Akihabara is Tokyo's electronic district. There are hundreds of stores selling everything from digital cameras to those infamous high tech toilet seats that are often seen in Japan. Prices tend to be a little higher than stateside prices, but it never hurts to look. Even if you are not willing to shell out the extra cash, most stores will allow you to turn on whatever you are looking at and play around a little while. One of my favorite things to do while I am there (as it is usually part of a long day of walking in down town Tokyo) is to test out the high tech massaging chairs. Even though it is quite obvious that I have no intention of buying one, the salespeople are more than happy to show me all the features of the chair. I think I've spent as long as half an hour 'testing' one of them. Akihabara is a great part of the city. I think I could spend an entire day there if given the chance. I think an accurate description would be to say that it is a Bust Buy that is the size of a small town. If you need a break from all the electronics and pesky sales people, the Tokyo Transportation Museum is a short walk away in a district called Kanda. In the transportation museum has exhibits on aviation, automobiles, but its main focus is on Trains. It has everything from full-size trains that have been out of service for many years, to train simulators built out of real trains that have been retired from Tokyo's commuter lines. I even had the chance to drive the Bullet train.
Another very popular place in Tokyo is Roppongi. It is filled with many interesting places to eat, but it is better known for its night clubs. My favorite place in Roppongi is at the top of the newly built Roppongi Hills Mori tower. It has 54 stories and offers a great view of the city in all directions. I highly recommend visiting at night to get the best view.
Shinjuku is another of one of Tokyo's more popular districts. Surrounded by tall skyscrapers (including one that looks very much like the Empire State Building) Shinjuku is known as the business district. There are also many department stores and such in the area. There are also a few government buildings in the area; one is the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. I am told that there is a free observation deck on top of one of the towers offering a view similar to those of the Mori and Tokyo towers. I have heard however that the hours that it is open are not as late as the others, nevertheless another interesting thing to check out.
Ebisu is home to the Ebisu Gardens and the Yebisu Beer Museum, as well as a few other restaurants and other stores. It is a nice place to walk around and maybe grab a bite to eat, though it is a bit on the expensive side. If my memory serves me correctly, a tour of the beer museum was free. There was a sampling bar at the end where you have the chance to get one of four different kinds of beer. We decided to have a sampler which was four smaller glasses of different kinds of beer. They offer two beers that are currently on the market (Dark and Regular), and then two that were 'experimental' (Cherry and Grapefruit). Now I was a bit apprehensive about the last two, especially the grapefruit. I decided to drink them first so that I could end on the best one, but strangely enough, the grapefruit beer was the best of the four. Who woulda thought?
While Yokohama isn't exactly in Tokyo, it is close enough to be considered a part of Tokyo. A train will get you to the Yokohama shoreline in no time, easily making it a nice daytrip from central Tokyo. Of course there are many things to do in Yokohama. Some of the more notable ones are a small theme park on the water, a rather large shopping mall (as well as many smaller ones), and the Landmark Tower. The landmark tower is the tallest building in Japan. I have not gotten a chance to go to the top yet. As you can see by my pictures, I did not feel like paying 1,000 yen to see clouds. I have heard however that you can get quite the view from the top. At the base there are many stores and if I remember correctly a hotel.
Most major cities have respectable zoos. Tokyo is no exception; the Ueno Zoo is one of the better ones I have been to. It has many different kinds of animals (yeah, imagine that) and a lot of room to walk around.
Meiji Shrine is another place you should go to if you want to get away from the city for a while and walk around. While it is still in the city, it is located in a large park with plenty of room to walk around. The Shrine itself is quite impressive with many trees surrounding it that help drown out the sound of the surrounding city.
Ginza is filled with stores and other forms entertainment (hmm...I'm noticing a trend). At night the entire district lights up with neon signs advertising their respective businesses. If you are looking to go shopping or just spend some time, go to Ginza.
One of the newer and more quickly developing parts of Tokyo is Odaiba. Odaiba is actually a manmade island in the same general area of Haneda Airport. One of the more recognizable things on Odaiba is the large Ferris wheel you probably saw while driving into the city from Narita when you arrived. That is part of Megaweb. Megaweb is the largest Toyota showroom in the world. Inside the building is one of every car that Toyota currently makes, as well as a few cars that Toyota had built for racing. There are also many interactive things there such as a driving simulator. If you ever wanted to see what it is like to drive down the streets of a busy town as fast as you want, do the simulator. Afterwards you get a report card on your driving abilities, though its all in Japanese if I remember correctly. Also on Odaiba is a rather large shopping mall called Venusfort. It was designed to look like an outdoor shopping plaza from Italy. The lighting in the ceiling even changes every 20 minutes or so from day to night. I've been to Odaiba a few times and will definitely be back more often. There are also a few museums and such on the island. The best way to get there from Tokyo is to take the monorail from Ginza.
I hope that because of this report you now want to go to Tokyo. This is only my second trip article, so the layout is a little weak. I will hopefully add to it and edit it as I will be going back to Tokyo a few times in the coming years. Thanks for reading.
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