Tokyo Intro - Best 55 Cool Sights, Tips, and Experiences for Visitors

This is the full set of 55 tips from my guidebook with additional enhancements and updates.  Each tip has an entire article behind it.  But before we get to the tips, here is a little intro to put them into context.

‘Japan is the future.’  This phrase had so much meaning to me.  At one point in the in the early 2000s, it seemed so true.  Their technology was ten years ahead of everyone else.  There were futuristic urban developments, bullet trains, robots, supercomputers, advanced cell phones, and cities of neon with giant TV screens on street corners.  At the same time, it was the land of Godzilla, anime, samurai, ninjas, Zen Buddhism, Shinto, and Geishas.  Japan was the land of cyberpunk and deep traditions glued together with samurai honour.  Even after the 1990s bubble crash, the country was still an economic powerhouse.  People knew the names: Canon, Fujitsu, Honda, Komatsu, Nikon, Nintendo, Mitsubishi, Panasonic, Sega, Sony, Toshiba, Toyota, Yamaha, and many more.  Japanese businesses seemed to be doing everything right.  The Toyota Production System or just-in-time production, kaizen, and consensus-based decision making all influenced global business practices.

‘Japan is the present.’ This phrase is now closer to the truth than the first phrase.  Japan is still an industrial giant, a huge exporter of industrial robots, but no one is worried about the Japanese business juggernaut anymore.  China is now a global superpower larger than Japan.  Samsung of Korea rules in the consumer electronics space.  A large tsunami and nuclear meltdown devastated Fukushima.  The Internet disrupted everything with the World Wide Web and the communications technologies that everyone uses now.  Google, Tesla, Amazon, Apple, Salesforce, Facebook, Uber, Twitter, and SpaceX are some of the new global household names.  Japanese cellphones were amazing for what they did, but iPhones and Androids wiped them out with their touch screens and open platforms.  The constant is that all things change, and Japan is adapting to the new digital knowledge economy too.  Happily, the present is based on the past, and Japan has deep roots in which it finds innovation and strength.

‘Japan is cool.’  This is how I would describe Japan overall, and Tokyo in particular.  It is what this post is all about.  This is where the Japanese have intermingled the past, present, and future to create a unique living culture.  Cool is about an experience that encompasses great food, creative pop culture, modern life side by side with lively traditions, futuristic urban environments, fantastic shopping, well-run train systems, and amazing conveniences.  Japan is a country that punches above its weight for cultural exports too.  Outside of Japan, people are aware of Pokemon, Hello Kitty, Godzilla, anime, Japanese video games, cosplay, sushi, ramen, haiku, taiko drumming, go, karate, judo, samurai, ninjas, yakuza, sumo, and karaoke.  Even if you have limited exposure to these things, the emojis you use while texting were originally developed for Japanese cellphones in 1999, and the pictograms you now see for washrooms and other facilities evolved from the ones developed in Japan for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.

The Tips.  The 55 tips were chosen to highlight a range of interesting experiences and things to see in Tokyo with an emphasis on the cool and future aspects of Japan, while experiencing it in the present.  So keep on scrolling to visit the list.  Enjoy!

• My Top Ten List of Sights For Tokyo  This is quick overview of the big highlights for the city.  
• Planning My Tokyo 2022 Trip Highlights and Attractions (for Anime and Regular Tourists). 
• An Anime Otaku Itinerary For Tokyo  A suggested itinerary you can switch around that is good for pretty much anyone visiting the city, but it does point out anime points of interests.  Consult the list below for many more interesting things to see and do.
• Neko Astray  Read a complete short story from Tokyo Intro that introduces information about travelling in Tokyo while you help a lost cat find its way home.

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55 Cool Sights and Experiences

1. 100 Yen Store - Cheap and amazing shopping for the price
2. Akihabara - Electric Town and anime supercenter
3. Ameyoko Market Streets - Bazaars and food markets
4. Anime & Manga - Japan's visual arts, pop culture powerhouse
5. Arcades - The original electronic game center
6. Conveyor Belt Sushi - Cheap dining that goes around and around
7. Don Quijote - Discounted shopping, not tilting at windmills
8. Festivals - Modern and cultural events throughout the year
9. Food Floors - Foody paradise for visitors and residents
10. Gardens - Relaxing escapes from the urban bustle
11. Gashapon Machines - Capsule toy fun for everyone
12. Ghibli Museum - Giant catbus and Laputa robot
13. Ghibli Steampunk Clock - Giant steampunk mechanical clock
14. Giant Godzilla Head - It looks over Shinjuku and fans love it
15. Giant Gundam in Odaiba - 20 metre high robot impresses everyone
16. Harajuku / Omotesando - Fun fashions and designer brands
17. High-tech Toilets - Making your bum a happier place
18. Hot Springs and Bathhouses - Bathing the Japanese way
19. Imperial Palace - Residence of the Imperial family
20. Kappabashi Street - Cooking supplies, equipment, and water spirits
21. Kit Kats - A British hit in Japan with regional flavour
22. Konbini - Convenience you will miss when not in Japan
23. Meiji Jingu - A shrine of national and imperial importance
24. MUJI Flagship Store - Stay at the MUJI Hotel and shop here too
25. Museums - See the history of Tokyo and Japan
26. Odaiba High Tech - Museums, Teamlab Borderless, arcades, and technology demos
27. Pedestrian Paradise - Walk in the middle of the street
28. Pokemon Centers - Pikachu brings Pokemon paradise for fans
29. Pop-Up and Antenna Stores - Regional products from around Japan
30. Ramen Museums - Experience ramen history and eat them too
31. Robotics - What would a trip to Japan be without seeing robots?
32. Rush Hour - Observe the rushing river of humanity
33. Shibuya Crossing - The exciting chaos of crowds in motion
34. Shinjuku Station - The busiest train station in the world
35. Shinjuku Yasukuni Dori - Pulsing night-time street of entertainment
36. Shinkansen - Bullet trains connect Japan together at high speed
37. Sensoji Temple - A fantastic historical and cultural experience
38. Torii Gates at Hei Jinja Shrine - Walk through the vermillion passage
39. Suginami Animation Museum - For hardcore anime fans
40. Sumida River Boat Tour - Take a scenic spaceship ride
41. Supermarket - Shop for food cheaper and see what the locals buy
42. Theme Cafes - For a dining experience that is different
43. Tokyo Disney - Super fun and try the fair food too
44. Tokyo Skytree - Utterly fantastic views of the city and a great place to visit
45. Tokyo Station - Japan's central train hub full of history and shopping
46. Tokyo Tower - A classic icon that ushered in modern Tokyo
47. Tokyu Hands - A unique and amazing DIY and general store
48. Tokyu Plaza in Omotesando - Great Starbucks and rooftop patio too
49. Toy Stores - Not just toys and something fun for everyone
50. Train System - Efficient, on-time, and vital for transport
51. Tsukiji Market - Outer market is still open, but wholesale is in Toyosu
52. Tsutsaya Books - Classy bookstores for book lovers
53. Underground Tokyo - Tunnels and underground malls extending for kilometres
54. UNIQLO Flagship - Fashion and an Awesome T-shirt Floor
55. Vending Machines - Ubiquitous and fantastic convenience when you need it

Extras

• Tasty B-kyu Food of Japan.  More typical home-style Japanese dishes to try out.
• Sandwiches and Food Chains To Try In Japan  Some interesting and typical foods.
  

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