Rating: 
Summary: Get Lost With Time Out Tokyo
Review: By: Susan BentonMoments before embarking on a last-minute trip to Tokyo, I stopped in a bookstore in LAX in search of a guidebook on the city. I found only two: an overview of Japan (which was extraneous for this trip) and Time Out Tokyo. I purchased the latter, and was on my way. I read the book cover to cover on the flight over. I felt well versed on many areas of the city and comfortable with choosing a path for my weeklong trip. Despite the author's ubiquitous sarcastic and often pessimistic tone, I was hoping to find fun and excitement in at least a couple of areas of the city. Once there, however, I found I had to rely on other sources besides Time Out for some very important "touristy" information. While I realize it's impossible to include everything in one guidebook, there are certain things that, I feel, would've been extremely helpful to include in Time Out - which would elevate it from a "four star" nice-to-have to a "five star" must-have travel resource. Case in point: there is no map of the train lines. There's a map of the subway system, and one of the Yamanote loop, but not one of the Yamanote connecting lines that run throughout the city - more or less, the backbone of the Tokyo train system (and my primary mode of transportation while there). I had to rely on a separate train line book for this information. Seems silly, when this information would have been easy enough to include in Time Out. Also, there are suggested supplemental trips from Tokyo (further than one hour away) and, although there are general directions on getting there, there are no maps for the areas once you arrive. What's more (astonishingly enough) - there is no comprehensive map of Tokyo, beyond the cluttered, blurry subway map and localized - very general, detail defunct - area maps. This would have been extremely helpful to have on more than one occasion. In fact, it should've been on the first page of the book. I would have liked to see a larger section dedicated to Kichijoji - one of the cooler, livelier areas I visited during my stay. There is only a slight mention of it. I would have also liked to see the Japanese characters accompanying some of the descriptions - especially for some of the more obscure areas (as you get further outside of Tokyo, the signs all switch from Romanji to characters). Something else that would've been great is a general "tips and tricks" list for navigating around the city and understanding the culture. Examples of tips might include:
-Walk/drive to the left!
-Plan to buy N'EX high-speed train tickets a day in advance and a half hour to one hour earlier than you would like to arrive at the airport, in case of delays (which I experienced)
-Note that some temples/shrines charge exorbitant rates, while other - equally impressive temples - are next-to-nothing or free.
-Although there is a brief section on ATMs more information should have been included regarding getting money once you're there. For instance, the CitiBank across the street from Shinjuku station takes American bank cards. The best advice: save yourself the hassle, exchange your money before you leave. (This was mentioned early in the book).
-Tips on traditional Japanese etiquette. Praying and showing respect at temples, shrines (eg. donations, washing hands, general information on ceremonies that may be taking place. Are you being disrespectful if you join, watch, speak, etc.?) Also, eating on the trains is frowned upon - as I found out the hard way. Although the sarcastic tone of Time Out left me feeling as though the authors had no love for Tokyo, or Japan for that matter, I did find the book somewhat helpful - offering interesting, sometimes quirky tidbits on the city and culture. Who knew Excelsior Coffee had to change their green to blue because Starbucks threatened to sue? And, although I didn't make any visits to the love hotels, the section on how I could've was truly enlightening. And thank God for the section on how to use the non-Western toilets. I'd have been lost for sure. If you're planning a trip to Tokyo and you don't mind buying a map, book of the connecting train lines and doing a bit of research on your own regarding other cool things to do, then you'll be satisfied with the supplemental information Time Out Tokyo provides.
Rating: 
Summary: A must buy if you are a first time visitor
Review: Concise descriptions of places to go to in Tokyo. Most helpful is the inclusion of addresses; where they can be found on the included 34 maps; the average prices of entrees, admissions, cover charge at restaurants, clubs, and bars; dress codes at different places; and websites if they're available. Especially helpful was the simple Japanese Phrases section and the Highlights Boxes. I would recommend this to any first time visitors to Japan. It's an interesting read even if you don't plan on going there.
Rating:
Summary: Comprehensive, easy to use, focused - who could've thunk it?
Review: I am usually less than impressed with Time Out - too concerned about being cool and hip; ocassionally preaching, sometimes overloaded with opinion.
This is not the case with Tokyo. Yes, the guide sometimes slips into over-casual tone of oh-so-self-aware urban cool, which can be annoying, but overall this is a major success.
I would say Time Out covers Tokyo better than Rough Guide Japan, by far the best guide to the country (where places OTHER than Tokyo are covered very well, and Hokkaido is just outstanding, but Tokyo chapter lacks punch and inspiration).
Eyewitness and Fodors, although more than adequate, are clearly behind on this front; Lonely Planet is just about OK, which is more than can be said about many of the LP guides.
Back to Time Out. I would say that maps could be better and some of the practicalities are sketchy, but overall description of the city, area by area, and why you would want to go there, are very good.
The guide, regrettably, overlooked the town of Narita, which, 40 miles away from Tokyo, is so much more than the location of Narita international airport, although the giant Tokyo is just too close and is steeling its thunder. Most of the other guides have a good description of the town and Narita has a good tourist office.
I found descriptions of restaurants good, but maybe too heavily biased towards foreign cuisine (why would anyone eat foreign food when visiting Japan, a paradise of gourmet adventures both cheap and expensive, is anybody's guess).
Hotel descriptions, I thought, were really among the most accurate. I have stayed in quite a few places in Tokyo and upon checking my experiences against this guide, I would say it is very reliable.
If you're only going to visit Tokyo, this is the natural choice. If you are touring Japan and have an all-country guide, this is still a book that you will not regret buying.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful book with a few forgivable flaws
Review: I did my research for months before going to Tokyo in August 2004. My boyfriend and I are non-Japanese speakers, and we did the travelling sans-tour-guides. I leafed through quite a few guides before picking out Lonely Planet-Japan and Timeout-Tokyo. Since I only stayed in Tokyo for two weeks, I heavily relied on the Timeout guide. It made for a wonderful, comprehensive experience. I left only 14 days later feeling like I have not missed anything major (something very hard to do in Tokyo, be prepared to be exhausted).
The out of town trip to Kamakura was very worthwhile, as well as many other recommended sites from the book. Navigating the subway and train lines are made easier with the maps in the back (however, I highly recommend getting a Tokyo city atlas--the bilingual one is probably best) From sights to directions, mostly everything is outlined. The city walks in the book are delightful and clear. The formating is also very easy to read. In the back of the book are useful information concerning phone cards, post-office, etc. You should read this if you need to do any communication outside of Japan. I wasted $15 on a phone card that did not allow international calls.
Some negatives: limited hotel recommendations. I highly recommend Toyoko Inn (toyoko-inn.com) if you are on a budget. In Shinjuku, Kabuki-cho, there are western double-occupancy rooms for less than 100 dollars a night. Otherwise, the hotels in the book are a little more expensive than what you can find, if you do your homework. Research online. Also, make sure to call the restaurants ahead of time. Places in Tokyo are almost impossible to find sometimes. They also have odd closing hours. Some restaurants recommended in the Timeout Guide no longer exist. Also needs to have a section on peculiar customs (ticket-machine restaurants, etiquette, etc).
But basically, if you just want to do the main attractions plus some local stuff, this guide is probably your best bet. Again, get a street atlas and a basic dictionary, you will need it if you are not travelling with a tour group.
Good luck! Tokyo will be a great adventure if you are prepared. I can't wait to go back.
Rating: 
Summary: Buy the Rough Guide to Japan Instead
Review: I recently visited Tokyo and brought both the TO Tokyo Guide (2nd Ed., 2001) and the Rough Guide to Japan (2001 Edition). Ultimately I found the Rough Guide to be much more usable, and most days I left the TO guide in my hotel room. Why?
The main reason is that the maps in the TO guide are close to useless:
1. The maps do not show where North is (each map is different), so orienting oneself, on exiting a subway station say, is hard.
2. The maps do not have a scale so it is not possible to judge distances.
3. There is no overall map showing the relative placement of the detailed maps. The Tokyo Overview map on p.288 is wholly inadequate.
4. The map keys and text do not also show the Japanese characters for names of places, so finding restaurants and so on is a matter of guesswork.
5. The subway map looks like it is a low quality scan, and is not particularly legible as a result.
6. Many places mentioned in the text are not shown on the maps despite the assertion on the back cover ("32 pages of color maps annotated with EVERY entry in the guide"). For example, in the Harajuku section (p.59) the following places are not on the map: Cafe Vasy, Elephant Cafe, Give Life, News Deli, Perbacco, Pizza Express, Red Pepper, Will V; and that's just in a two page section of the guide.
The Rough Guide does not suffer from any of these deficiencies, which unfortunately outweigh any advantages other parts of the TO guide may have.
Rating:
Summary: Buy the Rough Guide to Japan Instead
Review: I recently visited Tokyo and brought both the TO Tokyo Guide (2nd Ed., 2001) and the Rough Guide to Japan (2001 Edition). Ultimately I found the Rough Guide to be much more usable, and most days I left the TO guide in my hotel room. Why?
The main reason is that the maps in the TO guide are close to useless:
1. The maps do not show where North is (each map is different), so orienting oneself, on exiting a subway station say, is hard.
2. The maps do not have a scale so it is not possible to judge distances.
3. There is no overall map showing the relative placement of the detailed maps. The Tokyo Overview map on p.288 is wholly inadequate.
4. The map keys and text do not also show the Japanese characters for names of places, so finding restaurants and so on is a matter of guesswork.
5. The subway map looks like it is a low quality scan, and is not particularly legible as a result.
6. Many places mentioned in the text are not shown on the maps despite the assertion on the back cover ("32 pages of color maps annotated with EVERY entry in the guide"). For example, in the Harajuku section (p.59) the following places are not on the map: Cafe Vasy, Elephant Cafe, Give Life, News Deli, Perbacco, Pizza Express, Red Pepper, Will V; and that's just in a two page section of the guide.
The Rough Guide does not suffer from any of these deficiencies, which unfortunately outweigh any advantages other parts of the TO guide may have.
Rating:
Summary: Very good Tokyo resource
Review: I used this guide on a recent trip to Tokyo and found it to be very useful. I had both the Lonely Planet Tokyo and the Time Out Tokyo guides with me and Time Out won my favor. The content is similar between the two, but I found a bit more information included in Time Out, the maps are excellent, and the whole book is organised better. The listings are OK, but don't waste too much time searching for things listed in this book. I could not find any of the internet cafes that were listed. I did rely more on TokyoQ for restaurant listings because it seemed more up to date. Overall this is a good guide to get a general feel for this insane city. It is more off beat and youth oriented than the Fodors of the world. But Tokyo is a constantly changing storm of a megalopolis, no guide will give you the whole story, follow human recommendations and your instincts over anything you read in a guide book.
Rating:
Summary: A must buy if you are new to TOKYO!
Review: It's my survival kit in TOKYO!
Rating:
Summary: Get Lost With Time Out Tokyo
Review: Moments before embarking on a last-minute trip to Tokyo, I stopped in a bookstore in LAX in search of a guidebook on the city. I found only two: an overview of Japan (which was extraneous for this trip) and Time Out Tokyo. I purchased the latter, and was on my way. I read the book cover to cover on the flight over. I felt well-versed on many areas of the city and comfortable with choosing a path for my week-long trip. Despite the author's ubiquitous sarcastic and often pessimistic tone, I was hoping to find fun and excitement in at least a couple of areas of the city. Once there, however, I found I had to rely on other sources besides Time Out for some very important "touristy" information. While I realize it's impossible to include everything in one guidebook, there are certain things that would've been extremely helpful to include in Time Out ' which, in my mind, would elevate it from a '4 star' nice-to-have to a '5 star must-have travel resource. For instance: a map of the train lines. There is a map of the subway system, and one of the Yamanote loop, but not one of the Yamanote connecting lines that run throughout the city ' more or less, the backbone of the Tokyo train system (and my primary mode of transportation while there). I had to rely on a separate train line book for this information. Seems silly, when this information would have been easy enough to include in Time Out. Also, there are suggested supplemental trips from Tokyo (further than one hour away) and, although there are general directions on 'getting there,' there are no maps for the areas. What's more (something I couldn't believe) is that there is no comprehensive map of Tokyo, beyond the cluttered, blurry subway map and localized - very general - area maps. This would have been *extremely* helpful to have on more than one occasion. This should've been on the first page of the book. I would have liked to see a larger section dedicated to Kichijoji - one of the cooler, more lively areas I visited during my stay. There is only a slight mention of it. I would have also liked to have seen the Japanese characters accompanying some of the descriptions ' especially for some of the more obscure areas (as you get further outside of Tokyo, the signs all switch from Romanji to characters). Something else that would've been great is a general "tips and tricks" list for navigating around the city and understanding the culture. Examples of tips might include:
-Walk/drive to the left.
-Plan to buy N'EX tickets a day in advance and a half hour to one hour earlier
than you would like to arrive at the airport, in case of delays (which I had)
-Note that some temples/shrines charge exorbitant rates, while other-equally
impressive temples-are next to nothing or free.
-Although there is a brief section on ATMs more information should be included regarding getting money once you're
there. For instance, the CitiBank across the street from Shinjuku station takes
American cards. The best advice: save yourself the hassle, exchange your money
before you leave the States.
-Tips on general Japanese etiquette. Praying and showing respect at temples,
shrines (ie. donations, washing hands, general information on ceremonies
that may be taking place. Are you being disrespectful if you join, watch, speak,
etc.?) Also, eating on the trains is frowned upon - as I found out the hard way.
-Advice on how to operate the ticket machines and adjusting fares in the train stations would be great! Although the sarcastic tone often left me feeling as though the authors had no love for Tokyo, I did find the book helpful in many ways - offering interesting, sometimes quirky tidbits on the city and culture. Who knew Excelsior Coffee had to change their green to blue because Starbucks threatened to sue? And, although I didn't check into any love hotels, the section on how I could've, was truly enlightening. And thank God for the section on how to use the "non-Western" toilets. I'd have been lost for sure. If you're planning a trip to Tokyo and you don't mind buying a detailed map, train line book and doing a bit of research on your own regarding other cool things to do, then you'll be satisfied with the supplemental information Time Out Tokyo provides.
Rating:
Summary: The most practical guide to Tokyo by far
Review: The one poor review this book has unfairly received has prompted me to put metaphorical pen to paper. I have been living in Tokyo for over two years, and find this by far the most useful guidebook available. I've been through the Lonely Planet (no addresses, only phone numbers, how useful is that for non-Japanese speaking visitors?) and the Rough Guide (full of mistakes), and this is the only one that even comes close to bringing this disparate city to life. I like the way the book as a whole is structured. It takes its time to tell you what is interesting about the various areas that make up Tokyo and leaves you to make your own mind up about whether you want to go there. Sure, the Time Out style may at times grate, but at least there IS a style. This is a book that has an attitude of its own. You may not like it, but at least you don't have to wade through the clumsy mundanities that pass for prose in the competition. Guide books that wear their hearts on their sleeves and provoke a reaction are all too scarce, and Time Out is to be applauded for venturing into areas where few others go. One of these is the gay section. In my new edition, this has four pages, and the maps have served me well on many occasions, since I often carelessly leave my compass at home, preferring to navigate by the landmarks that are clearly marked on the maps. Other tips that I knew nothing about, even as a long-term resident, include dressing up for cheap tickets for the movies, and the location of two well hidden bars in Shibuya. In short, I would recommend this book to anyone coming to Tokyo for any time from a few days to a few years. It makes the city sound like the fun place it is, rather than the sterile futurescape of western imaginings. The nightclubs section alone is worth the price of admission.
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