I moved to Tokyo in 2001 with the intention of staying for 1 year. It was a mid-life year out from the rat race in the UK, something I very much needed at the time. That 1 year, however, turned into 2, then 3, until finally I'm still here today. I consider Tokyo as my home now and love living in this vibrant city. It's not one of the pretty destinations you can choose around the world, but it is has a pulse of its own that I've not found anywhere else. If you're the kind of person who likes to experience a place with your sleeves rolled up, then this is a fantastic vacation choice. Combine it with a city like Kyoto and you can have the best of two worlds. The reason I started to write about my life here and what visitors to Tokyo can expect is twofold: 1. There really wasn't that much information out there when I first started and, although the number of sources is rising, its still not easy to navigate and locate many of them.  2. My family, apart from my mum, has never been to visit me here despite the fact that they have someone on the ground that can show them round. It seems such a shame that people would miss out on such a great opportunity to visit Tokyo. That's why I decided to start writing.