You may think of crowded streets and tall buildings when you hear the name “Tokyo”. But besides all those high-tech areas, there are also many traditional areas in Tokyo. Shitamachi, which can be translated as “Downtown” refers to the traditional shopping, entertainment and residential districts of Tokyo. In these areas you’ll find old Edo culture still alive in the capital city. Edogawa and Katsushika Wards are located along the Edogawa River, the Eastern most point of Tokyo which borders Chiba Prefecture. The best part about Shitamachi is that it’s far away from tall buildings. In Shitamachi, you can understand the personalities of the people living there. The people of Shitamachi are to be seen as representatives of the old order and defenders of traditional cultural forms of Japan.
Archive for February, 2010About ShitamachiMonday, February 15th, 2010Heart of Marunouchi: International Forum in TokyoMonday, February 1st, 2010One of the coolest neighborhoods in Tokyo is Marunouchi, It’s home of the Marunouchi Building, full of expensive shops and plentiful restaurants, and the Tokyo Rail Station. It’s also home of the Tokyo International Forum, Japan’s largest congress center, is situated on the boundary between Marunouchi, Tokyo’s central business area and the Ginza shopping and entertainment district. The Tokyo International Forum is one of the city’s many architectural highlights. The tracks of Japan Railways, the city’s principal system of transportation, bounds the eastern elevation with two of the most heavily used train stations, Tokyo and Yarakucho stations, located to the north and south. The International Forum includes two theaters, one among the largest in the world, over 6,000 square meters of exhibition space, several conference rooms, restaurants, shops and other amenities. The soaring Glass Hall serves as the main reception area for the Forum. By using laminated glass the architects were able to allow sunlight into the below ground Lobby area. Laminated glass was also used for several walkways and bridges giving them the appearance of flying across space. The plaza at the center of the complex is one of the more interesting aspects of the TIF. It serves not only as the entry point for the complex, but as a public space where one can gain refuge from the impersonal hustle and bustle of the surrounding Marunouchi area. A list of up coming events can be found here. For example there is the Art Fair Tokyo which is scheduled in April and every first and third sunday of the month is the Oedo Antique Fair.
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