What to read and watch before visiting Tokyo

Tokyo truly is a mega-city that lends itself to every artistic genre – from whimsical novellas to gruesome crime novels, gritty film noirs and intricate documentaries about the art of sushi making. Whether you're actively planning or just pondering your next holiday, literature and cinema can inspire and evoke Tokyo’s exciting cultural scene and mesmerising cityscapes like no other.

Which is why we've rounded up the top books and films to read and watch ahead of your trip, to help you get a feel for this incredible city and ensure you make the most of it.

Books

This story of unrequited love and social change originally appeared as a serial but The Wild Geese the novel’s setting of 1880 Tokyo quickly snagged international attention and today it’s available as a stand-alone book. The ideological and social changes Japan experienced during the Edo and Meiji periods are given new life via author Mori Ōgai’s sparse prose and intricate cast of characters. The Meiji period brought a Westernising influence to Tokyo’s architecture (along with many other aspect of Japanese society such as the Western-style food called Yoshoku), which can still be seen at the Neo-Baroque Akasaka Palace in the city's Minato ward and the slightly more humble Hotel Chinzanso in Bunkyo-ku ward.

The Guest Cat was popular poet Takashi Hiraide’s first novel (technically a novella) and a surprise best-seller in international markets. French readers in particular adored this story of a couple in their thirties renting a small cottage in Tokyo’s suburbs. As the couple start to grow apart, a small cat appears and helps to reinvigorate their temporary dwelling with a sense of home. Tokyo is vast, meaning visitors rarely have the opportunity to venture outside the city centre, which is a shame because the suburbs have their own distinct charm. Stay at the HIROMAS INN Chitose Karasuyama or the Tokyu Stay Yoga to experience the city’s equally captivating quiet side.

Just as The Guest Cat provides an insight into the lives of Tokyo’s suburban renters, OUT introduces the reader to another overlooked segment of the city’s population: the factory workers. Natsuo Kirino’s OUT tells the story of four friends working at a bento factory and gradually being ground down by the repetitiveness of their lives until a gruesome accident thrusts them into Tokyo’s criminal underworld. Our fascination with mass-production, however, doesn’t just extend to crime novels – many of Tokyo’s factories having embraced ‘industrial tourism’, offering tours of this loud, complex and endlessly fascinating world. Try the Glicopia Chiba tour (not to be confused with the neighbouring province) and see how two of Japan’s favourite brands of ice cream are produced, then sleep it off at the nearby Hotel Green Core Bando.

It’s practically impossible to talk about Japanese literature (let alone Tokyo-based literature) without talking about Haruki Murakami. In his book, Norwegian Wood, the author focuses on three young friends: Toru, Naoko and Midori, who meet during the 1960s student protests in Tokyo. The Tokyo of this story has already largely disappeared but there are glimpses of it here and there. Try Hotel Okura for a trip back to the 1960s, where midcentury furniture and traditional Japanese decor meet. And if you’ve got the legs for it, continue living out the novel and Murakami’s love for Tokyo’s urban infrastructure by checking out Tokyo’s fabled subway system. Characters Watanabe and Naoko meet each other by chance on the city's Chuo Line subway and critical discussions take place on the train to Ueno Station – a perfect place to end the day at, taking in the lake views at the blissful Ueno Park.

Films

Stray Dog is part atmospheric film noir, part historical document. Shot throughout Tokyo by famed director, Akira Kurosawa, it's the story of a police officer hunting a homicidal killer. And documenting the chaotic disrepution in post-war Japan’s urban centres, it relies heavily on location. Having been filmed so long ago, many of the places featured no longer exist but the intensity of Stray Dog stays in the mind long after the film ends. For a different, yet equally memorable Tokyo experience check into minimalist global cabin Tokyo Suidobashi.

The Tokyo districts of Harajuku and Shibuya – collectively nicknamed the ‘Town for Young People’ – are famous for their shopping and nightlife, having provided inspiration for writers, filmmakers, animators and fashion designers all over the world. However, travellers hoping to delve a little deeper than the neon lights of the Shibuya Scramble crossing and Takeshita street’s sensory overload should check out Bounce KO Gals. Masato Harada’s exploration of the dark side to Tokyo’s party district is a disturbing yet completely fascinating story of three friends trying to raise enough money to emigrate to the USA. The film also captures contemporary Japan’s interest in Western culture, a fascination that can be seen in many of the hotels and bars in the Shibuya area. The Millennials Shibuya Hotel, encapsulates this – combining the classic capsule style room popular across Japan, with Western favourites including sleek marble surfaces and co-working spaces.

The only documentary on the list, Jiro Dreams of Sushi follows Michelin-starred chef, Jiro Ono, as he works at his ten-seat restaurant in Tokyo's Chūō ward, Sukiyabashi Jiro. Even viewers with no interest in sushi can appreciate the insight this film offers into the genius and work ethic behind Tokyo’s most decorated restaurant. Travellers who are already sushi-lovers, meanwhile, will find this entire documentary an exquisite, delicious torment. Stay close to the restaurant at the Millennium Mitsui Garden Hotel.