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| Time Out Guide to Tokyo, 5th Edition | 
| List Price: $19.95
Buy New: $11.97
You Save: $7.98 (40%)
Buy New/Used from $9.99
Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 21 reviews)
Sales Rank: 254115
Category: Book
Author: Time Out
Publisher: Time Out
Studio: Time Out
Manufacturer: Time Out
Label: Time Out
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Unknown), English (Published)
Media: Paperback
Edition: 5th
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 320
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 7.6 x 5.5 x 0.2
ISBN: 1846700167
Dewey Decimal Number: 915
EAN: 9781846700163
ASIN: 1846700167
Publication Date: May 24, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
Well organized guide lacking decent map February 28, 2007
I was on a business trip for the first time to Tokyo and stayed over the weekend to do some sightseeing. Since I only had limited time I found the "Don't Miss Sights" section very useful, did most of what the guide had recommended and was very satisfy with their recommendations.
I found the guide in general very informative on what to do, but don't rely on it to get you there. The major attractions are fairly easy to find but if you are looking for a specific restaurant, bar, club, etc., the map doesn't provide you with enough street detail and the addresses are only in English. My recommendation is to get a map in both Japanese and English to get you around.
Train and Subway are the best way to get around, but the stations can be quite overwhelming. Again, the guide only provides station maps in English. You can purchase a pre-paid card in 1000yen, 5000yen and 10000yen for travel on the subway lines so you don't have to try to figure out how much to pay for each trip (most are between 160yen to 190yen). For JR lines, you will also need to purchase a separate pre-paid card at the station ticket offices. I heard from locals that there will be a common pay-as-you-go card (like Suica) you can purchase for both JR and subway by summer 2007.
I ignored the sarcastic comments from the author since I did not buy the guide to get insight on Japanese culture. But it does make for some interesting reading on the subway/train.
Very Useful, But Could be Much Better! August 18, 2006
I did a fair amount of research before deciding to purchase this particular guidebook for my week-long trip to Tokyo. I read much of it on the plane ride over, which is when began to see some of its weaknesses. The book could have stood better editing, for one thing. On p. 11, for instance, a passage reads, "Emperors became largely figureheads, manipulated by a series of powerful regents from the dominant Fujiwara family. The invention of the kana syllabary, " etc., and then immediately following "The emperors were largely figureheads, manipulated..."!
The writing, in general, though, is engaging, even if it very much underplays the intrinsic interest of so many sites in Tokyo. As an example, at the Meiji Shrine, "the treasure house...isn't that interesting." About the Meiji Jingu Gyoen garden at the same shrine, "It's neither large nor especially beautiful...." Now that might be just the frank information that a tourist wants, except that it seems to be the general attitude the book holds towards so many sites that I thought were more interesting than my "guide" suggested. I felt that I was traveling with a cranky aunt.
Also, as another reviewer suggested, directions to attractions from subway stops are not always very helpful. Try, for instance, to find the Godzilla statue on the sole basis of the directions the guidebook gives. At least in that case, its lack of clarity gave me an opportunity for an amusing interaction with a shop clerk.
For my part, I didn't like having to flip back and forth from the sections on sightseeing to the separate sections addressing food and lodging. When I am touring around, I like to be able to relate the locations of the good restaurants to the places I am visiting. This isn't easily done with this guidebook.
My criticisms aside, I took this relatively slim volume everywhere with me. The maps aren't terrific, but they they were helpful. The schematics for the rail and subway system were indispensable. The historical context the book provides is concise and illuminating. The resources section at the back could stand some expansion on topics such as buying international phone cards.
This is a good resource for a short trip. It's just that it could have been a better resource.
My Favorite Tokyo Resource July 22, 2006
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
My week trip to Tokyo was made much easier with this guide. I researched a great deal before I took the trip using this book and others but this is ultimately the travel guide that came with me.
The book has a good layout by separating the areas of Tokyo into their distinct areas. I do wish there had been a larger overall map to get a better picture of how close together the actual areas were.
The most used portion of the book for me was the train and subway maps at the back of the guide. They are invaluable! The actual directions given to sights from the subway exits, however, is not accurate. You are really on your own for that.
I personally did not use the referrals for resturants but I definitely used the shopping and site guides. We had a fantastic trip and this book fit great into a small bag. Highly recommend. I can't wait to go back!
 Mandatory for a trip to Tokyo April 7, 2006
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
I've just returned from my first 10 day trip to Tokyo and had to write about how fantastic this guide book was. The maps were excellent - especially since the streets in Tokyo are not always labeled. They enabled my group and I to find the excellent clubs, shrines, temples and restuarants with ease. All the places we checked out in the guide were fantastic and the paragraph descriptions were insightful and helpful. I will always take a Time Out Guide when traveling going forward!
 Good Information but lousy maps December 31, 2005
7 out of 7 found this review helpful
Time Out Tokyo provides good cultural information -- restaurants, musuems, stores, etc. Unfortunately, it does not contain even the basics in terms of maps. Many of the recommended sites are not on any map in the book, and there is no overall map.
The Lonely Planet Tokyo City Guide is far better in terms of maps and other logistical information, such as where trains run and when. On the other hand, Time Out is clearly better when it comes to what to see and do. So, take your pick, or take both!
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