Tokyo now and then - Going on a “time trip”!

Tokyo is a megacity where high-rise buildings rise up in the blink of an eye, new restaurants and cafés are opening every day… everything keeps changing at a tremendous speed.
On the other hand, old historical buildings are also taken care of and well preserved.
Why don’t you go on a stroll through the city while touching the past, present, and future of Tokyo!

“Tokyo station” was built in 1914 at the former site of a samurai mansion.

When walking toward the Yurakucho station next to Tokyo station, you will see the beautiful red brick viaduct. In this area, the railway tracks are elevated by brick arches. This viaduct has been supporting Japan’s railway for over 100 years. If you are a railway fan, I recommend you to visit the free observation deck of the shopping mall “KITTE” nearby Tokyo station. From the observation deck, you can see the Shinkansen bullet train and local trains constantly departing and arriving.

The “Imperial Palace” is where the Japanese emperor lives. Therefore, you can’t go inside, but you can visit the gardens, the gates and the stone walls surrounding the Imperial Palace for free.

If you compare different stonewalls, you will notice that the stone patterns vary from place to place. That is because the technology evolved with the times. Since Edo Castle that was originally built in 1457, different techniques were used each time the castle was rebuilt or expanded.

“Kitanomaru Garden” is a vast park where you can enjoy seasonal plants and flowers and relax in nature. Especially, the autumn leaves from the end of November to the beginning of December every year are very beautiful. In the park, there is also the Museum of Modern Art and Science – there is enough to see to spend all day just in the park. In addition, “Chidorigafuchi” near to the park is known as one of the most beautiful cherry blossom viewing spots in Tokyo. There is also a boat rental where you and your friends can rent rowing boats throughout the year.

The most evolving city in Tokyo is “Akihabara”.

Until a couple of years ago, Akihabara was known as being an “electric town”, attracting fans of radio and computers. However, recently the quarter has become a sanctuary for anime, manga and video games. Countless shops dedicated to spreading the “moe” culture as well as game centers, maid cafes etc. await you there.

If you visit Akihabara, you should stop by at “Kanda Myojin” shrine, that is close by.

“Kanda Myojin” is very open to anime, manga and other pop cultures. Therefore, manga and game fans write their wishes and support messages for their favorite groups or voice actors on small wooden boards (“ema”) and hang them on a special frame at the shrine.