Tokyo: Top Picks

Tokyo is one of my all-time favorite cities. There. I said it. The city is noisy, expensive, strange, sprawling, and did I say expensive? Still, I love it. Warts and all. It must be the energy. You feel it in the streets. Not just that big city energy. Delhi or Bangkok have lots of that. No, its a creative energy. A kind of rush - a feeling that you're in a city with one foot in the future (or another world altogether) and the other foot in the past. Almost unreal. In fact, on the surface few things seem real in Tokyo.

The cityscape resembles those toy cities you see in, well, Japanese toy stores. Everything fits into place like blocks of lego. Everything moves. Simultaneously. The trains, the traffic, the people. And fast. Everyone is going somewhere. Anywhere. And in all directions. No wonder Tokyo is a city of signs, signals and instructions. These manage the chaos and remind people to move here or there - usually in cute and sweet voices coming from loudspeakers in trains, street corners, elevators, vendo machines - yes, even the toilet.

Mind you, Tokyo is not a nanny state where Big Brother is always telling you where to go and what to do. No, Tokyo is a democratic society and maybe the signs are the only way to keep natives from literally bumping into each other. I know it helps get you to your train on time. Life in the city is much too fast and the population too huge to allow any room for being lost - or slow. The city just wouldn't work.

That's one of the great things about Tokyo. It works without anyone pushing anyone around. People just know their place in society and they dutifully follow those expectations. For those who don't - there's always the signs and singsong instructions. Tokyo works without you having to know how it does. Trust it. That's what the Japanese are best at. Trusting the system. Their system. Trusting the flow- of life. Which is why they value social cohesion most - and a good level of predictability and conformity. It's called Wa. The cultural network of roads and side streets that keep this hyper-modern city one of the most enjoyable places for a foreigner - a gaijin like me - to get lost in.

My favorite picks:

Food Tripping.

We all love Japanese food. Or at least food advertised as Japanese. Not until you come to Tokyo. Then you'll really go crazy over the real thing - Japanese cuisine for and by the Japanese. It has to do with the ingredients - somehow always fresh. Unfortunately, it's often boils down to money. You get what you pay for - and in Tokyo even a sidewalk dish of yakitori is pricey. But, guaranteed to taste better than what you're used to. The Japanese have very high standards for the way their food tastes and looks. Even the humble salaryman demands the best for his yen.

The Tsukiji fishmarket by the bay is on every guidebook but few visitors bother to wake up before sunrise to see the market at its best. Be there at about 5 in the morning when the blast-frozen blue-fin tuna fish is unloaded and brought to the market for the pre-dawn auction. Here hundreds of whole fish are displayed and checked for their quality before being sold to the highest bidder - mostly wholesalers with deep pockets who then resell the fish to Tokyo's top establishments. The best ones - usually those with the best fat and structure - are sold fastest. The rest go to smaller buyers and whatever remains makes it to the market stalls where its cut and sold to late-comers.

The market itself is an attraction. If it swims - its sold here. Eel, blowfish, prawns the size of lobsters, lobsters the size of well, giant lobsters. They're brought here from all over the world just to whet the famously demanding Japanese appetite for fresh seafood. Which, by the way, you can sample in any one of the many seafood stalls in the periphery of the market. Its freezing cold and I choose the fresh prawn tempura in a soup of buckwheat noodles. There are fewer ways to start the Tokyo day right.

With a bigger budget - or generous host - you can explore the heights of Japanese cuisine. Try a kaiseki meal - similar to the French degustation - small, but many portions of delicately prepared entrees using traditional ingredients and cooking methods. Best to have a local gourmand take you as prices for a quality kaiseki are astounding and making the right choices make all the difference between a heavenly but expensive meal and a mediocre but expensive meal.

Big spenders will have no trouble finding the best money can buy. Tokyo has more Michelin starred restaurants than France itself and that says a lot about local standards - for quality and price.

Like fish, beef figures prominently in the Japanese menu. Yakiniku, or thinly sliced beef grilled to your liking, is another variation of a beef dish that's popular among locals. Grilling raw chilled beef puts the quality of the meat to the ultimate test so only Wagyu or beef from the Kobe prefecture is preferred. Beef lovers should try the original Kobe beef (Matsusaka or other varieties) sought after for its superior marbling of fat. The cow is kept in a pen and massaged (so they say) to keep its meat extra tender and fatty. Prices for the best varieties are stratospheric but when expertly cooked - yakiniku or teppanyaki style - it's worth your every yen.

Gourmands are spoiled for choice in Tokyo. Best to seek a credible dining guide or local knowledge as some of the best Japanese restaurants are hard to find and don't advertise. But obscure isn't necessarily better. Some of the most famous restaurants deserve the hype. Like Nobu. Named after its founder, Nobu is worth braving the long waiting list. So book in advance. If not, the seats by the counter will do if you're dining alone or with a friend. Take advantage of your proximity to the sushi chefs and order some hamachi, yellow tail tuna or toro (a super milky tuna)which is prepared before you. Nobu is modern Japanese cuisine so be adventurous and try their salads and meat dishes too. He was around to greet guests like myself and maybe this explains my shameless plug.

For more moderate budgets - it's still possible to score some mouthwatering meals. For fans of sukiyaki Tonekyu in Asakusa is a great place to try this Japanese dish and the traditional shitamachi ambience of the location is a bonus. The establishment is more than a century old and they still use shoji screens, tatami flooring and floor level dining. But the thinly sliced beef - sourced from the Shiba prefecture is the real star. Yummy.

There are no quality cheap eats in Tokyo except maybe for neighborhood ramen noodle shops - which are surprisingly tasty. Splurge a bit on some gyoza (dumplings) on the side to enhance the humble noodle soup. If desperate, there are always the ubiquitous Japanese convenience stores - Lawsons and 7-11 - where the cheapest snacks can be scored. Or when you're down to your last fistful of coins - Tokyo's vendo machines! These machines dish out the cheapest cola, coffee, tea and instant noodles in all of Tokyo and you can find one practically on every street corner or train station.


Luxury Shopping.

Tokyo is expensive enough as it is so why is it also the global capital for luxury goods? That's because despite Japan's declining status as an economic superpower - the Japanese, and the Tokyoites in particular, are still some of the highest paid in the world. But there's more to it than just high incomes and low interest rates. For the Japanese - luxury goods are the most convenient way to set themselves apart in a society profoundly conformist. Brands are extensions of the Japanese self - they are where one's emotions or personalities are literally worn on the sleeve. And in wealthy, but emotionally suppressed, Tokyo - brands are everything.

Everyone knows Ginza is Tokyo's brand central. The clean, wide avenues of Ginza have for decades been the parade ground for Tokyo's elite. Every imaginable global luxury brand can be found here - in stores often bigger and more elegant than what you'll find in Paris, Milan or New York. It doesn't matter that the Japanese are way more petite than Parisians or Milanese - European fashion houses enjoy better sales here than in their homeland. Take Louis Vuitton. There are more LV flagship stores in Tokyo than in any other city - for now. It's almost like every Tokyo lady - teenager or elderly - has one. A real one.

Ginza's status as Tokyo's preferred destination for big-brand luxury shopping is currently being threatened by neighborhoods like Roppongi, Aoyama and Omotesando. The response has been to build even flashier flagship stores than those that have recently come up in rival locations. Not to miss is the new Chanel building and its glossy facade and Cartier's shiny new flagship store right beside. (Funny thing in Tokyo is how these brands build more than a single flagship store). Also to check out is the newly built De Beers store built in an impossibly sexy shape.


The market for luxury goods is so wide in Tokyo - the boutiques and department stores of Ginza aren't enough. For hardcore luxury fashionistas there's the Aoyama-Omotesando retail district - Tokyo's answer to the Champs Elysee or 5th Avenue. Only better. Architecturally speaking, at least. Here it's as if the flagship stores of European and Japanese luxury brands are on steroids. The kind that make it look fabulous and beautiful.

My favorite is still the Prada building. Especially at night when the interior lights are magnified by the cut glass facade forming a diamond-like structure rising from street level. Its from Pritzker prize-winning design team Herzog and de Meuron and it cost an entire year's profit for Prada to construct. Few stores are as beautiful inside-out. Or as expensive to build.

Beside it is the equally elegant and similarly jewel-like all-glass flagship store of Cartier (another one?). As if in some egotistical and money-no-object competition for bragging rights, every high end luxury brand is rushing to put up some architectural landmark along Aoyama-Omotesando. All the better for us who can now enjoy the luxury retail experience without the platinum credit cards to match. Indeed, retail has been elevated into an art and just like art - it can be appreciated without having to own it. That's exactly what I do - appreciate these cathedrals of brand worship from the sidewalk.

Check out the bleeding-edge Comme des Garcons store along Aoyama - both for the clothing sold and the space-agey, minimalist store design by Futureworks. The store design was supervised by Comme des Garcons' Rei Kawakubo herself and provides the perfect introduction to her clothing line. The interiors are very much like the brand and its founder. No piped in music; no clutter; no gimmickry. Only the clothes attract attention and there's lots to pay attention to. Rei Kawakubo's different lines of Comme des Garcons (Homme Plus, Noir, Play, Deux, etc.) are all represented here under one roof. For clothes by her proteges Junya Watanabe and Tao - take a short walk to the street behind and check out 10 Corso Commo. Originally from Milan, the store is a one stop lifestyle store for those who share a similar passion for the Comme des Garcons aesthetic. Way too cool.

Down Omotesando is the handsome Louis Vuitton building (yet another one!?) by Jun Aoki. It's cleverly designed to resemble a stack of LV trunks. The top floor is a VIP only section where top clients and celebrities do their shopping (and hanging around) in private.

The Dior store by Sejima and Nishizawa is on the same side and quite a sight at night with its gleaming, translucent facade.

Not to be outdone is the TOD's flagship store nearby. This one by another Japanese legend - Toyo Ito. At night you can appreciate the tree-like silhouettes on the facade - meant to look just like the zelkova trees that line Omotesando. Brilliant.

Across the street is Omotesando Hills - a new retail and residential concept in Tokyo designed by one of the biggest names in Japan - Tadao Ando. When I was in Tokyo in 2001 the property was a nondescript but apparently important landmark of apartment buildings. These were demolished in what continues to be a controversial move. Ando has tried to make up for that with an ingenious design sensitive to the environent. The end-product is a building that spirals deep into the bowels of Tokyo. Almost every upscale brand known to Japan can be found here including a Jimmy Choo Boutique and Taschen bookstore - a first in Japan. In jumbo screen crazy Tokyo, I like the tasteful use of large panel LCD screens which come alive with patterns of nature or moving artworks by local and international artists. (Julian Opie in 2006). I was at the opening where Tadao Ando and then Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi led the rites and I must admit being rather starstruck - by Tadao Ando, that is.

Omotesando Hills is what the future of retail in Tokyo looks like: apartments in an upper level and shops on the lower floors. Tadao Ando attempts to blend his architectural design with the natural topography and landscape of Omotesando Hills to much success. How? First, by building downwards instead of up so that the structure maintains the same height as the street's tree line (and gives all apartments views of the trees). The gently sloping interior floors mimic the street's and with the use hi-tech lighting and ultra directional speakers - light and sound patterns similar to the outdoors are projected inside to keep the atmosphere as natural as possible. The effect is like strolling down Omotesando - temperature controlled, of course.

Cool Shopping.

We now know what big spenders Tokyoites are - especially when it comes to clothes. Again, in conformist Japan, clothes say a lot about inner feelings and desires - things that can't be said so openly. So Japanese, young Tokyoites mostly, splurge on clothing and accessories to reveal what they normally wouldn't say about themselves. And this is what makes Tokyo's young fashion districts so interesting and colorful.

Much has been said about Shibuya. In fact, Shibuya is that single image most often used to describe Tokyo's youth culture. You know that shot of Shibuya - the one with the famous intersection with the jumbo screens. Shibuya is where most middle class kids come for their Starbucks (said to be the busiest in the world), their music (the most number of vinyl and CD stores in a 1 km radius I've seen), their clothes (name the label, it's here), and most of all for each other ( teens and young adults of all shapes and sizes). Kids rule here and the global retail industry knows it. That's why the place is crawling with trend-watchers snapping away and taking notes on what the young Tokyoites are wearing, eating or reading. (These trends are sent back to some marketing company for focus group research and product development and then sold to the rest of us two years later!)

In truth, Shibuya is not really all that hip - unless your'e a foreigner who still thinks bleached hair and thigh-high socks are. In fact, Shibuya and its natives are rather cliche'. Still, this is where trends observed in other parts of city are reinvented into more commercially viable products. Tokyo is so ahead of the world in terms of style - foreigners should be forgiven for believing Shibuya and its tribe of funky kids are on the cutting edge of Tokyo's style scene.

If Shibuya is where you'll see trends in full swing, Harajuku is probably the laboratory where many of these trends actually begin and are first spotted. Kids don't actually live in Harajuku (which is near pricey Omotesando), they just hang out here. Sometimes to shop, but mostly to show off. I used to think Harajuku was where fashion magazines held their photo shoots. I soon found out that these weren't professional models - just ordinary kids. Creative and attention-seeking kids - showing off their quirky fashion sense to trend-watchers camped out in the streets of Harajuku on weekends. Because of these spontaneous and free fashion shows, Harajuku has become a great place for people-watching. The look is still predominantly Gothic-Lolita (think Marlyn Manson meets Little Bo Peep) and a style called Decora-chan - hyper cutie punk (hello Kitty in 5-inch pumps). Since curious tourists now outnumber fashion editors here, Harajuku is no longer the secret among the global street-fashion elite. And that's why Tokyo's hipsters are always on the prowl for the next hip neighborhood in the city.


Daikanyama may be the next Harajuku except that it lacks the roughness, and, to put it simply, the affordability. Daikanyama's stores are on top of the hip scale and this gives it an aura of exclusivity - a sort of privacy that is refreshing in Tokyo. The stores are a mix of local cult brands and many more foreign cult brands - the kind you only read about in magazines that don't get beyond the second issue. Daikanyama, in this sense, is not really very Japanese. It's more like Tokyo the way global hipsters and creative professionals imagine it to be - or want it to be. Truth is, a lot of the merchandise is foreign - most from New York and Paris, although to be fair, curated by Japanese. Here lies the irony. The world's style mavens are in love with Japan, but Japan is not exactly in love with itself. She's fallen for London, Paris, Antwerp and New York.

The Meguro district in Tokyo is showing signs of becoming the next Daikanyama. Meguro is better known as a sleepy residential area with a fair share of notable temples. Those familiar with samurai folklore will find the Sengaku-ji temple a must on their list. This is where the 47 ronin committed ritual suicide in an act of defiance. Its a long story but one that's enshrined in Japanese literature and popular imagination. Its a story about the samurai code of duty - a story that resonates in duty-bound Japan.

There's also a fine zen temple in the neighborhood - the Tozen-ji. Meguro's quiet atmosphere makes temple-hopping less of a tourist affair and more like a spiritual journey. That is until you notice the growing number of temples of fashion.

Shopping for the rest of us.

If you think a can of coke in Tokyo is expensive (about 1 USD) - what more a designer bag or cult label sneaker? Window shopping is interesting enough in Tokyo's well-designed stores (and their cooler-than-you'll-ever-be store assistants) - so you don't have to buy to enjoy. Tokyo is simply not the place for serious shopping for mortals like you and me. Gosh, even stuff made in Japan is cheaper overseas. I could have purchased two Nikon SLR cameras in Hong Kong for the price of one in Tokyo. But don't loose heart. There are things you can only find in Tokyo worth buying in Tokyo. Like paper. I love paper and paper products. The Japanese do, too, and share my fetish for journals, stationary and cards. Delfonics in Omotesando Hills is a good source of fine stationary and writing instruments but even better is Winged Wheel a few blocks behind. Their one hundred percent cotton fibre paper with elegantly engraved designs are criminally beautiful. And affordable!

The Japanese wrap even the cheapest thing in the most beautiful paper or paper bag. It's a ritual I hope never disappears. The department stores in Ginza still practice this wonderfully gratifying and free-of-charge experience - so stop complaining about the prices.

Electronics is another favorite purchase in Tokyo and I really enjoy visiting the big-box camera stores. The cameras, even the most expensive ones, can be touched, fiddled with, even disassembled - without worried salesmen warning you that it's "sold, if broken". I can spend a full day in a superstore like BIC Camera (one near Ginza and another in Ikebukuro) and go from floor to floor checking out the strangest of accessories only Japanese find some use for.

While in Ikebukuro, you might want to visit the Toyota Amlux showroom where the Japanese auto maker's full line of existing and future cars are on display. You finally understand why Toyota is now the world's number one manufacturer. Their cars are affordable, well designed, practical and extremely customizable. Car nuts will go bonkers and even kids will enjoy the interactive showroom.

Akihabara should likewise be on top of any techno-geek's list. Especially since the merchandise on sale borders on the bizarre. Think talking toilet bowls. Unfortunately, most of the stuff for sale is for the Japanese market so markings are in Japanese, software is in Japanese, keypads are in Japanese and obviously so are all the instruction manuals. Too bad, we're talking block after block of buildings selling every imaginable gadget on the planet.

Akihabara is also geek central and not just because of the computer gadgets sold here. A growing tribe of Tokyo nerds called otaku have made Akihabara their second home and their presence (and purchasing power) is bringing new life to this otherwise dreary district. These geeks are so, well, geeky, the line between reality and virtual fantasy for them hardly exists. In Akihabara you'll find many of them spending the entire day hopping from video game room to another and engaging in cosplay - a role-playing game where they dress up, and indeed, take over the personalities of their favorite manga or comic book heroes.

For the more perverse, there's hentai - an erotic and utterly disturbing take on manga. Hentai is comic book fantasy for twisted Japanese men who enjoy little girls in schoolgirl uniforms perform silly sex acts - in the comic book. The girls are always submissive and have these oversized puppy-dog eyes. Unlike western pornography, these comic books and videos aren't hidden from public view. I've seen many men reading these on the subway. I can't help but wonder what their wives and daughters think? Hentai should not be on your shopping list. Your wife would never understand.

Spiritual Tokyo.

From the profane we move to the sacred. In Tokyo, you're never too far away from a shrine or temple. Japanese spirituality is complex and the casual traveler will find it hard to differentiate Shinto from Buddhism. I always have to check if I'm in a Shinto shrine or Buddhist temple.

One of the joys of navigating Tokyo on foot is the many accidental visits to a shrine or temple. Many are tucked away in quiet streets and I find these smaller temples to be more meaningful than the popular ones that are magnets for tourists. Like many things Japanese, these places of worship are austere and simple. Unlike cathedrals and churches which are meant to inspire awe, temples in Tokyo are meant to inspire peace of mind and a oneness with nature. In other words - a meditative mind. The less known temples are best for this as they are quiet and empty. At times the monks break out in prayer, but the solitude is never interrupted.

In hyper-fast and hyper-modern Tokyo, temples, shrines and gardens are the last refuge for the overstimulated soul. In materialistic Tokyo, temples and shrines are the few places where luxury and status are immaterial. In the sprawling concrete jungle that is Tokyo, it is here where one can commune with nature - even if only with a lone lotus flower, a small stream of water or a school of carp going about its business.

Day Trip to Mt. Fuji.

Tokyo's shinkansen-fast pace can be a bit overwhelming even for those who have found sanctuary in its many temples. Two hours away by bus or train is Mt. Fuji - for those who just need a break from it all. And what a break it is. Fuji-san is Japan's most famous image but there's still something magical seeing the country's highest and most beautiful mountain up close when the sky is clear and the snowcapped peak is visible. Wow.

Unless you're climbing Mt. Fuji (not for amateurs), there's not much more to do after seeing it from as many perspectives as possible. Many choose to visit nearby lake Hakone to make the most of the time. I tried the boat ride on the the lake and it's quite an enjoyable one. Perhaps not during the summer when the lake is full of boats, but on a clear winter afternoon when the air is crisp and the lake is calm. I feel rather zen. I'm not meditating nor am I consciously connecting to some spirit. I just am. Me and the lake. And the caressing winter chill.

Tokyo Neighborhoods.

I like Tokyo so much I enjoy taking the train to wherever it leads me. In most cases to an interesting neighborhood or district with its own unique character and charm. Every morning, if time permits, I take out a subway map and plot out the stops that look interesting. Here are a few train stops within the city I enjoy most:

Roppongi.

Naturally, a favorite since this was my home in Tokyo. Roppongi often conjures images of girly bars and night clubs; of sex and debauchery and the menacing presence of the Yakuza. Yes, these images are partly accuarate. Roppongi is alive till morning. Sexily clad women (maybe men?) from the former Soviet Republics, Thailand, the Philippines and Eastern Europe pour into the streets and tempt Tokyo's bleary-eyed salarymen to abandon their inhibitions and drown out their misery with impossibly expensive drinks and even more impossibly expensive female company. Which they do. Most of the time.

But Roppongi has many faces. The International House of Japan was my home in Tokyo and here the cultural center cum academic guest house is a sanctuary in raunchy Roppongi. The IHJ is definitely worth a stop for academically inclined visitors. Their library houses the best English-language collection of books and research on Japan - anywhere in the world. The rooms are spartan (academics are not known for luxury) and affordable considering the IHJ's location in the heart of Tokyo. Not to mention one of the most wonderful privately-owned traditional Japanese gardens in all of Tokyo. As an added bonus, you stand a very good chance of bumping into famous poets, writers and intellectuals who often visit the I-House when lecturing ordoing research in Tokyo.

Another face of Roppongi is absolute luxury. The new Roppongi Hills retail, residential and entertainment complex around the corner is what the future of space- starved Tokyo will look like. Here office space is interspersed with luxury shops, hotels, restaurants and residential buildings. There's a Louis Vuitton flagship store (another one of many in Tokyo) and an ultra-luxe Grand Hyatt hotel. The developers wanted a holistic environment and spent good money on giving the property some culture. There are fine sculptures all over the area, a modern museum and even the TV Asahi studios.

Roppongi Hills is also my favorite way to get a 360 degree view of Tokyo. The view deck is a must-visit if only to see Tokyo's tangled web of streets and haphazard urban design. It's also fun to pick out the city's famous landmarks such as the Tokyo Tower, the Imperial Palace, Yokohama Bay, the Shinjuku skyscrapers, and on a clear day - Mt. Fuji.

Another mega mixed-use development is the new Tokyo Midtown less than a kilometer away. Opened in 2007, Midtown must have studied Roppongi Hills closely and made sure to outdo the competition in every possible way. For one, Midtown can now claim having Tokyo's tallest building (a distinction held by Roppongi Hills since 2003).

Another first in Tokyo is the Ritz Carlton ultra-luxury hotel which occupies the central tower's lower and highest floors. Midtown's mix of retailers and merchants is another winning formula. Many of these appear for the first time in Tokyo. The rest are concept stores of existing brands - like the Muji lifestyle store. But food and dining is where Midtown seems to really excel. The basement is a pleasure dome of gourmet food, chocolatiers and patisseries. The choice of high-end food outlets is mind-boggling.

What I truly appreciate with the Midtown's design is the generous use of gardens and an honest to goodness full sized park. Like Roppongi Hills, Midtown incorporates a museum - the Suntory Art Museum, but they added a stand alone structure - a collaboration between Tadao Ando and Issey Miyake - the 21 21 Design Sight. This is a space where artists and designers can congregate and create.

The need to build creative spaces seems to be a trend among developers in Tokyo. The latest structure to open is the National Art Center Tokyo in Akasaka bordering Roppongi. It's a grand steel, glass and cement complex that houses art exhibits from Japan and all over the world. In construction crazy Japan this could just be another excuse to build yet another structure. Nevertheless, it's a fabulous building and the food outlets inside are great.

Azabu-Juban.

Azabu is really just a tiny neighborhood. But its a famously upscale one. Hard to tell as many of the apartments and houses are simple on the outside. But in space-challenged Tokyo, Azabu is one of the few central locations left where single detached homes and an air of an exclusive neighborhood exist.

Some liken Azabu to Greenwich Village in Manhattan. I suppose that's because its a haven for creative professionals and artists. The rich ones at least. Collectors of contemporary Japanese pottery and ceramics will go gaga as many artists live and exhibit here.

Yes, it's like a self-contained village complete with its local pet store, supermarket, bakery (the Japanese love bread), cafes and artists' ateliers. There's a healthy number of expats and diplomats in Azabu and they add a lot to the sophisticated vibe.

Asakusa

This is the heart of downtown Tokyo and this explains the rather old atmosphere. The main draw is the Senso-ji temple, a magnificent structure if you don't mind the swarm of visitors that come here to either pray or take pictures.

Asakusa is working-class Tokyo before most of the working class moved to cheaper living quarters in the suburbs. Down-to-earth Asakusa is a welcome relief after visiting the excessive luxury of Ginza and other newly gentrified parts of Old Toko.

Ueno

Ueno is famous for its cherry blossoms which make a brief appearance in Spring. Almost all of Tokyo descend to Ueno park to picnic underneath the cherry trees - a serious holiday in Japan accompanied by some serious drinking and merry-making.

The park is rich in samurai history but unfortunately many parts of it look forlorn. You wouldn't expect this from wealthy and proud Japan. Even the Tokyo National Museum, said to house the most extensive collection of art and artifacts in Japan is rather, well, sad. Not to mean you should miss the exhibit of truly fine ceramics and calligraphic works.

Oddly, the Museum of Western Art is a much better maintained structure and the collection of western masterpieces is worth an afternoon. They have an impressive collection of Rodin sculptures in the courtyard and inside you'll find familiar works by Degas, Renoir, Miro and Picasso.

Ueno is an old part of Tokyo and its obvious. Come here for a taste of the country's history and culture. There are important art and musical schools within the sprawling park. Todai or the venerable and elite Tokyo University is also in the neighborhood and is open to the public. Many professors (many of them on lecture tours) speak English so sitting in one of the many public lectures will give you information you won't find in any of the guide books to Tokyo.

Imperial Palace

Be warned. You cannot enter the Imperial Palace. Unless you want to be arrested. Or shot. What you can do is find a spot where you can catch a glimpse of the palace complex where the Japanese emperor and his family live. Many Japanese still believe the emperor is a living deity - much like the Thais and Bhutanese do. The conquering Americans in World War II however made sure the emperor no longer exercised his influence so easily and forced Japan's imperial family and Chrysanthemum Throne into being little more than a symbol of national identity.

The closest you can get to the Palace is via the Imperial Gardens beside. You won't see the Emperor taking a stroll here since its public, but a walk in the gardens does give you some kind of idea about Japan's imperial legacy. If that doesn't work - well, enjoy what is one of the last patches of undeveloped real estate in Tokyo.

For a more controversial and uninhibited walk down history lane you must visit the Yasukuni Shrine in the general vicinity. It's a shrine that honors the Empire's war dead but it's since become a lightning rod for protests about Japan's role in Asia. With reason, China and Korea, two of the most devastated nations under Japanese military rule, are up in arms whenever Japanese officials come to honor fallen soldiers at Yasukuni.

My father fought the Japanese in the Pacific War in the Philippines, so I expected to hate this place. But there are no monuments of soldiers in sight. No patriotic music or self-serving murals of Japanese valor. Though vast, the shrine is actually simple. A giant Tori Gate leading to a rather ordinary wooden temple set in a quiet garden. There's a war museum at the back which I expected to arouse passions, but it didn't. The small collection of photographs, letters and memorabilia evoke sadness and the futility of war - not nationalism. There are touching letters of young men to their mothers. They speak of hardship and the longing for home. It would be a mistake to boycott Yasukuni. So much about Japan today is about the people trying to forget the humiliation and suffering of war. Yasukuni helps you understand the source of modern Japan's quiet and dignified sadness.

Ginza, Shibuya, Aoyama, Omotesando, Daikanyama and Meguro

As stated above - shopping, shopping, shopping and shopping. Also, people watching.

Shinjuku

Shinjuku is a bit of everything for everyone. To say that about one of Tokyo's many diverse and dynamic districts means a lot. Shinjuku is probably best known for its massive and busy train station - the nexus for most of Tokyo's intercity and inter-island trains. The station alone is a joy to observe with more than two million commuters spilling in and out of the terminal every day. If you want to record Tokyo's pace of life on video - this is the place to do it. In time-lapse mode for that extra cinematic effect.

From the train station you may feel a bit overwhelmed regarding which way to go. Only east or west is worth pursuing. Head south and you reach an amazing maze of train tracks and trains - but nothing else. Go north and the way takes you to Kabukicho, Tokyo's gaudy red light district (though Tokyo has many more). Go west and you hit a really busy shopping district where cheap eats and affordable electronics can be found. Further west is where the city's rare skyscrapers are located - like the 48-story twin towers of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Office built by Kenzo Tange. It pales in comparison to the world's great skyscrapers but in earthquake prone Tokyo the towers are marvels of modern engineering. Just for kicks, head to the super-luxe Park Hyatt Hotel nearby and recreate your favorite scenes from the movie Lost in Translation.

East of the Shinjuku station you'll find interesting shopping options. Two of my favorite department stores are found here: Takashimaya and Kinokuniya. Kinokuniya is a six-floor mega-bookstore and English-language books are particularly well-stocked. Foreign books in Tokyo are pricey but are the only way to sample Japanese novels translated into English.
Entire floors are dedicated to manga and no fan of the genre should miss it.

Kanda-Jimbocho

If Kinokuniya is for book-lovers, Kanda-Jimbocho is for the seriously obsessed with the written word. This is a whole area dedicated to books. New books. Old books. First editions. Comic books. If it's got words in it - in any language - there's a good chance of finding it here.

The area is great for book-hunting. Some shops specialize in antiquarian books and out of print editions. Some even carry rare and expensive editions with the original ukiyo-e woodblock prints intact.

Tokyo has many other neighborhoods worth exploring. The trick is to hop on a train and let it take you wherever it may lead. More often than not it's to a whole new world of colors, smells and tastes. Tokyo is a living, breathing and constantly expanding city and no guide book can ever keep up.