Tokyo

Imperial Palace

Palace is located in central Tokyo, by Tokyo station. Emperor of Japan has been living since 1869. Before the Meiji Restoration, successive Tokugawa Shogun lived there and it was called Edo Castle. The total site area is 115 hectare. The perimeter is 5.5 km, it is popular as a running route for local people. There are 3 gates to enter, Ohte-mon, Hirakawa-mon and Kitahanebashi-mon. Free entry is available in East Garden from 9:00 to 16:00 (Nov 1st to end Feb ), 16:30( Mar 14th to April 14th, Sep 1st to end Oct ), 17:00( April 15th to end August) except Monday and Friday. Imperial Household Agency Visit Guide > Sites > Imperial Palace (kunaicho.go.jp)

East Garden

To enter East Garden, Ohtemon is the closet gate. Tokyo Metro subway Ohtemachi Station or JR / Tokyo Metro subway Tokyo Sation is convenient. There is Gyoko-dori Avenue between the Marunouchi Central Exit of Tokyo Station and Uchibori-dori Avenue in front of the Imperial Palace. Usually we can walk through it though, this is used as a road only when carriage trains travel from Tokyo Station to the Imperial Palace for imperial events.

Tokyo Station and Gyoko-dori

Odaiba and Rainbow Bridge

　 The proper name is Daiba town located in Tokyo Bay side. We call “Odaiba” as there were 6 maritime forts ( in Japanese, daiba ) built by Edo Shogunate as a protection after Mathew Perry’s fleet arrival in Uraga in Miura peninsula in the entrance of Tokyo Bay in 1853. By today, 4 of 6 maritime forts had gone, only No.3 fort and No.6 fort remain. No.6 fort is now a park, No.3 is preserved as an important historical place with untouched nature, off-limits. However, Odaiba is located on the opposite bank to central Tokyo, we can see a nice view of central Tokyo with Rainbow Bridge.

There is a footpath between Decks Tokyo Beach and Hilton Odaiba hotel, you can see Tokyo Tower, Rainbow Bridge and a part of Tokyo downtown from the footpath. It is a good photogenic area.
In the shopping mole “Aqua City”, there are approximately 50 restaurants and cafe, various Japanese cuisine such as sushi, shabu shabu, yakitori further to Chinese, Mexican, Indian and Italian cuisine.

Tokyo Ramen Kokugi-kan Mai

“Tokyo Ramen Kokugikan Mai” is on the 4th floor in Tokyo Aqua City, 6 popular ramen restaurants in Japan are running stalls.

Lineup of ramen restaurants – Tonkotsu( Pork based soup ), Shio( Chicken based soup with salt ) and Soy source

All restaurants have a ticket machine in the entrance. It is for customers to purchase food in advance. English is available in the machine. As of 2024 May, Japanese Yen cash is only available. Here is a ramen restaurant Hirugao, their specialty is Shio Ramen ( Salt, chicken based soup ). It tastes lighter than Shoyu Ramen ( soy source based soup ). Shio and White soup Ramen is a bit creamy, richer.

We can take away ramens to eat in the terrace area. I

The Grill on 30th

It is a restaurant bar on the 30th floor in Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba hotel, gives a panoramic view of Odaiba. We can enjoy authentic lunch, dinner courses of grilled dishes, of course alcohol beverages as well including Japanese beers, sakes and whiskies as a bar. English is available. Making a reservation is recommended, one day before should be fine for weekdays.

assorted of today's starters and mango mojito — mango mojito 1,700 yen, assort of today’s starters 2,400 yen 1

Rainbow Bridge

Rainbow Bridge has been completed in 1993, connects Odaiba and Shibaura town. It has a high-way, a normal road and Yurikamome monorail line. In a special occasion such as Christmas and New Year, the bridge lights up with rainbow colour, usually white.

We can walk Rainbow Bridge during daytime. If you start at JR Tamachi station, it will take 15 minutes to the entrance of the bridge, 30 minutes to the end of the bridge.

Tokyo Sky Tree

Special color lights for the Tokyo Olympics in 2021

Tokyo Sky Tree has been built in 2012 as a radio and television broadcast tower to replace Tokyo Tower (333m). It is 634m high, the world tallest tower ( as of 2024 ). It also has tourist facilities. Tokyo Tower is no longer the broadcast tower, but it is still present as one of symbols in Tokyo, tourist facilities are available.

In Tokyo Sky Tree, there are 2 observation areas, Tembo Deck (340-350m high) and Tembo Galleria (445-450m high). We can buy tickets in the ticket counter on the 4th floor but booking online tickets in advance is about 400 yen cheaper, booking is available from 30 days before our visit. (Advance Ticket | Advance booking | Individual customer | Ticket / Price | Tokyo Skytree TOKYO SKYTREE (tokyo-skytree.jp). Open 9:00 Close 22:00 ( last entry 21:00 ) open every day of the year.

Tickets in sold in advance

Ticket type		18 years old and over	12-17 years old	6-11 years old
		Tembo Dec + Tembo Galleria	Weekday	3,100yen(1,600yen)	2,150yen(1,150yen)	1,300yen(700yen)
		Tembo Dec + Tembo Galleria	Holiday	3,400yen(1,750yen)	2,350yen(1,250yen)	1,400yen(750yen)
Tembo Dec	Weekday	2,100yen(1,100yen)	1,400yen(750yen)	850yen(450yen)
Tembo Dec	Holiday	2,300yen(1,200yen)	1,50yen(800yen)	900yen(450yen)

() .. for handicap people

Same-day ticket

Ticket Type		18 years old and over	12-17 years old	6-11 years old
		Tembo Dec + Tembo Galleria	Weekday	3,500yen(1,750yen)	2,350yen(1,200yen）	1,450yen(750yen)
		Tembo Dec + Tembo Galleria	Holiday	3,800yen(1,900yen)	2,550yen(1,300yen)	1,550yen(800yen)
Tembo Dec	Weekday	2,400yen(1,200yen)	1,550yen(800yen)	950yen(500yen)
Tembo Dec	Holiday	2,600yen(1,300yen)	1,650yen(850yen)	1,000yen(500yen)

() .. for handicap people

holiday price applies to Saturday, Sunday, Japan National Holiday, Mid August and Year end and new year

Access : 2 minutes walk from Oshiage station in Tokyo Metro Hanzo-mon line, Keikyu line and Toei Asakusa line / 20 minutes walk from Asakusa station in Tokyo Metro Ginza line, Toei Asakusa line / https://www.tokyo-skytree.jp/en/access/.

Rock Garden and Sawanoi Sake Brewery

Rock Garden

Rock Garden is located in very West Tokyo, the Okutama area, takes 2.5 hours by train, bus and a cable car from Tokyo station, has beautiful trees, rocks completely covered with green moss. A round trip to Rock Garden takes approximately 2.5 hours. The entrance of the route is behind of Mitake Shrine. Firstly, Mitake Visitor Centre is recommended to visit for collecting maps, the rest room. You will find it 15 minutes after started walking in the village. Other 3 rest rooms are available on the route.

Nagao Cha-ya (Nagao cafe)

Nagao Cha-ya is a cafe near the exit of Rock Garden, open only on weekends. Mulled wine, coffee made from natural water in Mt.Mitake, red / white wines, sake(Sawanoi), beers, softdrink and free wi-fi are available. The cafe is operated by a man who used to have worked in hotels in Tokyo as a sommelier. He is called ‘Tenku-no-Sommelier’( A sommelier in the sky ) due to the cafe location.

Nagao Cha-ya (Cafe) in the trekking route

White wine Chardonnay made in France 600 yen

Sawanoi Shuzo ( Sawanoi Sake Brewery)

Sawanoi Sake Brewery ( Sawano Shuzo in Japanese ) is one of Tokyo’s leading sake breweries, takes 5 minutes on foot from Sawai station next to Mitake station in the JR line. They have a 30-minutes free guided tour but Japanese language only, for non-Japanese tourists, an English brochure will be provided. To join the tour, a reservation is required in their website(https://reserva.be/sawanoikengaku). However, sake tasting is not included. We can do sake tasting separately in the tasting bar, 1 glass costs from 300 yen. They also have 2 cafes “Seiryu Cafe Sawanoi Garden” for light meals and their sake, “Shizuku” for soft drink and sweets, 2 restaurants “Mame-raku” for tofu dishes, “Mamagoto-ya” for proper Japanese cuisine (reservation is required). If the weather is nice, having terrace seats with a river view in “Seiryu Cafe Sawanoi Garden” is recommended.

Inside of brewery, the building has been built about 100 years ago

Generally sake producing period is from Autumn after rice harvest to early Spring, if you join the guided tour in summer, their production line would be dormant. The 2 tanks in the right side in the photo contain sake to be bottled.

The natural water source to produce sake is in the small cave.

Tofu dish restaurant Mame-Raku open 11:00-16:00 (LO15:00), making a reservation is not available.

‘Oboro Tofu Zen’ 1,650 yen and 3 kinds sake tasting set 1,200 yen. Tofu, diced bacon and deep fried tofu are in the rice bowl, pour the dashi soup ( in the right top ) when eat it.

Open air cafe in the garden. Food and drinks are self-service.

Kikizake Dokoro(sake bar) open 11:00-16:00

Inside of Kikizake dokoro. 12 kinds of sake are available.

A sake cup ( ochoko) is included per cup of sake, if you use the same cup for another cup of sake, 100 yen will be discounted.

Geography

Imperial Palace

Odaiba and Rainbow Bridge

Tokyo Sky Tree

Rock Garden and Sawanoi Sake Brewery

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