Category: Tokyo

Shinjuku Gyoen

Until recently Hamarikyu Gardens was my favorite green spot in Tokyo. Lately I have been going often for walks to Shinjuku Gyoen park; I already knew the park for the beauty of its cherry trees during Hanami and the blossoming of its chrysanthemums in November, but I still hadn’t explored all its corners. Some of the spots of Shinjuku Gyoen are so charming that it has become now my favorite park in Tokyo, and one of the places where I like to relax and take pictures.

When Tokugawa Ieyasu took control of Japan after Sekigahara battle, he divided the country in around 200 “fiefdoms”, each one of them controlled by a daimyo (feudal lord). The western part of Edo’s castle was assigned to the Naito family, whose residence was established in Shinjuku Gyoen park. During more than 250 years it was the home and the gardens of the Naito family but during the Meiji restoration they lost the ownership of the gardens and they were given to the Emperor. The area was renamed to Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑), that literally translated means “Imperial Gardens of Shinjuku”.

Nowadays the garden is owned by the government and even though you have to pay 200 yen to go in, it’s really worth it. You can walk and relax for hours, and take great pictures (detailed map). It opens from 9:00 a.m to 4:30 p.m all days except Mondays and you can easily reach it from Shinjuku Gyoen station in Marunouchi line or from Sendagaya station in the Sobu line.

That’s me taking pictures at Shinjuku Gyoen!

Tokyo

Tokyo Summer in pictures

In Japan the season changes are very abrupt. We have had a terribly hot Summer but Fall arrived last week and we already have rain and cool winds. I would prefer October to be hotter, but it’s quite good to know there’s a sudden temperature change, not for nothing special but to know what to wear each day without having to think much. Despite the stifling hot July and August, this Summer I went out quite often for walks around the streets of Tokyo, mostly around the Western part, to take photos and try to capture the Summer atmosphere in the streets of this great city. Most of the pictures have been taken with my Nikon D90 and my Sigma 10-20mm lens. If you don’t really care if it’s REALLY hot outside, Summer is a good season to visit Japan. Notice that there’s not many people on the streets, they just don’t feel like going out and prefer to stay indoors enjoying their A/C.

JapanGuide Tokyo

Odaiba

Odaiba is an artificial island located in Tokyo Bay where people usually go for a day trip. It’s not a “mandatory” visit if you visit Tokyo, but if you’re at least 15 days in Japan it could be a good option to spend one day. It is an island where most of the buildings have been built not long ago, there are many museums, research labs, etc. As a whole, you can feel a really modern and high-tech atmosphere. Odaiba is also the island where the cult classic Takeshi’s Castle was recorded.

To get to Odaiba one of the most interesting options is to go to Shimbashi station using the Yamanote line. Once you are in Shimbashi you have to take the Yurikamome line; but before I recommend you to try some great ramen at the first restaurant just out of the north exit.

The Tokyo Monorail, is a line that operates on a special elevated line; during the ride you will see large business buildings and if you are lucky you will see the Shinkansen pass by. The last stretch of the line consists on crossing the famous Rainbow Bridge.

odaiba
Rainbow Bridge. On the right you can see the Tokyo Tower, and on the left the tallest building is the Mori Tower.

Once you are in Odaiba you will be offered many leaflets with information about the island and advertising of the different places to spend your time. If you like technology and science you can visit the Japan’s National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, where you will be able to see the Honda robot Asimo in action.

One of the most spectacular buildings is the Fuji TV building. Fuji TV is the television channel that broadcast Dragon Ball for the first time and that currently shows One Piece. The building is really easy to recognize, thanks to the enormous spherical structure that is attached to it. There are free access areas for visitors where you can take a picture with the TV channel mascot; and where you will be able to buy merchandising of Dragon Ball and other TV shows.

odaiba
That’s an old pic of me and the popular blue dog, the mascot of Fuji TV.

odaiba

Just in front of the Fuji TV building there are two buildings with shops. The most interesting ones are the Sony store that occupies several floors and the Osamu Tezuka shop where you can find all kinds of stuff related to Osamu Tezuka, the so-called father of manga.

odaiba
Osamu Tezuka shop.

Right next to that building there’s another building with a Sega park, called Joypolis; it’s a huge arcade with the latest Sega arcade machines, but there are also attractions using 3D cinematographic and audio-visual techniques, those where the seat starts to move while watching a movie.

In Odaiba there’s also a replica of the Statue of Liberty of New York. On the picture you can see in the foreground the replica and in the background the Tokyo Tower, a replica of the Eiffel Tower of Paris.

odaiba