First time to Tokyo? 5 locals give their advice

By Kate Springer, CNN
Updated 1:04 AM EDT, Tue June 20, 2017
<strong>Miki Yamato: </strong>"Tokyo has so many different faces," says <a href="http://www.mikiyamato.com/" target="_blank" target="_blank">Miki Yamato</a>, a fashion and portrait photographer. "It's modern: If you come to Tokyo a week later, it might look different. The city changes so quickly. Then there's the traditional: If you come 10 years later, the building will be there waiting for you, just the same."
Miki Yamato: "Tokyo has so many different faces," says Miki Yamato, a fashion and portrait photographer. "It's modern: If you come to Tokyo a week later, it might look different. The city changes so quickly. Then there's the traditional: If you come 10 years later, the building will be there waiting for you, just the same."
Chris McGrath/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
<strong>Miki Yamato: </strong>While most travelers might head to the traditional Tsukiji fish market for sushi, Yamato also suggests checking out tiny organic wine and sake bar Shubiduba. "They know about good sake and where it's coming from and who made it," she says. "The details and stories make it more fun."
Miki Yamato: While most travelers might head to the traditional Tsukiji fish market for sushi, Yamato also suggests checking out tiny organic wine and sake bar Shubiduba. "They know about good sake and where it's coming from and who made it," she says. "The details and stories make it more fun."
Miki Yamato
<strong>Miki Yamato: </strong>As for photography, she says Tsukiji is also her favorite neighborhood for capturing her subjects. "There's something about Tsukiji. It's always changing yet never changes," she says. "You can feel the energy."
Miki Yamato: As for photography, she says Tsukiji is also her favorite neighborhood for capturing her subjects. "There's something about Tsukiji. It's always changing yet never changes," she says. "You can feel the energy."
Miki Yamato
<strong>Paul Christie: </strong>Having spent nearly 30 years working and living in Tokyo, Paul Christie has come to consider the city a second home. The easiest way to feel overwhelmed, he says, is to bite off too much at one time. "Instead of trying to visit all the 'must see' sights, I suggest selecting a few areas and exploring them in depth," says Christie.
Paul Christie: Having spent nearly 30 years working and living in Tokyo, Paul Christie has come to consider the city a second home. The easiest way to feel overwhelmed, he says, is to bite off too much at one time. "Instead of trying to visit all the 'must see' sights, I suggest selecting a few areas and exploring them in depth," says Christie.
Walk Japan
<strong>Paul Christie: </strong>At the top of his list is the famed Senso-ji temple, in Asakusa, in eastern Tokyo. "The area is so rich in Tokyo's history and so central to its culture up until World War II that going here really allows us to catch a sense of Tokyo's past," he says.
Paul Christie: At the top of his list is the famed Senso-ji temple, in Asakusa, in eastern Tokyo. "The area is so rich in Tokyo's history and so central to its culture up until World War II that going here really allows us to catch a sense of Tokyo's past," he says.
Kiyoshi Ota/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
<strong>Paul Christie: </strong>For a modern contrast, Harajuku -- the epicenter of Japanese <em>kawaii</em> (cute) fashion -- is a quirky corner of Tokyo, where teens shop and show off their uninhibited street style.
Paul Christie: For a modern contrast, Harajuku -- the epicenter of Japanese kawaii (cute) fashion -- is a quirky corner of Tokyo, where teens shop and show off their uninhibited street style.
Mark Kolbe/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
<strong>Paul Christie: </strong>And to get a feel for the afterwork crowd? Surrounding Shimbashi station, in southern Tokyo, the neighborhood is full of restaurants and bars where <em>sarariman</em> (salary men) let loose after work.
Paul Christie: And to get a feel for the afterwork crowd? Surrounding Shimbashi station, in southern Tokyo, the neighborhood is full of restaurants and bars where sarariman (salary men) let loose after work.
Walk Japan
<strong>Brad Bennett: </strong>The co-founder of <a href="http://freewheeling.jp/" target="_blank" target="_blank">Freewheeling</a>, which specializes in biking tours of Tokyo, Brad Bennett moved to Japan in 1990. "First time travelers to Japan often plan or book too much in advance," Bennett tells CNN. "There are so many cool things to do and see, you need to leave some extra time for whatever happens...."
Brad Bennett: The co-founder of Freewheeling, which specializes in biking tours of Tokyo, Brad Bennett moved to Japan in 1990. "First time travelers to Japan often plan or book too much in advance," Bennett tells CNN. "There are so many cool things to do and see, you need to leave some extra time for whatever happens...."
Freewheeling
<strong>Brad Bennett: </strong>"You might stumble on a beautiful park like Shinjuku Gyoen (famous for its cherry blossoms) or meet some locals in a bar and have to say goodbye because you have reservations at the Robot Restaurant, which is overpriced," he says.
Brad Bennett: "You might stumble on a beautiful park like Shinjuku Gyoen (famous for its cherry blossoms) or meet some locals in a bar and have to say goodbye because you have reservations at the Robot Restaurant, which is overpriced," he says.
Athit Perawongmetha/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
<strong>Brad Bennett: </strong>Bennett recommends cycling through the Yanaka neighborhood, on the northeast side of the city.
Brad Bennett: Bennett recommends cycling through the Yanaka neighborhood, on the northeast side of the city.
Walk Japan
<strong>Brad Bennett: </strong>Yanaka is the city's most traditional district, still home to low-rise buildings, quiet lanes, boutique artisan shops and many temples. "It's considered the Little Kyoto of Tokyo -- it's like stepping back in time," he says.
Brad Bennett: Yanaka is the city's most traditional district, still home to low-rise buildings, quiet lanes, boutique artisan shops and many temples. "It's considered the Little Kyoto of Tokyo -- it's like stepping back in time," he says.
Freewheeling
<strong>Mika Nomura:</strong> Entrepreneur Mika Nomura runs a sake business called MYSH, which holds Meiji Shrine and Sake tours. The experience includes a tour of the shrine, followed by a visit to a bar in Shibuya, where guests taste a sampling of selected sakes and learn a bit more about liquor's role in Japanese Shintoism (an ethnic religion).
Mika Nomura: Entrepreneur Mika Nomura runs a sake business called MYSH, which holds Meiji Shrine and Sake tours. The experience includes a tour of the shrine, followed by a visit to a bar in Shibuya, where guests taste a sampling of selected sakes and learn a bit more about liquor's role in Japanese Shintoism (an ethnic religion).
Lintao Zhang/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
<strong>Mika Nomura: </strong>And when she's not thinking about sake? The culture enthusiast recommends visiting the Azabujuban neighborhood in southern Tokyo for a peek into local life.
Mika Nomura: And when she's not thinking about sake? The culture enthusiast recommends visiting the Azabujuban neighborhood in southern Tokyo for a peek into local life.
BEHROUZ MEHRI/AFP/AFP/Getty Images
<strong>Mari Maeda:</strong> Born and raised in Tokyo, Mari Maeda is a food stylist and vegan chef who helms Marideli catering company. "Tokyo's vegan dining scene is better than before but I still find it difficult -- it is not something rooted in our day-to-day life," she says.
Mari Maeda: Born and raised in Tokyo, Mari Maeda is a food stylist and vegan chef who helms Marideli catering company. "Tokyo's vegan dining scene is better than before but I still find it difficult -- it is not something rooted in our day-to-day life," she says.
Marideli
<strong>Mari Maeda: </strong>Maeda has several cafes where you can enjoy a healthy meal, including Oriental Diner IGAO, in Ebisu, which is a restaurant by day and a bar at night. At lunchtime, travelers can taste her vegan lunches and admire art and fashion exhibits from the city's young creatives.
Mari Maeda: Maeda has several cafes where you can enjoy a healthy meal, including Oriental Diner IGAO, in Ebisu, which is a restaurant by day and a bar at night. At lunchtime, travelers can taste her vegan lunches and admire art and fashion exhibits from the city's young creatives.
Oriental Diner IGAO
<strong>Mari Maeda</strong>: A lover of all things green, vegan chef Mari Maeda suggests spending an afternoon at one of the city's many parks. She gravitates towards Setagaya Park in Gohongi or the Koishikawa Botanical Garden, pictured here.
Mari Maeda: A lover of all things green, vegan chef Mari Maeda suggests spending an afternoon at one of the city's many parks. She gravitates towards Setagaya Park in Gohongi or the Koishikawa Botanical Garden, pictured here.
Chris McGrath/Getty Images AsiaPac/Getty Images
Experience Tokyo like a local
CNN  — 

With 13.5 million residents – 37.8 million if you count the entire metro area – and densely packed skyscrapers, it’s fair to say that Tokyo can feel overwhelming for visitors.

Even the most experienced travelers struggle to decipher the cryptic metro maps and navigate the busy streets. It would take a lifetime to explore every little lane – and even then, it could all change overnight in the fast-paced city of Tokyo.

But navigating the world’s most populous metropolitan area doesn’t have to be a blur of neon and noise. CNN Travel asked five Tokyo insiders to offer local perspectives on how best to spend time and navigate this sprawling megalopolis.

They’ve offered a slew of helpful tips and a shortlist of favorite neighborhoods, cafes, restaurants and shops to help first-timers make the most of their first trip to Tokyo.

1. Miki Yamato, photographer

The famous Shibuya intersection lit up with neon at night.
The famous Shibuya intersection lit up with neon at night.
Chris McGrath/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

Tokyo born and bred, Miki Yamato spends her days shooting fashion and portrait photography, everything from kimono shoots to artisanal jewelry, documentaries and music videos.

“Tokyo has so many different faces,” says Yamato. “It’s modern: If you come to Tokyo a week later, it might look different. The city changes so quickly. Then there’s the traditional: If you come 10 years later, the building will be there waiting for you, just the same.”

Her love of culture and fashion led her to set up a home base in the ever-evolving Shibuya District, where she finds inspiration around every corner.

“It’s such an easy place – you can stop by an art exhibition after getting your hair done,” she says. “It’s great for cafes and business meetings, or spending time alone to walk and think.”

Yamoto’s all-time favorite cafe is Ningen Kankei (150-0042 Tokyo, Shibuya, 16-12; +81 3 3496 5001) which she’s been frequenting since high school.

“It’s quiet, and it’s casual – it’s a cafe but feels like a pub,” she says. “I go there when I want to work alone and think about something creative, and enjoy my own time.”

While most travelers might head to the traditional Tsukiji fish market (104-0045 Tokyo, Chuo, Tsukiji, 5 Chome-2-1) for sushi, Yamato also suggests checking out the bars in the neighborhood, which stay open late.

Her favorite? Shubiduba<