12 Step Planet: Tokyo

How do I get there?

There are no direct flights from Ireland to Japan. Instead, the shortest route is via London, where British Airways operates a daily service. It’s 12 hour flight so bring plenty of reading material.
When should I go?
Japan gets oppressively humid in mid-summer. So spring – Cherry Blossom season! – or August are recommended.

What are the touristy things to do?
You can visit the temples and Buddhist shrines in the nearby historic towns of Nikko and Kamakura. Or pay a visit to Akahibara District – Tokyo’s ‘electric city’ is a hot bed of gadget stores (as well as what may well be the world’s large collection of animatronic loo seats and Hello Kitty dolls).

Anything else?
For breath-taking city views, check out the Roppongi Hills complex – it overlooks the downtown skyline and the Eiffel Tower inspired Tokyo Tower. Or have your Lost In Translation moment in Shibuya, ground zero for Japanese youth culture – with its blazing neon signage and press of pedestrians, it’s one part of Tokyo where the Blade Runner cliches really hold true. Meanwhile, the annual Fuji Rock festival is held late July, on a ski resort near the city of Niigata (some 150 miles north of Tokyo and, ironically, nowhere near Mount Fuji). Headliners this year include Oasis, Franz Ferdinand, Weezer, The Killers Airborne Toxic Event and Animal Collective.

What about eating?
Western style dining is a cinch – many celebrity chefs from the United States and Britain have outposts here. For a true Asian culinary experience, however, we recommend the hundreds of “Izakaya” bars/eateries scattered across Tokyo. Pull up a counter stool and watch the chef labour over sashimi, yakitori (grilled vegetable and meat skewers) and tofu, washed down with lashings of saki.

What should I avoid?
We’re aware we’ve just recommended it for sightseeing purposes, but the Roppongi neighbourhood is the closest Tokyo comes to a no-go zone – largely because it is where most ex-pats live. If you get mugged by someone in Tokyo it’s likely to be another foreigner. Shinjuku, the local equivalent of mid-town Manhattan, can be a bit of a drag too, unless you’re the sort who likes to gawp at sky-scrapers for hours on end. Tokyo’s plethora of “English Bars” – more popular than the Irish version, strangely – are probably best avoided, as well. They’re fully of local ‘office ladies’ – ie muppety secretary types – getting tanked and VERY giggly.

Where can I stay?
You could emulate Scarlett Johansson and Bill Murray and splurge €843 per night for a suite at the Park Hyatt in the Shinjuku. If that sounds like too much of a drain, try the Sakura Hostel in the centrally located Asakusa District, ten minutes from the Imperial Palace. Twin rooms start at less than euro 70 a night.

How much to get tanked?
Quite expensive by international standards – but moderately cheaper than in Dublin! The choice of beers is rather better than what you’d get in Ireland, too. Whiskey aficionados, especially, are in for a treat – Japan is the world’s highest per capita consumer of whiskey and the selection of malts is unparalleled.

What should I bring home?
Toy robots. Nobody does Transformer-style gadgets quite like the Japanese. There are dozens of stores dedicated to Macross and other robot franchises in Akhibara. You can pick up lots of technology there too – though, truth be told, the prices are pretty much on par with Ireland.

Why should I go?
The cliche is true: walking through Shibuya for the first time really is like taking a step into the future. Tokyo is like a sci-fi version of the West – plus, the people are immaculately polite, the trains run on time and the chances of something unpleasant befalling you are virtually zero.

Why should I not go?
It’s not the cheapest holiday in the world and if you enjoy the quiet life, urban Japan really won’t be for you: Tokyo is like rush-hour Manhattan on steroids.