Cool Tokyo Guide

**Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) Winner** Discover the city of temples, video games, manga, and cosplay with this graphic Tokyo travel guide! Tokyo is an astonishing world unto itself--a city for lovers of Japanese culture, fashion and great food that mixes the best of old and new. In Cool Tokyo Guide, Abby Denson, author of the popular Cool Japan Guide, turns her focus to Tokyo's exciting streets and a little bit beyond. Abby, her husband Matt, friend Yuuko and sidekick Kitty Sweet Tooth will introduce you to: A restaurant where clowns drive robots and mermaids ride on sharks Fantastic shops for lovers of everything from vintage manga to dollar-store treasures Great places to take kids--or be a kid, of any age--like the Ghibli Museum and Palette Town Famous sites both old and new, from Sensoji Temple to Tokyo Tower Major comic conventions in the anime, cosplay and manga capital of the world Must-visit spots like Ueno Park and even a few spots outside the city This practical and fun comic book guide also helps you navigate everyday life in Tokyo, such as train etiquette, trash disposal, tricky toilets, department store fitting rooms and the surgical mask phenomenon. There is also a special family travel section for those traveling with children, as well as information on ways to prepare ahead of time to make the most of your stay in Tokyo. Whether you're planning a trip to Japan or just taking an armchair sojourn, this book will prepare you to have a great time!

Traveling to Japan has never been so much fun—visit the land of anime, manga, cosplay, hot springs and sushi! This graphic Japan travel guide is the first of its kind exploring Japanese culture from a cartoonist's perspective. Cool Japan Guide takes you on a fun tour from the high-energy urban streets of Tokyo to the peaceful Zen gardens and Shinto shrines of Kyoto and introduces you to: the exciting world of Japanese food—from bento to sushi and everything in between. the otaku (geek) culture of Japan, including a manga market in Tokyo where artists display and sell their original artwork. the complete Japanese shopping experience, from combini (not your run-of-the-mill convenience stores!) to depato (department stores with everything). the world's biggest manga, anime and cosplay festivals. lots of other exciting places to go and things to do—like zen gardens, traditional Japanese arts, and a ride on a Japanese bullet train. Whether you're ready to hop a plane and travel to Japan tomorrow, or interested in Japanese culture, this fun and colorful travelogue by noted comic book artist and food blogger Abby Denson, husband Matt, friend Yuuko, and sidekick, Kitty Sweet Tooth, will present Japan in a unique and fascinating way.

Written by local expert Sumiko Kajiyama, Cool Japan explores the heart of Japanese culture and must-see places from a uniquely Japanese perspective. First, visit Kyoto, where you will discover 1,000 years of history, from the ancient love story the Tale of Genji to the traditional tea ceremony. Then head to Tokyo to experience Japan's cutting-edge capital, where the 21st-century kawaii culture collides with landmarks like the Kabuki-za Theater and the Imperial Palace. For a different perspective, venture outside the city to the serene towns of Tohoku, the region largely affected by the 2011 tsunami disaster. Informative, entertaining, and useful, this book is an ideal introduction for any traveler looking for a deeper understanding of Japanese culture, past and present.

This prize-winning book is both an illustrated tour of a Tokyo rarely seen in Japan travel guides and an artist's warm, funny, visually rich, and always entertaining graphic memoir. Florent Chavouet, a young graphic artist, spent six months exploring Tokyo while his girlfriend interned at a company there. Each day he would set forth with a pouch full of color pencils and a sketchpad, and visit different neighborhoods. This stunning book records the city that he got to know during his adventures. It isn't the Tokyo of packaged tours and glossy guidebooks, but a grittier, vibrant place, full of ordinary people going about their daily lives and the scenes and activities that unfold on the streets of a bustling metropolis. Here you find businessmen and women, hipsters, students, grandmothers, shopkeepers, policemen, and other urban types and tribes in all manner of dress and hairstyles. A temple nestles among skyscrapers; the corner grocery anchors a diverse assortment of dwellings, cafes, and shops--often tangled in electric lines. The artist mixes styles and tags his pictures with wry comments and observations. Realistically rendered advertisements or posters of pop stars contrast with cartoon sketches of iconic objects or droll vignettes, like a housewife walking her pet pig, a Godzilla statue in a local park, and an urban fishing pond that charges 400 yen per half hour. This very personal guide to Tokyo is organized by neighborhood with hand-drawn maps that provide an overview of each neighborhood, but what really defines them is what caught the artist's eye and attracted his formidable drawing talent. Florent Chavouet begins his introduction by observing that, "Tokyo is said to be the most beautiful of ugly cities." With wit, a playful sense of humor, and the multicolor pencils of his kit, he sets aside the question of urban ugliness or beauty and captures the Japanese essence of a great city in this truly vital portrait.

**Independent Publisher Book Award (IPPY) Winner** For fans of Japanese manga and anime, a trip to Tokyo is an absolute must! In this captivating Tokyo travel guide, manga artist and author Evangeline Neo travels to the Japanese capital with her mascots Kopi the dog and Matcha the cat in tow, bringing you to all the otaku sights this city has to offer. She shows you where to shop for manga memorabilia in Akihabara and Nakano, takes you on a tour of famous anime and manga museums like Studio Ghibli and Sanrio Puroland, and shares her experiences at a cosplay studio, a maid and butler cafe, and a manga drawing class. In addition to manga and anime-related adventures, Eva brings readers to all the must-see Tokyo sites as well--from Asakusa's Sensoji Temple to Tokyo Tower and the Meiji Shrine. She also introduces travelers to sushi train restaurants, hot spring baths and a kimono makeover session--even a day trip to Mt. Fuji! Along the way, she shows you all her favorite places to shop and eat, and gives advice on what to pack, what to buy, how to get around, and even how to speak a few words of survival Japanese. This manga guide to Tokyo is depicted in charming and humorous drawings and stories, which are as enjoyable for armchair travelers as they are practically useful for visitors to the city. Step into the world of modern Japanese culture through this amusing and unique guide to one of the world's top cities.

"Explore the heart of Japanese culture with Cool Japan, a new three-part travel guide from Museyon Guides. First, visit Kyoto, where you will discover 1,000 years of history, from the ancient love story The Tale of Genji to the traditional tea ceremony. Then head to Tokyo to experience Japan's cutting-edge capital, where the 21st-century kawaii culture collides with landmarks like the Kabuki-za Theater and the Imperial Palace. For a different perspective, venture outside the city to the seaside towns of Tohoku, the region largely affected by the 2011 tsunami disaster"--

Tokyo is ground zero for Japan's famous "geek" or otaku culture--a phenomenon that has now swept across the globe. This is the most comprehensive Japan travel guide ever produced which features Tokyo's geeky underworld. It provides a comprehensive run-down of each major Tokyo district where geeks congregate, shop, play and hang out--from hi-tech Akihabara and trendy Harajuku to newer and lesser-known haunts like chic Shimo-Kita and working-class Ikebukuro. Dozens of iconic shops, restaurants, cafes and clubs in each area are described in loving detail with precise directions to get to each location. Maps, URLs, opening hours and over 400 fascinating color photographs bring you around Tokyo on an unforgettable trip to the centers of Japanese manga, anime and geek culture. Interviews with local otaku experts and people on the street let you see the world from their perspective and provide insights into Tokyo and Japanese culture, which will only continue to spread around the globe. Japanese pop culture, in its myriad forms, is more widespread today than ever before--with J-Pop artists playing through speakers everywhere, Japanese manga filling every bookstore; anime cartoons on TV; and toys and video games, like Pokemon Go, played by tens of millions of people. Swarms of visitors come to Tokyo each year on a personal quest to soak in all the otaku-related sights and enjoy Japanese manga, anime, gaming and idol culture at its very source. This is the go-to resource for those planning a trip, or simply dreaming of visiting one day!

Take a colorful tour of Japan's capital with this alternative Japan travel guide that explores Tokyo's distinctive architecture, fashion, food, and so much more. Tokyo - Capital of Cool delves into Tokyo's Edo-era roots, its thirst to modernize while retaining its traditions, its amazing culinary heritage, and the impact of its creative youth population. From the chic streets of Omotesando to the Tosho-gu shrine complex in Nikko, award-winning travel and fiction writer Rob Goss takes readers to the patchwork of districts and sights that comprise Tokyo and its neighboring towns. You will be amazed and enthralled at the vivid photographs and the in-depth discussion of Japanese history and culture that exceed the boundaries of a traditional guidebook in offering insights into one of the world's most significant and most innovative cities.