with international brands such as Virgin and Hyatt, it still feels very swish and new, but not all that Japanese.
Concentrate instead on the city’s excellent restaurants. The Michelin Guide caused a stir last year when it awarded Tokyo more stars than any other city in the world.
Prices at the eight three-star restaurants may be in the stratosphere, but there are 117 more affordable one-star establishments to choose from.
Dining is good at all levels in Tokyo, from conveyor-belt sushi bars upwards. Gonpachi is a good mid-priced option; you may recognise the interior – Quentin Tarantino recreated it for the epic sword fighting sequence in Kill Bill.
For live entertainment, Budokan is a legendary Tokyo venue. Built for the 1964 Olympics, the Beatles nearly caused a riot when they played here. Since then it has hosted all the rock greats, and is still used for sumo and martial arts events, many of which are free.
End the evening on the Jicoo Floating Bar, a boat that departs Hinode Pier and Odaiba for a scenic cruise around the bay. The design is very Thunderbirds-are-go, but it’s lots of fun. There’s even a belly dancer for entertainment.
Lowdown
Getting there: ANA, British Airways, Japan Airlines and Virgin Atlantic all fly direct to Tokyo from Heathrow
Journey time: About 12 hours
Currency: Yen; £1 buys Y204
Time difference: GMT+9 hours
Weather: Seasons are distinctive; spring is mild, perfect for the traditional cherry blossom viewing. June is the start of the rainy season, giving way to hot, humid summers. Autumn brings spectacular foliage, and winters are cold – there are good ski resorts and a famous snow festival on the northern island of Hokkaido.
Sample Product
Travel 2/4 offers a three-day ‘Essential Tokyo’ tour with city tours and a visit to Mount Fuji and Hakone, from £949 per person including flights, accommodation and transfers, for travel this spring.Keith Prowse Attraction World introduced Japan for the first time this year. The Panoramic Tokyo tour visits shrines, gardens and temples, ending with a cruise round Tokyo Bay and costs £49. A Mount Fuji-Hakone day trip by Bullet Train costs £74; Nikko and Kegon Waterfall day trip costs from £67.
