Tokyo Tokyo is Japan's capital and the world's most populous metropolis. It is also one of Japan's 47 prefectures, consisting of 23 central city wards and multiple cities, towns and villages west of the city center. 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 Tokugawa Ieyasu established his feudal government there. A few decades later, Edo had grown into one of the world's most populous cities. With the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the emperor and capital moved from Kyoto to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo ("Eastern Capital"). Large parts of Tokyo were destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and in the air raids of 1945. Today, Tokyo offers a seemingly unlimited choice of shopping, entertainment, culture and dining to its visitors. The city's history can be appreciated in districts such as Asakusa, and in many excellentmuseums, historic temples and gardens. 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.
By air - Tokyo has two airports: Narita Airport handles the majority of international flights and only a small number of domestic flights. It is located 60 kilometers outside of central Tokyo. The more centrally located Haneda Airport handles a smaller number of international flights and the majority of domestic flights.
How to get to Tokyo
Where to stay in Tokyo Conrad Tokyo
Stay at the Conrad Tokyo hotel set in the heart of bustling Tokyo. The hotel is located 28-37 floors above ground level on Tokyo Shiodome. Admire panoramic views of the Tokyo Bay skyline from this skyscraper hotel. Enjoy a downtown location surrounded by major business, and a lively variety of shops and restaurants.
Hilton Tokyo
Hilton Tokyo is located in Shinjuku, the heart of Tokyo's business, shopping and entertainment district. It is an ideal place to experience modern Japan. Explore nearby Tokyo attractions including Harajuku, Ginza, Akihabara and the famous Tokyo Skytree.
Hotel Niwa Tokyo
Hotel Niwa Tokyo is at the central area of Tokyo, 1.4 km (0.87 miles) from Yasukuni Shrine and Nippon Budokan, and several convenient train stations within walking distance.
Food in Tokyo Sushi : Put simply, sushi is raw fish served on rice seasoned
lightly with vinegar. It’s in the variety of flavours and textures – like tangy, creamy uni (sea urchin roe) and plump, juicy, amaebi (sweet shrimp) – that things get interesting. Despite sushi’s lofty image, it has a humble origin: street food.
Ramen : Ramen, egg noodles in a salty broth, is
Japan’s favourite late night meal. It’s also the perfect example of an imported dish – in this case from China – that the Japanese have made completely and deliciously their own. There are four major soup styles: tonkotsu (pork bone), miso, soy sauce and salt. Fukuoka is particularly famous for its rich tonkotsu ramen; pungent miso ramen is a specialty of Hokkaido.
Places to visit in Tokyo Central Tokyo Akihabara : Akihabara ( 秋葉原 ), also called Akiba after a former local shrine, is a district in central Tokyo that is famous for its many electronics shops. In more recent years, Akihabara has gained recognition as the center of Japan's otaku (diehard fan) culture, and many shops and establishments devoted to anime and manga are now dispersed among the electronic stores in the district. On Sundays, Chuo Dori, the main street through the district, is closed to car traffic from 13:00 to 18:00
Tokyo Imperial Palace :
The current Imperial Palace is located on the former site of Edo Castle, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls in the center of Tokyo, a short walk from Tokyo Station. It is the residence of Japan's Imperial Family. Edo Castle used to be the seat of the Tokugawa shogun who ruled Japan from 1603 until 1867. In1868, the shogunate was overthrown, and the country's capital and Imperial Residence were moved from Kyoto to Tokyo.
Tokyo Skytree
Northern Tokyo
The Tokyo Skytree is a new television broadcasting tower and landmark ofTokyo. It is the centerpiece of the Tokyo Skytree Town in the Sumida City Ward, not far away fromAsakusa. With a height of 634 meters (634 can be read as "Musashi", a historic name of the Tokyo Region), it is the tallest building in Japan and the second tallest structure in the world at the time of its completion. A large shopping complex with aquarium is located at its base.
Ikebukuro Ikebukuro ( ćą č˘‹ ) is one of Tokyo's multiple city centers, found
around the northwestern corner of the Yamanote loop line. At the district's center stands Ikebukuro Station, a busy commuter hub traversed by three subway and multiple urban and suburban train lines. The station handles over a million passengers per day, making it the second busiest railway station surpassed only by Shinjuku Station. Ikebukuro offers plenty of entertainment, shopping and dining opportunities. It is the battleground between the Tobu and Seibu conglomerates which operate large department stores on each side of the station, as well as train lines from Ikebukuro into the suburbs. Seibu furthermore has a stake inSunshine City, a large shopping and entertainment complex not far from the station.
Western Tokyo Shibuya Shibuya is one of the twenty-three city wards of Tokyo, but often refers to just the popular shopping and entertainment area found around Shibuya Station. In this regard, Shibuya is one ofTokyo's most colorful and busy districts, packed with shopping, dining and nightclubs serving swarms of visitors that come to the district everyday. Shibuya is a center for youth fashion and culture, and its streets are the birthplace to many of Japan's fashion and entertainment trends. Over a dozen major department store branches can be found around the area catering to all types of shoppers. Most of the area's large department and fashion stores belong to either Tokyu or Seibu, two competing corporations.
Southern Tokyo Tokyo Tower
Standing 333 meters high in the center of Tokyo, Tokyo Tower ( 東京タワー ) is the world's tallest, self-supported steel tower and 13 meters taller than its model, the Eiffel Tower. A symbol of Japan's post-war rebirth as a major economic power, Tokyo Tower was the country's tallest structure from its completion in 1958 until 2012 when it was surpassed by the Tokyo Skytree. In addition to being a popular tourist spot, Tokyo Tower serves as a broadcast antenna. The tower's main observatory at 150 meters is reached via elevator or a 600-step staircase (both paid). Thanks to the tower's central location, the observatory offers an interesting view of the city despite being only at a relatively moderate height. There are also some "lookdown windows" in the floor to stand on, a souvenir shop and a cafe where visitors can enjoy refreshments.
Japanese yen 1 Japanese yen = 0.00875723066 Euros 1 Japanese yen = 0.009689 U.S. dollars 1 Japanese yen = 0.00776458615 British pounds