Tokyo, Japan’s capital, is a place of vast proportions where the old
and the new merge into a fabulously detailed cityscape. Upon
arrival, visitors are confronted with the sheer energy that radiates
from within Tokyo. Tokyo's city center is a kaleidoscope of exotic
sights and sounds. The night view brings forth a seemingly endless,
delicate tapestry of Tokyo lights. Despite two major disasters,
Tokyo, located at the mouth of the Sumida-gawa River, has remarkably
transformed into a modern Japanese metropolis. Tokyo is an example
of a success story in action.
A visit to Tokyo brings both a collection of sights and provides
for an animated experience. In such a city there is so much to see
and do, ranging from visits to shrines, temples, and excellent
museums, to trips throughout the various shopping areas.
Tokyo, in fact, is a shopper's paradise. An amazing variety of
high-quality goods and brand designer products can be found in
elegant specialty shops located in Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya,
Yurakucho, and Ikebukuro. The dazzling lights of Ginza, Japan's
answer to New York's Fifth Avenue, and Tokyo's most celebrated
shopping district, attracts both the avid shopper and the window
shopper alike.
In the sports arena, baseball is big business in Tokyo. The
spectacular Korakuen Dome, home of the most popular Giants, features
Japanese professional baseball games which are held regularly. Sport
fans will be drawn to Tokyo's four biggest spectator sports
featuring, professional baseball, rugby, sumo and soccer. Although
not among the four, Yankee style football and martial arts are also
quite popular.
If you enjoy in sightseeing, make sure to embark on a relaxing
and fascinating 40 minute day cruise on the Sumida River between
Asakusa and the Port of Tokyo. A choice of five routes are offered:
the Canal Cruise (canal district and Shinagawa Aquarium), the
Harbour Cruise (Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Port), the Kasai Sea life
Park (including a stop at Tokyo Big Sight), the Museum of Maritime
Science (Odaiba Seaside Park and museum of ships complete with
swimming pool and palms), and the Sumida River (passing beneath a
dozen bridges).
For the art enthusiast, Tokyo has many forms of entertainment to
offer. In fact, Japan is focused on the arts and, with excellent
facilities such as the National Theatre and Opera City in the
Shinjuku district; Tokyo caters to individuals and groups interested
in drama, opera, and the ballet. For theatregoers there are three
unique and powerful forms of entertainment: Kabuki, Takarazuka, and
Noh. As a standing form of ancient Japanese tradition the Kabuki
features only male performers, whereas Takarazuka is an all-girl
revue.
For a more thorough view of Japan’s history, visitors can tour
the many excellent museums scattered throughout Tokyo. The most
modern museum is the Edo-Tokyo Museum, complete with an intriguing
52-meter escalator and supported by
four colossal pillars.
Closely tied to the culture of Japan, the traditional Japanese
gardens of Tokyo take visitors a step back from the frenzied pace of
modern life. They find themselves in a world of tranquility, in an
enchanting setting in which the gardens are outlined by wooden
houses landscaped with neatly clipped bonsai trees. Visitors will
encounter quiet, cobbled lanes leading to tiny neighborhood shrines
shrouded in foliage.
In this city of twenty-four-hour shops and ancient shrines, there
is always a showcase performance for visitors to enjoy.
A major advantage of visiting Tokyo is to participate in the many
festivals that take place around the year. Each year a festival is
held during which the passing seasons are observed by visits to
local shrines or temples. With over 500 annual events, the festivals
provide visitors tangible links to the past and present. The upbeat
atmosphere is one of the things that makes Tokyo so appealing. This
vitality has become part of the popular culture, a culture which
seems to be constantly in the midst of a celebration of life.
