Tokyo

Effortlessly blending the old and the new, Tokyo is a city that defies definition. Cutting edge technology glitters beside ancient temples, flashing neon lights bathe kimono-clad women, and shining skyscrapers tower above stunning Shinto shrines. At first glance a city clogged by polluting cars and harassed commuters, Tokyo has spots of tranquility and beautiful detail that amaze and astonish. Home to over 12 million people, this is a city with a history and a heart that captivates every visitor.

This sprawling megalopolis on the Pacific coast of Honshu is on the largest of the 6,800 Japanese islands. In 1590, the city was founded as Edo, the capital of the shoguns, the succession of hereditary absolute rulers of Japan and commander of the Japanese army. Edo boasted its own vibrant culture, the celebrated ‘floating world’ of pleasure quarters, theatres and cherry blossoms, immortalized in the Japanese woodblock prints of the time. Following the fall of the shoguns in 1867 (and the restoration of the power of the Emperor), the city was renamed Tokyo, the Eastern Capital, heralding its rebirth as a dynamic modern city and the showpiece of a rapidly modernizing country. Despite the catastrophic 1923 earthquake, which killed 140,000 and left a further 1.9 million people homeless, and near obliteration during World War II, Tokyo rose from the ashes.

Now a bewildering amalgamation of districts and neighbourhoods, Tokyo still thrive as a coherent whole, due to the extraordinarily efficient network of rail and underground lines that crisscross and encircle the city. These are Tokyo’s arteries, transporting legions of businesspeople, office workers and students from the suburbs and depositing them in vast stations. Two million people a day pass through Shinjuku Station alone. The towering business districts swarm with soberly dressed corporate warriors and the demure young secretaries known as ‘office flowers’. The architectural anarchy and sheer crush of humanity assaults the senses. Amid the frenzy of consumerism, brash electronics outlets are crammed next to refined upscale boutiques and hordes of giggling schoolgirls swoon over pop idols and the latest fashions in glitzy emporiums.

Downtown, old neighbourhoods cluster around antiquated shopping arcades and the clatter of the temple bell echoes across the rooftops. Here, the rhythms of the seasons are still observed. Tokyoites flock to ring in the New Year at the venerable Shinto shrines and springtime brings a flurry of flower-viewing parties and picnics under the cherry blossoms. Rowdy, traditional festivals punctuate the humid summers and the spirit of the old Edo also survives in the neon-bathed entertainment districts: modern-day ‘floating worlds’ of karaoke and cinemas, shot bars and bathhouses. Traditional kabuki theatre thrives alongside opera, ballet and symphonic performances, and Tokyoites are passionate about sumo, baseball and now, thanks partly to the 2002 World Cup, football. With the latest figures estimating an incredible 60,000 eateries in Tokyo and home to the world’s largest fish market, food is an obsession even closer to Japanese hearts. From bowls of steaming ramen noodles to delicate slices of sashimi, chefs compete to offer the freshest produce, and presentation is elevated to an art form.

Japan was once an economic powerhouse inviting the envy of the world, but continuing recession, bank collapses and financial scandals have swept away the financial certainties of the past. With the arrival of the more ‘yen conscious’ economy, however, Tokyo has become a much more affordable destination. To the surprise of many, travelling and entertaining in this bustling city no longer requires a second mortgage. And with grooming and shopping followed with almost religious fervor, very little economic trepidation is evident to spoil a visitor’s fun.