Image taken on 2009-10-04 19:36:08 by Stuck in Customs.
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Tokyo is one of the most beautiful cities of the world. As Japan’s capital, largest city, and most densely populated urban area, many travelers from across the world are always in a rush to book cheap tickets to visit this city. Tokyo, as an example is a highly populated city, with the last official figure said to have quoted the number of people in the city to have exceeded the twelve million mark. Whether it is the pollution, crowed, the infrastructure, distinct shopping districts, business and entertainment center or the speedy trains, it would be an amazing experience to travel to this city and witness the amazing places that Tokyo offers. Tokyo is a well known holiday destination among the people staying in USA. Since a large number of tourist flocks around the city, the official language of the country is Japanese but English is spoken widely within established tourist centers. Before traveling you need to set your budget to book cheap flights. Because your budget will decide that you will be comfortable with low cost airlines or with some major airlines. Many peoples decide their budget and then consult with any well known travel agent. Now days there are many travel agents available on your cities. But you need to be very careful while dealing with them. You need to check those travel agents are dealing with major airlines or not. However travel agents are one of the best reliable sources to get information about Japan’s City Tokyo and airline tickets from USA but the best way to get cheap flights to any destination is an online travel agent. While residing at USA you can find the online best cheap flight deals for Tokyo from your home within few clicks of your mouse. Travel industry is facing a tough competition and you can take advantage of this. Due to this proliferation many travel sites offer cheap air ticket and discount deals for Tokyo. Sometimes you may even get the last minute offers to avail cheap air tickets. Once you learn the trick to research in the internet, you will be able to know a lot about online booking and cheap air ticket. Certain things have to concentrate before booking your airline tickets, for example time of booking plays a vital role in fetching air tickets. Things that should be kept in mind are the off peak hour and season, advance booking and flexibility for flying.
Tokyo (known as Edo up until 1868) is Japan’s capital and the country’s largest metropolis. In the 20th century alone, Tokyo suffered earthquakes, fires and devastating bombing resulting in repeated redevelopment. After centuries of renovation and expansion, Tokyo has grown vertically to accommodate its 12 million residents. Today, the buzzing and futuristic city is in constant flux. New trends disappear as quickly as they arrived. Yet, age-old traditions are deeply rooted reflecting a city that is both ancient and highly modern. Getting around Tokyo: Tokyo has two main airports. Narita airport handles international traffic exclusively, while Haneda airport deals with domestic flights and a few international flights. Traveling from Narita Airport Avoid getting a taxi to the city center as it is very costly. Members of the Taxi Council will now charge fixed fares based on destination zones e.g. a trip from Narita to Shinjuku will cost 21,000yen (US$220), excluding highway tolls. The best options would be to take the Airport Limousine Bus directly from the airport costing 3,000 yen (US$30) one way or the JR Narita Express Train costing around 3,310 yen (US$35) one way, depending on your destination. Traveling around the city Tokyo’s public transport system is excellent, with numerous subway lines. If you’re going to be in Tokyo for a few days, it’s may be more convenient to purchase a refillable, contactless card that automatically deducts fares, such as the Suica (for use on subways and major bus services in Tokyo) or the Pasmo (for riding on the JR and major bus services.) The Shinkansen (bullet train) is one of the fastest trains in the world and connects major cities north and south of Tokyo. The train is only slightly less expensive than flying, but the train stations are conveniently more centrally located than airports. Generally speaking, taxis are expensive. Tokyo taxi drivers rarely speak English, so if you don’t speak Japanese, it’s a good idea to have your destination written down in Japanese. Note that taxi doors open and close automatically. Don’t miss… There is so much to see and do in Japan, contrasting between traditional cultural experiences to the more colorful, neon light filled chaos. Tsukiji fish market is located by the Sumida River. Be ready for an early start though – it opens at 5am! Here you will see restaurateurs bantering at the auctions for the best catches of the day. Visitors aren’t officially allowed at this time, but as long as you don’t get in the way and don’t take any flash photos, your presence will be tolerated. For first time visitors, Tamaki Naiki, Director Marketing & Sales for BCD Travel in Tokyo recommends a visit to The Imperial Palace, home of Japan’s Emperor and imperial family. The palace itself is closed to the public, but you can wander around its outskirts and to visit the beautiful East Gardens. Here you can catch a glimpse of the palace’s most famous landmark, the double-barreled bridge (Nij?-bashi), apparently the most photographed scene in Japan. Imperial Palace Ginza is the most stylish stretch of the city, with suitable pricey shops and restaurants! Tech-heads shouldn’t miss the Sony Building, where the latest gadgets can be found as well as a whole floor devoted to the PlayStation. Shibuya is a sprawl of gleaming office blocks with illuminated billboards and surrounded by relentless surging crowds. Take a walk across the famous intersection outside Shibuya Station, where pedestrians spill out like marbles as traffic stops in all directions, when all the lights turn red in unison. In the north of Shibuya, visit the Shinto Meiji-jingu Shrine dedicated to the late 19th-century emperor who opened Japan to the West. The shrine is nestled amongst the Meiji Shrine Inner Gardens containing some 125,000 evergreen trees, providing a peaceful setting. Where to eat: Tokyo is teeming with places to eat. You can stumble across numerous noodle, ramen, sushi bars and “curry-rice” shops just about anywhere.While dining in Japan, Tamaki advises on a few rules of social etiquette you should remember: Do not pass food directly from your set of chopsticks to another’s and don’t stick your chopsticks upright in your food when you’ve finished – both actions denote funerary customs. The culinary power of Tokyo has risen dramatically and you can find many western style places to eat. In fact, Michelin – the keeper of the world’s culinary standards – has awarded more stars to restaurants in Tokyo than to those in any other city in the world, two thirds of which serve Japanese dishes. Shopping: You can easily find traditional Japanese items and the latest goods in Tokyo. Generally the city can be pricey, but you can find some cheap gifts at the 100Yen shops (similar to the $1 shops found in the U.S.) dotted around the city. The Ginza is Tokyo’s version of New York’s 5th Avenue and rather expensive. Well-known department stores are attractively displayed with scheduled fashions shows, exhibitions and tea ceremonies. Takashimaya Times Square is a popular department store in Shinjuku geared towards all ages. The basement-level food floor is a great place to taste free samples of different Japanese foods. In the same mall you will also find a branch of Tokyu Hands, the “Creative Life Store,” catering for the serious hobbyist or homeowner. You’ll find everything here from kitchenware to travel accessories to an electrically-warmed sheep pillow! If its electrical goods you are after, then head to the Akihabara district. There are over 500 shops that sell electronics suitable for international use, with English speaking staff available. The prices are about 30 percent lower than the regular prices, and you can bargain too.
Tokyo, capital city of Japan since 1869, is one of the most populated metropolitan cities in the world. Believe it or not, Tokyo City is complex, big and always on the move. Be warned, if you are in Tokyo City for the first time, you will be greeted with the city’s saturated big concrete high rise building, very wide roads, raised concrete expressways crossing one another. This remarkable city is also where the old meets the young. You can be in the most modern place such as Roppongi in one minute and you can wonder down the street to experience a traditional old shrine or town the next moment. This is the beauty of exploring the City of Tokyo. Greater Tokyo has 23 wards (ku), 26 smaller cities, 7 towns and 8 villages. To have an appreciation of its size, the distance from the east to west is 88 km (55 mil) while it is 24km (15 mil) from north to south. The way Tokyo City is organized seems to be a bit complicated in terms of finding a place even with address. You are not alone as the local themselves find it difficult as well. The best way to go about it is to ask for direction. In Tokyo city, there are numerous koban (local police box) where you can approach for help. Believe it or not, the policemen spent most of their time helping people finding their destination. The lesson here is to always bring along the location map of your accommodation. You can get it from your hotel. The City of Tokyo is really a big place and the best way to know this city is to have an introductory city tour. You can start your day by visiting the Meiji Shrine at Shibuya ku. The Meiji Shrine sits in Yoyoji Park. This is one of the must-see religious sites in Tokyo which was dedicated to Emperor Meiji, the first emperor of modern Japan. During New Year, it draws a million-plus of crowds. This gives you enough good reasons to pay a visit. The next place to visit is the Imperial Palace East Garden. Along the way, you will travel past the National Diet Building recognized by its pyramid-shaped dome. This building houses the Japanese parliament. There is a free 60-minute tour of the Sangi-in or House of Councillors or Lower House when the Diet is not in session. If you are interested and have sufficient time, do come back here again. The Imperial Palace East Garden (Higashi-Gyoen) is open to public but not everyday. It is close on Monday and Friday. If you happen to be there on these two days, can visit the Imperial Palace Plaza instead. In the garden, you can have a closed up view on the massive stones that built the castle walls, visit the Museum of Imperial Collections and enjoy a stroll on the typical Japanese garden. There are three gates to the garden and the most commonly used gate is the Ote-mon on the east. The Ote-mon is closed to the Tokyo Station and this was the principal entrance to Edo Castle for more than 200 years. After visiting the Imperial Place East Garden, it will be almost half a day gone and is a good time take a rest and have lunch. If you are with a tour group, your lunch will mostly be included. However, if you are on you own, do not worry. There are plenty of eateries in the city of Tokyo, ranging from restaurant to fast food outlet. One of the best bet is to get into the basement of a department stores where you can find food in the basement food hall. You can visit the nearby Mitsukoshi Department Store in Tokyo’s Gina district where you can eat to your hearts content. Finding suitable choices of food to suit you appetite is never a problem in Tokyo because there are simply too many to chose from. If you are not in for Japanese food, then go for a simple burger. The next stop will probable be the most celebrated district of Asakusa. Do you know what, I visited this place twice when I was in the City of Tokyo. This place is famous for the Sensoji Temple (Asakusa Kannon Temple) and the colorful Nakamise walkway leading to the temple. The Nakamise walkway is lined with many colorful stores leading up to Sensoji Temple, Tokyo’s oldest and most famous Buddhist temple. This is where you can get all your souvenirs. The last visit on your agenda might be the futuristic Odaiba which has become one of Tokyo’s most popular areas. You can cross over to this island via the Rainbow Bridge and enjoy the view of Tokyo bay. At Odiba you can visit places like the Palette Town, the Aqua City and the unusual shopping mall of Venus Fort. It is rather a big place with some wonderful parks to stroll. That is about all for an introductory day tour for Tokyo City. To fully enjoy the beauty of this city, you should pick one or more places to explore. For more informationon, please visit City of Tokyo.
Tokyo has had it’s fair share of grief. Two major disasters rocked the Japanese capital during the twentieth century – the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the Allied bombing of 1945. After World War Two, the city was completely rebuilt and showcased to the world during the 1964 Olympics. During the following decades, Tokyo boomed but in the 1990s the bubble burst beginning Japan’s lost decade from which it is now slowly recovering. However, whether boom or bust, Tokyo is always a city that leads a precarious existence. It stands on the meeting point of three tectonic plates, the Eurasian plate, the Philippine plate and the Pacific plate. It has been hit by powerful earthquakes in 1703, 1782, 1812, 1855, 1923. Many observers view the long break from 1923 until today with great trepidation, fearing the burgeoning strain building up underneath and the fact that the present population of Tokyo is over twelve million. An earthquake hitting Tokyo that is nearly anywhere as powerful as 1923 is an utterly horrifying idea, the loss of life would be overwhelming. The signs are seriously ominous, in 2005 Japanese researchers announced that the boundary between two key tectonic plates just south of Tokyo was less than sixteen miles (26 kilometres) from the surface and in some places was only two and a half miles (4 kilometres). The Japanese government however has issued assurances that they are ready for the Big One when it comes. They maintain that all of Tokyo’s large buildings are able to withstand a magnitude 7.2 earthquake but what if it any greater? What if the city is hit by a tsunami? What then? I shudder to think.
Some guide books tell you that Ikebukuro, to the north of metropolitan Tokyo, Japan, is mainly a business district. In fact, nowadays it’s a lively entertainment area with many restaurants, cafés, bars, pubs and karaoke, arts and culture and the obligatory high-end shopping. Ikebukuro is a convenient location to base yourself as it has a huge subway train station, connecting many lines including the JR Yamanote line, JR Saikyo line, Tobu Tojo line, Marunouchi line and Yurakucho line. The Ikebukuro area is very built up and is, to be fair, a little short on green spaces. There are small parks but they tend to consist of lots of trees around a paved square rather than the beautiful gardens of Shinjuku Koen or the West Garden of the Imperial Palace. However, if you’re up for shopping and entertainment then this is an excellent district to visit. Ikebukuro station is bounded on both sides by the wonderfully massive department stores of Tobu to the west and Seibu to the east. Both are full of all the usual things you’d expect from a good department store such as perfumery and cosmetics on the ground floor, racks and racks of designer clothing, toys, furniture and bustling food hall in the basement. I’m not joking when I say that it’s entirely possible to get hopelessly lost in these stores. If you see something you want, you’d better buy there and then as you may not be able to find it again later! Once you manage to extricate yourself from the station area, to the west side you will find the Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space. The concert hall hosts mainly classical and orchestral concerts and you will also find a coffee shop, gift shop and art exhibitions within the entrance hall. In front of the main building is an open plaza which becomes the venue for a second-hand book market on Sundays. Following the roads round to the north and then the east side of the station you will see many large stores including several branches of Bic Camera for electronics, Marui, Parco, Mitsukoshi, Tokyu Hands and Uniqlo. One of the highlights of the area has got to be Sunshine City which lies about 15 minutes walk to the east of Ikebukuro station. Sunshine City is a big shopping complex which also houses large corporate offices, an aquarium and a planetarium. There are two floors of retail shopping, most of which is women’s fashion and shoes and, refreshingly, includes many smaller boutiques in amongst the more exclusive designer shops. Apart from ladies fashions, there are also some lovely homewares shops, a Three Coins shop where you can get some great bargains as everything costs 300 yen (plus tax, making it about 312 yen!) and a Ghibli shop for all your Totoro, Kiki and Spirited Away merchandise. The largest unit here appears to be occupied by Toys R Us in the basement. There are, of course, many restaurants and cafés as well for when you get tired. You will find everything from fast-food such as McDonalds and Ten-ya, to European-style patisseries to quieter, more expensive Japanese restaurants. Outside the Sunshine City building there are various Manga and Anime shops and it’s also in this area that there has been a trend for ‘butler cafés’, the girls’ equivalent of Maid cafés! Visiting Ikebukuro can be exhausting but it’s great fun and has much to offer in the way of shopping and night-life.
Tokyo is speeding towards the future at break neck speeds, fashion gets outdated as fast as it’s taken off the rack, and advances in technology are profound and hurried in this dynamic economy. The obsession locals have with all these new trends is never ending; their passion for all things strange and exotic is world famous. And yet with everything newfangled comes a deep sense of belonging and tradition. The true essence and unbridled energy of this triumphant city comes from its ability to stick its feet firmly to the ground whilst pointing their heads towards the sky. Just as you would expect to see the latest pop culture emerge from Tokyo, you can expect to find hidden pockets of shrines and traditional spiritualism in its deepest form just about everywhere. Tokyo is something to be experienced; and this Asian delight holds a suitcase full of mementos that will last you a life time. Setting the stage for some of Tokyo’s greatest performers from sports to singers is the Tokyo Dome City. Opened in 1998, this stadium is the first of its kind to reach the city. Baseball is a favoured sport here and on average 60 games takes place in the stadium every year for the delight of locals and tourists alike. Taking in to consideration concerts can also be held at this venue, the Tokyo Dome City has seen the likes of Madonna, Michael Jackson and the Backstreet Boys. Hosting also an array of exhibitions right through out the year, the stadium has something going on every day of the year. Tokyo Dome City also features an amusement park with rollercoaster rides and bowling alleys, ensuring a great day out for the family. And for a little probing in to the history of Japanese baseball, one can visit The Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. A lesser known fact about Japanese baseball is that it began in the 1950s and today has become very much a large part of their culture. Complementing the museum is the Baseball Café that serves a delightful array of steaks, burghers and beers to appease the taste buds. Looking for that ideal Tokyo hotel? Accommodation options in this beehive of a city are in abundance, but finding that ideal hotel in Tokyo to meet your needs is a must. Shangri-La Hotel Tokyo is a famous Tokyo luxury hotel that provides some of the finest dining, fitness, spa and accommodation options. Be indulgent and make a booking with this fine Tokyo hotel, and be rest assured that your needs will be met, time and time again.
However, Tokyo is not the city that can boast its ancient holidays it became the capital only in 19th century and, therefore most of its celebrations appeared later. But what is special about Tokyo is that there are a lot of events here.
Tokyo, the capital and largest city of Japan, is the core of most populated urban area in the world. It is located at about center of the Japanese archipelago. Greater Tokyo is a huge, fascinating and wealthy metropolis brings high tech vision of future side by side with glimpse of old Japan and has something for everyone. As the land unfolds from east to west, there are hills, plateaus and mountains scattered around the city, which is quite appealing to visitors from all around the world. Hotels in Tokyo have made good provision for the accommodation of tourists with their wide network, ranging from star luxury hotels to cheap Tokyo hotels, to suit the taste and budget of every traveler. The high rising buildings of five star hotels are marvelous. They served the visitor at their best. They are well equipped with all modern facilities and amenities, but they are bit expensive and could not be afforded in every budget. Keeping this need of budget conscious travelers, many of them have started offering discounts for senior citizen, for children or for extended stay and thus transformed into cheap hotels in Tokyo. They try to fulfill all the basic needs, curtailing down the expensive facilities and thus, offer them comfortable accommodation. Tokyo is a city that blends the old and new in a seamless manner. The country’s religious and feudal pasts are represented by temples and palaces, which look to be of different era, but they are considered the integral part of culture by most Japanese. At the other hand, Japan’s youth is also wide spreading in the city. This blend of old and new merges to make it a very attractive place to visit some of the most common places of tourists’ attractions are:- Odaiba, an artificial island- it is an architectural wonderland, with real “popular science city of Tomorrow”. It has lot of means of entertainment and shopping venues, including, the Joypolis “Video Arcade on steroids”, Miraikan “future museum”, collection of hot spring resorts etc… water bus facility is also enjoyed by many tourists. Sensoji temple- it is a huge Buddhist temple surrounded by old fashioned shopping malls, several shrines and great places to eat. It gate at the entrance is the most photographed location. Akihabara- this is high tech sales era of Tokyo. It is said that the place has lost some of its cultural values during last past years, but it is still the place to buy in electronics. Apart from it, there are many tourists’ attractions like Tokyo tower, which is just the replica of Eiffel tower and fish market, where every marine creature eaten by men, is found. One can easily come across hotels in Tokyo around these tourists’ attraction for the ease of travelers.
It’s the most populated city in the world, a city where 90% of residents read a comic book daily, and one of the few places on earth where riding a bike is usually quicker than driving. Tokyo is magical, eternally confusing to outsiders and yet perpetually alluring. With so many attractions vying for your attention during your trip to Tokyo, here are the top 5 things to do in the city. 1. Spend a day people watching at Yoyogi Park 2. Watch the local giants 3. Marvel at Japanese fashion 4. Get electrified in electric town 5. Tackle the tuna in Tsukiji Gokouun o inorimasu! (good luck) |
Tokyo City
September 8, 2010, 9:57 pm
 Showers 24°Creal feel: 22°C
current pressure: 1007 mb
humidity: 83%
wind speed: 9 m/s NNW
wind gusts: 9 m/s
sunrise: 5:18
sunset: 17:59
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