T O K Y OT O K Y OT O K Y OC i t y G u i d e 2 0 1 7

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Tokyo, Japan’s busy capital, mixes the ultramodern and the

traditional, from neon-lit skyscrapers to historic temples. The

opulent Meiji Shinto Shrine is known for its towering gate

and surrounding woods. The Imperial Palace sits amid large

public gardens. The city’s many museums offer exhibits rang-

ing from classical art (in the Tokyo National Museum) to a

reconstructed kabuki theater.

The old, narrow streets of the Asakusa district contain shops,

women in kimono and the 7th-century Sensō-ji Buddhist

temple.

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By contrast, Roppongi has lively nightclubs and karaoke

bars, and Akihabara has high-tech electronics stores. Cozy

Japanese-style pubs called izakaya are scattered throughout

the city. Tsukiji fish market, with a famous tuna auction, is

near the center. The Tokyo SkyTree tower offers expansive

views of the city from its public observation deck. Tokyo is

famed for its vibrant food scene, and its Shibuya and Hara-

juku districts are the heart of its trendy teen fashion culture.

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N a t u r e & G a r d e n s

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Garden design is an important Japanese art form that has been

refined for more than 1000 years. Gardens have evolved into

a variety of styles with different purposes, including strolling

gardens for the recreation of Edo Period lords and dry stone

gardens for the religious use by Zen monks. Great gardens

can be found throughout Japan, with particularly many in the

former capital of Kyoto.

Many visitors to Japan limit their sightseeing activities to the

country’s heavily urbanized areas between Tokyo, Kyoto and

Hiroshima.

“Contrary to common perception, Tokyo also offers a number of attractive green spaces in the city center and within relatively short train rides at its outskirts.”

-Tokyo Tourism

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The Japanese archipelago stretches nearly 3000 kilome-

ters from north to south, allowing visitors to experience

a wide range of natural sights from the drift ice in the

seas off Hokkaido to the mangrove jungles in Okinawa.

In between, there are majestic volcanoes, breathtaking

coastlines and vast forests inhabited by monkeys, bears,

deer, cranes and other wildlife. Places of particular nat-

ural beauty are protected as national parks and world

heritage sites.

As a result, many return home with a hardened misconcep-

tion that Japan is one large, densely populated megacity.

In fact, however, over two thirds of Japan are covered by

forested mountains and hills, compared to less than ten per-

cent residential and industrial land.

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C U I S I N E & D I N I N G

Tokyo is one of the world’s most exciting dining destinations.

The city features a wide range of both local and regional Jap-

anese cuisine in addition to all types of international fare. Its

top restaurants have accrued more Michelin stars than both

Paris and New York combined. But good food can be found

at every price range from cheap hole-in-the-wall joints to ex-

pensive high-class restaurants with every budget in between.

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As Japan’s political center for over four centuries, Tokyo has

naturally exerted great influence on the Japanese cuisine.

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Consequently, some Tokyo specialties have become so

popular that they are now known as the standard version of

the dish rather than a local specialty. Local creations from

Tokyo (formerly called Edo) are often referred to as “Edo-

mae”, literally meaning “in front of Edo”, in reference to

Edo Bay (now Tokyo Bay) which provided the city with its

local seafood.

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Tokyo is also a good place to enjoy regional Japanese foods

from across the country, which have been available in To-

kyo since the Edo Period when the regional lords (daimyo)

from across Japan were forced to maintain large villas in

the capital and spend alternate years there. A by-product

of this policy to keep the regional lords under the shogun’s

control was the influx of various regional cooking styles

into the capital.

Tokyo is Japan’s capital and the world’s most populous metropo-lis. The Izu and Ogasawara Islands are also part of Tokyo. Prior to 1868, Tokyo was known as Edo. A small castle town in the 16th century, Edo became Japan’s political center in 1603 when Tokuga-wa Ieyasu established his feudal government there. A few decades later, Edo had grown into one of the world’s most populous cities.

Today, Tokyo offers a seemingly unlimited choice of shopping, en-tertainment, culture and dining to its visitors. The city’s history can be appreciated in districts such as Asakusa, and in many excellent museums, historic temples and gardens. Contrary to common per-ception, Tokyo also offers a number of attractive green spaces in the city center and within relatively short train rides at its outskirts.

Business Hours: 9:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m., seven days a week

Address: Shinjuku Expwy. Bus Terminal 3F,5-24-55 Sendagaya, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Phone: 03-6274-8192

Email: info@tokyo-tourism.jp

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