Harajuku Fashion - Top Tourism Attractions in Tokyo

For youth culture Japan, Harajuku, just north of Shibuya, is the number one fashionable, fun, faddish, ridiculous, crazy place to hang out. Come along on a Sunday and you’ll see it all!

Harajuku Fashion

If it’s Harajuku’s youth culture you want to see, don’t even bother unless it’s the weekend and preferably a Sunday. The bridge across the train tracks from Harajuku Station to Yoyogi Park is full of Gothic Lolita, Rockabilly, Punks, Costume Play and Gothloli teens.

The costumes are very outstanding and you can’t miss them. It is funny to see the surprise of the western tourists heading to Yoyogi Park and Meiji Jingu who clearly had not read their guide books fully on Harajuku. You can hear their comments that make it very clear they just don’t understand what is going on. Essentially the youth who have dressed up are just hanging out with friends, many of them come with the hope of being snapped by one of the many magazine photographers who mingle in the crowd. Failing that there are lots of western tourist happy to take their pictures.

Takeshita-dori

A narrow street packed with young fashionable people and lined with fashion boutiques and cafes. This is definitely the place to be seen if you are young Tokyoite, but well worth visiting as a tourist. Takeshita-dori represents the cutting edge of fashion in Tokyo where you can see all the latest in Japanese street fashion and then buy in the boutiques. Takeshita-dori is opposite the exit to Harajuku Station.

Tsukiji Fish Market - Top Tourism Attractions in Tokyo

The Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market, commonly known as The Tsukiji fish market is located near the  Tsukijishijo Station on the Toei Oedo Line or Tsukiji Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line.

Tsukiji fish market is the biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world and also one of the largest wholesale food markets of any kind. The market is located in Tsukiji in central Tokyo, and is a major attraction for foreign visitors (few Japanese casually visit the market).

The best times to visit are between 5:00AM and 9:00AM.

The market handles more than 400 different types of seafood from tiny sardines to 300kg tuna, from cheap seaweed to the most expensive caviar. Overall, more than 700,000 metric tons of seafood are handled every year at the three seafood markets in Tokyo, with a total value in excess of 600 billion yen (approximately 5.5 billion US dollars). Tsukiji alone handles over 2000 metric tons of seafood per day.

The number of registered employees varies from 60,000 to 65,000, including wholesalers, accountants, auctioneers, company officials, and distributors.

The market opens most mornings (except Sundays and holidays) at 3:00 a.m. with the arrival of the products by ship, truck and plane from all over the world. Particularly impressive is the unloading of tons of frozen tuna. The auction houses then estimate the value and prepare the incoming products for the auctions. The buyers (licensed to participate in the auctions) also inspect the fish to estimate which fish they would like to bid for and at which price.

The auctions start around 5:20 a.m. Bidding can only be done by licensed participants. These bidders include intermediate wholesalers [nakaoroshi gyousha] who operate stalls within the marketplace, and other licensed buyers who are agents for restaurants, food processing companies, and large retailers.

A visit to Tsukiji Market is best combined with a fresh sushi breakfast or lunch at one of the onsite or local restaurants. Restaurants typically open around five in the morning and close between 12:00 and 15:00.

Imperial Palace and Gardens - Top Tourism Attractions in Tokyo

The Tokyo Imperial Palace is the imperial palace of Japan and the residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is located in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo and is close to Tokyo Station. It is roughly the size of Central Park, which has an area of 3.41 squared kilometers.

The Imperial Palace is the home of the Emperor of Japan (the Japanese head of state). The actual Imperial Palace building was part of the Edo Castle. It is surrounded by a moat and a high wall and occupies the most expensive square kilometre in the world.

The inner palace gardens and buildings are closed to the public except on January 2 and December 23, when the imperial family makes a public appearance; foreigners can also apply online to join a guided tour at other times, but you must book in advance.

The Imperial Palace Tokyo was destroyed by allied bombing during World War II, even though it was not supposed to be targeted. It was rebuilt in the same style in 1968.

The Imperial Palace East Gardens, however, are open to the public daily except Mondays and Fridays. Kept in impeccable shape, the gardens are particularly beautiful during the March and April plum and cherry blossom seasons. Entrance is free through a number of gates; most visitors use the Otemachi gate near the subway station of the same name.

Tokyo Disneyland - Top Tourism Attractions in Tokyo

Tokyo Disneyland is a 115 acre theme park at the Tokyo Disney Resort located in Urayasu, Chiba, Japan, near Tokyo. It was the first Disney park to be built outside of the United States and was opened on April 15, 1983.

The park was constructed by Walt Disney Imagineering in the same style as Disneyland in California and the Magic Kingdom in Florida. It is owned by The Oriental Land Company, which licenses the theme from The Walt Disney Company. It, along with its companion park, Tokyo DisneySea, are the only Disney parks not owned by The Walt Disney Company.

There are seven themed areas, each complementing each other yet unique in their style. Made up of the World Bazaar, the four classic Disney lands: Adventureland, Westernland, Fantasyland and Tomorrowland, and two mini lands, Critter Country and Mickey’s Toontown.

The park is noted for its huge open spaces to accommodate the massive crowds the park receives on even moderate attendance days.

In 2007, Tokyo Disneyland hosted approximately 13.9 million guests, ranking it the third-most visited amusement park in the world, behind only its two American sister parks, the Magic Kingdom and Disneyland.

Maps and Guide PDF Downloads:

Tokyo Disneyland Resort Map
Tokyo Disneyland Attractions Map
Tokyo Disneyland Shops & Restaurants Map
Tokyo DisneySea Attractions Map
Tokyo DisneySea Shops & Restaurants Map

Shinjuku Station - Top Tourism Attractions in Tokyo

Serving as the main connecting hub for rail traffic between central Tokyo and its western suburbs on inter-city rail, commuter rail and metro lines, the station was used by an average of over 4 million people per day, making it the busiest train station in the world in terms of number of passengers.

Japan Railways East, Odakyu, Keio and Seibu Shinjuku are some of the private companies operating trains in and out of out of this terminal. The station is packed with bars, restaurants, a couple of department stores, kiosks selling everything from ties to tissues. Coin lockers are available. The biggest thing to worry about here is the crowds, but they are quite orderly except perhaps late on Saturday nights. Including an underground arcade, there are well over 200 exits.

Many department stores and shopping malls are built directly into the station. These include
Lumine Est - above JR’s east exit
Odakyu department store - above the Odakyu line concourse
Odakyu Mylord - above the southern end of Odakyu line concourse
LUMINE 1 shopping mall - above the Keiō Line concourse
LUMINE 2 shopping mall - above JR’s south and Lumine exits
Keio Department store - above the Keiō Line concourse
Keio Mall - underground mall to the southwest of the Keiō Line concourse
Odakyu Ace - underground malls beneath the bus terminal by the west exit.

In addition to the above, the Metro Promenade, which is an underground mall owned by Tokyo Metro, extends eastwards from the station beneath Shinjuku-dori avenue, all the way to the adjacent Shinjuku-sanchōme station with 60 exits along the way. The Metro Promenade in turn connects to Shinjuku Subnade, another underground shopping mall, which leads onto Seibu Railway’s Seibu-Shinjuku station.

Meiji Jingu Shrine - Top Tourism Attractions in Tokyo

Meiji Jingu is the Shinto shrine dedicated to the divine souls of Emperor Meiji and his consort, Emperor Shoken. Emperor Meiji passed away in 1912 and Empress Shoken in 1914. After their demise, people wished to commemorate their virtues and to venerate them forever, and so this shrine was constructed, and their souls were enshrined on November 1, 1920.

It consists of three areas: Naien, or the inner precinct, centred on the shrine buildings; Gaien, or the outer precinct, which includes the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery and sports facilities; and the Meiji Memorial Hall. These areas are covered by an evergreen forest of 120,000 trees of 365 different species, which were donated by people from all parts of Japan when the shrine was established. This 700,000 square-meter forest is visited by many people both as a spiritual home of the people and as a recreation and relaxation area centre of Tokyo.

 

 1-1 Kamizono-cho
Tokyo, 13 151-0053 Japan

Open Hours5.40am-5.20pm (spring & autumn); 4am-5pm (summer); 6am-5pm (winter)

Ueno Park - Top Tourism Attractions in Tokyo

Ueno Park is a large public park just next to Ueno Station. It was opened to the public in 1873, and offers its visitors a large variety of attractions.

Saigo Takamori

At the park’s south entrance stands a statue of Saigo Takamori, an important personality of the late Edo and early Meiji Period. He played a central role in realizing the of 1868.

Ueno Park is famous for its many museums, especially art museums, namely the Tokyo National Museum, the Orient Museum, the National Science Museum, the Shitamachi Museum, the National Museum for Western Art and the Tokyo Metropolitan Fine Art Gallery.

Since 1882, Ueno Park is home to Japan’s first zoological garden. Its main attraction are giant panda bears. The first panda bears where a gift from China on the occasion of normalization of diplomatic relations in 1972.

Shinobazu Pond is a large pond in Ueno Park. A temple for the goddess of Benten stands on the island in the middle of the pond.

Toshogu Shrine is a shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Edo shogunate, which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1867. It is well worth paying the 200 Yen admission fee in order to enter the inner shrine area and main building.

Temple of Benten

Toshogu Shrine

Last but not least, Ueno Park is famous for its more than 1000 cherry trees. During the cherry blossom season, Ueno Park becomes one of the country’s most popular and crowded spots for hanami (cherry blossom viewing) parties.

Ueno Park, being Tokyo’s largest, has so much to offer that a day would not be enough. Visit it every change of season to appreciate its full beauty.

 

Asakusa Shrine - Top Tourism Attractions in Tokyo

A legend says that a thousand three hundred years ago Two fishermen brothers (Hamanari, Takenari, HINOKUMA) found a Kannon (Godess of Mercy) statuette caught in a fishing-net in the Sumida River on March 17 (May 17 by the solar calendar) .

A wealthy landlord Hajinomatsuchi heard about the discovery and approached the brothers to whom he delivered an impassioned sermon about the buddha. Greatly impressed, Hamanari and Takenari converted to the buddhist faith. The Kannon statue was consecrated in a small temple by the landlord and the brother who thereafter devoted their lives to preaching the way of Buddhism.

The temple,Sensouji grew and prospered together with the surronding district of Asakusa. Hajinomatsuti, Hamanari, and Takenari are recegnized as the founders of Asakusa and the revered as deities.

During the Kamakura period, about 800years ago, afterwards built a shrine and devoted it to Asakusa. The townsfolk of Asakusa beganholding a festival to honor these three devoted men. This is believed to be the origin of the Asakusa shrine.

Open Hours: 6.30am-5pm daily.

Tokyo Dome City - Top Tourism Attractions in Tokyo

Tokyo Dome city is like a dream come true for any tourist because there is so much to do here that a day is too short to conquer the whole place.The amusement park rocks with its rides such as Thunder Dolphin and Wonder Drop.

If you want to relax and get pampered, the spa here is just for you. If shopping is on you mind, make sure that you visit the big mall with numerous shops.

You will definitely be hungry after so many activities, so wind your day by picking any restaurant that serves your favorite cuisine. The entry is different for each attraction.

The Amusement Park features the following attractions:

 

The Linear Gale The world’s first hanging-type linear roller-coaster.

The Tower Hacker A scream-filled machine dropping from a height of 80meters.

The Sky Flower A parachute-type attraction going up and down from a height of 61 meters to the ground, commanding a magnificent view of city streets and buildings.

The Spinning Coaster The roller coaster that spins around on a winding rail.

Indoor Bowling Center

Map:

BLUE BLDG. AREA KORAKUEN HALL 5F SAUNA 3F HAIR SALON 3F HELP AREA 1F TOKYO DOME AREA INFORMATION TOKYO DOME ADVANCE TICKET BOOTH TOKYO DOME TICKET BOOTH THE BASEBALL HALL OF FLAME LaQua SPA LaQua GARDEN STAGE FITTNESS CLUB

YELLOW BLDG. BOWLING 4F,5F BATTING CENTER 5F GAME CORNER 2F WINS 1F,8F offt 1F TOKYO DOME HOTEL KID’S ROOM KID’S SQUARE 7F WEDDING SALON 2F   MEETS PORT JCB HALL ATTRACTIONS AREA GAME CORNER SKY THEATER TOYS’ KINGDOM

 

 

The Closest Stations
	JR CHUO-SOBU LINE(SUIDOBASHI ST.)
	MITA LINE(SUIDOBASHI ST.)
	MARUNOUCHI LINE(KORAKUEN ST.)
	NANBOKU LINE(KORAKUEN ST.)
	OEDO LINE (KASUGA ST.)
Time from Airports
	Haneda–about40min. Narita–about 70min.

Tokyo Tower - Top Tourism Attractions in Tokyo

Constructed in 1958, Tokyo Tower soars 333 meters, 13 meters higher than the Eiffel Tower.

There are two observatories from which to get panoramic views of Tokyo, and Mount Fuji on a clear day. The Main Observatory is 150 meters high, the Special Observatory, 250 meters high.

The tower is lit by 164 floodlights: orange in winter, and incandescent white in summer.

Inside the tower, you will also find the Tokyo Tower Wax Museum, the Mysterious Walking Zone and the Trick Art Gallery.

333m
Height of the Tower. Since its opening in 1958, the Tokyo Tower has been the world’s tallest self-supporting steel tower. The Eiffel Tower in Paris is 320 m high.

4,000t
The Tokyo Tower weighs about 4,000 tons. It is much lighter than the Eiffel Tower, which weighs 7,000 tons, a result of remarkable advances in steel manufacturing and construction technology.

140 drums
Paint used for the Tower was 28,000 liters, equal to 140 drums. The Tower is painted orange and white according to the Civil Aeronautic Law.

24 broadcast waves
This is the number of broadcast waves that Tokyo Tower is transmitting. Among them, 14 are analog waves and 10 are digital waves, which show that most broadcast stations in Tokyo are transmitting their waves from the Tower.

176 lights
One hundred and seventy-six floodlights installed in various parts light up the Tower. The Tower is illuminated with an orange light in winter and white incandescent light in summer, delighting visitors and passers-by.

Tokyo Tower Business Hours (Open year-round)

Business hours Main Observatory (150 m) Special Observatory (250 m) 9:00-22:00 (Last admission 21:45) 9:00-22:00 (Last admission 21:30) Floors To Main Observatory From Main Observatory to Special Observatory Fees (Individual) Adult (senior high school students or older) 820 yen 600 yen Children (junior high school students and primary school pupils) 460 yen 400 yen Children (4 years old and over) 310 yen 350 yen