Very similar spellings yet very different cities indeed. Tokyo is Japan's Financial Capital; major hub for business, tourism and overall "city" life. At times I can only describe it as Manhattan on steroids, minus the smells of burning pretzels on every corner. For instance, there is a restaurant tower that houses only Michelin Star rated restaurants; 9, all in one building. No Michelin Star, you are not a tenant. Kyoto on the other hand, is the Cultural Capital of Japan boasting magnificent temples, theatre (or Kabuki) and gardens. It has a much slower pace as well as not being as crowded.
In Tokyo, I took in the Tokyo Motor Show and was able to spend some time with my good friend Nishi who was nice enough to show me around. We visited the Tsujiki fish market one morning (4 am) and afterward had sushi and beer for breakfast at 6 am. Of course, visits to Shibuya, Harajuku and Roppongi were a must as well.
On the Kyoto side, I visited the Kinkakuji (Golden Palace), Ryoangi Temple (Stone Garden) and Ariyashima (bamboo forest). Nothing too crazy at the Nishiki Food Market with respect to trying "different" foods, just a lot of it was not cooked. I also visited the International Manga (Comic Book) Museum. I wasn't able to read much but it was still a worthy visit. If you ever head to Japan, I highly recommend that you "balance" your trip to Tokyo with a visit to Kyoto, Nara, Osaka or Kyushu in the South; possibly some skiing in Nagano as well
Enjoy and Happy Holidays!
TOKYO:
Imperial Palace -
East Garden -
Shibuya Phase 1
Shibuya Phase 2
Shibuya Phase 3; Repeat a several thousand times per day. No "J-Walking" either. (Get it, J-Walking)?
J-Grandma is STYLING! The Doctor's mask and dog in a stroller bring the entire ensemble together!
Holiday Tree outside of Tokyo City View
Me and Nish-San
Tsujiki Fish Market:
Blowfish -
Idle Hand (for now)
Big Tuna Head; Nishi put his hand in there to show the scale
Market in the wee hours of the morning
The Fisherman -
60 Lb. Tuna; No Jessica Simpson, this is definitely NOT chicken.
Troughs of Octopus
Just Carving Tuna; no big deal
Breakfast!
Tokyo Motor Show:
BMW's Electric Concept Car; Star of the Show
Concept Car. (Where's Waldo?)
Mazda, you have outdone yourself with this one!!
Pretty cool moped that maintains a classic look.
Motorcycle Dis-assembled
Sunset at the Show
Pachenko Time!!! It's like a video game/ slot machine gambling kind of thing; No thank you, I'll stick to the craps table.
Spiral Building in Shinjuku
Very Rare to see a subway car so empty; I had to take a picture.
Rainbow Bridge
KYOTO:
Kinkakuji (Golden Palace)
Ryoangi (Stone Garden)
Archway to one of the Houses in Ryoangi Temple. The mask is to ward of any demons, evil spirits or... (insert your own tag line here)
Ariyashima - Small town in the Western side of Kyoto here you can visit temples, the bamboo forest as well as a monkey park where attendees are inside of the cage and it's the monkeys that roam free.
Bamboo Forest - If you see marital arts films where a bamboo forest is the backdrop, then this is likely the place. Scenes from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (among many other films) were shot here.
International Manga (Comic Book) Museum -
Did you know that adults in Japan read more comic books than children in England do? I can hear the jokes already but it's true. Comic books or Manga in Japan are a very large part of the culture. Not only do they cater to those who want to mildly escape reality through super heroes and villains but they also provide comedic relief through political commentary and satire. Think of The New Yorker magazine in a comic book form/ layout; advertisements too! For all of my marketing friends out there; if you want to reach a Japanese audience, put it in a Manga.
