The last train — and what to do if you miss it

Tokyo's trains stop around midnight to 1AM and don't move again until roughly 5AM. Taxis exist, but a cross-city fare after dark can cost more than your hotel. The local move is to stay up.

Manga cafes (manboo, gera-gera) rent a private booth by the hour with free drinks, showers and a reclining seat — the cheapest warm floor in the city. Capsule hotels take walk-ins. All-night karaoke is the loudest, most fun option if you're in a group.

Whatever you pick, the first train at 5AM is a rite of passage: quiet, bright, full of people going the same direction as the night lets go.