[hkskyline]

I return to Tokyo after 7 years. I have been focused on Europe and China quite a lot since my return to Asia, and with a free plane ticket, I wanted to maximize it and go to Japan for a short holiday.

Space-sharing is necessary in the crowded city.

Looks quite good from this angle. The scale appears disproportionate with a wide base.

Tokyo does have examples of mundane, glassy architecture.

Shinjuku's skyline looks quite good from this angle. Japan isn't famous for its skyscrapers, but the skyline does look nice.

Cherry blossom season is a great time to be Tokyo, and I was lucky enough to visit during full bloom week.

Unfortunately, I wasn't the only one out enjoying the flowers.

But there are good places to see blossoms without fighting the rest of humanity.

Reflect on tradition.

The rain did come now and then, and when it did, it was time to visit a museum. The Shitamachi Museum offers a glimpse in traditional life.

Traditional candies, anyone?

Do you know how to cook this?

The mass of humanity moves everywhere.

Now back to some serenity. This is the contrast of urban Tokyo. This was taken in the heart of the city.

Japan is the land of vending machines, and even vending machine games!

Good food comes at a great price. These ones are a bit more affordable, and seem fairly decent.

The scent from this machine drew me here.

Japan is a very tidy place. The fish market is traditionally wet and smelly, but I didn't get those feelings here.

Mannequin Pis times many.

So cute!

Make a wish.

Bells and whistles.

A mini-forest of manicured trees dot the Imperial Palace front yard.

Parts of the palace grounds are open to the public beyond these gardens. I was excited to see what the commoner was not able to do a century ago.

The beautiful sun and cool spring temperatures make April a great month to visit Japan.

Strolling along the alleys of Edo.

Tokyo Midtown splashed across headlines when it opened. The landscaping was quite nice, but the building itself wasn't anything special.

We progress to more recent times. The rice-cooker is an essential appliance in the modern home.

Let's keep walking.

Looking at some of the characters, it seems this is a lottery or some sort of gambling booth.

My Tokyo Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/tokyo.htm

 

[ganjavih]

Very interesting tour, thanks. Hope there's more coming.

 

[hkskyline]

Yes, there's more! Oktoberfest has beer tents, and Japan has hanami. When the cherry blossoms bloom, the beer opens below.

Quite a busy day at the park!

Street food ... Japanese style!

Even if I can't read the words, I can still point to my meal.

Roppongi has a new observation deck as well. It's really expensive, but with a decent sky, it was worth it.

Keep going.

The traditional building is not spectacular. Behind it, the modern building is boring.

Milk boxes are not just popular in the West, but also in Japan.

Tokyo has many quiet spots within its urban expanse.

This brand new park has a very traditional and serene feel. Tokyo doesn't feel like a big city at times.

Now back to reality. Tokyo Midtown, the skyscraper.

More skyscrapers around Tokyo station.

Turn around and walk a few steps.

My Tokyo Gallery : http://www.globalphotos.org/tokyo.htm

 

[wonderboy416]

Terrific shots, great job!

I will be in Tokyo in 3 weeks and can' wait to see how it contrasts with Seoul.. your pictures have made me really excited to go!

I'll be staying right in Shibuya.

 

[hkskyline]

If you like fish, you will love this thread. The Tsujiki Fish Market is very famous, and people get up before sunrise to capture the live auction of really expensive fresh fish. I opted for more sleep and went after all that action was over. Besides, tourists were banned from the auction because there were simply too many of them.

The market is chaotic, wet, and the passageways were narrow. It was un-Japanese in a way.

I guess this is the prized tuna?

Each tuna is quite massive, and there were plenty of them being carved up.

Fish head soup, anyone? The irony is the fish market didn't have that fishy smell.

How many sushi restaurants will benefit from this?

Don't think anyone needs to worry a curious tourist will haul these away.

So many big fish!

Processed results :

Do they cut that small part of the tail to check for quality?

Since I valued sleep more than the tuna auction, I had to make up for it by finding as many tuna as I could.

 

[detroitbootybass]

Awesome photos... thank you so much for sharing them with us!

 

[hkskyline]

Shibuya is the place to be to witness the crowds. Here's the famous junction. It wasn't that crowded!

I thought Times Square had more advertisements.

I needed a pit stop, and visited a small, quaint ramen place. It took a while to figure out which button to press on the vending machine to buy my meal. Then handing over the receipt to the attendant was the easy part.

However, these side streets are full of advertising.

Storing the fruits of a shopping trip.

Japan is the land of plastic food. Take your pick!

Meanwhile, back on the street, there were plenty of designer stores with unique designs.

Some streetscapes were also nicely decorated with small bits of vegetation.

Not convinced that was what Shibuya's crowded experience had to offer, I ventured back for a night-time view.

It seemed busy, but orderly Japanese busy.

What is a red double decker doing here?

I had to venture a bit higher for as much of an aerial shot I could get.

It's time to get more serenity. Yoyogi Park is located between Shibuya and Harajuku. There were lots of cherry blossom trees!

I arrived in Tokyo during the blossom peak ... very lucky.

 

[cyruskafaiwu]

These are pree decentt shots!

 

[Kitsune]

Nice photos - I was just in Tokyo in October... amazing city. I got lost in Shibuya, and ended up back at my hotel in Shinjuku too one day. Lots to do and see.

 

[hkskyline]

Yebisu is named after a brewry of the same name. It's now a museum and shopping complex, and restaurants line the top floor of the main skyscraper. Like many Tokyo skyscrapers, there is an open area with a view that visitors can visit.

 

[cocole]

So amazing pic ! Suikidesu !

 

[PUTOTO]

Awesome...
full of culture, massive skyscrapers and high-rises covering the entire city, neat t& futuristic infrastructure...
Tokyo sure is the number one city on earth.

 

[PUTOTO]

Great pics!
I would say Tokyo is the most vibrant, dynamic, alive, yet calm, and sofisticated city in the world. I made this conclusion after I finally visited New York City last year.
It's actually far more than what the photos show in this thread, just so great to comprehend as one modern city.