A first-timer's guide to Tokyo
Written by someone who still remembers exactly what it felt like to walk out of Shinjuku Station for the first time.
Start with Meiji ShrineTokyo is a city that swallows first-timers whole. The trains are surgical, the signs are confusing, and the first time you walk out of Shinjuku Station you’ll get lost. Not if — when.
I’m writing this site for that person. The one who just booked the flight. The one who’s a little bit nervous. The one who wants to know what an IC card is, whether to take off shoes in this particular restaurant, and what exactly you’re meant to do at the shrine gate.
Everything here comes from actually being there, with every embarrassing mistake the first few trips taught me. No sponsored content, no fluff — first-timer to first-timer.
If you've got 60 seconds
- Get an IC card first. Suica or Pasmo at any airport or station. ¥500 deposit, tap to ride every train, bus and metro. Cuts 80% of the friction.
- JR Pass doesn't cover Tokyo Metro. Different operators run different lines. An IC card works on all of them.
- No tipping. Bowing is normal. Tap water is safe. Conbini food is better than you'd expect.
Guides to read first
Mt Takao Day Trip from Tokyo
Mt Takao is the world's most-visited mountain, 47 minutes from Shinjuku on the Keio Line. A 599m forested peak with the steepest cab…
Yokohama Day Trip from Tokyo
Half-day or full-day plan for Yokohama from Tokyo, with Chinatown, Minato Mirai, the Cup Noodle Museum, Sankeien Garden and the trains th…
Enoshima Day Trip from Tokyo
A first-timers guide to Enoshima island day-tripping from Tokyo, including the Odakyu route, the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass, the three sh…
Start with a neighbourhood
More guides
Mt Takao Day Trip from Tokyo
Mt Takao is the world's most-visited mountain, 47 minutes from Shinjuku on the Keio Line. A 599m forested peak with the steepest cab…
Yokohama Day Trip from Tokyo
Half-day or full-day plan for Yokohama from Tokyo, with Chinatown, Minato Mirai, the Cup Noodle Museum, Sankeien Garden and the trains th…
Enoshima Day Trip from Tokyo
A first-timers guide to Enoshima island day-tripping from Tokyo, including the Odakyu route, the Enoshima-Kamakura Freepass, the three sh…
Mt Fuji Day Trip from Tokyo
How to plan a Mt Fuji day trip from Tokyo, with the Fuji Excursion train, Chureito Pagoda climb, Lake Kawaguchiko, Oshino Hakkai, and an …
A Guide to the Hachioji Fireworks Festival
Hachioji is one of the few Tokyo fireworks festivals that happens in a park rather than over a river — about 4,000 shells over Fujimori…
A Guide to the Katsushika Noryo Fireworks Festival
The Katsushika Noryo Hanabi Taikai is held on the Edogawa riverbank at Shibamata every late July. The 60th-anniversary edition in 2026 ru…
I’m adding new guides as I work through the city. The goal is a tight set of guides that answer the questions first-time visitors actually have, with the specific tips you wouldn’t find in a generic listicle. If you spot something that’s out of date, let me know — that’s how this stays useful.