Roppongi, Azabudai, Akasaka六本木・麻布台・赤坂

Feels:

Art museums by day, clubs by night

Suits:

Art museums, Tokyo Tower views, late dinners

Best time:

Day for museums

Watch out for:

Street touts at the main crossing at night.

In short:

Mori Art Museum and the National Art Center by day. At night the main crossing has bar touts and a record of drink spiking: pick bars yourself.

Think of central Tokyo as the JR Yamanote loop, about 35 km and an hour end to end. Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ikebukuro sit on its west side; Tokyo Station, Ginza and Ueno on the east; Asakusa is just outside it to the north-east and Odaiba across the bay. A first visit lives on the loop plus Asakusa: pick a bed near a station on your airport's line and keep each day on one side of the loop.

Lines from the Tokyo drinking guide that name this district.

• Roppongi · Clubs, foreign-run bars, hostess clubs · until Until morningChoose bars yourself, never through a tout, and watch your drink.
• Hotel sky bars · Views over the city from the 40th floor up · until about 24:00 · ¥2,500–4,000 (≈ US$17–30) a drinkWest Shinjuku, Roppongi, Marunouchi towers
• Clubs and live houses · DJs, indie bands, jazz · until Until the first train · ¥2,000–5,000 (≈ US$14–35) entry with drink ticketsShibuya, Roppongi, Shimokitazawa, Kōenji

• Roppongi crossing and side streetsday: oknight: caution

  Drink spiking followed by large card charges or theft has been reported repeatedly, mainly in bars reached through touts. Buy your own drinks and never leave one unattended.