Never was there a place where so many people dart about between such tall skyscrapers before thrusting themselves onto an apparently unfathomable transport network as Tokyo.

But thankfully, it’s all done with such ease and efficiency that it doesn’t overwhelm new visitors to the Japanese capital.

And there’s certainly enough of the familiar to off-set the exotic — this is a place where East meets West and where old and new sit comfortably side by side.

Tokyo is a cosmopolitan city where ancient temples hold their own nestled between the grey and glistening skyscrapers and technology and mythology go hand in hand.

The culture which created the seven-minute lunch break has given rise to the bento box — a painstakingly decorated and thoughtfully prepared meal of Japanese ingredients which are available in shops, kiosks and vending machines on every street corner.

Perhaps the most fun example of such contrasting elements can be found in the nightlife hub of Roppongi. Karaoke isn’t just an evening of entertainment in Japan, it’s where the unassuming Japanese let go of all their inhibitions and drunkenly belt out a tune.

If something a little more tranquil, though no less cultural, is to your tastes then the hushed tea houses provide the yin to karaoke’s yang.

Here a Buddhist temple sits cheek by jowl with a Shinto shrine.

Our guide put it simply, explaining that the Japanese use the Shinto tradition for celebratory events, like marriages, and Buddhism for solemn ones, like funerals.

by Mike Hornby