After my trip to Korea in April, I took a flight to Japan and spent a few days in Tokyo and Kyoto. In this thread I'll share a few photos from my time in Tokyo, where I was joined by ColDayMan[/member] and Paradox24[/member]!

 

A few things to know about Tokyo since I'm a nerd about this stuff. Although we think of Tokyo as a "city" it's actually a "prefecture" which is sort of like a state. Historically there was a "City of Tokyo" which was inside of a "Tokyo Prefecture" but these were merged in 1943 into what is now called the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. So inside of the modern-day Tokyo Prefecture there are 26 cities in addition to 23 "special wards" that are not part of any city and report directly to the prefecture government. Those special wards were essentially boroughs of the former City of Tokyo and are mostly operated like independent cities today except that some services are provided by the Tokyo Prefecture government.

 

 

Chūō (special ward)

 

Rainy night in Ginza:

 

 

 

 

 

Next morning in Ginza:

 

 

 

Tokyo Station:

 

 

This historic portion of Tokyo Station opened in 1914. It was largely destroyed during World War II and subsequently repaired, but not fully restored to its original design until 2012.

 

 

 

Tsukiji Fish Market:

 

 

I did not make it early enough to see the famous fish auctions but there was plenty to see around the market.

 

 

This nigiri from a vendor at the Tsukiji fish market is probably the freshest sushi I have ever, and will ever, eat in my life. I attempted to pick up a pre-packaged container to buy. The guy asked me if I was going to eat it right away. I said yes, and he insisted on making a fresh one for me. Sliced from the fish and into my mouth within 2 minutes.

 

 

Around Tsukiji:

 

 

 

 

Chiyoda (special ward)

 

The Akihabara district is known for all of the shops selling electronic as well being the center of video game and anime culture:

 

 

 

 

Mmmmm...

 

 

 

Taitō (special ward)

 

The Asakusa district is famous for the Sensō-ji temple and the surrounding shopping streets.

 

 

 

 

From Asakusa, you can see the Tokyo Skytree as well as the Asahi Beer Hall, affectionately known by locals as 金のうんこ ("the golden turd"):

 

 

 

Sumida (special ward)

 

The Tokyo Skytree, completed in 2011, is the tallest tower and second-tallest structure in the world, behind only the Burj Khalifa.

 

 

Needless to say it has some awesome views. (Click play on the video and then start scrolling down.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Shinjuku (special ward)

 

 

 

 

 

Popped into an izakaya where ColDayMan[/member] made friends with the locals:

 

 

 

Shinjuku Station:

 

 

 

Shibuya (special ward)

 

 

 

Shibuya Crossing a.k.a. Japan's Times Square:

 

 

 

Meiji Shrine:

 

 

 

 

Harajuku:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Musashino (city)

 

On my last day in Japan I decided to head out to the western parts of Tokyo to check out an area called Kichijoji. I believe I read somewhere that this was rated the most livable neighborhood in Tokyo, and I can see why. It's a very comfortable density that allows residents to have a little yard space, be within walking or biking distance of medium-density shopping areas, and still be a short train ride away from the densest parts of Tokyo.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, there is a lot of biking around this area, and lots of bike parking as well:

 

 

 

But the real reason I was out there was to visit

!

 

 

 

 

 

After that, I grabbed a bento box, got on the Shinkansen and headed for Kyoto! See you in the next thread...

 

Awesome photos and loved the sim city music, those pictures really looked straight out of sim city.

 

Next time in Asia you should try to visit Bangkok, I'm so sad I'm not going this March.  My boss also tells me that Ho Chi Minh City is quite fantastic as well.

Wow! Thank you so much for sharing. Tokyo is on my wanderlust list. It looks like it may be the cleanest city I've ever seen.

Edit: I just got back from Singapore a couple of months ago and it looks similarly clean.

Excellent photography!

From an "operations" standpoint, Tokyo is hands-down the greatest city on the planet. Everything works flawlessly there, from the efficiency of the rail network to the unreal levels of cleanliness to the virtual lack of crime, to the incredible (and endless) dining options. Kyoto is more photogenic and Osaka is more boisterous, but Tokyo's mastery of urban life can't be matched anywhere else. I miss Japan every day - we desperately need more Yoshinoyas and curry houses stateside! There's no way gyudon wouldn't be a hit with the drunk college crowd.

Amazing.

This is getting me excited about my trip to Tokyo at the end of March. Thanks for sharing!

Wonderful shots!

Tokyo is like an Asian Germany, with better food, weather, and trains.  As BigDipper 80 stated, while Osaka is far more boisterous and "American" in attitude, Tokyo is simply Tokyo.  Great shots.

Great pictures! I love the ones from the Skytree. Last year I walked to it, in the pouring rain, from Senso-ji, only to find out it was closed due to high winds. I never got chance to go back. Looks like you had a beautiful day.

From Asakusa, you can see the Tokyo Skytree as well as the Asahi Beer Hall, affectionately known by locals as 金のうんこ ("the golden turd"):

 

The building behind the "golden turd" is Asahi's HQ and it was designed to look like a giant mug of beer.  On my trip to Tokyo I sat by a guy who worked for them who was researching the American Craft Beer market (a market that Japan is just starting to catch onto locally) and he told me all about that building.

 

Btw if you go back and want another outer Tokyo neighborhood with a lot of charm, I'd also recommend Shimokitazawa - its culturally Japan's equivalent to Williamsburg (NYC), a hipster hood though with a bit more of a family vibe.  The coolest things about that neighborhood are that its far from any large roads, it has a ton of amazing murals over closed doors of shops, and its a labyrinth maze of roads that would be alleys in the US, barely able to fit small Japanese cars.

 

https://www.airbnb.com/locations/tokyo/shimokitazawa

don't feel bad you missed the tsukiji fish auction, it was sort of interesting, but underwhelming.

 

they keep saying the fish market is moving to chiba, but i dk what is up about that.

 

very nice photos -- there is so much to explore in just tokyo, much less all of japan.

Wonderful thanks for sharing with us!!! This one is probably a building under construction, but in my head it is an MC Escher installation.

These pictures make me want to visit Tokyo very soon.  Your photography never disappoints!  Also, cat cafes are the best. I visited one in Bangkok late last year.

All of these photos are incredible. It's on my bucket list to someday visit Japan. Hopefully that ends up happening.

Awesome shots. I lived in Japan for two years (Misawa), but only made it down to Tokyo once or twice and for a very brief time. So much has changed since then... and a lot is the same.