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 Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:19 pm
well, since most foreginers that actually want to live in japan permanently end up in tokyo, lets go over districts in tokyo!!!!!!
(i can tell you know i hate 秋葉原 （Also known as アキバ）。 but you might like it)
my favourite places, like all girls is: 渋谷区と新宿区ですぅ★！
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Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2006 8:59 pm
渋谷区♥ ！
Shibuya is one of Tokyo's most colorful and busy districts and birthplace to many of Japan's fashion and entertainment trends. Most of the area's large department and fashion stores belong to either Tokyu or Seibu, two competing corporations.
A prominent landmark of Shibuya is the large intersection in front of the station (Hachiko Exit), which is heavily decorated by neon advertisements and giant video screens and gets crossed by amazingly large crowds of pedestrians each time the traffic light turns green.
Hachiko Statue
A statue of a loyal dog named Hachiko. According to a famous story, the dog waited for his master every day in front of Shibuya Station, and continued to do so for years even after his master had passed away. It is one of Tokyo's most popular meeting points.
Tobacco and Salt Museum
Introducing the history of tobacco and salt in Japan and throughout the world. Information in English is limited. The museum is operated by Japan Tobacco (JT), whose predecessor used to monopolize the production and sale of tobacco and salt in Japan.
Electric Power Museum (Denryokukan)
This museum by the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) introduces various aspects of electric energy, such as the process of power generation and the role of electricity in society and everyday life. Information in English is limited.
NHK Studiopark
NHK Studiopark is a part of the NHK Broadcasting Center, which is open to the public. It gives visitors a chance to look behind the scenes of television broadcasting, including the production of a live program on most days.
Open daily 10:00 to 18:00. Closed on the third Monday of each month, except in August and December and if the third Monday falls on a national holiday, in which case the Studiopark remains open on Monday but closes on Tuesday. Closed from December 25-31. Admission: 200 Yen.
National Yoyogi Stadium
Built for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics by renown architect Tange Kenzo, the stadium hosted the olympic swimming competitions. It is now also being used for ice skating and volleyball competitions, concerts and various other events.
Love Hotel Hill
This area of Shibuya has a high concentration of love hotels, which offer couples a private room for a 2-3 hour "rest" during the day (usually around 5000 Yen) or an overnight "stay" (usually around 10000 Yen).
Koen Dori
Koen Dori, lit. "Park Street", is a popular shopping street leading from the Marui department store to Yoyogi Park. It was named after Parco department store (parco is Italian for park) and the fact that the street leads to Yoyogi Park.
Spain Slope
Spain Slope (Supeinzaka) is a narrow, approximately 100 meter long pedestrian street with stairs leading up the slope to the Parco department store. It is lined by boutiques, cafes and restaurants, and was nicknamed for resembling a Spanish street scene.
Center Gai, the narrow street leading away from the station to the left of the giant video screen, is famous as the birthplace of many of Japan's youth fashion trends. Center Gai is jam-packed with clothing stores, music stores, and video game arcades.
The Bunkamura complex (Bunkamura-dori) has an excellent art museum, in addition to theatres for film and stage plays. On the basement floor there's art and design bookstore as well as a branch of Paris' famous Les Deux Magots café.
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Posted: Thu Nov 23, 2006 10:10 pm
新宿区 shinjuku-ku. its more mature than shibuya. in fact there should be "18 and over only" signs around shinjuku. aside from having the largest foreginers populus (for your interest, this is not the place where western foreginers converge, this is the palce for the asian immigrants, you ll know in a seocnd why. and its not pleasant) Districts The Kabukicho district, to the northeast of JR Shinjuku station, is Tokyo's most notorious red-light district. It's always packed with people, and though outsiders are generally not involved, quite a bit of gangland violence goes on in the vicinity. In addition, the closely-packed mah-jongg and strip clubs are fire hazards that rival Hong Kong high-rises. To the south of Kabuki-cho is Shinjuku ni-chome, Tokyo's largest gay district. Golden Gai (gai meaning street) is the name given to a few narrow alleys in a block on the east edge of Kabukicho. It's packed with tiny, grimy "hole-in-the-wall" bars. If you're desperate for a drink and very adventurous, try your luck at any of the unmarked doors. On the west side of the Yamanote tracks, Omoide Yokocho ("Memory Lane") is a small alley filled with yakitori joints. The tunnel under the tracks near the entrance of Omoide Yokocho is nicknamed "gokiburi yokocho" (cockroach lane) or "shonben yokocho" (piss lane). No prizes for guessing why. so whats so greta about it? shinjuku is the palce for the night life. filled with clubs, restraunts, brothels with varying degrees of legality etc. its shiny and cool~. this is where you come to watch all the organized crime going on in tokyo (remember how i said this was the epitome of asian immigrants? remember how freakzette said that chinese immigrants do the most crime? you get the picture.) occasionally, yeah, you ll have to run for your life, but thats what makes life fun. Shinjuku Skyscraper District Among the skyscrapers are the Tocho and some of Tokyo's leading hotels, including the Keio Plaza, Hilton, Century Hyatt and Park Hyatt (featured in Lost in Translation). Several of the other skyscrapers have some shops on their ground floors and restaurants with great Kabukicho Named after a kabuki theater, whose construction plans have never been realized, Japan's largest red light district features countless restaurants, bars, pachinko parlors, love hotels and a wide variety of red light establishments for both sexes and sexual orientations. Explore with caution and beware of exorbitant cover fees. Shinjuku station department stores, subterranean malls and electronic shops surround Shinjuku Station on all four sides, including the recently redeveloped south, where the pleasant Southern Terrace is located. Redevelopment there is still ongoing. This is the red light district.
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Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 8:53 pm
i remeber going to shinjuku we got lost and ended up in the gay district ah man that was probably the funniest day in the whole trip
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Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 8:56 pm
missgothiclolita i remeber going to shinjuku we got lost and ended up in the gay district ah man that was probably the funniest day in the whole trip wow, seriously. what heppened?
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Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 9:00 pm
I edited a few things into the article about shibuya, i will probably edi tmore, and probably more into the shinjuku one too.
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Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 9:17 pm
Extensive editing done on both articles. i hope you odnt my the wall text on shibuya sweatdrop
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Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 9:26 pm
秋葉原区★ akihabara, is geek land. im surprised people actually live here. they must all be geeks. it has a reputation for having all the weird electronic stores, anime, manga etc. i once had someone walk up to me there and try to sell me boys love (yaoi). talk2hand Electronics Hundreds of electronics shops of various sizes can be found around Akihabara Station and along Chuo Dori (Chuo Avenue). They offer everything from the newest computers, cameras, televisions, mobile phones and home appliances to second-hand goods and electronic junk. Sprawled in every direction off the main street Chūō-dōri (中央通り) are more smaller streets with even more electronics stores. Note that the further from the main street you get the better the prices - but the more you stray, the less foreigner-friendly the shops are. On Sunday afternoons, the main street is blocked to vehicle traffic and the area becomes a bit of a flea market - you can walk freely along the main avenue and many small vendors set up tables on the side streets. Note that products intended for the Japanese market usually require 110V electricity, have no international warranty, and (the kicker) are labelled and documented only in Japanese. Head for the many duty-free shops to find export models, which are priced at a premium though. A few major stores, such as Ishimaru Denki, Sofmap and Laox operate multiple branch stores mainly along the main roads, while many smaller shops can be found in the narrow side streets. Manga, Animation and Games The character of Akihabara has constantly changed over the decades and continues to do so. A recent development is the emergence of Akihabara as a center of Japanese animation culture, as the number of stores offering video games, manga and animation related goods has notably increased. In addition to conventional stores, various other animation related establishments have appeared in the area, such as cosplay ("costume play") cafes, where waitresses are dressed up like anime characters, and manga kissaten ("comics cafes"), where customers can read comics, watch DVDs and surf the internet. Maid Cafe Since around 2000, cafes called "maid cafe" have opened in Akihabara. In maid cafes, typical manga-style maids serve tea and cakes. When a guest comes to the cafe, maids say "Welcome home, Master" even if it is the guest's first time there, because the maids play the role of maids belonging to the guest's mansion. Similarly, they say "Have a nice day, Master" when the guest leaves. While the maids in the posters advertising these cafes are very cute, don't expect that all the maids will look that cute. There is no doubt though these maid cafes are very popular. Even on a Monday night when many were closed, the wait to get into one that was open was 90 minutes! Akihabara is getting remodeled to suit its geeky atmosphere. *sigh* it will rpobably look veyr interesting, but so geeky. 
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Posted: Fri Nov 24, 2006 10:00 pm
原宿区♪Harajuku refers to the area around Tokyo's Harajuku Station, one station north of Shibuya on the Yamanote Line. It is the center of Japan's most extreme teenage cultures and fashion styles, but also offers shopping for grown-ups and some historic sights. The focal point of Harajuku's teenage culture is Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street) and its side streets, which are lined by many trendy shops, fashion boutiques, used clothes stores, crepe stands and fast food outlets geared towards the fashion and trend conscious teens. In order to experience the teenage culture at its most extreme, visit Harajuku on a Sunday, when many young people gather around Harajuku Station and engage in cosplay ("costume play"), dressed up in crazy costumes to resemble anime characters, punk musicians, etc. Harajuku Bridge to Yoyogi Park If it's Harajuku's youth culture you want to see, don't even bother unless it's the weekend and preferably a Sunday. The bridge across the train tracks from Harajuku station to Yoyogi Park is full of Gothic Lolita or GothLoli. The costumes are very outstanding and you can't miss them. It is funny to see the surprise of the western tourists heading to Yoyogi Park and Meiji Jingu who clearly had not read their guide books fully on Harajuku. You can hear their comments that make it very clear they just don't understand what is going on. Essentially the youth who have dressed up are just hanging out with friends, many of them come with the hope of being snapped by one of the many magazine photographers who mingle in the crowd. Failing that there are lots of western tourist happy to take their pictures. See nearly 50 exclusive pictures of GothLoli in Harajuku. See also Harajuku Fashion and Harajuku Pictures Shops, cafes and restaurants for all ages are found along Omotesando, a broad, tree lined avenue, sometimes referred to as Tokyo's Champs-Elysees. Omotesando Hills, a recently opened shopping complex along the avenue, has been attracting particularly lots of attention. However, Harajuku is not only about teenage culture and shopping. Meiji Shrine, one of Tokyo's major shrines, is located just west of the railway tracks in a large green oasis shared with Yoyogi Park, a spacious public park. Beautiful ukiyo-e paintings are exhibited in the small Ota Memorial Museum of Art. Famous Streets: Takeshita Dori The symbol of Harajuku and birthplace of many of Japan's fashion trends, Takeshita Dori (Takeshita Street) is a narrow, roughly 400 meter long street lined by shops, boutiques, cafes and fast food outlets targeting Tokyo's teenagers. Shops along Takeshita Dori tend to be open daily from 11:00 to 20:00. Omotesando Referred to as Tokyo's Champs-Elysees, Omotesando is a one kilometer long, tree lined avenue, serving as the main approach to Meiji Shrine. Numerous stores, boutiques, cafes and restaurants, including several leading fashion brand shops, stand along the avenue. Shops along Omotesando tend to be open daily from 11:00 to 20:00. Shopping: Omotesando Hills Opened in February 2006, Omotesando Hills with its intriguing interior design, consists of six floors (three of them underground) of upmarket shops, restaurants, cafes and beauty salons. Several apartments are located on top of the shopping complex. Snoopy Town A wide array of Snoopy goods is sold in this store, located directly across Harajuku Station.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 1:02 am
woah and I thought Brisbane was crowded.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 10:03 am
銀座区￥ The Ginza is Tokyo's most famous upmarket shopping, dining and entertainment district, featuring numerous department stores, boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, night clubs and cafes. One square meter of land in the district's center is worth more than ten million yen (more than 100,000 US dollars), making it one of the most expensive real estate in Japan. It is where you can find the infamous $10 cups of coffee and where virtually every leading brand name in fashion and cosmetics has a presence. From 1612 to 1800, today's Ginza district was the site of a silver coin mint (Japanese: ginza), after which the district was eventually named. The Ginza evolved as an upmarket shopping district following the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. The heart of Ginza is the intersection of Chuo-dori and Harumi-dori, dominated by the glass cylinder of the San-ai Building. With its huge neon sign (currently rented out to Vodafone, it seems), it's been the image of Ginza on postcards and travel books for decades now. The other corners are occupied by Wako and Mitsukoshi, two of the most prestigious department stores (the former being a cut above), and the Nissan Gallery, which shows off new and classic automobiles. The side streets of Ginza are full of art galleries featuring paintings, photography, and graphic design. During Christmas, Ginza's streets are illuminated. 126 trees in Ginzanamiki street are decorated with 75 thousand light bulbs, and 76 trees in Hanatsubaki street are decorated 35 thousand light bulbs which are made in the shape of stars. The illuminations are turned on on November 15. Ginza Wako Built in 1932, the clock tower of the Ginza Wako building is the symbol of the Ginza, standing at the northwest corner of the district's centrally located junction of Chuo and Harumi Dori. Inside the building, jewelry and other luxury items are sold. Sony Building The newest products by Sony, including DVD recorders, televisions, cameras, audio sets, mobile phones, computers and Play Station products, are displayed to the public in the showrooms in this building. There are also a few shops, restaurants and cafes. Kabukiza Theater Kabuki pieces are performed around the year in this theater which was opened in 1889. Shows typically last three to five hours and are divided into three or four acts. Tickets are sold for either a whole show or just a single act.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 2:36 pm
I think i like The Ginza district. alot less bright and colourful. ha ha don't get me wrong I like bright and I like colourful just not too much at once.
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Posted: Sat Nov 25, 2006 11:27 pm
I really liked Shibuya and Ginza personally smile
Akihabara was fun, but the maid's thing was kinda weird.
Harajuku was crazy.
Takeshitadori was so full we couldn't even walk through it, but we went into Omotesando Hills and went shopping which was awesome!
Ooh, I have some related pictures too, Aiko!
(I need to shrink them because photobucket says they're too big) sad
Edit: My aunt wouldn't let us go to Shinjuku when we were in Tokyo, she was like "there are too many strange people and its dangerous"
...so we ended up going to all the different places except Shinjuku, but instead my uncle drove us to Odaiba.
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 1:43 pm
The only place I remember going to would be Asakusa, Ginza and Fuji Terebi Studio, where they held some special event there. Though I would really like to visit the other places as well.
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Posted: Sun Nov 26, 2006 6:35 pm
Izumi Ako-chan The only place I remember going to would be Asakusa, Ginza and Fuji Terebi Studio, where they held some special event there. Though I would really like to visit the other places as well. Oh yay, Asakusa Kanon Temple. We went there and looked at all the vendors on the shotengai there! That huge pot of incense was so cool while it was raining!
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