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CHAPTER 1

TOKYO’S

‘Don’t Miss’ Sights

Tokyo Skytree towers above eastern Tokyo

Observation deck at Roppongi Hills

Cable car station at the foot of Mount Takao

Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa

Whether discovering historic temples or finding yourself hopelessly lost in translation, Tokyo offers visitors an unforgettable range of experiences and sights. The 13 listings that follow is my own selection of Tokyo’s ‘Don’t Miss’ Sights, chosen to provide a taste of all the components that come together to make a trip to Japan’s capital so memorable.

1 Meiji Jingu Shrine

2 Omotesanda Shopping Avenue

3 Tsukiji Fish Market

4 Tokyo Skytree

5 Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa

6 Sumida River Cruise

7 A Stroll Through the Yanaka District

8 Akihabara

9 Edo-Tokyo History Museum

10 Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown

11 A Visit to Oedo Hot Springs in Odaiba

12 Shinjuku Gyoen Park

13 A Hike Up Mount Takao

MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR VISIT

With so many things to see and do, knowing where to start and what to explore in Tokyo is no easy task. So what to do? You could stare down jetlag on your first day by getting up bright and early for the Tsukiji Fish Market (page 11) where the frenetic early morning tuna auction should jolt you into life. After a sushi breakfast at the market, take to the streets of nearby Ginza for its famed department stores and boutiques, and then stroll over to the Imperial Palace (page 26) to catch a glimpse of the off-limits palace buildings and wander its landscaped outer gardens.

On your second day, you could explore the city’s old east side, starting with Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa (page 13) before browsing the culinary ware stores of nearby Kappabashi (page 72). Alternatively, soak up the east-side vibe with a trip to the Ueno district (page 33) for the lively Ameyoko street market, several of the city’s best museums, and some down time in Ueno Park before a couple of hours strolling around the narrow, winding back streets of Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi (collectively known as Yanesen, page 15)—an older, more down-to-earth side of Tokyo that belies the city’s hectic, neon-drenched image.

On your third day, immerse yourself in central Tokyo with a stroll among the fashion-conscious throngs of Omotesando-dori and the teenyboppers of Harajuku and Shibuya, on the way stopping at the magnificent Meiji Jingu Shrine (page 9). Another day could be spent first browsing the electronics and geeky (otaku) stores in Akihabara (page 36), then plunging into the crowded streets of Shinjuku (page 37)—the epitome of brash, modern Tokyo—or the more stylish Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown urban develop-ments in Roppongi (page 18).

For a fun family day out, look no further than Odaiba (page 42). With attractions that include the Oedo Onsen baths (page 19), one of the coolest science museum’s kids will get to see (page 73) and arguably Japan’s most mind-blowing amusement arcade (Joypolis, page 74), the man-made island has enough to keep adults and kids of all ages happy until well past bedtime. Alternatively, you could brave the crowds and head east of Tokyo to the Tokyo Disney Resort (page 74).

As well as exploring Tokyo, also try to get out of the capital and discover some of the spectacular historical and natural sites on its doorstep. Even just a day trip out of Tokyo will give you a whole new perspective on Japan. If time is limited, get up early and have a day trip to Kamakura (page 44), the 13th-century capital, to take in the Daibutsu (Great Statue of Buddha) at Hase’s Kotoku-in Temple (page 44) and many other ancient sites. If you prefer a taste of nature, head an hour west of Shinjuku and hike up Mount Takao (page 21).

If you can spare a night away from Tokyo, catch a train a couple of hours north to the World Heritage Tosho-gu shrine in Nikko (page 51), the outrageously lavish complex built by Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo era (1603–1868). You could do this as a long day trip, but it’s far better to slowly explore Nikko’s temples and shrines and still have time to take in the nearby Kegon Waterfalls and Lake Chuzenji (page 53). Better still, that will give you the opportunity to stay in one of Nikko’s traditional inns (ryokan). For an alternative place to try a ryokan, head just under two hours west to Hakone (page 54) for a soak in one of the area’s many natural outdoor hot springs and for superb views of majestic Mount Fuji (page 55).

1 Meiji Jingu Shrine

Tradition and tranquility amid the urban sprawl

Dedicated to the souls of the Emperor Meiji, the man who lead Japan’s transition from feudal state to modern world power in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and his consort Empress Shoken, the quiet hush and calm of Meiji Jingu Shrine and its inner precinct (the Naien) is a perfect example of the contrasts that have come to define Tokyo—of the modern city standing at ease alongside the old city and its enduring traditions. In Meiji Jingu’s case, this enclave of “old Japan” rubs shoulders with the youthful, anything-goes Harajuku area and cosmopolitan Omotesando-dori.

After passing under the first of Meiji Jingu’s three grand torii gateways, walking along gravel pathways shaded by the towering forest that enshrouds the main shrine, it’s hard to believe all this (shrine and 28-hectare/70-acre forest) was built only after the emperor’s death in 1912, construction eventually finishing in the fall of 1920. In fact, the buildings that are here now date only to the late 1950s when they were rebuilt after being leveled in the air raids that destroyed so much of Tokyo in 1945. Yet, regardless of age, the inner precinct is undoubtedly ancient in manner. On one visit you might see a Shinto wedding procession gracefully moving through the grounds. On another you will see people writing wishes on wood plaques and hanging them on racks in front of the main shrine, where people bow to pray, only their gentle ritual hand claps punctuating the silence.

Not surprisingly in this city of contrasts, Meiji Jingu’s outer precinct (the Gaien) couldn’t be more different to the tranquil inner. Stretching over 32 hectares (80 acres), the Gaien is home to parkland and an incredible array of sports facilities, including the 48,000-seat National Stadium, the main venue for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The International Olympic Committee is always keen to talk about the “Olympic legacy” the games leave in each host city, and with the Gaien they have a legacy that—like the shrine itself—has managed to stand the test of time.

Opening Times The main shrine is open daily from sunrise to sunset. Getting There A several-minute walk from either Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line or Meiji Jingumae on the Chiyoda Line. Contact Meiji Jingu Shrine: www.meijijingu.or.jp. Gaien: www.meijijingugaien.jp. Admission Fee Meiji Jingu Shrine is free.

2 Omotesando Shopping Avenue

Tokyo’s chicest street is defined by high fashion

If you had to pick one place that best encapsulates “chic Tokyo”, this 800-meter (2,625-foot)-long zelkova-lined boulevard and the side streets that wind off of it would have to be it. Although it was originally created as an approach to Meiji Jingu Shrine (page 9) in the Taisho era (1912–26), Omotesando-dori has become synonymous in recent years with two things: high-end shopping and modern architecture.

The area is home to the flagship stores of brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada and Dior as well as architectural master- pieces such as Tod’s, a slim, L-shaped building encased in an enclosure of sharply angled concrete elements and polygonal glass plates that was designed by 2013 Pritzker Prize winner Toyo Ito. Then there’s Omotesando’s centerpiece, Omotesando Hills, which transformed the street when it opened in 2006. Designed by acclaimed architect Tadao Ando, the 250-meter (820-foot)-long mall runs along a quarter of Omotesando-dori’s length. Some 100 shops and restaurants as well as 38 luxury apartments are housed on the inside, which is defined by a six-level atrium stretching three stories above ground and three below, with a spiraling ramp connecting the different levels.

Not that all the shops along Omotesando-dori fall in the high-end or high-style bracket. Opposite Omotesando Hills is the fantastic Oriental Bazaar (page 72), a one-stop shop for almost every conceivable souvenir, from “I Love Tokyo” T-shirts to beautiful used kimono and even fine antique furniture. On a street known for its cutting-edge architecture, you’ve got to applaud the brashness of the bazaar’s faux oriental temple façade, which looks like something transplanted straight from ancient China. Like the many other mismatched buildings in Tokyo, it poses the question: just who is in charge of planning permits?

Getting There Omotesando-dori can be accessed at one end by Omotesando Station on the Chiyoda, Ginza and Hanzomon subway lines, and the other by Meiji Jingumae Station on the Chiyoda Line and Harajuku Station on the JR Yamanote Line.

3 Tsukiji Fish Market

Get up early for lively auctions and a fine sushi breakfast

I wonder what the original fishermen of Tsukiji would make of the giant wholesale market that now dominates the Tsukiji area. When the first Edo-era shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, brought fishermen in from Osaka at the start of the 17th century to supply his new capital with seafood, the area was no more than mudflats. It wasn’t until the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, after which Tokyo’s small private markets were consolidated into large wholesale venues, that Tsukiji took its current form—and what a form!

Today, Tsukiji is home to more than 60,000 wholesalers, buyers and shippers supplying Tokyo’s restaurants and shops with what amounts to more than 700,000 tons of seafood a year. To give that some financial context, each day more than ¥1.5 billion ($15 million) worth of produce is traded here, and not only seafood. To a lesser extent, Tsukiji also trades in vegetables, meat, and even cooking utensils, while the outer part of the market houses numerous small sushi bars (I recommend Ryuzushi in Building

No. 1, which is open from 6.30 a.m.).

Now for the bad news. Although the outer market is great to visit any time before lunch, to see Tsukiji at its best you really need to get there very early. At just before 5.30 a.m. the market bursts into life with the ringing of a bell that heralds the start of the daily tuna auctions in a cavernous warehouse filled with rows of frozen tuna. What follows is a blur of hand signals set to a cacophony of hollers—a rapid to and fro between auctioneer and wholesalers that’s incomprehensible to the outsider. It’s like watching a classical performance but with choreographed Kabuki moves and kimono replaced by rubber boots and overalls. More bad news. The tuna auctions are limited to 120 people on a first-come basis, with registration starting at 5 a.m. To guarantee a place, be in line by an ungodly 4 a.m. at the latest.

Opening Times 5 a.m.–3 p.m. Closed Sun and 2nd/4th Weds. Getting There Tsukiji Market is a short walk from either Tsukiji Shijo Station on the Oedo subway line or Tsukiji Station on the Hibiya subway line. Contact www.tsukiji- market.or.jp Admission Fee Free.

4 Tokyo Skytree

Tokyo’s newest landmark dominates the eastern skyline

You can’t spend a day in eastern Tokyo without catching at least a few glimpses of the most recent high-rise addition to the city’s skyline. When I walk to my local shops, almost 10 km (6 miles) from the Skytree, its white metallic lattice frame (officially dubbed “Skytree white”) is always there in the distance, sometimes piercing a bright blue sky, sometimes partially visible through gray cloud. Take an evening run along the Arakawa River and it’s my constant companion to the west, its purple and gold or pale blue illuminations flickering above the rest of the cityscape like the lights of a hovering spaceship.

Opened in 2012 after four years of construction, Tokyo Skytree was built by Tobu Railway and a group of six terrestrial broadcasters in part to relay radio and television broadcast signals and in part to be the centerpiece of a commercial development comprising several buildings that combine restaurants, vertigo-inducing observation decks, amusement facilities, such as an aquarium, and office spaces. It also ended up becoming one of Tokyo’s biggest tourist attractions, with some 1.6 million people visiting in its first week of business.

Part of the attraction is the height. At 634 meters (2,000 feet), the Skytree isn’t just the tallest structure in Japan, it’s the tallest tower in the world and the second tallest structure of any kind in the world after the 830-meter (1,900-foot) Burj Khalifa in Dubai. The potential for sweaty palms and dizziness aside, the 360- degree views from the two observation decks, 350 meters (800 feet) and 450 meters (1,4675 feet) up, are mesmerizing, with Tokyo transformed into an incredibly detailed moving diorama far below.

Opening Times Open daily 8 a.m.–10 p.m. Getting There From Asakusa Station, take the Tobu Skytree Line one stop to Tokyo Skytree Station. Alternatively, it’s a 15- minute walk from Asakusa. Also accessible via Oshiage Station on the Hanzomon Line. Contact www.tokyo-skytree.jp Admission Fee 350 m observation deck, ¥2,000 (¥2,500 for a reserved day/time ticket to avoid the queues, which can be hours long); additional ¥1,000 to then go to the 450 m deck. Cheaper tickets are available for children of various ages.

5 Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa

Tokyo’s most venerable and colorful Buddhist temple

According to legend, there has been a temple in Asakusa since the 620s when two brothers caught a golden image of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, in their nets while fishing in the nearby Sumida River. Awestruck by the tiny statue offered up by the water, the story goes that they were inspired to build a temple in which to enshrine it.

To be fair, the temple nowadays splits opinion. For some people it’s become a bit of a tourist trap, for others it’s still one of Tokyo’s best attractions. If you ask me, it can be both. Nakamise-dori, the vibrant shop-lined street that forms the main approach to Senso-ji, in places is as tour-isty as it gets in Tokyo, with its plastic samurai swords and slow-moving horde of tourists. The rest of the Senso-ji Temple complex is simply magnificent.

Senso-ji greets visitors with the mighty Kaminari-mon (Thunder Gate), a roofed gate standing almost 12 meters (39 feet) high and 12 meters wide under which hangs a 680-kilogram (1,500-pound) red paper lantern. Protected on either side by the menacing bronze statues of Raijin and Fujin, the gods of thunder and wind, Kaminari-mon is merely a taste of what’s to come. At the other end of Nakamisedori, the two-story Hozomon Gate stands 22 meters (72 feet) high and is decorated with three giant lanterns and two 362- kilogram (800- pound) straw sandals. Used to store many of Senso-ji’s most precious relics, it is guarded by two grim-faced 5-meter (16-foot)-tall statues of Nio, the guardian deity of the Buddha. Beyond that, in air heavy with pungent incense, comes a five-tiered pagoda and the larger, albeit less ornate, main building, in front of which visitors pray and wave incense smoke over themselves for its supposed curative powers.

I’m not sold on the curative effects of smoke but I am sold on Senso-ji. In the middle of a city as modern and cramped as Tokyo, it’s an incredible combination of tradition and scale.

Opening Times Open 24/7. Getting There Senso-ji is a several-minute walk from Asakusa on the Asakusa and Ginza subway lines. Contact www.senso-ji.jp. Admission Fee Free.

6 Sumida River Cruise

Take to the water for a different perspective on the city

A journey down the Sumida River from Asakusa takes you close to both Tokyo’s past and the different faces of its present. The city’s expansive but often overlooked waterways were once crucial commercial arteries that helped drive the city’s growth, and today you’ll still see giant barges plying the waters carrying industrial material. At night, you’ll also see the orange lanterns of traditional yakatabune houseboats heading up and down the rivers, nowadays carrying drinkers and diners on party cruises.

As you leave Asakusa and head south down the Sumida, the Skytree gradually shrinking in the distance behind you, the river begins to offer views of everyday Tokyo that you won’t find by wandering the streets of Ginza or Roppongi. There will be the occasional angler fishing from the concrete river bank and ageing gray apartment blocks accented by futons hung out on balconies to air—some being beaten to purge the dust mites. Every so often you’ll see a cluster of makeshift cardboard homes covered by blue tarpaulins to keep out the rain, and then enclaves of glistening high-rise, high- rent apartments that are home to more fortunate waterside residents.

For an additional ¥300 on the fare, the journey is even better if you rent one of the English audio guides that give an insightful commentary on the history of Tokyo and sights along the river. Also think about which route you want to take. There are quite a few available, all going down the Sumida River and then heading off to different parts of Tokyo Bay, but the best two for combining with other attractions are the 35-minute direct route from Asakusa to the Hama-Rikyu Gardens (page 77) and the 70-minute Asakusa to Odaiba route (see page 32) that requires a transfer at Hinode Pier.

Opening Times The first boat of the day leaves Asakusa at 9.50 a.m. They then run once or twice an hour until around 7 p.m. See the website below for timetables. Getting There The Asakusa pier is a one-minute walk from Asakusa subway station. Contact www.suijobus.co.jp (mostly in Japanese, but with some English). Admission Fee Asakusa direct to Hama-Rikyu (¥760), Asakusa to Odaiba via Hinode (¥1,220).

7 A Stroll Through the Yanaka District

Discover “Old Tokyo” in this eastside village neighborhood

Yanaka, one of three adjoining neighborhoods that together make up the area known as Yanesen (Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi; see pull-out map K2), was best described by noted American writer Donald Richie when he called it “One of the best preserved sections of village-Tokyo.” As Richie explains in his book Tokyo Megacity, Yanaka owes its preservation to having somehow avoided both the devastation of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake and the fire-bombing of Tokyo in 1945. If you want to feel “old Tokyo”, then it’s Yanaka you need to visit.

Walk down Yanaka’s main shopping street, Yanaka Ginza, and you will find it lined with open-fronted mom-and-pop stores and small restaurants, ranging from Hatsuneya at the far end of the street, which sells traditional textiles and clothing, to the fine teas at Kaneyoshien halfway up and the hand-made candies at Goto no Ame at the start of the street. Wander off into Yanaka’s narrow back streets and it gets even better. You might stroll past the wooden house where Meiji-era novelist Natsume Soseki wrote his masterpiece I Am a Cat or the house-turned-museum where painter Yokoyama Taikan lived. The pair were two of many artists, literati and bohemians who, in the main thanks to Yanaka’s low rents, used to call the area home.

While Yanaka is best discovered by wandering aimlessly, letting the winding streets lead you where they will, make sure you find your way at some point to Yanaka Cemetery. The peaceful, incense-infused cemetery holds some 7,000 graves, including the resting place of the last shogun. It’s also one of Tokyo’s most tranquil spots except, that is, when the cherry blossoms turn much of its main walkways pink in early spring, attracting crowds of picnickers.

Opening Times Different shops along Yanaka Ginza close on different days. Most are open by 10.30 a.m. Yanaka Cemetery is open 24/7 (the office, where you can pick up a map of the famous graves, is open daily 8.30 a.m.–5.15 p.m.). Getting There Yanaka Ginza is a five-minute walk from the west exit of Nippori Station on the Yamanote Line. Yanaka Cemetery is one minute from the same station.

8 Akihabara

Japan’s home electronics and geeky mecca

Akihabara, which is located almost halfway between the Imperial Palace area (page 26) and Ueno (page 33), has come to mean two things to the Japanese: electronics and otaku. The first of those associations can be traced back to the black market trading of radio components in the area, which began shortly after World War II and then morphed into the legitimate trading of home electronics and gadgetry that today has made Akihabara the home electronics retail center of Tokyo. The latter association is more recent, Akihabara becoming the focal point for otaku (which you can translate somewhere near to geek), initially on the back of video gaming in the late 1980s but more recently on anime (animation) and manga (comic books).

What that means for visitors to modern day Akihabara is that from side street computer component specialists to one- stop megastores like Yodobashi Akiba (page 36), you won’t find a bigger or more varied collection of home electronics shops anywhere else in Japan. Nor will you see a better or at times more bizarre selection of stores specializing in manga, anime, video games, cosplay (costume play) outfits and all manner of hobby goods and collectibles.

If you wanted to build your own robot, you’d come to Akiba—as Akihabara is often called—for parts. Want to collect models of every character ever to have appeared in a Godzilla movie? This is the place to find Mothra and more. Need to complete your poster collection of super cute (or super irritating, depending on your stance) teen idol girl group AKB48? Come here before seeking out a counselor. Or just come and have a browse, not only at the stores but of the occasional oddballs in fancy dress wandering the streets. You don’t need to be an otaku or a techie to enjoy Akiba. For a fuller look at the area and a detailed run-down on many of its stores, look at the Akihabara and Shinjuku section on pages 36–7.

Opening Times Most shops in Akihabara open from 10 a.m. or 11 a.m. This might sound odd, but Akihabara is actually better on a weekend when it’s busiest; you’ve got more chance to see some unusual sights then. Getting There Akihabara Station is on the JR Yamanote, Chuo-Sobu and Keihin-Tohoku lines and the Hibiya subway line.

9 Edo-Tokyo History Museum

Learn about Tokyo’s fascinating and colorful past

Some Tokyophiles looking at this will be wondering how on earth the Edo-Tokyo Museum has been chosen ahead of the Tokyo National Museum (page 75) for this chapter. They have a point. The TNM in Ueno (page 33) has the largest and finest collection of Japanese artifacts anywhere in the world—some 100,000 pieces dating from the Jomon period to the early 20th century—but nowhere gives as much insight into the city of Tokyo and its development as the Edo-Tokyo museum.

Located in Ryogoku behind the country’s main sumo stadium (page 80), the six-floor Edo-Tokyo History Museum is divided into several zones. There are special exhibition areas, cafés and off-limits storage areas on the lower floors, but it’s the exhibits in the Edo Zone and Tokyo Zone on the fifth and sixth floors that mark the museum out for special attention. You enter the Edo Zone over a 25-meter (82-foot)- long wooden replica of the original Nihonbashi Bridge, the doorway to Edo for anyone traveling from places such as Kyoto or Nikko, and then proceed to take in incredibly detailed and evocative exhibits that include a full-scale replica of the kind of tenement houses in which Edo’s lower classes lived and the decorative façade of a Kabuki playhouse.

The Western influences that helped transform the city and Japan’s rapid modernization under the Meiji emperor are then brilliantly documented in the Tokyo Zone, as too are the devastating impacts of the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and the air raids of World War II. There’s a Model-A Ford from 1931, one of the foreign cars once used as taxis in Tokyo, which speaks of a time before Japan was producing its own automobiles. From the early Showa period (1930s), there’s the part- original, part-replica house of the Yamagoya family, featuring a dining room and living room built in a European log house style but bedrooms built in a traditional Japanese style—a wonderful example of Japan on its first steps to modernization after centuries of feudal isolation.

Opening Times Tues–Sun 9.30 a.m.–5.30 p.m. (until 7.30 p.m. on Sat). Getting There A three-minute walk from the west exit of Ryogoku Station on the JR Sobu Line or one minute on foot from exit A4 of the Oedo subway line. Contact www.edo- tokyo-museum.or.jp Admission Fee ¥600.

10 Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown

Two urban developments that have redefined Tokyo

Roppongi used to be the preserve of late night drinkers and restaurant-goers—just another drab piece of urbanity by day that would come to life only after dark. Today, with two of the city’s most fashionable urban redevelopments, it’s become the epitome of cosmopolitan Tokyo.

The catalyst for change was billionaire Minoru Mori, head of the giant Mori Building Company, and the $2.5 billion Roppongi Hills complex he launched to much hype in 2003. With more than 200 shops, boutiques, restaurants, cafés and bars as well as the sleek Grand Hyatt Hotel, the stunning Mori Art Museum (page 76) located on the top floors of the complex’s glistening main tower, plus, in separate buildings, the headquarters of Asahi TV and some of the city’s most exclusive apartments, it was rightly billed as a “city within a city”, breaking new ground for Tokyo with its scale and luxury. It set the stage for other sleek urban developments that would soon follow nearby.

Not to be outdone by Mori, Mitsui Fudosan, Japan’s largest real estate developer, built a city within a city of its own— Tokyo Midtown—within shouting distance. Opened in 2007, Mitsui’s complex is made up of five buildings and a central tower that, at 248 meters (814 feet) is the tallest building in Tokyo Prefecture. Its five-story Galleria is home to 73,000 square meters (790,000 square feet) of stores and restaurants, while the surrounding grounds include a spacious park and garden.

Where Roppongi Hills boasts the Grand Hyatt, Midtown has the five-star Ritz-Carlton (page 60), occupying the upper floors of its main tower. Midtown doesn’t do badly for art either, with the 21_21 Design Sight gallery and workshop, created by renowned architect Tadao Ando and fashion designer Issey Miyake to showcase modern Japanese design, as well as the Suntory Museum of Art and its fine collection of traditional Japanese art.

The result is two cities within a city, standing face to face, combining to create the quintessential contemporary Tokyo experience.

Opening Times Varies by store, attraction and restaurant, but most places within Roppongi Hills and Midtown will be open by 11 a.m. Check the websites below. Getting There Roppongi Station is on the Hibiya and Oedo subway lines. Contact Roppongi Hills: www.roppongihills.com. Tokyo Midtown: www.tokyo-midtown.com.

11 A Visit to Oedo Hot Springs in Odaiba

A traditional bathhouse experience with a little Edo kitsch

I can think of no better Japanese tradition than getting naked with strangers for a long soak in steaming hot water. If you head out of the city, to places like Nikko (page 51) or Hakone (page 54), you’ll have ample opportunity to try a hot spring bath. In Tokyo and other urban areas, it’s an entirely different story. Thank the hot spring gods for Oedo Onsen Monogatori in Odaiba, Tokyo’s largest artificial hot spring complex.

The baths at this onsen (hot spring bath) theme park include a classic rotemburo (outdoor bath) designed to feel as if you are soaking in a mountain rock pool as well as a lie-down massage bath and several other mineral-rich natural hot spring baths said to alleviate all manner of ailment, from stress to arthritis to dermatitis. Away from the main bathing area you can pop outside to the Japanese garden for a walk through its winding 50- meter (164-foot)-long foot bath, which in places is lined with pebbles and jagged rocks designed to massage your feet (admittedly, massage in this case at times means to inflict excruciating pain). If you have the stomach for it, you can follow that with a visit to the “Doctor Fish” foot bath (additional fee), where hundreds of tiny fish swarm over your feet to nibble away the dead skin.

Back inside, in an area designed to look like an Edo era town, there’s a food court with a dozen or so small eateries. There are also several different spa treatments to try, a lounge with massage chairs and a sauna. For children there are traditional games to try and occasional street performances. You could easily spend all day here.

The only real challenge at Oedo Onsen is knowing what you are doing at times. Here are some quick tips. As you enter the lobby, take your shoes off and store them in one of the lockers off to your left, and then go to the reception desk where you’ll be given an electronic wristband with which everything you buy inside will be scanned to your bill. At the next counter, pick up a colorful yukata robe to wear for the day (they have all sizes). Men and women split up here into separate changing rooms and then meet up again in the mock Edo town area after changing into their yukata. Like the changing rooms, the bathing areas (on the other side of the Edo area) are gender separated, too; as you approach the bathing zone, men are in the bathing rooms to the right, women to the left. As for the correct bathing etiquette, see page 86.

Opening Times Daily 11 a.m.–9 p.m. (last entry

7 p.m.). Getting There A several-minute walk from Telecom Center Station on the Yurikamome Line, which can be taken from Shimbashi (subway and JR lines). Contact www.ooedoonsen.jp/higaeri/english Admission Fee ¥2,480 weekdays, ¥2,680 weekends and public holidays (as of April 2014). Once inside, everything you eat, drink or buy will be charged to your bill, payable at reception upon leaving.

12 Shinjuku Gyoen Park

Tokyo’s finest park is the perfect respite from the city

In spring, cherry blossoms briefly bathe Shinjuku Gyoen in a delicate pink hue. In summer, lush green foliage is punctuated by varicolored rose beds before autumn brings rich, earthy tones and fallen leaves carpet the sprawling lawns. On the few days of winter when snow falls on Tokyo, the park is quiet enough to hear the frost and snow crunch underfoot. Throughout the year, there really is no finer place to escape the rigors of the city without having to leave it.

Shinjuku’s level of park perfection was a long time in the making. The park dates back to the Edo era when it was part of a daimyo’s residence, and it then became an imperial garden during the Meiji period before opening to the public shortly after World War II. Over those years it has developed into a wonderful mishmash of garden styles, its 57 hectares (140 acres) combining formal French garden designs, traditional Japanese elements, English landscaping and a greenhouse complex that is home to some 2,400 tropical and subtropical species. Encircling the lawns and ponds you can add to all that 20,000 trees, ranging from Himalayan cedars and bald cypresses to the blossoms that make the park’s central lawn a stunning cherry blossom viewing spot in late March and early April.

What’s just as amazing is the location. As you stroll in the peaceful grounds, silence threatened only by birdsong or the hum of summer cicadas, it’s hard to believe you are within walking distance of the heaving streets of Shinjuku (page 37) and one of the world’s busiest train stations. My advice for when Tokyo gets a little too busy for you is to pack up a picnic and a good book and take yourself off to Shinjuku Gyoen for a few hours.

Opening Times 9 a.m.–4.30 p.m. (last entry 4

p.m.). Getting There A 10-minute walk from JR Shinjuku Station (multiple lines) or a five-minute walk from either Shinjuku-gyoen-mae Station on the Marunouchi Line or Shinjuku 3-chome Station on the Toei Shinjuku Line. Contact www.env.go.jp/ garden/shinjukugyoen Admission Fee ¥200.

13 A Hike Up Mount Takao

A taste of Japan’s great outdoors on Tokyo’s doorstep

With more than 70% of the country being mountainous, no matter where you go in Japan a good hike is never far away, even in Tokyo. Mount Takao (aka Takao-san) is a prime example. At 599 meters (1,965 feet), and with the option of taking a cable car or chair-lift more than halfway to the summit, serious outdoor types wouldn’t break a sweat on it, but it’s proximity to central Tokyo and the opportunity it affords to take in a small part of Japan’s stunning great outdoors make it a great day trip nonetheless.

In all, there are seven trails that lead to Takao-san’s peak. While the most commonly used (by those who don’t take the cable car, anyway) is trail #7, opt instead for the quieter trail #6, an at times steep route through forest that leads past streams and a waterfall, in the process revealing many of Takao’s 500 or so types of wild flowers and plants. The reward for your effort—on a clear day, at least— will be majestic views from Takao-san’s summit out west to Mount Fuji. On the way back down, take trail #1 so you can pass through the colorful 8th-century Yakuno-in Temple. In fact, for a very special experience related to the temple, visit Takao on the second Sunday in March for the Hiwatarisai fire ritual. Crowds flock to the event to watch yamabushi (monks who practice Shugendo Buddhism) walk barefoot over burning fires and smoldering coals, and many of the spectators end up gingerly doing the same after the coals have cooled to a safer temperature.

For information on longer hikes in the region, check out Lonely Planet’s excellent Hiking in Japan guidebook or visit www.outdoorjapan.com.

Getting There The cable car and hiking trails are a five-minute walk from Takaosan- guchi Station on the Keio Line, which can be reached in about 50 minutes from Shinjuku. Allow up to two hours to hike from the station to the peak if you don’t use the cable car. Contact www.takaotozan.co.jp. Admission Fee Free, but charges apply for the cable car or chairlift.

Rainbow Bridge connecting Odaiba with central Tokyo

Nijubashi Bridge over the Imperial Palace moat

Manga and anime advertisements in Akihabara

Gundam statue at Odaiba

Mount Fuji looming over Lake Ashi in Hakone