Tokyo Highlights - the essential must sees

In Tokyo old and new, modern and traditional, Japanese and foreign often sit right next to each other very comfortably. Most buildings in Tokyo are relatively new - those that were spared by the 1923 Kanto earthquake were most likely destroyed by firebombing in 1945. Very few structures predate the Second World War although many old shrines and temples were reconstructed after the war in exactly the same way as before.

Any visit to Tokyo should include a visit to the largest Shinto shrine (Meiji Jingu) and the most important Buddhist temple (Sensoji). Also don’t miss the high-rise new buildings of ultra modern Shinjuku. Shopping in Tokyo is expensive but a treat with a level of service rarely equaled outside Japan. An early morning visit to Tsukiji fish market is a tradition for the jetlagged. Mt Fuji in winter is a sight to behold!

When the busy city gets just too much head for some parks, or Kamakura and Nikko - two pretty towns within easy reach of Tokyo.

The best time to visit is cherry blossom season in early April but the only real bad time is the hot and extremely humid summer (July - September).

Quick Tips:

Several companies operate half day and day tours that can be arranged by your hotel. These are generally fair value for money if you prefer not to go it alone, or if time is limited. However, central Tokyo is very easy to get around in and virtually all signs are in both English and Japanese. Surprisingly few Japanese speak English but virtually all can read English well. When you get lost write down or show in your guidebook where you want to go. (That said, I’ve heard the King’s English from some station and post office officials so always ask first before going into mime!)

Central Tokyo has a population density of about 13,000 per square kilometer so people watching is possible anywhere although Harajuku and Shibuya are areas famous for the outrageous fashion of the youth - weekends, especially Sundays are a good time to watch school girls get dressed up in the most ridiculous outfits imaginable. They love to get photographed.

Shops in Tokyo generally opens late (10 am or even 11 am) but similarly stay open late at night.

Best Way To Get Around:

For long distances Tokyo’s subways (underground) are the best choice. They are fast, safe, highly efficient and relatively inexpensive - punctuality is measured in seconds. They do get crowded during rush hour but after about 8:30 am and before 17:00 it is relatively easy to get a seat on most lines.

Once in a sightseeing area it is best to walk, or take a taxi if you must. Taxis are expensive, and most drivers don’t speak English but being cheated is virtually unheard of. An address written in Japanese (ask the hotel front desk) is always appreciated. Remember the left rear door of the taxi opens and closes automatically.

Buses are generally not convenient for most tourists - drivers don’t speak English and routes are often posted in Japanese only. The Subways are more practical, faster and cheaper.

Driving in Tokyo is surprisingly easy but can be slow - my average speed in central Tokyo and mostly in light traffic measured over a month or so is at most 15 km per hour. Parking is a nightmare - never mind the cost per 15 minutes, just finding an available spot is a struggle.

The mammoth Hotel New Otani complex is the largest hotel in Japan. It is also one of Tokyo’s most prestigious and the hotel of choice for delegations from many governments and international organizations.

The complex consists of two hotel buildings (the Main and the Tower), an office building (the Garden Court) and arguably the best maintained privately owned garden in Tokyo. Banquet rooms, shops (about 120) and restaurants (almost 40) are spread out throughout the complex and cater to all tastes (except cheap!). A revolving bar on top of the Main offers good and changing views.

We once stayed in the hotel for two weeks in The Main in room 444, which is the Japanese equivalent of 131313 (with death specifically rather than ordinary standard bad luck foremost in mind). I doubt they would offer this room to Japanese and many Asian customers but it suited us fine. An error in the quotation added free breakfast which generally cost from yen 2500 to yen 4000 (about US $ 20 - 30) per person. The room was spacious by Tokyo standards and tastefully decorated with ample storing space. The bathroom had a small waterproof TV but showed only local Japanese channels. Standard cable with CNN, BBC, etc is available in the bedroom. All rooms have coffee and tea makers - but avoid the plum tea like the plaque unless you are constipated and even then there are more human treatments. The view from this room was a bit disappointing featuring rather prominently the roof and air-conditioning units of the public rooms. That said we were astonished the first morning to see Mt Fuji, almost 100 km from Tokyo. The mountain looked so close as if you could actually stroll there in half an hour. We stupidly didn’t take any photos and never saw it again the rest of the two weeks.

The view from higher rooms and especially those in The Tower is generally nicer. The rooms in The Tower are also slightly nicer but there is not much in it. I checked many delegations into this hotel and have seen most of the types of rooms and the difference is not much unless you go for a suite. Rooms become nicer as the price goes up but as the movement is from a rather high base even the lower price rooms are nice.

Check in is remarkable fast and smooth for such a busy hotel. The bellboy will accompany you to your room and remind you that tipping is NOT customary in Japan. (Japanese restaurants and hotels manage to work the salary of staff into the price of the services they offer.) Ironically many of the restaurants in the hotel add a 10% service fee to bills, something that is usually not done in restaurants in Japan except those in internationally oriented hotels!

Room rates generally exceed $ 200 but specials are often available on the Internet or package deals and can go as low as $ 120.

The exterior of the 40 floor Akasaka Prince hotel is one of the most dramatic in Japan. The hotel is on a small hill and not surrounded by any other high buildings so defines the skyline all on its own. It was designed in 1983 by renowned Japanese architect Kenzo Tange and resembles the vertical folds of a Japanese fan. It is ultra modern inside and out.

The inside, apparently also designed by Tange, continues the theme of straight lines and simplicity. In fact many people consider the huge white marble lobby a bit sterile. It is definitely cool and airy. Whatever your opinion on it, it will never be described as gaudy or kitsch.

Each room in this hotel has a superb view, whether you face Akasaka with the possibility to see Mt Fuji in good weather, or facing Marunouchi and the Imperial Palace. The unique shape of the hotel makes every bedroom a corner room with views in at least three directions. The windows are huge with built-in sofas underneath. Furnishings are white, silver and shades of gray. The bathroom is a typical Japanese prefabricated plastic unit but a nice feature, also common in many Japanese houses, is that the washing basin is outside the bathroom itself making it easier when two people are sharing.

All rooms have coffee makers and fridges. Closet space is a bit limited (even if you don’t stay 40 nights like I once did) but large drawers add useful storage room. I liked the modern lighting in the rooms but a colleague complained that he found it too dark to read.

There are 12 restaurants / bars in the hotel including the two with excellent views on the 40th floor. A sign board in the lobby with weather information announces daily whether Mt Fuji is viewable from the 40th floor - you don’t really have to go that high up but the hope is that you should linger in either the bar or restaurant there. The Trianon used to be considered the best Western restaurant in Tokyo but had stiff competition the past couple of years (prices haven’t come down though). The Potomac offers standard hotel restaurant food but at reasonable prices for Tokyo.

The Akasaka Prince doesn’t offer many additional facilities. It has a pool for a couple of months in the summer. The best thing to do is probably to sneak across the road to view the beautiful garden of the Hotel New Otani.

The hotel is very conveniently located with excellent access to public transport. Five subway lines interlink at the Akasaka-Mitsuke - Nagatacho stations which are within five minutes walk from the hotel.

Room rates are around yen 17,000 ($ 130) per night.

Meiji Jingu is the largest and most important Shinto shrine in Tokyo. It was originally built in 1920 in honor of the memory of Emperor Meiji whose reign (1867 to 1912) is credited with modernizing Japan to a level able to compete with the best in the world after almost three centuries of self-imposed isolation. Both the Emperor and his wife are enshrined here.

The original shrine was destroyed during the Second World War and the current construction was completed in 1958. In contrast to many other postwar reconstructions in Japan, the original plans were followed and the correct building materials, in this case mainly Japanese cypress, were used. The shrine is situated in a forest like park with more than 120 000 trees donated from all areas of Japan.

The main entrance to the shrine is close to Harajuku Station (JR Yamanote Line) or Meiji Jingumae Station (Chiyoda subway line). You enter through an enormous wooden torii (see photo below) and proceed along a wide gravel walkway. After several minutes walk turn to the left and go through another torii - the largest wooden torii in Japan. To the left is a small park - admittance charged and not really worth it. (A surcharge is added while the irises are blooming in June / July whether in full bloom or nearing expiration!)

The shrine itself follows a type of Shinto shrine architecture dating back to the eight century of dignified simplicity with decorations limited to the absolute minimum. This is in stark contrast to the splendor and excessive decoration at the mausoleum of the first Tokugawa Shogun in Nikko. At Meiji Jingu most of the wood are unpainted, with a limited use of white paint and copper naturally turned green the only contrasting colors. The chrysanthemum crest of the imperial family is visible in several places including the square lanterns hanging from the eaves.

If you cut your shrine viewing teeth in Nikko or Kamakura, Meiji Jingu will come as a pleasant surprise - there are practically no stairs here. That said the walk from the entrance to the shrine itself takes a good 20 minutes or so. It is mostly gravel and can get a bit dusty on a busy day. It is also not suitable for narrow wheel strollers and wheelchairs although ones with thicker wheels seem to be OK.

There are frequent festivals and events held at the shrine. The most crowded is the first three days of the New Year. On New Year’s Eve it can take several hours to proceed from the entrance to the shrine itself and even on 2 January you can expect enough people to slow proceedings down to a crawl.

The Meiji Shrine is open from sunrise to sunset and entrance is free.

Sensoji Temple, also known as Asakusa Kannon, is one of the oldest and most important Buddhist temples in Tokyo. Its foundation in 628 is based on the legend that fishermen fished a golden Bodhisattva Kannon (goddess of mercy) out of the nearby Sumida River. The image is kept in a gold plated shrine but is never shown to the public.

Approaching the shrine, the first gate is Kaminari-mon - the gate of thunder; the god of thunder is on the right and the god of wind on the left. However, more picturesque to most tourist will be the huge red paper lantern hanging in the middle of the gate. It is one of the most famous sights in Tokyo and makes for great photos in almost any weather. Rickshaws usually offer services from the gate - many speak English.

After the gate you enter Nakamise Dori - a famous shopping street leading to the temple. (See Asakusa area entry). Before reaching the temple you cross another huge gate with more big red lanterns - the Hozomon Gate. The lanterns here are donated by tradesmen, including the traders from Tsukiji Fish Market. The huge, several meters long straw sandals are from rural Yamagata - the idea is that if the guard of the temple has such enormous feet it is better to pass than to contemplate evil deeds!

You reach the main hall after passing a huge cauldron of smoking incense. For a cure, wave the smoke towards areas of your body that ache. The main hall has been rebuilt at least four times. The current temple structure dates from the 1950s and is mainly reinforced concrete. It replaced the 1651 temple, which was destroyed by air raids during the Second World War. During the war the image of Kannon and several other artworks were buried and spared from destruction. The three huge lanterns hanging from the main hall are donated by geishas from various areas in Tokyo alluding to the important role Asakusa played in Edo times as an entertainment area. (This role has long since moved elsewhere, especially to Shinjuku and Ikebukero.)

After donating some coins you can pull your fortune out of cylinder with sticks - just follow the lead of other people there. You’ll get a stick with a letter and then take the fortune out of a drawer with the same number. There are sometimes English instructions available or just ask - many visitors are keen to help foreigners to find the right slip of paper. If you don’t like your fortune you can simply nix it by tying it to a nearby tree!

The temple area is open 24 hours and admittance is free.

The Asakusa area is most famous for Sensoji Temple, Nakamise and Kappabashi shoppig steets. The incredible variety of shops in Nakamise Dori, the 300 m street that leads to Sensoji Temple, offers everything from cheap souvenirs to authentic antiques and exquisite handcrafts. The price of souvenirs varies little throughout Tokyo, but Nakamise Dori has a variety and selection not equaled elsewhere. Many shops sell rice crackers (sembei) in a range of flavors and often will offer pieces for tasting. The atmosphere here is usually jovial and very friendly towards foreign visitors. Some find the shops gaudy and kitsch but selling these type of wares is a tradition as old as the temple itself.

Kappabashi Avenue is famous as the area where the plastic food displayed in the windows of Japanese restaurants is produced. It is also full of shops selling more ordinary kitchen utensils. Most shops are closed on weekends.

Asakusa is one of the areas in Tokyo where you may have involuntary interaction with Japanese school children. They normally operate in a group - staring and giggling and always trying to push one member of the group forward! Have pity on them as they are on English class assignment and have to ask foreigners a few questions and report back to class. As soon as they realize that you understand them and their purpose the shyness may disappear in seconds and all may start talking and ask questions. The questions are usually related to where you are from, what you have seen in Tokyo, where you plan to go in Japan and your views on world peace. Some speak astonishingly good English - especially the one initially being pushed by the rest - but some speak very basic English. Remember that they have to report back in class so keep the message simple and upbeat. They may ask to take your picture and will be happy if you take one of them.

Behind the Buddhist Asakusa Temple is the Shinto Asakusa Shrine, which was erected in 1649 on instruction from the Tokugawa shogunate. It commemorates the founders of the Asakusa Kannon which is enshrined in the Temple. The shrine is not of particular architectural note but it is one of the oldest wooden constructions in Tokyo. The shrine somehow escaped the destruction that befell all the other structures in the area - a miracle easier to subscribe to than the golden unseen Kannon.

The photogenic five-story pagoda close to Sensoji Temple is a 1973 replica of the Edo original.

Asakusa is the end terminus of the Ginza subway line, the departure point for Nikko Tobu Railway and also a stop for the Sumida River waterbus.

Shinjuku is legally one of the 23 wards (or cities) that together constitute Tokyo, but for most visitors Shinjuku is associated with the bustling area that surrounds Shinjuku station. Shinjuku Station (it is actually 6 stations next to and atop of each other!) is the busiest station in Japan with about 3 million passengers passing through each day. Any time you go to Shinjuku station you may feel alone but you’ll NEVER walk alone in this area!

Nishi (West) Shinjuku has the highest concentration of skyscrapers in Tokyo. For some reason the ground in this area is considered less susceptible to earthquakes and of course modern technology makes increasingly higher earthquake resistant buildings possible. The most impressive is the 48 story Tokyo Metropolitan Government offices - this huge complex consists of three buildings and resembles the façade of a very high gothic church. It was designed during the economic bubble of the 1980s when the sky seemed to have been the limit and no expenses were spared. A free viewing platform is in the left tower and many of the nearby office bu