TOKYO

General Information

Tokyo is the capital city of Japan with a latitude of 35° 41' north and 140° degrees east.  Located in the middle of Honshu Island's east coast, Tokyo is home to the Imperial Residence (with the Emperor's Palace).  Japan's seat of Government and Parliament are located in Tokyo as well.
The climate in Tokyo varies according to the weather in Asia to its east, and the Pacific Ocean to its west.  The average temperature is about 22.4° C with the temperatures milder than what would be expected at its latitude.
The majority of people living in Tokyo are Japanese with a few Asian minorities and even fewer foreigners.  Of those Japanese, only a few are native to Tokyo, that is those whose families have lived in Tokyo for more than three generations.  The influx of people from the country has created a shortage in available space, which makes living in Tokyo very expensive.  

Places to Visit in Tokyo

Asakusa was the place where Tokyo's poor lived, as it was a marshy area, and even today the narrow streets and traditional items available for sale make it a popular place to buy souvenirs.   The Asakusa-Kannon Temple has been rebuilt numerous times according to its original appearance and has been in existence since the city's foundation.  It is also one of the most popular temples in Tokyo.

The Imperial Palace (formerly known as Edo Castle) is a huge attraction, but it not open to the public but two days a year.  The Imperial Palace East Garden can be visited on specific days at specific times, and the Music Room in the Palace is open to the public in April and October, but requests for tickets must be made in writing and in advance.  

The Meiji Shrine, built in 1920, was destroyed during the war and rebuilt.  Dedicated to Emperor Meiji, it is one of the most popular Shinto places to worship.  The Shrine is surrounded by an Inner Garden of 180 acres (72 ha) which is connected to the Outer Garden by an expressway.

Ueno Park is the largest park in Tokyo and is located in the Ueno District.   The park is one of the most popular places to go in inner-city Tokyo with its 208 acres (84 ha).  The park is home to an aquarium, zoo, a number of museums, temples and shrines. The Tokyo National Museum is the largest museum in Japan.  There are twenty-five exhibition galleries in the main building, with twenty of them open to the public.  The museum is filled with treasures from the Asuka period to the present and vary from Buddhist sculptures, Japanese/Korean/Chinese ceramics and pottery to colored xylographs and lacquerwork.  The Zoo in Ueno Park opened in 1882 thus making it the oldest zoological garden in Japan.  Divided into two sections, the Zoo is connected by a monorail.  Designed by the Swiss architect Le Corbusier, the National Museum of Western Art was built in 1959 to house Western sculpture and paintings.  Impressionist paintings by Cézanne, Monet, Manet and Degas can be found. Most of the items found in the museum were collected by Matsukata Kojiro during his stay in Europe at the beginning of the last century.  Other attractions in the park include the Gallery of Far Eastern Art, the Japanese Academy of Art, the Municipal Art Gallery, the National History Museum, Kuroda Hall, an Aquarium - one of the largest in Asia, and the National Science Museum.

Located in the western portion of Tokyo, Shinjuku is a trendy and popular nightspot with jazz cellars, cafés and other hotspots. It also has the second largest shopping center in Tokyo with an underground mall and department stores. Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden is a fine example of Japanese garden design and covers about 145 acres (58.5 ha).  The park is also a botanical garden and can be divided into two main sections, Japanese and European. The Japanese section has influences from China, while the European section is influenced by the landscaped English garden and French parks.  Depending on when you go either cherry blossoms (April) or chrysanthemums (November) may be in bloom.

The most famous shopping district in Tokyo is Ginza.  This area is famous even around the world for all the exclusive shops and at night all the bright lights.  Also in Ginza is the Kabukiza Theater in the midst of all the shopping strips, in which there are performances of Kabuki.  

Kanda is a district that is famous for its bookshops, and with over 100 secondhand shops Kanda is one of the largest bookshop districts in the world.

The oldest garden in Tokyo and one of the most beautiful is Korakuen Park.  The park covers 18 acres (7 ha) and includes a lake (added at a later time), the Kantokutei teahouse (a smaller replica), and the Korakuen Games and Sports Center where there is skating, table tennis and other activities.

Several foreign embassies are located in the Roppongi quarter, which is also where most of Tokyo's night life occurs.  A variety of entertainment can be found here from "hostess bars" to night-clubs.

Located about 9 miles southeast of Tokyo, the Tokyo Disneyland theme park has been in operation since 1983.  Covering an area of about 114 acres (46 ha) the park is modeled after its American counterpart but with a Japanese history theme as well.  The "World Bazaar" is in the main central area and other areas include Adventureland, Westernland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland are the other aspects of Tokyo Disneyland.