Tokyo

Capital of the country, it is located in the east center of the island of Honshu. It is currently the most populated city in the world with a population of about 37 million inhabitants. It is the center of politics, economy, education, communication and culture of the country. It also has the largest concentration of corporate headquarters, financial institutions, universities, schools, museums, theaters, commercial and entertainment establishments in all of Japan. Downtown Tokyo, with a population of around 13.23 million, is what is known internationally as Tokyo City. In 2015 it was chosen the safest city in the world by The Economist newspaper. It hosted the 1964 and 2020 Olympic Games. The city is typical to see details of vibrant Harajuku fashion, robot restaurants, maid cafes and passionate superfans known as otakus. It has 234 Michelin-starred restaurants, more than any other city. The city offers numerous world-class art galleries and museums, amazingly diverse nightlife options and cutting-edge technology.

Places not to be missed:

- Imperial Palace and exterior gardens: Erected on the former site of Edo Castle (which was once the largest in the world), it was moved to Tokyo in 1868. Hidden behind moats and thick walls made of stone, the Emperor's residence and offices occupy a privileged location in the center of the city. Next to the palace, there are the outer gardens (Kokyo Gaien National Garden), a place with more than 2,000 black pine trees with gnarled trunks pruned in an exemplary way and with very original natural architecture, the imposing statue of the warrior Kusunoki Masashige (samurai of the 14th century known for their loyalty), views of the famous Nijubashi Bridge, fountains and a waterfall that were built on the site for the wedding celebration.

- Sensoji Temple: Built in 628 AD, it has been rebuilt almost 20 times throughout history. The enclosure is composed of: a main room located in the center of the enclosure where Kannon (the Buddhist goddess of mercy) is located, who according to legend, some fishermen found a statue of her in the Sumida River and the temple was built to venerate it, a 5-story high pagoda, the great red lantern of the Kaminarimon Thunder Gate, weighing 700 kilograms with the statues of Fujin and Raijin on both sides and a 250-meter-long Nakamise-dori main street, full of unique souvenir shops and traditional snacks.

- Tokyo Tower: It is a telecommunications and observation tower located in the Shiba Park area. It was built in 1958 and is inspired by the Eiffel Tower. It has a height of 333 meters (second tallest structure in Japan). It is painted in red and white colors to comply with air safety regulations. Its main sources of income are tourism and antenna rental. More than 150 million people have visited the tower since its inauguration. A four-story building located just below the tower, called FootTown, houses museums, restaurants and shops. From there, visitors can also access the two viewpoints: the main Main Deck viewpoint has two floors and is 150 meters high; and the Top Deck, smaller, which is 249.6 meters high.

- Ghibli Museum: It is the greatest exponent of anime Japanese, an animation studio that became famous thanks to its excellent works such as Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro or Castle in the Sky. It is dedicated precisely to everything related to what is created by said company. It opened its doors in 2001, and since then it has amazed its visitors with the fruits of Hayao Miyazaki's imagination and creativity. Considered one of the best places to visit in Tokyo. It has several permanent exhibitions, where different types of animation used in its films are shown, as well as the means to make them. The Saturno Cinema is one of the most fun points of the visit, where short films made by Hayao Miyazaki are shown, at the pace of a different one every month. Before leaving it is recommended to visit the Mamma Aiuto store. Inside, there are endless products inspired by animations that fascinate all its visitors.

- Meiji Shrine: It is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and his wife Empress Shoken. He was the first emperor of Japan in its modern era and with him, Japan went from the feudal era to the modern world, from 1868 until his death. It has an area of 700,000 square meters and around it there is a forest made up of more than 120,000 trees. It is divided into two ways: the Naien, the interior part where the latter's buildings are located and the Homotsuden, a museum dedicated to the Treasury, inside which different works of art and pieces belonging to the emperor and the empress are exhibited, and the Gaien, part Exterior where you can see a gallery of murals with different passages from the emperor's life. Here there are also sports venues such as the Jingu baseball stadium, a golf venue or the Yoyogi National Gymnasium.

- Tokyo Train Station: Inspired by Amsterdam central station. Its impressive red and white brick façade, a characteristic architectural work from the early 20th century, hides inside elegant bullet trains and a large number of pop culture shops and fascinating culinary establishments. The building suffered damage during the Second World War, but was restored thanks to a major renovation work completed in 2012. One of the most notable elements are the elegant neo-baroque-inspired ceilings, located under the large domes and characterized by their warm yellow tones. and its unusual and sensational designs of eagles and zodiacal images.

- Shibuya Crossing: It is mainly known for being the busiest in the world. Around 1 million people pass through this famous crossing daily, along with an average of 3,000 pedestrians during the 47 seconds it is open. Crossing it while perceiving the advertising advertisements or seeing the crowd of humans pass by it, is quite an experience and an attraction for those who visit Tokyo.