| |
Guide to Tokyo, Japan
|
Click to go to Flight Prices for Tokyo
|
TokyoTokyo, the wealthiest city of the eastern hemisphere, is one often labeled a living miracle. Much of the city was destroyed during WWII, but soon thereafter Tokyo began to experience what still goes on today hyperactivity. Construction is at full blast, and while youre roaming the streets, subway stations, and commerce centers youll realize that youre not in a city so much as you are in a miniature world. The city keeps expanding into a further-reaching metropolis of high-rises where office space oftentimes doubles as living quarters. Wealth is extraordinarily shown here, but along with the rich, poverty-stricken neighborhoods are visible as well. However, all the characteristics that make up Tokyo contribute to the city experience. Everything is appealing, and absolutely nothing slows down; even the parks can get crowded at midday!
When to go:
If possible, avoid summer. It can get quite toasty and the humidity level reaches its yearly peak, creating a sense of restlessness in city dwellers, and welleveryone else. The city is known for its cherry blossoms, and the only time youll be able to catch the visual feasts is in spring. However, if youre not into spherical fruits you can opt for a flight in autumn, when colors please every palette that passes through Tokyo (youll see more easels around parks in autumn than any other time of year as well). Museums also hold much more interesting exhibits during the warmer months.
Getting there and around:
The greatest nuisance of traveling to Tokyo is flying into the citys international airport, Narita. The terminal is wonderful, and youll find everything you may need or want while youre there, but the ride into the city is what wrecks the mood for travelers. The fastest way of covering the 66km (40mi) to Tokyo is to purchase a ticket for train at the station beneath the terminal. There are lots of taxis and buses available outside, but if you want to get into Tokyo in less than 1 hour, then youd better opt for the locomotive.
Travel around Tokyo can be done many ways, but the most tourist-friendly /and/ cheapest way of getting to and fro is via the subway system. It may take a little while to understand, as there is not one but two privately owned organizations running their own lines with separate ticketing systems. Good news is that the learning curve is quite minimal and after a few hours youll have the idea down pat. Ferry service is not very expansive, but views of the city from the water, especially in the morning are simply stunning and a short ride along the waterfront is highly recommended.
Attractions:
One of the most interesting sites in Tokyo, Imperial Palace, is a great place to view some spectacular gardening and to catch a few glimpses of the royal familys residence. Visitors are not allowed to enter certain sectors of the grounds and/or palace, but on a few days throughout the year, such as the Emperors birthday (December 23^rd ), you may be able to take part in a bit more. However things turn out, the Imperial Garden is really one to see, which a total of three gates allowing entry and a number of precisely placed monuments around the walkways and grasses.
To interact with some tidal pools and roam a few teahouses youll have to ask around for the Hama Rikyu Palace Garden (actually, you wont have to ask, but a bit of mystique never hurt anyone). The Garden is even more popular than that of the Imperial Palace, so you can be sure to spend quite a bit of your day around here. Though its grounds do no take up that much land (only about 62 acres (25ha)), youre bound to enjoy a stroll through the pavilions, over the bridges, and even wade a bit in the pools around Shiori Pond.
For an experience in the busiest part of the city, look no further than the Shinjuku district. Here youll find a subway station among the busiest in the world (over 2 million travelers each day) and more video billboards than you can count. There are two sides to Shinjuku: the west (the suit and tie dominate), and the east (pawn shops and burger joints are king).
|
|
|
