Tokyo

Eyewitness Travel Guides

by DK Eyewitness Travel, Jon Burbank (Contributor)

Well organized, encyclopedic, and packed with local knowledge, this book brings Tokyo to life. It is packed full of illustrations and maps that capture the spirit of the city and its environs.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Japan, Reference

208 pages, Paperback

First published March 3, 2008

Reviews

[Ben]

Dokidoki Tokyo!

If you're planning a trip to Tokyo, this travel guide is a fantastic resource to have in your arsenal. It's packed full of great tips, insider information, and detailed descriptions of all the best places to go and things to do in the city. From must-see tourist attractions like the iconic Tokyo Tower to off-the-beaten-path hidden gems like local izakaya bars, this guide has it all.

What I particularly loved about this book is its stunning visuals - the colorful photos and detailed maps are a feast for the eyes and make it easy to plan your trip. The helpful descriptions and writing are also clear and concise, making it a breeze to navigate through.

While it's not the only guidebook out there, I think it's on par with some of the best in the business, like Fodor's. And while some parts of the book may seem a little basic, it's still a great starting point for anyone who's new to Tokyo or just looking for some fresh ideas.

Overall, I highly recommend this book for anyone who's planning a trip to Tokyo or just wants to learn more about the city. It's well worth the investment, and I think it deserves a solid rating of...

4.5/5

[Jo R]

Very detailed. Offered some interesting information about the multiple sides of the city. Wasn’t too interested in their itinerary but I could see the appeal to it. Definitely took notes haha.

[Sophie Crane]

An approachable guide to Tokyo and its different locations and culture. The photos are appealing (although they do not come to their full beauty due to the rather plain paper it is printed on, but that's a detail). It is well structured with an introduction to Tokyo's highlights as well as some suggestions for a 1, 3 and 5 day itinerary. The topics range widely from the city itself with its layout, foods, geek culture to WW II history etc. and it's good to have at hand.
There is a fold out map at the back showing the different parts of Tokyo in detail as well as an overview of the transport links on the inside of the back cover.
A good book for inspiration and planning. Especially if used with fully up-to-date information from the internet.

[Amy]

I think I have a different edition, but this book was great! It helped me have background on places we were going with a school tour before and after we visited. I like the color photos and now the book is a souvenir for our fabulous voyage.

For our travels, I was deciding where to go. The trip was planned for us, so I wasn’t reading the book to plan a trip. A lot of the info is organized to help you decide what you want to do with your time in Tokyo, so lots of people will find that useful. I was able to hop in and read about the places that were on our itinerary, as well as things nearby. There was history and background. I also liked reading about the geography and transport.

[Libby]

Always a pleasure, DK books. I think this book is best for history, culture and getting by rather than suggested places to eat and even things to see (though we did follow up on suggestions to both). Its survival guide is always full of useful information, small cultural nuances other books miss. Lots of info on the flavours of Japan!

But it also had 4 pages on the National History Museum. 4 bloody pages on what my husband said "made samurai swords boring." Get it to understand Tokyo better, not for the sights.

[Sarah Jackson]

I really like the Eyewitness Travel series of guides and find that they are excellent tools when planning a trip. The Tokyo version is great, with a comprehensive breakdown of the areas of the city (including suggestions for self-conducted walking tours) and great suggestions for day trips to surrounding areas. This pocket size guide is easy to pack, and contains great maps and handy hints and tips (like what menu items are, which travel passes to buy etc). If you are going to Tokyo, this book is worth the investment.

[Ashley Lambert-Maberly]

Good, not amazing, but perfectly decent travel guide. Does what's expected of it.

(5* = amazing, terrific book, one of my all-time favourites, 4* = very good book, 3* = good book, but nothing to particularly rave about, 2* = disappointing book, and 1* = awful, just awful. As a statistician I know most books are 3s, but I am biased in my selection and end up mostly with 4s, thank goodness.)

[Kai]

My first time reading one of these guides before travelling. It gave me a good understanding of what to look for when I get there and the lay of the land. I’ll have to wait until after my trip to see if it was worth it.

[Amy]

DK Eyewitness Tokyo has a lot of beautiful photos and really nice information easily grouped by area in Tokyo and then by neighborhood. This guidebook really has it all and has been a tremendous asset in planning my upcoming trip to Japan. If you can only get one, this is the one I would recommend.

[Ashley Curtis]

A very well written and breezy look at the various tourist attractions across Tokyo. It never goes too in depth with each location but it gives enough information to give you a general idea of the layout of Tokyo. A lot of the information felt very practical and useful for travellers.

[Ali Fallahi]

Although printed in 2008 but its content is still usable and informative. Reading this high quality book is a good source for visiting Tokyo and its suburbs.

[The Thursday Skunk]

Read this in anticipation for a honeymoon that would never be.

[Trena]

I am a huge fan of the Eyewitness Guides and the Tokyo edition was no exception. There are plenty of sightseeing options given, but it is well-edited so the information is not overwhelming. If one were to do an extended (monthlong or more) visit to Tokyo you'd want a more comprehensive book, but for a quick trip this lists the highlights. The history and culture information was also interesting and useful. I enjoyed my short trip very much with the help of the guidebook's recommendations.

[Phil]

Another in the excellent DK Eyewitness series - these give the travelere a great perspective on what they'll see when they get there. Focusing on the top tourist sites, the floor plans of museums and historical sites are better than any detailed description of the site. Hotel and restaurant info is sketchy, but that's what Frommers and Fodors are for.

[Natalie]

I tend to buy the DK Eyewitness Travel Guides because they have full-color photographs of most places mentioned in the book. This is especially helpful for when I return from the trip and cannot always remember what is in my personal photograph. I deducted a star from this guide because there were no mentions of Tokyo Disneyland.

[Dawn]

We used this guide pretty extensively when learning about many of the logistics of getting around and hanging out in Toyko this summer. We especially appreciated the photos on every page - so many more than any other book, and so necessary in such a foreign city!

[2bnallegory]

Not all inclusive but lots of nice pictures.

[James]

Good pocket guide to Tokyo with fantastic colour illustrations as expected from Eyewitness guides. Used to explore Tokyo in 2011.

[kristen]

Helpful

[Kelsey]

I usually love the DK guides, yet this one didn't have that much info considering the size of Tokyo.

[Dajuroka Reads]

Useful on our trip.

[Ellen Marks]

excellent , well written

[Cloay]

- available in SG NLB 915.213504 (Chengsan)