# TOKYO Trip December 2013 - Svartmetall Tours Tokyo!



## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Hi everyone. I've finally decided to take the plunge and upload a bunch of photos of my trip in Tokyo from December 2013. My wife and I were in Tokyo in the early part of December thankfully, so the weather was not too extreme. I'll upload a few photos every day of our adventures in what I believe to be the most exciting city that I have visited thus far. This my my second time there so far. I apologise that I am not the world's greatest photographer, but I hope I give you a good impression of what we saw and did while we were there. 

First off, as with many tourists to Japan, we entered via Narita airport. We took the Keisei line to Ueno.



Our first impressions on Asakusa dori outside where we were staying. I like the new streetscape here. Last time I was in Tokyo in 2010, they did not have this paving or these bus stops. Now there is a separate bike lane, the road has been narrowed by one lane either side, and the pavement looks so much better.









We found this little temple on the main street.



We walked off the main street a bit into the back streets and found this little temple too! One of the joys of Tokyo is the old and new meshing together like this.





We reached the main centre around Ueno station here, and what greets us? The Tokyo Metro HQ!



On the pedestrian bridge. 



I like all the details in Japan most of all - these little planting boxes are fantastic. 



Looking down to the street. See the rail line above?



Looking down a little shopping street.





At Ueno station and that's it for now.





Many, many more to come! Hope you enjoy.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Following on from the previous set, we took the train (Yamanote line in this case) from Ueno to Tokyo Station.





Tokyo station is MASSIVE! I love its complexity, the shopping and its cleanliness. Despite the volumes of people it doesn't feel too suffocating due to its size. I explore the station more later on in this photo series. 





Time to take the Chuo rapid line between Tokyo station and Shinjuku.





Finally at the world's busiest station (which was surprisingly not so busy at this point in time). 





Just outside Shinjuku station I started snapping on the eastern side of the station.



Massive department store. 



There are a lot of shops on the eastern side of the station. It also contains one of Japan's most infamous nightlife areas. 













We popped back underground to use the extensive tunnels under Shinjuku to come out at the correct exit for the shop we were looking for. 





Integration of retail and stations is really common in Japan, and it works so well!



Uniqlo!







View to the Shinjuku skyline







Some interesting shops. 



On a main street now. 











Zoomed skyline





More to come. This is still part of my first day in Japan!


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## dinkie (Mar 23, 2014)

wonderful pics swartmetaal! Im going this July and can't wait. Your pics excite me now!


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

^^ Thank you. Trust me, it is well worth going to. Each time I've been there I have liked it more.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Okay, so that we get through my photos somewhat faster, here are some more of my first day in Tokyo. 

Here we continue with Shinjuku and one of my favourite buildings in the cluster.



Shinjuku street scene in the government quarter. 



Bottom of the cocoon. 



The light was getting a little difficult and capturing good shots was very difficult now. 



Little walkways under roads. 



Approaching the government building. 



Tokyo Metropolitan Government building!



Looking back towards the station.



At the small park in the centre of Shinjuku. 











Back to the Oedo line for my next destination. 





Still more to come later.


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great, very nice photos from Tokyo :cheers:


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Thanks, Christos. I know I'm not a very good "photographer", but hopefully there are some gems amongst the trash.


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## alitezar (Mar 10, 2006)

Awesome pictures., Thanks for the lovely tour


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## paul62 (Jan 27, 2012)

I`m really enjoying this thread. Good shots.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Thank you everyone! Very glad that people are enjoying these rather amateur shots! Next up, some night photos. I apologise for the quality of these in particular - my camera is not great at night photos, especially in such busy areas.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

So here we go then, here we are in Akihabara! Where else would one go in Tokyo for the first night?







Decorated trees!





Yodobashi!



Such amazing paving throughout Japan. They really take care of the details here.





Time for a neon overload.









More decorated trees.



Back to the JR Station here in Akiba. 





Getting onto the Yamanote line to our next destination. 



Still on day one. Now you might see why my feet almost fell off by the end of our trip. :lol:


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Next phase of my journey - we arrive at Ikebukero for some much needed dinner. 

Ikebukero station.





Directly outside the station.










Lots of shopping streets around here. 











Finally found a nice looking (and cheap) ramen place!



A guilty pleasure for me...



Back to the station.



Rather cute looking owls outside the station. 




Inside Ikebukero - I liked the lights. 



Onto the metro to our final destination for the day - Omotesando. 



More to follow still.


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## Limak11 (Apr 14, 2014)

Nice pics, i always wanted to live in Tokyo  I have to go there as soon as possible!


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

You should! I encourage everyone to visit Tokyo - it's well worth the effort.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

So, we continue with the first day of our tour at the days final destination - Omotesando! Here we are at the Chiyoda line platforms in Meiji Jingumae.



Out onto the spacious and (thankfully) serene streets. We were lucky to visit whilst they were still stringing up the last of the lights so the crowds were not out in force yet. 





Little bit of "olde worlde charm" in Tokyo. 





Some of the lights that Omotesando is so well known for at Christmas time. 



And of course, the biggest drawcard to this area - the shopping!





A tiny, very nice backstreet. 



Stunning entrance to a department store/mall. 



Looking back to the street from the entrance. Plus a Snowflake!



Interior of the shopping centre.



A little taste of my hometown here in Tokyo. Church's shoes are a famous brand directly from Northampton in the UK. They're opening a new store here in Tokyo! Very impressive how they came back from the brink of failure!



Interesting architecture abounds here. 





Finishing off with a food court.



So ends day number one! I hope you enjoyed my first day in Tokyo during this trip. More photos to come!


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

So, here we go with a new day and a new set of photographs! 

Today we head up to Asakusa. En route we spot a few really nice little temples. 



Also, here is proof that old architecture can still have its quirks. 



Smaller temple (looks more modern) on the back streets. 





Street scenes towards Asakusa. 





Tokyo Tourism - or something to do with tourism in Tokyo. Impressive building!



The elephant in the room - the gigantic and imposing Skytree (later, be patient, I do go up it). 



Time for some very early morning shopping. 



This is one thing I love about Japan. If you look closely, these signs make the word gate or "門". Even my wife didn't notice this!



More shops. 







The main temple itself. 



A very neat grave site. 





There are smaller and larger temple buildings in the area. Unfortunately I don't know what all of them are.



More modern torii.



At the entrance. 



Prayers. 



A modern but old house. :lol:



Under the temples imposing roof. 



Shrine. 



Outside at the incense. 



Overall view. 



A tree blocking the tower. I just liked the colours. 



I love these towers. 



A little bit of greenery. 





Older house. 



Spotless. Absolutely spotless. 



Large department store on the main street. 



And here we are at Tobu Asakusa station. I wonder where we are going next...


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Now we went to one of the most impressive landmarks of Tokyo - one that is actually quite new. The Tokyo skytree! Opened in 2012, this is very much the cutting edge of Tokyo. At 634m high, it is the ultimate tower! 

First we arrive at Skytree station (formerly Oshiage) on the Tobu lines. 



Outside the station.



Looking up at the monster. 



The whole area got a redevelopment and facelift as part of this construction. 



Entrance to the mall (closed as it was still very early). 



Landscaping is quite nice around here. 



Seriously, it is hard to convey in words how imposing this is. Next time I fly via Dubai I can imagine the sense of awe that I will get when I pass by the world's tallest. 



Views across Tokyo from the skytree. Bear in mind some of these shots are zoomed so might be a little more hazy. I was a bit annoyed that the weather was only so-so as it was early in the morning. By the end of the day it was bright and sunny! 

Towards Marunouchi. 



Overview of a lot of Tokyo skyscraper clusters including the new bay developments on the left. I believe it is Marunouchi on the right, Shidome in the centre and the Tokyo bay developments on the left, though I am happy to be corrected on that!



So much density!



River and Asakusa.



A blanket of humanity. 



Final shot from the top. You can see Shinjuku in the background if you squint. It's on the right hand side of the photo. 



Brave or stupid?



The structural work is impressive!



The mall had just opened as we were coming down from the sky tower so we took a look before the shoppers came in. 

TV merch.



Food hall! Very clean and neat. 



I wish they had these in Sweden. Places like this tend to look so dirty here compared to Japan. 



The name looks very Finnish!



Corridors of shops with some early shoppers like ourselves. 



Disney Store! 



Little seating area. 



The food corridor - my favourite!



Outside at the bus depot. 



Mmmm, time for a Takoyaki snack. These were so good - and very cheap too at only 32kr! Imagine paying that in Sweden...



The Studio Ghibli shop!



となりのトトロ！



Very cute little community bus. 



Part of the highrise development that occurred with the building of the skytree. 



Covered bike parking. There is a LOT of bike infrastructure like this in Japan everywhere. 



Back to the station for our next destination, Ueno Park!


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Next set coming right up! Here we start where we left off previously - back at Ueno!


A new building near the park. 


Now at the park. 





Cafe. 



Temple in the middle of the park. 





Through a tree circle. This is one of my favourite shots for some reason. 



I really love Ueno park. 



I was so pleased to see autumnal colours were still here in December! December in Sweden means no leaves. 



Wide open spaces. 







Metropolitan Art. Has one of the original Rodin Gates of Hell. 



Little statue. 



One of the many crows one will see in Japan. 



Time to visit a shrine. 



Another of those iconic towers. 



Golden fronted temple. 



One of the eternal flames from the A-bomb. 



Everyone should read this plaque. 



Does anything speak Japan any more than this?



Autumn colours. 



Back to the wide open spaces. 



Stairs down to the lakefront. 



Modern torii gate. 



At the lake front.



Next batch will come soon!


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## alexander2000 (Aug 6, 2011)

wow, despite of its being thickly populated, the city is quite clean and orderly.
I love those of the gardens and the traditional designed temples.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Thank you! One of the things that nearly everyone who has been to Tokyo will note is that it is incredibly clean and well cared for - especially when one considers the population density and the sheer number of people that live in the city. I haven't actually been anywhere cleaner so far (I would place Singapore on an equal level).


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Don't miss the shots on the previous page of Ueno park. It's one of my favourite places in Tokyo to stroll through in good weather.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Continuing with our walk through central Tokyo, my wife and I reached Bunkyo-ku and started to walk through the district. 



Some of the streets contained some real gems. 



Like this old building here - very attractive. One of the things I like about Japan in general is that it blends modernity with the old like this. 



Approaching Akiba now. 



And here we are - Akihabara in all its glory during the day time!





Good landscaping again. 



The buildings without the neon illumination. 



JR Akihabara. 



Massive electronics store - Yodobashi Camera as seen from Akihabara station. 



This is just a short update - next comes a big one. Marunouchi and the Imperial Palace.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Since this talking has gone on for quite a bit, I'll intersperse the discussion with some more photos. 

So, having walked through Akihabara, we took the Yamanote line to Tokyo station to explore Marunouchi and the Imperial Palace area. 

The dome at Tokyo Station.



Modern buildings directly outside the station on the Palace side. 







Frontage of Tokyo station. 



More business towers. 



Looking towards the Imperial Palace. 



A smaller side street. 





Little plantings along the road. 



All of the plantings were identical. 





A small alleyway between two streets.



I like this skyscraper. 



Walking along Hibiya Dori. 



Across the water. 



Obligatory skyline shot. 



A little park en route. 



The Marunouchi skyline keeps getting better. 



The Imperial Palace. 



Heron wading around outside the palace. 



Paving around the palace. 



Small park in Marunouchi. 





Shopping underneath the district. These passageways link to Tokyo station and nearly all of the metro stations in the area. It's like a vast underground rabbit warren. 















Ahh, the food... 



Outside Tokyo station on the Yaesu side. This was still under construction whilst I was there, but it was almost finished. 



Next district... Ginza!


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## Brazilian001 (Apr 22, 2012)

Great photos from Tokyo, thanks for sharing with us! :cheers2:


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## GaryinSydney (Aug 4, 2004)

Fabulous pics - very comprehensive travelogue, thanks!
Where did you stay and would you recommend the hotel? (Am planning a trip in March)


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Thanks for your message. Hope you enjoy the next sets!



GaryinSydney said:


> Fabulous pics - very comprehensive travelogue, thanks!
> Where did you stay and would you recommend the hotel? (Am planning a trip in March)


I tend to use Airbnb when travelling these days as I find the quality of private apartments (as well as the price) to be very competitive compared to hotels. I have stayed in Oak Hotel in Asakusa and thought it to be pretty good - basic but good. I view a place to stay as somewhere to put ones head and sleep, nothing more. If you like more from where you stay then I wouldn't listen to me! :lol:

March is good as long as you catch the hanami period. I was lucky enough to be there in a cold April quite a few years ago now so that the sakura blossoms were still out in force. Just be prepared for quite changeable weather. I found it hot some days then freezing cold the next!


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

We're now walking towards Ginza. 



Little side street. 



Very odd sculpture, not sure why this is there!



The sculpture is in the middle of the road. Again, it's rather unusual. 



Another side street. 



Interesting building on the corner. 



Tokyo Square Garden - this is a fairly new development. The metro station entrance has been upgraded nicely too. 



Entrance to the building. 



Metro station entrance (Ginza line I believe). 



Nice paving on the side street next to Tokyo Square Garden. 



Finally on Chuo dori in Ginza. 



Interesting looking building under the expressway. 



Shops galore! 



An older building that looks rather interesting!



Despite what some say, Ginza does not seem to have lost its lustre to me. 



Different styles juxtaposed. 



Green building. 



Lots of variation indeed!



Tiffany & Co. 



Flashy LV. 



Cartier wrapped up. 



Bvlgari.



I asked this guy to let me snap his rather attractive dog. Little Shiba-inu. 



Just to let you know it's Christmas!



The main intersection in Ginza. 







The very famous retailer, Wako. 



Sandwiched Gucci. 



GAP. 



One of my favourites - Armani. 



That's it for now. Next up is Roppong and Tokyo Midtown.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Next set of photos are from Roppongi and Tokyo midtown area. 

Entering from the underground. 



Base of the Mori tower. 



This really is one of the tallest in Tokyo - very imposing from ground level. 



Roppongi hills is quite nice, though the layout can get a little confusing. 



"Artsy attempt" at a shot across the parkland. 



Stage area is to the left, but they were doing maintenance so I couldn't get down there. 



Streets below. 



Little water feature. 



Another impression of the development. I wouldn't mind living here. 



Playground with kids. 



Back to the main street. 



Midtown area. 





At another entrance to Roppongi station. 



The midtown development. I remember this opening!





Interior. 







Parkland behind the complex. They were preparing for the winter light shows that occur daily at Midtown. 



Looking back to the midrise of the development. 



Unusual sculpture. 



The skyscraper - it's pretty tall. 



Another sculpture of note. 



Back to the parkland. 



Japanese garden. 







Back to the metro now at Roppongi station. 





Next stop, Shiodome and Odaiba.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Next lot of photos then. I'll just give a few of Shiodome. 

Underground in the station.





Looking up at the ceiling. 



Straight outside the station. 



Yurikamome station - we take this to Odaiba in a bit. 



Knife-edged building!



Also, an old looking building. 



Quite a lot of interesting modern architecture here. 



Shinkansen!!!



An unusual clock. 



Square. 



Another unusual building. 



The Yurikamome station at Shiodome. 



On the yurikamome. 



Looking down from the train. 



Next stop - Odaiba!


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## mb92 (Sep 13, 2012)

Wonderful photos. :applause:


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Okay, next batch from Odaiba! One of the favourite locations in Tokyo. 

On the pedestrian plaza. 



Looking down at Fuji TV. 



The building is quite iconic.



Tokyo sunset shot!



Shopping - one of the draws to Odaiba. 



Across the water again. 



Viewing platform. 



Statue of Liberty. 



Lots of Tokyo bay. 



Little beach at Odaiba. 



Parkland. 



The boardwalk. 



More of the boardwalk. 



One of the Yurikamome stations. 



Walking to Tokyo Teleport. 



It's quite an impressive station. 





Taking a JR train on the Rinkai line (interlining again). This one was bound for a normal local Saikyo line service. 



We travelled towards Ebisu and took a quick break. 



Christmas is evidently here!



Ebisu and the shopping centre are quite impressive. 



Next stop, however, is Shibuya.


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## TimothyR (Feb 17, 2011)

Fascinating thread. I don't know very much about Tokyo. Excellent photos.:cheers:


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

TimothyR said:


> Fascinating thread. I don't know very much about Tokyo. Excellent photos.:cheers:


Thank you! That's what I hope to do with this thread - just show off a lot of different angles of the city. I'm no artist or photographer, so what I see, I snap and that's what you get. It's about as honest a portrayal one can give using a camera.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Next lot - Shibuya at night (one of the best times to be there in my opinion). 



The infamous crossing. 





Shopping galore here. 







Still all of the pavement details one expects from Japan too. 





I liked this light. 



You're not going to be free of crowds here no matter the hour. 



The famous collection of stores - 109. My wife liked it a lot. Unfortunately no pictures allowed inside. 



Hello, Hachiko! 



We then took a brief ride on the Yamanote line towards Harajuku. 



Beautiful autumn colours next to the station. 



I've always liked this station - it's the epitome of "Japanese" to my eyes. 



I apologise for the blurriness of this photo, but the area was too crowded to take a good shot...



A little slice of Sweden in Japan - the Swedish store Monki is now open in Harajuku! This store was actually bigger than any that we get in Sweden, though. 



More shops galore. 







Onto the train again at Meiji-Jingumae for the Fukutoshin line. Here we see Tokyu stock running through the line. 



At Shinjuku station. 



Outside in the fresh air!



Walking around the station a bit. 



Little alleyway full of Izakaya and other similar establishments. 



Always thought that was an odd name for a shop...



Back at Shinjuku and here is the end of our tour for the day. 



Chuo-Sobu line. 



Touch screen vending machine. These are ultra cool!



Next: Day 3 - Yokohama, Shinkansen and Chinatown.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

So, here we go on day three of our Tokyo tour. We start off at Ueno station on the yamanote line heading towards Tokyo station. 



Arriving at Tokyo station.





Heading towards the Shinkansen platforms.



Ahh, the Shinkansen. The ultimate in train nerd-dom. 







The Shinkansen timetable - at least the departures from this part of the station. 



On board the Shinkansen. 



Brief stop at Shinagawa. 



Arrived at Shin-Yokohama and saying bye bye to the train (which is off to Osaka). 



Shin-Yokohama station. 





The food area at the station - was surprisingly good! We picked up lunch here for later. 





Cheesecake from Hokkaido - many different forms. We bought some small ones and they were VERY tasty!



Station concourse. 



Outside the station - the building is massive!



Walking around some of the back streets. 





A little hello from Sweden - the free IKEA shuttle. 



Because the stadium was nearby, we took a walk up to the stadium that hosted the FIFA World Cup final back in 2002. 







Walking back to the station. 



Book store at the station. 



Out from high. 



We then take a trip towards Yokohama Station in our next set ready to explore Minato Mirai.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Bump.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

To.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Next.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Page.


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## Svartmetall (Aug 5, 2007)

Because of too many photos.


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