The capital of Japan, Tokyo, is a metropolis that combines modern buildings with traditional temples. Guests of the Land of the Rising Sun are eager to see the ornate Meiji Temple with its high gates, the emperor’s palace, and the Tokyo National Museum with unique works of art. Tourists visiting and traveling in the capital of Japan need to understand the areas of Tokyo.
Let's get acquainted with the most interesting neighborhoods of the city. At the same time, we will try to give advice to guests of the city in which area in Tokyo it is most comfortable to stay and in which neighborhoods there are attractions of the capital of Japan.
Prestigious area
The most fashionable area in Tokyo is Ginza, which means “coin”. In the years 1612-1800. in the area was the Mint of the Land of the Rising Sun, issuing coins from silver. In the quarter are the best restaurants, fashion boutiques and first-class hotels, clubs and galleries. The streets of the Ginza quarter are much wider than in other areas, which is extremely unusual for traditional Japan, which values every centimeter of its area. The cost per square meter of land in the Ginza quarter is $ 100 thousand, so the quarter is the most expensive area in Japan.
Sights of the capital, located in the Ginza area:
- The business center of the capital is Marunouchi.
- Ginza Wako Tower with its shops selling unique luxury items.
- The palace of the emperor. Perhaps the main tourist destination in the area. You can get to the palace only two days a year: December 23 and January 2. On all other days, the palace is closed for tourists. It is worth noting that during such a period the guest of the capital will be able to see a view of the Nijubashi bridge, the Japanese garden, the ruins of ancient structures.
- Kabuki Theater. Three and five hour performances, in three or four acts, are shown on the stage of the theater. They can be viewed in full or purchased a ticket for one of the parts. At the performance you will be given headphones with simultaneous English translation.
Ancient district
The Harayuki area is notable for its ancient Takeshita Dori alley. The Togo Temple, the most famous temple of Harayuki, is led by a high staircase, at the foot of which local flea markets open every day. In the Harayuki quarter, there is another famous temple - Meiji. The entrance to it is blocked by the highest gate in the Land of the Rising Sun. Their height is eleven meters.
Colorful district
Among Tokyo's districts, Asakusa is distinguished by the fact that it retained the flavor of the old Japanese city. The area of the quarter is small, you can get around it on foot. Or take a rickshaw ride and get to know the area during an inexpensive tour for eight thousand yen for two. The quarter is famous among tourists visiting Japan, thanks to the Buddhist temple of the same name located here. His other name is Sensoji. This temple in the capital of Japan was founded back in 628.
Another Buddhist temple located near Sensoji is the Dempoin Temple. It is notable for its garden. Unlike the Sensoji Temple, this property is closed to tourist visits.
In the Asakusa region, a large number of festivals are held. The most crowded:
- the most ancient holiday Sanya Matsuri;
- samba dance festival.
Most of the historical and national monuments are located in the first public Japanese park, Ueno, founded in 1873. There are many museums in it:
- Museum of Western Art.
- Museum of Science.
- National Museum of Tokyo.
- Royal Ueno Museum.
- Tokyo City Art Gallery.
- Tosegu Temple
Cultural district
In this area of Tokyo, life is bubbling every evening and every night. This explains why Roppongi is so popular among guests from other countries and indigenous people of Japan. A huge number of pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants, night discos and clubs made for the rest of foreign guests. Visitors here not only relax, but also live. It is worth noting that the best areas for foreign guests are: Roppongi, Hiroo, Azabu, Akasaka. It is in these quarters, oddly enough, the embassies of many countries are located.
Most tourists enjoy spending time in the Roppongi area. This Tokyo quarter is the cultural center of the capital of Japan, as it is where a number of museums are located. The name Roppongi in translation from the native language of the Japanese means "Six Trees."
Attractions of the capital, located in Roppongi:
- Roppongi Hills. It is a city inside a metropolis. It houses residential and commercial premises, entertainment areas, shops, restaurants, cinemas and an upscale hotel. The complex has about two hundred fashion boutiques. Roppongi Hills is a true symbol of the modern technology industry.
- Skyscraper from fifty four floors of Mori Tower. It is called by the name of its creator. The center is divided into zones for the sale of all kinds of goods for living and recreation. There are commercial levels, apartments, hotels and museums in the neighborhoods.
- Residential complex Tokyo Midtown with a tower of 248 meters. At the moment, the building is recognized as the highest object of the Japanese metropolis. Almost all floors are given for commercial facilities, on the upper floors there is a hotel.
- Tokyo National Center for the Arts, Santori Art Museum, and Mori Museum.
- National Art Center. It is considered the largest museum of the Land of the Rising Sun.
Artificial area
The coastal area of Tokyo City Odaiba is another unique quarter of the capital of Japan. He partially expanded his territory on the artificial islands of the bay. When a tourist passes on a monorail through a rainbow bridge, he can admire the Fuji TV building with a height of 26 floors. The building is decorated with a metal sphere, inside it there is an observation deck from which you can admire the expanses of the Japanese capital. In the Odaiba quarter there are world-famous museums:
- Museum of Marine Sciences;
- National Museum of Modern Science and Innovation.
Electronics District
The name of the Tokyo Akihabara area is translated from the native language of the Japanese as "the valley of autumn leaves." Akihabara is a place of modern trade in advanced technical products. Around the tourists visiting this quarter, billboards will burn, walk street barkers and sound loud music. Akihabara is a noisy place. Hundreds of stores are located here, filled from top to bottom with various types of innovative technology. Compared with ordinary stores located in other quarters of the metropolis, prices in Akihabara are about 30% lower. The reason for such attractive prices lies in the fact that the equipment arrives here on the shelves directly from manufacturing plants without extra charges.
In the area you can visit the exhibition of industry achievements. Indeed, from this district of Tokyo city to Moscow stores, equipment will arrive at best after a few months, or even years.
Special provision
In Tokyo, there are 23 special areas that form the basis and the most populated area of the capital of Japan. In the whole Land of the rising sun, such a distinction is only in Tokyo.
These areas are very different from each other in area. It can be from 10 to 60 km 2. The number of residents in the quarters is also different - from 40 to 830 thousand people. Some areas of Tokyo are expanding with artificial islands. We will talk about this below.
The population of special areas is just over eight million. This is about 2/3 of the population of the capital of Japan and about 25% of the inhabitants of Greater Tokyo. Quarters have a population density of almost 14 thousand inhabitants per square kilometer.
Special areas of Tokyo:
- Arakawa.
- Adati.
- Bunke.
- Itabashi.
- Katsushika
- Whale.
- Koto.
- Minato.
- Meguro.
- Nakano.
- Narima.
- Ota.
- Shibuya.
- Shinagawa.
- Shinjuku
- Suginami.
- Sumida
- Setagaya.
- Taito.
- Tieda.
- Toshima.
- Chuo.
- Edogawa.
Let us describe in more detail some of them.
Multinational Area
The most multinational district of Tokyo is the Shinjuku quarter, which is the main transportation hub of the Japanese capital. Currently, the throughput of only a three-tiered platform at the western entrance to the Shinjuku is equal to a billion passengers. Around the station of the quarter, the whole active life of this multinational region flows. This accumulation of passengers determined the structure of the quarter. People need food, shopping - gradually, narrow streets heading in all directions from the station began to fill with cafes and eateries popular in the Land of the Rising Sun.
Shinjuku is divided into two parts by rail:
- East. Active modern life boils in the eastern part of Shinjuku, where the longest red-light avenue in the country is located.
- Western. In the business part of the quarter, in the west, the headquarters of the Tokyo city administration, Tote, are based.
Between the eastern and western parts there is a beautiful park - Shinjuku Goen, in the spring it attracts tourists of the country with a spectacle of crazy beauty - the flowering of Japanese cherries.
Sights of the capital, located in Shinjuku:
- Sompo Japan Building. A skyscraper with a height of 193 meters.
- Shinjuku History Museum.
- National Theater.
- Buddhist temple taisoji.
In the Tokyo area of Shinjuku, many foreigners live. This is a shopping and entertainment center of the capital. Late in the evening, the noisy nightlife begins in the area. In Shinjuku there are a large number of restaurants, cinemas, game rooms.
The cult of food is so developed in Tokyo that it has even spread beyond Japan and has served as an impetus for the development of the restaurant business, in particular in our country. In the Northern capital, in almost all districts of the city, Tokyo City restaurants are open. In the Primorsky district, the restaurant is open on Komendantsky Prospekt. The menu offers Japanese cuisine, as well as Italian, Chinese. You can order food delivered to your home from Tokyo City to the following areas: Moscow, Primorsky and any other.
Youth district
Shibuya is a district of Tokyo where young residents of the capital of Japan prefer to spend their free time. This quarter is full of nightlife and loud music from every pub and bar. Shibuya is also a great place for shopping. Tourists will be offered entertainment this quarter. Hotels in the Shibuya area offer all-night rooms for a maximum of one hundred dollars.
One of the most famous points in Shibuya is the Hachiko Station. The name is given to her on behalf of the bronze statue installed here. Monument to the dog Hachiko personifies devotion to its owner. Everything around the station is illuminated by billboards, broadcasts of commercials are being broadcast on a huge screen.
Attractions of the capital, located in Shibuya:
- Museum of Tobacco and Salt and Museum of Electric Power. A significant disadvantage for tourists is that excursions in these museums are in the native language of the Japanese.
- Yoyogi National Stadium with an open skating rink.
- Park studio of the NHK television company.
