In the heart of Tokyo is
the Crown Prince Palace. It is the
state guest house. Our presidents have
stayed here.
Near these gates is the
Imperial Palace where the Imperial families have lived since 1888. The original structure was destroyed in the
1945 air raids. The palace was rebuilt
in 1968. At one time in history the
palace with its gardens was the biggest fortress in the world. There’s no photo of the palace since I
couldn’t see it from the bus. The
public can only go near the palace on New Years Day and the emperor’s
birthday. The palace is similar to the
White House. The White House is the
official home of the President of the United States and the Imperial Palace is
the home of the emperor, the head of Japan.
Modern buildings align
the streets.
Tokyo is one of the
world’s cleanest and safest cities as well as one of the largest and most
populated metropolitan areas. 1/4 of
the population of Japan live in Tokyo and in its surrounding prefectures.
This is a view looking
out from a skyscraper at the city.
The Tsujiki Fish Market
is one of the largest fish markets in the world. Fish is a staple of the Japanese diet since Japan is a series of
islands. Many Japanese work in the fish
business. Thousands of workers are
everywhere.
On
Tokyo Bay’s waterfront the Wonder Ferris Wheel soars 115 meters into the
sky. This opened in l999. For a while it was the world’s largest
ferris wheel. It is the symbol of the
urban area called the Odiba District.
The Tokyo Tower is
Japan’s most famous observation tower and one symbol of Tokyo. It was modeled after the Eiffel Tower in
France. It is 1092 feet high, 30 feet
higher than the Eiffel Tower. It’s 3000
tons lighter! You can view all of Tokyo
from here.
Ginza
is an expensive shopping area. It has
the most expensive real estate in the world!
There are many restaurants, bars, department stores, boutiques, and neon
signs.
Akihabara is a section
of Tokyo. It’s known as the electric
city since it has over 600 stores that sell electronic gadgets. Some of the items are not yet sold in the
United States. Before you buy something
here you have to make sure it is for export.
It’s a fun place to look at.
There
are parks in Tokyo.
Senior citizens play ikebukuro, a
recreation game similar to croquette in city parks. Although Japan is a rich country there are also many homeless
people who usually live together in parks.
Although Japan is a rich country, there are also many homeless people
who usually live together in parks.
Even though Tokyo is
ultra modern and hitech in many ways, it is filled with many treasures like its
historical and traditional sites.
Asakusa in the northern part of the city is where early Japanese
merchants originally settled. Once you walk
through the Kaminari-mon Gate, there are many traditional colorful shops
selling pottery, kimonos, fans, toys and other goods on a 300 meter
promenade. At the end of this walking
area are temple buildings and shrines.