Customer Reviews

Tokyo City Atlas: A Bilingual Guide (3rd Ed.)

5 star:		(44)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

It's hard to top what others have said, since my thoughts are praised exactly. This book is indespensable for your journeys around Tokyo. It features larger maps for the more popular areas like Shinjuku, Tokyo, Akihabara, Ikebukuro, etc. and smaller maps for the surrounding "ku". I have looked around, and it seems this is the only book that is detailed, up to date, and best of all, *Bilingual*! This alone could be the most important key element while navigated through complicated Kanji names. I'll explain why this is neccesary.

I am in Tokyo now in a small area called "Kameari", where the large, detailed maps at the tarin and bus stops dont have the names in English. Although major stops and final destinations are in English, if you're travelling to anything other than the last stop, you're going to have a huge problem buying tickets unless you have a photograhpic memory or can actually read Kanji! This book is a godsend; not everyone understands English if you need help! If all else fails, just point!

My only minor gripe is that on only a few of the stations, it mentions certain exits (like South Exit and West Exit, but failing to mention "North Exit"), and certain department stores. There is an "Ito-Yokado" Department store in both Aoto, Kameari, and Ayase, but the map only lists the nearest Department Store as in Ayase! This is minor, but a little troubling at times, especially in the HUGE stations.

Finally, even the Japanese need to look at the map of where they want to go sometimes. Again I mention the "only in Kanji" maps at the Station. This book has detailed information on where the train and subway routes are. Using this book, I was able to find a solid route back to my apartment before the Station Attendants could! Coincidentally, I'm still finding new routes to take with different lines one actually saved me 160yen per trip! The Japanese have a very complex train system, but also very well done...if you know the ropes. This book is the threads that make up those ropes.

-Doctor Cain

Ultimate guide to the streets and trains / subways of Tokyo, hands down. Nice slender profile and easy to use format. I personally use it to plan the day that is forthcoming. Now I can hop on the right train, transfer with ease at the right place, know which exit to leave the station, and walk to my destination. When a book can help tame the confusion of one of the world's largest cities and provide a sense of confidence in knowing the accuracy of it's information will easily get you to where you want to go, that is saying something.

The English-language maps of Tokyo I've found in guidebooks and elsewhere have generally been incomplete at best, so this map was a terrific find. I've lived in Tokyo for three years and can vouch for this map's utility.

The layout of the book is very simple and straightforward. There are maps of the entire city as well as smaller, more detailed maps of the major areas, such as Shibuya, Ikebukuro, etc...There are a couple pages with the train and subway routes, which is also very helpful and the index is handy when looking for a specific area. My only gripe is that the book isn't larger but I suppose it's been designed for people who want to carry it with them when exploring the city. In any event, this is a small concern; the book is just what I needed.

I've just returned from 2 & 1/2 weeks in Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka) ..and while Kyoto was a pleasure to navigate using only local tourist maps (such as the ones available at most hotels, or the Japan TIC offices).. Tokyo is another story. The JR and subway systems are a piece of cake, even for those who do not read or speak Japanese (as long as you ask a station attendant for the english map), but once you get up (or down) to street level.. that's where this little beauty really shines.. and without it, well, good luck!

Tokyo doesn't seem to have any english street signs.. and without landmarks for reference, it seems painfully easy to get turned around and completely lose your way, even within a small area. This book includes myriad landmarks with an emphasis on taller buildings, highly visible landmarks and english signage.. and I honestly don't know how we'd have found our way around Tokyo without it. I'd recommend this before any of the usual guide books, though most of them have plenty of useful information to help you plan your trip, all the plans in the world are worthless if you can't get to your destination. Buy this book and keep it with you every day that you plan on walking around Tokyo, it will prove its worth many times over as it saves you hours if not days of valuable travel time by helping you to get to where you are going in shinjuku, shibuya and the rest of this mad city.

Now in an updated and expanded third edition, Tokyo City Atlas: A Bilingual Guide is a comprehensive, "user friendly" English/Japanese collection of 51 maps invaluable to business and leisure travelers visiting Japan's capital city. 21 area maps of Metropolitan Tokyo list not only chome numbers but also block numbers (banchi); 18 maps of Central Tokyo include guidance to numbered subway station entrances; 7 maps of central Yokohama and Kawaski and access maps to U.S. Military bases Yokosuka, Yokota, and Zama round out this useful and practical full-color resource. An English/Japanese index allows for fast consultation in this "must-have" for Tokyo-bound tourists, students, and business travelers.

You are kind of stuck. You need a map like this to navigate Tokyo, and this is the only map of its kind on the market. In other words, you pretty much have to buy this book.

Unfortunately, as good as this map is, it still fell short of my needs. Too often on my trip, I found myself travelling in neighborhoods just slightly out of range of the map's detailed sections. There is a similar map made for London, which I have used in the past. That map is far more extensive and detailed, so I think my standards were set so high that this Tokyo map, while decent, is still too limited for me to declare it a 4 or 5 star publication.

This guide allowed us to trek all around Tokyo and environs with confidence. We didn't get lost once! I took it with me every day and navigated the subway and train systems like a pro. Even our Japanese friends were impressed by the guide's level of detail showing hotels, shops and landmarks. Highly recommended.

Quite simply, this atlas is worth its weight in gold. There are few street address systems more confusing than the Japanese variety, streets are rarely labeled (and even then, if you don't read Japanese, you're usually sunk), and guidebook maps, as I know from rueful experience, look precise and then require half an hour circling several look-alike blocks in confusion.

To all these problems, the Bilingual Atlas is the solution. Streets are labeled in Japanese and in romaji, block numbers are clearly designated, shrines, temples, hotels, stores and almost every conceivable point of interest are clearly labled, and the maps even mark where the various subway station exits deposit commuters. The subway and train maps are comprehensive and as easy to understand as anything you'll find.

My only complaint? The pages aren't completely waterproof, as I found out the hard way one night in Shinjuku.

This atlas is very light-weighted and handy in size. All location names are written in both romaji (English characters) and Japanese/Kanji characters. In addition to enclosing Metropolitan Tokyo Rail System and Tokyo Subway System, it provides detailed maps of Central Tokyo such as Ginza, Shinjuku, Asakusa, Ikenukuro, Harajuku, and Ueno, etc. All maps show the chome numbers and block numbers so that readers can easily identify the physical address location in Tokyo. The maps also show underground passage, park, subway, hospital, hotels, and so on. For all the subway stations on the maps, it indicates all the exits' numbers of the station, readers can locate which exist they should go to for getting closer to their destination.

Besides the Central Tokyo maps, it covers all 23 wards in Tokyo including: Adachi-ku, Arakawa-ku, Bunkyo-ku, Chiyoda-ku, Chuo-ku, Edogawa-ku, Itabashi-ku, Katsushika-ku, Kita-ku, Koto-ku, Meguro-ku, Minato-ku, Nakano-ku, Nerima-ku, Ota-ku, Setagaya-ku, Shibuya-ku, Shinagawa-ku, Shinjuku-ku, Suginami-ku, Sumida-ku, Taito-ku, and Toshima-ku. The atlas also inlcudes helpful supplemental indexes for looking up Hotels and Inns, Embassies, and Airlines locations. Overall, this is a MUST-HAVE for tourists walking & shopping around in Tokyo.

(Reviewed by Otto Yuen, 03-July-2007)

This book was referred to me by a colleague who is also living in Tokyo. The book is easy to use and very detailed. You can quickly apply the unique addressing system used in Tokyo and find your way. The only "negative" that I have with the book is the "go to this page" references are not always as aligned once you turn to the next map. You need to look at the map to reorient yourself. However, this book was so useful we purchased additional copies. Must have if you are moving or travelling to Tokyo.