Old Moaner Travel
I haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on my list
Tokyo
I have to confess I'm no fan of cities, I find them too crowded, unfriendly, noisy and always come away feeling annoyed, vowing never to go again.
So you can imagine how I felt about visiting Tokyo, the largest, most populous city on Earth, to say my expectations were low would be an understatement.
40 years ago (is it really that long) I visited San Francisco for the first time and I fell in love with the place, as the song says I left my heart there.
I’ve done a great deal of travelling in those 40 years but nowhere I have been has come anywhere near matching San Francisco- until now.
I have, to my utter surprise, found a new favourite city - Tokyo.
It’s a surprise because it’s everything I usually hate about a city .... brash, crowded, busy but it’s a city of contrasts, spotlessly clean, highly functional, a sublime mix of old and new which complement one another but the icing on the cake is the really friendly people.
Tokyo is a crowded city ….. but it works. The pavements may be overcrowded in places but pedestrians are disciplined and basically walk in “lanes” to keep movement flowing. There is no sudden stopping to cause a blockage. Even those walking, glued to their phones still seem to have a built in collision avoidance system. The discipline extends to light controlled crossings, if the crossing man is in red then nobody crosses, even if there is no traffic. When the green man appears pedestrians keep to the left, avoiding the awkward cha-cha-cha you can sometimes get when meeting opposing pedestrians.
The locals are unfailingly friendly, as is indeed the case throughout Japan, if you look lost someone will invariably ask if you need any help – faced with the same situation in London it’s odds-on you will be ignored.
Tokyo is also an incredibly clean city, people just do not intentionally drop litter. If you accidentally drop any litter it is soon pointed out to you, as I found out when I took my phone out of my pocket and inadvertently pulled out a receipt, which fell to the floor.
Many streets in the city ban smoking and eating whilst walking is also a big no no
Tokyo is also an incredibly clean city, people just do not intentionally drop litter. If you accidentally drop any litter it is soon pointed out to you, as I found out when I took my phone out of my pocket and inadvertently pulled out a receipt, which fell to the floor.
Many streets in the city ban smoking and eating whilst walking is also a big no no.
I think it’s impossible to overstate just how big Tokyo is, in reality, it is several cities amalgamated into one massive metropolitan area. Tokyo actually consists of 49 municipalities or wards (I suppose similar to London boroughs).
23 of the wards, which were part of the original city of Tokyo, maintain a special status, and are self-governing boroughs and are identified by having the title city in their English translation, e.g. Sumida City.
Being really semantic Tokyo is a Prefecture rather than a city.
Just to confuse matters even further Tokyo has numerous islands, some as far as 1,150 miles away!
Tokyo is prone to earthquakes, being near the boundary of three seismic plates, the city experiences hundreds of minor (magnitude 4-6) earthquakes a year.
The last major earthquake to hit the city was back in 1923 then a magnitude 8.3 quake killed 142,000 people.
Tokyo has hot humid summers, which can be uncomfortable for those not accustomed to such conditions, although air-conditioning abounds, even on trains.
Getting There
For international visitors Tokyo has two international airports, both o0n the outskirts of the city as the post World War Two settlement forbids Japanese planes flying over Tokyo.
Narita airport is situated 37 miles (60km) east of central Tokyo, whilst Haneda, built in reclaimed land, is 8.7 miles (14km) south of the city.
Narita is the main airport for trans-continental international flights, however Haneda is picking up more international flights and is much more convenient if you wish to travel to central Tokyo.
The fastest way from Narita to the city is by the Keisei Skyliner express which takes between 36-41 minutes and is non-stop to the city centre to either Nippori or Ueno. All seats must be reserved and the cost is 2,500 yen (£19) - plus a reservation charge - each way.
The Narita express takes a minimum of 50 minutes to reach the city but it stops at many of the major stations, including Tokyo and Shinagawa for Shinkansen connections. Oddly enough this service is more expensive than the Skyliner with a single fare costing 3,070 yen (£23.35).
For a more leisurely and cheaper transfer, coaches take from an hour, stopping at most of the main tourist areas and the cost of a one way journey is 1,000 yen (£7.61)
From Haneda there are two “railway” connections for getting to the city centre. There is a monorail from the airport to Hamamatsucho station, which connects to the JR circular line, the monorail is operated by JR, so if you have a JR pass it can be used on this service. If you don’t have a pass the journey will cost you 200 yen (£1.52)
There is also a private railway line which connects to the main city rail network, trains operate frequently and fares are determined by the distance travelled. For example, travelling to Asakusa in the north of the city will cost 840 yen (£6.39)
Numerous buses connect to most areas of the city and, again, fares will be determined by the distance travelled.
Getting Around
Anyone who thinks the London Underground is complicated will be pulling their hair out in Tokyo, the rail network in the city is complex, not helped by the fact several companies operate services. There are 62 train lines and 900 railway stations in Tokyo.
To be honest the best way to get around is use an app like Google Maps, search your destination and ask for public transport options. Beware there is an app called Citymapper and it's total rubbish .... yes it gives you public transport directions but the routes are convoluted and certainly not the most efficient, one example it gave a route with two changes taking 50 minutes as the best option, yet there was a direct route which only took 35 minutes and that was not a one-off.
On the Tokyo subway the lines are coloured and named.
Additionally to the great relief of overseas visitors each line as a designated Latin letter, so for example the Oeda line is coloured magenta and is designated line E. Each station on the line has a number, so Daimon station on the Oeda line is station E20. At Daimon the station also connects with the Rose coloured Asakusa line, line A, and Daimon station is A09 in this case.
Payments can be a pain as different companies operate different lines, your best bet is to purchase a prepaid travel card and let the system calculate your fare as you tap in and tap out on each journey.
There is a comprehensive bus service in the city but bear in mind Tokyo is huge and the roads busy, so only catch a bus if you’re not in a hurry.
Buses tend to be used as a feeder service from residential areas to railway stations as, to be honest, most sites and places a visitor would want to go to will be close to a station.
What To See
Where do I begin, to be honest there is too much to cover in a review like this, so I will concentrate on the places I visited during a three day stay in the city.
First of all it is important to remember the American’s virtually razed Tokyo to the ground during World War Two, so the overwhelming part of Tokyo is post-war.
However some areas did escape the bombardment and one of the best areas to see older Tokyo is the Asakusa area, which is where I was based in my visit.
Asakusa is a blend of ancient and modern, with the historical highlight being the Senso-ji Temple, the oldest temple in Tokyo, tracing its roots back to its founding in 628. The shrines have been rebuilt many times since then.
The site has a serene feel but can get very crowded during the day. It’s more peaceful to visit late evening when most of the crowds have dispersed and the main buildings are all beautifully illuminated.
The entrance is dominated by the Kaminari-mon Gate, flanked by two gods.
Beyond the gate is a huge incense burner where the faithful burn pink incense stick creating a lovely aroma.
The main hall is considered to be the spiritual centre of the city and it is impressive, with a gold and lacquered altar being the focal point.
Throw in some delightful gardens, too many shrines to mention and a five tier pagoda even if, like me, you think religion is a load of superstitious twaddle you cannot fail to be taken in by the serenity and majesty of the place.
On the approach to the shrine is a road of brightly coloured stalls, selling mainly touristy trinkets and souvenirs. However, littered amongst them are some interesting street food stalls.
One sold some sublime lemon cakes. There also had sweet potato cakes, which I tried with some scepticism to discover they were very sweet and nothing like sweet potato as we know it.
The whole area around the temple has an historic feel about it ….. whether the old buildings are originals or post-war reconstructions is academic as the certainly have an authentic feel.
Many are shops and restaurants. When the shops close at night, down come the shutters, each with stunning, Japanese inspired artwork.
This historic area is surrounded by modern buildings and shopping malls but they don’t detract from the fell of the area.
One shop worth mentioning is Don Quijote, it’s a branch of the Japanese discount store chain (there are several branches throughout Tokyo). The one here is over four floors and open 24 hours. They sell virtually everything and at really good prices. Especially interesting are the selection of Japanese sweets – there are some very interesting selections. It’s a brilliant place to buy some different gifts to take home.
Across the river from Asakusa is one of the iconic attractions and sights of Tokyo, the Tokyo Skytree. At 643m (2,019 feet) tall the Skytree is the tallest freestanding building in the world.
Like most of these towers the top section is dedicated to radio and TV transmitters and is not accessible to the public.
There are, however, two public viewing platforms at 350m (1,148 feet) and 450m (1,476feet) respectively, offering stunning views of Tokyo .... on a clear day you can even see Mount Fuji in the distance.
The tower, you will be pleased to hear, is earthquake proof, although if you are of a nervous disposition I should warn you, even without an earthquake, you are aware of movement in the building when at the higher levels.
The lift from the 350m - 450m level has a glass roof which allows you to see the lattice construction of the tower and it is especially impressive at night.
The attraction is popular and booking in advance is recommended, although the evening I visited there were immediate tickets available with a wait of less than five minutes.
There is a complex pricing structure for tickets, with prices being more expensive on public holidays. A combined ticket for both viewing levels is between 3,100 and 4,200 yen (£23.58 - £31.94), the latter being a fast track ticket. To visit just the 350m level tickets are 2,100 yen through to 3,200 yen (£15.97 - £24.34)
The tower is open 365 days a year from 08:00 - 22:00, with the last admission at 21:00.
I’ve already mentioned the rail system in Tokyo and the 900 station …. the main station is Tokyo station, a lovely red brick (quite a rarity in Tokyo) construction.
A short 15 minute walk from Tokyo station is the Imperial Palace. The East Gardens are open to the public – free of charge – but I have to say they were a bit of a disappointment They weren’t bad but I expected more or the Imperial Palace, boring is the best way to describe them although it didn’t help there’s a great deal of construction work taking place in the grounds.
There are plenty of gardens to visit in Tokyo and the Koishikawa Korakuen Garden is more like what you would expect a Japanese garden to look like.
Home to lakes, bridges, including the obligatory red bridge, there are numerous acers and maples which will create a colourful display every autumn.
A word of warning though, if you’re one of those people who attracts mozzies take care, certainly don’t walk around in shorts or a skirt, unless you want to be their main meal of the day.
In a way the gardens are incongruous as they are surrounded by high rise buildings. Open daily from 09:00 – 17:00, last entry 16:30, admission is 300 yen (£2.28) – be warned they only accept cash and the nearest ATM is a half mile walk each way – just mentioning.
A free park to visit is Ueno Park with plenty to attract even the most discerning visitor. As per normal there are several shrines and temples in the park.
The park is also home to Ueno Zoo if you’re into that sort of thing.
There are two large lakes, one a traditional boating lake and the other an amazing lotus pond, in
September the lotus plants were so big you could barely see the water – an impressive sight.
However the park comes into its own every spring as it is home to avenues of cherry trees and the park hosts Tokyo’s largest cherry blossom festival
tokyocrossing
Shibuya is a large commercial centre with shopping malls and high end stores, I cannot tell you any more than that as I cannot abide shopping.
However the area is also Tokyo’s answer to London’s Piccadilly Circus, with giant neon advertising signs.
It is also home to the famous Shibuya crossing ….. it was fun standing there watching people crossing the road in all directions, with crossings going across the roads and diagonally.
I am partial to going on a river cruise and in Tokyo I can thoroughly recommend the Samurai River Cruise. Sailing on a traditional vessel, authentic Japanese food is available and the trip includes an amazing cultural show, with friendly performers. The trip goes around Tokyo Bay and, at the right time of the year, you get to see the fireworks display at Disneyland Tokyo.
Prices vary depending on the menu chosen with prices starting from 9,200 yen (£70) for the two and a half hour cruise. If you don’t fancy the dinner cruise they also offer lunch and sunset cruises.
(prices quoted above are correct as of September 2019)
