Tokyo in a Weekend - Fast and Furious

Description:

The busiest railway station in the world, Shinjuku Station handles some four million passengers daily. Japan Railways East, Odakyu, Keio and Seibu Shinjuku are some of the private companies operating trains in and out of out of this terminal. The station is packed with bars, restaurants, a couple of department stores, kiosks selling everything from ties to tissues. Coin lockers are available. The biggest thing to worry about here is the crowds, but they are quite orderly accept perhaps late on Saturday nights. Call the number below for JR East. Information in English (10a-6p Monday-Friday).

Description:

Crowded, flashy, sometimes trashy Shinjuku offers a little bit of everything. It feels like an entire self-contained city and, indeed, a trip to Tokyo could be spent exploring Shinjuku alone. From the world's busiest train station to Asia's liveliest gay district, Shinjuku is like Texas: everything is just a little bigger. Shinjuku Gyoen (Shinjuku Garden), perhaps Tokyo's most beautiful, is also here in case you've seen enough plastic, neon, and portable gadgets for one day.

Description:

Located high above the city, this is Tokyo's newest luxury class hotel. Imagine a skylit bamboo garden in the lounge, a two-story collage of 144 photographs of European cafe life, and a 20m swimming pool on the 47th floor. Entrance to the lobby is through a private bank of elevators. Service is impeccable. The rooms are large and fully equipped in the style of world-class lodgings, even featuring laser and CD players.

Description:

Any traveler's image of Tokyo must include the jumbo-trons and neon signs illuminating the thick crowd flooding Hachiko crossing in Shibuya. But there's more to Shibuya than just crowds; it's full of funky shops, off-beat restaurants, and cozy bars that highlight the neighborhood's slightly alternative feel. Don't forget to snap your requisite photo with Hachiko, the statue of the dog in front of Shibuya station; it's Tokyo's number one meeting spot.

Description:

Symbolized by the 54-story Mori Tower, Roppongi Hills is a mega complex that incorporates upscale shops, restaurants, a movie theater, a museum, and an observatory as the most notable aspects of its facilities. As part of an ongoing process to reshape the image of Roppongi, this project has helped to create a classier side of this city, which is notorious for its sleezy nightlife on the weekends. The diversity of entertainment at this site provides an ideal place for families and couples to spend the day, as well as provide enough splendor for the casual tourist who is looking to sightsee and experience modern day Tokyo. - Erin Sanchez

Description:

Azabu-Juban Onsen is a luxurious bathhouse located in trendy Roppongi. The brownish water here comes from a natural hot spring 500 meters underground. The bathing complex includes a sento (public bath) on the first floor, another spring-fed bath on the third floor, a small sauna, a food shop, and a tatami (rice-mat)recreation room where amateur theatrical performances are sometimes held. Men's and women's bathing facilities are separate.

Admission is JPY1,300.

Description:

Ramen, the ubiquitous noodle dish, is a favorite of late-night revelers and for anybody with the craving for flavorful bowls of steaming broth and delicious noodles. You'll find this little shop by the long lines of ramen-fiends longing to get a bowl of the hot noodles, especially at peak dinner and after-hour times. Prepare to wait for your indulgence.

Description:

Love hotels that accept non-Japanese couples are rare. Don't try to phone for reservations (the number is unlisted anyway, to protect guest privacy). Just arrive with your partner and select an unadorned room for an hour (JPY3,000) or two (JPY6,000) or the entire night (max. JPY14,000). It is a dark, tatty old single-floor hotel above a Pachinko Parlor and the Meidya supermarket, but with the right companion it could seem like heaven. Check-in is through a tiny window where the clerk's eyes will never meet yours.

Our Local Expert Says:

An unmistakable icon of Tokyo's booming fast food culture, with a decidedly Japanese tilt.

Description:

This fast-food chain is very useful for those hungry moments. Prices are cheap ranging from JPY50 for a bowl of miso soup to JPY400-500 for a main dish. Not only is the service fast and friendly, but the portions are also generous. Try the kenchinkeishoku (miso soup with meat and vegetables) for JPY170. If you are a vegetarian, the side salad or pickle dish with a bowl of rice is equally tasty. Ask for an English menu, or just make your choice from the large picture posters. Bright and cheerful, albeit utilitarian, decor. Complimentary Japanese tea.

Description:

Akihabara is known as denki machi or Electric Town in Tokyo. All manner of electrical appliances, from washing machines to refrigerators, and from stereo and audiovisual equipment to fax machines, can be found here. There are also a number of shops selling computer hardware and software. Visitors to Japan will want to bring their passports along with them to purchase duty free products. Appliances with a range of voltages to suit different countries are available.

Description:

This is the big one! Directly across from the JR Akihabara Station, this store houses seven floors and two buildings jammed full of every cell phone, MD player, hi-fi system, television, VCR, etc., that you could possibly want or find. The prices here are not the bargains you can get a couple streets away, but the selection is matchless. For one-stop shopping and complete inventory, Sato Musen cannot be beat!

Description:

If you see just one temple in Tokyo, make it this one. Settled in Tokyo's historic heart, Asakusa, impressive, colorful Senso-ji temple feels larger than life. The walk up to Senso-ji should be taken at a leisurely pace, perusing the quaint street stalls and nibbling on snacks made fresh in front of you. Plus, Asakusa is the place in Tokyo to stock up on all those traditional trinkets and crafts you'll want to bring home.

Description:

A millennium ago so the legend goes, the Hirokuma brothers found the statue of Kannon (the Bodhisattva of Mercy--the deity alleged to have great powers in purifying people and granting them true happiness) in their fishing nets and the village chief dutifully enshrined it.

The Asakusa Shrine was thus established in 1649 and the 3 persons in the legend were consecrated as gods of the shrine, hereby earning it the nickname Sanja-sama (the shrine of the 3 gods). Undoubtedly the most famous shrine in Tokyo, it also hosts the Sanja Festival in May.

Description:

Asakusa is proud of its history, which is rooted in the lives of common folk. Here is a culture that flourished from the mid-18th century through the early 20th century. This interesting museum attempts to bring alive some of the old traditions. A microcosm of an Asakusa neighborhood catches your eye on the second floor. This section of Tokyo became well known for its amusements after the old Yoshiwara district (government licensed red-light area) was moved to Asakusa. Do not miss the Las Vegas-like stage show "Review of Asakusa" "performed" by cardboard dancers.

Admission: JPY700

Description:

What better way to see the bayside city of Tokyo than from the water? Several different ferry lines crisscross Tokyo Bay to provide stunning vistas of the waterfront, as well as fun transportation between the shore and the island of Odaiba. For a leisurely bay tour, take the full cruise from Hinode Pier. For something more modern and definitively Tokyo, take the sleek Himiko (a mix between submarine and sun room, designed by Reiji Matsumoto) on the Asakusa-Odaiba direct line.

Description:

Aside from braving Tokyo's infamous traffic tangle to drive across it, there are two ways to tackle Rainbow Bridge: by monorail or on foot. The driverless monorail is a blast for any tech enthusiast, as it swiftly transports you across the bridge to ultra-modern Odaiba. But, the best way to catch uninterrupted panoramas of Tokyo's waterfront is to simply walk across the bridge, preferably at dusk, when the city just begins its nightly illumination. Careful though: the walkway closes at 8pm.