Tokyo huh, I wish I can also go there, but this April maybe I go to China.

You've got great timing, you are going to get here smack in the middle of cherry blossom season. For viewing purposes I would recommend Shinjuku-gyoen (park) - it's a beautiful large park near Shinjuku station, and it costs about $2 to get in. Other things not to miss:
- Tsukiji, the central fish market (try to get there before 7am)
- the Hara Museum of Contemporary Art (http://www.haramuseum.or.jp/generalTop.html)
- the rice paddies on top of Roppongi Hills

Eat sushi, early and often! It's better there than anywhere. You can, of course, spend a fortune. But you can also find tiny shops that only do take-out, where you can get quite good sushi for cheap.

Do be aware, however, that it's a very homogeneous culture and that you're not Japanese. I accidentally shooed business away from a sushi bar one evening just by being there. Many places will welcome you, but if they appear discouraging ("Only sushi - only sushi"), be polite and go elsewhere.

Oh, and go see kabuki. Probably incomprehensible unless you both speak Japanese and are steeped in the culture. But very cool anyway.

Tsukiji is a great idea, especially if you're already waking up around 0400, which you probably will at some point. If you're up, it's no problem to get there by 0500, which is definitely the best time -- if you wait until 0700, you'll miss (as far as I know) the big auctions.

Even (or maybe especially) if you're not religious, be sure to visit a shrine and follow the ritual when you do so:

• Cleanse yourself by rinsing first your hands, then your mouth (using your left hand) from the stone wash basin.
• Make your offering by ringing the bell, bowing twice, clapping twice, bowing once more, and throwing your coin(s) into the offertory.

You must visit Akihabara. There's no place quite like it in the world.

A non-obvious suggestion: If you're staying in Shinjuku, it's a short walk to the Japanese Sword Museum. Very few people seem to know about this little museum tucked away in a residential district, and yet it houses what is probably the world's greatest collection of Japanese swords. It's staggering, really, to look at swords that are 500, 600, 700 years old and that look as if they were made yesterday.

One of the best views in Tokyo is free, from the top of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices. Again, if you're staying in Shinjuku, it's a very short walk (and only a 10-minute walk from Shinjuku-eki (station) if you're passing through the area).

Have a great time!

I hear that there is a oracle, available via blog, that is able to answer all questions:

http://sylloge.typepad.com/questions/

if you want to do-it-yourself,
http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/route/index.html

and for your reading pleasure...
http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/survivalmanual.pdf

take care and enjoy :)

i've never been to tokyo, but i suggest posting your question on the giant robot msg boards. lots of asia/japan-ophiles on there that can tell you what to see and do.

or check out justin's book just in tokyo

I just visited Tokyo earlier this year and these are some of my favorite places:

GA Gallery in Sendagaya (publishers of the GA series of architecture books) often has interesting architecture exhibts

Museum of Emerging Science & Technology (MeSci) one of the best science museums in the world!

Collezione in Minato-ku, a small building by Tadao Ando that houses a number of small fashion boutiques.

Spiral Building, in Minato-ku often has interesting exhibits as well.

Any large supermarket. I spent many fun hours in japanese supermarkets. Be sure to check out the rice seasonings. The packaging for rice seasonings (as well as many other common household items) are works of art!

have fun!

this isn't tokyo, but i understand that it's a doable day trip? kyoto! especially with the blossoms out. bring "memoirs of a geisha" for the plane trip.

Fight Gyoza
http://www.white-gyouza.co.jp/detail/detailB01.htm

Shinjuku Gyoen
http://www.shinjukugyoen.go.jp/english/english-index.html
...and its cherry blossoms:
http://www.shinjukugyoen.go.jp/sakura/english-sakura.html

Rolling Stone
http://raydude.com/stone.html

Hachiko
http://metropolis.japantoday.com/biginjapanarchive349/303/biginjapaninc.htm

Two days isn't much time, so if you have any specific interests, email me.

when we went to the MeSci we were practically the only ones there. it was like we were outnumbered by the staff 5 to 1, kinda weird going from floor to floor and exhibit to exihibit with someone ready at each station to answer all your questions and explain what's going on/what it is you're supposed to do, WHILE NO ONE ELSE IS AROUND. kinda unnerving really.

also fun is the fuji TV station nearby, it's the weird-looking building :D can't miss it! also if you have a free day, a day-trip up to mt. fuji is pretty excellent. or just walking through the food-stall/shopping district in shinjuku can be pretty great. oh and they're some nice parks around too.

If you have a day to get away, I would strongly recommend Kyoto. If you don't have enough time for that, then a smaller version can be seen in Kamakura (about 1 hour away if I remember correctly). l lived in Tokyo for six months and Kamakura was one of my favorite places. I also recommend Asakusa and second the votes for Tsukiji (especially if you like sushi, my husband had the best sushi in his life there at 4:30 in the morning), Akihabara, and for the parks. Cherry Blossom (sakura) season is one of the prettiest and most celebrated times there and people picnic all over the parks.

If you want, I have some pictures posted from my time there in this page towards the bottom, where it says "japan."

I loved being there and miss it quite a lot, I hope you have tons of fun! :)

oh and i totally forgot about Hamarikyu Garden which is also breathtaking.

tsukiji market is a must see. the world's biggest fish market. its HUGE. and may be replaced/relocated in the next few years. so see it now. and i would be happy to show you around it if you like. just send me an e-mail.

also the meiji picture museum is very cool... meiji egakan... like 80 super large paintings narrating the life of emporer meiji showcased in a breathtaking (by early 20th century standards) european style marbleized palace type building. and as a bonus you get to see his favorite horse, which is now stuffed.

at some point you should go in some tall building -- the mori building, or the tocho city hall building -- and get a sense of the scale of the city.

and sensoji temple in asakusa is touristy, but also very beautiful and fun. one of my favorite places to go, as everyone there is having a good time. and its only a few minutes away from kappabashi kitchen town.

and kamakura is a good day trip out of the city. and beautiful now. the daibutsu - big buddha - is splendid. my hero. nothing seems to bother that guy.

Asakusa - touristy, but great! The shopping street leading up to it is full of kitchy souvenirs, but get into the back streets and you will find some absolutely amazing shops selling beautiful paper, fabrics, traditional clothes, etc.

Nikko - an easy day trip from Tokyo and the best way to see lots of amazing temples and shrines all in one place. Some of Japan's most famous temples are here, and it's great when you don't have a lot of time as there is so much in the one place.

One of the best places to see Tokyo from above is the Park Hyatt in Shinjuku. The lounge in the lobby has lots of tables by the windows, and it's 40-odd floors up. The people watching inside isn't bad either. We had tea and chocolates (very tasty, though not cheap).

The other great people-watching thing to do is wander through Harajuku where all the teenagers go to buy the latest in funky clothes. This is the epicenter (or at least one of them) of Toyko street fashion.

Spend a day to wander from Ebisu through Daikanyama (lots of clothes shops, cool cafés, stylised second-hand book shops and my all-time favourite record shop -- apart from maybe Zulu in Vancouver -- Bonjour Records) and on to Nakameguro, where you can find more small interesting shops and the people who run them, along with Gas shop/gallery (of Gas Books fame) Cow Books (another hyper-tasteful used book shop) and places like Organic Café (with a Groovisions full-size Chappie figure standing guard at the door) and Depot (restaurant/bar run by Organic Café under the railway along from Nakameguro station).

You could start earlier than Ebisu and go from Shibuya, but you risk just sticking around there a whole day by itself. You must at least walk across the intersection by Shibuya station. And go to Tokyu Hands, the most amazing DIY shop in the world -- a whole packing tape department, wood, signage, stencils, bicycles, crafts, you name it.

I liked Office, a bar on the 5th (?) floor overlooking a busy intersection around Aoyama. They had good DJs, illustration exhibitions, a carefully-stocked bookshelf and by day it does kind of function as an Office for people, with a photocopier and little pencils and erasers hidden in drawers at each table.

And get locals to take you to an amazing hidden izakaya somewhere (Japanese inn with fantastic food + drink).

Too many things to do in Tokyo. Mori Art Museum, of course, too...

We are working on a school project and we need to learn about place to go and we have no clue about tokyo and so if we could get a little information on places and things to do in tokyo then will you email us and tell us about some places thank you so much!!!

*Patyn and Cierra*

If you're up, it's no problem to get there by 0500, which is definitely the best time -- if you wait until 0700, you'll miss (as far as I know) the big auctions.
electric scooters pocket bike mini chopper skate board q scooter

Should you rent a car in Tokyo? Can you get everywhere with public transportation? We will be in Tokyo for 10 days in march a nd we have no clue where to go or what to see. Any suggestions?

Hey this website is fantasic!

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thank you!