Tokyo is really really big. It actually consists of 23 different cities that have their own special attractions. Since it doesn't make too much sense to tell about all of these different cities as if they were one city, we have subdivided Tokyo in the following way.







Akihabara has the largest concentration of electronics shops in the world. There are good deals to be found. Most shops have English speaking staff.  Foreign visitors can get refunds for taxes paid.  Remember to bring your passport as proof of foreign residency.  The big shops also have locations in Shinjuku West Exit with prices being about the same but Akihabara specializes in the foreign market.



Asakusa is famous for its temples and pagoda.  Across the river you can see the Asahi Beer building.  It's the cube-shaped black building with the gold *thingy* on top.  If you don:t know what is supposed to represent.... don't feel bad.  The gold worm like thing is commonly refered to as the 'turd'.  Enjoy the veiw but if you want to drink down some suds and eat some food the restaurant on the ground floor of that building can accomodate any hunger or thirst.

Ginza has fabulous shopping opportunities for equally fabulous prices. It is an extremely busy place. Apple's first retail outlet is located in Ginza.  The Mac Store has English speaking staff & 4 floors of that computer cult culture for all to enjoy.



Harajuku Takeshite dori is a high school girl's dream street.  With cheap fashions abounding and sickly sweet crepes made *Japanese* style guaranteed to rot your teeth and add buxom to your fashion vocabulary.  On the other side of the spectrum, continue to Omotesando, the fashion avenue, with names like Armani, DKNY, Jean-Paul Gauthier, and Chirstian Dior to name a few, fashion is everly where!  How much you want to spend is up to you!

Marunouchi is the area around the huge Imperial Palace. The newly renovated Marunouchi Building is filled with spectacular dining opporunities.



Roppongi is the place to go to for nighlife. Filled at night with energy, people from around the world walk the streets in search of fun and excitement. This part of Tokyo never sleeps.  Adult entertainment, a play groud of sorts is yours for the enjoyment.



Shibuya is north of the center and has shrines and trendy shops.  With its neon, traffic, and huge tv screens, it resembles New York City's Times Square. This is the center of youth fashion for the affluent Japanese teenager.  Styles change weekly with hip designers along side more established names in the big *departo*  Be sure to visit *centa-gai* the main street just across the scrabble crossing in Shibuya (it world's busiest pedestrian crossing).  Great food awaits visitors who venture into mid-range Izakaya.  Traditional Japanese food is very healthy, light and nutritious!



Shinjuku offers good shopping facilities and high skyscrapers. Famous for the movie-famed hotel in "Lost in Translation" and Takashimaya Department stores flagship location TIME SQUARE.  Shinjuku station is one of the busiest in the country. 





Ueno has a beautiful park, some good museums and temples.



To get from one end to the other, the best thing to do is to use the metro system. Although it takes some time to get used to it, it is by far the fastest and cheapest way to get around. For more info see Getting Around. With the new *foreigner friendly* revision (April 2004) even the most novice of traveller can get from 'Shimokitazawa' to 'Kokuritsu Kougijou Tokyo-to taiku kan mae' with no problem.  All the lines have a designated letter, and all the stations have a number.  Navigating the 'Tokyo Metro' has never been easier!



Among the highlights of Tokyo no one can afford to miss are: the Sony building in Ginza, the Imperial Palace, the temples of Asakusa, Shinjuku Gyoen park in Shinjuku, Meiji Shrine, Korakuen Garden, the sight of the sacred mountain of Fuji in early morning (mainly visible during winter. A good spot is from top of Government Building in Shinjuku "the To cho"  long vowels), the Tuna auction at dawn in Tsukiji Market. If you can, try to see a Kabuki performance as well.



Banks are open from 09:00am to 03:00 pm Monday to Friday (closed on national holidays). There are Citi-bank locations in the largers centers for those people using the *PLUS* system but be warned, the Japanese banking system is not always as advanced as other industrialized countries.

Akihabara
Asakusa
Daisetsuzan
Ebisu
Fukuoka
Fukuoka City
Ginza
Hateruma Island
Hiroshima
Iriomote Island
Ishigaki Island
Izumo
Kamakura
Kansai
Kitsuki
Kobe
Kokura
Kyoto
Marunouchi
Mito
Miyako Island
Moji
Nagano
Nagasaki
Nagoya
Naha
Nikko
Osaka
Roppongi
Saitama
Sapporo
Shibuya
Shikoku
Shimonoseki
Shinjuku
Takayama
Taketomi Island
Tobata
Tohoku
Tokashiki Island
Tokyo
Tokyo Odaiba
Ueno
Wakamatsu
Yahata
Yokohama
Yonaguni Island
Zamami Island