TOKYO off the tourist trail

BYPASS THE USUAL SUSPECTS AND EXPERIENCE JAPAN'S CAPITAL CITY LIKE A LOCAL

GET OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

Most visitors will stick to Toyko’s well-trodden touristy path, but there’s a labyrinth of empty backstreets just waiting to be explored, so consider planning a trip with a local guide.

Japan travel specialists, Inside Japan Tours, curate food-based adventures across Tokyo and Japan that can be tailored – thanks to its network of expert guides – to cover more unseen areas. insidejapantours.com

CHECK INTO A RYOKAN

Once a place for nomadic samurai to rest their weary heads, these days ryokan (traditional inns) caters to anyone looking to get a sense of Japan of yesteryear.

Tokyo’s first luxury ryokan, HOSHINOYA Tokyo, pairs authenticity with contemporary technology (there’s TVs and Wi-Fi throughout). Rooms are furnished with traditional low futon beds, tatami mats and sliding screen ‘shoji’ doors, and the atmosphere is soothingly serene.

Slip into the provided kimonos, explore the incense-scented corridors and take advantage of inclusive activities, including daily sake tastings, music performances and – for an Insta-worthy snap – morning ‘Kenjutsu’ (samurai sword) practice on a rooftop helipad. hoshinoya.com

FEAST ON FISH

The Japanese are one of the world’s highest consumers of fish. And the source of the country’s premium catches? The famed Tokyo fish markets.