Tourist Entertainment Guide For Tokyo

Tokyo is a good place to eat- no matter what you want to eat, there’s a place for you, which also takes care of your budget. Japanese and international cuisines are well represented, and some eating establishments serve regional cuisine from all over Japan. If you have the money for it, there are fancy restaurants (many in the deluxe hotels of the city, but a large number stand-alone too) which can serve elaborate, formal meals- costing a packet, but worth the experience.  Among the best places for traditional Japanese meals are the ryotei, inns with private dining rooms where you can get authentic food- beautifully served and presented, beautifully cooked and very delicious too. The best ryoteis are to be found in Tsukiji, Asakusa, Shimbashi, and Akasaka districts.

For less deep purses, there are robatayakis, sushi bars and nabemono stalls, where, for relatively small amounts, you can eat well. Sushi is supposed to be a specialty of the Tsukiji area (it is, after all, the main fish market of not just Tokyo, but of Japan), while Asakusa’s tempura is rated the finest.

If Japanese food isn’t quite your cup of tea, there are lots of international restaurants- French food especially is very good, but proportionately expensive. Chinese, Middle Eastern, Indian and American food including fast food is available, particularly in the uptown areas. 

When it comes to entertainment and nightlife, Tokyo definitely scores over all the other Japanese cities- it’s hard to beat the capital when it comes to the variety and the quality of the recreation you can find here. The `nightlife’ zone is more or less restricted to areas like Akasaka, Ginza and Roppongi, where you’ll find bars, discotheques, nightclubs, cabarets and karaoke lounges of every genre.  

For those fond of less loud or brash entertainment, there are a number of theatres, music halls, concert halls, cinemas and other venues where cultural performances are held. Although Japanese cinema is usually good (and you’ll often find subtitled Hollywood movies showing), cinemas can be prohibitively expensive. Try, instead, to fit a kabuki performance (the kabuki-za in Chuo-ku is reputedly the best) or a theatrical performance (Japanese or English- many Broadway shows reach Tokyo within months of production) into your evening. The two other traditional theatrical forms, Bunraku and No, also have regular performances in Japan.

A good source for information on what’s happening in Tokyo is the Tokyo Journal, available at most newsstands and at large hotels.