Visiting Tokyo's Sights and Attractions

For the first-time visitor to Tokyo, initial impressions may be rather disappointing as you cast your eyes upon the vast urban sprawl, the crowded cities and the countless high-rise buildings of dubious architectural value.

 

But all is not what it seems in Tokyo. Beneath the monotonous and noisy surface of a city constructed primarily to withstand major earthquakes lie exquisite art, a wealth of culture, history and a unique sense of beauty and tranquility.

Tokyo city has so much to offer the tourist, so much to capture the imagination. Whatever your passion, be it people watching, shopping, museums, or dining, Tokyo will not disappoint you. Must-see sights and attractions include:

Tokyo Tower was originally constructed in 1958 to carry TV transmitters. Today the Tower is used to broadcast all of Tokyo's TV channels and FM radio stations. Tokyo Tower also provides an unrivalled vantage point for monitoring the city's notoriously congested traffic system. Designed along the same lines as the Eiffel Tower, Tokyo Tower is actually ten meters taller than its famous French counterpart and currently boasts the title of the world's tallest freestanding iron structure. From a tourist perspective, views of the Sumida River, Tokyo Bay, Ginza and the Imperial Palace from both the 150-meter and the 250-meter levels of the Tokyo Tower are truly spectacular.

The Imperial Palace East Gardens (Kokyo Higashi Gyoen) are a vast, green expanse of parks right in the heart of the city's financial district. The Imperial Palace was constructed in 1868 on the original site of the Castle of Edo, once the largest fortress in the world.

The National Museum of Modern Art (Kokuritsu Kindai Bijutsukan), Japan's first museum of contemporary art, is situated in Kitanomaru Park, once part of the Imperial Palace gardens. The museum houses some of the finest works of twentieth century Japanese artists as well as other major artists from around the world.

For shopping, state-of-the-art technology, bars, restaurants, entertainment and a taste of what affluent Tokyo has to offer, head straight for Ginza where the buzz and excitement are tangible. The Yon-chome crossing at the center of Ginza, where the two main streets (Harumi-dori and Chuo-dori) meet is pedestrianized on the weekends. And if the weather is fine, Ginza is the city's prime area for socializing and sampling Tokyo's café society.

Planned during the commercial boom of the 1980s and finally opened in 1991, Tokyo's futuristic silver and black towers house the Metropolitan Government Offices. Rapid elevators whisk tourists to the top of the towers, where you can view all of Tokyo. From there you can take in the spectacular panorama of the Imperial Palace, the Meiji Shrine Inner Garden, Shinjuku Garden, Tokyo Bay and beyond. If the skies are clear, you might just catch a glimpse of Mount Fuji on the southwestern horizon.

The Meiji Shrine, Tokyo's national center for the Shinto religion, was built in 1920 to honor the Emperor and Empress Meiji (who reigned between 1868 and 1912). The Meiji Shrine is famous for attracting the citizens of Tokyo and worshippers from afar who come to be blessed at important stages of their lives such as births and marriages. This Shinto shrine and historic site was destroyed during World War II but has since been rebuilt.

To capture the spectacular atmosphere of Tsukiji Fish Market, aim to be there between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m. Tourists who arrive after 9 a.m. will have missed the sheer frenzy of the pre-dawn fish auctions where huge catches of fish and seafood are auctioned daily to wholesale buyers.

Even for tourists familiar with the rush hour train and underground travel, Shinjuku Station comes as a real culture shock with its deluge of commuters and maze of underground passages. Shinjuku Station has been described as a "human anthill" where people-pushers (rashawa) operate at peak periods packing as many bodies as they can into the carriages.

The Sengakuji Temple offers invaluable insight into Japanese culture, its values, and its heroes for their loyalty, tenacity, ruthlessness and for their adherence to Sengakuji code of honor.

Particularly spectacular in springtime, Shinjuku National Gardens provide an oasis of tranquility and an escape from the concrete jungle at the heart of Tokyo city. Landscaped garden sights include an English country garden, a formal French garden and a Japanese garden with a Chinese-style pavilion.

 

When Visiting Tokyo ... To make the most of your time in Tokyo, try to visit as many of the self-contained districts of Tokyo city as possible. Each district is more like a separate town or village and each has its own distinct character. Travel between the various districts is easy using Tokyo's highly efficient subway system.