Japan: Tokyo

[bjorn]

Tokyo is not what a first time visitor might expect. It's a mishmash of western and eastern cultures, a place to collect surreal experiences, an urban nirvana in a candy colored universe. Sumo wrestlers and harried businessmen rush past noodle shops and neon lights. Like London or New York, this metropolis of 27 million people is the optic nerve of the nation.

Tokyo is a constant contrast- the shock of the new with the traditions of the past. Kimono shops, Buddhist shrines, and kabuki theatre are a step away from love hotels, designer clothes, and Hollywood pop culture. Housing estates share the city with highrises, bullet trains coexist with temple towns. Love it or hate it, Tokyo, like Las Vegas, it is a place that has to be seen to be believed.

When to go:
Spring, with its clear skies and cherry blossoms, is probably the most popular time to visit Japan, but it is also the most crowded. Autumn is a great time to travel, but by mid-winter it can be bitterly cold. Summer months are steamy, but major tourist attractions are quieter than at times of the year.

What to Do:
History/Ruins:
Visit Kyoto if you are looking for the Japan of old. Most of Tokyo was destroyed in World War II, and the city is now the buzzing economic center of the country.

Museums:
Ueno-Koen, a park north of the center, has some of Japan's best museums and galleries. The Tokyo National Museum holds the world's largest selection of Japanese art; the National Science Museum has all sorts of scientific wonders; and the *beep* History Museum recreates the downtown area of old Tokyo. Other museums to tour are the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the National Museum of Western Art.

Shopping:
Where to start? Home to some of the world's biggest and most lavish department stores, Tokyo was made for shoppers. Ginza is one of the most famous shopping streets in the world. You'll find department stores and high end boutique shops like Comme de Garcons, Hanae Mori and Issey Miyake. Akihabara is the place to get discount electronics. Like antiques? The Roppongi Flea Market and Togo Shrine Flea Market have Japanese objets d'art as well furnishings, kimonos, records, computers and household appliances.

Food/Culinary Info:
You won't go hungry in Tokyo. From traditional Japanese cuisine to a huge range of international offerings, the city has it all. Most Japanese restaurants concentrate on one style of food, so visit a specialty place to get the best tempura, noodles, unagi (eel), sushi or sashimi.

Festivals/Events:
Every January 6, in Harumi, Tokyo Bay Dezomeshiki Tokyo firemen in Edo-period costume pull off dazzling stunts atop long, bamboo ladders. May brings more cool festivals, like Kanda Matsuri. Every even-numbered year at Kanda Myojin, people in Heian-period costume escort eighty gilded mikoshi through the streets. Sanja Matsuri is another May event. The annual bash has music, dance and a costume parade, with over one hundred mikoshi.

Natural Wonders:
Even in fast-paced Tokyo, it is sometimes nice to stop and smell the cherry blossoms. The city has a number of serene parks and gardens to explore. Komazawa Olympic Park has bike trails and swimming pools for recreation. The sixty-three acre Koishikawa Korakuen is known for its well groomed gardens. The centrally located Aoyama Cemetery has unusual tombs and cherry blossom trees. Want to feed carp or brush up on your horticulture? Visit the Koishikawa Botanical Garden.

If you -really- like fish, Tokyo has three places to enjoy sea-life first hand. Shinagawa Aquarium has marine displays as well as dolphin and sea-lion shows. The Sunshine International Aquarium & Planetarium is home to 20,000 fish and Tokyo's best planetarium. The Tokyo Sealife Park has three floors of salt and freshwater fun.

Cultural Comments:
With 2,000 years of history, sumo wrestling is a Japanese tradition. Its rules are simple: each wrestler must try to force the other out of the ring (dohyo) or make him touch the floor with a part of his body other than his feet. Visiting a sumo stable, or beya, is a great way to appreciate the rigorous training and athleticism of the sport. Most Tokyo beya allow visitors, on condition that you remain quiet and bring a gift (like a bottle of sake) for the stablemaster. The wrestling season is in January, May and September, at the Kokugikan, where bouts are held.

Nightlife/Bars:
When it comes to nightlife, Tokyo has it all.

Gay & Lesbian:
Japanese culture is based on Buddhist rather than Christian values, so there are no religious prohibitions against homosexuality, but you probably won't see or hear much about Japan's gay scene. It is rare to see gay couples walking hand in hand. Even among heterosexuals, kissing in public is still not common. Nevertheless, if you look for it, you can find an active gay community in Tokyo. Shinjuku-Nichome, bulging with bars and clubs, is the center of Tokyo's gay world, and is as hip as it gets for Japan. Check out the internet, Out magazine (with its Out in Japan insert) or the Tokyo Classified for more information.

Cost:
Japan one of the most expensive countries in the world for travel, but there are ways of keeping costs down. A skeleton daily budget, assuming you stay in the cheapest hostels, eat modestly and travel short distances, would work out to US$60. Add about US$10 for extras like snacks, drinks, admission fees and entertainment. Staying in Japanese style B&Bs (inns) or business hotels and eating in pricey restaurants can easily have the ticker tipping US$100.

There is little tipping or bargaining in Japan. If you want to show your gratitude to someone, give them a gift rather than a tip.

Getting Around:
Japan has a remarkable transport system. Japan Rail and private rail lines connect the country. In Tokyo, public transport includes efficient buses, trams, ferries, and subways. Even if you don't arrive in Tokyo, chances are you will end up here or pass through on your way to other parts of Japan, since the capital is the major transport hub.

Safety:
Japan's low crime rate is legendary; just be wary of pickpockets and occasional scam artists.

Language:
Japanese is the national language, though many people know a bit of English.

Other Info:
Click here for weather forecast from Weather.com.