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Tokyo
is the capital of Japan. At over 12 million people in the
official metropolitan area alone, Tokyo is the core of the
most populated urban area in the world, Greater Tokyo (which
has a population of 35 million people). This huge, wealthy
and fascinating metropolis brings high-tech visions of the
future side by side with glimpses of old Japan, and has something
for everyone.
Districts
Map of Tokyo, Yamanote line in Green, Chuo line in OrangeHuge
and varied in its geography, with over 2,000 square kilometers
to explore, Tokyo prefecture (Tokyo-to) spans not just the
city, but rugged mountains to the west and subtropical islands
to the south. This article concentrates on the 23 central
wards (? ku) near the bay, while the western cities and
the islands are covered in a separate article.
The geography
of central Tokyo is defined by the JR Yamanote Line (see
Get around). The center of Tokyo — the former area
reserved for the Shogun and his samurai — lies within
the loop, while the Edo-era downtown (shitamachi) is to
the north and east. Sprawling around in all directions and
blending seamlessly into Yokohama, Kawasaki and Chiba are
Tokyo's suburbs.
Central
Tokyo
Chiyoda, the seat of Japanese power that includes the Imperial
Palace, the electronics mecca of Akihabara , the business
center of Akasaka and the neighbouring nightclub district
of Roppongi
Chuo district, including the famed department stores of
the Ginza and the fish markets of Tsukiji
Meguro, a residential area with a few nice parks and museums
Minato, the port district (at least in name) which includes
the artificial island of Odaiba, the skyscrapers of Shiodome
Shibuya, the fashionable shopping district which also encompasses
the teenybopper haven of Harajuku (also home to the Meiji
Shrine) and the nightlife of Ebisu
Shinjuku, home to luxury hotels, giant camera stores, futuristic
skyscrapers, hundreds of shops and restaurants, and Kabukicho,
Tokyo's wildest nightlife and red-light district
Shinagawa, a major train hub and business center
Old Tokyo (Shitamachi)
Toshima including Ikebukuro, another giant train hub
Sumida by the river of the same name, including Ryogoku,
home of the Edo-Tokyo Museum and Tokyo's main sumo arena
(Ryogoku Kokugikan).
Taito and Bunkyo, the heart of Old Tokyo featuring the temples
of Asakusa and many museums of Ueno
Koto, between the two rivers Sumida and Arakawa, located
on just the south of Sumida. It is famous for the former
woodland in Kiba, and Kameido Tenjin the shrine worshiping
Michizane Sugawara known as a father of study in Kameido.
Katsushika, in the Northeast of Tokyo, more downbeat and
traditional The South part of Adachi.
Over 400 years old, the city of Tokyo grew from the modest
fishing village of Edo. The former seat of the Tokugawa
Shogunate, the Imperial family moved to the city after the
Meiji Restoration in 1868. The metropolitan center of the
country, Tokyo is the destination for business, education,
modern culture, and government. (That's not to say that
rivals such as Osaka won't dispute those claims.)
Culture
Tokyo is vast: it's best thought of not as a single city,
but a constellation of cities that have grown together.
Tokyo's districts vary wildly by character, from the electronic
blare of Akihabara to the Imperial gardens and shrines of
Chiyoda, from the hyperactive youth culture mecca of Shibuya
to the pottery shops and temple markets of Asakusa. If you
don't like what you see, hop on the train and head to the
next one, and you will find something entirely different.
The sheer size
and frenetic pace of Tokyo can intimidate the first-time
visitor. Much of the city is a jungle of concrete and wires,
with a mass of neon and blaring loudspeakers. At rush hour,
crowds jostle in packed trains and masses of humanity sweep
through enormous and bewilderingly complex stations. Don't
get too hung up on ticking tourist sights off your list:
for most visitors, the biggest part of the Tokyo experience
is just wandering around at random and absorbing the vibe,
poking your head into shops selling weird and wonderful
things, sampling restaurants where you can't recognize a
single thing on the menu (or on your plate), and finding
unexpected oases of calm in the tranquil grounds of a neighbourhood
Shinto shrine. It's all perfectly safe, and the locals will
go to sometimes extraordinary lengths to help you if you
just ask.
Language
It's easier than ever for English speakers to navigate their
way around Tokyo without speaking any Japanese. Signs at
subway and train stations include the station names in romaji
(Romanized characters). It can be helpful to know some tips
for ordering in restaurants, shopping in stores, and asking
for directions. Learning the katakana script is not difficult
and most words written with it can be understood by English
speakers so it can be useful even for people with no Japanese
vocabulary. If you plan on asking for directions to Tokyo
destinations, it especially helps to carry the name of the
destination written in Japanese characters.
Expenses
The cost of living in Tokyo is not as astronomical as it
once was. Deflation and market pressures have helped to
make costs in Tokyo comparable to most other large cities.
Visitors from San Francisco, New York, London, Paris or
even Vancouver will not be at all surprised. Travelers should
budget a similar amount of money for their stay in Tokyo
as they would for any other great city in Europe or North
America. Locals will know the bargains, but experienced
cheapskates from anywhere in the world can get by with a
little ingenuity.
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