Trip to Japan

Tokyo is Japan's capital and the country's largest city. Also one of Japan's 47 prefectures, but is called a metropolis (to) rather than a prefecture (ken). The metropolis of Tokyo consists of 23 city wards (ku), 26 cities, 5 towns and 8 villages, including the Izu and Ogasawara Islands, several small Pacific Islands in the south of Japan's main island Honshu.


I had the pleasure to visit many places such as Shinjuku which is one of the 23 wards of Tokyo but the name commonly refers just to the large entertainment, business and shopping area around Shinjuku Station. Shinjuku Station is Japan's busiest railway station. Shinjuku' is the home to many of Tokyo's tallest buildings, including several premier hotels and the Metropolitan Government Office.


The current Imperial Palace (Kokyo) and the residence of Japan's Imperial Family is located on the former site of Edo Castle, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls in the center of Tokyo, a short walk from Tokyo station. From Kokyo Gaien, the large plaza in front of the Imperial Palace, visitors can view the Nijubashi, two bridges that form an entrance to the inner palace grounds. The stone bridge in front is called Meganebashi (Eyeglass Bridge) for its looks. The bridge in the back was formerly a wooden bridge with two levels, from which the name Nijubashi (Double Bridge) is derived.

Tokyo Tower - 333 meters, is 13 meters taller than its model, the Eiffel Tower of Paris, and the world's tallest self-supporting steel tower. It was completed in the year 1958 as a symbol for Japan's rebirth as a major economic power, and serves as a television and radio broadcast antenna and tourist attraction.

Mount Fuji (Fujisan) is with 3776 meters Japan's highest mountain. It is not surprising that the nearly perfectly shaped volcano has been worshipped as a sacred mountain and experienced big popularity among artists and common people. Mount Fuji is a dormant volcano, which erupted most recently in 1708. It stands on the border between Yamanashi and Shizuoka Prefectures and can be seen from Tokyo and Yokohama on clear days.

If you have the opportunity to visit Japan I am sure you will have an unforgettable experience. I did and would love to go back one day again.