Tokyo!

Skyline of Tokyo with Mt. Fuji in the background.

Okay, I'll just say it upfront. Tokyo is h-u-g-e!! Technically speaking, it's comprised of 23 different wards and from what I can tell, a lot of these were originally towns unto themselves but over time have been subsumed into the megalopolis that is now Tokyo.  In terms of square miles, Tokyo is smaller than even Los Angeles but in terms of population, Tokyo including the suburbs is the largest metropolis in the world, with over 30 million residents. During daytime the Tokyo population grows by another 3 million as workers enter the city.  And I thought that Beijing with its population of close to 20 million was crowded!

Each time I would settle down to try and figure out what we were going to do over our two days in Tokyo, my head would - so much to do and no idea where to begin! Inevitably, would give up in frustration. But for me, time to plan is running out so today, I decided to tackle the beast.

I started with a map that I had bought a about a month ago and a list of some of the points of interest that seem to make it on everyone's list of the top ten things to do in Tokyo. I started placing strips of Post It notes on the places that I thought we would want to see. Lo and behold, the places were clustered on the eastern and the western ends of the city! Figuring out Tokyo was a lot less difficult than I had feared it would be. So I put together an itinerary for our two days but the plan will be to just use it as a rough guide. I want to explore Tokyo and start to soak in Japanese culture so I'm not hung up about deviating from the itinerary. I just want us to have fun!

We arrive into Tokyo on a Saturday afternoon. I figure by the time we arrive into our hotel in Shinagawa, we will have just enough time to settle in and then head out for dinner.

The chefs of the seven ramen noodle restaurants in Shinatatsu.

Located right alongside the train tracks at the Shinagawa JR station is a place called Shinatatsu which is a small alley lined with 7 well known ramen restaurants and 5 donburi (rice bowl) restaurants. I think that's where we'll go for our first Japanese meal - a warm bowl of ramen noodle soup to welcome us. Everyone whom I know who has been to Japan tells me that the ramen noodles there are NOTHING like the packaged things that buy in the US. I'm looking forward to finding out for myself just how good the *real* ramen is.




In Tokyo, you can hire a volunteer guide to show you around the city. Their time is free - you have to pay for their meals and transportation and presumably a nice tip at the end of the day.  For more information on  volunteer guides in Tokyo, check out the Tokyo Free Guide website.  For the same information but for  various Japanese cities, check out the Japan National Tourism Organization website.

Mike has arranged for a free guide to spend our first day with us.  I think he/she will be a great help in getting us accustomed to moving around Tokyo and doing things like figuring out how to use the subway/train system.  From what I've been told, the subway is the most efficient way to get about but it's also very challenging to use.  I think the map of the subway says it all!  There are multiple lines - some run by different companies so navigating the system can be tricky.  It'll be nice to have someone show us the ropes.

Our first full day in Tokyo is on a Sunday so in planning the itinerary, I had to take into account places that would be closed on Monday because those places we would have to visit on Sunday.  Make sense?

Sunday, April 10

Meiji  Shrine	Located in Shibuya ward, Meiji is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. The shrine was completed and dedicated to the Emperor and  Empress  in 1920, eight years after the passing of the emperor and six years after the passing of the empress. The shrine was destroyed during the Second World War but was rebuilt shortly thereafter. Emperor Meiji was the first emperor of modern Japan. He was born in 1852 and ascended to the throne in 1867 at the peak of the Meiji Restoration when Japan's feudal era came to an end and the emperor was restored to power. Meiji Shrine is located in a 175 acre forest that consists of 120,000 trees of 365 different species, which were donated by people from all parts of Japan when the shrine was established.
Shinjuku Gyoen	Shinjuku Gyoen was built on the site of a private mansion once belonging to Lord Naito, a "daimyo"(feudal lord) of the Edo era. Completed in 1906 as an imperial garden, it was re-designated as a national garden after the Second World War and opened to the public. Its 144 acres  blends three distinct styles, French formal garden, English landscape garden and Japanese traditional garden.  The park is famous for its cherry blossom viewing so we'll venture there to check out the trees which I hope will still be in bloom though by the time we're there, the blossoms are usually over. The park is open from 9:00am - 4:30pm every day. On Mondays the gardens are closed, except during the cherry blossom and chrysanthemum seasons which are in late March–late April and early November respectively, when the gardens are open seven days a week.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building	Also referred to as Tokyo City Hall or Tocho, the building is administrative headquarters of the government of Tokyo which governs not only the 23 wards, but also the cities, towns and villages that make up greater Tokyo metropolitan area. Each of the towers that make up the  building are 243 meters (799 feet) tall and each has an observation deck on the 45th floor which are free of charge to the public and contain gift shops and cafes.  This will be the place for us to go to catch a bird's eye view of Tokyo.  Hoping for a sunny, smog free day to catch a great view! The North Observatory is open from 9:30am - 11pm and the South Observatory from 9:30am - 5:30pm.  If we can't make it during the day, it might be worth a night time trip to see the city lights.  Check the building's website for more information about the observatories.
Harajuku	Harajuku is an area between Shinjuku and Shibuya and is world renown for its unique street fashion. Every Sunday, young people dressed in a variety of styles including *gothic lolita*, *visual kei*, and *decora*.  Huh?  I must be living on another planet or in another time period because I have no idea what any of these styles are.  Nonetheless, I'm curious about what all the Harajuku hub bub is all about so since we're only in Tokyo on Sunday, we're heading to Harajuku to a bit of people watching.  There's a part of me that really admires the creative and independent spirit of the younger Japanese.   Harajuku is also a large shopping district so we'll do a bit of window shopping.  It's too early in my trip to be buying anything plus I have a feeling that most of what is sold, I can't wear for one reason or another.  Can you see me in one of those outfits?  Especially the one on the right - the dominatrix looking top/shorts combo and platform boots?  Those of you who know me, don't answer!!
Shibuya	Shibuya is an extension of Harajuku or vice-versa so more Japanese teenage fashionistas to watch walk by and window shopping.  But, to the rest of the world, Shibuya is more famous for its intersection.  Several streets intersect at the crossing and the lights turn red all at the same time.  When they do, it's estimated that 1,500 people cross the intersection! WOW!  One of my colleagues who recently returned from a trip to Tokyo told me that the best place to view the pedestrians crossing is from the Starbucks which is located on the 2nd floor of one of the buildings located at the intersection.  I see a Grande, no whip Frappucino in my future!  (I wonder how you order that in Japanese?) Somewhere in Shibuya, we also need to go to a department store or two and check out their food floors which are known as depachikas. Depachika is short for depaato-chika shokuhin uriba which translates to "department store basement food-selling place"  but from what I read, they are not bargain basements.  The food that is sold is not necessarily cheap but for a foodie like me they are exactly the type of place that I have fun in - looking at all the *unusual* foods and being that this is Japan, I'm expecting to see a lot of *unusual* foods.  I know my brother will enjoy checking all the food out as well.  Maybe a good place to pick up some Japanese munchies for later on.

Imperial Palace East Gardens Understandably, we cannot visit the Imperial Palace itself so the next best thing is to walk through the East Gardens which is a very large complex that no only includes the garden but also several of the palaces administrative buildings as well as the National Theatre of Japan.  Unlike many of  the other gardens, in Tokyo, the Imperial Palace East Gardens are open through out the year though they are closed on Monday. For us, it will be another place to catch the cherry blossoms and a nice, calming way to cap of a day of wandering through Shinjuku, Harajuku and Shibuya.

Monday, April 11

Tsukiji Fish Market  Tsukiji is THE largest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind. It is also a major tourist attraction.  I could not imagine a trip to Tokyo without a visit to this amazing place.   There are two distinct sections to Tsukiji. The "inner market" is the licensed wholesale market where the auctions and most of the processing of the fish take place, and where licensed wholesale dealers (approximately 900 of them) operate small stalls. The "outer market" is a mixture of wholesale and retail shops that sell Japanese kitchen tools, restaurant supplies, groceries, and seafood. It's also the best place in town to eat sushi - can't get much fresher anywhere else!  Photo: Robert Gilhooly Tsukiji has become such a popular tourist attraction that it has started to have negative impact (e.g., temperature control issues caused by the entry and exit of large numbers of unauthorized persons and problems with visitors impeding the auction and other trading activities) on business as the aging market's infrastructure was not anticipated to be a tourist hotspot. As a result, there are now restrictions on what areas can be visited by tourists and opening times. Visiting the Tuna Auction The number of visitors to the tuna auction is limited to 140 per day, the maximum number which the market's infrastructure can accommodate. Tourists, who wish to see the auction, have to apply at the Osakana Fukyu Center (Fish Information Center) at the Kachidoki Gate, starting from 4:30am on a first-come, first-serve basis. A first group of 70 visitors will be admitted to the auction between 5:00am and 5:40am, while a second group of 70 visitors will be admitted between 5:40am and 6:15am. Visiting the Wholesale Area The wholesale area consists of hundreds of small stands in a large, crowded hall, where buyers and sellers hurry along narrow lanes with their carts and trucks. To prevent accidents and interference with business, tourists are not allowed into the wholesale area before 9am, when the peak of the business activities take place. Visiting the Outer Market   The outer market consists of a few blocks of small retail shops and restaurants crowded along narrow lanes. We'll definitely be wandering through the shops and I think this is the place for us to pick up breakfast as well.  I can down raw fish any time of the day but I'm not sure if my brother will be up to it or not so we'll see.  Maybe we'll find a place that serves both *regular* Japanese food as well as sushi so we can have the best of both worlds, so to speak. I definitely want to try getting to the tuna auction so we'll have to figure out a way to get ourselves to the market before 4:30am!

Hama Rikyu	Located at the mouth of the Sumida Rive, Hama Rikyu is a typical Daimyo (Japanese feudal lord) garden from in the Edo period.  The park is surrounded by a seawater moat filled by Tokyo Bay.  There is a tidal pond and   and two wild-duck hunting sites(Kamoba). This garden is roughly divided into two areas, the south garden which is the Daimyo garden and the north garden which was built after the Meiji Restoration Period. In 1952, Hama Rikyu was designated, under the Cultural Properties Protection Law of Japan, as a Special Place of Scenic Beauty and a Special Historic Site.  I think this will be great place to take in some scenery before making our way up to Asakusa for more heritage sightseeing.
Boat Cruise up the Sumida River to Asakusa	The Sumida River flows through Tokyo for 27 kilometers, under 26 bridges spaced at about one bridge per kilometer.  Ultimately, it flows into Tokyo Bay. For a change of transportation pace, I thought we would catch the cruise boat from Hama Rikyu up to Asakusa. Cruise boats owned by a company called Suijobus will take you a ride from Hinode Pier to Asakusa for 720 yen one way.  Along the way to Asakusa, the boat will pass under several of the unique bridges that cross the Sumida River.  The boats stop near the Asahi Beer Building located near Asakusa Terminal and from there, it should just be a short walk to our next destination.
Senso-ji	Sensoji (also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple) is a Buddhist temple located in Asakusa.  Legend is that in 628 AD, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the Goddess of Mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Senso-ji was built there in her honor. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo's oldest temple.  Surprisingly enough, every spring, Senso-ji plays host to Tokyo's largest and most popular matsuri (Shinto festival), Sanja Matsuri. On the way to entrance of Senso-ji is Nakamise-dori which is lined with shops. Hmmm.....still too early in the trip to buy anything? :-)
Kappabashi-dori	Kappabashi-dori is the street that is lined with stores selling supplies to restaurants.  It's also where you can buy plastic food.....like the kind that Japanese restaurants display in their windows.  Plastic sushi, here I come! Okay, the plastic sushi is the cheap souvenir.  What I would really love to bring back with me from Japan is a good Japanese chef's knife.  Kappabashi might not be the place to buy one but it will definitely be a good place to start looking for one.
Ueno Park	Ueno Park is a large public park notable for its seemingly endless rows of cherry blossom trees. The park grounds were originally part of Kaneiji Temple which used to be one of the largest temples in the city and was the family temple of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate. During the Boshin Civil War, which followed the Meiji Restoration in 1868, Kaneiji suffered nearly complete destruction in a battle between the victorious forces of the new Meiji government and loyalists of the overthrown shogunate. After the battle, the temple grounds were converted into one of Japan's first Western style parks and opened to the public in 1873. Today, Ueno is a popular spot to catch the cherry blossoms and to visit the temples and museums that are located on its grounds.  If we have time and energy left, we'll try to go to the Tokyo National Museum to learn a bit more about Japan's history. Or maybe we'll just unroll a cloth and sit on the ground, enjoy the view, and relax.  Afterall, we ARE on vacation!