Travel Guide

Places To See

Kabuki-Za (Kabuki Theatre)

Performances and times vary from month to month at Kabuki-za so check with the TIC (Tourist Information Center; ) or the theatre for programme information. Be sure to rent a headset for blow-by-blow explanations in English, and pick up a bentō downstairs. A full kabuki performance comprises three or four acts (usually from different plays) over an afternoon or an evening (typically 11:00 to 15:30 or 16:30 to 21:00), with long intervals between the acts.

If four-plus hours sounds too long, you can purchase last-minute tickets for a single act, although seats are only on the highest balcony. Since some acts tend to be more popular than others, inquire ahead as to which to catch and arrive well in advance.

Ghibli Museum

Fall under the spell of a Hayao Miyazaki film and you'll never be one of the philistines who liken him to a Japanese Walt Disney. Surreal landscapes, anthropomorphic objects and spirit-characters form the enticing worlds of Miyazaki's animated movies, in which the storytelling is as compelling as the phenomenally rendered animation.

And though the storylines may be directed at children, they aren't saccharine or condescending, instead acknowledging the world of children as complicated yet hopeful.

A real-life testament to this way of thinking, the Ghibli Museum delights fans with its cat bus, tiny rooms and towers, cosy movie theatre and artist's studio that looks as though the animator had just stepped out and left his work on the table. Walls are papered with actual Miyazaki drawings, while paints, toys and antique film projectors make up the captivating clutter of the studio. Each ticket even contains an original animation cel from a Studio Ghibli film.

Visit the website for info on booking a ticket at least a month before your trip.

Imperial Palace East Garden (Higashi-Gyōen)

Higashi-gyōen is the only corner of the Imperial Palace proper that is regularly open to the public, and it makes for a pleasant retreat from the grinding hustle and bustle of Tokyo. Here you can get up-close-and-personal views of the massive stones used to build the castle walls, and even climb the ruins of one of the keeps, off the upper lawn. Although entry is free, the number of visitors at any one time is limited, so it never feels crowded.

Entry is through one of three gates: Ōte-mon on the east side and Hirakawa-mon and Kitahanebashi-mon on the north side. Most people enter through Ōte-mon, which is closest to Tokyo Station, and was the principal entrance to Edo Castle for more than 200 years. Here you may want to make a stop at the Museum of Imperial Collections, which mounts small exhibits of the 5000-plus artworks held within the palace.

Ueno-Kōen (Ueno Park)

Tokyo's oldest public park has several names: its Sunday name, which no-one ever uses, is Ueno Onshi Kōen; some locals dub it Ueno no Oyama (Ueno Mountain); and English speakers call it Ueno Park. Whichever you prefer, Ueno Kōen makes for a pleasant city escape.

There are two entrances to the park: the main one takes you straight into the museum and art gallery area, a course that might leave you worn out before you get to Ueno's temples. Instead, it's better to start at the southern entrance between Ueno JR Station and Keisei Ueno Station, and do a little temple viewing en route to the museums. From the JR Station, take the Ikenohata exit and turn right. Just around the corner is a flight of stairs leading up into the park.

Slightly to your right at the top of the stairs is the mother of all meeting places, a statue of Saigō Takamori. Fans of the movie The Last Samurai should note that Katsumoto, the character played by Ken Watanabe, was loosely based on Takamori, a Tokugawa loyalist who gained legendary status among the common Japanese. The Meiji government, capitalising on this fame, posthumously pardoned Saigō, and granted him full honours. Today he remains an exemplar of the samurai spirit.

Bear to the far left and follow a wide tree-lined path until you reach Kiyōmizu Kannon-dō, modelled after the landmark Kiyōmizu-dera in Kyoto. During Ningyō-kuyō those wishing to conceive a child leave a doll here for the Senjū Kannon (the 1000-armed Buddhist goddess of mercy), and the accumulated dolls are burnt ceremoniously each 25 September.

From the temple, continue down to the narrow road that follows the pond, Shinobazu-ike. Through a red torii (gate), on an island in the pond, is Benten-dō, a memorial to Benten, a patron goddess of the arts. Behind the temple you can hire a small boat (03 3828 9502; row boats per hr around 600, paddle boats per 30min around 600; 09:00-17:00 Mar-Nov) to take out on the water, weather permitting.

Make your way back to the road that follows Shinobazu-ike and turn left. Where the road begins to curve and leaves Shinobazu-ike behind, there is a stair pathway to the right. Follow this path and take the second turn to the left. This will take you into the grounds of Tōshō-gū (03 3822 3455), which was established in 1627 (the present building dates from 1651). This is a shrine which, like its counterpart in Nikkō, was founded in memory of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Inside, beyond the subdued worship hall, Ieyasu's shrine is all black lacquerwork and gold leaf. Miraculously, the entire structure has survived all of Tokyo's many disasters, making it one of the few early Edo structures still extant. There's a good view of the 17th-century, five-storey pagoda Kanei-ji, now stranded inside Ueno Zoo, to your right as you take the pathway into the shrine. The pathway itself is fronted by a stone torii and lined with 200 stone lanterns rendered as gifts by daimyō in the Edo period.

Tokyo Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan (Tokyo National Museum)

If you visit only one museum in Tokyo, make it this one. The Tokyo National Museum's grand buildings hold the world's largest collection of Japanese art, and you could easily spend an entire day perusing the galleries here. The building dates from 1939, and is in the imperial style, which fuses Western and Japanese architectural motifs.

The museum has four galleries, the most important of which is the Honkan (Main Gallery). For an introduction to Japanese art history from Jōmon to Edo in one fell swoop, head to the 2nd floor. Other galleries include ancient pottery, religious sculpture, arms and armour, exquisite lacquerware and calligraphy.

The Tōyōkan (Gallery of Eastern Antiquities) boasts a collection of art and archaeological finds from all over Asia, with an emphasis on Chinese arts and archaeology. Heiseikan (Heisei Hall) is the newest, open in 1999 to commemorate the marriage of Crown Prince Naruhito, and it is used for exhibitions of Japanese archaeology.

Finally, there is the Gallery of Hōryū-ji Treasures, which displays masks, scrolls and gilt Buddhas from Hōryū-ji, the first Buddhist temple in Japan. In order to protect the artefacts, some of which are more than 1000 years old, this wing may be shut when it's raining or humid.

A fifth building, Hyōkeikan (Hyōkei Hall) was built in 1909, with Western-style architecture that is reminiscent of a museum you might find in Paris. Used for special exhibitions, the Hyōkeikan displays temporary exhibits, a good number of which are in fact rotating exhibits from France and other European countries.

Takarazuka Gekijō

While not really traditional theatre, the all-female Takarazuka Gekijō revue, with a bloodline running back to 1914, exposes Tokyo's knack for complexity. These musicals are in Japanese, but English synopses are available. A mostly female audience swoons over actresses in drag. If you love camp, this is for you.

New York Bar

Located in the stratosphere, both physically and socially, the New York Bar towers over the city on the 52nd floor of the Park Hyatt Tokyo in west Shinjuku. With magnificent views, strong drinks and live jazz, this is a swank lounge for that special date.

Daikokuya

The long line snaking around the building should tell you something about this much-loved tempura place before you even catch the unmistakable fragrance of it. Sneak off to the other branch around the corner if the line seems to put too much distance between you and your ebi tendon (shrimp tempura over rice).

Sony Building

Right on Sukiyabashi Crossing is the Sony Building, which attracts gadget hounds in search of gizmos that have yet to be released. Kids love the free Playstation games on the 6th floor, while adults tend to lose an hour or so perusing all the latest audio and video accessories. If nothing else, you can put your feet up and relax for a while in one of the building's two Hi-Vision theatres.

Hantei

Skewers of kushiage (fried meat, fish and vegetables) arrive at your table six at a time, counterbalanced with small, refreshing side dishes. Though courses are predetermined, and well worth the wait, you'll have to decide when you've had enough (or they'll keep coming) and whether to drink sake or beer. The backdrop is a lovely wood-and-bamboo Meiji-era house, which emphasises the Shitamachi charm of the restaurant.

Robata

Back near the railway tracks, this is one of Tokyo's most celebrated izakaya (Japanese-style pub). A little Japanese language ability is helpful here, but the point-and-eat method works just fine. It's hard to spot the sign, even if you can read Japanese; better to look for the rustic, weathered façade.

Events

Old Edo was home to an abundance of matsuri (festivals), which originated in farming communities as expressions of the Shintō religion. Spring festivals were held to supplicate the local gods and to secure a plentiful harvest, while autumn festivals were held in thanks and celebration of a rich harvest. Summer and winter festivals were less common, though this changed with the rise of large urban settlements, where they were held in the hope of circumventing pestilence and plague. Today, Tokyo's civic calendar is jam-packed with matsuri as well as a mix of events from traditional flower viewings to trade shows covering everything from motorcycles to design.

Pre-Departure Information

Electricity

100V

50Hz

Electrical Plugs

Japanese-style plug with two parallel flat blades

Weather Information

Tokyo kicks off its year with high, cold winter days and, occasionally, snowfalls. Though temperatures sometimes drop below freezing, in general the winter months are reasonable with the right kind of clothing. Spring brings pleasant, warm days. Summer is hot and muggy. The temperature and humidity are at their worst in August and late June can see torrential rains that pound the city during some monsoon seasons. After spring, autumn is the most pleasant season. Temperatures cool down to a cosy level and days are often clear and fine.

History and Culture

Pre-20th Centure History

When the first Europeans came to Tokyo in the 16th century, there was little to indicate that the fishing village of Edo would become one of the world's major cities. Edo's growth was rapid and dramatic from 1600, when a power struggle between feudal lords led to the village becoming a power base for the dominant Tokugawa Ieyasu. Such was the extent of his power that the emperor appointed Tokugawa shogun, or military administrator. Under a ruling that demanded all feudal lords spend every second year in Edo (their families had to remain in Edo permanently), Tokugawa built a thriving city, and consolidated national power for the first time.

In 1638, after massacring a number of Christians, Ieyasu's grandson closed Japan to almost all foreign trade. This radical isolation policy remained in place for almost three centuries. Despite the isolation, Edo thrived and by the early 17th century was the largest city in the world, with over one million people. The city was organised geographically by profession and philosophically by rank and status. In modern Tokyo there are still remains of this structure, with small enclaves specialising in specific wares.

The turning point for Edo - and all of Japan - came in 1853 when Commodore Matthew Perry's armada of 'black ships' arrived to demand that Japan open treaty ports. With the arrival of Westerners came a far-reaching social revolution. The Tokugawa regime was powerless to halt the flood of progress and power was handed - though not without a fight - back to Emperor Meiji. In 1868 the seat of imperial power was moved from Kyoto to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo (Eastern Capital) in the process.

Modern History

Industrialisation and militarisation accompanied Japan's entrance into the 20th century. Western-style construction was introduced and Japan had military victories over China and Russia. Furthermore, Taiwan, Korea and Micronesia were annexed. In Tokyo, the rush of industry brought people from all over Japan to the capital.

At noon on 1 September 1923, the Great Kanto Earthquake struck Tokyo. For 40 hours, fires raged, laying waste to the expanding city. Although rebuilding began almost immediately, opportunities to improve and further transform old Tokyo were lost. A little over 20 years later - and also in tragic circumstances - Tokyo was to get a second 'chance' to rebuild.

Around 80,000 lives were lost in the Tokyo air raids during WWII, and about two-fifths of the city was flattened. The raids were at least as destructive as the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Following the Japanese surrender, Tokyo again rose quickly. Transformed into something of a honky-tonk town during the post-war occupation years, the capital thrived on profits from the Korean War and has not looked back since. Awarded the Olympic Games in 1964, Tokyo grew like never before, and firmly established itself as a real power player in the world economy. The 1980s saw Tokyo bask in the shine of the 'bubble economy', but its burst in 1989 hit the city hard. It was further shaken in 1995 by the nerve gas attack on a crowded city commuter train, which killed 12 and injured 5000.

Recent History

In 2001 Japan's debt rating was downgraded from AAA to AA+, with the country's economy remaining rocky since then - a high rate of bankrupt golf courses stand as a potent sign of the economy's malaise. Despite the economic gloom, Tokyo has continued to build new subway lines and redevelopment districts as well as a massive renovation of Tokyo Station and the surrounding Marunouchi area. The capital is now trying to lure more visitors while carving out a new role for itself as a centre of anime, manga, video games and other globally hot media.