Things to do in Tokyo

Yesterday I had a great time walking around in Tokyo with Sebastian and Bee Suan. If you ever get a chance to visit Tokyo, I’d recommend:

* Tsukiji fish market
(Skip this if you don’t want to watch ocean inhabitants being killed.) One way to utilize a possible jetlag you might have is to get up really early and go to the Tsukiji fish market. It’s open Monday to Saturday. If you go there around 5am it is probably very busy, around 9am it gets a bit quieter and it’s a better time to go there with larger groups (if you go there too early your group will always be blocking someone’s way and they will start honking their horns at you). If your stomach doesn’t revolt you could try one of the sushi places near by. There is also a nice Buddhist temple where you can take a short nap (you’ll find the temple on the way back to the subway station). Btw, the fish market will be moved sometime soon to a different location because they need more space.
If you can handle it (many think these videos are disgusting and disturbing), you might want to see how some Japanese like to eat fish: video, video. If I understood this correctly, it's all about demonstrating that the fish is as fresh as it can be. This comes in many variations, if you search for "living sashimi" you should find many more videos.

* Tokyo-Edo museum
The museum will give you an idea of what live was like in Tokyo before Japan opened its boarders. I’ve been there at least three times now, and every time I learned something new. I’d recommend asking for a volunteer guide before you go there (but you might also be very lucky and there might be one spontaneously available when you get there). If you tell the guides how much time you have they will do a perfect job of showing you all the highlights that fit into your schedule, and they’ll also tell you lots of interesting stories.) After visiting the museum you might want to buy some postcards (it’s not so easy to find them in Tokyo as you might expect) and have some coffee on the top floor enjoying a nice view of Tokyo. If you like sumo, check out the sumo arena right next door (you might want to try to buy tickets in advance), or you can also take a boat ride along Sumida river.

* Tokyo Metropolitan Government building
It’s not far from Shinjuku. The view might not be as good as the view from Tokyo tower, but it’s free. It’s open until 10pm so you can also get a nice night view. There is also a cheap food place in the building (cafeteria for the government workers) and a great tourist information on ground floor. Once you’re on that side of Tokyo you might want to check out Shinjuku and enjoy a glass of water at the Starbucks with an amazing view of the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world. You might also just want to cross the road a few times to enjoy the crowds rushing toward you when the light turns “blue”. There are also some crazy department stores in Shinjuku you might want to explore (I think one of them is called 901).

* Harajuku on Sunday’s
It’s not far from Shinjuku, and the best time to be there is Sunday afternoon. You’ll get to see teenagers dress up like in crazy Mangas... and just around the corner (follow the path into the forest) you’ll find a very nice Shinto shrine. There is also a huge 100 yen shop near by. The cultural contrast is perhaps the most impressive. Btw, the way the teenagers dress up reminds me of Kabuki plays where the actors like to dress up very colorfully and even like to change their costumes several times during an act. Sometimes they do it on stage using some magical tricks.

* Kabuki-za
Kabuki is very different to any other theater I’ve seen before. All of it is amazing: the music, the way they sing, the costumes and decorations... You’ll find the Kabuki-za in Ginza. You can buy a ticket for one act (instead of all three) for 1000 yen. If you wait on line you’ll get a seat, if you just go there after the act started, you’ll probably get a standing place. Acts seem to start around noon and continue all afternoon. I’d recommend getting the translation device which does not only translate what they sing and talk about, but also explains the background including general information about Kabuki. You might even want to go there more than once. I’ve been there twice in the last week and every time the play was very different. You might also want to study the actors' names before the performances so that you can join the crowds when they yell out their names during the play.

I’m guessing that you’ll have a guide book that’s full of recommendations so I won’t list everything. I also like Asakusa, Akihabara, Roppongi (btw, you’re guide book might not mention “Midtown” which was just opened, it’s very impressive), Ochanamizu (lots of second hand instrument shops), the gardens around the emperor’s palace, Ueno park,... You might also just want to stand around and look lost. If you’re lucky a helpful Tokyo citizen will ask you what you are looking for, and then decide to take you there in his BMW convertible... as it happened to us yesterday :-)
Btw, one thing I'd recommend avoiding is the rush hour in the subways. It really is as bad as you might have heard.