Westworld Alberta
Issue link: http://westworldmagazine.ama.ab.ca/i/89721
24 Hours: Tokyo Metropolis by Metro Yes, Tokyo is humongous. But it also has the best urban rail system in the world. Once you get the hang of it you can go anywhere with relative ease. The real issue is: where to go? by Steve Burgess MUCH OF TOKYO'S APPEAL lies in the sheer urban intensity of the place. It doesn't get more intense than the neighbourhood of Shibuya. Try to grab a second-fl oor seat at the world's busiest Starbucks (it has a streamlined menu to keep the line moving), overlooking the Shibuya Station intersection, which is essentially Tokyo's Times Square. You'll also be looking at Hachiko Square, which features a statue of a dog famous for its faithfulness — it waited here for its master every FOR AN OLD-SCHOOL shopping experience, get off at Ueno Station and head for bustling Ameyoko Market, where fi shmongers and fruit sellers share space with restaurants, raucous pachinko parlours and mysterious gentleman's clubs. • Eat like a sumo wrestler! It's tasty and, believe it or not, non-fattening. Former sumo superstar Wakanohana launched the Waka restaurant chain, specializing in chanko-nabe, the traditional hot-pot meal eaten by sumo wrestlers. Waka has Tokyo locations in Roppongi and Shinjuku districts. • Naturally there's plenty of great sushi in Tokyo, but for something different try okonomi-yaki, a thick pancake of cabbage, egg and fl our, usually topped with meat, seafood, a slightly sweet sauce and Japanese mayonnaise. It's hearty and inexpensive. Many places grill it at your table. Fugetsu and Kiji are popular chains. day for nine years after the man's death. From there it's a short train ride to Harajuku, the hip shopping district that offers a constant and often bizarre fashion parade. LOCATED ON THE EDGE OF the lively Shinjuku district, 100 Stay Tokyo Shinjuku Serviced Hotel and Apartments offers well-appointed rooms and, if you're lucky, a lovely view of Mount Fuji, all at a mid-range price (hundredstay.com). • Budget hotel rooms in Tokyo range from small to bed-in-a-cupboard. Business hotels are usually clean and well run. Chisun Inn Asakusa (solare hotels.com) is a solid example — and just blocks from Sensoji Temple. This must-see Buddhist temple, built in 645, is Tokyo's oldest, and just a fi ve-minute walk from Asakusa subway station. Bustling Shibuya Station intersection; (far left) wild fashions in the Harajuku district; (bottom) Sensoji Temple, built in 645; (top) a chef prepares chanko-nabe, the stew traditionally eaten in mass portions by sumo wrestlers. AMA MEMBERS SAVE MORE Before you go: Book a two-night Tokyo stay from $741 per person. Includes airport transfers, two nights at the Shiba Park Hotel and a city tour. 1-866-667-4777; AMATravel.ca While you're there: Save 15% at the Chisun Inn Asakusa and 100 yen off admission to the Seiji Togo Memorial collection at the Sompo Japan Museum of Art. AMARewards.ca/SearchforDiscounts 6 WESTWORLD >> NOVEMBER 2012 (Shibuya Station) Batchelder/All Canada Photos; (Sensoji Temple) iStock; (Harajuku district) Tibor Bognar/All Canada Photos; (chanko-nabe) Christopher Hirsheimer