Five cool things to do in fascinating, affordable Tokyo

FEW cities in the world are more exciting to visit than Tokyo. Japan’s capital city is vast, vibrant, energetic and a shopper's paradise. It’s a sensory overload of skyscrapers, bright lights and traffic, with myriad train lines weaving their way over the metropolis.

- JASON WOOSEY

SENSO-JI, the oldest temple in the city.

(JASON WOOSEY Independent Media)

It's a city where technological innovation is juxtaposed with age-old traditions. It’s also strangely calming in how everything is so clean and controlled — its services run like clockwork, its people are polite and respectful.

“Oh, but it must be so expensive!” I hear you say. You might be surprised. Mid-range hotels start at under R1800 per night, and more affordable options are available, too, if you don’t mind roughing it a bit.

Granted, it can be a very costly city if you follow the well-heeled crowds. However, if you trawl the streets and compare your options, you'll find relative bargains all over.

There are plenty of reasonably priced restaurants and takeaway joints. Vending machines on just about every corner sell cans of soda for just 100 yen (R11.20), and many even dispense warm canned coffee. Yes, you heard right, how amazing is that?

There are Seven-Eleven shops almost everywhere, and they’re open 24 hours a day, selling a glut of localised deli treats and even beer or wine.

And for the most part, they are significantly cheaper than South Africa's sickeningly greedy garage shops and supermarkets, even after taking the exchange rate into account.

Here are a few highlights from a recent trip in which Suzuki Auto South Africa invited IOL to discover its home country and the Japan Mobility Show. Bear in mind that tourist activities in this city vary in price and not all of them are classified as affordable.