This bright, bold city guide contains everything you need to know to fully embrace all Tokyo has to offer and explore its urban hubs. From what to do and where to stay to hidden gems and essential eating spots, Tokyo-born Makiko Sano clues you in on the city’s must-see sights and experiences. She brings you the real, authentic Tokyo, beyond the tourist traps and basic sightseeing lists.

The book opens with a Visiting Tokyo chapter where you will find out how to greet locals, deal with currency, dress for the weather, get around the city and use public transport – invaluable local knowledge that you’ll not find in other travel guides. The book then discusses 14 urban hubs, specializing on: Shinjuku, the Electrifying Entertainment District; Shibuya, the Trendsetting Youth Hub; Ginza, the Gleaming Luxury District; Asakusa, the Living Time Capsule; Harajuku, Kawaii Capital and Fashion Playground; Ikebukuro, the Vibrant Entertainment District. Each hub covers Places to Stay, Places to Eat, Places to Visit, Cultural Spots, Hidden Gems and Local Tips.

And because Tokyo isn't just about seeing but doing, there's an Experience Tokyo section, on where to go for hands-on workshops, craftmaking and cooking classes, tea ceremeonies and karaoke.

Tokyo-born Makiko Sano is an established author, having published two titles for Quadrille: Sushi Slim (2013) won the Gourmand World Cookbook Award in 2013 and has been translated into 17 languages including English, French, Spanish, Italian, Dutch and Swedish; Shoku-iko: Japanese Conscious Eating for a Long and Healthy Life (2015); and one for Welbeck: Ramen. Trained in Japanese, Chinese and Korean food, she runs a popular restaurant, sushi school and catering (incl. film sets and high-profile clients including Stanley Tucci) and events service, Suzu House, in Hammersmith. Highly media-friendly with a growing profile, Makiko has appeared on Channel 4 and BBC radio. Annie Davidson is a Melbourne-based illustrator whose colourful drawings are deeply influenced by Japanese aesthetics, blending the quiet precision of traditional woodblock prints with a playful, contemporary sensibility. Inspired by artists such as Hiroshi Yoshida as well as botanical forms and natural landscapes, her illustrations have featured in publications by the Royal Botanic Gardens, Lonely Planet and British Vogue.