Reuters Business Traveller

Tokyo – Overview

The Japanese capital, home to 13 million people, has withstood earthquakes, aerial bombardment and the bursting of an economic bubble. In the aftermath of the March 11, 2011 quake and tsunami,  Tokyo is now braving an economic storm.

The Imperial Palace marks the centre of Tokyo proper, with the main government area, Kasumigaseki, to the south, the principal financial districts of Maranouchi and Otemachi to the east and the entertainment area of Shinjuku to the west. Ueno Park and Senso-ji Temple are further north.

It’s all shockingly fashionable, from the high-end boutiques of Omotesando (the Champs-Élysées of Tokyo and the location of the forested Meiji Jingu shrine where the gothic “Harajuku girls” hang out), to Aoyama district, where Yohji Yamamoto, Comme des Garçons and Issey Miyake make their marks, to the neon-welcoming, generation-next nightclubs of Shibuya.

Those searching for the ‘real’ Tokyo will have to look past the sci-fi swathes of high-rises and the speeding bullet trains, and hunt out the enclaves of yesteryear that still exist within the futuristic conurbation. These are the old communities dwelling in narrow winding lanes flanked by hanging lanterns; parks, temples and shrines that are just as important a part of city life as the ubiquitous grey-suited salary men. Explore the ritzy shopping district of Ginza or the famous fish market in Tsukjji, where passersby can gobble fresh-from-the-sea sashimi from hole-in-the-wall vendors.

Money: Yen (¥).

Though there are HSBC and Citibank ATMs at Narita International Airport, the Japanese-bank ATMs do not accept most other foreign bank cards. However, in weekday business hours, the ATMs at both terminals’ post office will take almost all cards.

Japan is a cash society: many Japanese carry US$500-US$1,000 around with them.