Tokyo beckons
A year after tsunami disaster, Japan’s dynamic capital is eager to welcome tourists back
“EE-RA-SHY-MA-SAY!” The phrase is shouted by a chorus of enthusiastic female sales clerks who bow deeply in my direction. They are literally telling me to “come in” — the standard greeting delivered by everyone, from the grizzled owner of the tiny neighbourhood bar, to the army of smiling, uniformed sta at the 14-storey department store I’ve just entered on this unseasonably warm November day in Tokyo.
Ah, Japanese service. It’s part of what makes visiting this small island country so appealing to westerners. Here, it’s not just service with a smile: It’s service with a bow and a hearty “Irasshaimase!”
But no matter how loudly they shout, the world’s tourists don’t seem to be listening.
On Sunday, it will have been one year since a 9.0-magnitude earthquake and tsunami hit the northeast coast of Japan, killing nearly 16,000 people and displacing 300,000 more. It also triggered a meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant — an unprecedented tragedy for the immediate region that also triggered panic and anxiety the world over. Tourist numbers plummeted, and have yet to bounce back.
Which is why I’m here. The Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau wants the world to know that the capital was nowhere near the zone of nuclear fallout. (Tokyo is 250 kilometres from Fukushima.) They’ve brought in reporters from all corners of the globe, and produced charts to show that radiation in Tokyo is actually lower than in other major world cities. (According to their numbers, it’s twice as high in Seoul, for instance.) They point to a city-government website that shows levels have been falling steadily since the disaster. And they stress that radiation is not elevated in precipitation, nor in tap water.
Certainly, all seems business as usual. The rush-hour subways are still packing in hordes of sweaty commuters. The high-end designer stores in Ginza are still full of impossibly elegant women. Busloads of hardy seniors roam the city’s spacious gardens. And there are plenty of foreigners about, including resident expats with their young children.
Yet a visitor to Tokyo today has more room to enjoy the sights than she would have over a year ago. Couple that with a decade-long hangover that has lowered prices since Japan’s bubble economy burst, and this is an excellent time to visit one of the most vibrant and varied cities on the planet.
Yes, many neighbourhoods are noisy, crowded neon jungles, and some subway stations resemble highspeed mazes. But among them, you’ll also find quiet neighbourhoods full of Buddhist temples — and so many pretty, peaceful gardens, you’d need months to visit them all. There’s also contemporary design and architecture you won’t find anywhere else in the world. All you need is a good guidebook and willingness to get lost.
I spent a week there in November, but a visit in springtime is ideal, when clouds of pink and white cherry blossoms blanket the city and the usually staid Japanese let their hair down, gathering in parks to eat and drink under the trees well into the night.
There are also lots of festivals (matsuri) in spring, from Buddha’s birthday and the Tokyo International Anime Fair in April, to May’s rowdy Sanja Matsuri (when ornate palanquins are carried around Asakusa Shrine) and Design Festa, a huge arts and design fair.
Summer in Tokyo is equally dynamic, with hours-long fireworks displays in July. In August during O-bon, the Japanese visit the graves of their ancestors, while folk dances lit by thousands of paper lanterns are performed on temple grounds.
Here are some highlights of my visit, which can be enjoyed year-round. Because of Tokyo’s immense size, I’ve broken them down by area.
Asakusa (northeast)
Asakusa is Tokyo’s tourist mecca, and for good reason. The side streets and back alleys surrounding the city’s oldest temple, Senso-ji, are a nostalgic, pedestrian-friendly throwback to the Edo period, when the Tokugawa shoguns ruled Japan. Walk o your jet lag after dark, when the crowds have left, the streets are lit by lanterns, and the temple complex is illuminated to spectacular effect.
Approach Senso-ji from the Thunder Gate (Kaminari-mon, impossible to miss with its massive red paper lantern) and walk the 950 metres down Nakamise-dori, a lane lined with souvenir stalls. Since the temple’s founding in 628 AD, pilgrims have stopped at these small shops, which still sell pretty paper products, woodblock prints, handbags and samurai swords. (Today, you’ve also got your pick of Pokemon key chains and temple-shaped fridge magnets.) Grab a steaming-hot bun filled with sweet bean paste to go, or an attractive box of traditional snacks to take home.
After weaving through the throngs at the temple, head to the right for a look at Asakusa-jinja, a Shinto shrine built in 1649.
On the opposite side of Senso-ji, you’ll find the small but beautiful Japanese garden of the same vintage, Denbou-in. (There’s a small entrance fee.)
Sumida-ku (east)
Just south of Asakusa on the other side of the Sumida River is the EdoTokyo Museum, essential if you’re at all interested in the city’s history, from its humble beginnings in 1590, to when Tokyo hosted the Olympics in 1964. The museum’s size is somewhat overwhelming, but the exhibits are excellent, including the life-size kabuki stage (actors and all), a replica of the Nihonbashi bridge, re-creations of houses and stores through the ages, and palanquins and rickshaws kids can climb onto. (edotokyo-museum.or.jp/english)
Ueno & Yanaka (northeast)
Ueno Park (Ueno Koen) is home to a wealth of museums and shrines, including the must-see Tokyo National Museum, which contains the world’s largest collection of Japanese art. (The kimonos and samurai armour alone are worth the price of admission.) Tokyo’s oldest public park is also a great spot for cherry-blossom viewing.
For a break from the congestion of central Tokyo, nearby Yanaka is a quiet area crammed with small Buddhist temples. Stroll down the pedestrian street, Yanaka Ginza, with its tasteful gift stores and casual eateries, before heading into the scenic Yanaka cemetery, home to a large population of feral cats. At the far end of the cemetery, look for the impressive seated copper Buddha (cast in 1690) in the courtyard of Tenno-ji, a Buddhist temple belonging to the Tendai sect.
Harajuku & Shibuya (west)
If you visit no other religious site in Tokyo, make it the urban oasis that is the grand Meiji jinja, a popular Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his consort, Empress Shoken. Write a wish on one of the small wooden plaques called ema, then keep an eye out for one of the Shinto weddings that frequently take place on the grounds. The shrine also hosts an annual spring festival called Haru no Taisai, featuring imperial court music and dance, as well as Noh and kyogen plays — all open to the public. (meijijingu.or.jp/english)
From the sublime to the frivolous (and the old to the young), cross the street to Takeshita-dori, a shopping alley aimed at teens looking for the latest retro-punk fashions. Get an eyeful of the Harajuku girls in their elaborate “cosplay” outfits, but ask first before taking a photo.
The headquarters of Design Festa, the annual arts and design festival held in May, is a rabbit warren of tiny avant-garde galleries, where you’re likely to find the artists themselves hard at work. You can’t miss the colourful graffiti-covered entrance.
Try some cheap and cheerful okonomi-yaki (a delicious savoury pancake) at Sakuratei, the on-site restaurant that’s popular with students and artists alike. (designfestagallery.com/index—en.html)
In an area full of high-end designer stores, the exquisite Nezu Museum houses East Asian antiquities collected by rail magnate Kaichiro Nezu. Even more impressive than what’s inside, though, is the adjacent garden full of pagodas, tea houses and sculptures. The minimalist café overlooking the garden is a tranquil place to have lunch. (nezu-muse.or.jp/en)
No visit to Tokyo is complete without making the famous Shibuya Crossing. Join the hundreds of pedestrians who surge simultaneously into this massive intersection from all directions.
It’s a thrilling, Blade Runner-esque experience, made all the more impressive at night, when towering video screens light up the mass of humanity below.
Roppongi (south-central)
The cool, ultra-modern Roppongi Hills is the perfect counterpart to Old Japan. This city-within-a-city is an architectural feast for the eyes, with the 54-storey Mori Tower at its young heart. It costs about $20 to reach “Tokyo City View” on the 52nd floor, where you’ll get a breathtaking, nearly 360-degree view of the city, but that also includes entrance to the Mori Art Museum, with its excellent collections of contemporary Japanese art.
While you’re up there, have a drink in the Mado Lounge, which is part of the observation deck. Both the deck and the museum are open late. (roppongihills.com/en/guide)
Akihabara (central)
Fans of Japanese comics won’t want to miss Akihabara. In one of Tokyo’s most bizarre districts, anime aficionados can hang out in themed cafes, or gawk at fellow devotees dressed as their favourite characters.
Also, “Akiba” is THE place to shop if you’re in the market for state-ofthe-art Japanese electronics.
For lower prices and better variety, try venturing beyond the bigname stores right near Akihabara station.
If that’s not your thing, there’s a brand-new, futuristic shopping arcade in Akihabara called 2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan. (The number indicates its distance of two kilometres and 540 metres from Tokyo Station.)
A long line of small shops selling high-quality, handmade crafts runs under an elevated train track. Regular workshops are offered by the onsite craftspeople.
Shinjuku (west)
Shinjuku Station: You haven’t truly experienced the Tokyo subway until you’ve navigated the colossal hub that is Shinjuku, with its 50 (!) exits, multiple levels and kilometres of tunnels.
You, too, could be among the four million people who move through it every day, making it the world’s busiest station.
After dark, take either the west or east exit for a stroll through the neon-lit side streets, all packed with hopping bars, casual eateries and karaoke joints.
If you’re lucky enough to be in Tokyo when the cherry trees bloom, the huge park that is Shinjuku Gyoen has 1,500 of them, so get your camera ready. Check out the traditional tea house at the park’s south end.