For an interesting walk around the Meguro area, make for the West exit at Meguro station.

When you come out, cross at the traffic lights then head down the slope between the ‘atre’ building and SMBC Bank with its green and white sign. This steep road takes you first past a temple, Daien-ji, dating back to 1772. The grounds here contain hundreds of small Buddha statues, including one wrapped in a red bib, singled out for special veneration; its melted face marking it as a survivor in a fire that destroyed most of the city during the Edo-era (1603-1867).

The Gajo-en hotel, at the bottom of the slope, is a bit of an oddity. The building itself is a thoroughly modern high rise affair, yet when you step inside, the emphasis is very much on the traditional. Part of the ground floor is occupied by a Japanese garden with a waterfall. A large glass-fronted shop displaying a row of white wedding dresses reveals the real business of the hotel and the reason for the unusual interior. After the wedding ceremonies, kimono-clad guests, or the newly weds themselves, can often be seen strolling through the garden, having their picture taken in front of the waterfall, or some of the man-made backdrops, doing what the hotel’s brochure describes as ‘love cruising.”

During the 50s and 60s it was love cruising of a different type that may have been taking place at Gajo-en, when the original building was used as an R & R facility for American servicemen.

Following the road down from Gajo-en, a large Disneyesque building with the words “Love” emblazoned on one of the towers continues the theme and welcomes you to Meguro River. Turn right at this love hotel and begin your journey along the bank that will eventually take you to Nakameguro.

The river is lined with cherry blossom trees and in early spring they come into bloom. Then, you may also be presented with something of an obstacle course as you try to avoid the drunken revellers celebrating the annual hanami ‘cherry blossom viewing’ parties under the trees. The only main road you will cross as you follow the river is Meguro-dori near the start of your walk which is itself worth the short detour. Turn right and walk along Meguro-dori, and soon and you will come to an interesting collection of old shops, cheap bars and restaurants, many specializing in noodles (ramen), that show a more earthy side of Meguro that existed before the trendy antique shops and Italian restaurants arrived. The lanterns that light the pavement give the old shopping street a distinct atmosphere at night

Walk along the left bank of the river and shortly after crossing Meguro-dori, an outdoor swimming pool, open from mid- July to early September will come into view. Entry is only 400 yen, and it’s a nice place to stop for a dip in the summer. On the path by the bank around here, a fruit seller with a good eye for a business opportunity can often be found selling peaches to the thirsty masses while behind the pool, you’ll find Meguro Art Gallery, with its community-related exhibitions often interactive and child-friendly.

It’s a pleasant walk along the river and for the most part you are shaded by the trees, a welcome relief in summer. It wouldn’t be Tokyo though without some hint of the surreal, however, and the huge white chimney that can be seen for miles around, provides it.

Up close, signs assure us of the non-polluting properties of the Meguro Incineration Plant, but you feel it may not be best to linger too long in its proximity! Nakameguro Park, a little further along provides a more comforting view.

There are a couple of old bridges that cross the river along your way which provide good views in both directions. Although there are not many cafes along the bank till you get to the Nakameguro area, the two-story Sakura Café and Gallery, about half way between Meguro and Nakameguro, is a good stop-off at which to sit and take in the peaceful atmosphere.

Except for during the cherry blossom season, the riverbank is rarely busy, and it’s a nice antidote to some of the more crowded areas. There are also a number of benches under the trees where you can sit, unravel a bento box and relax.

The walk from along the river to Nakameguro takes around 40 minutes and as you approach the Nakameguro area, you will have to cross to the opposite side to continue your journey or else face an un -welcome detour to the main road.

From this side of the river, you can see an open park area. In summer, this is often the venue for free outdoor concerts, usually Jazz or classical, so you may arrive at Nakameguro in some style, serenaded by music.

As you arrive in Nakameguro, cross the river again, go back on yourself a little, and you will find yourself in a cluster of restaurants and cafes whose location has made them popular among Nakameguro’s trendy young crowd. The Café Combine and the French Restaurant “Huit,’ both with seats facing the river are recommended; the latter showing its staying power by way of the ‘depuis 2005’ on its advertising board which tells something of the life-expectancy of restaurants here.

The river disappears at this point beneath the busy main road, and you will have to head to the , Yamate-dori, before returning to the river near Nakameguro Station. In Nakameguro proper, the river bank is much busier than elsewhere and it’s become the site for small boutiques, bars and restaurants.

Most of these, however, have made use of the original buildings and there is a nice contrast between the old, often wooden exterior and the modern, trendy interiors. In summer, the fronts of the cafes open out onto the river bank and there is a laid-back feel to the area, reminiscent to a degree, of London’s Camden Market. The evening is a good time to head here too, as the lanterns and lights from the stores light up the river – and there are always plenty of bars and restaurants to choose from.

Meguro is many things to many people but of all the attractions, eating options and places of historical interest to visit, one stands head and shoulders above the rest in bringing all together under one roof – Ebisu Garden Place (EGP).

As much a place of local historical interest as it is a place jam packed full of modern entertainment options, EGP is one up-market corner of Tokyo worth going out of your way to visit – not least for the free beer samples at the Yebisu Beer Museum – the company after which the area was itself named; something of a rarity in Japan.

Occupying a large swathe of land near the main JR Ebisu Station on the circular Yamanote Line in Tokyo, EGP is actually a glass covered structure, home to Mitsukoshi Department Store, the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, and more restaurants, bars and boutiques than you can shake the proverbial stick at.

Best accessed from the JR station via a series of moving floor ways more often seen in airports, the main entrance to the complex is somewhat muted with the full scope of the seemingly ‘sunken’ EGP hidden to a degree behind a trendy bar restaurant that spills out onto the pavement housed in an old fashioned brick building.

Although set at the foot of a huge residential and office tower complex, the large communal space around which the shops, cinemas, restaurants and museums have been constructed seems far more family orientated than similar collections of dining and shopping options elsewhere in the capital.

Off to the left, as you enter stands the entrance to the aforementioned beer museum; visitors being entitled to a small ‘sample’ of fresh beer at the end of a short series of exhibits that cover the beer making process and throw in a dash of local history for good measure. Extra ‘samples’ can be purchased by those so inclined at very reasonable prices that serves to enable several of the brands specialties to be tried in one visit at no great expense.

Mitsukoshi department store – one of the nation’s biggest and brightest has long claimed the nouveau riche of Ebisu for their own with many of the shops seen in their flagship store represented here too – even if in smaller form due to the limited land space.

Activity wise, and complemented by numerous eateries representing culinary options from across the globe, as well as the usual, and best avoided junk food options no neighborhood of Tokyo can seem to do without, the art of people watching so popular in the Meguro Station area is obviously something the folk of the ward have down to a tee if EGP is anything to go by; the majority of the customers at the open air cafes more than happy to sit in the shade, sip their drinks from time to time and watch the world go by.

To the rear of the main pedestrian heart of EGP stands the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, one of very few in the world dedicated solely to photos and those who take them, and from time to time host to important visiting collections from around the world.

All worth seeing in the area is not confined solely to the ‘Garden’ however, as leading off in several directions from the main EGP, and effectively serving to blend the site in with the surrounding neighborhoods, a number of narrow lanes and major thoroughfares have in recent years seen many little gems open their doors; one-off restaurants, craft shops and Japanese versions of English, Irish and many other nation’s pubs and clubs not an uncommon sight on the once company lined streets that is slowly but surely increasing the pulling power of this relaxed yet never boring corner of Tokyo.

Cafes and restaurants line the streets as is mentioned over in Ian’s piece on the cafes, bars and restaurants of the area, locals and visitors alike mingle at all times of the day and night in the cosy little offerings alongside the river or on many of the streets branching off, and time passes at a slower pace than it seems to elsewhere in the city.

Time to take it slow? Head to Meguro and sit down at a café or in a restaurant. Many serve up a combination of quiet, darkened corners or open air terraces making the actual choice of place often as difficult as the choice of beverage or dish to idle over.

For those heading to Meguro in the daytime, be you one of those ‘latte-cum-frappacino’ types that likes lounging around being seen, or a more simple person to please for whom an espresso or regular coffee or tea will suffice, the streets truly are your oyster in and around Meguro.

Famous Japanese TV star / musician / chef / sports commentator (yep, a right proper Jack-of-all-trades), Takuya Kimura* lives in the area with his only slightly less famous spouse, Shizuka Kudo.

Nobuyo Oyama and Keisuke Kuwata, famous in the worlds of animation voice acting (Doraemon)and pop music (Kuwata is the lead singer of Southern All Stars) respectively, are other names and faces you could always see out for a stroll, as are, reportedly, Danjuro Ichikawa and his son Ebizo – perhaps the most famous father / son duo currently active in the Japanese theatrical form - Kabuki.

Ebizo in particular is considered something of a heartthrob by many young women, but even if you don’t see the future Danjuro (kabuki positions being hereditary), or another of the star’s of screen and stage calling Meguro home, there will be more than enough wannabes out walking their designer pooches, posteriors wiggling, as men and women look to be noticed. Similar to Omotesando (look for Omotesando in the October Issue of TE) in this regard, Meguro is as close as Tokyo comes to the Champs Elysees in Paris or perhaps Oxford Street in London for the adult crowd.

The older generation will be more than content zipping about on bicycles equipped with little motors and the obligatory bells to warn those ahead of their approach – to help them traverse the numerous slopes in the area, and, unlike the northern and many eastern suburbs of the capital, foreign faces are never far away, tongues from all over the world spoken by folk of all shades.

Meguro, like the rest of Tokyo is what you make it, but whatever you make of it – do so at leisure.

Access: – Meguro Station is best accessed via the JR Station on the Yamanote Line. Subway lines do access the area but can be a little confusing for visitors in getting their bearings.

* names in Japanese are usually surname first, followed by given name, but here we use the standard Western order.

The two main types of Japanese garden are the dry landscape garden (Kare-sansui) and the stroll-through garden (Kaiyu-shiki).

The former is better known as the Zen garden and consists primarily of raked sand and rocks. As the Zen gardens are much more associated with the city of Kyoto in the Kansai region, it is the stroll-through gardens that you are most likely to come across in the capital.

The gardens are so named because stroll-through is exactly what the visitor is expected to do and, in very Japanese fashion, your walk and viewpoints have been prepared for you.

On entering, stone steps lead you though a landscape that is likely to consist of artificial hills, evergreen trees - especially manicured pines, a carp-filled pond and bridge, stone lanterns, flowering bushes such as hydrangea and rhododendron, as well as rocks, moss and bamboo used to varying degrees. A lot of these gardens also have a traditional tea house, strategically situated to allow impressive views.

Below is a list of five of the best gardens to visit in Tokyo.

1. Rikugien Garden.

JR/Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, Komagome Sta. Entrance fee – 300 yen.

This garden, created in 1702, is based on the theme of waka poetry and the winding path will lead you past view points inspired by scenes from these poems. There used to be 88 stone markers indicating view points, giving you some idea of the size of the place; there are 33 remaining.

Perhaps the best view of all is from the tallest hill, the 35–metre high Fujimi-yama. From here, you can look down on the large pond with its island, stone bridge, and semi-submerged rock formation. The name of the latter, ‘sleeping dragon rock,’ gives a clue as to the kind of images these objects are intended to evoke, although more than a little imagination is required to see what the designer had in mind. The park is impressive at any time of the year as each season offers something different: the hydrangeas are in bloom in early summer, cherry blossoms in early spring and the red maples in Autumn.

2. Kyu-Furukawa Garden.

Tokyo Metro Namboku Line, Nishigahara Sta. JR Komagome Sta. Entrance fee - 150 yen.

This Meiji period (1868-1912) house and garden is only 30 minutes walk away from Rikugien, so together the two make a fine day trip. The European style house in whose grounds the garden lies was designed by the British architect Josiah Condor (1852-1920). Condor had a great influence on Tokyo at this time and it was one of his students that designed the Tokyo station complex. Although described as a garden, gardens would be a better description, for there are two. On the slope that leads to the main entrance to the house, there is a Western-style rose garden, with a wide variety of different types neatly organised into columns. The roses look great when in full bloom in June, but it is also the time when Tokyo’s elderly population flocks here for rose viewing, and this can somewhat detract from the beauty of the place.
The Meiji period was a time when Japan opened its doors to the Western world and Kyu-Furukawa shows this marriage of East and West perfectly. Head down the slope and a small path will lead you to a kaiyu-shiki garden. It is much smaller than the one at Rikugien but offers a pleasant walk around a pond inhabited by ducks, turtles and carp the size of small sharks. There are also points strategically arranged to allow you a chance to see the impressive house in the background.

3. Hamarikyu Garden.

JR/Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, Toei Asakusa Line, Shinbashi Sta. Entrance fee – 300 yen.

Hamarikyu is located next to Tokyo bay and its tidal ponds use sea water. Originally, the site of a Shogun’s villa, then a duck hunting ground used by the Royal family, the garden is now best known for the contrast it provides to the skyscrapers of the Shiodome district that tower in the background. At ground level, you are in a Japan of the past, where the path meanders through a peony garden, across a carp filled pond and past miniature pine, plum and cherry blossom trees. Look up and the skyscrapers tell you that you are very much in the 21st century. One of the buildings that loom over the park, the Caretta Shiodome tower, has excellent free viewpoints on the top floor, as well as restaurants and bars that enable you to see over the park and beyond across Tokyo bay.  The park is also one of the river bus stops and from here you can catch a boat to Odaiba or Asakasa.

4. Koshikawa Korakuen Garden.

Tokyo Metro Tozai Line, Yurakucho Line, Namboku Line, Iidabashi Sta. Entrance fee - 300 yen.

This is the oldest of the Tokyo gardens, founded by one of the Tokugawa shoguns with the help of a Chinese scholar in the !7th century. Not surprisingly, there is a Chinese feel to Korakuen and the park tries to recreate miniature versions of famous views in China and Japan. The garden has a particularly impressive collection of cherry blossom trees and is one of the famous spots for the ‘hanami’ parties in Spring. A time when the number of pink cherry blossoms is almost
matched by the number of partygoers that gather under the trees to drink the day away.

The only problem with Korakuen is that a fairground was built next door and the occasional scream from the roller coaster riders doesn’t lend itself to that sense of calm that you feel the garden aims for.

5. Kyu-Iwasaki- tei Garden.

Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line, Yushima Sta. Entrance fee - 300 yen.

The garden surrounds the former residence of the Iwasaki family, who formed the Mitsubishi company family, and it is another Josiah Condor designed house. This one has more of a colonial look about it, and it is the views of the house from the garden that are impressive rather the garden itself. As you look at the white-walled building, with its balconies and shuttered windows, surrounded by palm trees, you could be forgiven for thinking you were in Malaysia at the time of the British Empire. The garden itself is fairly simple, consisting mainly of a vast stretch of lawn, but there is a tea house that leads out onto a small Japanese garden. As Iwasaki garden is not classed as one of Tokyo’s major sightseeing spots, it is usually a peaceful place. The tables on the lawn with parasols attached also make it a great place to bring your own food and have a picnic.

‘Not easy in Tokyo,’ a city of many millions crammed into hundreds of thousands of multi-storied buildings some may say. Of course, in large part, they’d be right – particularly so in Tokyo’s western suburbs where there are few rivers and the nearest beach would be several hours away at best.

Fortunately, most tourists coming to Tokyo stay in or near the centre or even in the east of the city, areas that are themselves a mere hop, step or jump from the city’s very own water bus service and even an imported beach.

The Suijo Bus as it is known is a kind of meandering taxi-cum-ferry connecting the tourist Mecca of Asakusa in the north east of the city with 10 points in and around the northern tip of Tokyo Bay’s reclaimed wonderland that is Odaiba.

Thirteen types of craft are currently in service along the length of Tokyo’s Sumida River, the majority operating on the popular 50-60 minute run from Asakusa to Odaiba Seaside Park route. Six of the fleet can carry in excess of 500 passengers but are rarely filled to anything approaching capacity whilst the smallest Suijo Bus carries only nine.

By far the most famous boat, and thus the one for which tickets are priced higher than all others, is the craft known as Himiko (after a female figure in early Japanese mythology). Capable of carrying 160, and looking like something out of an animation piece as it glides through the water – hardly surprising given that it was designed by renowned artist Leiji Matsumoto, Himiko operates on the non-stop route linking Asakusa with Odaiba, taking just 50 minutes to pass under the 14* road and rail bridges straddling the Sumida River and Tokyo Bay separating Asakusa and Odaiba.

Tourists with more than just high-tech anime leanings and more time on their hands, however, might want to sample one of the slower, arguably more comfortable cruising options in order to stop in at Hamarikyu Gardens (an old duck hunting ground linked to Edo-era dignitaries), Hinode Pier and even Harumi before putting in at Odaiba Seaside Park, the jewel in the bay built atop reclaimed land.

Odaiba proper came into being in the mid-nineteenth century when around a dozen batteries were planned to forcefully keep the approaching American and European fleets from making contact with the resident population.

Only around half of these batteries were ever constructed, however, and most were left to Mother Nature over the years – their original purpose having been defeated by the foreigners approaching via another port.

A century later, the early 1990s, and Japan’s economic boom saw those running the city looking for ways to build, build, build, and the expanse of shallow open water was just waiting to be reclaimed given the city’s astronomical land prices at the time. Politics and suspensions in the reclamation work coupled with trouble populating the area until the full vision was finally realized and the long sought after and thriving bayside district of the early 21st century was realized.

Modern day Odaiba, as of summer, 2008, is home to numerous shopping centres catering more for the young, hip & trendy beach going crowd than the wealthier patrons of Ginza so there is no real worry that you’ll bump into your granny while out with a new significant other. Young families are made similarly welcome and for the sporty types, designated beach volleyball courts attract many players meaning you’ll always have a game to join in – or one to watch.

DECKS, visible from the water if approaching from Asakusa or Hamarikyu, is perhaps the best of the impressive bunch and while it is a fair way from the massive Big Wheel, Tokyo Big Sight and Toyota showrooms with indoor driving course, with it situated just behind the main white sand beach imported from the Middle East, it really is in the perfect spot from which to draw in the thousands of youngsters heading to the water’s edge each summer weekend.

Immediately behind DECKS is the huge, iconic building housing Japan’s Fuji TV, and while its attempts to ram Fuji TV PR and show info down your throat can be safely skipped by the non-Japanese, a trip to the giant ball-like structure so prominent near its top is worth the several hundred yen charged for the view alone.

Only from up high – way high - does the true beauty of the northern end of Tokyo Bay become apparent. Straddled by Rainbow Bridge and with its very own Statue of Liberty (facing land!) far below and to the left, this corner of Tokyo really is a man-made gem in which the technological prowess of humanity can be appreciated as it snuggles soundly beside the aqua version of Mother Nature.

Access: The two main ways to access the Odaiba area include the boat access mentioned above (from Asakusa / other points) or by using the Yurikamome; a driverless monorail connecting the Odaiba Loop with Shiodome and Shimbashi in the centre of Tokyo. Incidentally, Yurikamome means Black Headed Gull in Japanese – the ornithological symbol of the city.

* a great deal is made of the fact that all of these bridges are different in design. Check for yourself!

Make no mistake about it, for a people who allegedly can’t hold a drink, the Japanese don’t half knock the booze back.

No late-evening Tokyo train ride would be complete without red-faced businessmen slumped semi-conscious drooling down their fronts. No spring would be the same without drunken hordes wallowing under the cherry blossom. And summer just wouldn’t be summer without rooftop beer gardens.

Tokyo’s beer gardens are summer-only affairs that tend to open in early July and be gone again by mid September, giving respite from just the hottest months. And that fleeting visit makes them all the more special.

Want to know where to find a beer garden and what to drink when you get there? If so, read on.

What to drink?

Sake may be the most internationally-known Japanese tipple, but in the stifling humidity of a Tokyo summer most locals tend to reach for a beer when they want to kick back. At beer gardens the option is usually limited to one variety of beer on draught and one in the bottle, with the latter often being a little more cost-effective but the former a tad more refreshing. Price wise, beer gardens are often a little more expensive than run-of-the-mill izakaya (bars), but being able to sup under the stars in the heart of Tokyo can soften the blow on the wallet.

So which beer should you order? Well, whether your beer garden stocks Asahi, Sapporo, Kirin or another major nationwide brand, it matters not. Japanese beer pretty much all tastes the same anyway, and could compete with certain famous US brands when it comes to insipidity. Served ice cold on a hot day, however, and Japanese beer hits the spot.
If beer isn’t your thing, an alternative that has grown in popularity in recent years is shochu, a spirit ranging from 25 to 40% in alcohol content that can be made of rice, black sugar, potato or barley. Shochu can be drunk on the rocks or mixed with water, but is often drunk in summer with a mixer, plenty of ice and maybe some fresh grapefruit or lemon thrown in the mix. Chu-hai ―as that combi is known― is a bit like spiked lemonade, but you could always opt for oolong-hai where the mixer and fruit is substituted with iced oolong tea.

What to nibble?

It’s probably a good thing, but the British tradition of eight pints followed by a greasy kebab is alien to the Japanese. They prefer to eat while drinking, not after, and as a result beer gardens tend to lay on dining options that range from beer snacks to set courses.

For meat lovers, beer with a few sticks of charcoal grilled chicken (yakitori) is a pairing as well suited to each other as Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers. Negima (leek and chicken breast chunks on a skewer) and tebasaki (chicken wings) are two safe yakitori options, while  grilled liver (rebaa) and gizzard (tsunagimo) are best tried only when you have a full pint handy to wash away the taste.

On the vegetarian front, edamame (soy bean(s) in the pod) are the king of summer beer snacks. Boiled in their pods and retaining a slight firmness when you pop them out into your mouth, edamame are given just enough of a sprinkling with salt to keep you swigging. If munching on beans isn’t enough, then try an order of hiyayakko, a chilled tofu block garnished with bonito flakes, grazed ginger and the soy-based ponzu sauce – it’s very refreshing in summer.

Three of the Best

1. Above the heaving streets of Shinjuku on the roof of Keio department store, the Keio Asahi Sky Beer Garden is a summer institution. It opens 5pm-10pm during summer, but like many beer gardens it is closed on rainy days. Keio does a good 90-minute all-you-can-eat-and-drink deal for \3,500 that can help keep costs down.

2. Yamaya in Shinjuku isn’t a rooftop beer garden, but no list of drinking establishment would be complete without it. Tucked away in the streets behind Odakyu Halc department store, Yamaya advertises in ways even the most mathematically challenged can understand: “1 beer \180 or 10 for \1,800.” By any standards that’s cheap, but in Tokyo it is almost unheard of. Why so cheap? It could be the in-your-face service provided by the body-pierced staff or the same CD playing all night every night. It might even be the almost unpalatable snacks (each guest must order one per night, but they are dirt cheap). Who cares! Yamaya is four floors of fun that attracts a good mix of office workers, labourers, English teachers and vagrants.

3. Barbecued lamb and night views over the Ginza district are two of the appeals of Lion Beer Garden Ginza Matsuzakaya atop Matsuzakaya department store in Ginza. The cold Sapporo beer on tap, of course, is the main attraction. The clientele is a bit less rough around the edges than Yamaya, but the place still gets rowdy. A medium sized beer (just under a pint) runs to a hefty \840, while meat to throw on the barbecue starts from \1,780. There are plenty of small dishes like edamame on the menu if you don’t want a full meal.

Although on arrival Akihabara seems very much 21st century, there is another side to this bustling town, where remnants of its varied past can be found away from the main streets and squares.

Next to the Electric Town Exit, under the tracks of the JR Sobu Line, two floors of stalls clustered together date back to just after the Second World War (1939-1945). This was the centre of a black market in electrical equipment parts, and the birthplace of today’s Electric Town. That past is still recognizable, and still each tiny stall has its own particular speciality.

On entering you find yourself confronted by massed ranks of batteries, wire, chips, fuses, switches, light bulbs, plugs, you name it. The rough and ready market feel of the place giving you a taste of what it would have been like in those less prosperous post-war times.

The Kanda River flows through Akihabara, and it is near the river that a lot of the area’s history can be found. Turn right after you come through the ticket gate at the Electric town exit, then go straight till you reach Sotobori Dori and you will find the river. To your left is Izuma Bashi Bridge. Just before the bridge is an area called Kando Sakomacho 1-chome, now a park, surrounded by cheap bars and restaurants, where Akihabarites in all shapes and forms gather. In the Edo-era (1603-1867) it served a very different purpose, as an area populated by lumber merchants selling firewood.

The street that runs adjacent to Sotobori Dori, on the other side of the Kanda River, Yanagihara Dori, contains a number of buildings from a more recent past, the Taisho-era (1912-1926). The ageing facades of these decorated, Western-style Taisho houses stand in marked contrast to the featureless office blocks that now surround them.

Further along the street, another building from that period is still open for business. The family run ‘Okaju Button’ shop sells materials, thread, buttons, cufflinks - anything connected to suit making. If the interior isn’t enough to make you feel you have stepped backed in time, the sight of the aging shop owner using an abacus behind the counter will. Hard to believe that you are in a town widely regarded as the high-tech centre of the universe

Moving down Yanagihara dori, on the opposite side, you will find Yanagi Mori Shrine. Actually, more of a collection of shrines which were moved here from different parts of Tokyo, meaning that you can find different deities sitting side by side, in one corner, you have a sculpted tanuki (raccoon) – his swollen testicles representing power and prosperity, and in another, the fox gods of the Inari Shinto sect.

The shrine complex, shaded by trees, overlooks the river and provides perfect respite from the hustle of Akihabara. Near the entrance, there are a number of large stones with Chinese characters written on them. These ‘Chikaraishi,’ one bearing the date 1912, were once used as weights by sumo wrestlers to help build up their strength.

If you continue walking in the same direction along the river, at roughly 15-20 minute intervals, you will first pass Mansei Bridge and then Shouhei Bridge. It is best to cross to the other side of the river at Mansei Bridge and walk along Sotobori Dori to get to Shouhei Bridge. This bridge is located on what used to be one of the five major Edo period highways, this one linking Nikko with Edo then Kyoto.

The area was once home to many small inns, ‘Hataga,’ where travellers would stay during this period. Nowadays, there are no inns left, but just next to the bridge, the small counter restaurant ‘Maguro-tei’ has a traditional feel and is not a bad place to stop for lunch, offering raw tuna and rice; ‘Maguro-don,’ dishes for 600-800 yen.

From here, you may hear the beating of drums. A few doors up from the restaurant, on Sotobori Dori the Taiko drum school, Oedo Sukeroku Tokyo, offers lessons to foreigners and also the chance to participate in a local festival as a drummer. The teacher can speak some English, and is usually happy to explain a little about taiko if you feel like dropping by. Their web site, www.oedosukerokutaiko.com, also has information in English.

Continuing on the Sotobori side of the river, after a 10 -15 minute walk you will find the impressive Chinese form Yushima Seido Shrine.Originally located in Ueno Park where the statue of Saigo Takamori now stands, it moved here in 1691 with the purpose of promoting the study of Confucianism, and in the pleasant garden of the shrine complex, you will find the world’s biggest statue of the great man. Like most Japanese shrines, a lot of it has been rebuilt, but older parts remain – such as the gate leading to the shrine, built in 1704. The shrine building itself combines the simplicity of Japanese buildings with a more decorative Chinese feel - above the plain black varnished walls, fierce-looking sculpted dragons and lions look down. After the shrine moved to its present location it became a centre for the study of Confucian classics. Confucianism became popular in Japan in the 18th century, offering an intellectualism lacking in traditional Japanese Shinto. (Akihabara walk pic #3)Because of the educational associations of the shrine, it is popular with students who come to pray for success in exams and wooden ‘ema’ plaques on display are inscribed with those wishes.

Yushima Seido brings you nearer to the area of Ochanomizu which we will cover in a future issue, and it is a short train ride back to Akihabara from here. If you are still keen to discover more, the towering dome that you can see from the grounds of Yushima Seido belongs to the Meiji-era (1868-1912) built St Nikolai Russian Cathedral, and offers a good chance to see another part of Japan’s varied history.

Akihabara’s association with electronics began with the black market trading of radios and radio components that rose out of the ashes of World War Two. The small stalls that then gathered around Akihabara station and initially catered to students at the nearby electrical college (present-day Tokyo Denki University) formed the heart of what is now known as “Electric Town” － Japan’s preeminent area for things electrical.

By the 1960s and the advent of electrical consumer goods, Akihabara’s wireless stalls competed for space with stores selling TVs, washing machines and other household luxuries of the time. By the 1980s, Electric Town was riding the wave of home computing as a place to buy both hardware and the latest games, while in the past decade or so Akihabara has also added PCs and manga and anime-related products to its repertoire. If you want something electrical and can’t find it in Akihabara, chances are it hasn’t been invented yet.

Duty free electronics and backstreet bargains
A stroll around Akihabara on a Sunday afternoon will probably bring you together with more nationalities than any other part of Tokyo, and the reason is simple － the duty free shops.

After fighting your way passed the crowds of cosplayers and maid café staff handing out flyers by the Electric Town exit (not to mention the amateur photographers taking “glamour” shots of the maids), the duty free shopping begins with the block of buildings directly opposite the station that house the multi-floored Ishimaru, LAOX, Daiso Takarada Akihabara, and Akky III duty free stores.

Head right from these and onto Chuo Dori and more duty free stores loom into sight, with another couple of branches of Akky, another LAOX, and the giant Onoden.

Inside the stores the feeling is definitely international. All have staff on hand to serve customers in English, Korean and Chinese, and some stores, such as Akky, also provide Bengali, Russian and Spanish speaking staff. When it comes to stock, they are equally diverse with line-ups taking in automatic bidet toilets, high-end audio systems, hundreds of air-conditioning options, refrigerators that can record audio messages, and a whole lot more.

Price-wise the large duty free stores are certainly cheaper than airport duty free, but for real bargains you need to head away from their imposing neon facades and explore the side streets shooting off of Chuo Dori. This is where you will find smaller stores that are happy to undercut the big boys, and who are among the rare minority of places in Japan where you can actually try to barter down the price. If you can’t speak Japanese, don’t worry. Despite Japan’s reputation as the dunce of Asia when it comes to learning foreign languages, even the smaller shops tend to have some staff who can speak enough English to help you shop.

Where the locals and geeks shop
The cramped alleys by Akihabara Station in Soto-Kanda 1-chome teem with small shops and stalls specializing in items ranging from light bulbs and diodes to walkie-talkies and security cameras. Admittedly there is not much in 1-chome that will have most tourists reaching for their credit cards (good thing, too, as many of the stalls run on cash only), but the two floors of stalls are certainly worth a wander around as a bit of a throwback to how Akihabara was when electronics first came to the area.

The narrow backstreets on the other side of Chuo Dori from 1-chome (Soto-Kanda 3-chome) are where PC enthusiasts go to pick up parts and accessories, so perhaps it is no surprise this is also where most of the computer game shops are to be found. The particular specialty that has proved popular here in recent years, besides the animation tie-ins, are the dating simulation games designed for the stereotypically lank-haired and socially-inept anime and manga fanatics who in the past decade have added a new dimension to Akihabara in making it the Mecca for all things geeky.

To experience a little of that otaku culture for yourself, take a wander through the comic stores and costume shops on and around Chuo Dori. While some of the shops are oriented at adult entertainment and probably not the best place to take your mother, most, like the large Donkihote, are open to all.

Although quite a few of the adult items do come with batteries at Donkihote (as in Don Quixote spelled badly), the place isn’t just about electronics and electrical items.

Adult floor aside, this is the place to pick up something seriously silly to take home. Something like a samurai wig or sumo outfit, or even an adult-sized school uniform or lamp stand disguised as a French maid’s stocking-clad legs. Classy it is not, entertaining it certainly is, and like the rest of the stores in Akihabara Donkihote does have some good deals.

When you leave her, walk away and contemplate any conversation or chat you may have just shared, those words evaporate with the speed of a politician’s pre-election promises; replaced by determined, insightful, and perhaps above all – fun-loving.

Aged just 25, Jane, a tall, slim Singaporean national and native English speaker, has been in Japan just 3 and a half years. She arrived as a student, already speaks the language (in addition to Chinese, and a smattering of Thai, German, Cantonese and Taiwanese) and, for good measure is CEO of the self titled Gi-jANE Global Enterprises.

But just what is it that makes this bundle of South East Asian energy tick? What is it that pushes her to the fringes of Japanese society in her other persona as Jane in cosplay, as CEO of her own company when out of the public glare?

Tokyo Explorer’s Ed, Mark Buckton sat down with Jane recently to try and find out.

TE – Tokyo Explorer /GJ– Jane Fong

TE: Please tell our readers five things about Gi-jANE, Jane Fong.

GJ: (laughing) Five things about me? OK, I like cosplay, I come from Singapore, I’m an entrepreneur, I’m a foreigner in Japan, and I’m a girl.

TE: How long have you been in Japan?

GJ: About three and a half years if you put everything together. I come and go.

TE: Why do you speak such good Japanese?

GJ: I have lots of Japanese friends here and I started learning Japanese in my second year of university, but I wasn’t serious back then. (Then) I came to Japan as an exchange student and that’s when I felt I really need to master the language to communicate with the local people.

TE: What image of Japan do Singaporeans have?

GJ: It’s a good image because there are lots of Japanese people (in Singapore) and we have access to Japanese drama (on TV), large Japanese stores such as Kinokuniya and Daimaru, so we are very much exposed to the Japanese culture. A lot of us grew up watching Japanese TV. Animation too, Sailor Moon was popular.

TE: What about music? Is Japanese music popular?

GJ: Yeah, music is really popular. (Japanese music) is still considered ‘niche’ music, but when I was a teenager about 10-years ago, I listened to a lot of Japanese music.

TE: Why did you set up shop in Japan, in Tokyo?

GJ: Well, I’ve always know that I’m supposed to be an entrepreneur, and I was supposed to do my MBA…..(looks pensive)

TE: However, …?

GJ: However, I gave it up. I had a scholarship to do my Master’s in Japan, and, I don’t know if this is politically correct, but the education system in Japan is not that good, so while I was still on the pre-study language course, I gave it up.

TE: Which university?

GJ: It wasn’t set in stone, but the problem was studying Japanese before entering the university. I had to study JLPT 2 (Japanese Language Proficiency Test 2) and ‘make friends’ (gestures) when I already had JLPT 1, so I was, like, completely bored. Then I managed to negotiate a position on a university course – I didn’t care where – and I chose Sophia University. I went to classes there for one semester, but the conditions still depended upon me attending both language school and university which was quite stupid. So, I decided to give up my scholarship and start my own business.

TE: You have hair! (at which point Jane’s face finds a few creases – clearly wondering where this is going) That said, the image of Gi-jANE in the movie starring Demi Moore is of a woman with no hair.

GJ: (laughs again) Well, because she’s a GI!

TE: But why the name Gi-jANE?

GJ: Ah, OK. Well, I have lots of advisors – a lot of entrepreneurs and CEOs (here) in Japan. One of them is the boss of Digital Hollywood University, and he happens to be into military related concepts, and when I started the company, I asked him for advice on the name because he is a wonderful producer, and since this company will be in Japan, it has to be a name Japanese people will like, something memorable. There are so many company names I forget, but when you introduce yourself and say Gi-jANE no Jane desu, they will remember.

TE: Would you shave your head?

GJ: No, I want my hair.

TE: Any problems setting up the company?

GJ: There were lots of obstacles but I had already anticipated them, so I wasn’t surprised. In fact, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be because I’m kinda weird. If I don’t have any challenges, I’ll get bored so I enjoy looking for the challenges, for difficulties. Weird hey?

TE: Have you ever thought about joining the (Singaporean) military yourself?

GJ: Mmmmm, no, women don’t have to join like men (in Singapore). Men join for about 2-years but I’d prefer having to use my brain than my body. That said, I do like to strategize and to ‘wage war.’

TE: To wage war?

GJ: Yeah, the battlefield is kind of like the business field. You know Sun Tzu – his famous book “Art of War” has been written in a business context and teaches you how to apply those ideas in business. I love doing business – it is like a game.

TE: What has been the biggest challenge?

GJ: Finding the right people to employ.

TE: How do you do that?

GJ: The company has to have a good vision. Of course a good leader (too) with a vision that people want to be a part of and feel excited (about) when they hear (that vision).

TE: How many people do you have working for you now?

GJ: About six to eight. We are restructuring right now. For example, my IT people used to number three but I got rid of two and I am going to outsource most of my IT work to a Chinese company over in China. Generally most of the staff are freelancers, writers etc. They don’t always have to be in the office.

TE: Any problems with other foreign people in Japan - oftentimes the foreign community can get jealous of other foreign people succeeding?

GJ: I don’t really hang out with foreigners much, and I don’t really work with foreigners either.

TE: You have the popular Akihabara tour, but recently the government of Japan has introduced rules that limit the operators of ‘tours’ to those with special licences. Have you been affected by that legislation?

GJ: No, we don’t operate tours per-se; we offer simulations in a voluntary form.

TE: Do you call your staff ‘guides’?

GJ: No, and we don’t call ourselves a tour agency or anything like that, and we don’t advertise. We don’t actually consider the tours a business, more for fun. (That said) now things are changing because there is so much demand. So, in order to (meet that demand) we (will) have to do it properly.

TE: Do you actually like Akihabara?

GJ: Of course, I love Akihabara, and I think this place is very suitable for me because it changes all the time so I think this is a place I could not become sick of.

TE: Let me ask you about Jane Fong the woman – not Jane Fong the Akiba entrepreneur – what do you do when you are not working? Any hobbies?

GJ: I cosplay! (shows pics of her recent cosplay appearances) I like travel too.

TE: Who did you admire when growing up?

GJ: No-one. I don’t have any idols.

TE: Where does your imagination come from then – in creating your own company, your own niche in Japanese society?

GJ: I was an only child until the age of 17, so I had lots of time alone. So, I guess that time alone somehow stimulated my imagination.

TE: There has been some trouble in the past few weeks in Akihabara – a woman displaying a little too much ‘skin’ for example. I understand the police have stopped some of the street performances, but have you been affected?

GJ: Yes, kind of. I was in cosplay then. But it is all because of Asuka Sawamoto, the girl who lifted up her legs to show of her ‘butt’ and all the people surrounded her and started taking pictures. That became big news.

TE: Do you know her well?

GJ: No, but she is always in Akihabara. In the past, people were able to actually perform in the streets. Nobody complained. But then, because of her (Sawamoto), the public are complaining and blaming the police for being too lenient, so they have become stricter.

TE: Will the police clampdown fade away as they so often do in Japan?

GJ: We hope so, but Sawamoto will not come back – that is for sure. That made huge headlines. She became famous overnight.

TE: If you could be born again – in the past, present or future, which era would you like to make an appearance in?

GJ: I’d like to be born in the future I guess. I always think that I belong to the future.

TE: In Japan?

GJ: Hmmm, yeah?

TE: Imagine yourself aged around 50. Where do you want to settle?

GJ: Somewhere near the sea.

TE: Which country?

GJ: I don’t think I can stay put in any one place. I think I’ll always be moving around.

TE: Last Q for you Jane, and the one you will be judged on by our readers – give me an adjective for the average guy seen hanging around in Akihabara – my own printable adjective being ‘sad.’

GJ: (Laughs, thinks, frowns) Obsessed. They have their own kind of fantasy world and I also like to create my own world, but I’m not obsessed – that is the only difference. (grins)

GI jane web - http://gijane.jp

Akibanana - http://akibanana.com

quintessentially Japanese but attracting global interest

Originally said to have been performed as a test of strength between two mythical gods, Takeminakata and Takemikazuchi, in order to determine the outcome of an early Japanese leadership struggle (Takemikazuchi prevailing) the sport most often associated with the Japanese of old is back in town this month for the latest honbasho (Grand Sumo Tournament).

Scheduled to take place between May 11th and 25th, the sumo of the early 21st century is much changed and to some extent unrecognizable in part from the early days of fights to the death inside square rings made of rice bales held oftentimes under Imperial patronage; over the centuries many Japanese emperors were said to have been fans of sumo, and the Showa Emperor, father of the current emperor, was himself buried with a list of famous yokozuna grand champions in his casket.

His son, the Heisei emperor is a big fan and of late, the daughter of the current Crown Prince and Princess, has herself been seen cheering on the rikishi (wrestlers) at the Ryogoku Kokugikansumo stadium - and she is just out of kindergarten!)

By the late 18th century, sumo existed in similar form to that displayed today with organized tournaments, a ranking system printed on distributed sheets known as banzuke and with many of the finishing techniques used by the current crop of sumo stars becoming standard.
Another contribution of sorts added during the Edo-era (1603-1867) saw rules of subservience to local lords serve to establish the heya (sumo stable) system that remains in force to this day.

Stables have always acted as bases, homes, training centers and all things in between for young wrestlers who join in their mid to late teens or once they have graduated from a university where they belonged to the sumo club. Once in a heya the only way out is through retirement as there is officially no such thing as re-admittance once a rikishi departs the sport. Professional sumo carries no second chances - it is an all or nothing lifestyle lived 24/7. Changing stables / transfers never happen(s) bar for when a new stable is born of an existing facility and rikishi may move with the man who initially brought them into the sport.

Sumo truly is a way of life and there is no more obvious sign of that lifestyle than the ‘mage’ hairstyle the rikishi must grow and wear as they climb the ranks to possible fame and fortune.

The mage (topknot) comes in two forms - the standard chonmage which sees long hair laid on top of the head pointing forwards in similar form to the samurai of old. This is the standard appearance of all lower ranked rikishi and the higher ranked rikishi when not fighting or during practice bouts. The second type of mage is reserved for sekitori alone; the salaried wrestlers in the top two divisions, who, along with financial rewards for their efforts are entitled to wear their hair in the oicho-mage form, similar in shape to ginkgo leaves, but only for tournament bouts.

Today, the opportunity to see these cultural ambassadors in action up close, or even trying sumo yourself at amateur clubs has never been easier. 」

For those in Japan, sumo is part and parcel of everyday life featuring on news shows and TV commercials, and complemented by six honbasho each year - one honbasho running for a period of fifteen consecutive days. Tokyo, Osaka, Tokyo again, Nagoya, Tokyo once more, and then Fukuoka the locations for the honbasho.

Tickets to see a day’s action are not as expensive as many would have you believe and the 400 or so tickets sold on the day cost just 2100 yen apiece. That said, the masu-seki box seats (four cushions in a box in traditional Japanese style - on the floor) can be pricey at approximately 45,000 yen each per day but when divided by four….and considering the action runs from 9am to 6pm……

Today, most Japanese ticket agencies sell the tickets as do thousands of convenience stores around the nation putting access to sumo well within reach of the man in the street.

Away from the professional game, sumo is becoming increasingly popular with children in Japan as more and more clubs spring up and with both children and adults across the globe where 85 nations are now said to have sumo associations although the level of activity in different countries varies greatly. Clubs in Japanese neighborhoods target the next generation of rikishi as sumo in schools is banned below high school, (sumo was seen as to closely connected to State Shinto following WWII) and can only be considered in after school clubs – post 4.00 p.m. when school is considered to be over for the day.

Seasonal tournaments and sometimes visits from professionals all serve to keep domestic interest levels high, and overseas the interest has never been greater thanks in large part to the 20-year American-era of former ozeki Konishiki and the now retired yokozuna grand champion pair of Akebono and Musashimaru, as well as a host of Eastern Europeans, Russians and Mongolians in more recent years – including the two current grand champions; Hakuho and Asashoryu – both Mongolians.

Get along to a honbasho, support your fellow Russian / Mongolian / Japanese etc. and just sit back and enjoy the culmination of thousands of years of culture – packed into a day of action atop the simple earthen dohyo at the heart of the action. You will not regret it.

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