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A first-timer's guide on what to do in Tokyo

They say New York is the city that never sleeps but whoever came up with that phrase has obviously never been to Tokyo.

Japan’s busy capital is not just a hub for insanely cool and modern technology but it’s a bustling city, filled to the brim with quirky bars, unbelievable food and some of the most random experiences you’ll ever come across.

It’s probably one of the only places in the world where you can visit a shrine in the morning, be amazed by a robot light show in the evening and drink the night away in a place called ‘Piss Alley’.

If you’ve never been to Tokyo, finding the perfect accommodation can be exhausting, as the sprawling city has so many areas (which they call wards) to choose from – actually it has 23 to be exact.

Tokyo is full of bright lights, incredible food and the kindest people you will meet. Photo: Getty Images
Tokyo is full of bright lights, incredible food and the kindest people you will meet. Photo: Getty Images

We were lucky enough to be invited to stay at the swanky five-star Shangri La hotel in Chiyoda for two nights, which is situated on the western side of the city.

Close to the famous Tsukiji fish market, the gaming district of Akihabara and on the right side of the city to visit some sumo wrestling, it was pretty much in the perfect location for us.

However, be warned, you might not want to leave the hotel at all, with rooms boasting sweeping city views, a pool you could spend all day in and a world-class teppanyaki restaurant run by renowned Chef Takehiko Yoshida – it’s basically a holiday within itself.

And if you fancy a tipple after your authentic Japanese dinner, the Lobby Lounge downstairs offers up delicious cocktails, which attract visitors from far and wide.

Over on the other side of the city, our favourite areas to stay for tourists are Shinjuku and Shibuya.

We spent two night at the incredible Shangri-La Hotel in Chiyoda. Photo: Be
We spent two night at the incredible Shangri-La Hotel in Chiyoda. Photo: Be
We had some of the best sashimi we've ever eaten at the world-class teppanyaki restaurant run by renowned Chef Takehiko Yoshida. Photo: Be
We had some of the best sashimi we've ever eaten at the world-class teppanyaki restaurant run by renowned Chef Takehiko Yoshida. Photo: Be
The pool overlooks the city. Photo: Instagram/shangrila_tokyo
The pool overlooks the city. Photo: Instagram/shangrila_tokyo

Shinjuku in particular is everything we ever thought Japan would be like, just from looking at photos of the country.

From bright, flashing lights to loud music, extremely friendly locals and tucked-away eateries, it quite possibly has everything you need in one area.

Shibuya is also a hub for nightlife, shopping and the famous Shibuya pedestrian crossing, however we found the crowd to be a lot younger here – think people dressed in school uniforms at 9pm at night and you’ll get what we’re talking about.

We stayed in Tokyo for a total of five days and managed to get a good feel of the city but it would be impossible to see everything in that time frame.

Sensō-ji is steeped in history being the oldest temple in Japan. Photo: Be
Sensō-ji is steeped in history being the oldest temple in Japan. Photo: Be
Meiji Shrine is located near Shinjuku and is far less crowded than Sensō-ji. Photo: Getty Images
Meiji Shrine is located near Shinjuku and is far less crowded than Sensō-ji. Photo: Getty Images

One of our favourite places was the famous Tsukiji fish market, which is the biggest wholefood seafood market in the world.

We were warned before we left Sydney that we would have to get up at an ungodly hour if we wanted to catch the tuna sale (we’re talking 4-5am) so needless to say we gave that a skip in favour of some much-needed jet-lag recovery sleep.

We did visit at about 9am one of the mornings, where the outside market was still in full swing but the inner marker was slowing down.

If you are visiting in the morning, make sure you don’t eat beforehand as we had some of the best sushi we’ve ever tasted at Tsukiji Sushi Dai.

As far as temples and shrines go, there are thousands to choose from, so we went with the main tourist spots – Meiji Shrine and Sensō-ji.

We visited the famous Tsukiji fish market. Photo: Getty Images
We visited the famous Tsukiji fish market. Photo: Getty Images
No trip to Tokyo would be complete without a visit to Harajuku. Photo: Be
No trip to Tokyo would be complete without a visit to Harajuku. Photo: Be

Sensō-ji is steeped in history being the oldest temple in Japan and is just around the corner from the historic area of Asakusa and the electronics wonderland that is Akhiabara.

The Meiji Shrine is located near Shinjuku and is far less crowded than Sensō-ji.

We were lucky enough to see a wedding procession parade through the grounds as we were reading our fortune near the prayers and wishes station.

And of course, no trip to Tokyo would be complete without checking out the quirky district of Harajuku.

From people dressed in Disney-inspired costumes to others in full-blown grunge get-ups and girls looking they came straight from a Gwen Stefani music video – it was everything we hoped it would be.

We visited the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku for a thrilling show where we don’t think we blinked once. Photo: Be
We visited the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku for a thrilling show where we don’t think we blinked once. Photo: Be
How can you blink when this is on show? Photo: Be
How can you blink when this is on show? Photo: Be

As for nightlife, we visited the Robot Restaurant in Shinjuku for a thrilling show where we don’t think we blinked once and followed it up with food at ‘Piss Alley’ - an alleyway in Shinjuku filled with bars and tiny yakitori restaurants.

If you’re a party animal, Golden Gai is the main tourist hotspot for having a drink, a boogy and a late-night karaoke session.

The tiny alleyway is usually filled to the brim with businessmen after work or locals who frequent the same 10-person bar every week.

However, be aware of the cover charges which can be up to about $20 per person.

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