TOKYO | The Monocle Travel Guide MONOCLE

An epic journey through Tokyo’s outposts of good food, design, retail, and more, this definitive travel guide will make you feel like a local no matter where you are from.

It would take a lifetime to get to know every facet of Tokyo—so large that it spreads as far as the eye can see. But look closely and you will find a city of exceptional charm and breathtaking efficiency. The Japanese capital is a fascinating tangle of opposites: the latest technology and traditional arts; crowded stations and quiet backstreets; concrete highways and green parks. Yet it all works like a dream.

The Monocle team will navigate you through some of its favorite corners of this vast metropolis. In a city where choice is overwhelming, this guide will help you pick out the highlights. Monocle will escort you along the busiest streets and take you into the bars and cafes that Tokyo people frequent. Expect to fall in love with the dazzling food, sumptuous shopping, and the most courteous residents you’ll ever meet. Monocle will point you in the right direction for everything from record shops to shiatsu massage; they’ve even picked out a few of their favorite buildings. Tokyo has a habit of confounding expectations and few visitors leave anything less than awed. Join the fan club.

That information is now available in Monocle’s Travel Guide Series: a line-up of titles that speaks to you in an informed but informal way about everything from architecture to art, late-night bars to early-morning markets. These are books that go beyond the traditional tourist beats to make sure you get the best out of a city—no matter how short your stay. Designed to be compact and collectable, they are also discerning; Monocle’s team won’t list a hundred places to eat but they will tell you where’s best for everything from some tasty fast food to something truly celebratory. Cities are fun. Let’s explore.