Why you should use a guidebook on your next trip to Tokyo
Tokyo Stroll and the value of a good guide
To our surprise and delight, a classic Stone Bridge Press travel guide was recently mentioned in the New York Times. Tokyo Q, some twenty years on from its publication, proves to have an enduring relevance. And in a city of Tokyo’s magnitude that’s no small feat. It speaks to the timelessness of a good travel guide.
But cities do change and so must our guidebooks. Tokyo Stroll was written in much the same spirit as Tokyo Q, highlighting locations that have stood the test of time and cultivated an abiding history. Even under normal circumstances, it takes keen judgment to know what to include and exclude from a guide. Conceived just before the tumult of the Covid emergency, Stroll had the further hurdle of reflecting the changing reality of travel and the face of post-Covid Tokyo. In this way it was predicting the future.
Did it succeed? I checked in with the author, Gilles Poitras, who recently returned from a trip to Japan. He revealed to me that only one location featured in the book has closed since its publication, due to the health of the proprietor. In a book of some 600 entries, this is more than a statistical anomaly.
In addition, I was also curious about the current state of travel to Japan from the United States. Gone are the Covid-era requirements of negative tests and vaccination records; travel now reflects pre-pandemic policies. Tourism has picked up but, according to Gilles, the crowds are still below their historical peak. Sounds ideal, right? Perhaps now is the best time to start to plan your trip. Just remember to take your copy of Tokyo Stroll.
Below is an excerpt from Tokyo Stroll’s chapter on Ningyōchō, literally “doll town,” a neighborhood historically associated with performing arts such as kabuki and, of course, bunraku puppet theater, but equally with its sophisticated ryōtei dining.
Tokyo Stroll is available in print and ebook on our website.
Tokyo Stroll is an ongoing project. Be sure to check out Gilles Poitra’s supplement to the book on his website, where he continues the guide beyond the neighborhoods featured in print.