On our visit to Japan we spent a few weeks traveling to some of the cities including Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima and Tokyo. I have previously posted about our adventures to Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima and a visit to Disneyland.
This post is dedicated to our wanderings around Tokyo, which has a population of over 13 million people.
Accommodation and Emperor’s Palace
Our accommodation was in the suburb of Hanzamon. We were lucky enough to score a room on the top floor that looked directly over the Imperial Palace, home of the Japanese Emperor. This location was very central and a great point to explore Tokyo. Access to the subway and train network was only 200 metres from the hotel door.
View from our Room
Our hotel is the foremost one
Meiji Shrine
Meiji Shrine is located in Shibuya, Tokyo and is the Shinto shrine that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji. Emperor Meiji died in 1912, at which time the shrine was planned. The original shrine building was destroyed during the bombing of Tokyo in WWII and subsequently rebuilt through a public fund raising effort in 1958. The shrine complex covers a 170 acre forest.
Takeshita Street
This area is a well known tourist destination found in Harajuku, on the other side of the main train line from the Meiji Shrine. Stores on Takeshita Street include major chains but most of the businesses are small independent shops. These smaller, independent shops are quite ‘trendy’ and are hubs for a younger generation of shoppers.
Ueno Zoo
Located in Taitō, Tokyo, Ueno Zoo is situated on a 35 acre plot of land. The zoo is home to more than 3.000 individuals representing over 400 species and has the largest number of species on display of any zoo in Japan. The animals we were most in awe with were the Western Lowland Gorillas, Giant Pandas and Sumatran Tigers. This zoo is one of the best we have ever visited.
Shinjuku – Tall Buildings
Tokyo is split into a number of different areas and the high-rise density is scattered across the city. We decided to travel to the Shinjuku area to get up high and look across the city. We chose the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building as each tower has an observation deck which you can enter for free. It is the 7th tallest building in Japan and was completed in the 1990’s. AS you can see from the pictures, we were amongst the clouds on this particular day.
View from the observation deck
Tokyo is a fascinating city that is well worth a visit. Lots of things to do and see and we only got to touch the tip of the iceberg whilst we were there. We will be definitely going back to visit.
