#Travel♪ 6 of the Greatest Neighborhoods in Tokyo! Plan Your Trip Today!!
Tokyo is a sprawling metropolis fitting of the title
of largest city in the world. To think of the city itself
by the numbers it’s easy to see why countless masses
from around the world flock to the city to witness the
little idiosyncrasies that of course makes it unique.
The urban sprawl is home to some 37.8 million people!
That’s equivalent to the entire population of California,
in the about the Area of L.A. county! The main part
of Tokyo (eastern Tokyo metropolis) is made up of
23 special wards that have the classification of cities,
26 cities, 1 district, and 4 sub-prefectures.
It
doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that a
population of this size in proportion to the land area
means people are basically living on top of one another
here, but things aren’t as crazy as it seems. Tokyo
enjoys a rich variety of places to go to escape the hustle
and bustle of massive waves of people.
population of this size in proportion to the land area
means people are basically living on top of one another
here, but things aren’t as crazy as it seems. Tokyo
enjoys a rich variety of places to go to escape the hustle
and bustle of massive waves of people.
Today we’ll give you 6 great places to
enjoy your next
trip to Tokyo. So let’s dive right in!
trip to Tokyo. So let’s dive right in!
#1 Akihabara (秋葉原）
Let’s begin with a short test to discover
your motivations
for wanting to come to Japan in the first place. If you
want to go to Japan, please just slowly raise your hand
now, it doesn’t matter if you’re at work, on the bus/train
or at a birthday party while reading.. ^^ Please lower your
hand if you wanted to go to Japan because you were
interested in Japanese animation, video games, J-pop,
or comics while growing up…
for wanting to come to Japan in the first place. If you
want to go to Japan, please just slowly raise your hand
now, it doesn’t matter if you’re at work, on the bus/train
or at a birthday party while reading.. ^^ Please lower your
hand if you wanted to go to Japan because you were
interested in Japanese animation, video games, J-pop,
or comics while growing up…
Are there any hands still left up!?
>.<
Akihabara is essentially a fanatic town
where you can find
parts of any subculture you’re interested in and live out
your childhood dreams of enjoying it publicly! Known
as the “Akihabara Electric Town” due to the fact it
became a major household appliance dealer after
the Second World War, nowadays it has embraced
the name and the “otaku” culture that follows it.
Otaku is a slang term used to refer to people with
obsessive interesting often used when talking about
animation and comics. The neighborhood itself is often
full of tourists from all over the world due the popularity
of Japanese culture in country and abroad. In a country
not quite as diverse as other nations, visiting a place
such as this is a welcome break to meet people with similar
interests you wouldn’t normally have a chance to otherwise.
parts of any subculture you’re interested in and live out
your childhood dreams of enjoying it publicly! Known
as the “Akihabara Electric Town” due to the fact it
became a major household appliance dealer after
the Second World War, nowadays it has embraced
the name and the “otaku” culture that follows it.
Otaku is a slang term used to refer to people with
obsessive interesting often used when talking about
animation and comics. The neighborhood itself is often
full of tourists from all over the world due the popularity
of Japanese culture in country and abroad. In a country
not quite as diverse as other nations, visiting a place
such as this is a welcome break to meet people with similar
interests you wouldn’t normally have a chance to otherwise.
#2 Asakusa
Ask
anyone about Asakusa and they’ll tell you, you
have to visit Sensoji Temple! Sensoji was built almost
1400 years ago and is THE oldest surviving Buddhist
temple in Tokyo (amazing huh?) Most of the tourists
who frequent the temple are only passing through
to pray, browse Nakamise shopping street and admire
the distinct architecture of the pristinely preserved buildings.
have to visit Sensoji Temple! Sensoji was built almost
1400 years ago and is THE oldest surviving Buddhist
temple in Tokyo (amazing huh?) Most of the tourists
who frequent the temple are only passing through
to pray, browse Nakamise shopping street and admire
the distinct architecture of the pristinely preserved buildings.
Asakusa
finds its appeal in the meshing of ancient and
modern culture. You’ll find rickshaw drivers running
customers around the city, showing them inspiring
views of the nearby Tokyo sky tree or entire blocks
devoted to an street venders selling all sorts of delicious treats.
modern culture. You’ll find rickshaw drivers running
customers around the city, showing them inspiring
views of the nearby Tokyo sky tree or entire blocks
devoted to an street venders selling all sorts of delicious treats.
Himiko Water Bus (http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3042.html)
If you get a chance take a ferry ride across the
Sumida river for spectacular views of the city from
the water please take it!^^ You can secure tickets
and board form Asakusa Pier.
Sumida river for spectacular views of the city from
the water please take it!^^ You can secure tickets
and board form Asakusa Pier.
More info about routes (click)
#3 Ueno
For those of you who will be spending your first time in Tokyo, the city of Ueno, in Taito district is our best recommendation for you. Ueno doesn’t boast the highest high-rises, doesn’t have any giant shopping malls, and is relatively quiet for a city within Tokyo. It does however have a great deal of back alley shops underneath the JR train tracks nearby the station. These shops are great for picking up little knick-knacks that you can bring home as souvenirs. Just head south from the station after exiting!^^
Google Maps
Ueno park is amazing
There aren’t too many green spaces in Tokyo so
when you find a good one, its best to share with as
many people as you can! Ueno is no exception, with
its huge wide-open park, attracting visitors from
across the country. The park itself is home to many
cultural heritage sites including Tokyo’s National
Museums, National Museum of Nature and
Science, National Museum of Western Art,
etc just to name a few.
More info:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/tokyo/ueno.html
#4 Harajuku
Each district of Tokyo presents it’s own unique
style
and it’s interesting to go around and try to compare
them with one another. Some are a lot more unique
than others offering not only exclusive stores and
atmospheres but also unique individuals. Out of all
places I’d say that Harajuku is definitely one of the
weirdest. During the day you’ll find heavy metal
inspired cosplayers wondering the streets with the
dubbed “Harajuku Style”. It’d be nice to hang around
and snap pictures of these people or you could
simply take a walk around the neighborhood
during the night. ^^
and it’s interesting to go around and try to compare
them with one another. Some are a lot more unique
than others offering not only exclusive stores and
atmospheres but also unique individuals. Out of all
places I’d say that Harajuku is definitely one of the
weirdest. During the day you’ll find heavy metal
inspired cosplayers wondering the streets with the
dubbed “Harajuku Style”. It’d be nice to hang around
and snap pictures of these people or you could
simply take a walk around the neighborhood
during the night. ^^
During the night the streets are a lot less
crowded and
the bright lights of all the shops almost make a
romantic view great for couples or friends who
want to walk and chat.
#5 Marunounchi
Marunouchi is the site of the imperial palace grounds
so you can expect the bar to be raised considerably in
this neighborhood. It’s also the site of the famous
Tokyo station, the main intercity rail terminal in Tokyo.
Around the station you’ll find a sprawl of shopping
centers, including Yaesu’s Shopping Mall, a mall placed
completely underground!
Yaesu Shopping Mall
the bright lights of all the shops almost make a
romantic view great for couples or friends who
want to walk and chat.
#5 Marunounchi
Marunouchi is the site of the imperial palace grounds
so you can expect the bar to be raised considerably in
this neighborhood. It’s also the site of the famous
Tokyo station, the main intercity rail terminal in Tokyo.
Around the station you’ll find a sprawl of shopping
centers, including Yaesu’s Shopping Mall, a mall placed
completely underground!
Yaesu Shopping Mall
The palace grounds are an amazing place to relax
and enjoy the scenery of the castle set amidst the
towering high-rises in the background. The park
itself takes up about 3.41 square kilometers and
is frequented by tourists and Tokyoites alike. I
would compare it to central park in New York, but with
more gated off areas due to the imperial palace.
It’d be a mistake to rule out this area as nice because
the emperor lives here. Instead I’d like to believe it’s
the centerpiece of a Tokyo cake. With the business
district of Marunouchi, and shopping districts nearby
it’s hard to think why this wouldn’t be a great place
to explore. ^^
#6 Ginza
Aside
from the reasons mentioned earlier for visiting
Japan, why else would someone
be interested in
visiting this archipelago? The answer is simple and
it
contains only 2 syllables.
SHOPPING!^^
If
you want a variety of internationally popular upscale
stores Ginza is the place
for you. It’s well-known as
the most luxurious shopping district in the world,
soon as you arrive you’ll understand just what I mean.
Be sure to visit Ginza
on Sundays when the main
street Chuo-Dori is closed to traffic. The ability to
freely walk across the roads makes the big
crowds not seem so bad!^^
Quite
a bit of wealthy individuals come through
Ginza, and it’s not very uncommon to
find amazing
cars driving up and down the streets! Make sure
you have a camera
ready because you never
know who you’ll run into.
This is only a sample of the amazing places to see
in Tokyo, and you can bet there are tons more we
haven't showed you yet. Depending on your style or
interests there many unique places to explore and
call your own. Let these recommendations sink in and
also be sure to check back for more interesting
stories about this mighty metropolis!
To be continued...
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