City guide · Japan

Tokyo

Tokyo has no centre to find, which is the first thing to understand about it. The 23 special wards were a single city until 1947 and now work as a row of separate downtowns, each with its own station, its own skyline and its own reason to get off the train. The metropolis covers 2,194 km² and held 14,254,039 people in May 2025, within a metropolitan region of some 33 million. Shinjuku Station is the busiest railway station in the world. A day here is organised around the rail map rather than around any street plan.

Practical information

Language spoken: Japanese; National practical orientation; regional and minority languages may also be used
Dialling code: +81; International calling code; local area and mobile prefixes still apply
Currency: Japanese yen (JPY); Use the official local currency; card acceptance varies by place
Emergency number: 110 police · 119 fire and ambulance; Use only for an emergency; tourist assistance may use a separate number
Plug type: Type A · 100 V; Check that chargers support the recorded voltage before using an adapter
Tap water: Safe from the mains; JNTO states that tap water is safe to drink

Turn this list into a plan

Set your days, your pace and the hours you actually want to be out. The planner works around closing days and travel time, and leaves room to eat.

Plan Tokyo

Planning a visit

Suggested stay: 5-6 days
Getting around: JR, subway and private rail with an IC card

January: viable with meaningful trade-offs
February: viable with meaningful trade-offs
March: good time to visit
April: best time to visit
May: best time to visit
June: good time to visit
July: viable with meaningful trade-offs
August: viable with meaningful trade-offs — current month
September: viable with meaningful trade-offs
October: good time to visit
November: best time to visit
December: viable with meaningful trade-offs

Best time
Good time
Viable with trade-offs
Difficult conditions

Sources

worldweather.wmo.int Checked 2026-08-28
www.data.jma.go.jp Checked 2026-08-28

Top things to see

Ranked by importance — sitelinks, pageviews and heritage status, not editor preference.

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How the city is laid out

Not recorded No editorial orientation text has been written for this city yet. It will appear here once the city guide is reviewed.

Getting around

Not recorded No transit lines, fares or ticket types are ingested yet. This section will populate once a public-transport data source is added.

Common questions

How many days does Tokyo need?

Five to six days suit a first visit. Four days can cover the main eastern, central and western clusters, while extra days allow slower neighbourhood exploration or a separate trip to western Tokyo.

When is the best time to visit Tokyo?

Spring and autumn usually give the most comfortable walking weather. Peak blossom and foliage periods can be crowded, so the broader March-May and October-November windows are more useful than targeting one forecasted week.

Do visitors need a rail pass inside Tokyo?

Usually not. A rechargeable IC card is simpler because Tokyo journeys may involve JR, Tokyo Metro, Toei and private railways. A JR pass does not cover the two subway operators.

Does Tokyo public transport run all night?

No. The official Tokyo guide notes that last trains are commonly between about 23:30 and 00:30, with first services around 05:00. Check the final connection before a late evening across town.

Which districts should be combined?

Pair Asakusa with Ueno, Marunouchi with Ginza, and Shibuya with Harajuku. Shinjuku can fill its own half day. Grouping nearby station districts reduces transfers through large hubs.

🇯🇵Tokyo