“There are not so many
museums that are free to
the public,” curator Mayumi
Hirano says, citing admission
fees ranging from¥600 to
¥1,500. Top picks include
the Tokyo National Museum,
home to the world’s largest
collection of Japanese Art,
Edo-TokyoMuseum for
its recreations of Edo and
Meiji period Tokyo, Mori
Art Museum atopMori
Tower for its exhibitions of
contemporary art and Studio
Ghibli, a showplace for the
work of celebrated animator
HayaoMiyazaki of
Spirited
Away
and
My Neighbor Totoro
fame. Each is well worth the
price of admission, Hirano
says, but if you want to keep
your art-viewing costs to
zero, she suggests visiting
commercial venues like
the Kiyosumi-Shirakawa
Gallery Complex, home to
Tomio Koyama Gallery,
Hiromi Yoshii Gallery, Shugo
Arts, KIDO Press, Taka Ishii
Gallery andMiyake Fine
Art. “There’s a beautiful park
within walking distance of
the complex and the area also
gives a good sense of classic
downtown Tokyo.”
Tokyo Free Guide, which was
founded in 2004 as a way
of helping overseas visitors
experience Japanese culture
and local customs, has over
150 volunteer guides.
The guides are matched
with tourists based on
the latter’s interests, be it
Japanese pop culture, food,
history, religion or any number
of other topics. Tours offer
an insider’s view of a tourist
attraction, a marketplace or
a neighborhood among other
things. The guides also help
overcome the language barrier.
“I think having someone
local and knowledgeable
about the culture and daily
life in Tokyo is the best thing
our guests can experience,”
Nishizawa says.
He recommends that first-
time travelers visit the Tokyo
Metropolitan Government
building in Shinjuku to ascend
to its two observation decks.
“You’ll get a great view of
Tokyo and if you’re lucky, you
may even see Mt Fuji in the
distance.” Best of all, it’s free.
Tokyo is home to everything
from tiny
yakitori
stalls
to starred restaurants. Go
where Japanese salarymen
typically go for lunch.
Need a rice-and-meat fix
or Japanese-style home
cooking? Try
gyudon
(beef
noodle) chains like Sukiya,
Matsuya and Shirokiya.
Check the menu, buy a
ticket from a machine, take
a stool near the counter
and an attendant will serve
you water, collect your
ticket and come back with
your meal. For a yummy
tempura
, try Tenya, where
¥500 gets you
miso
soup, a
bowl of rice,
tempura
and
free-flow tea. Just be sure to
make like a salaryman and
finish quickly. Department
store basements are also
brimming with affordable
meal options,
bentos
in
particular. Those looking for
lunch in Shibuya are advised
to visit the basement
supermarket at Tokyu
Department Store near the
train station.
TOKYO CITY VIEW & JAPANESE MEN PHOTOS
ALFIE GOODRICH
T H E S H O E S T R I N G D I A R I E S
88
5
6
GALLERY-BOUND
A FREE GUIDE AND
FREE VIEWOF THE CITY
FOLLOWTHE JAPANESE
SALARYMEN TO LUNCH
LUNCH
¥110
¥700
¥500
Katsu
sandwich &
onigiri rice
balls
Ramen
Miso soup
MUSEUM
¥600
Admission
fee
4
