QH SENSATIONS Tokyo cityscape over the Ginza district
By Lynsey Riach
Bright and buzzed meets chilled and zen in this country that seamlessly intertwines modernity with tradition.
I
f you imagined a city where neon lights shine bright all night, people buzz around you and most of the signs are not in English, then you’d be spot on. This is Tokyo – and you can expect to spend your time here on fast-forward.
japan: it’s all about
balance…
Slicing sashimi at Tsukiji Fish Market
Japan's sentinel Mt. Fuji
Japan is home to many clichés and you can be assured you’ll find them on your stay. First up? Those sumos. Yes, they do exist and yes, you will see them towering over everyone else in the stereotypical crammed subways. On your first day, hop in a taxi to Chou-Ku Nihonbashi to see the big boys practice their shuffles, shoves and bun-tying skills (that alone is worth the visit). Careful on overdoing the Instagram snaps…they don’t like being photographed much. From there it’s a lunch stop at the freshest sushi joint in town – the Tsukiji fish market. Open since dawn, these traders have been haggling over the price of tuna while you caught up on your sleep. Pull up a pew at the many sushi bars offering their freshest cuts all prepared in front of your very eyes by seriously skilled sushi chefs. Photos are welcome. Taking a stroll to nearby Ginza (the main shopping area in town) I walk past more clichés – the Japanese vending machines, (and lots of them) selling all sorts of products from warm milk tea (this I love!) to umbrellas. It appears the Japanese have excel at being self-sufficient. If you’re looking for a chocolate fix, you’ll need to bring your own as a green tea Kit-Kat is about as much as you’ll get (seriously). They don’t really ‘do’ fast-food chains or well-known snacks which is a rare novelty for today’s traveler.
A Kyoto geisha
But more on those stereotypes! Karaoke. It’s everywhere. In the trendy area of Roppongi, Lovenet is home to themed and private soundproof booths where you can belt your heart out. And, with a phone in your room, drinks service is delivered direct to you (here, you start to believe you really are a pop-star). With a complex corridor of booths, I stumbled upon the wrong room and found a Japanese businessman belting out an emotional ballad. Wish I’d had my camera… On the subject of photography, that’s another Japanese stereotype isn’t it? But in this town you’ll need your camera on-hand at all times. Tokyo is a city where you’ll marvel at so many interesting sights from your very suave and suit-clad taxi driver (watch out for the automatic popping doors), to the endless colourful signs in Japanese, to the Halloween-esque outfits adorned by the girls of Harajuku. This is a sight to see – hop on the train to this densely populated area of teens, shops and cafés. It’s the Tokyo you’ve always imagined. And for the inner geek, Akihabara is where Sega, Nintendo and comic book stores dominate. At night head to Tokyo Tower for a view to remember. If you come at sunset, you may even catch Mt. Fuji in the distance. Take a stroll down the hill and you’ll find plenty of noodle bars waiting to
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