posted by Vacation Home Rentals on Feb 16
Tokyo just might be the biggest town in the world, made up of 23 individual wards, all with their own unique characteristics. Foreigners are simply threatened by the sheer expanse of Japan’s major city and its 17 million inhabitants ( 5 million are commuters ) ; {however ,} due to this volume alone Tokyo has developed an unrivaled public transportation system and a complicated network of visitor friendly information resources. The simplest way to go Tokyo’s frenzied bustle is to allow the train to guide the way. A loose itinerary will draw you into true jap life through surprising encounters and more intimate experiences.
Tokyo : A consumer Capital
It could be ironic that one of the costliest towns in the world also has one of the most rampant and showy consumer cultures. Traveller attractions in Tokyo consist of many gargantuan shopping complexes additionally to the cultural faves. The Ginza shopping district reigns supreme for ostentatious purchasing activities, with thousands of mega-stores, shops and a unjustifiable array of non-functional novelty stores for the simply entertained inside us all. For a dose of New York in Tokyo, visit Shibuya, which is abundant with top-end shops, shrines, King-Kong-sized plasma TV screens and the most frantic pedestrian street crossing in the world.
A Culture of Retrospect and Reflection
There’s a tendency to become inundated and desensitized by the neon lights that line the town streets like masts in Japan’s sea of technology. While these electrical churches work to extol a hyper-modern age, Tokyo also has got some of the most idyllic and serene shrines and pagodas in the country. Meiji-jingu is the most provoking of Tokyo’s Shinto shrines, built with Eastern cypress and copper plates for the roof. Even though the shrine was wiped out during World War Two, the reconstruction hasn’t lost any of the grandeur. Just north of the town, Bonsai Park treats visitors to the zen-like art of cultivating these carefully placed miniature trees and experiencing the calming of the mind. A necessary experience for anyone traveling to Tokyo is the view of Mount Fuji in the early hours of dawn. This is possible from within the city, atop one of the massive skyscrapers such as the govt Building in Shinjuku. Directly in the middle of Tokyo, the Imperial Palace ( Kokyo ) is an inner-city refuge that is home to the Imperial Family. The public can visit the encompassing East Gardens and walk along the double bridge over the tranquil moats of the palace grounds, but the palace buildings and inner courtyard are closed to visitors.
Travel to Tokyo with a willingness to get lost among the hustle and maybe end up again in the silence of a shrine. The expansive town and system of trains make it virtually impossible to make a wrong turn.
Where would you go if you are given the opportunity? View and explore the most famous places around the world at famouswonders.com and check out Kyoto National Museum.