Tokyo is the capital of Japan. At over 12 million people in the official metropolitan area
alone, Tokyo is the core of the most populated urban area in the world, Greater Tokyo
(which has a population of 35 million people). This huge, wealthy and fascinating
metropolis brings high-tech visions of the future side by side with glimpses of old Japan,
and has something for everyone.
Tokyo is the most populous prefecture and city in the country. The twenty-three special
wards of Tokyo, although each administratively a city in its own right, constitute the area
informally considered as the "city of Tokyo" and are collectively one of the largest cities in
the world with a total population of over 8 million people. The total population of the
prefecture exceeds 12 million.
Tokyo has the largest metropolitan gross domestic product in the world for a city, and it
held the title of the world's most expensive city for over a decade from 1992 through 2005.
Tokyo is a major global city and megacity. The name "Tokyo" refers variously to Tokyo
Metropolis (the prefecture) as a whole, or only to the main urban mass under its
jurisdiction (thus excluding west Tama and Izu and Ogasawara Islands), or even the
whole of Greater Tokyo Area, which includes Tokyo, Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Gunma,
Tochigi, Ibaraki, and Yamanashi prefectures, depending on context.
Tokyo was originally known as Edo, meaning estuary. Its name was changed to Tokyo
(Tokyo: to (east) + kyo (capital)) when it became the de facto imperial capital in 1868.
During the early Meiji period, the city was also called "Tokei", an alternative pronunciation
for the same Chinese characters representing "Tokyo". Some surviving official English
documents use the spelling "Tokei". This pronunciation is now obsolete.
Tokyo was originally a small fishing village named Edo. In 1457, Ota Dokan built Edo
Castle. In 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu made Edo his base and when he became shogun in
1603, the town became the center of his nationwide military government. During the
subsequent Edo period, Edo grew into one of the largest cities in the world with a
population topping one million by the 18th century. It became the de facto capital of Japan
even while the emperor lived in Kyoto, the imperial capital.
PLACE TO VISIT
Imperial Palace - surrounded by a moat and a high wall, is the official residence of
the Japanese imperial family. This is the most expensive square kilometer in the world,
which during the height of Japan's bubble was estimated to be worth slightly more than
California. Unfortunately, the inner palace gardens and buildings are closed to the
general public except on January 2 and December 23, when the imperial family makes a
public appearance. However, foreigners can also apply online to join a guided tour
Imperial Palace East Gardens - however, are open to the public daily except
Mondays and Fridays. Kept in impeccable shape, the gardens are particularly beautiful
during the March and April plum and cherry blossom seasons. Entrance is free through a
number of gates; you will be given a plastic entrance card at the gate, which you are
obliged to return upon leaving
Chidoriga-fuchi Moat - on the Northwest side of the Imperial gardens grounds, is
one of, if not "the" most prominent cherry blossom site in Tokyo, and attracts throngs of
people in its March-to-April peak season. It is located just across the street from
Yasukuni-shrine. Rowboats are also available for one to row along a limited portion of the
moat at 500 yen for 30 minutes, 1000 yen for an hour and at a slightly more expensive
rate during cherry blossom periods.
Yasukuni Shrine - A controversial shrine to Japan's war dead, housing the souls of
some 2.5 million people killed in Japan's wars — including convicted war criminals
executed by the Allies. A favorite haunt of right-wing groups in black loudspeaker-
equipped trucks. Open daily and free entrance adjacent to Metro Hanzomon line
Kudanshita station, or cross the bridge north from Kitanomaru Park. Festivals take place
most notably in mid-July and mid-October, which can attract as many people and vendors
as it does on New Year's Day when the Japanese come to pray for a prosperous year. It
can also get quite crowded during cherry blossom season.
Yushukan War Memorial Museum - adjacent to the shrine, is an odd
collection of military paraphernalia (including human torpedoes and letters from
kamikaze pilots) and one-sided descriptions of the war
Tokyo Resurrection Cathedral - A beautifully-restored 1800s-vintage Russian
Orthodox cathedral located near Ochanomizu Station on the Chuo Line. Use the
Hijiribashi exit. The Hijiribashi bridge by the exit is one of the better looking bridges in
Tokyo and looks moderately attractive when lit-up at night.
Kanda Myojin - a block north across the river from Ochanomizu station. This shrine
has a history dating back to the 8th century and had been highly regarded under the Edo
shogunate. The current red-pillared structure has been rebuilt after being completely
destroyed in the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. The Kanda Matsuri festival, which takes
place in mid-May every other year is one of the largest in Tokyo and is a sight to behold.
Arrive before noon or the shrine gets packed with spectators.
Hie Jinja - located on the opposite side of the Imperial garden. Another prominent
shrine in Tokyo and the Sanno Matsuri festival it hosts in June is counted among the 3
Great festival of Tokyo. Located a five minute walk from Kokkai-gijido-mae station on the
Metro Chiyoda line.
National Museum of Modern Art - With a modest permanent collection on
display and regularly changing exhibitions, MOMAT is a nice place to kill a couple of hours
after you've seen the Imperial Palace across the road. Entry to the nearby Crafts Gallery is
included in the price: ¥420 for adults, ¥130 for students and children under 15 free.
Yamatane Museum of Art - a short walk from Hanzomon station on the Metro
Hanzomon line specializes in modern Japanese-style paintings and has a notable
collection though only a handful are on display at one time due to preservation issues.
600 yen for adults, open 10 to 5.
Tokyo International Forum - located in front of Yurakucho station - labelled by
many as a waste of taxpayers' money - is a huge modern architecture mainly used for
concerts, exhibitions and the like. There may not be much of interest to the casual tourist
except perhaps the outer design of it.
Tsukiji Hongwanji - A Jodo Shinshu temple just a few blocks away from the fish
market, worth seeing because of its unique, South Asian-inspired architecture. Buddhist
services are held in English on Saturday evenings
Tokyo Stock Exchange - Tokyo's stock exchange, while one of the largest in the
world by capitalization, is now entirely automated, and the tiny building it resides in is
mostly for show, featuring a small museum, exhibition hall, and broadcasting facilities.
Hama-rikyu Gardens - Originally built by 17th-century shoguns for their private
enjoyment, Hama-rikyu is now a public walking garden with an all-season range of
flowers and flowering trees. The highlight is the tea house, picturesquely set on a small
island in the middle of a pond, where green tea and sweets are available for ¥500. The
garden is located next to Tsukiji fish market. A boat which runs up the Sumida River to
Asakusa departs from inside the park. Park admission ¥300
Tokyo Tower - Tokyo's largest tourist trap, this was a newly re-industrialized
Japan's 1958 answer to Paris's Eiffel Tower — a bit more modern-looking and 9 meters
taller. Entry to the Main Observatory (150m) is ¥820, while ascending to the Special
Observatory (250m) is an extra ¥600. If you've still got money in your pockets, you can
burn it by visiting the Wax Museum (¥870), the Mysterious Walking Zone (¥410) or the
Trick Art Gallery (¥400). Open 9 AM to 10 PM daily.
Sengaku-ji Temple - Not all that much to look at, but the fascinating history makes
up for it: this where the famous 47 ronin of the true story that became the Kabuki epic
Chushingura committed ritual suicide after avenging their master's death. The graves are
a popular site of pilgrimage to this day.
Zojo-ji Temple - This grand old temple is the headquarters of the Jodo Shinshu sect
and houses the graves of 6 of the Tokugawa shoguns, but is a little off the beaten track
and is rarely visited by tourists. Particularly beautiful around cherry blossom time.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Center- This giant hive of bureaucracy is
an Orwellian architectural masterpiece designed by noted architect Kenzo Tange. The
reason to come here, though, is the observatories, at a height of 202 meters on the 45th
floor, which have Tokyo's best views - and they're completely free
Shinjuku Gyoen - A large public garden, and one of the most popular places for
viewing cherry blossoms in the spring. It has an English garden, a Taiwanese teahouse,
and a botanical conservatory. It's a ten-minute walk east from JR Shinjuku station.
Hachiko - A diminutive statue of a dog tucked away in one corner of the big plaza
outside the station, best known as a meeting place and for the story (see box). It is also
the name of one of the many exits from Shibuya Station and the prime meeting place
before a night out. Just hanging out near Hachiko for a while will give you some great
people-watching opportunities.
Bunkamura, Bunkamura-dori - A complex featuring an excellent art museum,
in addition to theaters for film and stage plays. On the basement floor there's an art and
design bookstore as well as a branch of Paris' famous Les Deux Magots café.
Sengaku-ji - is a temple most famous as the resting place of the 47 Ronin, a famous
group of samurai who banded together to avenge their unfairly slain master. Having
obtained the head of the offender, they brought it to this very temple and then committed
ritual suicide. The story is told in Chushingura, the best-known of all Kabuki plays. History
aside, the temple isn't much to look at. Nearest station is Sengakuji on the Toei Asakusa
line.
Kogan-ji Temple - This small temple in Sugamo is known for two magical statues:
Togenuki Jizo, who heals sick children, and the boddhisattva Kannon, who will cure your
pains if you wash the appropriate part of the statue. More morbidly, you can also pray to
Kannon for a swift and painless death, so you will not be a burden to your relatives in your
old age.
Meguro Parasitological Museum - One of a kind and oddly popular with
couples on dates, although you might want to skip lunch before (or after) your visit here
as the exhibits and pictures can be rather graphic. A compact two-story building, the most
famous exhibit inside is an 8.8 meter-long tapeworm, with a matching string for you to
take the measurement. Entrance is free, though donations are appreciated.
WHAT TO DO
Take a boat ride on the Sumida River from Asakusa.
Lose yourself in the dazzling neon jungle outside major train stations in the evenings.
Shibuya and east Shinjuku at night can make Times Square or Piccadilly Circus look
rural in comparison - it has to be seen to be believed.
Enjoy a soak in a local "sento" or public bath. Or one of the onsen theme parks such as
LaQua at the Tokyo Dome (Taito) or Oedo Onsen Monogatari in Odaiba.
Go to an amusement park such as Tokyo Disney Resort, which consists of Tokyo
Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea which are the world's most visited and second most
visited theme parks respectively, or the more Japanese Sanrio Puroland (in Tama), home
to more Hello Kittys than you can imagine.
Check out the hip and young crowd at Harajuku's Takeshita-Dori (Takeshita Street) or the more grown up Omotesando.
In the spring, take a boatride in Kichijoji's lovely Inokashira Park, and afterwards visit the
Ghibli Studios Museum (well-known for their amazing movies, like Spirited Away, and
Princess Mononoke), but you will need to buy tickets for these in advance at a Lawson
convenience store.
Take the Yurikamome elevated train across the bay bridge from Shimbashi station to the
bayside Odaiba district, and go on the giant ferris wheel - the largest in the world until
recently.
Watch a baseball game, namely the Yomiuri Giants at the Tokyo Dome, or the Tokyo
Yakult Swallows at Jingu Stadium. Nearby Chiba hosts the Chiba Lotte Marines.
Take a stroll through the Imperial Palace's East Gardens (open to the public daily at 9am,
except Fridays and Mondays).
Have a picnic in a park during the cherry blossom (Sakura). Unfortunately Sakura only
lasts for about a week.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Tokyo has two large airports: Narita for international flights, and Haneda
for (mostly) domestic flights.
Narita Airport Tokyo's main international gateway is Narita Airport , located in the town
of Narita nearly 70 kilometers northeast of Tokyo . A brief summary of options for getting
there and away:
Easiest: Limousine bus direct to major hotels, ~90 minutes (subject to traffic), ¥3000
Fastest: Narita Express to Tokyo Station, Shibuya, Shinjuku, Yokohama, 55 minutes,
¥2940 (Japan Rail Pass valid)
Cheapest: Local Keisei train to Nippori/Ueno, ~80 minutes, ¥1000
Most expensive: Taxi to the city, more than ¥30,000
Haneda Airport - Haneda Airport officially known as Tokyo International Airport, in Ota
is the busiest airport in all Asia despite being (almost) entirely limited to domestic traffic.
Terminal 1 houses the JAL group including Skymark and Skynet, while Terminal 2 is
home to ANA and affiliate Air Do. Shuttle services to Seoul-Gimpo and Shanghai-
Hongqiao use the small separate International Terminal, which is connected to the main
domestic terminals by a free shuttle bus that runs every 5 minutes.
By car or thumb - While you can drive into the city, it's really not recommended as
the city can be congested, signs may be confusing and parking fees are astronomical.
Hitchhiking into Tokyo is pretty easy, but hitchhiking out is considerably more difficult. It's
definitely possible for determined cheapskates though, see Hitchhiking in Japan for a
detailed list of tested escape routes from the city.
By bus - Highway bus services link Tokyo to other cities, resort areas and the
surrounding prefectures. There are JR and private bus companies. Bus service may be
cheaper, but the train is probably more convenient. If you have a JR pass, then you should
generally stick with the trains.
Long-distance buses use a number of terminals scattered throughout the city, but the
main JR depot is at Tokyo Station's Yaesu-minamiguchi exit, while Keio and some other
private companies use the Shinjuku Highway Bus Termina opposite Yodobashi Camera
near the West Exit.
By boat - One of the great ports of the world, Tokyo also has domestic ferry services to
other points in Japan. However, none of the regular international ferries to Japan call at
Tokyo.
The main long-distance ferry terminal is Ariake Ferry Terminal, located on an artificial
island adjacent to Odaiba in Tokyo Bay. The nearest station is Kokusai-Tenjijo-Seimon
on the Yurikamome line, but it's still a bit of a hike. You can also take a direct bus from
Shin-Kiba station on the Metro Yurakucho line.
