A room for the night
Like any major city, good quality, affordable accommodation in Tokyo is hard to find. Most hotels are pricey and aimed at business folk on expense accounts. Budget options can often be tiny and in poor condition. One exception is Hotel Astil, right next to Ueno station. It may be a business hotel and the rooms small, but they're clean and the rates are good. As one of Tokyo's largest stations, Ueno has excellent connections to airports and attractions.

Sushi
Japan's best-known food is of course Sushi, and the mecca for lovers of raw fish is Tokyo's Tsukiji market - nearest station Tsukiji, two stops from Ginza on the Hibiya line. Get there before 10am and you'll see bustling market stalls selling all manner of seafood. Look out for Sushizanmai, a good sushi restaurant that's open 24-hours. For some of the best sushi in town though, head to Midori near to Umegaoka station.

Temples
Japan is packed with temples, but if you only have time for one in Tokyo, head to Senso-ji in Asakusa - closest station Asakusa on the Ginza line. From here, cross the main road and take the second on the right. This leads you up Nakamise-Dori, a market street lined with tourist trinkets, and finally to Senso-ji itself, a shrine to Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. Look out for bowing and clapping worshippers, messages or wishes on tiny wooden plaques, along with a huge cauldron of incense. Be sure to explore the many side streets where you'll come beautiful red flags and further small temples. You may also wish to arrive or depart Asakusa by water boat, which offers a pleasent river cruise to Hinode pier near Ginza. If you get a taste for temples, it's well worth also visiting Meiji-jingu, nearest station Harajuku on the Yamanote line.

Mount Fuji overnight trip
If you have several days in Tokyo, one of the best overnight trips is a visit to Mount Fuji, or as the Japanese respectfully call it, Fuji-San. The classic volcanic profile can be glimpsed from the Tokyo to Kyoto Shinkansen (or even from Tokyo after a smog-clearing downpour). For the best views though, head to the Kawaguchi-ko (five lakes) region. Strangely the quickest and easiest route from Tokyo isn't on a Shinkansen, but a bus from Shinjuku - the terminal is at the West exit from the train station. Buses costing just Y1,700 return take an hour and three quarters to make the journey and leave Shinjuku at ten past the hour, returning at 59 minutes past the hour. There's plenty of hotels and lodges around the lakes, but one of the best is Sunnide which has traditional rooms for Y12,600 and hot tubs which overlook the classic view. The lodge has a free pickup from the bus station and can return you the following morning. If you want to stay later, public buses regaularly pass by.

Electronics shopping, Bladerunner-style
If you thought Bladerunner's Los Angeles was a vision of the distant future, head to Akihabara and see it today. Akihabara is Tokyo's shopping district for electronics and computers, combining large stores with street markets. Larger shops take credit cards and you can negotiate prices using a calculator. A number of places in Japan only take cash though, and few ATMs work with Western cards. Best bets are Citibank and Post Office ATMs. Stores in Akihabara close at 6pm.

Night-time Neon
Tokyo comes to life at night when bathed in neon, and no area more so than Ginza. One of the most famous shopping districts in Tokyo, Ginza is an ideal introduction to bustling Japanese consumerism. A visitor could stand for hours memerised at the masses of shoppers at Sukiyabashi Crossing heading in literally every direction. And you know you've arrived in Japan when you spot a Shinkansen gliding over the nearby railway bridge. Other large neon-lit shopping areas include Shibuya and Shinjuku, both of which illustrate the varied tribes of Tokyo's youth.

Drink with the locals...
After a hard day taking in the Ginza's department stores head towards Yakitori Alley, a street running alongside the railway line to Tokyo station. Under each railway arch is a bar or restaurant, many serving Yakitori, or kebabs, to munch while sinking another large glass of beer. These are the Tokyo pubs where you'll drink with the locals and possibly be one of very few Western faces. You could start a Yakitori-crawl by taking the Maranouchi exit from Tokyo station and turning left, but to get right in the thick of things, go to Hibiya station and head for the nearby arches. One of the best joints is Tonta: House of Yakitori - go to Hibiya, turn right at the arches and look for the sign with the pig. Yakitori kebabs come in many varieties: for beef, ask for Gyu-Niku, for chicken, ask for Sasami, and for small green peppers, ask for Piiman. And when you raise your glass, say Kampai! Japanese for Cheers!