Tokyo

The temples of Asakusa, the grounds of the Imperial Palace (near Chiyoda), and the Meiji Shrine are the first things on most tourists’ agendas when they arrive in Tokyo.

Tokyo boasts a plethora of commercial districts where you may go shopping, dine, or just roam about to get a sense of the contemporary Japanese urban phenomena. Each of these districts has its own distinct personality, such as sparkling Shinjuku, lively Shibuya, and upscale Ginza. These locations are busy throughout the day, but they truly come alive in the nights.

The city is strewn with museums, both big and little, specializing in anything from pens to ancient clocks to traditional and contemporary arts. Many of the city’s biggest museums are concentrated around Ueno.

THINGS TO DO

• At the Tsukiji Fish Market, have a sushi breakfast.
• From Asakusa, take a boat trip on the Sumida River.
• In the nights, get lost in the spectacular neon forest surrounding major railway stations. At night, Shibuya and east Shinjuku can make Times Square or Piccadilly Circus appear country in contrast – it has to be seen to be believed.
• Relax in a native “sento,” or public bath. Alternatively, visit one of the onsen theme parks, such as LaQua near the Tokyo Dome (Bunkyo) or Oedo Onsen Monogatari in Odaiba.
• Visit an amusement park like Tokyo Disney Resort, which includes Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea, Asia’s most visited and second most visited theme parks, respectively, or the more Japanese Sanrio Puroland (in Tama), which has more Hello Kitties than you can imagine.
• Join a bar hop or pub crawl with Roppongi event groups.
• In the spring, enjoy a boat ride in Kichijoji’s magnificent Inokashira Park, followed by a visit to the Ghibli Studios Museum (famous for its fantastic films like as Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke), but you must purchase tickets in advance from a Lawson convenience shop.
• Take the Yurikamome elevated rail from Shimbashi station to the bayside Odaiba neighborhood, where you may ride the world’s biggest ferris wheel until recently.
• Attend a baseball game, preferably one with the Yomiuri Giants in the Tokyo Dome or the Tokyo Yakult Swallows at Jingu Stadium. The Chiba Lotte Marines are based in nearby Chiba.
• Take a walk in the East Gardens of the Imperial Palace (open to the public daily at 09:00, except Fridays and Mondays).
• Enjoy a picnic in a park during the cherry blossom season (Sakura). Unfortunately, Sakura blooms only for roughly a week in the spring. However, be aware that parks are normally highly busy at this time of year.
• Nagomi Visit’s home visit program allows you to stay with a local for a brief lunch or supper homestay, or you may join in their culinary workshops.

The old city of Tokyo, as well as the bulk of mainland Tokyo, have a humid subtropical climate with hot humid summers and typically pleasant winters with chilly periods.

The area, like most of Japan, has a one-month seasonal lag, with August being the hottest month, averaging 26.4 °C (79.5 °F), and January being the lowest, averaging 5.2 °C (41.4 °F).

The annual rainfall averages almost 1,530 mm (60.2 in), with a wetter summer and a dryer winter. Snowfall is infrequent but occurs practically every year.

The mainland section of Tokyo is located northwest of Tokyo Bay and measures around 90 kilometers (56 miles) east to west and 25 kilometers (16 miles) north to south. Tokyo has an average elevation of 40 meters (131 ft). Chiba Prefecture borders it to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the west, Kanagawa Prefecture to the south, and Saitama Prefecture to the north. Mainland Tokyo is further separated into special wards (which constitute the eastern half) and the Tama region, which extends westwards.

Tokyo Metropolis also includes two island chains in the Pacific Ocean to the south: the Izu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands, which span more than 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) from the mainland. Because of these islands and the hilly regions to the west, Tokyo’s total population density numbers drastically understate the true figures for the city’s urban and suburban areas.

Aside from these 23 special wards, Tokyo has 26 additional cities (-shi), five towns (-ch or machi), and eight villages (-son or -mura), each with its own local administration. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which governs the whole metropolis, is led by a governor and metropolitan assembly who are chosen by the general population. Shinjuku Ward is home to its headquarters.

Tokyo boasts the world’s biggest metropolitan economy. Tokyo is home to 51 of the Global 500 firms, about double the number of the second-placed city (Paris).

Tokyo is a prominent worldwide financial center that is home to the headquarters of some of the world’s top investment banks and insurance corporations, as well as a hub for Japan’s transportation, publishing, electronics, and broadcasting sectors. During Japan’s postwar economic development, several prominent corporations relocated their headquarters from locations such as Osaka (the historical commercial hub) to Tokyo in order to have greater access to the government. This tendency has started to decelerate as a result of Tokyo’s continued population expansion and high expense of living.

The Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Tokyo as the most expensive (highest cost-of-living) city in the world for 14 years in a row, ending in 2006.

Tokyo, along with New York City and London, has been regarded as one of the three “command hubs” for the global economy.

The Tokyo Stock Exchange is Japan’s biggest stock exchange, as well as the world’s third largest in terms of market capitalization and fourth largest in terms of share turnover.

Tokyo’s tourism industry also contributes to the city’s economy. According to the Tokyo administration, 4.81 million overseas visitors and 420 million Japanese visitors visited Tokyo in 2006, with a total economic value of 9.4 trillion yen. Many visitors visit the many downtowns, businesses, and entertainment areas across the special wards of Tokyo; for schoolchildren on field excursions, a visit to the Tokyo Tower is mandatory. Cultural offerings include the ubiquitous Japanese pop culture and associated districts such as Shibuya and Harajuku, as well as subcultural attractions such as the Studio Ghibli anime center and museums such as the Tokyo National Museum, which houses 37 percent of the country’s artwork national treasures.

Tsukiji Fish Market in downtown Tokyo is the world’s largest wholesale fish and seafood market, as well as one of the world’s largest wholesale food marketplaces of any sort. The Tsukiji market upholds the traditions of its forefather, the Nihombashi fish market, and serves over 50,000 buyers and sellers each day. Retailers, wholesalers, auctioneers, and ordinary residents all attend the market, producing a unique microcosm of ordered chaos that, after four centuries, continues to power the city and its food supply.

FREE WIFI

• Tokyo Metro About 100 metro (not JR) stations provide free Wi-Fi with the SSID “Metro Free Wi-Fi” or “Toei Subway Free Wi-Fi,” with email registration required.
• 7 SPOT Free Wifi is available in Seven-Eleven convenience shops and Denny’s restaurants. “7SPOT” member registration (free) may be utilized for up to 60 minutes per one login, and you can use it up to three times per day.
• FreeSpot FreeSpot provides free wireless Internet access; check out their coverage area maps.
• Free Wi-Fi Japan On presentation of your passport, visitors visiting Japan may access NTT East Free Wi-Fi for up to 14 days for free. With only one ID, you may access free Wi-Fi across half of Japan.

INTERNET CAFES

There are good connections accessible in Internet cafés all around the place. Expect to get paid between ¥400 and ¥500 per hour. “Gera Gera” is a well-known chain. Paid WiFi service is also becoming popularity in Tokyo, providing enough coverage for a fee. WiFi services are possibly inconvenient for individuals who are only passing through.

If you bring your own computer with a WLAN card, you may discover wifi connections at fast food restaurants such as McDonald’s or Mos Burger. You may possibly be able to make a connection at one of the countless coffee shops. Simply seek for a sign indicating a wifi connection in the front display or PCs inside the business. It’s worth noting that free wifi isn’t nearly as common in Japan as it is in the West.

PHONE

Foreigners are not permitted to purchase disposable “burner” mobile phones or SIM cards, however they are permitted to rent mobile phones, SIM cards, and portable wifi hotspots.

• Rentafone Japan Rents out basic mobile phones that include texting, calling, and mobile internet access.
• eConnect Rents “WiFi-To-Go” mobile hot spots, for ¥ 432 – 1,080 / day and prepaid data-only SIM Cards lasting as long as 30 days.