Tokyo trip for Australians: a first-timer's plan

A Tokyo trip for Australians normally needs no visa for a tourist stay under 90 days. One rechargeable card pays for trains, subways and buses, and our plan fits the big sights into four days.

Sources for this section: Smartraveller, Japan travel advice; JR East, Suica.

Before you go: entry, money and season

Smartraveller, the Australian Government's travel advice site, says visas are not normally required for tourism visits of less than 90 days. JNTO, Japan's national tourism body, lists Australia as visa exempt and says your passport must stay valid for your whole stay. Officers may refuse entry if you cannot show enough money, an onward or return ticket, or confirmed accommodation. Tourists aged 16 or over are fingerprinted and photographed on arrival. You must carry your passport at all times.

Bring yen. Smartraveller says cash is preferred in Japan and many shops do not take cards. Seven Bank says over 22,000 of its ATMs in 7-Eleven stores pay out yen on cards issued overseas, though some cards may not work.

JNTO lists Sydney one hour ahead of Tokyo. Japan has no daylight saving, so the gap changes when your clocks do. JNTO puts the rainy season on Honshu from early June to early July. Smartraveller gives the typhoon season as May to November, and JNTO says typhoons come ashore most often in August and September. Cherry blossom usually peaks in Tokyo from late March to early April, as our cherry blossom guide explains.

Sources for this section: Smartraveller, Japan travel advice; JNTO, Visa Information, Climate and Time Differences; Seven Bank, cards issued overseas.

From the airport to the city

Narita is 60 km east of central Tokyo. The Narita Express (N'EX) takes about an hour to Tokyo Station and costs ¥3,020 one way, and some trains go on to Shinjuku. Holders of non-Japanese passports can buy an adult round-trip N'EX ticket for ¥4,000, against ¥6,040 at regular round-trip fares to Tokyo Station. It is valid for 14 days and is not sold outside Japan, so buy it at Narita Airport.

Haneda is 15 km from the centre. The Tokyo Monorail takes 13 minutes to Hamamatsucho for ¥490, and the Keikyu line takes 13 minutes to Shinagawa for ¥410.

Sources for this section: JNTO, Narita Airport and Haneda Airport; JR East, N'EX TOKYO Round Trip Ticket.

Suica, PASMO and subway tickets

Pay for transport with a Suica or PASMO card. JR East sells Suica, and subway and private rail operators sell PASMO. They work in similar ways: touch the card on the gate and the fare comes off the balance. Both also pay in shops and vending machines. They cover most trains, subways and buses around Tokyo, but not the Shinkansen.

A Suica starts at ¥1,000, which includes a ¥500 deposit. Bring cash. JR East says a credit card cannot load a Suica, and PASMO says its cards must be bought with cash. JR East Travel Service Centers sell Suica at Narita, Haneda, Tokyo and Shinjuku. When you leave, return a JR East Suica at a JR East station. A ¥220 fee comes off the balance, and you get the rest back with the ¥500 deposit.

The Tokyo Subway Ticket gives unlimited rides on every Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway line for 24, 48 or 72 hours from first use. Adults pay ¥800, ¥1,200 or ¥1,500. Narita and Haneda airports sell it only to overseas tourists, and staff check your passport.

Sources for this section: JR East, Suica; Tokyo Metro, PASMO and Tokyo Subway Ticket; PASMO, home page and FAQ.

Do you need a rail pass?

For a trip that stays in Tokyo, probably not. The Japan Rail Pass costs ¥29,110 for 7 days in ordinary class for adults, as of March 2016. It covers most JR Group trains, the Tokyo Monorail and some JR buses, but not Nozomi and Mizuho Shinkansen trains. Tokyo Metro and Toei subway lines are not on its list.

To get the pass, buy a voucher, called an Exchange Order, before you reach Japan: it cannot be bought there. Swap it for the pass within three months of the issue date, at a JR exchange office such as Narita, Haneda or Tokyo Station. Show your passport with its Temporary Visitor stamp.

Our sums for four days, from the prices above: a round-trip N'EX ticket (¥4,000), a 72-hour subway ticket (¥1,500) and a 24-hour one (¥800). That comes to ¥6,300, under a quarter of the 7-day pass. In our view, a pass only pays off if you add long Shinkansen trips, so price those trips first.

Sources for this section: Japan Rail Pass site, About JAPAN RAIL PASS, From purchase to travel and exchange offices; JR East, N'EX TOKYO Round Trip Ticket; Tokyo Metro, Tokyo Subway Ticket.

A four-day outline

Day 1: Asakusa and Skytree. Senso-ji says it is Tokyo's oldest temple and draws some 30 million visitors a year. Then ride the Tobu Skytree Line for 3 minutes to Tokyo Skytree, a 634 m tower that opened in May 2012.

Day 2: Ueno and Akihabara. Ueno Park has several museums, a zoo and a pond with rowboats, and the Tokyo National Museum is inside it. Akihabara is a famous electronics district. Many foreign visitors go there for anime and video game goods.

Day 3: Harajuku, Shibuya and Shinjuku. Start in Harajuku at Meiji Jingu, a shrine to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken that JNTO calls an oasis in the middle of the city. In Shibuya, watch the scramble crossing by the station's Hachiko exit. End in Shinjuku, where the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building has two free observation decks 202 m up.

Day 4: the East Gardens and Edo-Tokyo Museum. The Imperial Palace East Gardens are free. They close on Mondays and Fridays (national holidays can change that), from 28 December to 3 January, and sometimes for Imperial Court functions or other events. Then ride to Ryogoku for the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which covers Tokyo's history from the Edo period to today.

Sources for this section: Senso-ji, About Senso-ji; JNTO, temples and museums route and old and new Tokyo route; Imperial Household Agency, East Gardens opening times; Tokyo Metropolitan Government, Observation Decks; Wikipedia, Shibuya (June 2016 revision).

Staying safe

Smartraveller advises Australians to exercise normal safety precautions in Japan. It notes earthquakes, tsunamis, typhoons and volcanic activity. It cites reports of bars and clubs, particularly in Roppongi and Kabuki-cho, targeting foreigners with overcharging, drink spiking, fraudulent card charges, illegal drugs and, in some cases, assault. It strongly recommends avoiding street touts and drinks from strangers. It adds that Japan bans importing some medicines, such as those with pseudoephedrine, which is found in some cold and flu tablets. Check the Embassy of Japan's medicine page before you pack.

Sources for this section: Smartraveller, Japan travel advice.