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Introduction
Tokyo, the capital city of Japan, is one of the most treasured
urban areas on the planet. Synonymous with Japanese hi-tech industry,
neon lights, color, culture, bustle and stunning scenery, Tokyo
is not only a delightful place to visit but a great place to do
business. Many blue chip companies have offices in Tokyo, a city
that is the commercial and cultural center of Japan.
Tokyo City Facts
Tokyo Population – 28,025,000 (Source: UN Population
Division 2000 estimate)
Japan Population – 126,428,000 (Source: UN Population Division
2000 estimate)
Currency – Yen (JPY)
Time Zone – 9 hours from GMT, 14 hours from Eastern Standard
Time and 17 hours from Pacific Standard Time.
Language – Japanese
Attraction
Guide
Imperial Palace
The Japanese emperor and the imperial family still call the Imperial
Palace home, so unless you get a royal invite to tea tourists
are restricted to the outskirts and the gardens. New Year's Day
(2 January) and 23 December (the Emperor's birthday) are the only
exceptions to this rule.
The biggest drawcard of the Imperial Palace, both literally and
metaphorically, is Edo-jo castle. From the 17th century until
the Meiji Restoration, it was used as the impregnable fortress
of the ruling shogunate. Over the years the castle was upgraded,
added to, renovated and built onto with all the force of a rabid
renovator. For a while it was the largest castle in the world
but all the DIY'ing came to an abrupt end when large portions
of it were destroyed in the transfer of power from shogun back
to emperor during the Meiji Restoration.
The Imperial East Garden is entered through one of three gates
although the most popular is the Ote-mon, which was once the principle
gate of Edo-jo. The garden is an oasis of quiet after the bustle
of Tokyo, and characteristically Japanese; a horizon of clear
lines, an attention to detail and the religious placement of objects
within the landscape.
Ginza
Despite its disaster-ridden history and propensity for transformation,
Ginza has become synonymous with conspicuous consumption and excessive
shopping. At the end of the 19th century, after fire razed it
to the ground, it was resurrected in a London-cum-faux-Parisian
style with brick buildings and wide boulevards that mimicked the
Champs-Elysees. Since then, earthquakes and WWII carpet-bombing
have seen it gradually transform from continental chic to transatlantic
functional, but it still pulls in the crowds.
There are some jejune shopping districts that have tried to wrestle
the crown from Ginza - they're more crowded, more opulent and
hipper - but the grande old dame of ostentatious spending stills
retains her imperious snob value. Serious shoppers don't leave
town without swinging through the doors of Matsuya, Mitsukoshi
and Wako department stores. The Ginza strip is where you can purchase
novelty items, whose fetishistic value far outweighs their functional
value, and indulge in a spot of retail therapy. Window-shopping
is free, though, and the window displays in the department stores
are works of installation art in themselves.
The Sony building, at the Sukiyabashi intersection, is a must-see
for all cyberjunkies, digi-devotees, www.zoids and Playstation
groupies. Any electronic gizmo that has ever been invented is
here, as well as some yet-to-be-retailed prototypes. The building
itself is a rather phlegmatic version of 60s architecture - a
lot of function over form - but with eight storeys of unadulterated
electronic heaven, who cares about the packaging.
Tokyo
Disneyland
You could be forgiven for assuming that the country that invented
fake waves would jump at the chance to out-Disney Disneyland,
so it comes as something of a shock to see such uncharacteristic
restraint. Surprisingly, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and most of
Walt's other empire-building giant toys have been respectfully
left alone, and much of Tokyo Disneyland is an exact replica of
the Californian amusement park. Next door there is the new Disney
Sea resort. Each of the seven 'Ports of Call' are based on a different
concept, from mermaids and galleons to Cape Cod and futuristic
marinas.
To get there, take the Tozai subway line to Urayasu station and
then follow the signs for the bus that will take you straight
to Disneyland and on into Tomorrowland. Alternatively, take the
Yurakucho subway line to Shin-Kiba station and the JR Keiyo line
to Maihama station, which is right in front of Disneyland's main
gates.
Shinjuku
The Shinjuku district is, without doubt, the most vigorous part
of Tokyo; two million people per day pass through Shinjuku subway
station alone. With a total lack of irony or tongue-in-cheekness,
the two sides - east and west - sit side-by-side in mutual harmony;
west Shinjuku is the staid, buttoned-down commercial hub of the
city, while the east is its colourful, seedy and exotic counterpart.
The west is planned, administrative and skyscrapered, while the
east side is rambling, chaotic and full of fast-food joints and
pawn shops.
Wandering the east side you'll see the entire world go by while
simultaneously having your senses assaulted by archetypal Blade
Runner video billboards on the Studio Alta building, a popular
meeting place for Tokyoites. Other east-side attractions include
Hanazono-jinja shrine, the many department stores and the colourful
if risque Kabukicho and Golden Gai areas.
Ueno-koen
park
If Ginza is for shopping, Ueno-koen Park is for strolling, museum-hopping
and temple-gazing. The area of Ueno was historically the Alamo
of the last shogunate - site of his futile last-ditch effort to
prevent a takeover by the imperial army. Today it's a carefully
landscaped park dotted with museums, temples and a not-half-bad
zoo.
Attractions inside the park include the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum
of Art (if contemporary art is your bag this is a good place to
start), the Tokyo National Museum, the National Science Museum,
the National Museum of Western Art (not only does the building
house some impressive examples of western art, the building itself
was built by Le Corbusier and the garden contains original Rodins
including his iconic sculpture,The Thinker), the Tokyo Metropolitan
Festival Hall and the Ueno-no-Mori Art Museum, which often has
calligraphy exhibitions scheduled.
One of the most frequently and fervently patronised temples in
Ueno-koen park is the Kiyomizu Kannon-do Temple. Women wishing
to conceive leave a doll here for the 1000-armed goddess senju
Kannon; after the dolls are burnt in an annual bonfire on 25 September,
the women wait to see if Kannon has granted them the gift of fertility.
Hama Rikyu Detached Palace Garden
The Hama Rikyu Detached Palace Garden, south of Tokyo central,
is 25 hectares (62 acres) of Tokyo's greenest and most finely
landscaped real estate. In the 17th century it was the happy hunting
ground for the Tokugawa shogunate but passed into the hands of
the good citizens of Tokyo, post WWII. The park is actually on
an island, cut off from the surrounding metropolis by an ancient
walled moat and accessible by only one entrance over the Nanmon
Bridge.
The park is a popular venue for a stroll because it feels deceptively
large and has all that water. The huge Shiori Pond is a focal
point for visitors but its tidal pools, teahouses, bridges, pine
trees, and pavilions for moon-watching all contribute to the garden's
charm and photogenic appeal.
An entry fee of US$3 ensures that the Hama Rikyu is one of the
quieter and less-congested areas of Tokyo, although this is waived
for disabled visitors (and one companion).
Getting Around
Narita international airport lies 66km (40mi) east of central
Tokyo. Getting into town will take from 50 minutes to two hours,
depending on your mode of transport. Directly beneath the terminal,
there are limousine buses (which are actually ordinary buses with
a fancy name), lots of taxis and a train station. Haneda airport,
which mainly operates domestic services, except for international
China Airlines flights, is around 20km (12mi) south of the city.
You can get the monorail to Hamamatsucho on the Japan Railways
(JR) Yamanote line, or a bus (no fancy name). The two airports
are connected by a regular bus service, if you need to do the
transfer thing.
The Tokyo train system can seem a bit daunting at first. Many
travellers' initial confusion arises from the fact that Tokyo
is serviced by a combination of JR, private inner-city subway
lines and private suburban lines. This sometimes necessitates
switching between not just different trains but also different
train systems. There are also 12 subway lines operated by two
companies. The subway services are essentially the same and have
good connections from one to the other, although they do operate
under separate ticketing systems. The Tokyo Combination Ticket
is a day pass that allows unlimited use of JR, subway and bus
lines; if you are only going to travel on the subway, consider
buying an SF Metro Card (a prepaid card) or an 11-ride ticket
which offers 11 rides for the price of 10.
Many Tokyo residents and visitors spend a considerable amount
of time in the city without ever using the bus network. This is
partly because the train services are so good and partly because
the buses are much more difficult to use. In addition, buses are
at the mercy of Tokyo's sluggish traffic flow. Services also tend
to finish fairly early in the evening, making buses a pretty poor
alternative all round. Tokyo has one solitary tram service still
in operation. It doesn't really go anywhere of interest, but it
does pass through a couple of areas that haven't been claimed
by redevelopment.
Driving is possible in Tokyo, but not without frustrations, jams
and high tolls. Unless you're heading out of town, stick to public
transport. The same rule applies to the city's expensive taxis.
For those of you who enjoy a challenge, there are several car
rental agencies where you can hire a car on presentation of an
International Driving Permit: Nippon Rent-a-Car (tel 03-3485 7196);
Dollar Rent-a-Car (tel 03-3567 2818); and Toyota Rent-a-Lease
(tel 03-3264 0100).
The only way to explore areas like Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ueno
is on foot, but you're better off with 'motorised' transport if
you want to get between the suburbs. Forget cycling unless you
have a death wish (and some hardened Tokyoites seem to). |
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