At airports and major train stations, look for a sign that says "Baggage Delivery" or something simi

Tōkyō (東京) [1] is the capital of Japan . At over 12 million people in the official metropolitan area alone, Tokyo is the core of the most populated urban area in the world, Greater Tokyo (which has a population of 35 million people). ravenna hotel italy This huge, wealthy and fascinating metropolis brings high-tech visions of the future side by side with glimpses of old Japan, ravenna hotel italy and has something for everyone.
Huge and varied in its geography, with over 2,000 square kilometers (770 mi²) to explore, Tokyo Metropolis (東京都 Tōkyō-to ) spans not just the city, but rugged mountains to the west and subtropical islands to the south. ravenna hotel italy This article concentrates on the 23 central wards (区 ku ) near the bay, while the western cities and the islands are covered in a separate article .
The geography of central Tokyo is defined by the JR Yamanote ravenna hotel italy Line (see Get around ). The center of Tokyo the former area reserved for the Shogun and his samurai lies within the loop, while the Edo-era downtown (下町 shitamachi ) is to the north and east. Sprawling around in all directions and blending in seamlessly are Yokohama , Kawasaki and Chiba , Tokyo's suburbs.
Chiyoda ( Akihabara ) The seat of Japanese power (both political and economic) that includes the Imperial Palace , the Ministries near Kasumigaseki, the Parliament in Nagatacho, the corporate headquarters of Marunouchi, and the electronics mecca of Akihabara .
Minato ( Akasaka , Shinbashi , Roppongi , Odaiba , Shiodome ) Including the business centers of Akasaka and Shinbashi and the neighbouring nightclub district of Roppongi ravenna hotel italy , the port district (at least in name) which includes the artificial island of Odaiba , the skyscrapers of Shiodome .
East Many suburban wards, ravenna hotel italy including Adachi , where one can visit one of Kanto's Three Great Temples: Nishi-arai Daishi, Katsushika , known for the charming Showa-era atmosphere of Shibamata and Edogawa , a quiet eastern suburb.
Over 500 years old, the city of Tokyo grew from the modest fishing village of Edo (江戸). The city only truly began to grow when it became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603. While the emperor ruled in name from Kyoto , the true power was concentrated in the hands of the Tokugawa shogun in Edo. After the Meiji restoration in 1868, during which the Tokugawa family lost its influence, the emperor and the imperial family moved here from Kyoto, and the city was re-named to its current name, Tokyo. The metropolitan center of the country, Tokyo is the destination for business, education, modern culture, and government. (That's ravenna hotel italy not to say that rivals ravenna hotel italy such as Osaka won't dispute those claims.)
Tokyo is vast : it's best thought of not as a single city, but a constellation of cities that have grown together. Tokyo's districts vary wildly by character, from the electronic blare of Akihabara to the Imperial gardens and shrines of Chiyoda , from the hyperactive youth culture mecca of Shibuya to the pottery shops and temple markets of Asakusa . If you don't like what you see, hop on the train and head to the next station, and you will find something entirely different.
The sheer size and frenetic pace of Tokyo can intimidate the first-time visitor. Much of the city is a jungle of concrete and wires, with a mass of neon and blaring loudspeakers. At rush hour, crowds ravenna hotel italy jostle in packed trains and masses of humanity sweep through enormous and bewilderingly ravenna hotel italy complex stations. Don't get too hung up on ticking tourist sights off your list: for most visitors, the biggest part of the Tokyo experience ravenna hotel italy is just wandering around at random and absorbing the vibe, poking ravenna hotel italy your head into shops selling weird and wonderful things, sampling restaurants where you can't recognize a single thing on the menu (or on your plate), and finding unexpected oases of calm in the tranquil grounds of a neighbourhood Shinto shrine. It's all perfectly safe, and the locals will go to sometimes extraordinary lengths to help you if you just ask.
The cost of living in Tokyo is not as astronomical ravenna hotel italy as it once was. Deflation and market pressures ravenna hotel italy have helped to make costs in Tokyo comparable ravenna hotel italy to most other large cities. Visitors from San Francisco , Los Angeles , New York , and London will likely not find it any more expensive than back home. Travelers should budget a similar amount of money for their stay in Tokyo as they would for any other great city in Europe , North America or Australia . Locals will know the bargains, but experienced cheapskates from anywhere in the world can get by with a little ingenuity. Tokyo is one of the most popular places to live in Japan. It is also rated the fifth most expensive city to live in, in the world. Rent for a single's apartment could range from $US500 to $US1,000 a month. ravenna hotel italy Tokyo is so overwhelmingly crowded that apartments are usually no bigger than 175 square feet (16 square meters).
Tokyo is classified as lying in the humid subtropical climate zone and has four distinct seasons. ravenna hotel italy Summers are usually hot and humid with a temperature range of about 20-30 °C (68-86 ravenna hotel italy °F), though it can sometimes ravenna hotel italy climb into the high thirties. Winters are usually mild, with temperatures generally ranging from 0-10 °C (32-50 °F), though occasional cold spells can send temperatures plummeting below zero at night. Snow is rare, but on those rare occasions (once every few years) when Tokyo is hit by a snowstorm, much of the train network grinds to a halt. The famous cherry blossoms bloom in March-April and parks, most famously Ueno , fill up with blue tarps and sozzled salarymen.
Send your bags into town before you arrive Tokyo is crowded. Lugging ravenna hotel italy even a moderately sized suitcase through the subways and up stairs can be difficult, particularly during rush hour. Delivery ravenna hotel italy services ( takkyuubin ) deliver luggage dependably and quickly to nearly any address. You can send almost any shape or size of luggage, even bicycles, from and to the airport. One exception: if you have bottles of alcohol in your luggage, you'll have to carry those yourself even if the airline allowed them in your in checked baggage.
At airports and major train stations, look for a sign that says "Baggage Delivery" or something ravenna hotel italy similar. The most common company is called Kuroneko-Yamato , which has an easy-to-spot black-on-yellow logo of a mother cat carrying her kitten. Other companies include Nittsu and Sagawa . Japan Post , the national postal service, also offers luggage delivery called "Yu-Pack". Fees are based upon distance, expect to pay around 2000 within the greater Tokyo area. Usually, the delivery is performed the following day, in a specified time range.
This works the same way on departure. Most hotels and many convenience stores will take care of the pick-up for you, but you should check delivery times in advance, so that your luggage can arrive in time for your flight. Most services require that you send your luggage to the airport two days prior to your departure. You can pick up your luggage in the airport lobby. This makes getting to the airport a breeze. This service can also be used for intercity travel.
Tokyo's main international ravenna hotel italy gateway is Narita Airport (成田空港) ( IATA : NRT ) [2] , located in the town of Narita nearly 70 kilometers (43 mi) northeast ravenna hotel italy of Tokyo and covered in a separate article . A brief summary of options for getting there and away:
Fastest : Skyliner (Keisei Electric Railway) to Nippori and Ueno Stations, under 45 minutes, ravenna hotel italy 2,400; Narita Express (East Japan Railway Company) to Tokyo Station, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Yokohama, 55 minutes ravenna hotel italy and 2,940 ( 1,500 starting January 7 2014) to Tokyo Station. Japan Rail Pass valid for Narita Express.
Cheapest : Keisei Limited Express/Access Tokkyu trains to Nippori/Ueno, 60-80 minutes, 1,000-1,200 ravenna hotel italy (Access Tokkyu trains also serve some subway stations); "Super Shuttle" Bus to Ueno and Asakusa, 1,000
Domestic Terminal 1 houses the JAL group including Skymark and Skynet, while Domestic Terminal 2 is home to ANA and affiliate ravenna hotel italy Air Do. In 2010, Haneda opened a brand new International Terminal Building along with a new runway. International flights operate into Haneda from 18 cities, ravenna hotel italy with a number of these flights landing and departing during the late evening hours. Free shuttle buses run every six minutes between 05:00 and midnight, connecting the International terminal with both Domestic ravenna hotel italy terminals. Also, if you are flying on American Airlines to/from JFK in New York City, you will arrive in Haneda, not Narita International Airport.
The easiest and most scenic way from Haneda to the city is the Tokyo Monorail [4] running to Hamamatsucho for 470, from where you can connect to almost anywhere ravenna hotel italy in Tokyo on the JR Yamanote line. The monorail has a station at each of Haneda's three terminals. ravenna hotel italy From the International Terminal, trains reach Hamamatsucho in as little as 14 minutes on the nonstop services; the domestic terminals are about 5 minutes farther down the line. JR East maintains a Travel Service Center for foreigners in the International Terminal (11:00 to 18:30 daily) where vouchers can be exchanged for the Japan Rail Pass and JR East Rail Pass. The Tokyo Monorail ravenna hotel italy is fully covered ravenna hotel italy with either pass.
Starting on February 1, 2011, JR East will sell a special Suica fare package, called "Suica Monorail" [5] , exclusively to foreign visitors. The cost includes ravenna hotel italy a discounted fare on the Tokyo Monorail ravenna hotel italy (one-way or round-trip), 1500 to use on rail travel in Tokyo or on purchases at locations that accept the Suica card, and a 500 deposit. The "Suica Monorail" ravenna hotel italy ticket is sold only from the JR East Service Center at the international terminal, and can be purchased using cash or credit card. It can also be recharged with additional funds, but only by paying cash. The one-way ticket is 2400, and the round-trip ticket costs 2700; the return ravenna hotel italy trip to Haneda must be taken within 10 days.
The other alternative is the private Keikyu (京急) line, which has two train stations at Haneda: one for the International Terminal and one serving both Domestic terminals. Keikyu trains ru