Many Colors of Little Tokyo

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Tokyo is Japan's capital and the country's largest city. It was originally a small castle town, named Edo, which with time became Japan's political and cultural center and has now grown into one of the world's most populous cities.

Tokyo tops the lists of tourist spots in the country and it encompasses every important aspect of Japanese life. A trip through Tokyo offers a perfect mix of modern and traditional Japan. Small as Tokyo is, there are many hills, plateaus, and mountains scattered around the city.

Tokyo has numerous outlaying Islands, with some volcanic islands in the Pacific such as the Izu and Ogasawara, among other islands are - Oshima, Toshima, Niijima, Shikinejima, Kouzushima, Miyakejima, Mikurajima, Hachijojima, Aogashima, Chichijima and Hahajima. Each island abounds in scenic beauty and has its own character. It offers many marine sports such as swimming, scuba diving, surfing, fishing and thereby is crowded by tourists during the summer.

The hottest tourist spots in Tokyo is Shinjuku. It is a major commercial and administrative center housing the busiest train station in the world. And in the vicinity of the station are crowded skyscrapers, electronic shops, cinemas, restaurants, bars and many international Tokyo hotels. Some of the hot spots are, Gyoen Imperial Gardens - an oasis within skyscrapers, Chuo Koen - Shinjuku central park, Kyu Ogasawara tei – Spanish styled house, Golden Gai – the bar district, Kabukicho – the red light district among others. Tourist especially flock Park Hyatt – the Tokyo hotel, to have a drink at the penthouse New York bar and to view Mt. Fuji from its peak lounge.

After Shinjuku, the next best thing in Tokyo is Ginza, recognized as one of the most luxurious shopping destinations in the world, a shopping mecca indeed. At Ginza one will find all the luxury brands from around the world, many in custom-designed boutiques.

Among other top-destinations in Tokyo are Shibuya and Harajuku, the twin centers of teenage fashion and cos play culture. There are also traditional attractions, Sensoji temple in Asakusa an old-style temple district, Meiji Shrine - dedicated to the deity of Emperor Meiji, Mount Mitake – the wooded mountain and Zojoji Temple - Buddhist temple at the base of Tokyo Tower. And not be skipped are parks, museums and also Tsukiji Fish Market - Japan's largest and busiest fish market.

There are many types of accommodations available, from Tokyo hotels to ryokan to minshuku. The grade of the Tokyo hotels varies from luxury five-star hotels to business to budget hotels. Many major Tokyo hotels are conveniently located nearby to shopping centers and tourist spots and offer easy to access both Narita and Haneda airports - Tokyo's international airports.