Tag - at-a-glance

 
 

AT A GLANCE

Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Jul 21, 2018
Kawagoe: From Edo standout to tourist draw
Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture, is less than an hour's train ride from central Tokyo. But in this city full of history, one would feel a sense of nostalgia in the streets thanks to a number of traditional Japanese kura warehouse buildings from the Edo Period (1603-1868).
Japan Times
JAPAN / History / AT A GLANCE
Apr 28, 2018
150 years since the Edo Castle surrender
What's done is done. But what if a historic negotiation over the surrender of Edo Castle between Saigo Takamori, who led the Imperial forces during the fall of Edo, and Katsu Kaishu, the shogunate's army minister, had fallen through 150 years ago? The surrender of the fort, or the collapse of the Tokugawa shogunate, which opened the door to Japan's modernization, might not have happened, and what is now the nation's capital could have gone up in flames. Edo, renamed Tokyo in September 1868, was controlled by the shogunate for 260 years, but it fell to the alliance of Satsuma and Choshu forces supportive of the formation of a new government under the restored Imperial rule of Emperor Meiji. One of the central conditions for the peaceful handover, which saved Edo and its population of more than 1 million from war, was to spare the life of Tokugawa Yoshinobu, the 15th and last shogun. Emperor Meiji moved from Kyoto to his new residence in the castle, which today is part of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Dec 30, 2017
Bustling Haneda shines as a New Year's traveler hub
Every New Year's, the nation's airports are jammed with travelers heading to their hometowns or overseas to spend the holidays — and Tokyo's Haneda is the busiest one.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Nov 4, 2017
Gundam towers over a transforming Tokyo
Every day, the towering full-scale Unicorn Gundam statue in Tokyo's Odaiba waterfront district undergoes a transformation, eliciting shouts of joy from visitors young and old, many trying to snap good photos with their smartphones.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Apr 29, 2017
Tokyo cruise offers a step back in time
A new Tokyo Bay samurai-themed cruise ship fashioned after those used by feudal lords back in the Edo Period (1603-1868) promises tourists visiting the nation's capital an interesting contrast between modernity and tradition.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Feb 28, 2017
Tokyo's Shiodome area celebrates the old and new, the high and low
It's an area where the old and the new stand right next to each other. That's what the Shiodome district, which stretches from Minato to Chuo wards along Tokyo Bay, looks like.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Jan 31, 2017
Tsukiji's fish wholesalers may be leaving but Showa Era outer market here to stay
Although the Tokyo Metropolitan Government and Tsukiji's fish merchants are wrangling over the planned transfer of the site in Chuo Ward to the Toyosu district in Koto Ward a few kilometers southeast, there is still a portion of the world-famous market that will remain vibrant and unchanged.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Jan 5, 2017
A new year, a new prayer, and hopefully luck
New Year's Day is not just the first day of the year in this country — it has a special meaning.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Dec 7, 2016
A taste of Russia in Tokyo
With Russian President Vladimir Putin set to visit Japan next week, expectations are growing as to whether progress will be made on a territorial row that has been a thorn in bilateral ties.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Nov 1, 2016
Tokyo's last streetcar line still rolling strong, after 105 years in operation
In all of Tokyo, the Toden Arakawa Line is the last remaining streetcar. The single-car train covers a 12-km route between Minowa in Arakawa Ward and Waseda in Shinjuku Ward, a leisurely ride that takes 50 minutes.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Oct 6, 2016
Head-turning camera puts new spin on Tokyo tourist sites
Talk about revolutionary. Ricoh's Theta S camera shoots 360 degrees and turns out head-spinning spherical images when paired with an image-processing app. The camera, which has two lenses, can be hand-held or triggered by remote control.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Sep 7, 2016
Todai's traditions reflected in Hongo neighborhood
Hongo, an area in Tokyo's Bunkyo Ward, is synonymous with Japan's top academic institution, the University of Tokyo.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Aug 2, 2016
Yasukuni Shrine glows in its traditional mid-summer show
It's like a midsummer night's dream.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Jul 5, 2016
Tokyo's Jinbocho a must-visit for lovers of antiquarian books
Jinbocho, in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward, is one of the world's biggest centers for browsing used books, with around 160 stores selling volumes that range from the musty and dusty to antiquarian.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
May 31, 2016
Meiji Jingu a Tokyo shrine that's popular for nuptials
One bright Saturday afternoon in the fresh green of spring, priests led a bride and groom toward a wedding hall at Meiji Jingu, a renowned shrine in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
May 3, 2016
Kamakura boasts ancient history, hip beaches
Kamakura, an ancient capital city during the Kamakura Period (1185-1333), may not be as popular as Kyoto, but it is one of the few places near Tokyo where visitors can explore the nation's ancient history.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Apr 5, 2016
Tokyo temple's beckoning cats keep visitors purring in
A five-minute walk from Miyanosaka Station on the Tokyu Setagaya Line, Gotokuji Temple in Tokyo's Setagaya Ward offers a fun sight for visitors.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Mar 1, 2016
Tokyo Tower, an enduring tourist landmark
Tokyo Tower may no longer be the tallest structure in Japan, nor a full-fledged broadcasting tower, as Tokyo Skytree now holds that joint title. But it is still one of the most popular places for tourists to visit and an icon of the capital, attracting about 2 million visitors annually.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Feb 2, 2016
Nakano Broadway marks 50 years, now known as a center for Japanese cultural memorabilia
Nakano Broadway turns 50 this year. The shopping complex in Tokyo's busy Nakano district remains popular with enthusiasts of pop culture, boasting dozens of manga, anime and collectors' shops.
Japan Times
JAPAN / AT A GLANCE
Jan 5, 2016
Japan's public baths hope foreign tourists will help keep the taps running
Japan's public baths, known as sento, represent an institution with hundreds of years of history. They provided an important public service in the days before homes had their own hot-water bathtubs.

Longform

A statue of "Dragon Ball" character Goku stands outside the offices of Bandai Namco in Tokyo. The figure is now as recognizable as such characters as Mickey Mouse and Spider-Man.
Akira Toriyama's gift to the world