Japan Travel Tokyo - Overview

Tokyo capital of Japan is the hottest travel tourist spot in Asia, you can find the latest and coolest building architecture, most in season fashions, the foods all around the world, special electronics gadgets and toys, latest animation release, the list goes on. However it does has her another side which is very traditional cultures, buildings, custom and practices. Tokyo in fact is a very big city or capital, it consists of 23 special cities, 26 rural area, 5 small town and 8 villages. Since it is too diverse and hardly to share the whole Tokyo in this page, there are more focus discussion and sharing on each of the interesting areas or interesting topics in or around Tokyo. Here are just providing some handy information and quick travel guides for couple of most well-known places.

Travel Guide Tokyo - Must See Sights

Tokyo Tower

Before the Tokyo Tower is erected, Paris Eiffel Tower is the world tallest steel tower, now Tokyo Tower is the highest one as it is 13 meter higher than Eiffel Tower, the total height is 333 meter. Another great accomplishment of Tokyo Tower is it only use half of the material and one third of time needed to construct and complete as compare to Eiffel Tower. Further more comparing the structure itself, it is able to withstand earthquakes, and typhoons. At 150 meter height, there is a observation deck with the build up area of 249.9 meter squares which tourist can oversee the whole Tokyo, especially the night view of it which is so much interesting as compare to day view.

Roppongi Area

Roppongi is famous of its vibrant, fashions, modern arts, of course some very interesting night life. The landmark of Roppongi is the Roppongi Hills, a very tall building which has everything under its roof from restaurants, hotels, offices, retails shops, subway, movie towns, traditional gardens, and etc. In 52th floor of Hills, there is an observation deck just same as Tokyo Tower, where you can also have a 360 degree view of Tokyo city. Many international fashion brands like Louis Vuitton, Hanway, Gucci, Prada, etc are easily reach by tourist. There are some interesting modern street art where modern furniture is the theme, you can lay back on this wonderful design furniture while enjoying the city life in Roppongi.

Meiji Jingu

Meijing Jingu is a Shinto shrine, it is the most important culture and religion ground for Japan. It is also the largest green site in Tokyo with 152.3 meter squares land area, planted with 170 thousands trees. Couple of interesting sights in here are the biggest wooden made Tori gate, the main shrine area, flora garden with 150 species in Japan, also the museum for Meiji Emperor. Many Japanese came here to have their adult status ceremony, some also came here for new born naming ceremony, graduation ceremony and wedding ceremony as well. Another totally different culture you can seen here is the many COSPLAY fans like to gather at the south entrance of Meiji Jingu to show off their latest COSPLAY costumes.

Asakusa Sensoji

It has the most original flavor of Edo period temple design with a place for general public to have gathering during festivals and praying. The sign of Sensoji has many, but one of the main symbolic item is the big red lantern hanging at the main gate which spell out as "Rei Mon" (Door of Thunder), another outstanding design is the Five Storey Pagoda which has the similar fame as compare to the one in Kyoto. It is the second tallest temple in Japan.

Once you get in from the Rei Mon, there is a long path with stone paddles and each side of the path there are many shops selling authentic Japanese local traditional foods, bags, samurai swords, kimono, decors, and list goes on.

Tsukiji Wholesale Market

It is one of the most famous seafood wholesale market in the world. Every years many tourist around the world flock into Tokyo, wake up very early in the morning before dawn gather outside the Tsukiji market just to see the tuna fish auction process. Other than expensive tuna fish, it has all sort of seafood been sold here, some of the very unique Japan seafood are the Kai Kani (Thorns crab), Tiger Fubu fish, Saba, big octopus, eels, scallop, Hokaido King crab, etc. Something ones must try out is to have fresh seafood sashimi at many of the small little traditional sushi restaurant along the Tsukiji market. It is so fresh until you can feel the fish is still moving around in your mouth! 

Odaiba

Here is the famous dating place for Japanese, every evening you can see many Japanese young couples sitting on the beach in Odaiba Seaside Park, beach deck, cafe outside shopping malls that facing Tokyo city and Rainbow bridge. Odaiba indeed is a shopping place where there are so many big malls like Deckcs Tokyo Beach, Venusfort, Pet City, Aqua City and many more. People who are for sight seeing can visit Fuji Television Studio, Mega Web for futuristic and antique cars exhibition, Japan National Science museum , Maritime Science  museum, Telekom Center Building. You too can have your first Onsen (hot spring) experience to happen here at Oedo-Onsen-Monogatari.

Akihabara

If you are an AV electronics & PC gadgets, animations, latest TV games, mangas and COSPLAY, you should not miss out Akihabara as it is the home of consumer electronics birth place and leading the world wide trend. There are also many refurbish shop here selling a lot of good quality refurbished AV and PC products.

Theme Parks

Tokyo has many interesting theme parks like Tokyo Disney Resorts which has total of 8 theme parks with 7 unique Disney Seas that only in Japan. Then the most home brand - Hello Kitty Land or also known as Sanrio Puroland, where the activities and games are design with Hello Kitty theme, you can all sort of products based on Hello Kitty and some limited edition Hellow Kitty stuff cannot get from outside Japan. Another site is the Aqua Stadium in Shinagawa, a lot of activities are carry out here like indoor water theme park, water musical fountains, exhibition of 300 different type of sea creatures, watching seals and dolphins performance and penguin swimming freely in a big pool.

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Pachinko

There is a very unique amusement gaming machine call Pachinko, a lot of Japanese spend hours sitting in front of a machine with steel balls vertically cascades down through many set of pins, and hope that the balls will fall into the slots instead of get into the bottom center hole. Nowaday, pachinko machines is more fun as it integrated PC and colorful display to play cool animation once the players win a lot of balls, or when it hits the jackpot and discharging balls. At same level it is an gambling machine more than a amusement machine, as at the end of the day the winning balls is weighted and change for goodies but not cash, still there are ways to exchange to cash. Sorry it is adult only gaming, no kids allow!

Things To Do in Tokyo

Many things to do in Tokyo but what going to shown here is pretty much very unique suggestion and sometimes a bit crazy too!

1. Watching Tokyo night view from Tokyo Tower or Roppongi Hills

2. Visit Tsukiji wholesale seafood market 5.00 am early in the morning and eating the best and fresh sashimi

3. Experience the red light district in Kabuki-street

4. Enjoy the busiest finance districts in Ginza at day time where at night having the most dense restaurants, clubs, pubs and bars around.

5. Visit Asakusa the old town that still operate as it is before and the most famous Shensoji Temple

6. Sitting in Starbucks Cafe opposite Shibuya station watching down the biggest, busiest, most crowded pedestrian crossing at Shibuya station.

7. Walk through the future of Tokyo fashion district - Roppongi

8. Hot spring experience at Hakone National Park oversee Mt. Fuji.

9. Eat till you drop. Too many delicious authentic Japanese cuisines.

10. Explore Akihabara for the latest coolest, sometimes most weird innovation in electronics gadgets.

11. Experience extreme fashion teen culture shock at Harazuku which mostly having Costplay.

Getting Around

Airport to City

Narita Airport to City

There is two simple way to get to Tokyo city from Narita Airport:

1. Airport Limousine Bus cost about 3000 yen , stopping almost every key hotels in Tokyo.

2. JR Narita Express Train cost about 2940 yen (normal seat), and 4430 yen (first class seat)

Haneda Airport to City

1. Haneda Express cost about 2940 yen

2. SKYLINER Railway cost about 1920 yen

Inner City Access

It is very convenient in getting around Tokyo for tourist even it is the first time for you.

There are 2 type of simple transportation you can take, the JR train and the Tokyo Metro subway.

There are 1 day unlimited ride for JR and Metro:

Tokyo JR unlimited day pass cost: 730 yen (adult), 365 yen (children)

Tokyo Metro unlimited day pass cost: 710 yen (adult), 360 yen (children)

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