Tokyo, Japan

[Muji]

I think Tokyo needs little introduction, for the most part. Plus, there's no way I'd do a decent job of one so...here goes! These were taken a while ago, during my brief stay at the end of July.

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01268-1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01241.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01238.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01235.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01244.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01245.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01250.jpg

Tokyo Station
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01247.jpg

Tokyo International Forum - an marvelously designed public space.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01253.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01254.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01256.jpg

Hello Shibuya (sorry, I couldn't get a clearer view)
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01231.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01259.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01260.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01261.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01266.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01264.jpg

I want this house someday.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01262.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01267-1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01269-1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01272-1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01270-1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01273-1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01275-1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01279.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01284.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01286-1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01288.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01289.jpg

Simple elegance.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01294-1.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01295.jpg

Ginza Avenue turned one big pedestrian mall.
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01300.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01302.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01304.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01306.jpg

Look, a dog in a basket!
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01307.jpg

Craziness!
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01308.jpg

http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01309.jpg

Not quite a sight I expected to see
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01313.jpg

And lastly...I guess Philadelphia and Tokyo have more in common than previously thought
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01316.jpg

Also of interest: Taipei, Taiwan

[ColDayMan]

Fantastic job. What I've always loved about Tokyo was the idea of having such a grand scaled place yet it can feel intimate.

[the dude]

nothing beats a dog in a basket. thanks for the tour.

[ArchMadness]

It is pretty amazing how Tokyo can appear so beautiful despite its massiveness.

[Shawn]

Fantastic job. What I've always loved about Tokyo was the idea of having such a grand scaled place yet it can feel intimate.

You hit the nail on the head here. Tokyo is too big to really grasp; I've been here since 2002 and I still haven't been to some major stations in the city. And because subway travel is my main method of transit, there is a large feeling of disconnect between places, as I never visually see how one place is connected to another as one does when driving in a car (I'm traveling underground, so I don't see the streets and such in between Point A and Point B). Despite this sense of discontinuity, actual locations in Tokyo feel quite intimate and manageable. Natives of Tokyo often refer to station locations as "towns", as in "Shinjuku-town" or "Komagome-town"; this is a reflection of the unique identity that each and every station seems to have. This is also a hold-over from 100 years ago when each station actually was a town of its own, when there were open fields of daikan and cabbage between stations. Of course, visually this identity is often difficult to spot (let's face it, Tokyo vernacular leaves a lot to be desired), but in terms of food options, retail scene, and the nature and disposition of people living near the station all help give Tokyo locations a sense of intimacy and place that honestly makes me happy. Even though Ikebukuro and Gaien-mae may look quite similar, the vibe of each place is drastically different and easily discernible.

Japanese cities aren't remotely as monolithic as they may visually appear to be.

[plinko]

Intimate feeling or not, it's still pretty bewildering the first time. I'd love to go back and visit again!

I found one of these in Singapore as well...
http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01316.jpg

[Austinlee]

I just had an eyegasm. I think. maybe it's just eye-mucus like cocker spaniels seem to get so much. No, I think it's the awesome photos.


I've always said, Japan is already living in the year 3000.

[Fabb]

... so many different scales.
To me, it doesn't look futuristic. It could have looked the same in 1970.

[olga]

Great pics, amazing city! This (http://i19.photobucket.com/albums/b196/bruab/Tokyo/DSC01308.jpg) is cool.

[boden]

Great photo tour...always fun to see a super-city with five downtowns!

[Bergenser]

A word to describe Tokyo: Awsome! :D

[denveraztec]

Domo!

[Complex01]

Tokyo always seems out of this world, like another time. It really is an amazing city. One day...

:yes:

[ColDayMan]

You hit the nail on the head here. Tokyo is too big to really grasp; I've been here since 2002 and I still haven't been to some major stations in the city. And because subway travel is my main method of transit, there is a large feeling of disconnect between places, as I never visually see how one place is connected to another as one does when driving in a car (I'm traveling underground, so I don't see the streets and such in between Point A and Point B). Despite this sense of discontinuity, actual locations in Tokyo feel quite intimate and manageable. Natives of Tokyo often refer to station locations as "towns", as in "Shinjuku-town" or "Komagome-town"; this is a reflection of the unique identity that each and every station seems to have. This is also a hold-over from 100 years ago when each station actually was a town of its own, when there were open fields of daikan and cabbage between stations. Of course, visually this identity is often difficult to spot (let's face it, Tokyo vernacular leaves a lot to be desired), but in terms of food options, retail scene, and the nature and disposition of people living near the station all help give Tokyo locations a sense of intimacy and place that honestly makes me happy. Even though Ikebukuro and Gaien-mae may look quite similar, the vibe of each place is drastically different and easily discernible.

Japanese cities aren't remotely as monolithic as they may visually appear to be.

Keep in mind, the last time (and only time) I went to Tokyo was 1992 and I didn't give a damn about "size" back when and I felt it was "home," even though I spoke little of the language. It's almost...dare I say, Parisian.

[M II A II R II K]

That's a hell of alot more Tokyo than I usually see in photo threads.

[JManc]

i love tokyo. wish i got to see more of it.

[tjh1]

Thanks for these.

[FREKI]

Great pics - deffinetly my favorite city on the planet :)

[Coldrsx]

nice set, i felt like i was there

[LosAngelesBeauty]

You hit the nail on the head here. Tokyo is too big to really grasp; I've been here since 2002 and I still haven't been to some major stations in the city. And because subway travel is my main method of transit, there is a large feeling of disconnect between places, as I never visually see how one place is connected to another as one does when driving in a car (I'm traveling underground, so I don't see the streets and such in between Point A and Point B). Despite this sense of discontinuity, actual locations in Tokyo feel quite intimate and manageable. Natives of Tokyo often refer to station locations as "towns", as in "Shinjuku-town" or "Komagome-town"; this is a reflection of the unique identity that each and every station seems to have. This is also a hold-over from 100 years ago when each station actually was a town of its own, when there were open fields of daikan and cabbage between stations. Of course, visually this identity is often difficult to spot (let's face it, Tokyo vernacular leaves a lot to be desired), but in terms of food options, retail scene, and the nature and disposition of people living near the station all help give Tokyo locations a sense of intimacy and place that honestly makes me happy. Even though Ikebukuro and Gaien-mae may look quite similar, the vibe of each place is drastically different and easily discernible.

Japanese cities aren't remotely as monolithic as they may visually appear to be.



Are there different municipalities within "Tokyo?" Here in LA, we interchange LA City with LA County because of the way LA is laid out and operates. Is Tokyo one large municipality? Or does it have sub-cities like LA's Beverly Hills or Santa Monica?

[Shawn]

Are there different municipalities within "Tokyo?" Here in LA, we interchange LA City with LA County because of the way LA is laid out and operates. Is Tokyo one large municipality? Or does it have sub-cities like LA's Beverly Hills or Santa Monica?

Oh man, it's a bit complicated over here. There actually is no city named Tokyo in Japan, and there hasn't been since 1943. Tokyo-to is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and, unique among the prefectures, provides certain municipal services characteristic of a city, as defined by Japanese law.

Tokyo is designated as a "to" (pronounced "toe"), which means "metropolis". Its administrative structure is similar to that of Japan's other prefectures. Within Tokyo lie dozens of smaller entities, most of them referred to as cities. It includes 23 special wards (called "ku") which until 1943 comprised the city of Tokyo but are now separate, self-governing municipalities, each with a mayor and a council, and having the status of a city. In addition to these 23 municipalities, Tokyo also encompasses 26 more cities ("shi"), five towns ("cho" or "machi"), and eight villages ("mura"), each of which has a local government. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is headed by a publicly elected governor and metropolitan assembly. Its headquarters are in the ward of Shinjuku. They govern all of Tokyo, including lakes, rivers, dams, farms, remote islands, and national parks. The Metropolitan Government provides prefecture-wide services such as police and fire departments, sanitation services, public schools, etc. So while I technically live in Bunkyo-ku (one of the 23 special wards), I am not serviced by a Bunkyo-ku Police Department, as there is only one prefecture-wide police department.

http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/LINKS/IMG/figi-4.gif

[Surrealplaces]

Fantastic photos. I have good memories of Tokyo.

[tua21506]

Nice photos...It just so happens I too was in Tokyo this past summer...lol...maybe we ran into each other and didnt know it...lol...Did you take the first shot from Morii tower in Roppngi hills? Mori tower has awesome views of the city....I like the Night time view...

[Muji]

Several shots were indeed taken from the top of the Mori tower! Unfortunately that was the only time I've ever been there, so I haven't seen the view at night.

[tua21506]

This is a sample of what it looks like at night...got some glare in the shot though...lol you can see my camera...
http://i249.photobucket.com/albums/gg215/tua21506/P1000195.jpg