24 Traveller ON SUNDAY
Guide
AUGUST 5, 2018
The Sun-Herald
JAPAN
20 reasons to love ...
EAT STREET FOOD From deep-fried delights to skewered chicken and seafood to all kinds of sweet treats, the street food scene in Tokyo is not to be missed. Start with takoyaki (octopus-filled doughbased balls), yakitori (skewered chicken bits), tamagoyaki (rolled omelette) and onigiri (rice balls), then move to the sweet stuff. Taiyaki are popular fish-shaped biscuits usually filled with custard or chocolate cream; matcha soft serve is the ice-cream flavour of the year (or quite possibly the decade); and in trendy Harajuku it’s all about sweet crepes, filled to the brim with sugar-laden choices such as cream, ice-cream, fruit and jelly.
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VISIT THE
Tokyo
2 IMPERIAL PALACE
Surrounded by immaculately maintained parks and gardens, Tokyo’s Imperial Palace occupies the site where the residential palace of the Tokugawa shoguns was located during the Edo Period. Although visitors are not able to access most parts of the complex (the emperor and his family reside in the palace), it’s lovely to walk around the grounds. Free English-language guided tours are run by the Imperial Household Agency, with morning and afternoon sessions held most Tuesdays to Saturdays.
SHOP IN GINZA Tokyo is teeming with shopping destinations and the trendy district of Ginza is one of the best. The main street is lined with upmarket shops, including many stocking luxury international brands. There are also a number of shopping centres that house hundreds of Japanese boutiques and eateries.
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STAY AT THE
4 PENINSULA TOKYO
Luxe it up with a stay at one of the city’s swankiest hotels, located opposite the Imperial Palace and next to the buzzy precinct of Ginza. The huge rooms (the hotel has 314 guest rooms, including 47 suites) all come with floor-to-ceiling views of the city, the Imperial Palace gardens or Hibiya Park. Service from one of the largest concierge teams in the city is impeccable, and there are plenty of inclusions that can be added to your stay – such as a la carte breakfasts in the elegant lobby and chauffeur-driven RollsRoyces. See tokyo.peninsula.com
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By Tatyana Leonov
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VISIT SENSO-JI TEMPLE Founded in 645, Senso-ji Temple is Tokyo’s oldest temple and one of the city’s main attractions. Sightseers enter the temple grounds through the Kaminarimon gate, which means ‘‘thunder gate’’ and is one of the most
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EXPLORE
6 TAKESHITA STREET
This is where Tokyo’s cool kids hang out so join the swarm and stroll down Harajuku’s hippest street. There are loads of shops to check out, from one-off clothing boutiques to purveyors of trinkets and home goods. There are typically plenty of interestingly dressed teenagers milling around too, for a spot of people watching.
CHILL OUT WITH CUTE CRITTERS It started with cat cafes in the early 2000s and from there the popularity of enjoying a snack in the company of cute animals has soared. There are pooch cafes and hedgehog cafes, rabbit cafes and bird cafes; in Tokyo, anything goes. If curling up next to a cute critter is something you want to do, do your research and visit a venue where animal welfare is prioritised.
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photographed sights in the area. Although the main temple is the drawcard, there’s plenty to see and do outside the temple. Visitors can take part in rituals including writing wishes on paper and tying them to a tree, lighting incense, and cleansing themselves at the dragon fountain.
PAY YOUR RESPECTS
8 AT MEIJI SHRINE
Tokyo’s most famous Shinto shrine is surrounded by acres of lush forested grounds, making for a lovely respite from the hustle and bustle of the city. The shrine is dedicated to Emperor Meiji, who in the 19th century opened Japan to the West. It consists of a number of shrine buildings, with the entry marked by a huge torri gate. Inside, guests can cleanse themselves at a water station and throw yen into an offering box for good fortune. See meijijingu.or.jp/english
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SEE TOKYO
9 FROM UP HIGH
Tokyo Skytee, Japan’s tallest building, is the best place to soak up Tokyo’s sprawling vistas. Four elevators, each one symbolic of a season, take visitors up to the 350-metre-high deck. From there, for an additional
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