Tokyo

[JohnnyM]

I'll be there for about 10 days in early July and would like a few ideas of where to visit, eat, etc. We are staying in the Takanawa area, as if that means anything to me at this point.

 

[brntorng]

If you're into the latest high tech gizmos--typically a year or two ahead of the US--check out the Akihabra district.

Can't recommend any specific restraunts, but do suggest you try a variety of Japanese cuisines. There are several more than are typically available here.

 

[Yellow Cake]

Tokyo changes so often that specific places are hard to recommend. However, if you can wake up early any morning, you would be remiss to not visit the Tsukiji fish market (which is scheduled to be moved in 3-4 years). It's right next to the Ginza shopping area, which is also a place to visit. The back streets of Ginza have some good art galleries and the Imperial Hotel (designed by Frank Lloyd Wright). The main street has lots of department stores, and the basements have grocery stores where you can meander along and sample lots of different food.

The easiest for foreigners bar district is Roppongi, which is just up the hill from the U.S. Embassy. On weekends, it can fill up with G.I.s and English teachers.

Ueno Park also has some good museums, great cherry blossoms (but in April) and a zoo, Meiji Jinja (Shrine) is nice, and the Shinjuku/Shibuya areas are interesting to see weird teenyboppers.

Kaminarimon in Asakusa is a great, accesissble Buddhist temple, with lots of traditional gift shops.

If you have extra time, day trips to either Kamakura (lots of temples, great food, on the ocean) or Mt. Fuji (esp. Hakone -- with one of the best sculpture gardens in the world) are also fun.

Regardless of where you go, you should try to eat local food. When I worked in Japan, my boss said that in four years, he had never eaten a bad meal -- and that was for any kind of food. Stay out of hotel restaurant (good food, but boring) and try around. Many restaurants have plastic model food in front, so you can take the waiter up front and point if language is a problem.

Have fun, because Japan is a great country to visit, and there are many other things to do.