Tōkyō, Japan

Wow! Ancient culture paired with merciless modernity. Old wooden houses crammed in between large glass towers. Regardless where you go or look, you'll experience a wondrous world! A must-visit: Take the elevator up to the observation deck of the municipal building in Shinjuku, the city's "skyscraper district", to get a breathtaking view. If you seek proof of extraterrestrial life, visit Tsukiji fish market. But be there very early in the morning or all you'll trip over will be stray cats.

For a little over 5000 yen/night, the Ryokan Kangetsu is a nice place to stay at: http://www.kangetsu.com/sub7.htm It's located in a peaceful residential area about half an hour from Yamanote Line (including changing train once) and has its very own charm - with the rooms located around a garden that also features an open-air hottub and two "living rooms" with free internet access.

visiting one of the town-hall towers is brilliant. great view and especially very erarly in the morning you see mount fuji and the whole city. i love it

When you get out of a cab in Tokyo, dont shut the door. The driver has a lever that he uses to shut the passenger door. If you try and shut the door, sometimes the lever "kicks" back at the driver, and they dont like that.

Hectic, full of energy. Countless amount of places to see and visit. And yes, like juhah said - the food is brilliant. If you want to support the locals, buy your food from the marketplace(s) or small 'booths'. The so called street food makes you drool.

Oh and by the way, a week in this city is nothing. Spend at least two to see the true colours of Tokyo.

Beautiful place with excellent food. A culture that I will never learn to understand.

If you're looking for budget lodging in Tokyo, I highly recommend the Asakusa Ryokan Toukaiso in the Asakusa District. It's not fancy, but it was very comfortable. The only negative (not for me, but for some people) is that the rooms are small, roughly 7' x 10', but that's a traditional size for Japanese inns. However, for 4500 yen/night (about $38 when I went, about $43 now), it's about the same price as one of those capsule hotels, with much more amenities. The room had a TV, tea set, phone, a yukata (robe) to wear, and most importantly, a private toilet, shower, and bath. In the hall was a refrigerator -- you're supposed to write your name on your food, but that wasn't a problem as I was the only one out of the 10 or 12 rooms that used it. Near the front desk is a PC with internet access for guests to use, and there is a coin-operated washer and dryer at the top of the stairs. Buy packs of detergent at the front desk, and bring extra change -- the dryer isn't as powerful as the one you have at home. Or hang your clothes out to dry on the roof. The staff was friendly and spoke enough English to be helpful. The location was very quiet, while still being just a few blocks from Tawaramachi Station on the Ginza subway line, the stunningly beautiful Sensoji Temple, and the Nakamise shopping district. It's not somewhere you'd necessarily want to bring the whole family (and they don't allow children under 6), but for a single or two people traveling light, this place is ideal. Their web site, in Japanese and English, is http://www.toukaisou.com/.

Ryoukan Katsutaro
www.katsutaro.com
This is a very nice small inn with Japanese style rooms and free internet access. Come here when the cherry blossoms bloom and take a walk in the Ueno park.

I love the place! The food is exceptianal and the city is beautiful! The only hard part is that you will not understand a single word of what is going on.

Wild, energetic and amazing.

The subways needn't be confusing, just buy the cheapest ticket and pay the fare at the fare adjustment machine wherever you get off

The city is too hectic, but I love Japanese food.

Hectic, full of energy. Countless amount of places to see and visit. And yes, the food is brilliant. If you want to support the locals, buy your food from the marketplace(s) or small 'booths'. The so called street food makes you drool.

Oh and by the way, a week in this city is nothing. Spend at least two to see the true colours of Tokyo.

Stay underground to find your way around the city. It's easier to navigate underground, clearer signage.

Part of my "Japan excursion 2009"

Great park for taking a walk. Come here when the sun is going down.

If you like Studio Ghibli animated films like My Friend Totoro, or Spirited Away, this is the place to go when in Tokyo. Ghibli Museum is located in this small city, containing spectacular items related to Studio Ghibli movies, including authentic art. The architecture of the museum itself is also quite something to be seen, like something from movies. And there is even a chance to see a Studio Ghibli movie only to be seen at the museum. You can find instructions how to get there easily from the museum website http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/ticket_information/
Be sure to reserve also tickets from the website, as the museum is strictly by advance reservation only. Luckily though nowadays the website is also available in English.

In need of fur therapy? The place to go is Nekobukuro, located on the top floor of Tokyu Hands store in Ikebukuro. About 20 cats live there and you can pet them as much as they like. The entrance fee is 600 yen.

Nice landmark, but very "touristy" kind of place.

Mori Museum has often nice exhibitions + great blade-runneresque in the evening.

Although the Tokyo Tower can be a bit touristy don't pass up the chance to visit and eat at the Tokyo Curry Lab. Found on the 2nd floor below Tokyo Tower
this is probably one of the easier restaurants to give directions to and to find in Tokyo. The food is great and the interior is a Wonderwall design.

User attached a link to tokyocurrylab.jp

Lots of shopping centre and theme park, I went there in august and it was really crowded. Nice place for kids

Have a nice walk along the Sumida River bank on a sunny morning. Some homeless people seem to have settled down here in more or less permanent blue plastic tents.

If instead of playing arcade games you want to buy them, make sure to visit G-Front, Mak Japan and TRY which are all located in Akihabara. G-Front is the best of the three (great service and prices!) - check the map in the link for directions!

User attached a link to akiba-ch.com

Visit the Ramen Museum in Yokohama, really superb!

User attached a link to raumen.co.jp

Meet the local computer nerds. All you ever wanted to buy for your computer, camera or other electronic device is here. Not that cheap, though.

I am sure there are larger collections of modern art to see in the other modern art museums in Tokyo but this one is close to the Imperial Gardens which are worth walking through.

There is a free panorama cafe in both towers on the 45th floor. At least from the Southern tower the view to Mountain Fuji is incredible during sunset.

Hachikō was a dog who came to the station every day when his master went to work. After his master died, the dog still came to the station. There's a statue of Hachikō built adjacent to the station - check it out!