In Odabia which is the new waterfront technology district of Tokyo, Toyota has a giant showroom come, car museum, come theme park and its really fun for the whole family. There is plenty to do including ‘driving’ the Crayon which is a self driving electric micro car. As you can see in the picture the car is one of Toyota’s latest efforts to revolutionise transport. Reading sensors on the road this car follows the track around the complex. There are simulator rides, an outdoor driving course for people wanting a test drive of a Toyota product and plenty of technology exhibits including Toyota’s cutting edge designs and quite a good display on hybrid and new power plants. The centre also features a beautiful museum where iconic cars from around the world (not all Toyota) are on display and then there’s a discovery centre hall which demonstrates how products are designed to suit as many people as possible. The centre attaches to the huge Pallete Town shopping complex where you can easily find plenty do do for the whole day.
Tokyo is one of the worlds most populated cities and Shibuya the busiest place in Tokyo. More than 2.4 million people use the Shibuya station on a workday but the Shibuya is more than just a mass of humanity, there’s great shopping, restaurants, cafes, bars and of course plenty of people watching. The huge crossing which is outside the station is the busiest in the world, you might remember it from films like Lost In Translation or the Fast and The Furious- Tokyo Drift.
ASIMO the amazing walking robot built by Honda is one of the feature exhibits at the Miraikan Emerging Science Museum in Odaiba the futuristic city in Tokyo Japan. ASIMO or the ‘Advanced Step in Innovative MObility” robot is an incredible humanoid robot which can even walk up stairs. It is hoped that with constant upgrades one day the robot will be able to take visitors on guided tours around the museum.
The museum has an amazing array of technological feats, many of them Japanese, including robotics, interactive displays featuring the Linimo Maglev 300km plus train, space and mining exploration and plenty of hands on interactive educational entertainment for people of all ages.
Shomben Yokocho or Piss Alley as it is better known is a interesting collection of small huts and restaurants squeezed between train tracks and the huge Odakyo Department store in Shinjuku Tokyo. It’s not the most beautiful lane way you will come across but is still a far cry from how it looked before a tragic fire in 1999 which destroyed much of the area. But the atmosphere and the aromas still remain and it is one of Tokyo’s best hidden treasures for great food. The area was once a notorious area with illegal activities including sex, gambling and dodgy booze deals but today only about 50 metres of the strip remains. The restaurants are no larger than a standard lounge room and the food is cheap and sure is good, with some of the city’s best yakitori. The area got its lovely nickname due to the lack of sewerage in the area, but fortunately things have changed and plumbers have cleaned up the area. For those after a bit of a alcoholic treat when visiting the area try a Karai Shochu its a vodka like drink which has extremely hot chilli peppers dissolved in it… only a brave person will go back for seconds.
Yebisu Garden Place is the located in the suburb now more commonly known as Ebisu which is a suburb of Tokyo not far from Shibuya and Roppongi. The Yebisu beer head quarters is situated here. The huge complex features a beer museum complete with samples of their tasty products, a large shopping mall, several restaurants and of course an indoor beer hall. The highlight of the centre is the whimsical Oktoberfest clock which celebrates every hour and delights young and old. The clock features horse drawn carriages with beer barrels, lots of German inspired characters and of course plenty of Ompha music, which for a moment makes you feel like you are in Munich.
New York has Times Square, London has Piccadilly Circus and Tokyo has Shibuya Crossing. This amazing multimedia crossroads is one of the busiest places in the world. Shibuya railway station at these crossroads services over 2.5 million people every day. The crossroads are alive with J-pop music, huge video walls advertising the latest gadget or fashion item. When the pedestrian lights go green people criss cross all directions across this crossing at high speed thousands and even tens of thousands can cross at one light change. Shibuya is on of Tokyo’s favorite places for fashion shopping and at night the area comes alive with its huge entertainment district with pachinko gaming centres, cafes, restaurants and bars.
You have got to hand it to Disney they sure know how to make a great themepark. Disneyland is known as the happiest place on earth so Disneysea in Tokyo must be teh happiest place on sea. It is one of Disney’s most spectacular and fun parks with fun for young and all. Situated right next door to Tokyo Disneyland this new park features seven themed worlds and some of the best rides and atttractions Disney has to offer including an Indiana Jones ride better than the one in California, an amazing Tower of Terror exerience and centrepiece of the park Mount Prometheus an ‘active’ Volcano which features an adventure ride to the centre of the earth. But the highlight of Disneysea would have to be the incredible nightly spectacular called BraviSEAmo! here dragons of fire rise from the waters, smoke, lights, fireworks and music come to gether in an amazing show which leaves everyone brethless.
In Tokyo’s electronic town Akihabara you can pick up just about every conceivable gadget and gizmo including these novel USB sushi. Unfortunately they are made of plastic so don’t taste too good but are great to store your favourite data on. There are quite a few different varieties including tempura, hand rolls, sashimi and even dim sim and they also come in a range of sizes. They are quiet pricey expect to pay about 60,000 – 90,000 yen for them- expensive but fun. Read the rest of this entry »
Tokyo has one of the worlds coolest theme parks, Disney Sea. This one of a kind park is just like Disney land but its all themed around the sea. There are some amazing rides including some old favorites from Disneyland like 2000 Leagues under the sea, The tower of terror and an amazing take on the Indian Jones ride found in the Anaheim park. There’s plenty of attractions found only at Disney Sea including a ride through a volcano in a mining buggy called, a whimsical Aladdin ride and some very fun little mermaid inspired rides. The highlight of your visit will be the amazing closing show which is a fire, light and fireworks show which is held on the large lake- it spectacular and an amazing technological feat. Read the rest of this entry »
