Tokyo Like a Local: By the People Who Call It Home

Local Travel Guide Series (DK Eyewitness)

by DK Eyewitness Travel

Keen to explore a different side of Tokyo? Like a Local is the book for you.

This isn’t your ordinary travel guide. You won’t find the Tokyo Tower and the Imperial Palace, in these pages, because that’s not where Tokyoites hang out. Instead, you’ll meet the locals in iconic anime shops, modern art galleries, or whilst paddle boring along the scenic Okutama River - and that’s where this book takes you. Turn the pages to


Compiled by two proud locals and revised and updated for 2023, this stylish travel guide is packed with Tokyo’s best experiences and secret spots, handily categorized to suit your mood and needs.

Whether you’re a restless Tokyoite on the hunt for a new hangout, or a visitor keen to discover a side you won’t find in traditional guidebooks, Tokyo Like A Local will give you all the inspiration you need. 

About Like A

These giftable and collectable guides from DK Eyewitness are compiled exclusively by locals.
 Whether they’re born-and-bred or moved to study and never looked back, our experts shine a light on what it means to be a pride for their city, community spirit and local expertise. Like a Local will inspire readers to celebrate the secret as well as the iconic – just like the locals who call the city home. 

Looking for another guide to Tokyo? Explore further with our DK Eyewitness or Top 10 guides to Tokyo.

Genres: Japan, Travel, Reference, Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published March 28, 2023

Reviews

[Sophie Crane]

I'm doing a lot of planning for when the world gets somewhat safer and back to normal. This little book is lovely. Lots of bits that are obvious & there are a Lack of Pictures but some nice little gems.
Thanks to Net Galley & DK for the Neat Little Guide.

[Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tokyo Like a Local
by ; Lucy Dayman; Kaila Imada
Earc: NetGalley
Publisher:: DK Eyewitness Travel
Publication Date: 05 Oct 2021
Genre: Travel

This trip guide is both helpful and visually appealing. I adore Tokyo and am always seeking for new ways to explore it. I would strongly suggest this product. An outstanding guide who showed me a different way to tour a town and take less used pathways.
Lovely pictures and simple hints. I wish I could pay Tokoy a visit soon.
It comes highly recommended.

#NetGalley #bookstagram #bookreview #goodreads #travel

[Gwen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Engaging book that focuses on the less tourist-y aspects of Tokyo. I loved the "try it" suggestions of classes to take, such as calligraphy or wagashi making. Very good vegan and vegetarian representation. The maps/organization of places made it very easy to locate places and to reference back if you couldn't remember quite where something was but remembered the name.

Good tips:
* Bring a reusable bag instead of paying a bag fee for a plastic bag at a store.
* It is rude to eat while walking in Japan.

Bookmarked places:
* Bricolage Bread & Co in Roppongi for bread, pastries, and coffee. (So very sad that Vaner [Norwegian-Japanese sourdough bakery] closed in November 2022. Sounded like an amazing place.)
* Kayanoya soy sauce store (locations around Tokyo, including Haneda and Narita airports) for all your artisanal soy sauce needs
* Miraikan: The National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation
* Onsens: Thermae-Yu and Ryogoku Edo-Yu
* Gardens: Institute for Nature Study

[Craig · Rating 2 out of 5]

The way this book is laid out is super-irritating to go through: By being organised strictly by topic it requires constantly flicking back between multiple maps and relies on the Japanese three-digit address system. It’s also lacking in a lot of good details found elsewhere.

[Alex Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

By the end of Tokyo Like a Local I had 180 saved locations on my Google Maps of places to go in Tokyo. This book is almost like a giant list categorized into topics of places to go, which does make it easy to thumb through and pick and choose what you want to read about.

I do appreciate the explanation of common terms (onsen, Izakaya, kissaten) and information of proper etiquette (hold bags in front of you to make space for others). My goal from this book is to be able to zoom in on an area of Tokyo and say these things are close together - could that could be a day’s plan? Let’s go!

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having been to Tokyo a few years ago, I was intrigued to see where was recommended in this guide. Ultimately none of the places I had visited...it's a really comprehensive book full of some interesting places to see. For me, I think for Tokyo, I enjoyed being a tourist and seeing the really famous sites. It's still a brilliant book. Just left me a little disappointed.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guidebooks are a great source of gathered information, but with the quick way that stores, shops and other businesses can open and close, each entry in this book needs to be checked out.
Still this is a nice jumping off point for someone wanting to get to know some of the interesting spots in Tokyo.

[Annarella · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent guide that show me another way to visit a town and follow less known paths.
Lovely illustrations and easy to follow hints. I wish I could visit Tokoy soon.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

[Charlie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little directory of select restaurants, bars, clubs, museums, shops, parks etc. with mini reviews. Published in 2021 so currently up to date.

[YesGM16 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun concept and very portable form factor to take with you when travelling. Would definitely want more of these for other cities before and when I travel