Danica Davidson
June 25, 2020 
Tokyo: Day By Day gives ideas for 365 things to do in Tokyo, one for each day of the year. It was probably written in mind for tourists going to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Because of unfortunate circumstances, the Olympics and pretty much any tourism has been postponed. That said, eventually tourism will come around again, and when it does, this is an excellent book for exploring Tokyo.
Each page in the book counts as one day of the year. It lists off a place to visit, shows a photo, gives a paragraph description, and then lists off the address, train station to get there, phone number, hours and what—if any—days they’re closed.
Sometimes the place suggested fits with the date, like a Japanese holiday, or even holidays popular in the West, like Halloween or Christmas. Or the place could easily be visited any day of the year; it’s up to you. It covers the popular tourist items of Tokyo, like the Tokyo Tower and seeing Mount Fuji in the distance. It also has many examples of restaurants.
The book has stuff geared toward otaku, as well. Want to eat Totoro dessert? Want to go to a museum dedicated to Machiko Hasegawa, the mangaka behind Sazae-san? How about a museum for Fujiko F. Fujio, creator of Doraemon? You can gawk at all the glorious pink gaudiness of Kawaii Monster Café, or see a Japanese rock concert or listen to J-pop at the Summer Sonic festival. Or you could visit one of many landmarks listed here that show up in your favorite anime. You can also see Japanese takes on Western things, like the New New York Club, which serves psychedelically colored bagels with sprinkles.
There’s something in here for pretty much everyone, so it gives a great glimpse on how much Tokyo has to offer without ever being overwhelming or confusing.
Publisher: VIZ Media
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Danica Davidson is the author of the bestselling Manga Art for Beginners with artist Melanie Westin, and its sequel, Manga Art for Intermediates, with professional Japanese mangaka Rena Saiya.
