not OP, but i've visited a couple of times. it's definitely cramped in terms of space and some neighborhoods (shibuy, akihabara) might fit that definition of, "an attack on the senses" because of the sheer volume of people and signage, but overall it's a very clean, modern metropolis.

i had an internship in chicago right after my first time in tokyo and the transition back was...horrendous. tokyo was way cleaner, safer, and quieter, and it made chicago seem like hell on earth.