Tokyo's sheer size and the language barrier provide the greatest challenges facing newcomers. This section will help you orient yourself to the city and will answer some essential questions to get you around it.
Visitor Information
The Japan National Tourist Organization (JNTO) maintains three tourist offices, known as Tourist Information Centers (TICs), in Tokyo and in its airport to handle inquiries from foreigners and the general public about Tokyo and the rest of Japan and to provide free maps and sightseeing materials. You can even make reservations here for inexpensive accommodations throughout Japan at no extra charge.
If you arrive by plane at Narita International Airport, you'll find TICs in the arrivals lobbies of Terminal 1 (tel. 0476/30-3383) and Terminal 2 (tel. 0476/34-6251), both open daily from 8am to 8pm. Otherwise, the main TIC is in the heart of Tokyo at 2-10-1 Yurakucho (tel. 03/3201-3331), within walking distance of the Ginza. It's located on the 10th floor of a rather obscure office building next to Yurakucho Station called the Kotsu Kaikan Building (look for the building's circular top). Assuming you're able to find them, the TIC staff is courteous and efficient; I cannot recommend them highly enough. In addition to city maps (like the "Tourist Map of Tokyo") and sightseeing materials, the office has more information on the rest of Japan than any other tourist office, including pamphlets and brochures on major cities and attractions such as Nikko and Kamakura. Hours are daily 9am to 5pm.
Another great source of information is the Tokyo Tourist Information Center, operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and located on the first floor of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) Building no. 1, 2-8-1 Nishi-Shinjuku (tel. 03/5321-3077; www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp; station: Tochomae or Shinjuku). You'll probably want to come here anyway for the great views from TMG's free observation floor. The center dispenses pamphlets, its own city map (which is a great complement to the one issued by JNTO), and handy one-page detailed maps of various city districts, from Ueno to Roppongi. It's open daily 9:30am to 6:30pm. Other city-run information counters are located at Keisei Ueno Station (tel. 03/3836-3471), open daily 9:30am to 6:30pm, and at Haneda Airport (tel. 03/5757-9345), open daily 9am to 10pm.
Tourist Publications -- Be sure to pick up Event Calendar at the TIC, a monthly leaflet listing festivals, antiques and crafts fairs, and other events throughout the metropolitan area. Of the many free giveaways available at the TICs, restaurants, bars, bookstores, hotels, and other establishments visitors and expats are likely to frequent, the best is the weekly Metropolis (http://metropolis.co.jp), with features on Tokyo, club listings, and restaurant and movie reviews. Look also for the free Japanzine (www.seekjapan.jp/japanzine) and att.Japan (www.att-japan.net). Weekly entertainment sections on theater, films, and special events are published in the English-language newspapers, appearing on Friday in the Japan Times and on Thursday in the Daily Yomiuri.
