Tokyo Travel Guide

There are two features you're going to like about staying in Tokyo: First, all of the better hotels have a concierge desk where the staff speaks English. They'll bend over backward to help you at any time of the day or night. And they're paid to know everything a tourist might want to know—from finding a doctor to a disco. Second, nobody expects a tip.

Traditional Japanese inns (ryokan) are not common in Tokyo. Almost exclusively patronized by middle- and upper-class Japanese, they're found more typically in the countryside and in smaller cities and towns. Although English is becoming more common, don't assume you'll find English speakers on the staff at these inns. The rates can be astronomical for the more luxurious ones (¥20,000-¥100,000 or more per person), which include a private Japanese-style room, breakfast (usually Japanese style: fish, rice, miso soup, eggs and pickles, though Western-style breakfasts can often be arranged in inns used to foreigners) and sometimes an elaborate Japanese dinner. To find out more about ryokans visit the Japan Ryokan Association Web site. http://www.ryokan.or.jp.

Inns catering to budget travelers are becoming more popular, however. Often calling themselves ryokan, they tend to be clustered in the eastern shitamachi areas of the city. Typically these provide small tatami rooms in which you sleep on futon mattresses on the floor. Baths and toilets are usually shared, and only basic English is spoken. Even so, they are a great way for more adventurous travelers to get a glimpse of a more traditional setting, at a very reasonable cost. Meals are not included in the rate. You can get more information from the JNTO tourist information office.

Capsule hotels are another low-cost option, but we recommend they be used as a last resort if you've missed the last train and cannot afford a taxi. The capsules in question are little more than large boxes stacked on top of one another with just enough room to roll over, designed almost exclusively for sleeping and sleeping only. All amenities are shared with other capsule guests.

If you have an early flight from Narita Airport, it's not a bad idea to book a room nearby for your last night, saving you a great deal of rush and worry on the morning of your departure. However, public transportation is so efficient that, except in the rare event of a natural disaster, the trains and limousine buses to the airport are rarely delayed.