How to Time Your Trip to Tokyo

Tokyo is so built up and energetic, it makes New York feel like a lazy Sunday in the suburbs. Despite this intensity, the Japanese are hospitable and helpful to strangers, and crime is extremely rare.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• Luggage Sets
• Travel Clothes
• Foreign Language Phrase Books
• Local Guidebooks
• Maps Of Tokyo
• Travel Guides To Japan
• Airline Tickets
• Travel Services
• Cameras
• Film
• Telephone Calling Cards

General Considerations

1. Enjoy Tokyo's fairly temperate climate, which has four distinct seasons. Winter brings cold, sunny weather and the occasional snowfall. Spring and fall are usually pleasant. June and early July are often rainy; the summer is quite warm, with occasional heat waves. The average July high is 72 degrees F, and the average January low is 29 degrees F.
2. Check out what festivals, attractions and live performances are happening (see below).
3. Take care of your flight, transportation and accommodations (see Related eHows).
4. Check the weather forecast for Tokyo shortly before leaving.

Attractions and Seasonal Events

5. Visit during April to pack numerous cultural events into one trip. The Buddha's birthday is celebrated nationwide on April 8, and the cherry blossom season (Sakura Matsuri) is appreciated at parks around Tokyo the same month.
6. Take the train to the medieval capital of Kamakura for a spectacular festival honoring heroes of the Middle Ages; it's at the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine on the second or third Sunday in April. Head to Kanayama Shrine in the city of Kawasaki in mid-April for the Jibeta Matsuri, a festival and parade praising the wonders of fertility and sex.
7. Squeeze all the time you can out of your stay in this exciting city. If jet lag leaves you awake at night, wander through Asakusa, old Tokyo. If you're up at the crack of dawn, sniff your way to the Tsukiji Fish Market to see and sample incredible seafood on its way from the sea to Tokyo restaurants.
8. Watch nearly naked giants wrestle. Most sumo matches in Tokyo are held in January, May and September, although you can see them on TV almost year-round.
9. Indulge yourself with at least one extravagant meal; it might well be the most beautiful meal of your life. Consider finding a restaurant that serves kaiseki, a meal with numerous intricate courses.
10. Dance the night away in Roppongi, Tokyo's premier clubbing district.
11. Visit the grand old Tokyo National Museum (Tokyo Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan). Learn about all aspects of Japanese civilization through thousands of artifacts. Wear comfortable shoes - there are three large buildings to explore.
12. Attend Kabuki Theater, ornate and easy-to-follow stage plays that have historically been the favorite form of entertainment in Japan. You'll do best at the Kabukiza Theater, though the Kokuritsu Gekijo (National Theater of Japan) is a close second.

Tips & Warnings

• Tokyo is the world's most expensive destination, estimated to be at least 60 percent more costly than New York. Budget travelers will have to make allowances for this, and perhaps give up some travel comforts.