tokyo tourist sites

Tokyo Skytree

Tokyo Skytree development

This Tokyo communications tower is not only the tallest structure in all of Japan with its 634 meters, but it is also the tallest communications tower in the world. Exceeds the Canton Television Tower in height and only the Burg al Khalifa in Dubai is taller.

However, the Tokyo Skytree is not only a communication tower, but also has two high-rise viewpoints and a commercial and office complex (which are called Skytree Town). So, in reality, the Skytree is a new urban development around the Oshiage and Tokyo Skytree stations, promoted by the Tobu Group and with the participation of 6 television networks, led by the NHK.

Its development was motivated because the Tokyo Tower, with its 333 meters and surrounded by skyscrapers, was insufficient to offer complete coverage of the digital television signal, so another new tower was needed. And so, in July 2008 the construction of this mastodon projected by the architecture studio Nikken Sekkei began.

The fundamental concepts at the time of designing this tower were the fusion of a futuristic and innovative design with traditional Japanese beauty, which would serve as a catalyst for the revitalization of this area of the city, and also to be natural disaster proof. The latter was widely verified because when the Tohoku earthquake occurred on March 11, 2011, the construction of this tower was already very advanced and, however, had absolutely no problem, despite its great height.

As for the choice of the name of the tower, it was done exactly as it has been done on countless occasions with the shinkansen: open a public voting period for the Japanese to propose names.

Among all those proposed, in March 2008, six were selected: Tokyo Edo Tower, Tokyo Skytree, Mirai Tree, Yumemi Yagura, Rising East Tower and Rising Tower. The final name was chosen in June 2008 in a nationwide vote in which 110,000 votes were collected. Among them, 33,000 went to Tokyo Skytree.

And on May 5 and 6, 2012, the Tokyo Hotaru festival took place for the first time, in which 100,000 LED-type lights were illuminated floating down the Sumida River and the Tokyo Skytree, although it had not yet been inaugurated, was illuminated color than the LEDs. Photos of the river and the illuminated tower aroused, without a doubt, a greater interest in visiting the Tokyo Skytree.

In short, this new tower has been and continues to be a great magnet for tourists, both local and foreign. In fact, the district of Sumida, where the tower is located, estimates that the economic momentum thanks to it will be more than 174 million yen.

The advantage of the great height of the Skytree is that it is seen from many parts of the city. For example, if you arrive in Tokyo with the Narita Express, when you are approaching the city look through the windows on the right side and you will see the tower in all its splendor. If you are on Asakusa you can also see it cut against the horizon and, now, for example, when you look towards the Asahi Beer Hall from the other side of the Sumida River, the Tokyo Skytree will steal much of the prominence from the scene.

Sensō-ji temple

Sensoji Temple (浅 草 寺) is the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo. Located in the Asakusa neighborhood, it is dedicated to Kannon, the deity of mercy. Legend has it that it was built here when in the seventh century two brothers found a statue of Kannon on the Sumida River and it was decided to consecrate it in a small temple so that all the inhabitants could worship it.

The story caught the attention of many pilgrims from all over Japan and little by little the temple was gaining fame and importance. In the Edo period, when the Yoshiwara pleasure neighborhood near Asakusa was created, the temple continued to gain popularity and that was when the third Tokugawa shogun built the vast majority of the buildings that constitute the temple complex that we can see today in day.

The Kaminarimon door is an impressive vermilion-colored door with a huge red paper lantern with the kaminarimon letters written in black. On both sides of the lantern, we can see the two deities that guard the entrance to the temple: Fujin, the god of the wind and Rajin, the god of thunder. If we cross the door, we can see under the lantern a dragon carved in wood, probably because the official name of the temple is Kinryuzan or ‘mountain of the golden dragon’.

On the other side of the door, we will see the statues of Tenryu, on the right, and Kinryu, on the left, two dragon gods that here take human form and also guard the entrance to the temple.

tokio tower

Tokyo Tower or Tokyo Tower (東京 タ ワ ー) is a famous communications tower located in the center of Tokyo whose design was based on the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris and one of the 8 best viewpoints in the city.Of characteristic red and white color, the Tokyo Tower opened its doors to the public in 1958 to cover the broadcasts of the public channel NHK, although in 1961 radio antennas were also added.

However, with the change of analogue to digital emission of 2011, the Tokyo Tower could not completely cover the Kanto area, so a new, much larger tower was built, which would give way to the new emission needs: (very high) Tokyo SkyTree, new icon of the city of Tokyo.

On March 11, 2011, the analog antenna at the top of the Tokyo tower doubled due to the strong earthquake in eastern Japan. A little more than a year later the antenna was removed (since it was no longer used with the change of emission to digital) and with it the height of the tower went from 333 meters high to 315 meters.

Today the Tokyo Tower is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the Japanese capital. At the base of the tower we find the FootTown space, where to eat or drink something, buy souvenirs and see some of the exhibitions that are organized there. From FootTown is where we must take the elevator to reach the main observatory, 150 meters high.

Illuminations

The Tokyo Tower has two types of exterior lighting: the Landmark Light (ラ ン ド マ ー ク ラ イ ト) and the Diamond Veil (ダ イ ヤ モ ン ド ヴ ェ ー ル).The Landmark Light is the traditional lighting and has 180 light bulbs and gives the tower an orange touch in winter and whitish in summer, while on Fridays and Saturdays from 8pm to 10pm (in addition to some national holidays), the Tokyo Tower it is illuminated following the design of the Diamond Veil lighting, a special lighting that can display up to 7 different colors and changes according to the season or event that you want to promote.

How to visit Disneyland Tokyo

One of the best options if we travel with children to Japan or want to spend a fun day riding in various attractions is to visit Tokyo Disney Resort. A huge entertainment complex located east of Tokyo, which has two parks: the Tokyo Disneyland theme park - for many years the most visited theme park in the world - and its neighboring Tokyo DisneySea park.

Tokyo Disneyland (東京 デ ィ ズ ニ ー ラ ン ド) opened its doors in the city of Urayasu (already in Chiba prefecture, east of Tokyo) on April 15, 1983. Its opening was historic because it was the first Disneyland to be inaugurated outside the States United. It was designed in the style of the Disneyland Park in California and the Magic Kingdom Park of Walt Disney World in Florida, so if you have visited other Disneyland, many parts will be familiar.

For its part, Tokyo DisneySea (東京 デ ィ ズ ニ ー シ ー) opened on September 4, 2001 and was the fastest park to reach 10 million visitors (307 days after opening, according to Wikipedia). It is currently the fourth most visited theme park in the world and for many it is the "crown jewel" of Disney parks, for its fantastic design and creativity.

BUY TICKETS FOR TOKYO DISNEYLAND OR TOKYO DISNEYSEA

If you want to save yourself queues and buy your ticket from both Tokyo Disneyland and Tokyo DisneySea comfortably from the internet, you can do it from our store through the page of our trusted provider and in addition, this will help us keep Japonismo alive with the best information about Japan. You can buy Tokyo Disneyland tickets here and Tokyo Disney tickets here.

We have a specific map of Tokyo Disney Resort that you will find very useful. In it you have marked the different areas of each park and the main attractions. In addition, we have added the flavored popcorn stalls so that you can easily locate yourself. We have also marked the nearest train stations, including those of the park's monorail, as well as hotels located in the area, in case you want to stay near the park.

Remember that this map can be used during your visit to the park, as we explain on our Maps page. Anyway, we have created this map specifically thinking more about the pre-trip phase, the preparation phase. It is an ideal map to get an idea of where things are before arriving and, once inside and with the specific paper map for that day, you will go much faster and take more time.

Tokyo Disneyland Park

Tokyo Disneyland Park has seven differentiated areas, one at the entrance, two mini-areas and four basic areas of Disneyland:

• Bazaar World, area located at the entrance of the park and with lots of shops and restaurants. It is designed in the style of an American city of the early twentieth century.
• Critter Country, dedicated to the characters of the movie Song of the South. It has attractions like the Splash Mountain aquatic or the canoes of Rivers of America.
• Toontown, a small city taken from the world of cartoons and dedicated to Disney characters. Here the children will enjoy the beauty of Mickey Mouse's house, the Donald Duck boat or the Chip’n Dale tree house.
• Adventureland, area dedicated to the adventurous spirit. It has attractions such as a jungle cruise, a train or the ship of the Pirates of the Caribbean, the Black Pearl.
• Westernland, dedicated to the American West. It has attractions like Big Thunder Mountain or Tom Sawyer Island.
• Fantasyland, dedicated to classic Disney movies, is where we find Cinderella's castle, in the center of the park, as well as attractions related to Peter Pan, Snow White, etc. Here we find the classic It’s a Small World.
• Tomorrowland, dedicated to the technologies of the future and outer space. It has attractions like Space Mountain, Star Tours or Buzz Lightyear’s AstroBlasters.

Tokyo Disneyland's best attractions

Here is a list of what are considered the best attractions of Tokyo Disneyland. Take a look at the official website, investigate which ones you would like to upload yes or yes and organize how to get Fastpass for some of them, as we explain in the section "how to use the Fastpass". For example, the two most popular attractions of Tokyo Disneyland are Monsters, Inc. Ride & Go Seek! and Poo’s Hunny Hunt, so it is advisable, just enter the park, run to find a Fastpass for one of them and then run to queue for the next

Meiji Shrine or Meiji Jingū

Meiji Shrine or Meiji Jingū (明治 神宮) is one of the most popular Shinto shrines in all of Japan, dedicated to the first emperor of modern Japan, Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shoken.

The Meiji shrine was completed in 1921, a few years after the death of the emperor and the empress, as a sign of thanks to the role the emperor played during the so-called Meiji Restoration. Emperor Meiji came to the throne in 1867 at a time when Japan left the feudal period behind Edo, opening to the world and modernization and westernization, after the recovery of power by the emperor in 1868 and the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate. This part of the history of Japan would give to speak long and hard, but we will focus here only on the sanctuary and there will be time for other entries.

ATTENTION (last update November 2017): Renovation works of the sanctuary are currently underway to make it perfect for its 100th anniversary in 2020. The works began in 2016 and will last until October 2019 and, although they are intended to have little visual impact , at the moment the main building of the sanctuary is under construction, which will greatly impact your visit (Thank you José for reminding us!).

That is why the Meiji Shrine is one of Tokyo's most popular sites and receives more than three million visitors during the hatsumode or the first visit to the shrine or temple during the New Year.

The entrance to the sanctuary is marked by several huge torii of wood and copper, which bear the figure of a chrysanthemum, the flower that appears in the coat of arms of the imperial family.

The sanctuary consists of two differentiated spaces: the interior or Naien area where we find the sanctuary buildings and the Homotsuden, the Treasury Museum, which exposes several curiosities of the emperor and the empress; and the outdoor area or gaien, where we find a gallery full of great murals that illustrate the emperor's path, sports venues such as the Yoyogi National Gymnasium, Jingu baseball stadium, the second baseball stadium, a golf venue, a field of softball, a tennis club, the Shiseikan Budojo of martial arts, etc., in addition to the Meiji Kinenkan, commonly used for Shinto wedding ceremonies, of which many are made. And on Sundays it is especially easy to see a Shinto wedding at the Meiji shrine.

Información adicional

• El santuario de Meiji abre con la salida del sol y cierra cuando se pone el sol, por lo que en verano está abierto de 5:00 a 18:00 horas y en los meses de invierno está abierto de 6:00 a 16:00 horas, siempre aproximadamente.
• Dispone de página web en japonés e inglés.

how to get

The Meiji Shrine is at the exit of the Harajuku station of the JR Yamanote line and the Jingu-mae subway station of the Chiyoda and Fukutoshin subway lines can locate it on our general map of Tokyo (which you can use live during your trip, as we tell you here).

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Tokyo to Central Park

This gigantic green area that was part of the home of a feudal lord during the Edo period (1603-1867) became a public park in 1949. Since then it has been a very esteemed refuge for toquiotas looking to enjoy nature a little In the city center.

Ideas and Suggestions

• Capture the view of skyscrapers framed among the park's ancestral trees
• Have a picnic under cherry blossoms - but be careful not to bring alcoholic beverages

Despite being just a short walk from Shinjuku's bustle, the leafy passages and seasonal flowers make it a quiet place for a morning or evening walk. After paying the low price of admission, you will soon notice that the noise of the city decreases and that the song of the birds replaces it.

Shinjuku Gyoen combines three different types of gardens - traditional Japanese, formal French and English landscapers - with extensive lawns and quiet groves. In spring you can admire more than 1,000 cherry trees that stain the park with its delicate flowers. In autumn, you can see some of the best autumn colors in central Tokyo, but the wide variety of plants in the gardens and the greenhouse make Shinjuku Gyoen National Park a destination that deserves to be visited at any time of the year.

Opening hours

9: 00-16: 30

Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Fri Saturday Saturday Festive

* Varies by plant, store and / or installation

* Changes according to the season of the year and / or the time of the year

* Last entry 30 minutes before closing

Days without attention: Monday new year In case the scheduled closing day is a holiday, the establishment will open that day, and close the next day.

Price

General admission: 500 yen

Cash

 Facilities Information

ServicesRestaurants, etc. Smoking roomParkingIt has wifi

JapaneseEnglish

JapaneseEnglishChinese (Simplified) Chinese (Traditional) Korean

Handicapped parking (in a wheelchair) Automatic entry door Handrails (including mobile handrails) Elevator Elevator with wheelchair access Adapted toilet (Basic) facilities for stomata users Support with diapers Wheels Lactation roomAvailable for writing

For updated information on opening hours, closing days, prices, etc., visit the official website or contact the establishment directly.

Reference link

National Garden Association: Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden (JPN)

Ueno Zoo

THE OLDEST ZOO OF JAPAN IS A KEY COMPONENT OF THE DIPLOMACY BETWEEN CHINA AND JAPAN.

Since 1972, with the arrival of the first pair of giant pandas given by China, the Ueno Zoo has helped soften diplomatic relations between China and Japan. This is the largest zoo in the country and one of its main objectives is the preservation of endangered species.

Many Westerners are surprised by the emotional relationship that the Japanese have with the zoo, especially with their pet the giant panda.

In 2011, China brought a new couple who had a baby panda in the summer of 2012. Unfortunately the baby died a week and the whole country became sad and diplomatic relations between the two countries were affected.

The Ueno Zoo, with its great diversity of species, is a fascinating visit for nature lovers.

How to Get There

Located in Ueno Park, the Ueno Zoo is easily accessible by public transport.

Ueno Zoo is a short, five-minute walk from Ueno Station, located on the JR Yamanote Line. Exit via the Park Gate and walk across the street into Ueno Park . The entrance to Ueno Zoo is inside the park. Ueno Station is only four stops from Tokyo Station .

Ghibli Museum in Tokyo

Ghibli studios are known as the Disney of Japan. Since 1985 these studies have produced moving films such as The Wind Rises (2013), Ponyo (2008), The Castle in the Sky (2004) or Nicky, the Witch's Apprentice (1989).

The Ghibli Museum was created by Hayao Miyazaki, master of Japanese anime, known worldwide as an animation director, after winning numerous awards and being recognized for his acclaimed films such as My Neighbor Totoro (1988) or The Journey of Chihiro (2001 ).

The museum, located in Mitaka, very close to Tokyo, offers an interactive experience for the whole family. The director himself defines it as “a portal open to the world of stories and fantasy,” for both children and adults.

The word Ghibli refers to the style of the films shot in the studio. It was named after Miyazaki himself and is a term that comes from Italian. It means "hot desert wind" and with it the director wanted to convey the idea that Ghibli studios would bring a "new air" to the animation industry.

How to get to the Ghibli Museum

If you want to go from Tokyo to the Ghibli Museum, your trip can start at Tokyo Central Station or at Shinjuku Station. With your Japan Rail Pass, you can take, at both stations, the JR Chuo line to Mitaka station. You will not have schedule problems because trains depart very frequently. From Tokyo station the journey to Mitaka is about 30 minutes and from Shinjuko, approximately 18.

The Ghibli Museum is located on Kichijoji Avenue, a 20-minute walk from the southern exit of Mitaka Station. Also, you have a bus available, decorated with the characters of Ghibli, which will bring you in a few minutes to the museum. You can buy the bus tickets at the vending machines that you will see at the same stop. The round trip ticket costs 300 yen.

What to see in the Ghibli museum

The best thing about the Ghibli Museum of Studies is that it is in itself a magical experience, both for children, for their parents and for anyone who has a young heart. One of the principles of the museum is that "young children will be treated as if they had already grown up" to "have fun with what they find fun, reflect on what makes them reflect and regret what has been lost."

Before arriving at the museum you will see numerous capricious sculptures that adorn the exterior of the building. At the entrance, a large figure of the famous Totoro awaits you while a robot soldier of the Castle in the sky stands guard on the roof. Inside, on the ceiling of the entrance hall, you will see the Space of Wonders, a fresco painting that reflects a blue sky in which amazing plants stand out and under which the ghibli characters are found.

Enter the kawaii world of Hello Kitty and other cute and endearing characters from Sanrio

Sanrio Puroland, located in Tama, a suburb of Tokyo, is a theme park where the peculiar innocence of Japanese kawaii aesthetics comes alive. Enjoy a magical journey where you will meet lovely kawaii characters, ride fun attractions and enjoy colorful shows and musicals.

Do not miss

• Buy Sanrio limited edition items
• Talk to the lazy egg Gudetama at the attraction «Gudetama, the movie»
• Visit it in the month of your birthday to celebrate it with lots of kawaii characters

How to get

Sanrio Puroland is about 30 minutes by train from the center of Tokyo.

At Shinjuku station, take the Keio line and get off at Tama-Center station. Sanrio Puroland is only an 8-minute walk away.

Enjoy a beautiful and colorful parade

You will see Hello Kitty and her friends parading as they spread their message of love and love. Popular characters such as Cinamaroll, Pompompurin and Monkichi share the spotlight with others less known, such as Kirimi, a very large salmon fillet.

Watch the excitement of Japanese children as they see life-size versions of their favorite Sanrio characters passing by greeting the crowd from their colorful floats.

Mori Building Digital Art Museum: the Japanese museum that turned technology into an immense work of art

Based on the island of Odaiba, the space has a unique proposal on the planet, in which the works - views of flowers, plants, fish, mountains and other elements always associated with nature - are produced entirely by 520 computers and 470 projectors distributed throughout the place. Infobae Cultura spoke with teamLab, the interdisciplinary group of creators, who is leading a proposal

A completely digital museum that is transformed with each season of the year, which proposes a strong communion with nature, and where the experience, for each visitor, is never the same. Thus, the incredible MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM could be presented bluntly: teamLab Borderless, an experience based on the Japanese island of Odaiba, Tokyo that opened its doors a little less than a year ago to break with all the museum parameters and that never ceases to surprise .

In less than six months since its inauguration, in June last year, one million people toured this building, an immense space of ten thousand square meters where the works - views of flowers, plants, fish, mountains and other elements always associated with nature - they are produced entirely by 520 computers and 470 projectors distributed all over the place.

"As in nature, the landscape is changing and you will never see the same scenario twice. That moment will never be repeated and can never be seen again. Seemingly immutable landscapes, they go, year after year, for eternity", tells Infobae Cultura the teamLab group of artists, an interdisciplinary group of creators, which includes ultra-technologists, programmers, engineers, computer-generated image animators, mathematicians, architects and artists, whose collaborative practice seeks to navigate the confluence of art, science, technology, Design and the natural world.

Shinagawa Prince Hotel, 4-10-30 Takanawa, Minato-ku, Tokyo

See on the map

Transit info

This is not a typical aquarium and is full of hidden surprises and unique exhibits

The Aqua Park Shinagawa is, at the same time, an adventure park, an aquarium and a space for shows. Here the samples of marine animals are intertwined with light, video and sound shows, to create unique experiences that have never been seen before in an aquarium.

Maxell Aqua Park Shinagawa (マクセル アクアパーク品川) is an indoor aquarium (inside the famous hotel, Shinagawa Prince Hotel) located in the heart of Tokyo, only 2 mins away from Shinagawa Station.

The aquarium offers a wide variety of sea creatures, approximately 25,000 fish from 350 different species including colourful tropical fish, dolphins, jellyfish, manta rays, capybara, penguin, seals and more on display across 11 divided areas

The first floor is made up of 4 areas: the Park Entrance, Magical Ground, Coral Cafe Bar, and Jellyfish Ramble, and the second floor consists of 7 areas: Little Paradise, Wonder Tube, Life Museum, Aqua Jungle, Wild Street, Friendly Square, and The Stadium.

Maxell Aqua Park is not an ordinary aquarium, but entertains visitors with the latest art technology and spectacular illuminations along with a wide variety of fish. Some of the exhibits at the aquarium feature spectacular light-up effects which illuminate the fish tanks and sea creatures magically. One of the most impressive areas at the aquarium is the Jellyfish Ramble which exhibits a various jellyfish with colourful lights and relaxing sounds.

Along with displays, there are some interactive attractions and ride attractions at the aquarium. There are also cafe and shop where you can stop by for drinks and snacks as well as shopping official products themed with cute fish and animals at the aquarium.

The biggest highlight of Maxell Aqua Park is the spectacular dolphin show that collaborates with light effects and music. The show is held daily (7–9 times a day) at The Stadium (2F) with the day and night versions. The themes of the show also changes occasionally by season such as for cherry blossoms, fireworks, Halloween and Christmas.

Sunshine Aquarium
サンシャイン水族館

Rooftop of Sunshine City World Import Mart Building, 3-1 Higashi-Ikebukuro, 

Toshima City, Tokyo

Explore the depths of the sea at the top 

of the city

Located on the rooftop of the World Import Mart Building near Ikebukuro Station,

 Sunshine Aquarium is an oasis of water in the heart of the city. The aquarium's "

open-air oasis" theme and resort-vibe make it a relaxing place with a fun, interesting twist.

Tips

• Watch sea lions, penguins, and other marine life swimming against skyscraper backdrops
• Countless tanks and watery habitats are home to penguins, pelicans, otters and other ocean life

Sunshine Aquarium occupies the top three floors of Ikebukuro's Sunshine City office and shopping complex. It has around 70 tanks with 23,000 fish representing 550 species. Exhibits include the Sunshine Lagoon, a tank that holds 240 tons of water; the Jellyfish Tunnel; and the Sunshine Aqua Ring for views of sea lions, penguins

and other animals from below.

Rare specimens include giant honeycomb stingrays, huge sunfish, sea angels, and non-marine animals like iguanas. Sunshine Aquarium has a variety of shows, cafés, and gift shopping, too.