Global Cities - Tokyo

Tokyo (which means Eastern Capital) is Capital City of Japan and has a population of 13 million people.

I visited Tokyo only a couple of weeks after the dreadful Earthquake and Tsunami which resulted in the Fukushima nuclear crisis. Everything was certainly quieter from what I was told to expect.

From my few days in Tokyo I saw a true megalopolis... one brimming with people and a different culture. On the train no-one speaks or uses their mobile phones. It is peaceful!

Tokyo naturally suffered during the Allied bombing campaign of World War 2, but has recovred to be one of the most unique places I have ever been. The majority of the buildings cannot be classed as beautiful, and everything seems pretty grey, but it has character. You certainly feel like you are in a different world. I would even go as far to say that Tokyo felt more alien than Shanghai or Beijing. It may not be quite the Blade Runner-neon metropolis we have seen in manga comics and anime, but I was there when there were power shortages, so I didn’t quite see Tokyo in all of her glory.

Tokyo Tower is one of the iconic buildings that you can see from various parts of Tokyo. It is 1,092 feet tall and is modelled on the Eiffel Tower – though it is actually taller. If you visit Tokyo you have to climb the tower. It has additional attractions such as an aquarium and a museum.

Sony Shop is located in the upmarket Ginza district. It has many levels which all showcase the latest in product design from the Japanese electronic giants. When I visited, at the very top was a theatre which was showing a Japanese pop star in a 3D concert. It was amazing! I had no idea who the performer was but it really did feel as if you were there. Quite remarkable.

Yasukuni Shrine is an impressive monument and museum which honours the warriors who have fought and defended the Imperial Japanese Empire. It has many swords, guns, armour, planes and other war memorabilia from the significant Russo-Japanese war through to World War 2. I was pulled up by a local for taking a snap of the Mitsubishi Zero. Photographs are not permitted in many areas, but I was allowed in that chamber, but I wasn’t  going to cause any aggro! This is a must visit if you are here for a few days.

If it is culture you want then visit the Tokyo National Museum near the Ueno station. It covers everything from Japanese art: sculptures, paintings, kimonos. It goes back to Prehistoric times to the modern day, and also includes art from other Asian cultures. This is a massive collection, so ensure you give yourself enough time to see its treasures.

As a fan of the movie Ronin, I had to visit the shrine to the 47 loyal masterless samurai or ronin. The shrine is called Sengakuji Temple and wasn’t easy to find. You think you are walking down a little back street into someone’s house! The story goes that the ronin’s master was unjustly forced to commit hari-kari and in revenge they went to his main rival and beheaded him. After doing this, Yoshitaka Oishi led his 47 ronin in ritual suicide. Their graves are here at the temple.

I also took in the stunning Sensoji Temple (also known as Asakusa Kannon) which has a beautiful pagoda and is always very busy. You follow the crowds down a street market until you see the temple itself. I was lucky enough to visit in April when it was the Cherry Blossom season.

Sadly when I was in Tokyo the Imperial Palace and gardens were closed. So I would love to go back to see what there is inside.

I also never went on the Shinkansen (Bullet Train). I did make up for it a year later in China, but Japan will always be the Land of the Bullet Train, so that is another item for the to do list.

Shinjuku is home to the busiest train station in the world. Some 3 million people pass through it every day and it has some of the longest platforms and indeed walks to exits that I have ever encountered. A major tip when navigating Tokyo is make sure you use the train/underground and always know which exit the attraction is at. Taking the wrong exit can lead to many minutes lost trying to navigate around in signs that are in Japanese. Thankfully on the trains the stops are announced in English.

Roppongi Hills is home to many ex-pats and has great nightlife as well as shopping. The sushi restaurants are first class and somewhere around here is the financial trader’s bar called Geronimo’s. Whatever you do, if you go there, don’t bang Geronimo’s gong... or else you have to buy a round of drinks for everyone in the bar!

The world’s tallest tower is Tokyo Sky Tree. It wasn’t built when I was there in 2011, but was under construction. It is always the same with these things, when you think you are just starting ot make headway new targets appear on the list!

Tokyo is also one of the safest cities in the world. One can safely walk through a park at night, something that can’t be said of most places. Also the vending machines are incredible. Alcoholic beverages are sold in the street! You literally see a Japanese businessman coming out of his office after a long day and while waiting for the bus, he spends a few Yen on a beer and drinks it while reading his paper at the bus stop. I don’t think this would go down well in Glasgow. Well it would go down well, but it would lead to carnage!

Tokyo Disney is nearby and was closed when I was there due to the evolving Fukushima crisis.

I would also have liked to go to nearby Yokohama, which hosted the 2002 FIFA World Cup Final.

Sadly I never got to see the snow capped peak of Mount Fuji, which was obscured by either mist, fog or smog for the few days I was there.

Haneda Airport and Narita International Airport serve the city. I had the odd experience of being quite near the epicentre of an earthquake while I was in the departure lounge. It was a surreal experience. I am unsure whether it was an aftershock or a new earthquake. Though I do know Tokyo and Japan in general do undergo many such incidents due to the seismology of the region.

I never went to a karaoke bar either! So Tokyo was full of incredible experiences, but also I did have some things that didn’t work out and I would love to return to Japan, and indeed one long term goal is to take a school trip to visit Hiroshima and the Peace Dome – something a previous school did with the school orchestra.