July 31, 2008
Travel & Leisure has published their 2008 World’s Best Awards and two hotels in Tokyo made the cut! Of the 50 World’s Best Hotels in Asia, The Imperial Hotel ranks 22nd while the Park Hyatt Tokyo ranks 16th in Asia and 77th Worldwide.
The Imperial Hotel, at number 22, first opened it’s doors in 1890 and was the was the only fully European style hotel in Tokyo for decades. This legendary Tokyo landmark has welcomed royalty, heads of state, celebrities and international business leaders for over 115 years and is located within walking distance of the Imperial Palace and Tokyo Station. With design elements remaining from a 1923 addition designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Imperial Hotel is definitely worth a visit - and you can stay there too if you don’t mind spending upwards of Y37,800 ($378 US) per night.
The Park Hyatt Tokyo, ranked at number 16, is located in the heart of Shinjuku and offers spectacular views of Tokyo’s unique skyline. The hotel has 173 rooms including 23 suites that are all located above the 41st floor with room rates starting around US $525 a night. The Park Hyatt Tokyo’s New York Bar, located on the 52nd floor, was prominently featured in the movie Lost in Translation starring Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson. Everyone is welcome to visit the New York Bar, but if you go after 8PM (7PM on Sundays) expect to pay a Y2,000 (US $20) cover charge to enjoy some live Jazz and cocktails overlooking the city at night.
Photo Credit: Flickr, Park Tower from Shinjuku
July 30, 2008
Traveling to Tokyo may seem a bit intimidating to those with disabilities but with a little advanced planning and a bit of determination it can be done! Just a few years back in would have been practically impossible to get around Tokyo if you used a wheelchair or had any other significant impediment to your mobility but things have improved quite a bit. Accessible Tokyo is a website created by volunteers from the Japanese Red Cross Society to help the disabled plan their trip and find hotels, parks, and museums that meet their special needs. The site was last updated in 2005 and may not be comprehensive but it is still a great resource and is worth reviewing if you, or a traveling companion, have a disability. Another resource is Accessible Japan Travel at Yokoso! Japan.
 Trains & Subways
Most stations are either above or below ground level and are accessed via a combination of stairs and escalators. Elevators have been installed in many stations and some ticket vending machines are positioned low enough so that those confined to a wheelchair can purchase tickets unassisted. Wheelchairs do not fit through the automated ticket gates but there is usually one wide gate next to the stationmasters office that can be utilized. A second elevator is usually available to ascend or descend to track level. If you don’t have someone with you, ask one of the station attendants for assistance boarding the train as there are often wide gaps between the platform and the train itself which may be difficult to traverse on your own. Newer trains offer areas dedicated to wheelchair parking (pictured on the right) and Accessible Japan Travel offers a map of accessible rail and subway stations.
 Visual Impairment
Many city streets in Tokyo, and throughout Japan, have raised ‘Braille’ strips on the sidewalks so that they are navigable for the visually impaired. You will also find these strips in train stations.
More Accessible Tokyo Resources
If you have a disability of travel with someone who does, take a moment to review the information offered by Accessible Tokyo. Here are just some of the areas that are covered:
Similar information is available by area at Accessible Japan Travel.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia, Wheelchair space of JR E233 & Flickr, Osaka Sidewalk(a)
July 29, 2008
 If you ever find yourself in need of assistance in Japan look for a police box or Koban. There are approximately 1200 Kobans located at major intersections and near most train stations throughout Tokyo. If you don’t see a sign for a Koban you can locate one by looking for a circled X on most maps.
The officers in the Koban can provide directions and guidance to citizens and visitors that are lost (Japan’s address system can be quite confusing even to the Japanese), accept  reports of crime and respond to local emergencies. They also act as a community lost & found. Be warned though, the officers assigned to the Koban are unlikely to be conversant in English.
 One interesting thing that I have noticed is that the Koban signs are usually the same in that they have the word KOBAN prominently displayed on a green background but they often have a different logos. So far I have seen Pipo, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police mascot (top) and the police hat (bottom left).
Photo Credit: Personal Collection
July 28, 2008
Summer is festival time in Japan, or Matsuri time if you are a local, and my fellow Japan bloggers have decided to revive the Japan Blog Matsuri in honor of the season. The Japan Blog Matsuri is a blog carnival covering a variety of Japan related subjects and I am honored to host the inaugural Matsuri here at The Tokyo Traveler.
Have you been to Tokyo or do you just dream of visiting this great city? This version of the Japan Blog Matsuri will cover just that and if you want to participate all you need to do is write a post about your first impression of Tokyo or a memorable experience that you had while in the city. If you haven’t been to Tokyo before I encourage you to put your thinking cap on and plan a trip, post about what you would do, where you would go and what you think would be the most interesting thing that you would take home with you, be it a memory or something more tangible.
Visit the Japan Blog Matsuri site to submit your post by August 20th and remember that all posts must be about your “Impressions of Tokyo“, real or imagined. The Matsuri will be published in a special edition of Nihon on the Net on Sunday, August 24th.
Image Credit: Japan Blog Matsuri, used with permission
July 27, 2008
Tokyo Underground, written by a foreign university student, is an interesting read about what you can learn from taking Tokyo Metro, the city’s vast and often intimidating subway network.
Townsend Harris was one of the key figures that helped open Japan to the west, was first American consul-general in Japan and negotiated a treaty that established trade between the two countries. A group from Shimoda, Japan makes an annual pilgrimage to his graveside in Brooklyn, New York to honor his memory.
Jim Allen writes that “Hideo Nomo changed Japanese baseball more than any player of his generation” in his weekly column for the Daily Yomiuri.
Lastly, this video from CNN offers some insight into Japanese culture and the rise in popularity of Butler Cafes, where customers are treated like princesses by western “butlers”.
Photo Credit: Flickr, Otome Road omiyage
July 26, 2008
National Geographic has put together a WorldWise quiz about Tokyo that will test your knowledge of this great city. Some of the questions are tough ones but taking the quiz a great opportunity to learn more about the history, landmarks and some trivia about Tokyo. Here are six of the ten questions:
 What does the word “Tokyo” mean?- What are the “flowers of Edo”?
- How tall is the Tokyo Tower?
- What is the name of Tokyo’s famous fish market?
- Today’s Imperial Palace dates back to what year?
- Which is the biggest of Tokyo’s “Three Grand Festivals”?
Take the WorldWise Quiz:Tokyo by National Geographic to find out how Tokyo savvy you are, but don’t be disappointed if you don’t do well, that just means you have to come for a visit and find out the answers firsthand!
Hint: Some of the answers to these questions have been provided right here at The Tokyo Traveler!
Photo Credit: Personal Collection
July 25, 2008
 The best baseball players in Japan will compete in the 2008 Mazda All-Star Game at Yokohama Stadium on Friday, August 1st at 6:10 PM. The Central League will play the Pacific League and will each have a 28 man roster that includes the best players as voted on by the fans, fellow players and coaches. The August 1st game is the second of two All-Star Game scheduled for 2008, the first will be held the day before at the Kyocera Dome in Osaka.
Mazda will provide green electricity indirectly for this years games under the “Green Power Certification System” by purchasing a “Green Power Certificate” for 12,000 kilowatt hours and presenting it to the Nippon Professional Baseball Association (NPB). Using green power for the games is expected to reduce CO2 emissions by approximately 6.6 metric tons.
Both games are sure to provide a lot of great entertainment you may even witness the next Japanese slugger or hurler on his home turf before he makes it big in America. If you can’t make it to the 2008 Mazda All-Star Game there are still a lot of other opportunities to catch a baseball game in Tokyo this summer.
Yokohama Stadium is located about 40 minutes from Tokyo Station and is short walk from wither Kannai or Nihon Odori stations. Tickets for the 2008 Mazda All-Star Game range in price from 2,500 to 8,000 per ticket.
Photo Credit: Flickr, Yokohama baseball stadium at night
July 24, 2008
 The Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo is offering a great family event during the months of July and August. Mom, Dad and kids can all learn to make and decorate cupcakes under the guidance of the hotel’s pastry chef, Ryoko Nonoda, the first-ever female chief pastry chef in the history of RIHGA Royal Hotels group.
You can eat your creations too! After the class, enjoy you cupcakes fresh from the oven with some tea and take some home to eat later. Classes are scheduled on July 29th, August 4th, 7th, 22nd and 26th at 1PM and are estimated to be 3 1/2 hours long. The fee is ¥6,000 for a child/parent pair.
The twelve story hotel has 127 rooms ranging in price from 35,805 yen for a double room to 404,250 yen for a royal suite and is located near Waseda University with many rooms overlooking peaceful Okuma Garden.
The Rihga Royal Hotel Tokyo is a 7-minute walk from Waseda subway station or a 10-minute free shuttle-bus ride from JR Takadanobaba Station. (access map & directions). To make a room reservation or to book your cupcake class call (03) 5285-1121.
You don’t need to be a guest at the hotel to participate in the great event so why not make it a date and bring out the inner pastry chef in yourself and your kids?
Source: Beat the heat with eels or bake your own cakes at the Rihga
Photo Credit: HELLO KITTY CUPCAKES
July 23, 2008
 The origins of Yebisu Beer date back to 1887, when Nippon Beer Brewery started producing beer in the area then called Mita Village. The name “Yebisu” was adopted later and is a variation of the name of Ebisu, the surrounding town and the station closest to the Beer Museum. Nippon Breweries, Ltd. changed its name to Sapporo Breweries, Ltd. in 1964.
The Beer Museum Yebisu is dedicated to the history, science and culture of the beloved beverage and the century-old tradition of brewing beer. Beer making made its debut in Japan as early as 1876 when Seibei Nakagawa, who had recently returned from Germany where he studied the art of beer making, was chosen as brewmaster and oversaw the construction of a beer factory in Hokkaido, Japan. In 1887, Japan Beer Brewery Company was established in Tokyo by a group of local entrepreneurs and they invited a brewmaster from Germany to create what became Yebisu Beer. Production of Yebisu Beer ceased for a period of 28 years, but was re-launched in December 1971 and was the first German-type 100% barley beer to be sold in post-war Japan.
If you love beer, you will love this museum! Admission is free and you can sample some of the Sapporo products, including Yebisu Beer, for a fee after visiting the museum. 
Beer Museum Yebisu is open from 10AM - 6 PM (Entrance until 5 PM), closed Mondays and during New Year’s festivities (when Monday is a holiday, the next day will be closed) and is located near Ebisu Station.
Photo Credit: Flickr, Lucky Yebisu & 200508 sappora beer station
July 22, 2008
It’s getting hot and humid in Tokyo and with the increase in temperature it’s hard to find your appetite. The Japanese use the term natsubate, summer exhaustion or summer lethargy, to describe the effects of the heat and claim that the best cure for it is to eat well. Here are five summer foods that the Japanese love to eat and that you should definitely give a try when you visit.
 Any type of cold noodle goes down well on a hot summer day in Tokyo and Zaru soba is one of my favorites. I make it at home when I’m hungry but the thought of anything hot is simply not appetizing. Soba noodles are made by mixing buckwheat and water, the resulting dough is then kneaded and rolled out before being cut into thin strips and dried. The resulting noodles are then boiled and cooled under running water before being placed on a bamboo mat topped with nori (dried seaweed) and serving alongside cold tsuyu (broth) with green onions and wasabi commonly added. It is a light and delicious meal that you can easily make at home.
 Another popular cold noodle dish in Japan is Hiyashi Chuuka, cold somen noodles topped with a variety of fresh vegetables and meats like ham or chicken. The salad is dressed with a sweet and sour sauce made from rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and sesame oil and is very refreshing on a hot day.
Traditional green tea, or matcha, as it is know in Japan is not only served hot. If you visit a Tokyo teahouse in the summer you should not miss the opportunity to have tea overlooking a beautiful garden like we did when we visited Mihama-en this past week. Due to the heat we opted to have our tea sumitai, or cold, which was served by a kimono clad woman, with a light cake in an air conditioned tea room, overlooking the garden.
 Unagi (eel) has been consumed in Japan since the 17th century and is rich in protein, calcium, vitamin A and E, and is said to give people stamina. It is a popular summer food that usually skewered and grilled over charcoal with sweet basting sauce called kabayaki, similar to teriyaki sauce, and served don style, over rice, in a beautiful lacquered box or bowl.
 Hiya-yakko, or raw tofu, is eaten cold and is simply cubed and can be served plain or topped with grated ginger, green onion and soy sauce.
Watermelon is a summer favorite worldwide, but in Japan suika, or watermelon, are quite expensive and warrant honorable mention or the number six spot in this list of 5 Cool Summer Eats in Tokyo. I recently attended a matsuri (festival)  where half of a melon sized watermelon was served with a spoon for Y600 (approximately US $6). Despite the cost, the sight of yukata clad young women wandering through the maturi stalls and taking in the entertainment on a humid night while eating their watermelons certainly looked like a great way to cool off!
Did I miss any of your favorite summer foods from Japan on this list?
Photo Credit: Flickr, zaru sboa, Hiyashi Chuuka !!, Unagi, FRF’07-0016.jpg, DSCF2572.JPG & Personal Collection
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