Shows by the girl group Kamen Joshi – singing and dancing young women wearing cute outfits and hockey masks – are all the rage at this live-music show in the Pasela Resort's karaoke emporium. It's a chance to swing around a light sabre (handed out to audience members) in a thoroughly Akiba night out.
Club GoodmanLIVE MUSIC
( GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3862-9010; http://clubgoodman.com; B1 fl, AS Bldg, 55 Kanda-Sakumagashi, Chiyoda-ku; cover from ¥1500; dJR Yamanote line to Akihabara, Electric Town exit)
In the basement of a building with a guitar shop and recording studios, it's no surprise that this live house is a favourite with Tokyo's indie-scene bands and their fans.
7Shopping
o2k540 Aki-Oka ArtisanARTS & CRAFTS
(アキオカアルチザン MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.jrtk.jp/2k540; 5-9-23 Ueno, Taitō-ku; h11am-7pm Thu-Tue; dGinza line to Suehirochō, exit 2)
This ace arcade under the JR tracks (its name refers to the distance from Tokyo Station) offers an eclectic range of stores selling Japanese-made goods – everything from pottery and leatherwork to cute aliens, a nod to Akihabara from a mall that is more akin to Kyoto than Electric Town. The best for colourful crafts is Nippon Hyakkuten (日本百貨店; http://nippon-dept.jp).
oMandarake ComplexMANGA, ANIME
(まんだらけコンプレックス MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.mandarake.co.jp; 3-11-2 Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku; hnoon-8pm; dJR Yamanote line to Akihabara, Electric Town exit)
When otaku (geeks) dream of heaven, it probably looks a lot like this giant go-to store for manga and anime. Eight storeys are piled high with comic books and DVDs, action figures and cell art just for starters. The 5th floor, in all its pink splendour, is devoted to women’s comics, while the 4th floor is for men.
ChabaraFOOD
(ちゃばら MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.jrtk.jp/chabara; 8-2 Kanda Neribei-chō, Chiyoda-ku; h11am-8pm; dJR Yamanote line to Akihabara, Electric Town exit)
This under-the-train-tracks shopping mall focuses on artisan food and drinks from across Japan, including premium sake, soy sauce, sweets, teas and crackers – all great souvenirs and presents.
mAAch ecuteMALL
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3257-8910; www.maach-ecute.jp; 1-25-4 Kanda-Sudachō, Chiyoda-ku; h11am-9pm Mon-Sat, to 8pm Sun; dChūō or Sōbu lines to Akihabara, Electric Town exit)
JR has another shopping and dining hit on its hands with this complex crafted from the old station and red-brick railway arches at Mansei-bashi. Crafts, homewares, fashions and food from across Japan are sold here; look out for craft beers from Hitachino Brewing Lab and freshly roasted beans from Obscura Coffee Roasters.
Yodobashi AkibaELECTRONICS
(ヨドバシカメラAkiba MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.yodobashi-akiba.com; 1-1 Kanda Hanaoka-chō, Chiyoda-ku; h9.30am-10pm; dJR Yamanote line to Akihabara, Shōwa-tōriguchi exit)
This is the monster branch of Yodobashi Camera where many locals shop. It has eight floors of electronics, cameras, toys, appliances; CDs and DVDs on the 7th-floor branch of Tower Records; and even restaurants. Ask about export models and VAT-free purchases.
Akihabara Radio KaikanMANGA, ANIME
(秋葉原ラジオ会館 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; http://akihabara-radiokaikan.co.jp; 1-15-6 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; h11am-8pm; dJR Yamanote line to Akihabara, Electronic Town exit)
Despite its name, Radio Kaikan has nothing to do with radios and everything to do with Japanese pop culture. It was completely rebuilt in 2014 to include nine floors of shops selling manga, anime, collectables such as models and figurines, fanzines, costumes and gear. Shops include Volks for dolls, K-Books and Kaiyōdō Hobby Lobby.
Jimbōchō BookstoresBOOKS
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Kanda-Jimbōchō, Chiyoda-ku; bHanzōmon line to Jimbōchō, exits A1, A6 or A7)
This fascinating neighbourhood of more than 170 new and secondhand booksellers is proof that the printed word is alive and well in Tokyo. Amid tottering stacks of volumes, you'll find everything from antique guidebooks of the Yoshiwara pleasure district to obscure sheet music from your favourite symphony.
Recommended stores to target are Ohya Shobō (大屋書房 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3291-0062; www.ohya-shobo.com; 1-1 Kanda-Jimbōchō, Chiyoda-ku; h10am-6pm Mon-Sat; dHanzōmon line to Jimbōchō, exit A7), purveyor of antique books, maps and original ukiyo-e prints, and Komiyama Shoten (小宮山書店 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3291-0495; www.book-komiyama.co.jp; 1-7 Kanda-Jimbōchō, Chiyoda-ku; h11am-6.30pm Mon-Sat, to 5.30pm Sun; bHanzōmon line to Jimbōchō, exit A7) for art books, prints and posters.
THE EVOLUTION OF AKIBA
Post WWII, a black market for radio parts and other electronics developed around Akihabara Station; if you look carefully you'll still find the legacy of this former life in the Akihabara Radio Center (秋葉原ラジオセンター MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 1-14-2 Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku; hgenerally 10am-6pm; dJR Yamanote line to Akihabara, Electric Town exit), a two-storey warren of several dozen stalls dealing in connectors, jacks, LEDs, switches, semiconductors and other components, under the elevated railway tracks. This is the original, still-beating heart of Akihabara, and it's worth a peek, mainly as a cultural study.
After the 1960s and '70s, when the district was the place to hunt for bargain new and used electronics, Akihabara saw its top shopping mantle increasingly usurped by discount stores elsewhere in the city. It has long since bounced back by reinventing itself as the centre of the otaku (geek) universe, catching J-pop culture fans in its gravitational pull.
These days you are as likely to find intricately designed plastic models of anime characters, self-penned pornographic comics and cosplay (costume play) outfits as you are electrical circuits, fuses and wires in the place locals call Akiba. Along neon-lined Chūō-dōri, west of the station, you're sure to encounter cosplay maids enticing customers into maid cafes. To make some sense of it all, pick up an English map at Akiba Info ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %080-3413-4800; www.animecenter.jp; 2nd fl, Akihabara UDX Bldg, 4-14-1 Soto-Kanda, Chiyoda-ku; h11am-5.30pm Tue, Wed & Fri-Sun; W; dJR Yamanote line to Akihabara, Electric Town exit); the helpful staff here speak English.
2Sports & Activities
oBuddha BelliesCOOKING
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; http://buddhabelliestokyo.jimdo.com; 2nd fl, Uekuri Bldg, 22-4-3 Kanda-Jimbōchō, Chiyoda-ku; courses from ¥7500; bShinjuku line to Jimbōchō, exit A2)
Professional sushi chef and sake sommelier Ayuko leads small hands-on classes in sushi, bentō (boxed lunch) and udon making. Prices start at ¥7500 per person for a 2½-hour course.
oAkiba KartSCENIC DRIVE
(アキバカート MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-6206-4752; http://akibanavi.net; 2-4-6 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; 1hr from ¥2700; h10am-8pm; dJR Yamanote line to Akihabara, Electric Town exit)
Naturally, it was a no-brainer for this cosplay (costume play) plus go-karting operation to set up in Akiba. Reserve in advance and make sure you have an international driver's licence handy if you wish to motor around Tokyo in a go-kart dressed as a character from Super Mario Brothers – you know you want to!
oSpa LaQuaONSEN
(スパ ラクーア MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-5800-9999; www.laqua.jp; 5th-9th fl, Tokyo Dome City, 1-1-1 Kasuga, Bunkyō-ku; weekday/weekend ¥2635/2960; h11am-9am; bMarunouchi line to Kōrakuen, exit 2)
One of Tokyo’s few true onsen, this chic spa complex relies on natural hot-spring water from 1700m below ground. There are indoor and outdoor baths, saunas and a bunch of add-on options, such as akasuri (Korean-style whole-body exfoliation). It's a fascinating introduction to Japanese health and beauty rituals.
An extra ¥865 gives you access to the Healing Baden area, with even more varieties of saunas and a lounge area styled like a Balinese resort; here men and women can hang out together (everyone gets a pair of rental pyjamas).
Tokyo Dome City AttractionsAMUSEMENT PARK
(東京ドームシティアトラクションズ MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3817-6001; www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e/attractions; 1-3-61 Kōraku, Bunkyō-ku; day pass adult/child/teenag
er ¥3900/2100/3400; h10am-9pm; c; dJR Chūō line to Suidōbashi, west exit)
The top attraction at this amusement park next to Tokyo Dome is the 'Thunder Dolphin' (¥1030), a roller coaster that cuts a heart-in-your-throat course in and around the tightly packed buildings of downtown. There are plenty of low-key, child-friendly rides as well. You can buy individual-ride tickets, day passes, night passes (valid from 5pm) and a five-ride pass (¥2600).
Super Potato Retro-kanARCADE
(スーパーポテトレトロ館 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.superpotato.com; 1-11-2 Soto-kanda, Chiyoda-ku; h11am-8pm Mon-Fri, from 10am Sat & Sun; dJR Yamanote line to Akihabara, Electric Town exit)
Are you a gamer keen to sample retro computer games? On the 5th floor of this store specialising in used video games, there's a retro video arcade where you can get your hands on some old-fashioned consoles at a bargain ¥100 per game.
Ichigaya Fish CentreFISHING
(市ヶ谷フィッシュセンター MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-3260-1325; www.ichigaya-fc.com; 1-1 Ichigaya Tamachi, Shinjuku-ku; per hr ¥750, rod and bait ¥100; h9.30am-7.30pm Mon-Fri, 9am-8pm Sat & Sun; c; dJR lines to Ichigaya)
There's something charming and totally Tokyo about this fishing centre on the Sotobori moat beneath Ichigaya Station. You can watch trains whizz by as you dangle your rod in the fish pools waiting for the tiddlers to bite. Kids will love it, and there are more-exotic species to spot in the aquarium shop here.
Ueno & Yanesen
Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Entertainment
Shopping
Activities
Ueno & Yanesen
Neighbourhood Top Five
1Tokyo National Museum Getting schooled in Japanese art history at the finest collection of Japanese art and cultural artefacts in the world, also home to samurai swords, ukiyo-e (woodblock prints) and gilded screens.
2Rikugi-en Admiring the poetically inspired views across one of Tokyo's most beautiful formal gardens with its central pond, teahouses, stone bridges and manicured foliage.
3Ueno-kōen Strolling through this expansive park chock-a-block with museums, temples and even a zoo.
4Nezu-jinja Paying your respects at this picturesque shrine with its corridor of mini red torii (gates) and azalea bushes, then continuing to explore the wider Yanesen area.
5Ameya-yokochō Absorbing the sights, sounds and smells of this old-fashioned partially outdoor market that's also a great spot for street food.
Explore Ueno & Yanesen
You could easily spend a whole day in Ueno-kōen, one of Tokyo's top draws. Start at the Tokyo National Museum then wend your way southward, hitting a few other museums, the zoo and the centuries-old shrines and temples that dot the park. Temporary exhibitions can draw huge crowds, but you'll find the permanent collections of most museums blissfully quiet. Finish up at Ameya-yokochō.
Within walking distance of Ueno is a trio of neighbourhoods that time seemingly forgot. Much of Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi, collectively known as Yanesen, miraculously survived the Great Kantō Earthquake and the allied fire-bombing of WWII (not to mention the slash-and-burn modernising of the postwar years). Yanaka, in particular, has a high concentration of vintage wooden structures and more than a hundred temples and shrines. It’s a fantastic place to wander and is popular with Tokyoites, too, so can get crowded on weekends.
Last but far from least, don't miss Rikugi-en, in the northern neighbourhood Komagome, perhaps Tokyo's most spectacular traditional garden.
Local Life
APark Life On weekends, look for buskers, acrobats and food vendors in Ueno-kōen. The park is also Tokyo's most famous cherry-blossom-viewing place.
ANight Market Many casual restaurants in and around Ameya-yokochō open up onto the street. It's a fun place to dine in the evening.
ACycling Join the locals getting around Yanesen by bicycle with a rental from Tokyobike Rental Service. If you're staying nearby, many accommodations also have bicycles to lend.
AHang-outs Join Yanesen's artsy crowd for coffee at Kayaba Coffee or cocktails at bookstore-bar Bousingot.
Getting There & Away
ATrain The JR Yamanote line stops at Ueno, Nippori (for Yanaka) and Komagome (for Rikugi-en). Keisei line trains from Narita Airport stop at Keisei Ueno Station (just south of JR Ueno Station).
ASubway The Ginza and Hibiya lines stop at Ueno. The Chiyoda line runs along the west side of Ueno-kōen, stopping at Yushima, Nezu and Sendagi; the latter two stops are convenient for Yanaka. The Namboku line runs to Komagome for Rikugi-en.
Lonely Planet's Top Tip
While it's possible to get around Ueno and Yanesen on foot, the 'tōzai' (東西; east–west) route of the Megurin community bus does a helpful loop around the area. Useful stops include No 2, across from the Ueno Park exit at Ueno Station, No 9 in front of Yanaka Cemetery (Yanaka Rei-en Iriguchi) and No 12 for Yanaka Ginza (Yanaka Ginza Yomise-dōri). Stops are announced on the bus, which runs approximately every 15 minutes from 7am to 7pm.
Best Museums
A Tokyo National Museum
A Asakura Museum of Sculpture, Taitō
A Shitamachi Museum
Best Places to Stroll
A Ueno-kōen
A Yanaka Ginza
A Ameya-yokochō
A Yanaka-reien
Best Places to Eat
A Shinsuke
A Hantei
A Innsyoutei
A Kamachiku
TOP SIGHT
Tokyo National Museum
NONNAKRIT / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
If you visit only one museum in Tokyo, make it this one. Established in 1872, this unprecedented collection of Japanese art covers ancient pottery, Buddhist sculpture, samurai swords, colourful ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), gorgeous kimonos and much, much more.
The museum is divided into several buildings, the most important of which is the Honkan (Japanese Gallery), which houses the collection of Japanese art. Visitors with only an hour or two should hone in on the galleries here. The building itself is in the Imperial Style of the 1930s, with art-deco flourishes throughout inside.
Next on the priority list is the enchanting Gallery of Hōryū-ji Treasures (法隆寺宝物館 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.tnm.jp; Tokyo National Museum, 13-9 Ueno-kōen, Taitō-ku; h9.30am-5pm Tue-Sun year-round, to 8pm Fri Mar-Dec, to 6pm Sat & Sun Mar-Aug; dJR lines to Ueno, Ueno-kōen exit), which displays masks, scrolls and gilt Buddhas from Hōryū-ji (in Nara Prefecture, dating from 607) in a spare, elegant, box-shaped contemporary building (1999) by Taniguchi Yoshio. Nearby, to the west of the main gate, is the Kuro-mon ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.tnm.jp; Tokyo National Museum, 13-9 Ueno-kōen, Taitō-ku; dJR lines to Ueno, Ueno-kōen exit) (Black Gate), transported from the Edo-era mansion of a feudal lord. On weekends it opens for visitors to pass through.
Visitors with more time can explore the three-storied Tōyōkan (Gallery of Asian Art), with its collection of Buddhist sculptures from around Asia and delicate Chinese ceramics. The Heiseikan (平成館 MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.tnm.jp; Tokyo National Museum, 13-9 Ueno-kōen, Taitō-ku; h9.30am-5pm Tue-Sun year-round, to 8pm Fri Mar-Dec, to 6pm Sat & Sun Mar-Aug; dJR lines to Ueno, Ueno-kōen exit), accessed via a passage on the 1st floor of the Honkan, houses the Japanese Archaeological Gallery, full of pottery, talismans and articles of daily life from Japan's paleolithic and neolithic periods.
The museum also regularly hosts temporary exhibitions (which cost extra), within the Heiseikan; these can be fantastic, but sometimes lack the English signage found throughout the rest of the museum.
Don't Miss
AHonkan
AGallery of Hōryū-ji Treasures
AKuro-mon
ATōyōkan
Practicalities
A東京国立博物館; Tokyo Kokuritsu Hakubutsukan
A MAP GOOGLE MAP
A%03-3822-1111
Awww.tnm.jp
A13-9 Ueno-kōen, Taitō-ku
Aadult/chi
ld & senior/student ¥620/free/410
Ah9.30am-5pm Tue-Sun year-round, to 8pm Fri Mar-Dec, to 6pm Sat & Sun Mar-Aug
AdJR lines to Ueno, Ueno-kōen exit
TOP SIGHT
Rikugi-en
TAKASHI IMAGES / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Tokyo's most beautiful garden is hidden in the city's north. Built by a feudal lord in 1702, with a large central pond, it was designed to reflect the aesthetic of traditional Waka poetry. Walkways pass over hills, stone bridges, trickling streams and scenes inspired by famous poems.
The bridge, Togetsukyō, created from two huge stone slabs, references a poem about a crane flying over a moonlit field. Stone markers around the garden make note of other scenic views, many of which reference famous works of Japanese or Chinese literature. Climb to the top of the Fujishiro-tōge, a hill named after a real one in Wakayama Prefecture, for panoramic views across the garden.
Rikugi-en has two vintage teahouses, where you can sit and rest, taking in the scenery. The Tsutsuji-chaya dates to the Meiji period and is perfectly primed for viewing the maples in autumn. The Takimi-chaya is perched on the edge of the stream where you can enjoy the view of a mini waterfall over rocks and giant koi (carp) swimming in the water.
Lonely Planet Tokyo Page 22
