Time Out Tokyo

Tokyo bristles with superlatives. It’s the most opulated, most efficient and most courteous city on earth. It has the most Michelin stars and the safest streets and has regained its title as most expensive city. It is also, in many ways, the least organised, with nothing that

resembles town planning, and none of the architectural coherence of Paris, Rome or New York. Ironically for a city so famous for conformity and social order, Tokyo’s builders seem determined to make each structure stand out. Relaxed planning laws and a raze-and-rebuild

culture help keep things visually interesting.

Socially, of course, conformity still rules, which means that the chronic congestion that can derail other cities doesn’t end in crime or violence here. You can carry all the cash you like, safe in the knowledge that not only are muggings virtually unheard of, but if you drop a purse or wallet here, someone will probably chase after you to hand it back.

The first time you set foot in the major commercial hubs of Ginza, Roppongi, Shibuya or Shinjuku, you’ll be wide-eyed and overwhelmed. Bright signs and advertisements fill your vision; huge LCD screens blast a cacophony in your ears. But there are also oases of high culture and Zen-like calm, often just a few steps from the chaos. In Shinjuku, you’ll find temples, department stores and brothels as neighbours. In Roppongi, luxury hotels,

strip joints and art museums are packed together. In Harajuku, the city’s largest Shinto shrine is just a couple of blocks from the trendiest boutiques.

Tokyo excels in unlikely juxtapositions, and that’s just part of the fun. You’d need decades

to understand this city, but you’ll enjoy it the minute you arrive.