Change Preferences | Sign Out
SEARCH:
washingtonpost.com
Web
| Search Archives

Free Tokyo (or Almost): Six Ways to See the City for Less

Get up early to catch the action at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Market.
Get up early to catch the action at the Tokyo Central Wholesale Market. (Ben Brazil)
TOOLBOX
Resize
COMMENT
0 Comments 
Discussion Policy
CLOSE
Comments that include profanity or personal attacks or other inappropriate comments or material will be removed from the site. Additionally, entries that are unsigned or contain "signatures" by someone other than the actual author will be removed. Finally, we will take steps to block users who violate any of our posting standards, terms of use or privacy policies or any other policies governing this site. Please review the full rules governing commentaries and discussions. You are fully responsible for the content that you post.
Who's Blogging
» Links to this article
Sunday, June 25, 2006

Tokyo has many gardens, parks, showrooms, markets and other attractions that cost little or nothing. Here are six inexpensive things to do.

Visit the fish market. The Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market (5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-ku,http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm), better known as the Tsukiji fish market, features narrow passageways that lead past stalls of octopus, crab and other fruits of the sea. Get there early: The tuna auction starts around 5 a.m.

Go temple-hopping. Shrines and temples are everywhere. With its large gardens, Meiji Jingu (http://www.meijijingu.or.jp/english/index.htm), probably Tokyo's most important Shinto shrine, is a must-see. The easiest entrance is the corner from Japan Railways' Harajuku Station.

Stop and smell the cherry blossoms. Gardens are peaceful islands in the city. Shinjuku Gyoen (11 Naito-cho, Shinjuku-ku,http://www.shinjukugyoen.go.jp/english/english-index.html; about $1.75) has French-, English- and Japanese-style gardens spread over 144 acres. You can also visit the East Garden of the Imperial Palace (1-1 Chiyoda, Chiyoda-ku,http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/tokyo/imperial.html), for free.

Look at the view. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building One (2-8-1 Nishishinjuku,Shinjuku-ku,http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/TMG/index.htm) has free viewing platforms on the 45th floor.

Tour a showroom. Many Japanese companies have Tokyo showrooms, free ways to check out products. You can see huge TVs, cameras and even a robotic dog at the Sony Building (5-3-1 Ginza,http://www.sonybuilding.jp/e/index.html). Also good is Honda's Welcome Plaza Aoyama (2-1-1 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku,http://www.honda.co.jp/welcome-plaza), with motorcycles, cars and Asimo the robot. Electronics giant Laox's main store (1-2-9 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku,http://www.laox.co.jp/english) is a gadget wonderland in the Akihabara "Electric Town" district. Don't miss the massage chairs on the sixth floor.

See a show. Kabuki-za (4-12-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku,http://www.kabuki-za.co.jp) is Tokyo's top spot to see Kabuki, a traditional form of drama. Although performances can be long and pricey, a single act at Kabuki-za costs about $6.50 to $9. The English-language headphones are worth the extra $3.50.

-- Ben Brazil



© 2006 The Washington Post Company