Many Westerners grow up with a highly romanticized view of Japan, picturing it as a woodblock print -- exquisite, mysterious, and ancient.
What a shock, then, to come to Tokyo. In a country known around the world for its appreciation of the aesthetic, Tokyo is disappointingly unimpressive. Some foreigners, unable to reconcile unrealistic expectations with the cold facts of reality, summarily dismiss Tokyo as a monstrosity of the 21st century and go off in search of the "real" Japan. What they don't realize is that beneath Tokyo's concrete shell is a cultural life left very much intact. In fact, Tokyo is the best place in the world to experience Japanese performing arts, like Kabuki, as well as participate in such diverse activities as the tea ceremony and flower arranging. It's also the nation's foremost repository of Japanese arts and crafts and boasts a wide range of both first-class and unique museums.
Seeing the City By Guided Tour -- With the help of this book and a good map, you should be able to visit Tokyo's major attractions easily on your own. Should you be pressed for time, however, consider taking one of several group tours of Tokyo and its environs offered by the Japan Travel Bureau (JTB; tel. 03/5796-5454; www.jtb.co.jp/sunrisetour) or Japan Gray Line (tel. 03/3433-5745; www.jgl.co.jp/inbound/index.htm). Day tours may include Tokyo Tower, the Imperial Palace district, Asakusa Sensoji Temple, Meiji Jingu Shrine, a harbor or river cruise, and the Ginza. A number of organized evening tours take in such activities as Kabuki or entertainment by geisha. Be warned, however, that tours are very tourist-oriented and are more expensive than touring Tokyo on your own. Prices range from about ¥5,000 ($48) for a half-day tour to about ¥9,800 ($93) for a night tour with dinner and Kabuki. You can easily book tours through most tourist hotels and travel agencies.
Although they cover less ground, 10 tours offered by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government concentrate on specific areas or themes, such as Japanese gardens or Harajuku. Lasting 2 to 3 hours, they are conducted mostly on foot and vary in price from free to ¥2,860 ($27), plus admission costs of the volunteer guides. Tours depart from the Tokyo Tourist Information Center in Shinjuku or the Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) office in Yurakucho at 1pm Monday to Friday; pre-registration is required. For more information, check the website www.tourism.metro.Tokyo.jp/English/guideservice/index.html or contact the tourist offices.
Volunteer guides are also on hand at the Ueno Green Salon in Ueno Park every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday for 90-minute walking tours departing at 10:30am and 1:30pm. No registration is required. For more information, call tel. 03/5246-1151.
Otherwise, one tour I especially like is a boat trip on the Sumida River between Hama Rikyu Garden and Asakusa. Commentary on the 40-minute trip is in both Japanese and English (be sure to pick up the English leaflet, too). You'll get descriptions of the 12 bridges you pass along the way and views of Tokyo you'd otherwise miss. Boats depart Hama Rikyu Garden hourly or more frequently between 10:20am and 4:20pm, with the fare to Asakusa costing ¥620 ($5.90) one-way. Other cruises are available from Hinode Pier (closest station: Hinode, about a 1-min. walk) to Asakusa (fare: ¥660/$6.25), Tokyo Sea Life Park in Kasai (fare: ¥800/$7.60), and Odaiba (fare: ¥500/$4.75). For more information, contact the Tourist Information Center (tel. 03-3201-3331) or the Tokyo Cruise Ship Co. (tel. 03/5733-4812; www.suijobus.co.jp).
For personalized, one-on-one tours of Tokyo, contact Jun's Tokyo Discovery Tours, managed by Tokyoite Junko Matsuda, which offers tailored sightseeing trips to Tsukiji, Asakusa, Yanaka, Harajuku, Aoyama, Shibuya, and Shinjuku, as well as shopping trips and special trips designed to fit your interests. Tours are especially useful if you wish to communicate with shopkeepers and the locals, want to learn more about what you're seeing, or are timid about finding your way on public transportation (if you wish, you'll be met at your hotel). The cost is ¥20,000 ($190) for 1 day (8 hr.) for up to four adults or a family. Reserve tours at least 3 days in advance (1 week preferred) by fax (03/3749-0445) or e-mail (me2@gb3.so-net.ne.jp), stating the desired tour date and what you'd like to see; messages can also be left at tel. 03/3749-0445.
