Samurai, sumo and sushi – an expert guide to Tokyo

Why go? 

Skyscrapers illuminated by neon lights and futuristic robot restaurants sit alongside ryokans (Japanese inns) featuring traditional tatami-mats, temples and onsen baths in Japan’s weird and wonderful capital city. Make no mistake: Tokyo, a compelling mix of the past and future, is unlike any other city you’ve visited. And with interest (and prices) in Tokyo only set to rocket once the postponed 2020 Olympic Games finally takes place, best squeese your visit in before…

Cruise port location

Cruise ships typically dock at Yokohama port at either Daikoku pier, Shinko pier or Osanbashi terminal. Once an unassuming fishing village, Yokohama has grown to become the most frequently visited Japanese port – over 190 cruise ships arrived in Yokohama in 2019 – and a gateway to Tokyo, a 20-minute train journey north. Cruise lines that call at Yokohama include Cruise Maritime Voyages, Royal Caribbean, Celebrity Cruises, Windstar Cruises, MSC Cruises, Princess Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line.

Can I walk to any places of interest?

Yokohama’s attraction filled Minato Mirai (meaning ‘port of the future’) home to shops, restaurants, a water park and promenades is within easy walking distance – as is the Yokohama Port Museum documenting the city’s port history. Meanwhile the must-see Sankeien Garden, featuring a 500-year old three-storey pagoda, is a 15-minute taxi ride away. However, most passengers take a train or shuttle straight to Tokyo, Japan’s neon city.

Getting around

Tokyo has a metro system that Londoners can only dream about. It’s clean, runs like clockwork and is good value providing you buy the one day pass (see ‘Save money’ tip below). Buses also criss-cross the city but passengers face slow moving journeys owing to the heavy Tokyo traffic so, if you’re short on time, give them a wide berth. Taxis are an excellent way to get from A to B if your destination isn’t near a station but, unless you’ve got a group of four, they’re expensive.