GINZA, SHINJUKU, SHIBUYA
We stayed at Ginza, popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo. The first evening we strolled up and down and went to various stores, and ended up feeling like we were in New York, except we didn't understand the advertisements. Near Ginza is the famous Tsukiji Fish Market, biggest wholesale fish and seafood market in the world, with limited access to tourists. We unfortunately did not visit it as we left if for Sunday without realising it's closed on Sundays. Plans to move Tsukiji (pronounced tz-kee-jee) market to another location were halted in September 2016, and it is unknown whether such move will ever take place. Also near Ginza are the beautiful Hamarikyu Gardens which you can also access from boats that taxi up and down the Sumida River.
The next day we went to Shibuya, a fashion center of Tokyo, that looks very much like Ginza. It is a modern shopping area with fancy stores. What separates Shibuya and makes is a must visit is the famous diagonal pedestrian crossing, a crosswalk system that stops all vehicular traffic and allows pedestrians to cross an intersection at the same time in every direction, including diagonally. The crossing is at Hachiko Square, in front of the Shibuya Station. When in Shibuya, you should visit Meiji Shrine as it is in the neighborhood.
Another must visit of modern Tokyo is Shinjuku. This is a very hip neighborhood with great nightlife. The vibe is amazing. Because of limited space, Tokyo expands up. One tall building often hosts various businesses on different floors- you can have a hair salon on first floor, travel agency on second, restaurant on the third, etc. We had wonderful Osaka-style yakiniku dinner here in a small little restaurant on the fifth floor where we grilled the meat on the built in grill on our table. Lots of fun!
