Tokyo suggestions?

[cheshunt seagull]

Going on a business trip to Tokyo at the end of the week, first time in Japan.
My hospitable hosts have organised a very full itinerary but I get a couple of nights free. Any suggestions on places to eat, drink etc. would be very gratefully received. I am staying in an area called Akasaka.

Cheers

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

I went for the first time this summer. Amazing city. Two things worth checking out is the Golden Gai area of Shinjiku which is a series of tiny streets lined with post-war shack/hut bars and the food equivalent called Shomben Yokocho (or 'piss' ally) which is close to the station. Very very atmospheric.

Also, use your jet lag to get up early and visit the fish market. It is crazy, chaotic, colourful and a veritable assault on the senses. When done go to one of the sushi bars for a traditional workers breakfast.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

oh, its cheesy but go to the 'Lost in Translation' bar at the top of the Park Hyatt. The view is gobsmacking.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Going on a business trip to Tokyo at the end of the week, first time in Japan.
My hospitable hosts have organised a very full itinerary but I get a couple of nights free. Any suggestions on places to eat, drink etc. would be very gratefully received. I am staying in an area called Akasaka.

Cheers

What do you like doing/want to do?

Tokyo is a city that should be experienced rather than seen, if that makes sense. There are no really good tourist attraction sights like The Eiffel Tower, tower of London etc. Rather it's a city that you should just wander around and experience.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

What do you like doing/want to do?

Tokyo is a city that should be experienced rather than seen, if that makes sense. There are no really good tourist attraction sights like The Eiffel Tower, tower of London etc. Rather it's a city that you should just wander around and experience.

I agree with this. Due to numerous earthquakes, fires and wars there is little old Tokyo to see. I think something like 80% of the city has been razed to the ground over the decades/centuries. Even the famous shrines and temples are replicas...but still worth a visit.

Something else I found very interesting was the Tokyo National Museum. One the second floor there is a reasonably concise and broad exhibition on the culture and art of Japan: caligraphy, drawings, ceremonies etc.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

What do you like doing/want to do?

Tokyo is a city that should be experienced rather than seen, if that makes sense. There are no really good tourist attraction sights like The Eiffel Tower, tower of London etc. Rather it's a city that you should just wander around and experience.

Just wandering around the streets and really getting a feel of the place is what I want to do, my hosts are taking me on more conventional sightseeing. The Shinjuku area that Herr Tubthumper describes sounds just the kind of place I want to see.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Just wandering around the streets and really getting a feel of the place is what I want to do, my hosts are taking me on more conventional sightseeing. The Shinjuku area that Herr Tubthumper describes sounds just the kind of place I want to see.

Shinjiku is also the area you tend to see on the tv i.e. the streets of crackling fizzing neon. The famous red-light area is interesting as well, from an observational point of view obviously.

The Lonely Planet has a cool walk mapped out round this area taking in the neon streets, Golden Gai bars, red-light area and a few other bits. If you pm me your email address I'll dig my copy and scan the relevant pages for you. I'll also scan the 'piss alley' details as this is a must...... sadly it is going to be demolished shortly.

 

[culvers]

A walk from Shibuya station up towards the Olympic stadium into yoyogi park, a quick look at meijijingu temple before wondering around Harajuku was always one of my favourite afternoon activities.

The government building gives a good view of Tokyo for free from the 50th floor on a clear day you might see Mount Fuji and across the road at the Nomura building there is a very reasonable restaurant on the 49th floor called Living Bar, great for nighttime viewing of Tokyo.

Have to agree that you get the most out of Tokyo by walking around I am very envious.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Just wandering around the streets and really getting a feel of the place is what I want to do, my hosts are taking me on more conventional sightseeing. The Shinjuku area that Herr Tubthumper describes sounds just the kind of place I want to see.

If you're staying in Akasaka then you're staying in a really good, central location. It's quite a modern, exclusive area(a lot of government offices are in the area) but it's right in the heart of Tokyo. You'll be about a 10-15 minute walk from the Imperial Palace which is worth a wander around(although you can' actually go inside). Something you can do on your first night is check out Hie-jinja- a shrine near Akasaka station. It's not the best in Tokyo but it has a cool path leading to it. You walk up a slight hill through a series of small red torii.

If you want to check out the modern side of Tokyo, the hustle and bustle go to Shinjuku. It's all neon, drinking and host/hostess/strip clubs, 'soaplands' and love hotels(with a few of Herr Tubthumpers small back alleys thrown in for good measure). If you go to West Shinjuku then you can go to the Tokyo Metropolitan offices building-where, as Culvers said-you can get a great, free view of Tokyo. The lost in translation bar is also nearby and does offer a very good view of the city aswell. An added bonus of west Shinjuku at night is seeing all the kids practicing their break/hiphopdancing . As you meander through the skyscrapers you have to pick your way through the kids busting their moves infront of the reflective windows. Also the walk that Culvers mentioned is good. Walking around shibuya, across to Yoyogi Park and Meiji Jingu(Tokyo's best shrine) and down into Harajuku/omote sando and Aoyama. Actually, Omote Sando/Aoyama is not too long a walk(about 30mins?) from Akasaka...

If you want a taste of 'old' Tokyo/Japan, go to Asakusa and Ueno and the surrounding area's. Asakusa has Senso-Ji-Tokyo's best temple complex-and lots of Edo-era old school flavour. Ueno has Ueno Park-not that impressive in winter but home to a lot of very good museums, including Tokyo National Museum which has a load of old Japanese historical artifacts and art in it. Well worth a look if you're interested in that sort of thing.
It might be an idea to start in Ueno, move across to Asakusa(three stops on the Ginza line, or a 20minute walk) and then from Ginza take a night cruise down the sumida river to Odaiba/Tokyo Bay.

Or, if you want to go drinking with a load of other foreigners and meet some accomodating native ladies head off to Roppongi.

Basically, there's loads of stuff you can see/do. If you want more info let me know.

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Double post.

 

[culvers]

God I bloody love Tokyo! You'll have a great time.

 

[Muzzman]

God I bloody love Tokyo! You'll have a great time.

Me too, I was there for a couple of weeks in the summer, my first day on the back of about 35 hours jet lag, completely pissed, I couldn't find my hotel in shinjuku and got lost walking around Roppongi (the red light district) for three hours.. that was an interesting introduction to the place.

LOL

 

[Safeway]

Tokyo is a city that should be experienced rather than seen, if that makes sense. There are no really good tourist attraction sights like The Eiffel Tower, tower of London etc. Rather it's a city that you should just wander around and experience.

I'd go along with that. And the great thing about Tokyo (and Japan in general) is that it's very safe and you're extremely unlikely to pay over the odds for anything, so can just wander around without the worry of stumbling into any dodgy areas - even the red light district is nothing like as menacing as London or Amsterdam.

Takeshita Street in Harajuku is WICKERD. Just like the North Laine.

Oh yeah, and stay in a capsule hotel for a night if you can. They're FUN.

 

[Muzzman]

Takeshita Street in Harajuku is WICKERD. Just like the North Laine.

I loved that place, have a picture somewhere of a couple of japanese girls wearing horses heads when I went down there

 

[Safeway]

I loved that place, have a picture somewhere of a couple of japanese girls wearing horses heads when I went down there

Did you see the shop with the sign in the window saying 'No picture. f*** off!'?

Didn't get a picture unfortunately.

 

[Yorkshire-Seagull]

Could spend ages recommending things, but 'must-do's' are...

Gonpachi restaraunt - where they filmed Kill Bill. Fantastic food and atmosphere.
"Electric Alley" shopping district. Cheap electrical stuff, and full of hot girls in costumes.

Also, go on a bullet train - fantastic experience.

 

[cheshunt seagull]

Great stuff. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. I won't get much time to myself but this will help me make the best of the time I get. I am really interested in the contrast of modern and traditional and I have got some really good ideas here. I am being taken to the Meiji Shrine, Harajuku and Akihabara on Sunday and after that it is a few very full days of meetings with a couple of evenings off. I am really looking forward to it

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

Great stuff. Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. I won't get much time to myself but this will help me make the best of the time I get. I am really interested in the contrast of modern and traditional and I have got some really good ideas here. I am being taken to the Meiji Shrine, Harajuku and Akihabara on Sunday and after that it is a few very full days of meetings with a couple of evenings off. I am really looking forward to it

Akihabara? Don't go! Unless you have a particularly keen interest in geeks and electronics. It's a soulless, joyless place. There are far better places to go/see in Tokyo than that dump. Sorry to put a downer on it, I just can't find anything about Akihabara to reccomend it. Enjoy the rest of your time here though!

 

[Yorkshire-Seagull]

Akihabara? Don't go! Unless you have a particularly keen interest in geeks and electronics. It's a soulless, joyless place. There are far better places to go/see in Tokyo than that dump. Sorry to put a downer on it, I just can't find anything about Akihabara to reccomend it. Enjoy the rest of your time here though!

Akihabara's fantastic!! When I went this year, someone was MURDERED 10foot in front of me by a nutter with a sword !!! Apparantly just a random slaying too - happens regularly there....

Full of cheap porn and electrical goods though.

 

[Arthritic Toe]

Akihabara's fantastic!! When I went this year, someone was MURDERED 10foot in front of me by a nutter with a sword !!! Apparantly just a random slaying too - happens regularly there....

Full of cheap porn and electrical goods though.

Was it a blonde girl in a yellow motorcycle suit?