tokyoneighborhoods – Exposing The World

Tokyo: The Neighborhoods

The Most Walkable City

Despite its gigantic size, Tokyo is the most walkable of the world’s major cities. Because it is so prone to earthquakes, its building heights stayed low until recent times. Because it developed before the automobile, it had to be as richly served my public transit as Paris.

Back

Hamamatsucho and Marunouchi

The city’s banking and finance is done here. Think of this area as being like Wall Street or the City of London.

**At the wall of the Imperial Palace. The Palace is the heart of Marunoichi (“Inner Circle”)**

**Lobby directory in an ofice building**

**Different colors of pay telephones were for different calling distances. Red was for local only.**

**Christmas is a holiday offered for tourists**

**The innovative NOA Building hosts among other tenants the Embassy of Fiji. It is located near the US Embassy.**

Akihabara

Tokyo’s electronics and technology marketplace. Before personal computing, it sold stereo gear and calculators to the general public, and discrete electronic components like resistors and capacitors to the hobbyist and ham radio enthusiasts.

**Akihabara once meant “Autumn Leaf Plains.” Times have certainly changed.**

Asakusa

Asakusa Kannon is the oldest Buddhist temple in Tokyo, dedicated to the bodhisatva of compassion

**Like everything else in the country, the temple is surrounded by every kind of shopping**

Atago Hill

This small hill in the middle of town features a Shinto shrine dedicated to the celebrated shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. The short but steep ascent of the shrine on this hill is thought to confer success in life.

Harajuku

This upscale shopping district is popular with young people.

Kitabamba

This old neighborhood is famous for its summer festival. L” The matsirigoto, or portable shrine, that is centerpiece of the festival.

**Shinagawa Ward in south Tokyo. Shrine festival day, when the matsurigoto is hand-carried by crowd.**

This is his first attempt to play the taiko, or great drum

Shinjuku

The primary entertainment district of Tokyo.
L” This sign blares “Tokyo Style”

**Night, old part of Shinjuku ward near JNR station.**

**Koma Stadium, a popular venue for martial arts**

Shinjuku Garden

The name is the same, but the atmosphere of this large park is totally different. It’s one of the best places to bring the kids when you want a day in the sun..

**Greenhouse in Shinjuku Gardens, with mostly subtropical, California/Mexico type flora.**

Children are playing nearby, and their ball just landed at this man’s feet…

Tama Park

A low-density residential district.

Another visitor’s amazed child with a public park sculpture

Tsukishima

“Moon Island” is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Tokyo, and has been preserved in close to its original state.

Back