#77 - Odaiba

Odaiba is a large man-made island in Tokyo Bay. Today, it is a well-known leisure and entertainment zone, and hosts a number of attractions for tourists. It is also one of the only two places within the Greater Tokyo Metropolitan area where you can access the seashore and which isn't blocked by industry and harbour areas.

Interesting fact: Odaiba is currently one of the proposed venues for Japan's 2020 Summer Olympic games for events such as beach volleyball, triathlon and marathon swimming and gymnastics.

View of Tokyo Bay and the Rainbow Bridge from Odaiba.

Some history

This area was first constructed in the 1850s. Six island fortresses were built as a defense against attack by sea. The name Odaiba (お台場) comes from the Japanese word for the cannon batteries (daiba 台場) which were placed on these islands.

About a century later, massive landfills were used to connect the small islands together, making them into larger islands. The area expanded as a seaport district, but since the 1990s it has developed into a major tourist and leisure area.

Things to see

Odaiba has a lot of shopping areas and restaurants, so it is great if you want to buy a range of things and have a relaxing day out at the same time. Some of these areas are: Decks Tokyo Beach, Aquacity Odaiba, and DiverCity Plaza. As an added bonus, I found these well within walking distance, so it feels very compact and easy to navigate!

Front side of Fuji TV building.

Fuji TV Building

The headquarters of Fuji Television is based in Odaiba. The building itself has a very interesting design, which was created by Kenzo Tange (丹下健三 Tange Kenzo), who also designed the Hiroshima Peace Park.

Events outside.

It is possible for the public to go into the building. There are some exhibits on popular programs. Of course, there is also a shop where you can purchase Fuji TV goods. At the time I went, there was also a lot of events going on outside, such as stalls for prizes, games and food! I also saw some costumed characters. 

Looking up from under the building.

If you want a nice view of the Odaiba area, you can visit the second-highest storey for free. There is also an observatory deck in the ball-shaped part, but there is an admission fee for this bit. It usually costs about 500 yen. 

Ferris Wheel

Another popular attraction is the Ferris wheel. Known as Daikanransha (大観覧車) it stands at 115 metres tall (337 ft), making it one of the world's largest. 

Ferris wheel and entrance
to Pallete Town.

During the ride, you can get some great views of the area, including the Bay and Rainbow Bridge. It takes about 15 minutes to complete one revolution, so you can sit back, relax,and enjoy the sights. 

Although each cabin can seat six people, this Ferris wheel is popular among Japanese couples. In fact, Odaiba as an area is sometimes viewed as a dating place, especially amongst younger generations!

The Ferris wheel is right inside an area called Palette Town, which also has some shops, restaurants, and exhibitions, such as a Toyota showroom!

"Life-size" Mobile Suit Gundam.

One last thing, which is sure to thrill most manga and anime fans, is the giant "life-size" Gundam statue. It can be quite surprising to turn the corner and see it! This mobile suit can be found outside of the DiverCity Tokyo Plaza. Inside the plaza, there is a small shop selling Gundam related goods.

How to get there

There are many ways to get to Odaiba. It can be accessed by the Yurikamome (an elevated train with tyres), using the Rinkai Line, or by boat. You can also cross the Rainbow Bridge on foot.

#76 - Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower (東京タワー ) is a communications and observation tower in Tokyo. Standing at 333 metres tall, it is the second tallest structure in Japan (after this tower).Construction was completed in 1958, and Tokyo Tower remains a popular attraction for tourists to this day. I visited in the middle of July, 2013 and loved it!

History

After television broadcasting started in Japan in 1953, it was feared that a lot of transmission towers would be built across Tokyo. In order to prevent this happening and potentially overrunning the city, it was decided to construct one large tower to service the whole area. 

Looking up.

Did you know that, originally, Tokyo Tower was planned to be bigger than the Empire State Building? Unfortunately, due to a lack of resources and financing, this wouldn't be the case. 

Japanese architect Taichu Naito (内藤 多仲) was responsible for the design of Tokyo Tower. The lattice tower was based on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. But, when the 90 metre antenna was placed on Tokyo Tower, it overtook the Eiffel Tower to become the tallest free-standing tower in the world at that time! Like its French counterpart, Tokyo Tower came to be a symbol of its city.

Things to do

Tokyo Tower offers great bird's eye views of Tokyo. There are two observation decks: the main observatory at 150 metres, and the special observatory at 250 metres. On a clear day, you can see Mount Fuji! Unfortunately it was a little drizzly when I went, so I couldn't see it. Nevertheless, I really enjoyed looking out across Tokyo, and identifying other buildings and areas I had visited!

A view from Tokyo Tower.

At the time I visited Tokyo Tower, it was becoming late afternoon. I stayed until after the sun had set, and saw Tokyo light up! The views were great and it was a wonderful way of looking back on all the things I had done in Tokyo. 

Looking towards the Rainbow Bridge
 and Odaiba.

Looking up at night.

Tokyo at night.

Finally, underneath the tower, there is a four-storey building called FootTown. Here, there is an aquarium, reception hall, restaurants, convenience stores, and of course - elevators to climb the tower. You can also visit the Guinness World Records Museum Tokyo on the third floor. Also, on the roof of the building there is a small amusement park for children.

#75 - Ueno Zoo and Tokyo Skytree - 16 June 2013

Ueno Zoo

Ueno Zoo is the oldest zoo in Japan. Also known as 恩賜上野動物園 (Onshi Ueno Doubutsu-en), it was founded in 1882 and currently covers about 14.3 hectares of land. It lies in the Ueno Park grounds, which is a large urban park with museums and galleries and other attractions.

There are over 460 species kept in Ueno Zoo. There were animals such as penguins, kangaroos, giraffes, elephants, tigers, hippos, birds, red pandas - the list goes on! However, perhaps the most famous is the panda. Unfortunately, at the time I visited, the female panda was kept inside, as it was thought she was pregnant, and we couldn't see the male through the enclosure (or the people!). The panda has almost become a symbol of Ueno. Even around Ueno train station, you can see statues of pandas, gifts and sweets in the shape of pandas, pictures, images, and so on!

Polar bear!

Japanese bears!

View of art of Ueno Park
from the hotel room.

I spent a long time watching the polar bear. First, it was playing with a floating orange ball in the water. Then, it managed to get the top from an orange cone, and would throw it into the water and chase it like a fish! Other than the polar bear, there were other bear enclosures too. When I was at the zoo, the weather wasn't great, but I really enjoyed looking at the animals!

Tokyo Skytree

Looking up from near the base.

On the same afternoon, I also visited Tokyo Skytree for the first time. Tokyo Skytree (東京スカイツリー) is one of the newest additions to Tokyo's skyline, standing at 634 metres tall, it became the tallest tower in the world, and the second tallest structure in the world (after the Burj Khalifa in Dubai). You can see Tokyo Skytree in the distance from most areas in Tokyo, so of course it has become a popular photo object!

One of the views.

There are two observation decks, with great views across Tokyo. The Tembo Deck stand at 350 metres and spans across 3 floors. There is a souvenir shop and a restaurant, as well as a cafe and glass panels on the floor to see to the bottom (eep!). The Tembo Gallery is at 450 metres. Here, you can walk up a sloping spiral ramp, which circles the tower to give great views.  

Underneath Skytree there are is a large shopping complex and also an aquarium, so it would be easy to spend a long time there! Here you will also find Tokyo Skytree Station (which used to be called Narihirabashi Station) making it very easy to get to Skytree by train. 

#74 - Koraku-en in Okayama City

In May 2013, I briefly visited Okayama city and saw some of the main sights. One well-known place in Okayama is Koraku-en (後楽園) which is known as one of the three most beautiful gardens in Japan. It's really easy to get to: it's about a 30 minute walk from Okayama station, or you can take a tram or bus to one of the entrances.

Looking across the river towards Koraku-en, which is on the island.
You can see Okayama Castle on the right-hand side of the river, just to the right of the bridge.

Koraku-en was order to be constructed in 1687 by a feudal lord, and it was finally completed in 1700. One of its main purposes was to entertain important guests. Nowadays, anyone can enter for a small entrance fee to enjoy the beautiful garden. Nearby, there is Okayama Castle (岡山城 Okayama-jo) which is also known as "Crow castle" due to its black façade. It can be also seen from inside the garden, which adds to the garden's scenery.

 

This pond is called Sawa no Ike (沢の池 "Marsh Pond". The three small island built in it are supposed to be based on the scenery around Lake Biwa in Kyoto!

 There is one special feature of Koraku-en that is quite unique for a Japanese garden. Usually, plants and other points of interest are placed in a specific order, so that the garden entertains people when walking around. But, at Koraku-en there are spacious lawn areas. It makes it very reminiscent of a European garden! The lawn area covers about 18,500 square metres (the area of the whole garden is roughly 133,000 square metres).

Picture of the garden map,
showing the different areas.

Of course, Koraku-en still has many things to see, such as plum groves, small hills, ponds and streams, maple leaves - and so on! I have only visited once, but I was told that the scenery within the gardens changes drastically from season to season.

I really enjoyed walking around Koraku-en. It is a great place to spend a sunny day out with friends or family. I saw a lot of people having a picnic or playing ball games. The weather was good too, although I do remember getting a little sunburnt(!).