By Babar Ismail
I always wanted to visit Japan and admire the heritage of Samurai period. Therefore when I was invited by my friend who was on a business trip, I could not refuse the temptation and the desire to make my dreams come true.
Since there is no direct flight to Tokyo from Vladivostok, we had to take about two hours flight to Moscow and another three hours from Moscow to Tokyo. [editor's note: there are direct flights (75 minutes) and ferries between Vladivostok and Niigata. Flight time from Moscow to Tokyo is around 10 hours.] Apart from a stay of three hours at Moscow the rest of the journey was smooth and comforting landing at about 2200Hrs. local time. We took an overnight stay at a Hotel Inn near Narita Int'l airport, known as Tokyo Int'l Airport but it is located in the suburbs of Chiba prefecture.
Next day-break just after 5:AM , I opened my eyes to the light pink cherry blossom trees a symbol of spring season arrival. Wow ! I could not beleive myself to be swaying inside the hotel room and feeling like breaking the window and jump out to this lovely scenery. After a quick breakfast we checked out and took a drop at train station just about 5 minutes by Hotel bus. Well well ! what a ride with Narita Skyliner that took us inside the Tokyo city in under an hour. My friend had another twin-bed one room booked in a business hotel at Ueno a place of flowing river of people. We checked-in at about 10AM like the clock ticking faster now, my friend had a call from [used vehicle dealer] who would take him to a [local Japanese auction] to [buy a sedan and a Suv] for himself and couple of [new model cars] for his company.He told me about his dealer name as Nexuss and the website has mini auction to be launched soon , www(dot)nexusscars(dot)com
After a few good tips from the local Japanese staff at Hotel information I took off with my small back pack and was left alone with my adventures to be discovered. I cannot recall if it was a mild jet lag or the huge crowds rolling here and there, but for certain I felt that maybe I am on drugs and could not be 100%. Tokyo's approximately twelve million residents seemed to me like a huge bee colony and maybe one tenth are concentrated in Taito-Ku one of the 23 wards of Tokyo Metropolis. But all had this sense of purpose inside them, nothing was moving without a purpose.
My little study from Internet about Tokyo's history that its ancient name was Edo and it was the political center of Japan. Then in Meiji period in about 1868 the capitol and the Japan's emperor moved from Kyoto to Edo, and renamed Edo to Tokyo. But to great sadness large parts of Tokyo were destroyed in 1923 earthquake and the IInd.worl war air raids.
I had so much to see and the best way is to take a guide like my first choice was an afternoon tour organised by JTB.
My adventure started with a panoramic view of Tokyo from the observatory deck on the 40th floor of the World Trade Center Building. This guided tour had an English speaking guide and beleive me that was the best thing happened to me.
A 40 minute boat cruise through most important waterway of Tokyo known as Sumida river took me from Asakusa to Hinode pier of Tokyo Bay. I also visited Asakusa Kannon Temple and Nakamise shopping street, this temple is the oldest temple of Tokyo. From Nakamise-dori (dori means street in english) I bought some traditional souvenirs for my friend.
There was a small photo session organised outside the Imperial Palace, a magnificient palace where Tenno Heika the present emperor with his two sons and their families reside.
After the tour I joined my friend at Ueno station and we went to a Revolving Sushi Bar for a healthy dinner. That was truely magnificient, we were not the only two foreigners in the bar and the Sushi was delightful ,the presentation, garnishing and the taste is sure a skill of Japanese cookery. We had our sushi with Japanese Sake (Nihon-shu) and enjoyed that mild effect slowly rising by surrounding breeze which could never be compared by liquors of Russia.
