Tokyo

Tokyo is a city of very distinct centers stitched together by the world’s busiest rail network: the Imperial Palace grounds and the older downtown sit east, the department stores and skyscrapers of Shinjuku and Shibuya form a second core to the west, and Asakusa’s temple streets preserve a slower, older Tokyo just a few stops from either. Neon-lit crossings and quiet residential lanes often sit a five-minute walk from each other, and which one you land closest to depends far more on the specific block than on the neighborhood name on the map.

Spring (late March to April) brings cherry blossom season and the most tourist traffic and highest hotel rates of the year; autumn (October to November) offers similarly mild, comfortable weather with noticeably fewer crowds. Summer runs hot and humid with a rainy season in June and early July, while winter is cool and dry, generally the cheapest and least crowded stretch to visit outside of New Year’s.

Getting around is almost entirely by train, and Tokyo’s network is famously fast, frequent and punctual. The JR Yamanote Line loops around the city center, linking Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Ueno and Tokyo Station, while the Tokyo Metro and Toei subways fill in everything between. A Suica or PASMO card works on every line and in convenience stores. From Narita, the Keisei Skyliner runs to Ueno, and Haneda is only a short train ride from Shinagawa.