Fun things to do in Tokyo

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Zoshigaya Cemetary is not on most people's list of places to visit in Tokyo, but it's an interesting place where many famous people are buried.

For me, I wanted to visit the grave of Yumeji Takehisa, an artist of the early 1900s who combined European and Japanese elements to create his own unique style.

For most people, Natsume Soseki, author of Botchan and Kokoro, is probably the most well-known person buried here.

Some other famous poeple buried here include Hani Motoko (one of the first women to go to university in Japan and also one of the first female journalists), Nagai Kafu (playwright and author), Kyoka Izumi (playwright), and Lafcadio Hearn also known as Koizumi Yakumo (ghost story writer) among others.

Although it's a bit strange for some, of the things I did in Tokyo, visiting these graves was among my favorites. The cemetary office has a very convenient map that shows where the famous people are buried that includes a drawing of their graves which is very helpful!

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Jomyoin Temple was originally established in 1666. The gate dates back to the early 18th century. This temple is famous for its jizo statues. Originally, one of the temple's priests decided to make 1000 jizo statues for the temple but when he achieved his goal he set a new goal of 84,000 and that is how many there are today!

It's impressive to walk around and look at the jizo. Many are crumbling which made me surprised that they were even still around. As you walk along the paths you will likely see parts of the jizo that have crumbled onto the path. In order to preserve them, it is proper to pick them up and place them on or around the jizo that they belong to (or if it's not obvious just place it by the nearest one). It's kind of sobering and also feels therapeutic and spiritual to do so. It should go without saying that you cannot and should not take the broken parts home as souvenirs.

Entrance is free.

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This is Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building .It's the tallest building in Tokyo at 248 metres from the base to the top.But it's the second tallest structure after Tokyo tower.It's just a short walk from Shinjuku station.We can go up to observatory deck (on 45th floor ) to see amazing view of Tokyo,free of charge.Open from 9.30 to 11 pm. To go up ,just use elevator from the first floor of main building number1.There are coffee shop and bar up there,including some souvenir.This coffee shop will open as bar at night.It must great experience to sip some drink and see Tokyo from the top at night,but I have no time to do that,it's a pity! .If any body have chance to do that ,please share some pictures.Thank you so much. : )
If you want to see better view during the day,the best time is in the morning because it's better opportunity to see Fuji mountain and better for taking picture cuz the sun will be behind you and that time still less dust and smog.

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Yushima Seido is a Confucian Temple, first established in 1630 by Hayashi Razan in Ueno and later moved to its present location. The original temple was burnt down long ago. The current structure was built in 1935. The temple was built in the traditional Chinese architectural style and it is quite unique in Japan as it completely black. As someone who has been to many temples in Japan, the blackness really gave it a different atmosphere, a sort of stoic feeling. It definitely commands your attention!

Historically, the temple was built in order to teach Confucian learning, so although it was a spiritual center it was also an educational institute. It was one of the first institutes of higher education in the nation and is associated with the origins of the modern Tokyo University.

Within the temple grounds there is also a statue of Confucius which is said to be the largest statue of Confucius in the world. It was donated to the temple by the Lions Club of Taiwan in 1975. With that said, it's really not very big so don't expect anything collossal. Still, it's nice to pay homage to the founder while visiting the temple.

Entrance is free.

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The Currency Museum is an excellent museum dedicated to showcasing the history of Japanese money from the days of cowrie shells to modern times. The exhibits feature both English and Japanese explanations. They really do a nice job of covering each change in Japan's currency throughout history and of course, they have authentic examples on display.

Along with the Japanese currency exhibits, they also have cases and displays of world currencies that you can view. They do not have every country, but they have many from each continent, including countries you may not expect, such as North Korea.

The final displays showcase special currencies of Japan, like the Olympics coins from the Nagano Olympics and special prefectural coins (similar to the American state quarters).

The currency museum is really interesting and what makes it even better is that it's free! There are also some fun and interesting souvenirs available.

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This is the second of the two gardens in the Komagome area. It is an interesting mix of East and West as the photos will attest.
150 yen for entry.
I visited in February, which is not the best of times for these things, but in season the rose gardens are said to be extremely nice.

Quite a pleasant place, and there were a lot of people there sketching the main building.

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The Midtown Christmas is the name of the Illuminations in Roppongi around the Midtown Tower. There are lights around the area on trees and some displays inside the buildings but the main attraction is the "Starlight Garden" which is a large illumination light show depicting the earth. The Starlight Garden has had some variation throughout the years but is always layed out similarly with the same intergalactic theme. It's very beautiful but I think the time given to see the whole garden lit up is too short. That is the best part but it's brief.

If you go on a weekday or early in the illumination season it may be less crowded and safer but be warned that it can get VERY crowded the closer it gets to Christmas and the crowds here can get overly pushy with potential to make things unsafe. I would NOT recommend bringing kids during the last few days. Kids get knocked around without anyone caring. People just want to get to the front past the barriers to see the show so they aren't concerned about the safety of those around them.

Once you get through, remain patient! Some people get too impatient and begin pushing those in front of them into the chains that separate the crowds from the illuminations, once again causing injuries. The illumination show is not long so if you have to wait through a few shows before you are in the front, it's okay. Anytime a show ends, BE CAREFUL, because that is when the crowds try to push forward which makes it hard for the people in front to leave and those in the middle can get crushed from both sides. You may even have to get pushy yourself just to get out.

In spite of the warnings and bad behavior of many people, the light show is very beautiful and among Tokyo's best illuminations, perhaps at the top with the Shiodome Illuminations. It's well worth it, just try and be aware of those around you!

They are free to see.

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Tokyo's Tennoji lies at the edge of Yanaka Cemetary. The temple was originally constructed to house a carving that Nichiren made of himself. It dates back to the Momoyama Period, which is rare for Tokyo temples. The large Buddha, known as the Tennoji Daibutsu, was made in 1690.

Tennoji is one of "Tokyo's 3 Lotteries" because here (along with Yushima Tenjin Shrine and Ryusenji Temple) they once held lotteries. The temple is free, so it's a nice stop for those visiting or passing through Yanaka Cemetary or anyone interested in seeing what is left of historic Tokyo.