IMMERSE YOURSELF IN THE TOKYO LIGHTS
Always On the Move
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Sci-fi Cityscapes
Tokyo’s neon-lit streetscapes still look like a sci-fi film set – and that’s a vision of the city from the 1980s. Tokyo has been building ever since, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible on densely populated, earthquake-prone land, adding ever taller, sleeker structures. Come see the utopian mega-malls, the edgy designer boutiques from Japan’s award-winning architects, and the world’s tallest tower – Tokyo Sky Tree – a twisting spire that draws on ancient building techniques. Stand atop one of Tokyo’s skyscrapers and look out over the city at night to see it blinking like the control panel of a starship, stretching all the way to the horizon.
The Shogun’s City
Tokyo may be forever reaching into the future but you can still see traces of the shogun’s capital on the kabuki stage, at a sumo tournament or under the cherry blossoms. It’s a modern city built on old patterns, and in the shadows of skyscrapers you can find anachronistic wooden shanty bars and quiet alleys, raucous traditional festivals and lantern-lit yakitori (grilled chicken) stands. In older neighbourhoods you can shop for handicrafts made just as they have been for centuries, or wander down cobblestone lanes where geisha once trod.
Eat Your Heart Out
Yes, Tokyo has more Michelin stars than any other city. Yes, Japanese cuisine has been added to the Unesco Intangible Cultural Heritage list. But that’s not what makes dining in Tokyo such an amazing experience. What really counts is the city’s long-standing artisan culture. You can splash out on the best sushi of your life, made by one of the city’s legendary chefs using the freshest, seasonal market ingredients. You can also spend ¥800 on a bowl of noodles made with the same care and exacting attention to detail, from a recipe honed through decades of experience.
Fashion & Pop Culture
From giant robots to saucer-eyed schoolgirls to a certain, ubiquitous kitty, Japanese pop culture is a phenomenon that has reached far around the world. Tokyo is the country’s pop-culture laboratory, where new trends grow legs. Come see the latest looks bubbling out of the backstreets of Harajuku, the hottest pop stars projected on the giant video screens in Shibuya, or the newest anime and manga flying off the shelves in Akihabara. Gawk at the giant statues of Godzilla; shop for your favourite character goods; or pick up some style inspiration just walking down the street.
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Shrines & Temples
Meiji-jingū Tokyo’s grandest Shintō shrine, set in a wooded grove. Ueno Tōshō-gū Recently restored, gilded homage to warlord Tokugawa Ieyasu. Inokashira Benzaiten Ancient sanctuary of the sea goddess, Benzaiten. Akagi-jinja Centuries-old shrine updated with modern style.
Buddhist Temples
Tokyo National Museum Home to the world’s largest collection of Japanese art. Intermediatheque Experimental museum drawing on the holdings of the University of Tokyo. Nezu Museum Asian antiques in a striking contemporary building. Sumida Hokusai Museum New museum dedicated to woodblock artist Hokusai.
Art Museums
Tokyo National Museum Home to the world’s largest collection of Japanese art. Intermediatheque Experimental museum drawing on the holdings of the University of Tokyo. Nezu Museum Asian antiques in a striking contemporary building. Sumida Hokusai Museum New museum dedicated to woodblock artist Hokusai.
Hang-outs
Spend an afternoon in one of these neighbourhoods loved by locals. Shimo-Kitazawa A bastion of bohemia for decades, with snaking alleys, secondhand stores, coffee shops, hole-in-the-wall bars and live-music halls. Yanaka Long-time artists' neighbourhood, with studios, galleries, art supply shops and cafes – many of which are in old wooden buildings. Naka-Meguro Few tall buildings and a leafy canal flanked by small shops and restaurants give this artsy district a small-town vibe.
Get breakfast at a kissaten
Literally the ‘low city', Shitamachi was where merchants and artisans lived during the Edo period. The city is no longer carved up so neatly; however, many of the old patterns remain. On the east side of the city, former Shitamachi neighbourhoods remain a tangle of alleys and tightly packed quarters, with traditional architecture, artisan workshops and small businesses.
More about Tokyo
Travelicious Review
The metropolitan area is the largest industrial, commercial, and financial centre in Japan. Many domestic and international financial institutions and other businesses are headquartered in central Tokyo. The city is an important wholesale centre, where goods from all parts of the country and the world are distributed. Tokyo is part of the Keihin Industrial Zone, centred on the western shore of the bay.
More about this tour
Tokyo feels limitless in size and scope and often seems more like a collection of cities than one cohesive whole. At the centre is the Imperial Palace. To the east of the palace is the old city, the historic downtown that came to life during the feudal era (when a castle stood where the palace is today). Here, in neighbourhoods like Ueno and Asakusa, the attractions have a more traditional slant: there are museums, shrines and temples, historic restaurants and artisan workshops.
There are exceptions, of course: Akihabara has reinvented itself first as an electronics district and then again as a subculture centre for anime and manga fans. Ginza and Nihombashi, the mercantile centres of the old city, are today classy business and retail districts.
To the west of the palace is where the feudal lords once had their villas; this developed into the moneyed commercial and business districts of today, such as Roppongi, Akasaka and Aoyama (though there are shrines, temples and museums here too). Harajuku fits in here as well, but its side streets have become synonymous with upstart fashion.
Further west, newer neighbourhoods such as Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ikebukuro developed after the Great Kantō Earthquake and WWII – this is the hypermodern Tokyo of riotous neon and giant video screens. Still further west, past Shinjuku, the collection of largely residential neighbourhoods linked by the Chūō line are havens for creators and free-thinkers.
On and around Tokyo Bay is the city that is still being built: islands of reclaimed land that host leisure and entertainment facilities and soon many venues for the upcoming 2020 Summer Olympics.
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