Tokyo-Cosmopolitan and Friendly

Our room was spacious with a queen-size bed. There was a desk and chair, plus a sofa with a matching upholstered chair, a small table, and a floor lamp. There were two phones and a color TV that had English and multi-language stations. The windows were almost floor to ceiling with two sets of sliding screens (a translucent one and one that kept out the light). You were provided with slippers and a yukata (cotton kimono). Your bed was turned down every night if you wished. They provided a pot to boil water for the green tea which they provided.

There were several restaurants in the hotel. Shinjuku Station and many stores within a 10-minute walk or you could ride the free shuttle, which also took about 10 minutes. There were stores and restaurants on the lower level of the hotel. A Kinko’s was located on the ground floor. You could use the computers to access the internet for a reasonable fee.

The people at the desk spoke English and were very helpful. They had maps and directions to reach various sights. There is a concierge also. The airport bus drops you off and picks you up at the front exit for a fee.

The breakfast buffet is excellent and consists of traditional Japanese food as well as American breakfasts. It is pricey, though, at about $28 per person.

Tokyo City Hall is located in the Shinjuku area. Located on the 45th floor is an observation area. You take a special elevator from the ground floor straight up to the 45th floor. There is no charge, and you get a great view of the city. If its really clear, you can see Mt. Fuji. There is a snack bar on the floor that serves very good pastries. It is open until 9pm. It is best to go during the week when there is either no wait or just a short wait. On the weekend long lines form to go up.

The building is orange and green and done in Oriental style. There are several floors of handicrafts from all over Japan. There are different shops on each floor. You pay for your purchases in the area where you pick them out.

You will find people from many nations shopping here. You'll hear French, Italian and German besides English. The clerks speak English, so you don't need to worry about a language problem. Even if you don't buy anything, it's a great place to look around. The prices are very good too.

Tokyo Tower is a smaller version of the Eiffel Tower. It's painted red. It costs around $12US to go to the top level.

The views are good. It is a different perspective of the city than you get from City Hall. You can see Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge from the Tower as well as the tall buildings of the Shinjuku area.

There is a small glass floor on the one level that gives you a view of the base and street. You can walk across it if you want. The base has lots of small souvenir shops and some snack shops, too. It's within walking distance of a J.R. Train station.

Entrance to the garden is free, but you have to pick up a pass as you enter which must be returned when you leave. The gardens are extensive and contain trees, bushes and flowers as well as rock gardens and ponds.

Here you will also find a stone foundation, which is what remains of the central keep of old Edo Castle. There are also several of the old guard houses in the gardens with plaques telling you of their function.

There are rest houses in several places in the gardens where you can buy snacks and postcards as well as having restrooms. The gardens are a very peaceful area. You can get a glimpse of the Imperial Palace. You cannot get into the Palace or the grounds right around the palace.

This temple has a history that dates back to 628. It was built to honor Kannon, a Buddhist goddess of happiness and mercy. It's the oldest and most popular temple in Tokyo. The original temple burned down in 1945 in a bombing raid, and was rebuilt with donations of the Japanese people.

There are shops and souvenir stands all along the pedestrian lane that leads up to the temple. You also pass through the Kaminarimon Gate and the Hazoman Gate as you walk up to the temple. They have statues in the sides that are interesting. Nearby there is a 5-story pagoda. The Ginza Subway Line will get you close to this temple.