Reddit reviews Tokyo City Atlas: A Bilingual Guide

Addresses: For an example of what the other poster wrote, I'll give a specific example. I used to live in Ninomiya 3-5-1. Meaning, I live in a neighborhood called Ninomiya, which itself is divided into several sections, and I live in the 3rd section of Ninomiya. My block is #5, and my building is #1 on the block. A lot of the numbering of blocks and buildings is based on when they were built up.


Directions: The modern version of turning left at the Johnson farm. "Take the expressway and then the exit for Mitsukaido. At the end of the ramp, take a left at the stoplight, then a right at the second 7-11. We live in the 3rd apartment building on the right, next to the ramen shop. At the E entrance, find our name on the list to ring and be let in."

Arrrgh: For those who want a more Western looking map, I recommend books like this one for Tokyo.

I used to use the Tokyo City Atlas in the dark days before smart phones, and it worked quite well for me.

Yup. It's overwhelming. Let me know if you want tips, but I'd really need to know:

How long you'll be there
What context (people, occasion) you're there in
What interests you

And buy one of these http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-City-Atlas-Bilingual-Guide/dp/1568364458/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412357947&sr=8-1&keywords=tokyo+atlas if you don't want to be crazy lost all the time.

And, if you're so inclined, think about learning the japanese alphabets—being able to read is huge bc so many words are english loanwords, you'll be like hey, I know that word! If you have time to learn one of the three writing systems (two of which are alphabets and relatively easy to learn), learn katakana: http://www.realkana.com

This map book of Tokyo was a god send to me even though I had taken one year of Japanese before I spent the summer there. It's bilingual so it'll help with trains and such for kanji you don't recognize.

http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-City-Atlas-Bilingual-Guide/dp/1568364458/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1370577812&sr=8-2&keywords=Tokyo+map

• What exactly is a JR Pass used for? Is it for any train/bus in Japan (except for 2 lines)? Would it be worth it if I'm only going to be in Tokyo for 4 days?
  
  The JR Pass is a 7 day or more pass that gives you access to most JR trains (JR is a train company in Japan). JR is the main company, but note that JR is not the only company, and the JR pass does not cover any other company's fares. Off the top of my head there's 7 or 8 train companies or public authorities aside from JR in the Tokyo area, although the vast majority of these are commuter lines -- 'spokes' out from central Tokyo. It's important to note that JR doesn't service most of central Tokyo (inside the JR Yamanote line) -- that's done by 2 subway operators.
  
  The other important note is that if you are coming to Japan on any real visa status (ie, not on a tourist visa or visa exception) you CANNOT use a JR Pass. They will let you buy it, but when you go to register it after landing in Japan, you'll be SOL.
  
  
• If so, would I hypothetically be able to use the JR Pass for just moving around Tokyo on the local trains for a few days or would that involve buying some other type of fare (same question for Fukuoka travel)?
  
  Only to a small extent, unless you wanted to stick to Yamanote and Chuo/Sobu line stops and walk/take a taxi the rest of the way. See above.
  
  
  
• If I only need a round-trip ride to Tokyo and back, would the 7 day JR Pass still be worth it for just getting to and from Tokyo for a few days?
  
  Probably not. You would practically committing a crime against tourism if you are going from Fukuoka to Tokyo and you don't stop in Kyoto and Nara, etc, however. There's timetables and prices out there- I don't have the URL handy at the moment.
  
  
• If not, what would I be better off doing? Buying tickets for the ride on my own or maybe just take a domestic flight?
  
  Domestic flights between Fukuoka and Tokyo are somewhat cheaper than the Shinkansen, and faster. If you only want to go to Tokyo that might be the way to go.
  
  
• Does anybody have any advice on the youth hostels in Tokyo or just general cheap accommodation advice (capsule hotel)?
  
  There's plenty of travel advice here, in /r/tokyo, and in /r/japantravel that covers this. Capsule hotels are a pain in the ass if you have luggage.
  
  
• If for some reason I don't have access to the internet on my phone, how do I avoid getting lost in Tokyo? Some of the maps I've seen are terrifyingly busy and confusing.
  
  There's some train/metro maps that are offline. Tokyo is a huge place, and their addressing system is totally different than the Western world. However, if you plan ahead, it's fairly easy to find what you want. There's area maps everywhere. You might want to consider learning some basic Japanese before you go.
  
  
• Should I buy a map or guidebook before coming so I can avoid getting lost?
  
  Sure. There's a great bilingual book of Tokyo maps. It's probably overkill for coming here for a week or so, but if you don't have a smartphone and are afraid of getting lost, it might be worth it.

It depends on how much detail you need. I found the Tokyo City Atlas published by Kodansha essential when I lived there. It was the only way I found to make sense of the fact that there are no street names - just building, block and district (chome) numbers.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Tokyo-City-Atlas-Bilingual-Guide/dp/1568364458

If you're visiting well known tourist spots its probably overkill though.