Tourist Attractions In Tokyo

One of the loveliest gardens in Japan, the Shinjuku Gyo-en is situated in the heart of one of Tokyo’s most crowded, busy and bustling areas.   

The gardens sprawl over 150 acres, and incorporate not just a traditional Japanese garden, but also English and French-style gardens and a greenhouse bursting with tropical flowers. Originally the gardens of a family of feudal lords, the Shinjuku Gyo-en was taken over by the imperial family after the Meiji Restoration, and became a public park after the Second World War. It’s a medley of pathways, artificial hills, ponds and bridges, with close to 3000 types of plants, trees and shrubs. The gardens are at their best in April and October, in spring, with its cherry blossoms- and the flowers of around 1900 other trees; and autumn, when the chrysanthemum exhibition is held.

The Meiji Jingu is the Shinto shrine dedicated to the emperor Meiji and the empress Shoken (it was Meiji who overthrew the Tokugawa Shogunate ruling Japan, and put the country on the road to modernisation). The shrine, with its beautifully curving green copper roofs, its extensive gardens-there are an estimated 100,000 flowering shrubs here and its elegant wooden buildings, was originally constructed in 1920, eight years after the death of Meiji. The shrine was virtually destroyed during World War II, but was reconstructed in 1958. There are two times of the year when you must visit the shrine- one, in the late June when the irises in the Inner Garden of the shrine are at their lovely best, and two, on November 3. This day marks the birthday of emperor Meiji and it’s celebrated with a festival

Tsukiji is an area you shouldn’t go to if you don’t like the smell or sight of fish- it’s the site of the world’s largest fish and seafood market, and one of Tokyo’s- and Japan’s- most distinctive and busy marketplaces. Tsukiji gets started very early in the morning, and there is a constant crowd in the area, which has seafood auctions happening all the time. An interesting place to visit, if only to see one of Japan’s most significant industries in action. The area used to be the place where the earliest foreign settlements in Japan came up- the American diplomatic enclave had been here at one time, and reminders of it still stand, in the form of St Luke’s International Hospital, and other buildings. A large number of excellent sushi bars also exist in the neighbourhood.

The Imperial Palace: When Edo (present day Tokyo) was first chosen as the capital of Japan by the chieftain Ota, a castle was built on the bank of the Sumida-gawa River. This castle was later expanded, fortified and made a stolid and impregnable structure by the first shogun, Tokugawa. A huge complex of villas, gardens, moats, waterways, armouries and the like, the castle was surrounded by walls built to keep out invaders and intruders- but was unable to stand the passage of time. It was partially destroyed in the Meiji Restoration, and whatever was left of it disappeared in subsequent years. Today, restoration has been done to some extent, and on two days in the year- January 2 and December 23- the public is allowed to visit what remains of the Imperial Palace (it’s locally known as Kyoko). Otherwise, part of the palace- the East Garden- is open to the public all the year round. It encompasses a number of gardens, guardhouses, bridges, tea pavilions, moats, and other structures. A mustn’t-miss for anyone who’s interested in history.

 In 628 A.D, two fishermen brothers found a small gilded statue of the goddess of mercy, Kannon and took it to their master, who built the temple of Senso-ji to house the idol.

Over the next ten centuries, the temple was built and rebuilt a number of times; today, it’s a large complex, with a number of shrines in it. There is even one shrine dedicated to the two brothers who had discovered the sacred statue, one to their master, one to the goddess herself, and one to Heinai, the patron saint of lovers. Even if you don’t stay within the temple complex, Senso-ji and its environs are interesting: you’ll find some excellent craftsmanship in the nearby shops which sell traditional Japanese arts, and the area is a good place to see kabuki performances.

The Tokyo Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan (the Tokyo National Museum) is one of East Asia’s best, and has an impressive collection of exhibits from the region, and not just Japan. It consists of four separate buildings, each with a different category of exhibits; there are sculptures, scrolls, terracotta figures, masks, paintings, calligraphy, weapons, ceramics and more. The main building in the complex is called the Honkan and has over 87,000 exhibits- around 80 of which have been deemed 'national treasures’ by the government. The Honkan holds two special exhibitions every year, in April-May and October-November, when collections from foreign museums are displayed. It’s a good place to visit, except that it can get very crowded and the lighting isn’t at its best.

Nezu Institute of Fine Arts is less crowded than the National Museum, and with a very good collection too. It houses the private art collection of the famous Meiji tycoon and politician Kaichiro Nezu, and is an impressive display- some of Japan’s best art is on display here- in the form of ceramics, calligraphy and paintings. Not only is the museum worth a visit, the gardens surrounding it are also lovely- among Tokyo’s best. They stretch over 5 acres, with flowering shrubs, shady trees, ponds, waterfalls and teahouses (seven, in all). The gardens are beautiful, and fortunately not crowded.

Tokyo has other sights to see, of course- you’ll find museums, gardens, temples and interesting sights tucked away in half-forgotten parts of the city. Often obscured by the concrete buildings and busy streets surrounding them, but they’re there, all right.