One foreigner's take on Tokyo

(Image borrowed from Now I'm In Japan.)

While this blog isn't exactly academic, it contains some great commentary on life in Tokyo:
"Tokyo never sleeps but the trains stop around midnight. The last trains are full of annoying drunks but the first trains at 5am are just partied all the way back to chill. When the sun comes up at the end of an epic night and you're so worn out and busted shuffling home you can't think about anything but passing out with your face in some fucking breakfast, it's like, man I really gave it my all. The first trains are full of winners. Or at least tryers!"