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Tokyo Stroll: A Guide to City Sidetracks and Easy Explorations
Tokyo Stroll is the best guidebook for travelers who want to wander the streets and discover the city as it unfolds before their eyes. There is no "start at point A and go to point B" prescribed route. Instead you are invited to wander as whimsy takes you. This guide A glossary of Japanese terms and an index
- GenresTravel
510 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 22, 2022
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
August 11, 2023
Now this is a book! I’ve been a fan of the author, Gilles Poitras, ever since I saw his work “The Anime Companion” advertised on a KTEH pledge drive. Anecdotally, I quite like Poitras’s style. For years now, he’s hosted panels at anime conventions, and I’ve had the pleasure of attending his illuminating talks on how to navigate Tokyo. He’s also written meticulous liner notes about the many Tokyo sights that appear in Megazone 23 – a film deeply steeped in the city’s minutiae.
These are the sorts of credentials I personally like to see, and Gilles Poitras delivers. His effort combines exhaustive research and fact-checking with personal notes from 15 years of exploring the city. Among the many travel books specializing in Japan, this one tries to answer a specific question – “how does one best navigate Tokyo on foot?” This is answered with an incredible attention to detail, befitting of a retired librarian.
Despite being a 500 page monster, it is very digestible. Included are lots of photos and diagrams to organize information and help you visualize the different neighborhoods. Also, this book is written in a way that is mindful of costs, so it’s an easy recommendation for someone trying to see Tokyo on a budget. What you have here is the ultimate “walking tour” book, giving you the tools to wander through areas crowded with sights. This does mean some outer areas of Tokyo are left out, but, well, the book isn’t called “Bussin’ it Through Edo”. I have so much confidence in this author that I bought 8 copies of this book and gave it to each of my friends headed to Japan. Here’s what one of them had to say:
“I enjoyed random strolling, as Tokyo is so dense with interesting things to do. The book is easy to follow, and it’s great for district recommendations. Tokyo has so much stuff to discover.”
My wife and I will use this extensively next year as we plan our first trip to Japan together. I look forward to strolling through Tokyo with confidence. Highly recommended!
(Reposting my review from Amazon)
These are the sorts of credentials I personally like to see, and Gilles Poitras delivers. His effort combines exhaustive research and fact-checking with personal notes from 15 years of exploring the city. Among the many travel books specializing in Japan, this one tries to answer a specific question – “how does one best navigate Tokyo on foot?” This is answered with an incredible attention to detail, befitting of a retired librarian.
Despite being a 500 page monster, it is very digestible. Included are lots of photos and diagrams to organize information and help you visualize the different neighborhoods. Also, this book is written in a way that is mindful of costs, so it’s an easy recommendation for someone trying to see Tokyo on a budget. What you have here is the ultimate “walking tour” book, giving you the tools to wander through areas crowded with sights. This does mean some outer areas of Tokyo are left out, but, well, the book isn’t called “Bussin’ it Through Edo”. I have so much confidence in this author that I bought 8 copies of this book and gave it to each of my friends headed to Japan. Here’s what one of them had to say:
“I enjoyed random strolling, as Tokyo is so dense with interesting things to do. The book is easy to follow, and it’s great for district recommendations. Tokyo has so much stuff to discover.”
My wife and I will use this extensively next year as we plan our first trip to Japan together. I look forward to strolling through Tokyo with confidence. Highly recommended!
(Reposting my review from Amazon)
August 4, 2023
Tokyo Vice? Tokyo Nice!
If I was to spin a yarn about a guidebook, it would be about a dame like 'Tokyo Stroll.' She's not your average jane; she's a seductress, a beacon in the foggy labyrinth that is Tokyo, a starburst illuminating the dense alleys with her glowing charm.
'Tokyo Stroll' doesn't go by the book, instead, she encourages you to lose yourself, to absorb the spirit of the city, and drown in the river of endless discovery. She takes you by the arm, whispers the secrets of the twisted paths, and lets you loose in the maze of the city's heart, where every alleyway's a tale, every corner's a revelation.
There's no marching orders, no "follow the leader" nonsense. It's just you and the city, bound by a book full of heart, full of spirit. It ain't just a guide, it's more like a companion, a silent partner who knows her way around the glittering metropolis.
Her maps, they're like little nuggets of gold, stashed away in a prospector's bag. More than a hundred and fifty of them, each revealing a different facet of the city's soul. She doesn't just show you the pretty parts, she pulls back the curtain and reveals the heart of the matter, the true essence of Tokyo.
She's got words on every little detail; etiquette, money, even travel tips. The book's not just about getting you there, it's about making you a part of the fabric of the city. Not just a visitor, but a denizen, a part of the city's living, breathing soul.
So if you're yearning for a waltz around Tokyo's alleyways, if you're hankering to taste the essence of the city's spirit, then 'Tokyo Stroll' is your gal. She's not just a book; she's a whispered invitation, a silent vow to reveal the city's veiled beauty. This ain't just a guide, it's a love letter to Tokyo, and one helluva stroll through her enchanting boulevards.
If I was to spin a yarn about a guidebook, it would be about a dame like 'Tokyo Stroll.' She's not your average jane; she's a seductress, a beacon in the foggy labyrinth that is Tokyo, a starburst illuminating the dense alleys with her glowing charm.
'Tokyo Stroll' doesn't go by the book, instead, she encourages you to lose yourself, to absorb the spirit of the city, and drown in the river of endless discovery. She takes you by the arm, whispers the secrets of the twisted paths, and lets you loose in the maze of the city's heart, where every alleyway's a tale, every corner's a revelation.
There's no marching orders, no "follow the leader" nonsense. It's just you and the city, bound by a book full of heart, full of spirit. It ain't just a guide, it's more like a companion, a silent partner who knows her way around the glittering metropolis.
Her maps, they're like little nuggets of gold, stashed away in a prospector's bag. More than a hundred and fifty of them, each revealing a different facet of the city's soul. She doesn't just show you the pretty parts, she pulls back the curtain and reveals the heart of the matter, the true essence of Tokyo.
She's got words on every little detail; etiquette, money, even travel tips. The book's not just about getting you there, it's about making you a part of the fabric of the city. Not just a visitor, but a denizen, a part of the city's living, breathing soul.
So if you're yearning for a waltz around Tokyo's alleyways, if you're hankering to taste the essence of the city's spirit, then 'Tokyo Stroll' is your gal. She's not just a book; she's a whispered invitation, a silent vow to reveal the city's veiled beauty. This ain't just a guide, it's a love letter to Tokyo, and one helluva stroll through her enchanting boulevards.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews