Top 10 Tokyo

146 Pages·2017·41.92 MB·English

by  DK Travel

EYEWITNESS TRAVEL
TOP
TOKYO
STEPHEN MANSFIELD
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Top 10 Tokyo The Top 10 of
Highlights Everything
Welcome to Tokyo ..........................5 Moments in History .....................38
Exploring Tokyo ..............................6 Historic Buildings .........................40
Tokyo Highlights ...........................10 Places of Worship ........................42
Imperial Palace Grounds.............12 Museums ......................................44
Senso-ji Temple ...........................14 Art Galleries .................................46
Sumida River ................................16 Gardens and Parks ......................48
Edo-Tokyo Museum .....................18 Modern and Contemporary
Ueno Park.....................................20 Buildings ...................................50
Tokyo National Museum ..............24 Off the Beaten Path .....................52
Koishikawa Korakuen Garden ....28 Children’s Attractions ..................54
Meiji Shrine ..................................30 Pop Culture Venues .....................56
Yanaka ..........................................32 Entertainment Venues .................58
Odaiba Island ................................34 Clubs .............................................60
Restaurants ..................................62
Cafés and Bars .............................64
Markets, Stores and
Shopping Streets ......................66
Tokyo for Free ...............................68
Festivals and Events ....................70
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CONTENTS
Tokyo Streetsmart
Area by Area
Central Tokyo ...............................74 Getting To and Around Tokyo ....120
Ginza .............................................80 Practical Information .................122
Ueno, Asakusa, and Oshiage ......86 Places to Stay .............................128
Roppongi and Akasaka ................94
Aoyama, Harajuku, General Index .............................134
and Shibuya ...........................100 Acknowledgments .....................139
Shinjuku ......................................106 Phrase Book ...............................141
Farther Afield .............................112
The information in this DK Eyewitness
Top 10 Travel Guide is checked regularly.
Every effort has been made to ensure that
this book is as up-to-date as possible at the
time of going to press. Some details,
however, such as telephone numbers,
opening hours, prices, gallery hanging
arrangements and travel information, are
Within each Top 10 list in this book, no hierarchy liable to change. The publishers cannot
of quality or popularity is implied. All 10 are, in accept responsibility for any consequences
the editor’s opinion, of roughly equal merit. arising from the use of this book, nor for any
Throughout this book, floors are referred to in material on third-party websites, and cannot
accordance with American usage; i.e., the first guarantee that any website address in this
floor is at ground level. book will be a suitable source of travel
information. We value the views and
Front cover and spine The Chureito Pagoda suggestions of our readers very highly.
with Mount Fuji in the background Please write to: Publisher, DK Eyewitness
Back cover The illuminated skyline of Tokyo Bay Travel Guides, Dorling Kindersley, 80 Strand,
Title page Giant artwork depicting Kabuki London WC2R 0RL, Great Britain, or email
actor, Senso-ji temple [email protected]
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Top 10 Tokyo ❮❮ 5
Welcome to
Tokyo
Everything that is both traditional and modern about Japan
is found in Tokyo. It’s a city of amazing architecture and
fashion, delicious cuisine, and cutting-edge technology.
Artistic and cultural traditions have been honed to perfection
but the city is also a master of innovation and reinvention.
With Eyewitness Top 10 Tokyo, it’s yours to explore.
You may have in mind the Tokyo of popular imagination, a
perpetually buzzing, utterly contemporary metropolis, illuminated
by neon. But this is also a city of tranquil gardens and ancient
temples and shrines, such as the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden
and the Meiji Shrine. Prepare to be beguiled by the beauty of
traditional arts and crafts available to view in museums or buy in
shops that have been tended by the same families for generations.
And then there is the food. The famous fish market may have moved
to a new location in Toyosu but many specialist food stores remain
in the Tsukiji area, an ideal introduction to Japan’s unique culinary
culture. The tastes of Edo – the old name for the capital – linger in
the backstreets of Yanaka and the precincts of Asakusa. Best of all,
despite its sprawling size and millions of inhabitants, Tokyo works
like a dream. Public transportation is fast, efficient, and inexpensive.
Polite service is a given, as are clean streets that are safe to walk
any time of the day or night.
Whether you’re coming for a weekend or a week, our Top 10 guide
brings together the best of everything the city can offer, from the
glitz of Ginza to the street fashion of Shibuya. The guide gives you
tips throughout, from seeking out what’s free to avoiding the
crowds, plus nine easy-to-follow itineraries designed to help you
visit a clutch of sights in a short space of time. Add inspiring
photography and detailed maps, and you’ve got the essential
pocket-sized travel companion. Enjoy the book, and enjoy Tokyo.
Clockwise from top: Senso-ji temple; exhibit, Kite Museum; National Art Center; skyline with Mt. Fuji
behind; Daibutsu Buddha, Kamakura; Kabukicho district; Chidorigafuchi moat, Imperial Palace
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6 ❯❯ Top 10 Tokyo
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Tokyo’s delicious culinary scene. The Edo-Tokyo Museum
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culture at Tokyo National Museum HillHsills RikyRuikyu
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(see pp24–7). After, stroll around go shopping on Harajuku’s TemTepmleple
Ueno Park (see pp20–21) and the Takeshita-dori (see p56) and tree- TokTyook Byaoy Bay
bustling Ameyoko Market (see p67). lined Omotesando (see p101). The
AFTERNOON nearby Nezu Museum (see p100) has
Explore the Edo-Tokyo Museum (see a serene garden with a teahouse.
pp18–19) before enjoying a bird’s-eye In the evening, enjoy the electric vibe
view of the city from Tokyo Skytree of Shinjuku (see pp106–11).
(see p89). Meander through Asaksua
and the grounds of the Senso-ji
Temple (see pp14–15). Board the water Four Days in Tokyo
bus and cruise down the Sumida
River (see pp16–17). Afterwards, catch Day 1
a show at Kabuki-za Theater (see p81). MORNING
Have breakfast in Tsukiji Outer
Day 2 Market (see p66), then tour the Hama
MORNING Rikyu Garden (see p82). View the old
Discover the moats, stone walls, wooden gates fronting Zojo-ji temple
and gardens of the Imperial Palace (see p97) with Tokyo Tower (see p96),
(see pp12–13). Then take in the an icon of the city, in the background.
excellent collection at the National AFTERNOON
Museum of Modern Art (see p12) Enjoy the galleries and museums of
and the Crafts Gallery (see p13). Roppongi and then browse the
AFTERNOON shops of Roppongi Hills (see p94) and
Crunch down the gravel pathway to Tokyo Midtown (see p95), where there
Meiji Shrine (see pp30–31), and then are also great places to eat and drink.
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Exploring Tokyo ❮❮ 7
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Two-day itinerary
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KabKuakbi-uzkai-za modern towers.
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NezNuezu TowTeorwer RiveRriver Tokyo Station (see p76).
MuMseuusmeu m RopRpoopnpgoingi HamHaama AFTERNOON
HillHsills RikyRuikyu Meander around the lovely
ZojZoo-jjio-ji GarGdaernd en
TemTepmleple 17th-century Koishikawa Korakuen
TokTyook Byaoy Bay Garden (see pp28–9). Catch the sunset
from the free observation deck of
Day 2 Tokyo Metropolitan Government
MORNING Building (see p109) in Shinjuku, and
Pay your respects at Meiji Shrine then hit the Kabukicho (see p106)
(see pp30–31), and then browse entert ainment area and the warren of
quirky styles on Takeshita-dori drinking dens in Golden Gai (see p107).
(see p56) and high fashion along
Omotesando (see p101). Cross town Day 4
for lunch in Asakusa and to view the MORNING
sights around Senso-ji (see pp14–15). Get acquainted with the shrines,
AFTERNOON temples, and traditional shops of
Ascend Tokyo Skytree (see p89), Yanaka (see pp32–3). Afterwards,
learn about the city’s history at the check out the collection at the Tokyo
Edo-Tokyo Museum (see pp18–19), National Museum (see pp24–7) and
and sail into Tokyo Bay on a cruise stroll around Ueno Park (see pp20–21).
down the Sumida River (see pp16–17). AFTERNOON
Ride the train to Odaiba Island (see
Day 3 pp34–5) to marvel at robot technology
MORNING at the fascinating National Museum
Tour the grounds of the Imperial of Emerging Science and Innovation
Palace (see pp12–13) and then visit (see p35). Finish your day at the
the Marunouchi district, home to the extraordinary bathhouse Oedo
contemporary architecture of the Onsen Monogatari (see p34).
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Top 10 Tokyo
Highlights
Detail on the elaborate exterior of the main
hall, Senso-ji Temple
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