Tokyo Stroll: A Guide to City Sidetracks and Easy Explorations

by Gilles Poitras, Jake Adelstein (Foreword by)

Overview

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 includes:

• Over 600 locations to satisfy any interest including historical sites, art museums, upscale ryotei dining, traditional craft shops, shrines and temples, and remarkable architecture both traditional and stunningly modern
• 22 neighborhoods of Tokyo to experience, from the bright, bustling Shibuya to the serene shrines and temples of lesser-known Yanesen

• 150 maps to help you navigate, download the map markers for locations in Tokyo Stroll to your phone or tablet for easy access
• 75 full-page photos
• Practical advice on preparing your trip, with information on the best times of year to go, as well as how to use public transport and change money when you get there
• A primer on useful phrases and etiquette so you’re never left wondering
• Day trips to get you out of the city with advice on transportation
• A focus on history and businesses that have stood the test of time, often over 100 years
• A glossary of Japanese terms and an index

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781611720587
Publisher:	Stone Bridge Press
Publication date:	11/22/2022
Pages:	512
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.90(h) x 1.10(d)

About the Author

Gilles Poitras has produced three books on anime: Anime Companion (vols 1 & 2) and Anime Essentials. He has written for magazines including NewType USA and Otaku USA and served as a member of the senior board of Mechademia. He has made presentations at various Japan-US friendship groups, public libraries, the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, conventions, and workshops for librarians, has introduced films at the Smithsonian, and has taught a course on anime for Pixar staff. He resides in Oakland, California.

Jake Adelstein (Foreword) has been an investigative journalist in Japan since 1993. He is considered one of the foremost experts on organized crime in Japan and works as a writer and consultant in Japan, the United States and France. He is the author of Tokyo Vice: A Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan (Vintage, now a hit HBO series) and has written two other books published by Marchialy in France.

Table of Contents

Tokyo Stroll: Contents

Introduction

• Some Basic Etiquette
• Tokyo Is Ever Changing
• Religious Sites in Tokyo
• Things Seen and Not Noticed
• Preparation, Arrival, and Day 1
• Getting Directions
• Navigation Tools
• Walking
• Pasmo and Suica
• Trains and Subways
• Other Transit
• Shopping and Dining
• Tips on Pronunciation
• Style Elements
• Acknowledgements

The Maps

The Strolls

Akihabara and Nearby Kanda

Asakusa

Fukagawa

Ginza and nearby areas

Hakusan/Koishikawa Area

Hongō

Imperial Palace / Kōkyo

Marunouchi to Nagatachō

Meguro Station Area

Nihonbashi, North

Nihonbashi South, Kyōbashi, and Yaesu

Ningyōchō

North Western Sumida Ward

Omotesandō/Harajuku Area

Ryōgoku

Shibamata

Shibuya Station Area

Shinjuku Station Area

Tsukiji

Ueno

Yanesen (Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi)

Yoshiwara (Former) and Sanya

More Tips and References

• Day Trippin'
• Further Reading
• General Web Resources
• Glossary

Alphabetical Index

Entry Index by Chapter

Editorial Reviews

REVIEWS FOR AUTHOR'S PREVIOUS BOOK ANIME COMPANION

"This witty, humorous guide by Gilles Poitras is designed for enthusiasts of Japanese animation ("anime") who want to understand these films in depth rather than superficially. It is an explication of the ethnic nuances in these films, especially those set in historical or modern Japan, rather than a listing or discussion of anime itself."

—Animation World

"The Anime Companion is a great little handbook for fans of Japanese anime who want to learn more about the culture that spawned the medium and permeates the shows we love so much."

—Otaku World

"Poitras tells 'what's Japanese in Japanese animation' in glossary-style squibs that present a fascinating look at life in that country."

—San Francisco Chronicle

"Combining personal passion with an intelligent sense of perspective, this enjoyable book is just right for dipping into, full of amusing and informative snippets which fans will love and even non-fans can enjoy."

—Helen McCarthy, author of The Complete Anime Guide

"I've worked on over 20,000 pages of manga over the last ten years, and I still learned quite a bit from this fascinating book. For anyone with more than the most casual interest in anime and manga, The Anime Companion should be on their coffee table right next to the remote control."

—Toren Smith, Studio Proteus

"Entire generations of English speakers now receive their first exposure to Japanese culture through anime. But many cultural references can be puzzling. Gilles Poitras's book is like a Rosetta Stone for confused anime fans. Before slipping that next anime video into your VCR, make sure this book's handy!"

—Frederik L. Schodt, author of Manga! Manga! and Dreamland Japan

From the Publisher