Visas & entry
Japan grants visa-free short stays to citizens of many countries, including the US, Canada, UK, EU states, Australia and New Zealand; other nationalities may need a visa or eVisa. Rules and permitted stay lengths change, so confirm with Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs or your local Japanese embassy before booking.
Getting in
- Tokyo Haneda Airport: The airport to prefer for Tokyo itself: it is close to the urban core, with direct rail or bus links to major bases such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo Station, Ueno and Asakusa. It is also the practical airport for flights to Hachijojima.
- Narita International Airport: Tokyo’s main long-haul gateway, usually with more international flight choices but farther out. Narita Express serves Tokyo Station and Shinjuku; Keisei Skyliner is the fast option for Ueno and Asakusa-side bases.
- Tokyo Station: The principal rail gateway for arrivals from Kyoto, Osaka, Nagoya and northern Japan via Shinkansen. It is the most convenient city base if you will make several intercity rail trips, though not necessarily the most atmospheric neighborhood to stay in.
- Takeshiba Passenger Ship Terminal: The city departure point for most Izu-island ferries and jetfoils, including Ōshima, Niijima and Shikinejima. Treat sailing times as weather-dependent and return to mainland Tokyo before a nonrefundable international flight.
- Takeshiba/Ogasawara ferry departure: The Ogasawara-maru departs Tokyo for Chichijima; the crossing takes about 24 hours and the schedule, not distance, determines the trip. Reserve ferry space and island lodging together before committing to Ogasawara.
Getting around
Use IC-card-compatible rail and Metro for the urban core; Tokyo is built for trains, but transfers and station exits can eat more time than the map suggests. Pick one city base for a 4–8-night first stay rather than changing hotels between wards; most cross-city journeys still take 30–60 minutes. Mt. Takao, Kichijoji/Mitaka and Okutama are straightforward rail day trips, though Okutama’s local buses are sparse enough that a serious hike is better with an overnight. Cars are a nuisance in central Tokyo but useful on Izu islands and in remote western Tama; island boats and flights are limited and weather-sensitive.
Money
Japan uses the yen (¥). Contactless cards and foreign Visa/Mastercard cards work widely in central Tokyo, but carry cash for small bars, temple donations, older restaurants, rural Tama and islands; always have a backup payment method. Tipping is not expected and can create awkwardness—pay the stated price.
Daily budget · JPY (¥), per person per day, assuming two people share a room; international flights excluded.
- Value
- ¥14,000–¥24,000
- Mid-range
- ¥28,000–¥50,000
- High-end
- ¥80,000–¥180,000+
- Value: hostel, capsule, or modest business hotel; convenience-store breakfast, noodle or rice-bowl lunches, casual dinners, public transport, and mostly free sights with perhaps one paid attraction. Solo travelers should expect a meaningful private-room supplement.
- Comfortable mid-range: a well-located 3–4-star or boutique hotel, café breakfast, good casual lunches, one proper dinner with drinks, occasional taxis, and several museums, attractions, or a tour.
- High-end: luxury hotels, serious sushi/kappo/omakase or hotel dining, taxis without much thought, private guides, premium rooms, and shopping. Tokyo has no practical upper ceiling.
- Hotel dates, neighborhood, and room size drive Tokyo costs far more than subway fares. Cherry-blossom weeks, Golden Week, Obon, and New Year can make otherwise sensible central hotels expensive or scarce.
- Budget island transport separately. Izu-island boats, jetfoils, and flights can add roughly ¥6,000–¥42,000 depending on island and mode; Ogasawara ferry costs, required time, guided activities, rental cars, diving, and limited rooms can turn a modest-looking trip into a mid-range or higher spend quickly.
Eating well
- Tokyo rewards eating well at every budget; do not assume the best meals require a luxury reservation.
- For a practical food base, Tokyo Station, Nihonbashi, Ginza and Tsukiji combine strong dining with easy rail access.
- Use department-store food halls for a high-quality picnic, train meal or low-effort dinner.
- Book sought-after sushi, kappo and omakase meals ahead; otherwise eat locally and avoid wasting an evening in cross-city transit.
- On smaller Izu islands, reserve accommodation and meals rather than assuming restaurants will have space or keep city hours.
Book before you land
Ghibli Museum, Mitaka — timed tickets are limited and often sell out as soon as the relevant sales window opens. · Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournament, Ryogoku — January, May and September tournaments; desirable seats sell quickly. · teamLab Planets, Toyosu — reserve timed entry for weekends, holidays and peak travel periods. · Tokyo Disney Resort — date-specific tickets can sell out on weekends, school holidays and peak seasons. · Ogasawara-maru ferry to Chichijima, plus Chichijima/Hahajima accommodation — secure both well ahead, especially in peak season. · Minamijima guided visit from Chichijima — daily visitor numbers are capped and a licensed guide is required.
- Choose your hotel by rail geography, not ward prestige: Ueno/Asakusa suits east Tokyo, Shinjuku/Shibuya the west, and Tokyo Station/Ginza balances the city with Shinkansen access.
- Do not try to 'walk Tokyo' between headline districts. Use the train for each major slice, and check the specific station exit before surfacing—large stations can add 10–20 confusing minutes.
- Avoid rush hour with luggage, roughly 07:30–09:30 and 17:30–19:30. Shinjuku Station is particularly punishing for first-time arrivals carrying bags.
- Cherry-blossom weeks, Golden Week, Obon and New Year materially affect hotel prices, crowds and island transport; book early or choose another week.
- For Mt. Takao, start early on weekends and foliage days. For Okutama, check the last bus and sunset before committing to a trail.
- Island travel needs a weather buffer. Do not schedule an Izu-island or Ogasawara return immediately before an international departure, and do not assume you can find last-minute rooms, rental cars or restaurant tables on small islands.
Entry rules change — verify visa requirements for your passport before booking this region.
Season by season
March to May
Cool-to-warm walking weather, clearer days and peak garden season make this Tokyo’s easiest first-visit period; cherry blossom weeks usually fall in late March to early April, while May is often short-sleeve weather by day.
first-time city tripsparks and gardensMt. Takao hikingfood and neighborhood walking
Sakura weeks bring the year’s sharpest hotel demand and crowded parks; Golden Week in late April to early May means packed domestic transport, higher prices and scarce island reservations.
June to August
June through roughly mid-July is humid and rainy, then late July and August are intensely hot and sticky, with August highs averaging around 32°C and occasional temperatures above 35°C.
summer festivalsbaseball and evening wanderingIzu island beachessurfing and swimming
All-day pavement sightseeing is punishing, and typhoons from August can disrupt ferries, flights, hikes and rail; Obon in mid-August is a major domestic travel peak.
September to November
September can remain hot and typhoon-prone, but late October and November bring lower humidity and excellent urban walking weather; Okutama color starts around late October and Mt. Takao peaks from early to late November.
first-time city tripsautumn foliagehikingmuseum and food trips
Foliage weekends, especially at Mt. Takao, draw heavy crowds, and early autumn still carries weather disruption risk for the islands.
December to February
Winter is crisp, dry and often sunny, with central Tokyo daytime temperatures commonly around 1–10°C in January and February; daylight ends early, around 16:30.
museums and diningcity sightseeinglower hotel ratesclear-weather urban walks
Beach islands are poor value for swimming, and late December to early January brings closures at independent businesses alongside busy New Year transport and shrine crowds.
Events worth planning around
Cherry blossom season · Usually late March to early April; bloom dates vary each year. · Central Tokyo parks and photogenic districts; Mt. Takao usually blooms slightly later.
Expect elevated central hotel rates, crowded parks and trains, and busy daytime streets; reserve a well-located room early.
Golden Week · Late April to early May. · Tokyo and all transport routes to Tama and the islands.
One of Japan’s largest domestic holiday peaks: hotels, long-distance transport and island ferries fill early. Avoid it if congestion is a deal-breaker.
Obon · Usually mid-August. · Tokyo, national rail routes and Izu islands.
Transport, accommodation and beach-island services are busy; book trains, hotels and boats well ahead.
New Year holiday · Late December to early January. · Tokyo-wide, especially major shrines and transport hubs.
Many independent restaurants, shops and small museums close or reduce hours, while domestic travel and shrine visits become crowded.
Tokyo Grand Sumo Tournaments · January, May and September. · Ryogoku, east Tokyo.
Tickets sell quickly; if you secure seats, organize an east-Tokyo day around the tournament rather than treating it as a last-minute add-on.
What to eat
Tokyo is less a single regional cuisine than Japan’s most competitive eating city: eat across price levels, from food-hall counters and noodle shops to serious sushi and kappo. Use the neighborhood you are already visiting rather than crossing the city for every meal; central stations and department-store basements are reliable when time is tight.
Sushi and seafood, especially around Tsukiji and ToyosuMonjayakiFukagawa meshi (clam rice)Ashitaba, the local herb of HachijojimaDepartment-store food halls (depachika)
Tsukiji and Toyosu: Seafood and sushi · Market-area eating
Tsukishima: Monjayaki
Fukagawa: Fukagawa meshi (clam rice)
Hachijojima: Ashitaba dishes