Experiencing Tokyo: Capital of Japan

May 28, 2006 (Press Release) -- The sheer level of energy is the most striking aspect of Japan's capital

city. It's true the larger picture can be somewhat depressing - shoebox

housing estates and office blocks traversed by overhead expressways

crowded with traffic. But this is the Japanese success story in action.

The average Tokyo suburb hasn't fallen prey to supermarket culture though:

streets are lined with tiny specialist shops and bustling restaurants,

most of which stay open late into the night. Close to the soaring office

blocks exist pockets of another Tokyo - an old wooden house, a kimono

shop, a Japanese inn, an old lady in a kimono sweeping the pavement

outside her home with a straw broom. More than anything else, Tokyo is a

place where the urgent rhythms of consumer culture collide with the

quieter moments that linger from older traditions. It's a living city and

you'll never run out of things to explore.

Tokyo is a vast conurbation spreading out across the Kanto Plain from

Tokyo-wan Bay. Almost completely rebuilt after an earthquake in 1923 and

again after US air raids in WWII, Tokyo has literally risen from the

ashes. It's roughly split into the flashy commercial and business

districts west of the central Ginza shopping precinct, and the more down-

to-earth residential neighbourhoods to the east. For visitors, nearly

everything of interest lies either on or within the JR Yamanote line, the

rail loop that circles central Tokyo.

Magical memories of Tokyo don't come from standard sightseeing, as this

isn't a city of architectural brilliance flooded with monuments. Pragmatic

considerations were foremost in the postwar rebuilding, which has made for

some pretty dull streetscapes. The real Tokyo experiences are soaking up

the hustle and bustle and revelling in the pockets of calm. Ginza is the

most famous shopping area in Tokyo: it's opulent, vital and popular, and

is the place to be seen emptying your wallet. Ginza is overflowing with

small private galleries, too, making it a lovely place to browse even if

you're not looking to buy. Ueno-Koen, a park north of the centre, has some

of Japan's best museums and galleries. The Tokyo National Museum holds the

world's largest selection of Japanese art; the National Science Museum is

a massive free-for-all packed with scientific goodies; and the Shitamachi

History Museum is a recreation of the plebeian downtown quarters of old

Tokyo.

Long considered the heart of old downtown, Asakusa, north-east of the

centre, is one of the few places where you can experience something of the

real-life flavour of old Shitamachi. The big attraction here is Senso-ji

Temple, probably the liveliest place of Buddhist worship in all Japan, but

the whole area is great for a wander. Asakusa was once an infamous

'pleasure district', a fairground of theatre, music and the seedier side,

and vestiges of gaudiness and glamour remain. Shinjuku, west of the

centre, is present-day Tokyo's rowdiest entertainment quarter.

If you have only a day in town and want to dive headfirst into the modern

Japanese phenomenon, this sprawling, relentless district is the place to

go. Nearly everything that makes Tokyo interesting bashes elbows here:

high-class department stores, discount shopping arcades, flashing neon,

government offices, swarming push-and-shove crowds, streetside video

screens, stand-up noodle bars, hostess clubs, tucked-away shrines and

sleazy strip bars.

Tokyo is an expensive place to bed down. There are a couple of youth

hostels west of the centre and some relatively cheap options in Ueno and

Ikebukuro. Otherwise, Shinjuku can be a good bet, if you don't mind

squishing into a capsule hotel. Shinjuku is also one of the best eating

areas. Ueno and Asakusa are good places for traditional Japanese food.

Ginza is good by day, but is best avoided for evening eating - it's

invariably expensive.


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