Simon says: Get taste of Japan in a city of contrasts

 
P51 Tokyo Street Scene
11 March 2013

I am planning a first trip to Japan, and wondered where to stay in Tokyo — and which other places to visit? — Name withheld

My strong advice is to spend a good chunk of time getting to know Tokyo. Japan’s capital is a dazzling, beautiful and multi-faceted city.

The contrasts between intense urban life and serene escapes are enthralling and energising, even more so than London. In a few minutes (using the superb public transport) you can venture from the high-voltage retail dazzle of Akihabara “electric town” to the friendly, villagey area of Yanaka, with echoes of pre-war Japan.

My most recent 48 Hours in Tokyo — which you can find online here — prescribes an action-packed couple of days but you can certainly extend your stay to explore more of the city. The place I stayed most recently, the Hotel Villa Fontaine Roppongi Annex, is fabulous value and reasonably central.

Going beyond Tokyo: well, you could do what I did on my first visit, and buy the excellent-value Japan Rail Pass. A week’s unlimited travel throughout Japan costs £226 for seven days, and enables you to venture to the fascinating northern island of Hokkaido, the imperial city of Kyoto and the sombre memorials of Hiroshima.

But unless you want to feel like a hyperactive InterRailer, I’d suggest you consider instead the easy escape from the capital to Hakone National Park — an intriguing combination of volcanic scenery, pretty towns and a world-class sculpture park.

There are special fares for short breaks on the high-speed, narrow-gauge train (another uniquely Japanese experience) that runs direct from Shinjuku station in Tokyo to the edge of the national park.

Email your queries to s@hols.tv

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