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Transportation Guide |
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Attractive Area |
Shinagawa |
| Shinagawa Aquarium |
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At the Shinagawa Aquarium, 2, 500 fish of 100 species (such
as yellow jacks and yellowtails) swim around in schools in a giant 500-ton
tank. Below them, in a 22-meter undersea tunnel, you can observe the fish
from a 180-degree perspective, just like taking a walk under the ocean
floor. The aquarium also offers porpoise and sea lion shows.
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Roppongi |
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| Roppongi, a part of Minato Ward, Tokyo, Japan, is chiefly
known for its nightlife and the presence of Western tourists and expatriates,
although the vast majority of visitors are Japanese.
The name "Roppongi" literally means "six trees" and
was a simple crossing of two streets, until it was built up in the 1960's.
It is in the southern portion of the circle described by the Yamanote
Line and can be reached via the Hibiya, Namboku, or Oedo subway lines.
The area features numerous bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and other forms
of entertainment.
Roppongi is also the location of Tokyo's newest skyscraper complex, Roppongi
Hills, which opened in 2003.
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Ryogoku |
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| Ryogoku is an area of Tokyo where the sumo stadium, many sumo stables,
chanko restaurants and other sumo related sights can be found. It is the
center of the sumo world.
Until the beginning of the 20th century, sumo tournaments were held outdoors
at shrines and temples. In 1909, the first permanent sumo hall was built
in the Ryogoku area, where outdoor sumo events had been held for a long
time before.
The current Kokugikan is in the fourth permanent sumo stadium built in
Tokyo. It has been in use since 1985, and is located just next to Ryogoku
Station. It sits over 10,000 visitors and hosts three of the six annual
sumo tournaments (in January, May and September).
Sumo stables are the places where sumo wrestlers live and train. Among
the several dozens of sumo stables currently in existence, many are located
in the Ryogoku area. At some stables, it is possible to view the sumo
practice in the early morning hours.
Chanko nabe is the staple food of sumo wrestlers. It is a hot pot dish
that comes in many varieties and contains vegetables, seafood and meat.
There are several restaurants in the Ryogoku area that feature chanko
nabe on their menus.
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Ginza |
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| Hakuhinkan
Toy Park |
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| "Hakuhinkan Toy Park" was opened in 1982. There are about 50,000
toys available, stocked in the building from the 1st basement up to the
4th floor. They also have placed the vending machines of toys on Komparu-dori
Street. |
| Kabukiza |
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| Ginza is a place in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, named after the silver-coin mint
(Gin = silver, za = mint) established here in 1612 during the Edo period.
Modern Ginza began in 1872 when, after a devastating fire, the district
was rebuilt with two- and three-storey Georgian brick buildings designed
by the English architect Thomas Waters along with a shopping promenade on
the street, from the Shinbashi bridge to the Kyobashi bridge in the southwestern
part of Chuo Ward. Most of these European-style buildings are gone, but
some older buildings are still there, most famously the Wako building with
its clock tower.
It is an upmarket area of Tokyo with many department stores, boutiques,
restaurants and coffee shops. It is the location of the Kabuki-za (Kabuki
theatre). As well as being an entertainment and shopping district, Ginza
also houses many of Tokyo's corporate offices
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Akihabara |
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| Akihabara is also known as Akihabara Electric Town (Akihabara Denki Gai).
It is located less than five minutes by rail from Tokyo Station, Tokyo,
Japan. It is sometimes shortened to Akiba by locals. While there is an official
locality named Akihabara nearby, part of Taito-ku, the area known as Akihabara
(including the JR railway station of the same name) to most people is actually
Soto-Kanda, a part of Chiyoda-ku.
The area is mostly known for its large population of stores selling all
kinds of electronic, anime, and otaku goods.
It is probably the largest shopping area on earth for electronic and
computer goods, including new and used items. New items are mostly to
be found on the main street, Chuo Dori, with used items of all descriptions
(software, hardware, and junk galore) to be found in the back streets
of Soto Kanda 3 chome. First hand parts for the do-it-yourself PC builder
are readily available, with many places around for the best price hunter.
Tools, electrical parts, wires, microsized cameras and more are to be
found in the cramped (some might say dangerously so) passageways of Soto
Kanda 1 chome (near the station). Foreign tourists tend to visit the big
name shops like Laox or other near station speciality shops. The locals
of course know where to get better variety and prices a little further
away.
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Asakusa |
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| Kaminarimon |
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Asakusa is the part of Tokyo most famous for the Sensoji. There is
also an above-average density of temples in nishi-(west)-Asakusa.
Asakusa is on the north-east fringe of Central Tokyo, at the Eastern
end of the Ginza subway line, approximately one mile east of the major
Ueno railway/subway interchange. It is central to the area colloquially
referred to as shitamachi (not an official designation), which literally
means "downtown". As the name suggests, the area has a less
frenetic and more traditionally Japanese atmosphere than other neighbourhoods
of Tokyo.
With so many temples in the area, there are frequent matsuri (Shinto
festivals) in Asakusa, as each temple hosts at least one matsuri per year,
if not per season. The largest and most popular is the sensoji matsuri
in late spring, in which roads are closed from dawn until late in the
evening.
Festival (matsuri) in AsakusaIn a city where there are very few buildings
older than 50 years (owing to wartime bombing), Asakusa has a greater
concentration of 1950s-60s buildings than most other areas of Tokyo. There
are traditional ryokan (guest-houses), homes, and small-scale apartment
buildings dotted throughout the district.
In keeping with a peculiarly Tokyo tradition, Asakusa hosts a major cluster
of domestic kitchenware stores on Kappabashi-dori, which is visited by
many Tokyoites for essential supplies.
Next to the Sensoji temple grounds is a small carnival complex with rides,
booths, and games. The neighborhood theatre specializes in showing classic
Japanese films, as many of the tourists are elderly Japanese.
The Kaminarimon is the outer gate of the Sensoji, Asakusa's famous temple.
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Shibuya |
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| Shibuya is a special ward located in Tokyo, Japan.
The ward was founded on March 15, 1947. As of 2003, the ward has an estimated
population of 201,524 and a density of 13,337.13 persons per km².
The total area is 15.11 km².
Largely a commercial and entertainment district, Shibuya has achieved
great popularity among young people in the last thirty years. There are
several famous fashion department stores near Shibuya Station, but the
most famous one is called "Shibuya 109" (ichimarukyu). This
department store is very popular among young people, especially teens,
and it is famous as the origin of the kogal subculture. The fashion scene
extends northwards to Harajuku, and Shibuya is increasingly becoming a
fashion trendsetter for all Asia. The plaza in front of JR Shibuya Station
is known as Hachiko Square, after a loyal dog who waited here for its
master for years on end and is now commemorated with a diminutive statue.
Shibuya is also famous for its intersection crossing, reportedly the
world's busiest, which is located in front of Shibuya Station and uses
a four-way stop to allow pedestrians to inundate the entire intersection
(this is called a "pedestrian scramble", sukuranburu kosaten,
or the Barnes Dance after traffic engineer Henry Barnes). Furthermore,
the crossing has three large TV screens, which are on the buildings facing
the crossing. The Starbucks store overlooking the crossing is reportedly
the busiest in the world. The 2003 movie Lost in Translation featured
a scene at the crossing.
The main train stations in the ward are Shibuya Station itself, Yoyogi,
Harajuku, and Ebisu. The southern part of Shinjuku Station also extends
into Shibuya.
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Tokyo Station |
| Kokyo |
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Kokyo is the Japanese Imperial palace in the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo.
After the Meiji Restoration and the removal of the Shogun rulers, the Imperial court moved from Kyoto to Tokyo
and the former Tokugawa stronghold of Edo castle became the residence of the Emperor of Japan. It was originally
called Kuky? (palace castle) from 1888 to 1948.
It was destroyed during the Second World War by bombing, but was rebuilt in the same style in 1968.
Most of the palace is generally off-limits to the public, but the East Gardens are usually accessible to tourists. The inner palace is open to the public on only two days during each year, the Emperor's birthday and at the New Year (January 2).
The Kokyo is close to Tokyo Station.
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