Tokyo by Night

Japan often hails as “the land of the rising sun” but the sunset in my view as the car I am riding pass down the road with numerous Japanese signage in between towards the city of Tokyo is telling me that exploring it in daytime is not enough to appreciate its urban culture and places of interest.  Basking under the amber rays of sunset, it was the start of my night journey in exploring the chic city of Tokyo. From my sight, I can already see the high-rising skyscrapers of the city mushrooms in every block of the city. And the fast-paced life of people moves in the city where everything is in action. Yet I contemplate that behind everything that is cosmopolitan about Tokyo, its old charm of diverse culture and life continuous to enchant its visitors. 

       

The glowing Tokyo Tower.

Sumptuous treat courtesy of Kuya Sam.

The sunset just finished. And the sky now glows from light to dark violet, when we arrived at a park where there is a spectacular view of the Rainbow Bridge. It is a suspension bridge crossing northern Tokyo Bay between the Shibaura Wharf and the Odaiba waterfront development in Minato, Tokyo. I am wondering how it came to be known by that name, maybe because the arch of the bridge resembles the arch of a rainbow. The bridge is then illuminated with light as the night approaches.  I can’t recall the name of the park where I stay but the panoramic view of Rainbow Bridge facing over the Tokyo Bay with the skyscrapers of the city in the background is a perfect picture of Tokyo by night. The steel designed of Rainbow Bridge harmonizes with the skyline of central Tokyo. And the glitter of lights from the bridge and from the buildings adds a dramatic effect to the night view of Rainbow Bridge.

Tokyo Sunset - where our journey begins...

The Rainbow Bridge leading to the chic city of Tokyo as our backdrop.

The Rainbow Bridge's glow of colors.

It is the Rainbow Bridge that leads us to the chic city of Tokyo.  We drove crossed the bridge that is erected over Tokyo Bay.  The waters of the Tokyo Bay flashes light illuminated from the city buildings surrounding it. I appreciated it best this night time. There are lamps placed on the wires supporting the bridge, which are illuminated into three different colors - red, white and green.  Hence, the interplaying color of lights adorning the columns of Rainbow Bridge makes it majestic and beautiful. From a distance, I can already see the famous Tokyo Tower. And as we reach the end of the bridge we immediately proceed to Shibuya.

I believe it is around seven in the evening when we arrived.  It is still rush hour.  It is the time where the sea of people in Shibuya is overwhelming. It was overwhelming that I didn't dare to cross the famous intersection. The massive crowd of people of all walks of life - students, employees, young, old, expats, businessmen seems not to care as long as they cross Shibuya crossing to continue living in their urban life in Tokyo. I just stayed around the vicinity with my travelmates just to take in all this vibe of Shibuya's high city life - the air, the sea of people, the tall skyscrapers. It's a place where stop is not an option. All the while, the surrounding skyscrapers continue to flash various advertisements from three large TV screens of different products necessary to an urban life.  Brisk advertising in the exciting megacity of Tokyo is telling of its intense commerce.  Even the shopping malls seem to stimulate a brighter mood to take a second look at it.

Shibuya at night's scramble crossing.

Beware of getting lost, Shibuya is famous for its scramble crossing. In front of the Shibuya Station Hachikō exit, all vehicles stop in all directions to allow pedestrians to inundate the entire intersection.  Everything is moving and there is no slowing down of life in Shibuya. People are always seen in action here, whether walking fast, slowing down, talking to a phone, traveling with a dog or helping a foreigner for directions. Life seems unstoppable in Shibuya. They don’t seem to care if it's night time already as long as they move. 

Shibuya is Japan's version of New York Times Square. It is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo and known as one of the fashion centers of Japan, particularly for young people, and as a major nightlife area too. It is skyscraper traffic out there too with its numerous buildings - from Shibuya's tallest Cerulean Tower to the trendy shopping place of Shibuya 109 up to NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building, the third-tallest building in Tokyo and patterned after the Empire State Building. Hence, I can conclude here that Tokyo is livelier in night time as more action is happening around the city.  I find it a unique experience to witness the fast and moving cosmopolitan life in Tokyo.

Roppongi Hills at Night.

The night seems to be young for us at Tokyo as we explore Roponggi, next.  Roponggi is another district in Minato, Tokyo.  True to what I heard it is famous for, it is home of active night club scene.  I saw bars and night clubs sprouting in every corner of Roppongi. The glittering lights and flashes of banners with Japanese characters from lined night clubs of Roppongi only add a colorful character in this district.   As I roam to its other side I saw that it is also home of many foreign embassies including ours. Sample the best coffee in one of the many quaint coffee shops while people watching is the simplest way to savor this district of Tokyo. Roppongi is a large district that I didn’t notice passing the famous Roppongi Hills - a massive shopping, housing, and dining complex as well as office spaces and Azabu area which are quieter commercial area of Roppongi Hills but also absorbed some of its vibrant commercial activity and nightlife. One could dream having a luxurious condo unit in Ropponggi Hills and throw private parties but simple flats is reported way too much pricey!

The Tokyo Tower in the city skylines.

My night roaming in Tokyo continues to a visit to Tokyo Tower. The tower is often identified to the city of Tokyo just like Eiffel Tower to Paris. But it is actually a communications and observation tower located in Shiba Park of Minato. Tokyo Tower looks burning at night as it glows in bright orange color lighting. Actually, it was my mom who burst in awe that it looks burning from the ground.  Its bright orange color simply standout in the night sky. There's an observation deck where you can have a 360 degree view of Tokyo which is best viewed by night.  I appreciate the night view of the city coupled by the glittering lights of the skyline. It somewhat set a romantic mood for me while viewing the city.  From the observation decks, there are corners where guide boards are located that will inform you about the view of the tower and retrieval of information regarding the city and the location you are viewing.  Tokyo Tower also houses coffee shops, souvenir boutiques, restos, museum and art gallery that makes it attractive for tourists to visit.

At the grounds of Tokyo Tower.

The steel structure of Tokyo Tower.

Tokyo Tower is famous in popular media culture as it is mostly used to locate a scene in Tokyo. In most Japanese animé (cartoons) or TV series that I have watched it is mostly used as a setting of the scene. So visiting the Tokyo Tower made me get some flashbacks of animé scenes that I have watched. I somehow feel that I have entered a scene in a Japanese animé or TV series. And it made me feel that I have stepped into a real life Japanese animé or TV series scene. Because of these strong recalls, it made me feel easily connected to the place.  Yet, I will never forget the bright orange glow of the tower amidst the dark sky. The sight of the tower is beholding that it stays in my memory vividly forever.

Tokyo by night was a great way to experience this chic city of Japan. I love the sight of Tokyo lit by numerous bright lights and flashes of neon colors. It elicits a moving mood. It makes me feel on the go. This is my firsthand experience of fast-pace urban living in Japan and I find this enigmatic and charming. Yet visiting this beguiling city is a discovery of its lively, artistic downtown neighborhoods and fascinating urban life.

End the night in Toyko at a kaiten-zushi.

But of course, daytime trip to the city has wonders to expect too. Best daytrip sightseeing are visits to Mount Fuji, experiencing cherry blossoms and walking inside the grounds of Sensōji Temple in Asakusa. But for now, I am satisfied being in the oasis of sparkling lights and bustling cosmopolitan night life of Tokyo while munching my crab sushi from a kaiten-zushi.

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Tokyo by Night is a recollection of my last trip to Tokyo, Japan in November 3-6, 2004 in which I experienced a memorable night tour of the city courtesy of Kuya Sam, a long-time Filipino Tokyo resident we met there. It was one of my last trips to Tokyo after 4 yearly concecutive visits since 2001 which made me missed Japan nowadays... longing for a future trip.

Some of the photos are credited to Thomas Driemeyer and Manisha Mahajan. 

Tokyo Sunset

While driving from Narita to Tokyo, Kuya Sam (our companion resident in Japan), captured this lovely sunset while driving towards the road as if following it in the road track. It was a beautiful sunset scenery. And it reminds me alot about my last memorable trip in the Land of the Rising Sun last November 2004. It has been quite a long time since my last visit there, and this pic makes me missed Japan so much!

RetroTravel: Tokyo

Konnichiwa! We are turning Japanese as this time I will share my travels to Japan. One of the most beautiful country I ever visited, Japan is a country full of colorful cultures, contrasts and places. Though, I have not extensively visited the whole country, I had a sizeable visit to its capital - Tokyo. Tokyo is one of the most cosmopolitan city that I had visited. Everything is high-tech, yet old charms of traditions and basic life scenes goes living with it. Japan is so charming that I had a chance of visiting it for 6 times! And its not enough to discover the whole of what Japan has to offer to travel-trotter like me. On every travel and discovery to this "land of the rising sun", I long to visit it again and again.

I am very excited on my first visit to Japan. Beforehand, I had so many perceptions about the country like - it is the land of animes (Japanese cartoons), sushi, hi-tech gagdets, robots and Kimonos. But what I discover the best in Japan is its people. People are cheerful, helpful and most especially discipline. For instance, in case of a red light signals (means to stop walking across) in pedestrian street cross, Japanese people won't go across the street even their are no car vehichles crossing. It will only on green light that they will go - that's how discipline they are. And also, no matter how high-tech and urban they are especially Tokyo, the city maintains a clean surroundings that not even a small trash can be seen around in every street corners.

The surrounding sights in Kawaguchi, Tokyo.

I also notice that Japanese people are trendy in attires. Whether it is a school uniform, office attire or casual ones, they try to be in the "IN" fashion trend. And I think it was Japan who popularized the anime look - both in hair and sense of fashion. If you see the Japanese, they are like living animes that step out of their mangas (Japanese comic) or coming out from an anime tv series. They are living proofs that animes originated from them that gain worldwide fans around like me. I would say the anime characters is a reflection of their modern culture and Japan itself.

Another, I also notice in Japan is that the surroundings are clean and pollution-free. This is something you wouldn't expect in mega-city like Tokyo where everything is high-tech and fast-pace. I believe this is part of their discipline to give a respect to the place we live in. And of course one can see a Japanese school girl or group with others wears a school uniform in a different way. Their signiture sailor collared blouses, shortened pleated skirts (I've learned that they do these intentionally but only outside theschool premises), and knee-length socks. We can't resist noticing them and we even ask to have a souvenir shot with them.

The cool Japanese students.

I often visit Japan with my family on vacation. We usually stay at my mom's friends who are residents there. Ate Vangie and her family lives in Kawaguchi, Tokyo, Ate Flor and his niece Kuya Mel lives in Chiba, Narita while Kuya Sam also lives in the same district of Narita. Kawaguchi has a city, metropolis vibe but a charming Tokyo life scene can be seen while Narita has rural charm yet makes you feel relax and homey. Honestly, writing this article makes me miss the places and those kind people I've met in Japan. 
 

Tokyo is also a heaven for shoppers!

At the rooftop of Soho Mall in Kawaguchi.

My last visit to Japan in November 2004 was the most memorable one as I visited the most interesting places and landmarks in Tokyo. We also had a night tour around Tokyo that I will never forget. Plus were treated on sumptous lunch and dinner. Our extensive tour of Tokyo happened through meeting Kuya Sam who is living in Japan for long and working in an embassy office. He has a local driver's license and speaks Nippongo fluently so it wasn't hard to tour around. He knows a lot of places to visit around Tokyo.

We first had a visit to a park where there is a great view of the Rainbow Bridge. Rainbow Bridge is a suspension bridge crossing northern Tokyo Bay between Shibaura Pier and the Odaiba waterfront development in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Completed in 1993, the bridge spans 570 metres (1,870 ft) and carries three transportation lines on two decks: Upper deck: Shuto Expressway No. 11 Odaiba Route and Lower deck: Route 357 (also known as "Rinkō Dōro", Portside Avenue) and the Yurikamome automated train. The bridge has separate walkways on the north and south sides; the north side offers views of inner Tokyo Harbor and the Tokyo Tower, while the south side offers views of Tokyo Bay and occasionally Mount Fuji.

Tokyo sunset while driving to Tokyo

Rainbow Bridge as our background.

By afternoon we went on crossing the Rainbow Bridge then reach Roppongi District and Shibuya District by night. I think its 7 in the evening. It was rush hour at that time as there are crowds of people (both employees and students) crossing the mainstreet particularly in Shibuya main street that resembles the Times Square of New York. Both disctrict houses the vast shopping and dining areas in Tokyo area. Roppongi is famous for its nightlife as it houses many clubs and bars moslty catering to foreigners but its also home of many foreign embassies including ours. Don't forget to check out Roppongi Hills - a massive shopping and dining complex as well as night club scenes and Azabu area which are quieter commercial area of Roppongi Hills but also absorbed some of its vibrant commercial activity and nightlife. Shibuya, on on the other hand, is a shopping and eating district popular with a lot of young Tokyoites. It's within walking distance from two other large shopping districts - Omotesando and Harajuku - as well as being quite close to Yoyogi Park and the Meiji Jingu shrine. Aside from its busy streets and shopping districts, there are also many places of interests in Shibuya like Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park and Shinjuku Gyoen. Too bad, because of time constraints I never had a chance to see those places.

Then we headed to Tokyo Tower - a communications and observation tower located in Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo. The tower looks burning at night in its glowing bright orange color and lighting. There's an observation deck where you can have a 360 degree view of Tokyo. There's a fee for entrance at the observation decks. Too bad I have not tried it. Aside from the observation decks, Tokyo Tower also houses coffee shops, souvenir boutiques, restos, museum and art galleries that makes it attractive for tourists to visit.

Tokyo Tower is famous in popular media culture as it is mostly used as a setting in Japanese anime. Visiting the tower had made get some flashback of anime scenes that I have watched. I somehow feel that I have entered in the world of Japanese anime. Tokyo Tower really brings so much Japanese atmosphere for me. After that "Tokyo by Night" tour we retire home to rest as we are tired from a one night tour of Tokyo.

The burning-like and Tokyo architecture icon - Tokyo Tower.

Another unforgettable experience I had in visiting Japan was witnessing Cherry blossoms on my visit in April 2004. During that time westay at Ate Flor in Chiba, Narita. We arrived from Manila in the evening. In the morning, I can't forget the street scene near Ate Flor's house as all of the trees lining the streets were only covered with white pinkish small flowers of cherry. It was so memorable as it was my first time to see it. It was delightful to see that scene. Some of the petals were blown by the wind and scatters on the street ground. I even touched the tree branch and the flowers that feel it. It seems like a dream for me. I only see cherry blossoms in anime tv series. Now I see it face to face. I had flashbacks of anime scenes again and felt that I have entered again in an anime. Only cherry blossoms can bring a unique air of Japanese feel. I won't forget that experience.

Cherry blossoms in Narita during my April 2004 visit.

There are still so many places I want to discover in Japan. And there are so many experiences that I want to experience again in Japan. I like to see Mount Fuji, experience the cherry blossoms again, have a great view of Tokyo from the observation deck of Tokyo Tower, eat sushi and ramen noodles, buy Meiji chocolates as pasalubongs, raid Hak-yen stores again... To do things are endless in Japan. They say that it is expensive to go tourist in Japan, and yes it is! But everything is worthty when you experience all the unique things in Japan like I had . It is one of the countries I'm targeting to visit again in the future. Honestly, writing this entry makes me long to see it again. There are so many wonderful things in Japan that makes me addictive to it. Japan will always be one of my favorite places to travel. I can't wait to visit it again.

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RetroTravel: Tokyo is a recollection of my travels to Tokyo in the pre-digital camera era of my travel experiences but memories of it is still vivid and enjoyable and is part of my RetroTravel series.  My travel dates to Tokyo, Japan were in May 16-19, 2001, October 31 - November 2, 2001, June 6-8, 2002, September 5-7, 2003,  April 8-10, 2004 and November 3-6, 2004.