Tokyo for first-timers is not as scary as you might think. Photo / Jezael Melgoza, Unsplash
Tokyo for first-timers is not as scary as you might think. Photo / Jezael Melgoza, Unsplash
The sheer scale of greater Tokyo and the number of things to experience mean that it is wise to pick and choose the things you want to see, writes Julian Ryall.
There is no city in the world quite like Tokyo. Wooden temples stand alongside steel-and-glass skyscrapers; women in graceful kimonos step daintily along pavements crowded with men in business suits; a hole-in-the-wall bar is partly hidden behind a traditional “noren” curtain that is bathed in the neon of a more gaudy establishment across the alleyway.
There is no city in the world quite like Tokyo. Photo / 123rf
And while the frenetic streets of the Japanese capital might be something of an assault on the senses and the entire metropolis slightly overwhelming, in reality, it is remarkably user-friendly and locals are unfailingly polite and helpful. Hold a map upside down and look lost and in no time at all, there will be someone alongside you offering assistance.
There are many things to see and do in Tokyo, but for all the first-timers planning a visit, here are few places that should be high on the must-do list.
A state-of-the-art facility assumed the role of the wholesale marketplace for the fish, vegetables and fruit consumed in Tokyo in 2018. And while some say the replacement Toyosu Market is far more antiseptic than its predecessor, it is still a remarkable sight to see dealers bid on rows of tuna that have just been lifted out of fishing boats’ holds, still rimed in ice.
There are crates of squid and halibut all going under the hammer, spiky sea urchins prized as a sushi dish, deep-sea eel, flatfish, and enormous crabs from the icy waters off Hokkaido. Trading starts at 5am so, appetite whetted, head back to the former site of the market at nearby Tsukiji for sushi breakfast.
The old market has been preserved much as it was; a warren of back streets where small restaurants still serve the freshest seafood, alongside stores selling souvenirs and professional-grade cooking equipment. If you are looking for knives to dice up your own sushi, this is the place to get them.
Tokyo's Tsukiji Market offers a fascinating insight into Tokyo's consumption of fish, fruit and vegetables. Photo / Getty Images
Sumo match
Japan’s national sport is far more than just two generously proportioned men wearing nothing but loincloths and trying to eject their opponent from the “dohyo,” or raised clay ring. It is replete with religious symbolism, from the salt the wrestlers throw in the air to purify the ring to the robes worn by the referees, and a sport that can trace its roots back to the mid-16th century has complex rules on the manoeuvres and grips that “rikishi” can employ for victory.
The Ryogoku Kokugikan sumo stadium hosts three tournaments every year, in January, May and September, with information on obtaining tickets available through the website: sumo.pia.jp/en. The cheapest can be purchased for less than Y4,000 ($47) and give access for an entire day.
Here’s a tip; The first bouts of the day are between lower-ranked wrestlers and are less popular with spectators. That means that the expensive and highly prized cushions that make up the front row alongside the “dohyo” are empty until around lunchtime. Take the opportunity for an unrivalled close-up of the bouts until you get a polite tap on the shoulder from the person who has reserved the seat.
For anyone who fancies a break from the bouts, there is a small but informative museum in the grounds of the stadium, while the surrounding Ryogoku district is home to a number of “stables”, with wrestlers often seen strolling down the street to their favourite “chank nabe” restaurant.
Japan’s national sport of Sumo wrestling is replete with religious symbolism. Photo / 123rf
Akihabara “Electric Town”
A few stops north of Tokyo Station is the heartbeat of Japan’s fascination with all things electronic and the hub of its anime and manga sectors.
Vast, multi-level stores along the main street of Akihabara sell every electronic gadget a person could ever want – and many that most people could never conceive of. The majority of the stores’ customers are Japan’s legions of “otaku” tech geeks.
Take one of the narrow side streets off the main drag and you will be firmly in the closely linked world of anime and manga geeks. Stores sell obscure titles featuring equally obscure characters, manga cafes are full of people reading their latest purchases and collectors’ stores sell paraphernalia from the titles, ranging from large-scale models of heroes and heroines, to costumes, trading cards and countless other memorabilia.
Visit Tokyo's Akihabara Electric Town area and you'll be in the very thick of anime and manga mania. Photo / 123rf
At 634 metres tall, the Tokyo Skytree is the third-tallest structure in the world and towers over the Sumida district of the city.
Constructed to replace the ageing Tokyo Tower as a broadcasting tower, it opened to the public in May 2012 and has quickly become a landmark visible from anywhere in the metropolis. Visitors with a head for heights can stop off at the observatories 350m above the city and a smaller enclosed deck at 450m.
Anyone who is not so keen on heights is advised to avoid the section of glass flooring with the streets of Tokyo far below.
The graceful tripod design with a latticed exterior has by far the best views across the city, at least on good days, with clear panoramas that take in Mount Fuji, Tokyo Bay and the unending sprawl of the city.
Tokyo Skytree is the third-tallest structure in the world. Photo / 123rf
Sensoji Temple
Not far from the Skytree is Sensoji, a Buddhist temple in the Asakusa district that is one of the most storied and popular in the city.
The temple is dedicated to Kannon, the goddess of mercy, and legend has it that it was founded in 628 by two brothers who recovered a statue of the goddess from the nearby Sumida River.
The Main Hall is at the centre of the sprawling complex and is approached from the Kaminarimon, or Thunder Gate, to the south. The narrow street leading to the temple, the Nakamise, is lined with tourist shops selling replica samurai swords, T-shirts and “sembe” rice crackers, although the streets behind have fewer knick-knacks.
Beyond another crimson gate is the inner precinct, where people draw sticks that reveal their fortune in love and business for the coming year, while incense sticks upright in a vast brazier give off a constant stream of smoke. It is believed that the smoke can cure illnesses and visitors to the shrine can be seen sweeping the smoke to the body part that ails them, from elderly women rubbing it on to aching knees to bald men patting it hopefully on their shiny heads.
The temple is the venue for major festivals throughout the year, including the Sanja Matsuri in May and the Asakusa Samba Carnival in August.
Omotesando
The entire area that stretches from Harajuku Station to Omotesando subway station a couple of kilometres to the east is packed with shops catering to every conceivable fashion need.
Just north of Harajuku Station is Takeshita Dori, the much-photographed pedestrianised heart of the city’s offbeat fashion scene, with tiny shops selling eye-catching clothing to daring youngsters. “Kawaii” is all the rage here.
The tree-lined main boulevard that runs between the two stations is lined with many of the world’s biggest fashion names and the up-market Omotesendo Hills shopping mall. Step off the main road, however, and you will have to negotiate a maze of narrow streets with one-off boutiques, trendy cafes and sudden handkerchief-sized green spaces.
Hama Rikyu Gardens
The expansive Hama Rikyu gardens date back to the mid-1600s and are considered one of the finest examples of a feudal lord’s formal gardens still in existence in the entire Kanto region.
Reclaimed from the Sumida River, the gardens were originally used for falconry by Tokugawa Tsunashige, the younger brother of Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, and were the setting for his villa. It later served as a state guest house until being gifted to the city in 1945.
Visitors can stroll along its peaceful paths, beneath plums and cherry blossoms in the spring and carefully tended pine trees throughout the year.
The O-tsutai-bashi bridge, constructed of “hinoki” cypress, crosses one of the park’s ponds to the scenic Nakajima-no-ochiya tea house. Remove your shoes, sit on the traditional tatami mats and soak up the peaceful scenery with a bowl of freshly whisked green tea, accompanied by “wagashi” Japanese confectionery.
The expansive Hama Rikyu gardens date back to the mid-1600s. Photo / 123rf
Yurakucho’s hidden restaurants
Between the outer moat of the Imperial Palace and the bright lights of the glitzy Ginza district lies Yurakucho, a more down-to-earth area that is popular with locals for its wide selection of bars and restaurants.
Many are actually built into the arches that support city train and bullet train lines heading south from Tokyo Station and cater to all tastes – but many come here for the “yakitori” joints. “Yakitori” is simply cuts of chicken, beef or other meats on a skewer that is cooked over a grill. They’re cheap and filling, and go very well with a cold Japanese beer or “sake.” It’s also very likely that someone at a neighbouring table will strike up a conversation.
A local landmark is Andy’s Shin Hinomoto, an “izakaya” restaurant-bar run by an Englishman. Best to make a reservation as it gets very busy, but don’t miss his cod cooked in miso.
Many Yurakucho restaurants are built into the arches that support city train and bullet train lines. Photo / 123rf
Arguably Tokyo’s hippest and most dynamic district, Shibuya is a frenzy of shopping and cafes by day but a chaos of neon-fuelled nightlife after the sun goes down.
The “scramble crossing” immediately to the west of the station is famous around the world and the mayhem that ensues every time the traffic lights change colour can now be admired from the open top of the newly redeveloped station building, 230m above street level.
The nightlife district spreads gradually away to the west, with restaurants and bars in back streets and connecting alleyways. Many are subterranean dens down narrow staircases; others are on the upper floors and often difficult to spot from ground level.
While you’re here, take a stroll through the district of short-stay “love hotels”; it’s not as seedy as most assume and the outlandish designs of the hotels and the images on display of some of the themed rooms are always interesting.
The famous Shibuya crossing in Tokyo.
Photo / Getty Images
“Shukubo” temple accommodation
In centuries gone by, holy men and pilgrims crisscrossed Japan in search of knowledge and enlightenment, usually staying in simple temple lodgings known as “shukubo.” With pilgrims a thing of the past, temples are today inviting modern travellers to sample this unique accommodation.
Close to Hama Rikyu Gardens in central Tokyo, Shiba Shoden-ji Temple follows the Nichiren sect of Buddhism and dates back to 1602. More recently, it has joined the Otera Stay organisation to promote its two comfortable new “shukubo” rooms, which each sleep up to six people.
From rather spartan beginnings, “shukubo” accommodation has evolved significantly, with some temples offering accommodation on a par with good quality hotels but, at the same time, preserving the atmosphere of the traditional temple surroundings. Modern-day visitors can take part in meditation sessions, prayer meetings, yoga and the copying of the characters that make up sutras.
