Tokyo & Japan in General
by Bonnieclyde
I found Tokyo to be an amazing city, clean, friendly, and at the same time ultramodern with ancient temples & palaces. While driving would be a real challenge, with the language & sign problems, the transportation system is great & the roads are good, - though the best way to get around is probably by subway & bullet trains as the roads are crowded.
The outlying cities, Nagoya, Nikko, & Kyoto especially are 'fantastic' for their ancient temples & scenery, though Tokyo does have the Emeror's palace right in the center of the city and is great as well. From atop the Tokyo Tower, you get a great 360 degree panorama view of the city & also of Mt. Fuji in the distance - there are telescopes to provide 'close-up' views.
Springtime is probably the best time to visit - around Easter when the cherry trees are in full bloom, though I can imagine the Fall colours must be spectacular as well. My favorite memory of Japan is of the Temples & park-like region of Kyoto.
Cutting-Edge Modern Architecture
by AKtravelers
For modern architecture gazing, there's probably no more interesting city in the world than Tokyo. Head to the newly-developed Odaiba or the flashy Shinjuku or Ebisu Gardens and yo'll find wonderful eye candy in the engineering sense. Since most of Tokyo was developed after 1945, modern, avant-garde sensibilities are the rule. I love the Tokyo Municipal Government Building or the structure in Odaiba with the sphere attached off-center. Mori Towers in Rappongi is wonderful and everywhere in the city is an interesting ediface, large or small. Amazingly, all of this is done within the constraints of making every building earthquakeproof. Just walk around Tokyo with an open eye and you'll find many modern treats to indulge your senses!
Japanese houses
by machomikemd
most houses in the tokyo metropolitan area are condominiums as prices of land in tokyo is one of the most expensive in the world with most people living in the suburbs and commuting 1 to 2 hours to tokyo for work as parking costs and gasoline cost again is one of the most expensive in the world! pictures you see here are examples of condominiums in the tokyo area and they say that renting a one bedroom unit here cost around 150,000 yen a month (about 1,550 US Dollars). really expensive again that is why lost locals own homes or rent homes at the susburbs in Chiba prefecture or Shizouka Prefecture. i can't imagine to live in the downtown tokyo area because of the sky high rent! hehehehe
East Garden, Imperial Palace
by vigi
The Imperial Palace East Garden are a part of the inner palace area and are open to the public, except on Mondays, Fridays and special occasions. Entry is free of charge. Although little of the palace can be seen, the peaceful Japanese style garden worth a visit though.
School Uniform Obsession
by sourbugger
It seems that I spend most of my day telling children to wear their school uniform correctly. They hit the age of 13 and the shirt must be untucked, the tie skew-wiff and the blazer adorned with a silly badge.
It therefore comes as something of a shock to see thousands of well turned out school children in Tokyo. They really do seem proud of it, even wearing it on their days off !
Ignoring the fact that it must have been designed by middle-aged men with a middle-aged men's fantasies in mind, and the fact it has spawned a vast pornographic industry - it is ceratinly a feature of Tokyo life.
The ruffled up socks really do look a bit dated though - very Olivia Newton-John in a pink leotard.
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Looking down
The Ralph Lauren Store on Omote-sando
Set 2
