Tokyo Map Recommendation
 

I realize that getting around Tokyo is bound to be confusing, but I'm looking for a decent map that has some of the smaller streets listed. Do any of you have any recommendations? I bought the Streetwise Tokyo map, but it's a joke since it doesn't have any detail on it at all.

Thanks in advance for any help.

Have you checked with JNTO?
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/

Do you have free cellular data? We didn't have it when we were in Tokyo, but we had it in Paris and Lima and I was amazed at how well google maps worked (google was better than the apps specifically for the cities that we had) Having experienced using it elsewhere, I wish we'd and it for Tokyo.

We switched cell phone providers not long after your Japan trip to T-Mobile which gives you unlimited data in "over 200 countries."

I have the JNTO map for Toyko, KJA. I'm not sure what kind of wifi access I'll have with Verizon, Kathie, but it's something to keep in mind.

Thanks for the ideas.

Ah, with Verizon, you'll have to pay for your cellular access. Someone here told me that Verizon had some reasonably priced data packages, but I don't know the details.

Good luck! I found Tokyo terminally confusing!

Your hotel will have a local map. It may be in Japanese (sometimes bilingual), but that's what you need if you want to match up street signs.

I assume you're looking for a single map, but if you aren't finding one that works for you, you might consider getting a copy of Japan Solo, which -- although seriously out of data -- has very good maps.

And note that most streets in Tokyo are not named -- the addresses generally refer to district, block, and building number (not ordered sequentially). Here's a description:
http://www.frommers.com/destinations....S3vEYhZI.dpbs

Before I had T-Mobile's unlimited data, I would do google maps or get directions while I was still home. I'd take screen shots then later pull up my maps or directions from photos.

Everyone gets lost in Tokyo. Check the big map of each neighborhood posted at train station exits, or find the neighborhood police koban and ask there.

Been to Tokyo a few times. Always able to get to where I need to go without getting lost. Yet, I cannot recall the name of a single major roadway in Tokyo.

There are a couple of issues with thinking about a good map for Tokyo:

- For one thing, Tokyo is absolutely enormous (in terms of area) compared to other comparable cities. So, a map of Tokyo that has the same detail as, say, a map of Paris might be as big as a king-size bedsheet.

- The street system and nomenclature are different. While the major arteries have names, most of the smaller streets don't.

- The best maps of Tokyo are the ones with lots of plans for individual neighborhoods. I have one from Periplus that's just ok. Another one from the Tokyo Tourist Info Center (www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp ) is much better.

- When you're looking to find a particular place (restaurant, shop, museum, hotel) through a website, you'll typically see a small map of the area. Instead of street names as reference points, though, you'll usually see a subway or train station, very frequently including a specific exit number for that station, plus recognizable landmarks such as a 7-11 or McDonalds. You'll get the hang of it soon enough.

http://www.amazon.com/Tokyo-City-Atl...ds=tokyo+atlas

This one is pretty good, possibly the best and most detailed paper/book map available.

Thank you, all.

kanadajin, that's exactly the type of detiled map I was hoping to find. It'll be useful to me here, when I try to figure out where places are that I want to visit.

I always use google maps in Japan and it works like a charm. To navigate how to go from point A to point B, search in google or hyperdia.com.

You have to have wifi or data connection to access Google Maps in Japan. For some strange "only-in-Japan" reason, you cannot download it offline.

I suggest you to rent a pocket wifi to save on global data roaming costs while having access to google maps while on the go.

This post might help you.
http://asiatravelbug.com/blog/pupuru...rental-review/

I too used Google Maps, which had the advantage of letting me search quickly by entering a place's telephone number.

We rented a wifi device from rentafone which allowed us to connect our mobile phones and tablet to the net whenever we needed, including the occasional times we got lost. Google Maps to the rescue.

Unlike most places I've travelled, it's not easy to navigate oneself by regular map because street names are often lacking and addresses are a hard-to-comprehend set of numbers for area, block and building number.

I also loved Google Maps for creating a personal map in advance pinning all the potential places I wanted to visit, so I could easily group them by area of the city, and plan our travel in advance.