Tokyo Features

Tokyo Features

• A Healing Headache
  

  While earthquakes are an annoying, everyday fact of life in Japan, they also provide one of the country's greatest delights: thermal baths. Wherever... read more

• Know the Etiquette
  

  Guests are expected to arrive at ryokan in the late afternoon. When you do, put on the slippers that are provided and a maid will escort you... read more

• Hakone Freebies
  

  Many places in Hakone accept the Hakone Free Pass. It's valid for three days and is issued by the privately owned Odakyu Railways. The pass covers... read more

• Top Attractions
  

  At 3,376 meters, Mt. Fuji's the nation's highest peak. It's also one of Japan's most famous symbols and is a common point of inspiration for... read more

• If You Like
  

  Wining and dining, cocktails with class, the sultry sounds of jazz, other live performances, or clubbing and carousing—you'll find it all... read more

• Top Experiences
  

  The ryokan, or traditional Japanese inn, offers rooms outfitted with Japanese-style interiors, such as tatami flooring and paper (shoji) blinds... read more

• The Quintessential Japanese Restaurant
  

  Most often walled off from the outside world, a ryotei is like a villa that has been divided into several small, private dining rooms. These... read more

• Tips on Dining
  

  There's no taboo against slurping your noodle soup, though women are generally less boisterous about it than men.... read more

• The Essentials of a Japanese Meal
  

  The basic formula for a traditional Japanese meal is deceptively simple. It starts with soup, followed by raw fish, then the entrée (grilled... read more

• What's a Vegetarian to Do?
  

  Tokyo has had a reputation for being a difficult place for vegetarians, but in recent years more and more Japanese are opting to go vegetarian... read more

• Kanpai!
  

  Whether you're out with friends, clients, or belting out a tune at the local karaoke bar, you're sure to have a drink at least once during your... read more

• On the Menu
  

  Sushi—slices of raw fish or shellfish on hand-formed portions of vinegared rice, with a dab of wasabi for zest—is probably the most... read more

• The Iron Chef's Tokyo
  

  You never know where you'll find Masaharu Morimoto, known to millions of Americans as "Iron Chef Japan." When he's not filming television episodes... read more

• Stretch Your Legs
  

  The venue of choice for runners is the Imperial Palace Outer Garden. At the west end of the park, Sakurada-mon's (Gate of the Field of Cherry... read more

• Etiquette and Behavior
  

  Propriety is an important part of Japanese society. Many Japanese expect foreigners to behave differently and are tolerant of faux pas, but they... read more

• A Day on the Green
  

  Tokyo has 21 golf courses within its borders and a vast selection beyond city limits. Some are private, but that doesn't always mean nonmembers... read more

• The Red Lights of Kabuki-cho
  

  Tokyo has more than its fair share of red-light districts, but the leader of the pack is unquestionably Kabuki-cho, located just north of Shinjuku... read more

• Golden Gai
  

  Tucked away on the eastern side of Tokyo's sordid Kabuki-cho district, Golden Gai is a ramshackle collection of more than 200 Lilliputian bars... read more

• All That Tokyo Jazz
  

  The Tokyo jazz scene is one of the world's best, far surpassing that of Paris and New York with its number of venues playing traditional, swing... read more

• Gooooaaaallll!!!!
  

  The J. League, Japan's first professional soccer league, was started in 1993 and has 33 teams in two divisions. Tokyo hosts two of those professional... read more

• Tokyo Rocks!
  

  First the bad news: Most of the biggest and best music festivals take place outside Tokyo. But the good news is that many of them are in easy-to-get-to... read more

• The Power of Tea
  

  Green tea is ubiquitous in Japan. But did you know that besides being something of a national drink, it's also good for you? Green tea contains... read more

• Fishmongers Wanted
  

  Why go to the Tsukiji fish market? Quite simply, because of how the fish is sold—at auction. The catch—more than 100 varieties of... read more

• Cruising Like a Samurai
  

  As during the time of the samurai, cruising in a roof-topped boat, or yakatabune, is the perfect means to relax amid bursting fireworks or cherry... read more

• Shopping in Kappabashi
  

  A wholesale-restaurant-supply district might not sound like a promising shopping destination, but Kappabashi, about a 10-minute walk west of... read more

• A Mostly Naked Free-For-All
  

  Sumo wrestling dates back some 1,500 years. Originally a religious rite performed at shrines to entertain the harvest gods, a match may seem... read more

• Is That Edible?
  

  The custom of putting models of the food served in the restaurant's windows dates back to the Meiji Restoration period, but the food wasn't always... read more

• Ieyasu's Legacy
  

  In 1600, Ieyasu Tokugawa (1543-1616) won a battle at a place in the mountains of south-central Japan called Seki-ga-hara, that left him the undisputed... read more

• An Ancient Soap Opera
  

  Once a year, during the Spring Festival (early or mid-April, when the cherry trees are in bloom), the Mai-den hall at Tsuru-ga-oka Hachiman-gu... read more

• The Road to the Shogun
  

  In days gone by, the town of Hakone was on the Tokaido, the main highway between the imperial court in Kyoto and the Shogunate in Edo (present-day... read more

• Planning For Mt. Fuji
  

  Beware of fickle weather around and atop the mountain. Summer days can be unbearably hot and muggy, and the nights can be a shocking contrast... read more