An adrenaline-pumping bullet-train ride to a place of deep calm.

The sheer level of energy is the most striking aspect of Japan's capital city. Tokyo is a place where the urgent rhythms of consumer culture collide with the quieter moments that linger from older traditions. It's hectic madness leavened by the most Zenic of calms.

While it's true the exciting vibe has a somewhat depressing flip side - shoebox housing estates and office blocks traversed by overhead expressways crowded with traffic - Tokyo remains a glittering example of the 'miracle' of post-WWII Japan.

'It's an enormous amount of space but it explodes upwards and they have many areas of town where they have huge, skyscraper villages. These buildings just assault the sky. They are aggressive.' - Bill Murray

Environment

Latitude: 35.6829986572
Area: 2168sqkms
Population: 12000000
Orientation:

Tokyo is huge - a combination of cities within a city with no real centre - but it is navigable. For visitors, almost everything of interest lies either along or close to the Japan Railway (JR) Yamanote line, the rail loop that circles central Tokyo. At the centre of this circle is the Imperial Palace, with exclusive Ginza and the commercial Marunouchi to the east. Heading west you'll find food-capital Akasaka next door to clubbers' delight Roppongi, and then 'modern West versus chaotic East' Shinjuku. Ikebukuro is in the northwest, and the cultural centre of Ueno and traditional Asakusa is to the northeast.

In Tokyo, as in the rest of Japan, finding a place from its address can be a near impossibility, even for the Japanese. Few streets have names, so be prepared to ask for directions - don't worry, even taxi drivers do! Addresses work by narrowing down the location of a building to a number within an area of a few blocks; unlike European addresses, they work from top to bottom. So, Tokyo would be indicated first, followed by the ku (ward), then the chō or machi (loosely, suburb) and then the chōme, which is an area of just a couple of blocks: eg, Chiyoda-ku, Nagatachō 2-10-3, Capitol Hotel, 3F. The ground floor is always counted as the first.

Society

People:

Japanese (including indigenous Ainu & Okinawans), Korean

Language spoken (official): Japanese

Set aside several years if you want to learn to read Japanese. Japan has one of the most complex writing systems in the world, using three different scripts (four if you include the increasingly used Roman script romaji). Fortunately, for visitors to Japan, it's not all bad news. Unlike other Asian languages, Japanese is not tonal and the pronunciation system is fairly easy to master. In fact, with a little effort, getting together a repertoire of travellers' phrases should be no trouble - the only problem will be understanding what people say back to you.

Weather

Tokyo kicks off its year with high, cold winter days and, occasionally, snowfalls. Though temperatures sometimes drop below freezing, in general the winter months are reasonable with the right kind of clothing. Spring brings pleasant, warm days. Summer is hot and muggy. The temperature and humidity are at their worst in August and late June can see torrential rains that pound the city during some monsoon seasons. After spring, autumn is the most pleasant season. Temperatures cool down to a cosy level and days are often clear and fine.

Communication

Area Code: 03

The Japanese adaptor looks like a headless robot with three arms reaching out on one side, a stubby neck on top and a phone line socket underneath.

Eat

Eating is half the fun of being in Japan, and the adventurous foodie will be delighted to know that nihon ryori (Japanese food) is far more than the sushi, tempura and sukiyaki for which it is best known in other countries: there are over 20 different forms of Japanese cooking to sample.

Night

It isn't hard to find something to keep you out of trouble in Tokyo. Or get you into it. Whether it's kabuki (traditional Japanese theatre) or karaoke, izakaya (half restaurant-half pub) or hot-spring hopping, the Big Umeboshi - the 'Giant Sour Plum' - has it all, all year round.

See

Sightseeing with that sardines-in-a-can kind of energy.

What makes Tokyo fascinating is the tension between mammoth scale and meticulous detail. Sightseeing in its streets can be a neon assault that leaves you elated and breathless, or an encounter with the exquisite art of understatement. Jump aboard the subway and see how one city is really many.

Shop

As any Tokyo-ite knows, you are what you buy. Shopping defines this city. The sacred shrines in this consumer culture are the opulent depāto (department stores). They are pervasive, irresistible and omnipotent - odds are you'll leave with a radio-controlled robotic dog tucked under your arm.

Sleep

Tokyo offers an uncommon array of accommodations options. You can find anything from a world-class luxury hotel boasting its own art museum to a budgetryokan (Japanese inn) with fragrant tatami (woven floor matting) and a communal Japanese bath.

Pre-departure

When to go

Blooming cherry blossoms should be reason enough to visit Tokyo in spring. Likewise, the mellow hues of autumn also provide a poignant example of the Japanese aesthetic. The muggy summer is not for everyone; just remember there's roughly 5500 persons per sq km (over 14,000 per sq mi)! It might also be wise to avoid an even more crowded Tokyo during the Golden Week national holiday, from 29 April to 5 May.

Visas

Citizens of most western European nations, the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (among others) do not require a visa before arrival and will be issued a 90-day short-stay visa upon arrival in Japan. For information on visas visit the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Electricity voltage: 100V

Electricity HZ: 50Hz

Dangers and Annoyances

Chances of falling prey to crime in Tokyo are minimal. Pickpockets do, however, occasionally work crowds at festivals and in big department stores. There is a koban (police box) conveniently located near each train station. This is the best place for directions if lost, and the most likely place to find lost property such as wallets.

Tokyo is an extremely safe city for women. Beware, however, of chikan (gropers), who plague rush hour trains. If this happens, grab the offending hand and shout 'Chikan!'.

Events

Expect a total sell-out for travel and lodging during Japan's biggest holidays, New Year (29 December to 6 January) and Golden Week (the lumping together of Green Day, Constitution Day and Children's Day from 27 April to 5 May). Other festivals include Coming-of-Age Day (2nd Monday in January), when ceremonies are held for boys and girls who have reached the age of majority (20). The Japanese celebrate the beginning of spring by throwing beans around their homes to chase away evil spirits, while chanting 'in with good fortune, out with the devils'. Hanami (Blossom Viewing) usually runs from February to April; the romantic Tanabata Matsuri (Star Festival) is on 7 July; and O Bon (Festival of the Dead), when lanterns are floated on rivers, lakes or the sea to signify the return of the departed to the underworld, takes place in mid-August.

Of the many festivals taking place in Tokyo year-round, special mention needs to be given to the typically quirky Japanese festival of Hari-kuyo. In early February women lay to rest the pins and needles that have broken throughout the previous year by 'burying' them in tofu and radishes.

New Year's Day (official holiday) 1 Jan

Adult's Day (official holiday) 15 Jan

National Foundation Day (official holiday) 11 Feb

Spring Equinox Day (official holiday) 21 Mar

Green Day (official holiday) 29 Apr

Constitution Memorial Day (official holiday) 3 May

Children's Day (official holiday) 5 May

Marine Day (official holiday) 20 Jul

Respect for the Aged Day (official holiday) 15 Sep

Autumn Equinox Day (official holiday) 23 Sep

Sports Day (official holiday) 10 Oct

Culture Day (official holiday) 3 Nov

Labour Thanksgiving Day (official holiday) 23 Nov

Emperor's Birthday (official holiday) 23 Dec

Blossom Viewing (festival/event) Feb-Apr

Hari-Kuyo (festival/event) early Feb

Star Festival (festival/event) Sunday closest to 7 Jul

Festival of the Dead (festival/event) mid Jul

Ganjitsu (New Year's Day) (official holiday) 1 Jan

Seijin-no-hi (Coming of Age Day) (official holiday) 2nd Sun in Jan

Kenkoku Kinem-bi (National Foundation Day) (official holiday) 11 Feb

Shumbun-no-hi (Spring Equinox) (official holiday) 20 or 21 Mar

Midori-no-hi (Green Day) (official holiday) 29 Apr

Kempō Kinem-bi (Constitution Day) (official holiday) 3 May

Kokumin-no-Saijitsu (adjoining holiday between two holidays) (official holiday) 4 May

Kodomo-no-hi (Children's Day) (official holiday) 5 May

Umi-no-hi (Marine Day) (official holiday) 20 July

Keirō-no-hi (Respect for the Aged) (official holiday) 15 Sep

Shūbun-no-hi (Autumn Equinox) (official holiday) 15 Sep

Taiiku-no-hi (Health-Sports Day) (official holiday) 2nd Mon in Oct

Bunka-no-hi (Culture Day) (official holiday) 3 Nov

Kinrō Kansha-no-hi (Labour Thanksgiving Day) (official holiday) 23 Nov

Tennō Tanjōbi (Emperor's Birthday) (official holiday) 23 Dec

Activities

Unless you're based in a five-star hotel with its own facilities, most short-term visitors will probably have to make do without their favourite sporting activities. A lot of people and not much land means a high demand for recreational space - and high prices and long waiting lists.

martial arts

You can stay with the more familiar forms of martial arts - karate, kendō, jūdō, aikidō - or try something a little more exotic, such as kyūdō (Japanese archery).

swimming

Taking a swim in Tokyo can be costly and bound by unexpected rules. In the summer months, it's probably easier to head to the beaches of Miura-hantō and around Kamakura.

relaxation

There's a very beautiful Japanese tradition of soaking your cares away: try a sento (public bath) or onsen (hot spring).

Media

Books

Outnation - A Search for the Soul of Japan (Author: Jonathan Rauch)

A wonderful insight into Japanese culture.

In the Realm of the Dying Emperor (Author: Norma Field)

A thoughtful, beautifully written assault on Japanese society as monolithic and de-individualising.

You Gotta Have Wa (Author: Robert Whiting)

A light but illuminating read.

Appreciations of Japanese Culture (Author: Donal Keane)

An eclectic series of essays by a renowned scholar.

Low City, High City (Author: Edward Seidensticker)

A fascinating history of Tokyo from 1867 to 1923.

Tokyo Nightlife Guide (Author: Tokyo Journal)

One for serious nightlife addicts.

Tokyo for Free (Author: Susan Pompian)

How to navigate costly Tokyo without ending up in the gutter.

Speed Tribes - Children of the Japanese Bubble (Author: Karl Taro Greenfield)

A racy, ground-level account of multi-textured Tokyo society.

Transport

getting around (overview)

Once you get your head around the Tokyo train system, with its many different lines and systems, it's probably the best way to get around. Buses are frustrating: they often get gridlocked and the services end early. Taxis are exorbitantly expensive, and walking, although a fine way to explore within neighbourhoods, is difficult between them. Cycling would clearly be madness. Do as the locals do and stick to the train.

getting there and away (overview)

Located about an hour out of town, Narita is the airport that you'll fly into from international destinations; Haneda handles domestic traffic. Three types of train run in and out of Tokyo: shinkansen ('bullet train') Japan Railways (JR) trains and private trains. The bullet trains are certainly exciting, but private trains are often a better bet for daytrips. If you don't want all the stress of watching out for your stop, try a bus - prices are comparable and they often run direct. You can hop on a ferry to domestic destinations like Kushiro on Hokkaido, Kochi and Tokushima on Shikoku, and Kokura in northern Kyushu.

Culture

History Before 20th Century

When the first Europeans came to Tokyo in the 16th century, there was little to indicate that the fishing village of Edo would become one of the world's major cities. Edo's growth was rapid and dramatic from 1600, when a power struggle between feudal lords led to the village becoming a power base for the dominant Tokugawa Ieyasu. Such was the extent of his power that the emperor appointed Tokugawa shogun, or military administrator. Under a ruling that demanded all feudal lords spend every second year in Edo (their families had to remain in Edo permanently), Tokugawa built a thriving city, and consolidated national power for the first time.

In 1638, after massacring a number of Christians, Ieyasu's grandson closed Japan to almost all foreign trade. This radical isolation policy remained in place for almost three centuries. Despite the isolation, Edo thrived and by the early 17th century was the largest city in the world, with over one million people. The city was organised geographically by profession and philosophically by rank and status. In modern Tokyo there are still remains of this structure, with small enclaves specialising in specific wares.

The turning point for Edo - and all of Japan - came in 1853 when Commodore Matthew Perry's armada of 'black ships' arrived to demand that Japan open treaty ports. With the arrival of Westerners came a far-reaching social revolution. The Tokugawa regime was powerless to halt the flood of progress and power was handed - though not without a fight - back to Emperor Meiji. In 1868 the seat of imperial power was moved from Kyoto to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo (Eastern Capital) in the process.

Modern History

Industrialisation and militarisation accompanied Japan's entrance into the 20th century. Western-style construction was introduced and Japan had military victories over China and Russia. Furthermore, Taiwan, Korea and Micronesia were annexed. In Tokyo, the rush of industry brought people from all over Japan to the capital.

At noon on 1 September 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck Tokyo. For 40 hours, fires raged, laying waste to the expanding city. Although rebuilding began almost immediately, opportunities to improve and further transform old Tokyo were lost. A little over 20 years later - and also in tragic circumstances - Tokyo was to get a second 'chance' to rebuild.

Around 80,000 lives were lost in the Tokyo air raids during WWII, and about two-fifths of the city was flattened. The raids were at least as destructive as the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Following the Japanese surrender, Tokyo again rose quickly. Transformed into something of a honky-tonk town during the post-war occupation years, the capital thrived on profits from the Korean War and has not looked back since. Awarded the Olympic Games in 1964, Tokyo grew like never before, and firmly established itself as a real power player in the world economy. The 1980s saw Tokyo bask in the shine of the 'bubble economy', but its burst in 1989 hit the city hard - many say it still has not fully recovered.

Recent History

It was further shaken in 1995 by the nerve gas attack on a crowded city commuter train, which killed 12 and injured 5000. In 2001 Japan's debt rating was downgraded from AAA to AA+, with the country's economy remaining rocky since then - a high rate of bankrupt golf courses stand as a potent sign of the economy's malaise. Despite the economic gloom, Tokyo remains a singular expression of Japanese modernity, with business diversity rarely seen anywhere else on earth.

Factoid

Sell! Sell! Sell!

Tokyo has more vending machines than any other city in the world, with over 2.5 million selling drinks, and hundreds of thousands more selling cigarettes, batteries, rice, eggs, fishing equipment, flower bouquets, and of course, pornography.

Places of Interest

Complex

Summary Review:

If you're only here for a few days and are seeking a peek into the Tokyo art scene, stop here. Several of the best commercial galleries in town inhabit the five-storey, aptly named Complex. Spaces are a mix of styles and intentions, a conflation of more established exhibitors such as Ota Fine Arts, known for showing big names like Kusama Yayoi, as well as newer galleries.

Tsukiji Central Fish Market

Web site: www.tsukiji-market.or.jp

Summary Review:

The Tsukiji Fish Market is one of the largest and busiest fish markets in the world and if you can hack the smell, the hustle and bustle is a sight to behold. Every aquatic creature is sold here: giant tunas, scallops, fish galore, sea cucumbers, poisonous blowfish - in fact if it swims and isn't wearing a wetsuit it's up for grabs. It's best before 10am.

Full Review:

This is no place for the amateur ichthyophage looking for one tuna steak for dinner - a barely concealed hysteria of commerce is the order of the day as motorised carts hoon down the aisles, workers scurry around with clipboards and cartons of seafood, chainsaws go to work on giant tuna, and the gutting, slicing, scaling and sectioning of fish carries on apace. A wander around the aisles (remembering that in any traffic situation the captains of commerce always have the right of way) is best topped off with breakfast at a sushi bar in one of the many alleyways running off the fishmarket.

Tokyo National Museum

Web site: www.tnm.jp

Summary Review:

This is a magnificent, unmissable museum, and by far the best rainy-day option in the megalopolis. The Tokyo Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan, to give it its Sunday name, has recently been renovated and is an awe-inspiring collection of 89,000 examples of Japanese and Asian art as well as a number of fine sculptures, variously donated and plundered from across the region.

Meiji-jingū

Web site: www.meijijingu.or.jp

Summary Review:

Completed in 1920, this is Tokyo's most splendid Shintō shrine. Built in memory of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken, under whose rule Japan ended its long isolation from the outside world, the shrine was destroyed in the bombing at the end of WWII. This shrine may be a reconstruction, but it is altogether authentic and made with Japanese cypress.

Akihabara

Summary Review:

Welcome to Denki-gai (Electrical Town): it's Japanese techno-sales gone haywire. In the maddest Asian market you'll ever see, sellers hawk computer chips and motherboards over mangoes. Not only that, the sales pitch is all pre-recorded. William Gibson meets Willie Loman in a film by David Lynch. Spooky!

Full Review:

Deedle-deedle dum-dum, deedle-deedle-DEE! Buy-this-cheap-computer-chip, and manga-comic-accessorEEE! The incessant tape-recorded sales jingles, delivered with high-pitched, full-volume, pseudo-prepubescent-female-intensity smack you in the face the minute you leave the sanctuary of Akihabara station.

Once the dominant centre for discounted cameras, then videos, then computers, today's Akihabara peddles porno-manga, the Gameboy vision of the future, and yes, still, discounted electronics. There's even a valve-radio nerd mecca in there somewhere.

Meguro Parasitological Museum

Summary Review:

This is probably the grossest museum in Japan and has as its grisly centrepiece an 8.8m-long tapeworm found ensconced in the body of a 40-year-old Yokohama man. Although there's not a lot of English signage, you can easily see how some of these nasties might set up house inside you. Those into bugs will love it. Not one to visit after a big bowl of noodles.

Ueno-Kōen (Ueno Park)

Summary Review:

The area of Ueno was the Alamo of the last shogunate - the site of his futile last-ditch effort to prevent a takeover by the imperial army. The park is more than just the museums and temples with which it is well endowed; it's also famous as Tokyo's most popular site for hanami (blossom viewing).

Ghibli Museum

Web site: www.ghibli-museum.jp/ticket_info.html

Summary Review:

Peek inside the world of Studio Ghibli, with its hands-on exhibits, short screenings, gallery and healthy dose of whimsy. It's a showcase and playhouse for fans who fell in love with Miyazaki Hayao's Spirited Away or his other otherworldly anime gems. Even the museum's cartoony architecture almost makes the visitor feel like a character in some lovely animated world.

Full Review:

Visit the website for info on booking a ticket at least a month before your trip.

Kabuki-za

Web site: www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater/index.html

Summary Review:

Kabuki (traditional theatre) performances can be quite a marathon, lasting from four to five hours and going well into the night. Sounds too much? Earphone guides providing 'comments and explanations' in English are available, or you can get tickets for the 4th floor and watch only part of the show (ask for hitomakumi) - but then you'll be sans earphones.

Loft

Summary Review:

A Tokyo institution, this quarter-century-old Tokyo live house, whose chequerboard stage has hosted many a Tokyo punk, is often grungy and smoky - with just the right level of sweaty intimacy. The music is always loud and usually good. The walls are so acoustically sound that quiet conversations can be held just outside the door.

Takarazuka Gekijō

Web site: www.kageki.hankyu.co.jp/english/index.html

Summary Review:

An all-female revue with a bloodline running back to 1914, Takarazuka Gekijō is one of those things that exposes Tokyo's knack for complexity. Though the performances of these musicals are in Japanese, English synopses are available. These days, performances are taken in by a mostly female audience that swoons over actresses dressed in drag.

Arty Farty

Web site: www.arty-farty.net

Summary Review:

This bar for boys and the guys who love them has been the gateway to Tokyo's gay neighbourhood, Ni-chōme, for many a man for many a moon. Women are allowed only on weekends, and usually only with gay friends, and yes, apparently, they mean it.

New York Bar

Web site: www.parkhyatttokyo.com

Summary Review:

You may not be lodging at the Park Hyatt, but that doesn't mean you can't ascend to the 52nd floor to swoon over stunning views of Mt Fuji and the city below. This is a splendid, civilised cocktail bar up in the higher stratosphere, literally and socially, with magnificent live jazz playing every night and amazing bird's-eye views of Tokyo.

UK Embassy

Web site: www.uknow.or.jp/be_e

Japan Red Cross Medical Centre

St Luke's International Hospital

US Embassy

Web site: http://japan.usembassy.gov/t-main.html

Australian Embassy

Web site: www.dfat.gov.au/missions/countries/jp.html

Tōkyū Hands

Web site: www.tokyu-hands-shinjuku.com

Summary Review:

Tōkyū Hands has everything you didn't know you needed, and then some. The self-descriptor 'Creative Life Store' doesn't quite do justice to its functional but eccentric wares, such as pink reflexology slippers, train-shaped alarm clocks that play the JR-station tunes and jewellery for your mobile phone. Even those allergic to department stores owe themselves a visit to this one.

Issey Miyake

Summary Review:

Before Issey Miyake put Tokyo on the fashion map, Japanese designers were known to copy Western trends after they'd already hit the runway. Miyake's work has changed all that. His groundbreaking shop, never afraid to experiment with odd styles and peculiar materials, is now run by an apprentice, though the Miyake mark is still apparent in all designs.

Oriental Bazaar

Summary Review:

Oriental Bazaar is an excellent spot for easy one-stop souvenir shopping. Good gifts to be found here include fans, folding screens, pottery, porcelain and kimono. For last-chance suit-of-armour purchases, try the branch at Narita airport. The staff at both branches speak fluent English.

Suigetsu Hotel ōgai-sō

Web site: www.ohgai.co.jp/index-e.html

Summary Review:

Well-placed on the west side of Ueno Park, the ōgaisō is just the place for museum buffs. Its mostly Japanese-style rooms are reasonably priced, and the hotel provides excellent access to Ueno Park as well as to several rail lines.

Full Review:

Though the Hotel ōgaisō's grey granite buildings are Western in structure, the hotel has mostly Japanese-style tatami rooms and is built around a serene Japanese garden. When reserving a tatami room, guests can choose whether to have one or two Japanese meals included. However, Western-style rooms also incorporate some traditional touches, like sliding screens at the windows - and at half the price as tatami rooms, they are very reasonably priced for these standards. And if your budget can't accommodate you in a Japanese-style room, you need not miss out on the experience of a sentō (Japanese bath). The hotel has several large sentō for your soaking pleasure. While the hotel does lack Internet access and does not offer exclusively nonsmoking rooms, its comforts and traditional style trump these minor inconveniences.

Ryokan Shigetsu

Web site: www.shigetsu.com/e/index.html

Summary Review:

South of Asakusa-kōen in the Shitamachi (Old Town) area of Tokyo, this spotless and atmospheric ryokan (inn) has mostly Japanese-style rooms and baths with views to kill. This is the place for a full-on traditional inn experience without breaking the bank.

Full Review:

Sure, the Western-style rooms at Ryokan Shigetsu are comfy enough, but why stay in one when such well-kept, beautiful tatami rooms surround you with their fragrance and traditional style? All but two of the 23 rooms here have en suites, and bathing Japanese-style at least once is a must: open for several hours each morning and evening, the two baths are gorgeous, small and have walls made of Japanese cypress. The black granite tub has a city view and the cypress one has a view of Sensō-ji's Five-Storey Pagoda; both also have a little window looking onto a small rock and bamboo ledge garden. The entire inn is immaculate, with carpeted entryways and shōji screens. There's a restaurant downstairs serving authentic Japanese cuisine, and the inn is also equipped with traditional Japanese Internet access (free!).

Ginza Nikkō Hotel

Web site: www.ginza-nikko-hotel.com/english/index.html

Summary Review:

Pretty and bright, and a step up from neighbouring business hotels, this Nikkō is on the upscale end of mid-range. Frankly, prices seem a bit steep for what you get, but it's spotless, the staff are professional and friendly, and to be fair, real estate in Ginza is ridiculously pricey.

Full Review:

Though this Ginza hotel has been around for 45 years, it's looking sparkly and fine after a thorough remodel. The very friendly staff, most of whom speak good English, will go out of their way to help you with a smile. All rooms come equipped with LAN Internet access, and there's a floor of nonsmoking rooms. Pros include full-size (for Tokyo) bathtubs and a notable absence of floral bedspreads. Cons: small windows, though the views don't make much of a case for them anyway. A Western buffet breakfast is offered in the casual French restaurant. Its location justifies the prices somewhat - perfectly placed for a dawn stroll to Tsukiji market, midday shopping in Ginza and izakaya (bar)-hopping in the evening.

Sukiyaki

Summary Review:

This place has been making a single, perfect dish in the same button-maker's house since before the turn of the last century. Come prepared to sit cross-legged on bamboo mats as chicken sukiyaki (meat cooked in broth in an iron pan with vegetables) simmers over a charcoal brazier, allowing ample time and opportunity to pick up the scent of prewar Tokyo.

Maisen

Summary Review:

Maisen turns out righteous, crisp tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlets) that consistently draws a crowd. Thankfully, the place is housed in a converted bathhouse, so there's plenty of room for the many hungry souls craving Kagoshima kurobuta (black pig). If you're in a hurry, pick up a bentō box at the takeaway window.

Fujimamas

Web site: www.fujimamas.com

Summary Review:

Once a tatami-maker's workshop, both the airy upstairs dining room and the breezy, open ground floor of this space now echo the freshness and vitality of Fujimamas' fusion food. Dishes come from multi-ethnic backgrounds, much like the people who come here to enjoy it, and portions are generous. Staff speak fluent English, and there's an English menu.

Ten-Ichi

Summary Review:

Tempura at the esteemed Ten-Ichi has rightfully earned its reputation as supernaturally light and nongreasy, and since 1930 it has enjoyed steady fame as some of the best in Tokyo. The dignified dining area at the flagship Ginza shop is a pleasure - and one for which you'll spend significant coin. It has an English menu; reservations recommended.

Robata

Summary Review:

From the rustic, weathered exterior to the ceramic bowls along the counter inside, Robata's looks are well-matched to the Japanese country-style food served here. Though the chef doesn't speak English, requesting omakase (chef's suggestion) will put your course choices in his capable hands; less hearty appetites should opt for the point-and-eat method.

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