Region: Kanto
Population: Appr. 12,5 million
As the nation's center of politics, business, finance, education, mass media, and pop culture, Tokyo has Japan's highest concentration
of corporate headquarters, financial institutions, universities and colleges, museums, theaters, and shopping and entertainment establishments.
It boasts a highly-developed public transportation system with numerous train and subway lines.
There is a fear of a catastrophic earthquake striking Tokyo, which may in effect cripple the entire nation. Nevertheless, Tokyo continues to draw people from across Japan
and other countries; a substantial portion of the population is not native to the region, and Tokyo is still a place to meet people from all over the country
and the world (Wikipedia).
We did two turns in Tokyo, in the beginning and at the end. Originally, we planned to spend very little time in this huge city, but for both
practical reasons and the fact that it is intriguing made us change our minds. First of all, after just a few minutes in Shibuja we realized that this is a spectacular area.
As you see one example of in the head picture, this has to be the center of youth culture in Japan, so naturally we spent some time walking around, looking at people, while dropping
into a few of the many shops here.
As we have done everywhere else on this trip, we walked! Tokyo is easy to move around in, by subway, but wearing good shoes and
walking is the best way of sucking it all up; all the impressions.
So, Tokyo was to be where we explored nightlife. And this we did! We found some excellent spots in different areas, and had a great time until the early morning hours. You can read more on this in the "nightlife" section.
Tokyo has excellent shopping by the way. If you are looking for designer clothes, try Harajuku. If you are looking for something more special, the
outfits that soon will be coming to Europe, you have to look around Shibuya or in some department stores. There are some brilliant shops!
For traditional Japanese stuff,
a visit to "Asian Bazaar" in Harajuku is essential. Here we found everything, from chopsticks to kimonos, as well as souvenirs.
Bottom line: There seems to be no limit
as to what you can do in Tokyo, and we did a lot, both at daytime and nighttime. Tokyo surprised me, as I thought I would want to get out of there immediately, and find peace somewhere else.
I ended up liking the place very much, for several reasons...
As with Kyoto, this depends on what you are looking for. We did not do any historical sites in Tokyo, because we wanted different impressions
from this city. We recommend that you go to the different areas (Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ueno, Ginza and even Roppongi) and let yourself be amazed by the noise and lights, smells,
pace, people and everything else. I suggest you read more on this on the web or in Lonely Planet, as they describe it well.
But here is one advice: Do the opposite of
everyone else here; do not stress and rush. Just be cool, and you will see a lot more. Elevate your vision from the ground and upwards, look to and from different angles.
Park Hyatt hotel: What can I say, this is a must if you like the sweet Suntory times. What you do is, go to Shinjuku station, get in a taxi to Park Hyatt hotel and enter. Nod politiely to the staff, find the first elevator, that takes you up to the 41st floor, then locate the next elevator, which brings you to the 52nd floor. Here, you find yourself in the New York bar, where Bill Murray spent some time in Lost in Translation. I know, the prices are a little higher than on the ground, but then you get a FANTASTIC view over Tokyos blinking lights and skyscrapers. Great service, excellent drinks and you'll probably be the audience of very good live jazz. Treat yourself to this!
Karaoke room: This is the perfect way to test your skills, or just have fun. You book a room by the hour, order beer through the phone, and sing whatever
you like, as loud as you like, for as long as you like. Now, this is a night out with friends!
Note: Be prepared to wake up with a speech impediment...
The subway is not as intimedating as it may look from the map. It is very effective, and if you buy a day ticket you can get to all parts of the city in no-time.
Being on this subway is an experience in itself, so you should actually spend some time here, just looking at people and their behavior.
The two first nights at Andon were booked well ahead of arrival, which is wise. We then booked an extra night, and made sure we had a room for our finishing nights.
Well, Andon is a very nice place outside Ueno. If you don't mind spending some time on the subway to move around, and going home at night in a taxi (as the subway stops at midnight),
this is a very good choice. The rooms are small (4 tatami mats), but the whole place on three floors is stylish, simple and has everything you need at an affordable price. There is
no curfew, and you're given a key to the front door (which you under no circumstances must loose - we did). And make sure you follow the rules, as some members of the staff can be a little
grumpy...
Tokyo is more or less what I thought it was going to be, but I did not think I would find the city so interesting! The plan was to stay there as
little as possible, and to find the "old" Japan, much of what is in Kyoto area. But there was no escaping the fact that Tokyo is so different from cities I have seen before, and
a couple of days wouldn't be enough.
And of course, two of our highlights have their origin in Tokyo, so naturally we had a great time here! It was good leaving Tokyo
for Kyoto, and it was a nice place to spend the last couple of days (and nights).