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Tokyo dreams
From high rise shopping emporiums to ornate religious hideaways, Mererid Williams finds that little is lost in translation in Japan’s capital.
ook lcl‘t. look right. ()K. no cars cotttlllg. let‘s cross. ()t‘ let‘s not. .la_vwalking in some cities is against the law. hut it‘s a rule that‘s broken ever} second. Here in 'l'okvo. apart l‘roni a l’ew daring gaijins. nohodv attempts this cultural lam pas out ol respect for others. and it‘ the} do. the shame l‘ollows them across the road. It ma_v he one ol' the world‘s most hectic cities. hut all those trouser— suited speeding legs hi/arrel} come to a halt when the little red man s;t_\'.s slop. These little c‘ottlt'ttsts pop up aplent} in 'I‘ok}o. a cit} where heautil’ul traditions ot' past d} nasties coincide with concrete. neon and the llL‘CLl to produce hi—tcch goods before the rest of the world. One minute )ou‘re hovering inches above a Japanese toilet in the ground. the next vou're enjosing the lu\ur_v ot‘ heated toilet seats (_\'L‘.\. l'c‘;lll)l in Ullc‘ til. the c‘llys ultra-cool watering holes. Since becoming the capital ol‘ the mountainous. volcanic island ot~ Japan in ISOS when the cit}
replaced its then-moniker lido. 'l‘ok_\o has sull‘ered some shattering times. The (ireat Kanto earthquake in I‘D}. l‘ollow ed h} the tle\astation ol~ World War II. lelit the cit} in need ol' rejuvenation. but this most electric ol places has been compensating ever since. Skvscraper buildings are streamed with neon advertising and construction work takes place on e\er_\ available space. (iirls stand on tables outside shops. squeaking into loudspeakers while .l—l’op hlares l'roni the stores at higher le\els than what _\ou imagine to he legal. scaring the taint-hearted awa) lroin the sales and straight into the nearest garden.
.-\nd thank the great Buddha for Japanese gardens. Silent and peaceliul. thcsc \ast spaces are places to tc‘lilc‘c‘l. to ohsc‘flc‘ the changing heaut) ol nature. to stand on bridges and murmer 'peace at last‘. Join the cherr_v-hlossom t‘estivities in spring and marvel over the autumnal colours later in the )ear. Parks and gardens are no more
TRAVEL
than a sumo‘s throw awa} lrom the head-rush ol‘ the commercial hotspots and otilcr setlativc reliel‘. 'l'he Meiji—jingu Shrine is not lar t‘rom 'I‘ok_vo's _vouth-orientated llara‘iuku district hut its location h} \'ii}tigi—ktic‘ti park gives the slow-
BEAUTIFUL TRADITIONS OF PAST DYNASTIES COINCIDE WITH CONCRETE, NEON AND HI- TECH GOODS
seeker a more comt‘ortahle pace to move at. The modest Shinto architecture ot this shrine. with its cut‘vaceotis and elegant rool‘tops and its air of sell-control. make this one ol Tokyo's most t‘ull‘illing spaces to shill down a gear and appreciate the Japan ol' lairvtales gone hv. Squee/e voursell' onto the
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A typical snapshot of life in Tokyo includes crazy street typography, serene gardens
and excellent cuisine
Yamanote suhwa} loop line to :\\;tktls;t itlttl notice the tlll'lct‘ctlcc hetw ecn the religious Shinto shrines and this area's elahoratc Buddhist Senso-ji 'I‘emple. hel‘ore strolling down Nakamise-dori. a market—sole shopping street selling hits and bobs like hand—deciirated chopsticks. Ians and w igs.
It‘s hot long helvore 'l'ok}o‘s overwhelming stt‘ccts tower ovct‘ )(itl. and the smell ol harhecued fish on street corners watt in the smogg} air. Starbucks and .\Icl)onalds give a sense ol unwanted lainiliaritv. but the service inside. as in an} ctistomer— hased building. is typically courteous ol Japanese society where the sell. is second to the group. The high-pitched squeal of a shop assistant as you place loot in the door sparks a chain reaction of 'oha_vo go/aima/u‘ and other such greetings and bows among colleagues until it becomes quite the challenge to escape from a store without avoiding such undeserved attention. Back in the gardens.
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