How many days do I need for Tokyo?+
Three to four days is enough for the main districts and sights, five with one trip to Kamakura or Hakone. Tokyo is huge, though, and every neighborhood has its own character, so anyone who wants to eat, shop and just wander won't get bored even in a week. Most visitors combine Tokyo with Kyoto and Osaka over ten to fourteen days.
Is the Japan Rail Pass worth it?+
Usually not, since the 2023 price hike. A seven-day pass costs fifty thousand yen, while a round-trip shinkansen Tokyo–Kyoto ticket runs about twenty-eight thousand. It only pays off on a Tokyo–Kyoto–Hiroshima-and-back route within one week. Within Tokyo, a Suica card is all you need; for day trips, regional passes are better value.
Is Tokyo expensive?+
Less than people say. Thanks to the weak yen, food is cheaper than in Prague for comparable quality — a bowl of ramen for a thousand yen, a lunch set for fifteen hundred. Accommodation is pricier: a decent hotel room for two runs twenty to thirty thousand yen a night, and rooms are small. Transport and admission fees are cheap, and shrines, temples and the city hall observation deck are free.
Will English get me by?+
Yes at hotels, the airport and tourist information counters, less so at ordinary restaurants and shops. It helps that transit signage is bilingual and train announcements come in English too. The most useful tool is Google Translate's camera mode for menus, plus a few words like sumimasen (excuse me) and arigatō (thank you).
Do I need to book restaurants in advance?+
Only at renowned sushi, kaiseki or Michelin-starred restaurants, and that means booking weeks ahead through your hotel's front desk or platforms like Omakase and TableCheck. Ramen shops, izakaya and ordinary restaurants don't take reservations — where you see a line, join it. Small bars often fill up by seven on Friday and Saturday evenings.
When do the cherry blossoms bloom in Tokyo?+
Usually from the last week of March into the first days of April; full bloom lasts about a week, and the exact date shifts by a few days each year. The Japan Meteorological Agency issues bloom forecasts from January. The prettiest spots are Ueno Park, the Meguro canal, Shinjuku Gyoen, and the Imperial Palace moats, where you can rent a rowboat.
Is it safe to walk around Tokyo at night?+
Yes, Tokyo is one of the safest major cities in the world, and walking alone at night is not a concern. The only real trap is touts in Kabukicho and Roppongi inviting people into bars — the bill can then balloon to tens of thousands of yen. Only follow an invitation into a venue that has a visible price list, and never accept invitations approached on the street.
How do you pay for things in Tokyo?+
Cards are accepted almost everywhere now, including convenience stores and taxis, but small eateries, temples and stalls are still cash-only — carry ten to twenty thousand yen. The most practical option is a Suica card loaded onto your phone, which pays for transport, vending machines and shops alike. Foreign cards reliably work at 7-Eleven and post office ATMs.
