Megaweb (the Toyota race car) If it's true that the best things in life are free (penned, no doubt, by someone who never worried about how they were going to pay their child's orthodontist), then Tokyo must rank right up there as one of the best cities in world. While it could be argued that simply walking around Tokyo is a free cultural experience, the city abounds in other free attractions and activities as well, some of which I've mentioned in previous blogs or will cover in more depth in the future.
Here are my favorite free things in Tokyo:
- The Tokyo Metropolitan Government's 45th-floor observatories in Shinjuku, offering surreal views of the city's never-ending sprawl (and on clear days in winter, also of Mt. Fuji)
- Meiji Shrine, Tokyo's most venerable Shinto shrine, surrounded by a dense, peaceful forest
- Harajuku, a lively neighborhood just outside Meiji Shrine, which is packed with teenyboppers in all styles of dress and boutiques that cater to the young
- Asakusa's Sensoji Temple, Tokyo's oldest and most popular temple and surrounded by shops selling a wide array of traditional goods, as well as a lot of interesting kitsch (fake hair pieces or tattoos anyone?)
- Tsukiji Fish Market, one of the largest in the world
- East Garden, located next to the Imperial Palace and once the main grounds of Edo Castle (my favorite part is the Japanese-style Ninomaru)
- Beer Museum Yebisu (alas, there are no free samples, but at less than $2 a glass, this is certainly the cheapest place to imbibe)
- Tokyo Anime Center, located in Akihabara (which abounds in shops selling anime, manga, and electronics)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Children's Hall, a great public facility for families, with indoor gyms, a rooftop playground, a crafts corner, and monthly events and programs
- Showrooms, including the Sony Building that lets you try out all their newest products; Megaweb, a huge technology playground featuring more than 100 Toyota models and a museum of old cars; and the Panasonic Center, which showcases its products, lets you play games, and even has a fully designed house of the future (reservations are required to see the house)
- Free tours of Shinjuku (offered by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government), as well as Asakusa and Ueno (led by Volunteer Guides)
- Galleries in department stores, with changing exhibits on everything from ikebana and art to ceramics and crafts
- Festivals, ranging from biggies like the Sanja Matsuri in Asakusa to events like Gishi-sai at Sengakuji Temple, which commemorates 47 masterless samurai who avenged their master's death
Clearly, you could easily spend a week in Tokyo without spending a wad of cash (translation: the orthodontist gets paid after all).
East Garden (near the Imperial Palace)
