Energy jumps out of Tokyo and spits back a mania. The cutting edge city is certainly that, on the edge of the latest technology, art, music, and inventions. Tokyo masters another art. The city of 12 million people intrigues but it also incredibly traditional. With foundations in 1590, Tokyo hosts a history seen through ancient temples, perched right alongside the latest gizmo or gadget.
Tokyo is overwhelming to say the least. The sheer size of the city is hard to understand and next to impossible to cover on a short trip. However, you can in fact see it all after visiting the Tokyo Tower. Opened in 1958, the Tokyo Tower looks a bit like the Eiffel Tower in Paris. With its red and white design reaching 333 meters above the city, visitors can take in city views. The 250 meter high observations tower will even give visitors a glimpse of Mt. Fuji on a clear day. If anyone tries to tell you can’t see all of Tokyo, you just proved them wrong.
Rivaling that view comes at Roppongi Hills. Intended to be a city within the city, Roppongi Hills covers in Japanese gardens, water walls, hundreds of restaurants and boutiques. At night, visitors appreciate the cinema in Roppongi Hills or take in the night skyline of Tokyo.
In the early hours of the morning in Tokyo something smells a little fishy. Tsukiji Ichiba remains the world’s biggest fish market. Open six days a week, the market might be the only place to see fish sell for one million dollars. Over 2,000 tons of fish swim through Tsukiji Ichiba daily.
To see one of Japan’s finest models of Shinto architecture you have to venture to Tokyo. Meiji-jingu rests amidst a dark forest. The shrine here was constructed to honor the memories of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. Meiji-jingu is a favorite green space and sanctuary in the middle of one of the biggest cities in the entire world.
The architectural marvels in Tokyo are numerous. Sensoji boasts of being the city’s most revered Buddhist temple. With foundations in 628 A.D., the 5-storey complex visitors see today is a reconstruction. 1945 bombings took its toll on the enshrined gold statuette of the Goddess of Mercy. Kyoko Higashi-gyoen is also notable for its architecture as the Imperial palace. Surrounded by formal gardens, a moat, and walls, the castle lends a Japanese fairytale persona. Visitors can also view a teahouse, pond and waterfall.
Of course, Meiji-jingu is not that only place to take in Tokyo’s green spaces. The largest park in the city is maintained at Ueno-Koen. Locals come here when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom for the park is home to well over 1,000 trees. Ueno-Koen is a one-man show, also supplying several museums, temples, shrines and a zoo to keep visitors entertained.
Closing out a day in Tokyo visitors can gain some education and beauty before heading home. The Edo-Tokyo Museum chronicles the histories of Edo and Tokyo. The favorite city history museum even contains a reconstruction of one half of the bridge at Nihombashi. For that Tokyo beauty, head to Shinjuku-gyoen. What may deem the most beautiful gardens in the entire city have a compelling case. The Japanese and French gardens present the perfect pairing with imperial villa, cherry trees and tropical greenhouse to add to the overall picture.
From the rooftops of Tokyo’s towering business districts to its buzzing shopping centers, Tokyo may be a little crowded. However, the city combines its love for the latest with a desire to preserve the traditions of the past.
