Tsukiji is known as the kitchen of Tokyo. Formerly home to a giant fish market where all sorts of seafood and other products from all around the world are sold, it's a lively market area all day long. You want to aim to visit early in the morning. You can have sushi or seafood bowls with the freshest fish selected by specialists. After you have eaten to your heart's content, take a stroll. It’s fun to look around for professional cookware and Japanese ingredients.

Tsukiji Hongwanji is one of the representative temples in Tokyo. It is an ancient Indian style building and so unique that it overturns the image of the usual traditional temples. Definitely worth seeing is the main hall with its breathtaking interior and the enshrined "Amitabha Buddha."

Ginza is where luxurious brand shops and long-established department stores stand side-by-side. It is famous as a shopping area, but top-class Japanese restaurants which offer sushi and tempura, are also gathered here for some fancy dining. First, let's head for Wako, a luxurious department store standing at the Ginza 4-Chome Crossing, a famous symbol of Ginza.

The tourist information center will help you explore Ginza to the fullest. There are always English-speaking staff members present to help out. They will properly help you find the things you are looking for and kindly recommend you good restaurants. There are also informational brochures available in multiple languages.

In Ginza, there are many great Japanese restaurants that will satisfy your hungry stomach. Lunch is offered at very reasonable prices in these Japanese restaurants. It goes without saying that you can find sushi made with fresh seafood, but you can also enjoy meals like freshly fried tempura or sukiyaki also for reasonable prices.

Tokyo Station is the station lying in the heart of Japan. Tokyo Station is symbolized by its beautiful architecture, the building made of red bricks. It was recently reconstructed to look like the architecture it had back in 1914. There are five shinkansen (bullet train) lines and 11 local lines of JR (Japan Railway) and the Marunouchi subway line coming and going from this station. Around the station, there are modern commercial institutions like the Marunouchi building and the Marunouchi Oazo building, making it seem like the past has merged with the future.

Just within walking distance from Tokyo Station is the Imperial Palace, the place where the Japanese Emperor lives. If you come to the Imperial Palace, you should walk the path around the moat, which is about five kilometers. This is also the Edo Castle where the Shogun lived before the Emperor moved here from Kyoto. You can see vestiges from Edo (Tokyo before 1868) up close like the Daibansho Guard House remains, the Nakanomon Gate remains and the Chujakumon Gate remains.

You can enjoy the Imperial Palace just by walking around it, but if you have time, take a look inside the Imperial Palace East Gardens and the outer gardens of the Imperial Palace. You can also tour parts of the palace for free but in this case, a reservation by phone or via the website is required in advance.

Ueno and Asakusa are popular sightseeing areas where you can enjoy old Edo culture. Asakusa has many sightseeing spots like Senso-ji, the oldest temple in Tokyo, and Kappa-bashi, where you can buy wax food samples which are very popular as souvenirs. In addition to the temples of Ueno, Ueno has a long downtown shopping street called Ameyoko, which we recommend dropping by.

Japanese restaurants often display dish samples in a showcase window. These samples are often made from wax and are handmade by craftsmen one by one. These days, they are popular as Japanese souvenirs and you can get them at Kappa-bashi in Asakusa.

The new landmark of Tokyo, TOKYO SKYTREE(R) is the highest self-standing radio tower in the world. Tokyo's night view is spectacular when you see it from the Tembo (observatory) Deck, where you can view the scenery from 350 meters high, or the Tembo Galleria at 450 meters high! It feels like you are walking in the sky when you walk around the highest point (451.2 meters) seeing through the glass-walled galleria.

(C) TOKYO-SKYTREE