The rough guide to Tokyo

In many ways Tokyo is also something of a modern-day utopia. Trains run on time; the crime rate is hardly worth worrying about; shops and vending machines provide everything you could need (and many things you never thought you needed) 24 hours a day; the people wear the coolest fashions, eat in fabulous restaurants and party in the hippest clubs. First-time visitors should be prepared for a massive assault on the senses just walking the streets of this hyperactive city can be an energizing experience. You'll also be surprised by how affordable many things are. Cheap-and-cheerful izakaya (bars that serve food) and noodle shacks far outnumber the swanky restaurants and high-class rytei, while day-tickets for a sumo tournament or a Kabuki play can be bought for the price of a few drinks. Many of the city's highlights are even free: a stroll through the evocative Shitamachi (low city) area around Asakusa and the major Buddhist temple Sens-ji; a visit to the tranquil wooded grounds of Meiji-jing, the city's most venerable Shinto shrine, and the nearby teenage shopping mecca of Harajuku; the frenetic fish market at Tsukiji; the crackling, neon-saturated atmosphere of the mini-city Shinjuku you don't need to part with lots of cash to explore this city.