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One of the most populous cities in the world -
Center of economy, culture and industries in the world
Tokyo consists of the
southwestern part of the Kanto Region, the Izu Islands, and the
Ogasawara islands. The population is one of the largest in the world.
It is the Capital of Japan where over 11 million people live. Since
Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu established a government in the early 17th
century, the town started to develop, spreading around his resident
Edo Castle. Although most of the city was devastated by the Great
Earthquake of 1923 and again by the bombing in the WWII, it achieved
rapid restoration both times.
Tokyo is not only the center of politics and economy of Japan, but
also developed as the center of world economy and culture, and it
offers a number of must-see places. There are large scale downtown
areas including the Ginza where all famous shops around the world
stand side by side, Shijuku high-rise complex and its surroundings
that never sleep, Asakusa with reminiscences of the traditional
Edo(former name of Tokyo), and Shibuya that starts the trend for the
young people as well as unique areas including the computer town
Akihabara where electric shops are densely competing and attracting
many shoppers from Japan and overseas and the Tsukiji open-air
wholesale food market that serves all consumers in Japan.
Getting there
An hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo Haneda Airport. An hour
and 15 minutes from Kansai International Airport. Two hours and 30
minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station by JR Tokaido
Shinkansen Line. An hour and 5 minutes from Narita Airport Station to
Tokyo Station by JR Narita Express Line.
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Shinjuku
Great terminal where over 500,000 people come and go everyday -
High-rise buildings, shopping and prominent entertainment district
Shinjuku Station at the Shinjuku renewal project area in
Shinjuku-ku is a great terminal where JR Chuo Line, Yamanote Line,
Sobu Line, Saikyo Line, Metropolitan subways Shinjuku Line and Oedo
Line, private railways Odakyu Line, Keio Line and Seibu-Shinjuku
Line concentrate, and over 500,000 people use this station everyday.
Shinjuku is roughly divided into the West Exit area which is an
office town with a row of high-rise building around the Tokyo
Metropolitan Government Office Building, the South Exit area which
is a new comer to Shinjuku with complex establishments for shopping
and amusement, and the prominent entertainment district around
Kabuki-cho, a town that never sleeps. In the East Exit area, there
is a row of department stores and other large size stores. All of
these are integrated and linked together.
There is Shinjuku-gyoen Park, a nationally noted landscape style
garden park created with the instructions by a French engineer in
1906, a ten-minute walk to the south from the East Exit. The
European gardens consist of the French formal garden with rows of
beautiful sycamore trees, rising trees, and English landscape garden
with vast extending lawn, and Japanese traditional garden which iris
pond and teahouse are placed, harmonize perfectly with each other.
This garden park with the large area of 58.7 is embraced with
greenery and serenity, completely secluded from the hustle and
bustle of the Metropolitan Tokyo. It is renowned as the best sight
for flowers and wild birds.
Getting there
1 hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo Haneda Airport. If you
are coming from Osaka, take JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2 hours
and 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station. Take JR
Narita Express for 1 hour and 5 minutes from Narita Airport Station
to Tokyo Station. Transfer to JR Chuo Line for 14 minutes from Tokyo
Station to Shinjuku Station.
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Shibuya
A town where the latest trend for young people are born - Shopping
streets for families and "Bit Valley" that supports the IT industry
Located in Shibuya-ku, Tokyo, Shibuya has the terminal for the
JR Yamanote Line, Saikyo Line, Tokyu Toyoko Line and Den'entoshi
Line, Keio Inokashira Line, Subways Ginza Line and Hanzomon Line. It
is a prominent downtown of Tokyo rivaling with the Ginza, Shinjuku,
Ikebukuro and Asakusa.
In Shibuya, there are not only the numberless movie theaters with
up-to-date facilities, but also the facilities to offer high-level
culture, such as Shibuya-kokaido Hall frequented by people coming
for concerts, Orchard Hall specializing in concerts, operas, and
ballet performances, and Bunkamura consists of a theater, an art
museum and movie theaters and Denryoku-kan(museum of electricity)
where people can learn about electricity with enjoyments. This is
one of the features of Shibuya as a lively downtown district with
full of amusements and entertainments.
Shibuya is unique that every street and area has a different
atmosphere. The Center Street is swarmed with youth fashion shops,
fast food shops, game centers, etc., and it is famous as the place
where a new trend for the youths are born and spread nationwide. It
is always crowded with mostly teenagers day and night, and you can
directly feel the today's fashion trend of the Japanese. The
Koen-dori Street that extends to the Yoyogi Park is a shopping
street with a row of department stores and fashionable buildings
attracting families in particular.
Recently, Shibuya Mark City, the biggest shopping complex in Shibuya
that comprises a large-scale hotel, business floors, and fifty-five
shops, and other high-rise building construction rush have started.
It is now known as "Bit Valley" (named after Shibuya which literary
means "Bitter valley" and the computer lingo "bit") where venture
enterprises that support the IT industry are concentrated. Thus
Shibuya is attracting eager eyes from all over the world not only
for fashions and shopping but in the sector of the state-of-the-art
industry as well.
Getting there
From Osaka, it takes 1 hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo
Haneda Airport. Take JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2 hours and 30
minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station. Take JR Narita
Express from Narita Airport Station to Tokyo Station. It takes 1
hour and 5 minutes. Then, take JR Yamanote Line for 20 minutes from
Tokyo Station to Shibuya Station.
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Ikebukuro
Westside that attracts young people and east side that emits
literary flavor - The most noted town as the scenes for dramas and
novels
Ikebukuro in Toshima-ku has the terminal for JR Yamanote Line,
Saikyo Line and Takasaki Line, subways Marunouchi Line and Yurakucho
Line, Seibu Ikebukuro Line and Tobu Tojo Line. It is a prominent
downtown rivaling with the Ginza, Shinjuku, Shibuya and Asakusa. As
it has often been selected as the scene for TV dramas and novels in
recent years, the young people who are keen on the trend cast eager
eyes on Ikebukuro. It is divided into the west side and east side
areas by JR Ikebukuro Station.
In the eastern side, department stores and large size fashion
industry buildings stand side by side. There is the Sunshine City
around a super-high-rise building "Sunshine 60" to the east of the
shopping street that leads to the station. Also, in the area of the
Sunshine City, there are an aquarium, planetarium, hotel, shopping
mall and convention center with display facilities.
In the west side, there is the Tokyo Art Theater and some
universities among department stores and shopping streets. Many
university students walk around the town, and it gives off literary
flavor that sets up a clear distinction from the hustle and bustle
on the eastern side.
Getting there
From Osaka, it takes 1 hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo
Haneda Airport. Two hours and 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to
Tokyo Station by JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line. Take JR Narita Express
for 1 hour and 5 minutes from Narita Airport Station to Tokyo
Station. Then, take JR Yamanote Line for 25 minutes from Tokyo
Station to Ikebukuro Station.
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Central Tokyo
(Imperial Palace, Kasumigaseki and Marunouchi)
Kasumigaseki, the center of national administration and politics -
Marunouchi, the heart of businesses in Japan
Kasumigaseki in Chiyoda-ku has developed as the center of the
national government since the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other
government ministries and agencies of the new Meiji Government were
established here 130 years ago. The central government was
restructured after the end of the WWII, and all ministries except a
part of the Welfare and Labor Ministry are located in this area. In
Nagata-cho to the west of Kasumigaseki, there stand the Diet
Building, Prime Minister's official residence and National Diet
Library. This is the core area for the administration and politics
of Japan.
Head offices of major world-famous enterprises of Japan are
concentrated in the adjacent Marunouchi area near Tokyo Station. It
is truly the heart of the businesses of Japan. The difference in the
population between day and night is the largest in Tokyo. On
weekdays, it is always crowded with office workers and cars in this
area. Some brand shops have opened here in recent years, casting
Marunouchi as downtown centers for both a heart of business and a
center of latest fashion. To the east of the office streets of
Marunouchi, the current Imperial Palace lies in a vast site where
Edo Castle once stood surrounded with stone walls and moats. Entry
into the palace itself is forbidden, but the Outer Garden, Eastern
Imperial Garden and Kitanomaru Park are open to public, where people
enjoy strolling in the richness of nature in every season, such as
cherry blossoms in spring, fresh greenery in summer and coloring
leaves in autumn.
Getting there
An hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo Haneda Airport. From
Osaka, take JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2 hours and 30 minutes
from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station. Take JR Narita Express for
1 hour and 5 minutes from Narita Airport Station to Tokyo Station.
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Akihabara
The world's biggest electrical equipment town - Now the trend is
shifting toward computers from home electrical appliances.
The name Akihabara is now world-famous. More than 250 electrical
appliances and electronics shops of all sizes are located in a small
area around Chuo-dori Avenue, in the west of Akihabara Station. In
recent years, the main trend has shifted from general home
electrical appliances toward the new world of the internet. An
increasing number of large shops are centered on PCs, where an
experienced staff answers all sorts of questions. Many of them speak
English, Chinese and Korean.
This town began specializing in electrical equipment in the latter
half of the 1940s, when people's primary source of information was
radio. In the beginning, many shops dealing in radio parts gathered
under the elevated railroad of JR. Later, these shops began dealing
with home electrical appliances, thus developing into the world's
biggest electrical equipment town.
With many service centers and the showrooms of major manufacturers,
as well as duty-free shops and various events, the town is
attractive in the eyes of visitors. Among these events, the Denki-matsuri
Festival, held in summer and winter, is the biggest, a great chance
for good shopping that you should never miss. Take the time to fully
explore the wonderland.
Getting there
An hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Narita Airport to Tokyo
Haneda Airport. By JR Narita Express, an hour 5 minute from Narita
Airport to Tokyo Station. By Tokaido Shinkansen Line, 2 hours and 30
minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station by JR Yamanote
Line, 5 minutes from Tokyo Station to Akihabara Station.
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Asakusa
Kaminari-mon Gate with a large red lantern - Townsfolk's community
with a traditional flavor
Located in Taito-ku along the west bank of the Sumida-gawa
River, Asakusa once thrived as a temple town for Senso-ji Temple,
and now it is a downtown that rivals with the Ginza, Shijuku,
Ikebukuro and Shibuya. The history of Senso-ji Temple goes back far
into the past. The legend has it that fishermen brothers discovered
an image of Kan'non(the goddess of mercy) in the Sumida-gawa River
around 1370 years ago and they were inspired to enshrine it. Its
symbol is a large red paper lantern that bears the word "Kaminari-mon",
or a thunder gate. There is a constant flow of visitors and
worshippers throughout the year.
Numerous shops along Nakamise-dori Street that runs in the approach
way to Senso-ji Temple carry a variety of small articles made of the
Japanese paper and other traditional flavored goods such as folding
fans. It is a lovely shopping street that attracts many foreign
visitors. Asakusa is also known as the site for many traditional
events. Sanja-matsuri is a festival of Senso-ji Temple and is famous
for the palanquin parade that conveys the "Edokko Katagi", or
Edoites' spirit, which represents the traditional temperament of the
townsfolk of Tokyo. Other festivals include Hozuki-ichi, or Japanese
lantern plant market in summer, Tori-no-ichi, or Cock Fair at
Otori-jinja Shrine in early winter and Hagoita-ichi, or ornate
Japanese battledore racket market at the end of the year. The most
popular event is the firework display on the Sumida-gawa River in
summer. Over 1 million people throng to watch it.
Getting there
An hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo Haneda Airport. From
Osaka, take JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2 hours and 30 minutes
from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station. Take JR Narita Express for
1 hour and 5 minutes from Narita Airport Station to Tokyo Station.
Then take JR Yamanote Line fir 5 minutes from Tokyo Station to Ueno
Station. Transfer to the subway Ginza Line. It takes 5 minutes from
Ueno Station to Asakusa Station.
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Daiba
Dotted along the new traffic system with Yurikamome Line - The
newest amusement spot in Tokyo
Daiba was born on the reclaimed land in the Tokyo Bay in the
southeast of Tokyo. It is attracting mostly young people as the
newest amusement spot in Tokyo. The name Daiba means a platform
site. It derives from the installation of a platform for a marine
cannon battery that was constructed in haste to meet the emergent
need for defense of Tokyo (called Edo at that time) against the
sudden appearance of black steel ships commanded by Commodore Perry
from the United States in 1853.
The center of Daiba is "Aquacity Odaiba". There is a shopping mall
with a 300-meter long boutique street, a multi-flex cinema that
employs the latest acoustic and screen technologies, a gourmet zone
that stretches over 15,000 m2 which is obviously the largest in
Japan, and Fuji TV studio where visitors can see the settings of
popular TV programs.
Major attractions of Daiba are dotted along Yurikamome Line, a new
unmanned traffic system that connects Shimbashi Station through the
Rainbow Bridge with Daiba. There is the Odaiba Seaside Park that
overlooks the Rainbow Bridge as well as the Venus Fort, a "theme
park for ladies" located in the area of the Palette Town, which
accommodates over 140 shops with the interior that takes after an
European city in the 18th century, and many other new facilities are
jostling.
Getting there
An hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo Haneda Airport. From
Osaka, take JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2 hours and 30 minutes
from Shin-Osaka to Tokyo. Take JR Narita Express for 1 hour and 5
minutes from Narita Airport Station to Tokyo Station. Then take JR
Yamanote Line for 4 minutes from Tokyo Station to Shimbashi Station.
At Shimbashi Station, take Yurikamome Line to Daiba Station for 14
minutes.
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Hama-Rikyu and Shibaura
Hama-Rikyu, the most representative garden of Tokyo - Shibaura, a
gateway to Daiba
The Hama-Rikyu Imperial Gift Garden, is a public park of Tokyo
located at the mouth of the Sumida-gawa River in Chuo-ku. It is
called Hama-Rikyu for short and cherished by all citizens. It is a
landscape garden in the go-round style around the Shioiri-ike Pond,
a pond of the tidal reach. It was remodeled as a public garden park
on the site of a villa of the Shogun Tokugawa family in the 17th
century. The garden has the atmosphere of utter tranquility where
visitors can forget the passage of time. Visitors can also enjoy
refreshment at a teashop in Nakashima located in the middle of the
pond in the garden that offers tea from powdered tealeaves and
Japanese sweets in a tea-ceremony style. Also a peony garden, plum
tree grove and cosmos fields are available to enjoy the flowers and
greenery in every season.
Shibaura and Hamamatsu-cho area in Minato-ku, with Hinode Pier and
Takeshiba Pier are thriving as the hub of the transportation in the
Metropolitan Tokyo. There are piers for ferryboats to the
Izu-Shichito Islands, sea buses to cruise around Tokyo Bay or cruise
through Sumidagawa River to Asakusa, a waterway to Harumi-futo Pier
and Daiba. Also the Hamamatsu-cho has the terminal for monorail to
the Haneda Airport.
Since the Rainbow Bridge was constructed, it is now a new attraction
in Tokyo. The night view from the view spot in the 21-story New Pier
Takeshiba building in front of Takeshiba Station of Yurikamome Line
is breathtakingly beautiful, definitely one of the best sights in
Tokyo. There is Zojo-ji Temple, the headquarters of a Buddhist sect
built in 1393 near Shibaura. It is famous for the graves of the
successive Shoguns of the Tokugawa family. The Tokyo Tower that
boasts the height of 333 m and its splendid night view from the
observing deck, is literary a symbol of sightseeing in Tokyo.
Getting there
From Osaka, it is 1 hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo
Haneda Airport. From Osaka, take JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2
hours and 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station. Take
JR Narita Express for 1 hour and 5 minutes from Narita Airport
Station to Tokyo Station. It is 5 minutes from Tokyo Station to
Hamamatsucho Station by JR Yamanote Line.
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Ginza and Nihonbashi
Ginza, the downtown that represents Japan - Nihonbashi, dotted with
stores of long standing
The Ginza is one of the most famous downtowns of Japan located
in Chuo-ku. Ginza means a silver mint, and its name derives from
establishment of the silver coin mint in the 1600s. On the main
street Chuo-dori Avenue that extend southwest from 1-chome(a block)
to 8-chome, also known as Ginza-dori Avenue, there are large
department stores such as Mitsukoshi, Matsuzakaya and Matsuya and
many large-size store buildings dotted around 4-chome in particular,
where the street meets the intersection of Harumi-dori Avenue. There
is a clock tower cherished by people as the symbol of Ginza placed
on the Wako Building built of stone. In the whole area of Ginza,
there are more than 400 art galleries, innumberable restaurants and
boutiques all competing each other of their styles, and every store
boasts the tradition and the its culture unique to Ginza.
The Kabuki-za Theater where the Japanese traditional theatrical art
kabuki is played is located to the west of the intersection at
4-chome toward Tsukiji. Recently, many of world famous brand
boutiques have opened in Ginza which cast the town as an
internationally noted area of top-fashion trend.
Nihonbashi is a bridge over the Nihonbashi-gawa River at the north
of Chuo-ku. This bridge was the origin point of the five major
streets built and prospered in the Edo Period in the 17th century.
It still bears the bronze signpost that bears the words "Origin of
Roads in Japan", and it is the reference point for all roads in
Japan. For that reason, Nihonbashi prospered as the town of
merchants where kimono cloth mercers purveyer to Edo Castle and many
merchant families were gathered. Even today, the Nihonbashi area
which is adjacent to Ginza, and it is dotted with major department
stores and stores with long standing whose history goes well back
into the Edo Period.
Getting there
From Osaka, it is 1 hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo
Haneda Airport. From Osaka take JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2
hours and 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station. Take
JR Narita Express for 1 hour and 5 minutes from Narita Airport
Station to Tokyo Station. It is 2 minutes from Tokyo Station to
Yurakucho Station by JR Yamanote Line, and 10 minutes walk from
Tokyo Station to Nihonbashi.
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Harajuku
Harajuku where young people's culture blossoms - Omotesando and
Aoyama that resemble streets in Europe
Harajuku is a collective term for the area that stretches from
the south of Sendagaya to Jingumae-machi. On the west side of JR
Harajuku Station, there is a wood of the Meiji Shrine that is famous
for a Japanese iris field where irises bloom in profusion in the
rainy season and a treasury that stores the articles Emperor Meiji
cherished in the late 19th century. Nearby Meiji Shrine, there is
NHK Broadcasting Center, where visitors can tour through the TV
program studios and other exhibits.
The east side of the station is known nationwide as the young
people's town in recent years. On Takeshita-dori Street, in
particular, since there are a number of shops and some shops are
owned by popular personalities, this narrow street is completely
packed in weekends with mostly teenagers who want their idol's goods
and it is literary impossible to move.
In Omotesando and its adjacent Aoyama, fashion designers began to
set up their offices and studios after the Tokyo Olympics in 1964.
Since then, more and more fashion stores for adults and fashionable
coffee shops and restaurants have been built in this area. Aoyama
with its zelkova tree lined avenue has the atmosphere that resemble
those in European streets.
Getting there
From Osaka, 1 hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo Haneda
Airport. From Osaka, take JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2 hours and
30 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station. Take JR Narita
Express Train for 1 hour and 5 minutes from Narita Airport Station
to Tokyo Station. It takes 25 minutes from Tokyo Station to Harajuku
Station by JR Yamanote Line.
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Akasaka and Roppongi
Akasaka, a town with a high-class taste - Roppongi, a prominent
entertainment nightspot with international atmosphere
Akasaka is located in a southern part of Tokyo. It is where the
guesthouses and foreign embassies gather. It serves as a center for
the international exchange where top-class hotels stand side by
side, a political center adjacent to the Diet Building, Prime
Minister's official residence and Nagata-cho, and an office town
with TBS Broadcasting Center. High-class Japanese restaurants and
night clubs bring people on the street for not only daytime but also
nighttime. Also there are many spots to enjoy walking in the
greenery, such as Hie Shrine, Toyokawa-inari Shrine and Hikawa
Shrine.
Roppongi lies next to Akasaka and is where you see more foreigners
than Japanese. Because of that, many places have international
characters. Roppongi is also known for the prominent entertainment
nightspot with markedly international atmosphere. The "Velfarre",
which has the largest dance floor of all the clubs and discos in the
country and popular "Hard Rock Cafe", are also in the area.
Getting there
By JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2 hours and 30 minutes from
Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station. By Subway Marunouchi Line for 7
minutes from Tokyo Station to Akasaka-mitsuke Station, change to the
subway Hibiya Line and it takes 15 minutes to Roppongi Station.
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Ueno
A terminal
called gateway to the north - Concentrated cultural establishments
in a vast park
Ueno Station in Taito-ku is called a gateway to the north
because it is the starting station for the railways bound for the
Tohoku region(the northeast region) from Tokyo. The terminal
accommodates 6 railways including JR Shinkansen Lines. It is a
prominent downtown rivaling with the Ginza, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and
Shibuya.
In the Tokyo Ueno-onshi-koen Park, the Tokyo Metropolitan Imperial
Gift Park that boasts a vast area in the west of Ueno Station, there
is a concentration of cultural institutions such as the first zoo in
Japan, Tokyo Metropolitan Imperial Gift Ueno Zoo, Tokyo Metropolitan
Art Museum, Tokyo Bunka Kaikan Cultural Hall, National Western Art
Museum, National Science Museum and Tokyo National Museum, all
offering recreation and relaxation for the citizens.
There is Ameya-yokocho Market called Ameyoko for short in the area
under the elevated railway from Ueno Station to Okachimachi Station.
This area used to be a thriving flea market immediately after the
end of the WWII. There are over 500 shops that sell everything from
basic foods to high-class imported goods at reasonable prices, and
thus it is always crowded with shoppers. The year-end special
bargain sales, in particular, have become one of the scenes that add
poetic charm to the season that reflect the lives of the common
people of Tokyo.
Getting there
From Osaka, it takes 1 hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo
Haneda Airport. From Osaka, take JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2
hours and 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station. Take
JR Narita Express Train for 1 hour and 5 minutes from Narita Airport
Station to Tokyo Station. It takes 5 minutes from Tokyo Station to
Ueno Station by JR Yamanote Line.
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Ebisu and Daikanyama
Ebisu Garden Place, a fashionable town - Daikanyama, a place to get
tasteful daily needs
The area around Ebisu Station in Shibuya-ku has developed
rapidly since Ebisu Garden Place was constructed in 1994 at the site
where a beer brewery used to stand. With many restaurants and
fashionable shops that opened here, this area has won a solid
reputation as the most talked-about spot in Tokyo.
On the other side of the station, the Ebisu Market near the west
exit and other traditional, unique local shops are still prospering,
exhibiting a good contrast against the new shopping spot on the east
side. Famous shops for ramen, the noodles loved dearly by almost all
Japanese, thrive around the west exit of Ebisu Station, and this
area is known as the severest battleground for ramen shops. The
Daikanyama district adjacent to Ebisu is the place to get tasteful
basic articles, and is especially popular among young women. There
once stood a western style apartment building that was the first of
its kind in Japan. It was the symbol of the town, but when it was
pulled down, a 36-story multi-purpose shopping mall was built on the
site. The town is in rapid progress for development around this
shopping mall.
Getting there
From Osaka, 1 hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo Haneda
Airport. From Osaka, take JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2 hours and
30 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station. Take JR Narita
Express Train for 1 hour and 5 minutes from Narita Airport Station
to Tokyo Station. It takes 20 minutes to Ebisu Station and 15
minutes to Shibuya Station from Tokyo Station by JR Yamanote Line.
It takes 2 minutes from Shibuya Station to Daikanyama Station by
Tokyu Toyoko Line.
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Izu Shichito Islands
Islands with moderate climate set in the Pacific Ocean - Marine
sports in the beautiful ocean
The Izu Shichito Islands are a group of volcanic islands in the
Fuji Volcanic Belt that stretches from north to south for 540 km. It
consists of Oshima, Toshima, Niijima, Kozushima, Miyakejima,
Mikurajima and Hachijojima Islands, and is a part of Fuji Hakone Izu
National Park. It is called the Izu Islands when Aogashima and other
small islands are included, and it is administratively a part of
Tokyo.
Oshima Island, the largest island, is famous for camellias and
azaleas flora. It is a popular resort with its moderate climate,
fantastic view of Mt. Mihara-yama, and "anko", young women in the
local costume. In Toshima Island, brown boobies live in flocks.
Niijima Island is famous for the scenery of Hanebushi-ura Inlet at
the east coast. Kozushima Island's geographical feature is intricate
and there are historical ruins of temples and shrines. Miyakejima
Island is famous for camellias and hydrangeas. The entire Mikurajima
Island is a virgin forest of box trees and chinquapins. Hachijojima
Island has wonderful semitropical scenery. Each island welcomes many
visitors every year.
All islands are surrounded with the beautiful ocean and visitors can
enjoy fishing, surfing, diving and all sorts of marine sports.
Dolphin watching is becoming more and more popular in recent years.
As they are volcanic, there are plenty of hot springs as well.
Getting there
Forty minutes to Oshima Airport, 50 minutes to Miyakejima
Airport, 45 minutes to Hachijojima Airport from Tokyo Haneda
Airport. Nine hours and 10 minutes to Toshima Island, 10 hours and
10 minutes to Niijima Island, 11 hours and 20 minutes to Kozushima
Island and 8 hours to Mikurajima Island from Tokyo Takeshiba port by
ferry.
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Lake Okutama-ko
Harmony of natural beauty and man-made structures - National Park
closest from Metropolitan Tokyo
Lake Okutama-ko is an artificial lake formed by Ogouchi Dam that
blocks the upstream of the Tama-gawa River. It is located in
Chichibu Tama National Park, the closest national park from the
metropolitan Tokyo. The lake offers a nice harmony of natural beauty
and man-made structures. You can enjoy cherry blossoms in spring,
fresh greenery in summer, coloring leaves in autumn and snowscape in
winter from a most thrilling floating bridge made of drum cans.
There is the Ogouchi Shrine that jointly enshrines the 9 shrines and
11 deities that were submerged in the lake at the tip of the point
that juts out into the lake. Kajima-odori dance and traditional
Japanese performance Shishimai, a lion dance, are dedicated to the
shrine every autumn. Those performances are designated as intangible
cultural property of Tokyo.
Chichibu-Tama National Park covers a vast area that stretches over
Tokyo, Saitama, Yamanashi and Nagano, 67 km from east to west and 40
km from north to south. It has high mountains and deep valleys, and
the mountain forest along the Tama-gawa River is preserved as the
water source forest. The park is dotted with natural scenic spots,
such as Hatonosu Valley with the most beautiful gorge in Okutama and
the 800-meter long Hibara limestone cavern, the largest in the Kanto
Region.
Getting there
From Osaka, it takes 1 hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo
Haneda Airport. From Osaka, take JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2
hours and 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station. Take
JR Narita Express Train for 1 hour and 5 minutes from Narita Airport
Station to Tokyo Station. It takes 2 hours and 20 minutes from Tokyo
Station to Okutama Station by JR Chuo Line and Oume Line.
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Mt. Mitake-san
A mountain in the upstream of the Tama-gawa River, Paradise for more
than 100 kinds of birds
Mt. Mitake-san is located in the upstream of the Tama-gawa River
that flows in the western Tokyo, and is a part of Chichibu-Tama
National Park. The area around Mt. Mitake-san is the most popular
sightseeing spot in the Okutama area. It is a natural treasury where
you can see about 100 kinds of wild birds, about 1,000 kinds of
plants and even some wild animals. It is attracting hikers and
campers throughout the year.
There is a cable car from the foot of Mt. Mitake-san. Visitors can
enjoy camellias and Japanese rose in spring and wonderful coloring
leaves in autumn from the cable car window. The scenic view is also
marvelous. You can see the high-rise buildings in the Shinjuku
renewal project area and Mt. Tsukuba-san in Ibaraki on fine days
from the view spot called Mitake-daira in front of the terminal of
the cable car, Mitake Station.
As you climb to the top through a well-maintained, easy-to-walk
path, you will see the main shrine, pilgrim guides' homes and
pilgrims' lodges in the Musashi-Mitake Shrine. This shrine is widely
worshiped as the symbol of the sacred place for mountain worship.
Its foundation is believed to be in 90 BC, which makes this shrine
one of the oldest in Japan. There is a treasury that stores a
national treasure Akaito-odoshi-no-yoroi, a scarlet-braided large
armor, and other pieces of armory.
Getting there
From Osaka, it takes 1 hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo
Haneda Airport. From Osaka, take JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2
hours and 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station. Take
JR Narita Express Train for 1 hour and 5 minutes from Narita Airport
Station to Tokyo Station. It takes 2 hours and 15 minutes from Tokyo
Station to Mitake Station by JR Chuo and Oume Lines.
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Mt. Takao-san
Sacred mountain that represents the Tama area - Full of amusement at
museums, zoo and botanical garden as well as hiking in the mountains
Mt. Takao-san, located in the western Tokyo and at the eastern
edge of the Kanto Mountain Range, is a sacred mountain that
represents the Tama area. It is designated as the Meiji-no-mori
Takao National Park. Emperor Shomu ordered to build Yakuoin Temple
halfway up this mountain in 744. The people have worshiped this
temple for more than 1,200 years, and over 3 million worshipers
visit here every year even today.
There is a statue of a tengu, a long nosed mythical figure, which is
believed to be a deified image of a man who mastered rigorous
ascetic disciplinary practice in the mountains and acquired magical
power and spiritual power. This statue is a symbol of Mt. Takao-san
in the traditional Japanese practice of mountain worship. You may
see ascetic devotees in religious practice of standing under a
waterfall between April and October at the Biwa-daki Falls and
Hebi-daki Falls.
There are six well-maintained courses with different themes from the
foot of Mt. Takao-san to the 600 meter-high mountaintop called
Takao-san Natural Research Routes. You can enjoy watching over 500
kinds of plants along the path. You can also climb halfway to the
top by cable car or lift, so climbing to the top is not difficult.
There is Takao-san Natural Zoo and Botanical Garden near the
terminal of the cable car, where you will be greeted by monkeys
ranging freely.
Getting there
From Osaka, it takes 1 hour from Osaka Itami Airport to Tokyo
Haneda Airport. From Osaka, take JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line for 2
hours and 30 minutes from Shin-Osaka Station to Tokyo Station. Take
JR Narita Express Train for 1 hour and 5 minutes from Narita Airport
Station to Tokyo Station. It takes 1 hour and 10 minutes from Tokyo
Station to Takao Station by JR Chuo Line, and 5 minutes from Takao
Station to Takaosan-guchi Station by Keio Line.
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Ogasawara Islands
Clear sea abundant in coral reefs and tropical fishes - Islands with
140 kinds of native plants and animals
Ogasawara Islands is the general term for 30 islands of various
sizes scattered over the Pacific Ocean. Located to the south of Izu
Islands, they are made up of three blocks. The first block is the
Ogasasawara Archipelago consisting of Muko-jima Island, Chichi-jima
Island and Haha-jima Islands. The second block is made up of Io
Islands. The three more islands - Nishi-no-shima Island,
Minani-tori-shima Island, and Oki-no-shima Island belong to the last
block. The whole area forms a part of the Ogasawara National Park.
The islands are formed by protrusions of an ancient submarine
volcano and so flatlands are rare and there are many sheer cliffs on
the coast. Since the climate is oceanic and subtropical, the change
of temperature is little and so it hardly snow or have frost. As
Ogasawara Islands have always been remote, never being adjacent to a
continent since they are formed, animals and plants evolved in their
own way. There are over 140 kinds of indigenous plants and more than
10 kinds of animals native to the islands such as the Ogasawara
damselfly, and they are designated as natural monuments.
The Main island, also the entrance for Tokyo, Chichi-jima Island is
1000 km away to the south from the downtown Tokyo on the Pacific and
it extends about 24 kmē. The water-eroded high cliffs surround the
island making the scene of the island even more magnificent. The
seawater around Hyotan-jima Island, Minami-jima Island and
Hira-shima Island all belonging to the Ogasawara Archipelago, has
high clarity and the sea is full of coral reefs and tropical fishes,
which forms a part of Ogasawara Sea Park.
Getting there
By JR Yamanote Line for 9 minutes from Tokyo Station to
Hamamatsu-cho Station. From there to the Tokyo-Takeshiba Port is 10
minutes on foot. By Ogasawara Kaiun Ship for 25 hours and 30 minutes
from Tokyo-Takeshiba Port to Futami Port on Chichi-jima Island.
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Information
provided by Japan National Tourist Organization.
