Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
in water as it is paraded through the streets; this is symbolic of the real dunking it
would once have had in the river.
Tsukudashima is famous for several types of
food
:
tsukudani
, preserved seaweed
and fish best bought at
Tensuya Honten
(see p.196); and the savoury pancakes known
as
okonomiyaki
and
monjayaki
(see box, pp.146-147), served in restaurants lining
Monja-dōri, a colourful shopping street a short walk southwest from Tsukishima
Station - try
Monkichi
(see p.147).
Odaiba
͓
Odaiba
is an island of reclaimed land in Tokyo Bay. The name means “cannon
emplacements”, referring to the defences set up in the bay by the shogun in 1853 to
protect the city from Commodore Perry's threatening Black Ships (see p.248). The
remains of the two cannon emplacements, one now a public park, are these days
dwarfed by the huge landfill site Rinkai Fukutoshin, of which Odaiba is a part.
Here the Metropolitan Government set about constructing a brand-new urban
development, fit for the twenty-first century, in 1988. The subsequent economic
slump and spiralling development costs slowed the project down and, when the
Rainbow Bridge
linking Odaiba to the city opened in 1993, the area was still a series
of empty lots.
More than two decades on, Odaiba has blossomed into one of the most popular
spots in the city for locals, who love its seaside location and sense of space - so rare in
Tokyo. At night, the illuminated Rainbow Bridge, giant technicolour Ferris wheel and
twinkling towers of the Tokyo skyline make Odaiba a romantic spot - you'll see plenty
of canoodling couples staring wistfully at the glittering panorama.
While you're here, consider going for a dip at Ōedo Onsen Monogatari (see box, p.201),
one of Tokyo's largest hot spring resorts.
ARRIVAL AND GETTING AROUND
7
ODAIBA
By monorail
The simplest way of getting to Odaiba is to
hop on the Yurikamome monorail (
W
yurikamome.co.jp),
which starts at Shimbashi Station and arcs up to the
Rainbow Bridge on a splendid circular line, stopping at all
the area's major sites before terminating at Toyosu, also
a subway stop. A one-day ticket for the monorail (¥800) is
a good idea if you intend to see all of the island - walking
across Odaiba can be a long slog.
By train
Trains on the Rinkai line, linked to the JR Saikyō
line and the Yūrakuchō subway line, run to the central
Tokyo-Teleport Station on Odaiba.
By bus
Buses from Shinagawa Station, southwest of the
bay, cross the Rainbow Bridge and run as far as the Maritime
Museum, stopping at Odaiba Kaihin-kōen on the way. There
are also several bus services (some free) to the Ōedo Onsen
Monogatari (see box, p.201).
By ferry
Ferries shuttle from the pier at Hinode (
ͷग़
)
to either Ariake pier on Odaiba or the Maritime Museum
via Harumi and Odaiba Kaihin-kōen; the journey costs just
¥520 and doubles as a Tokyo Bay cruise. Ferries also connect
Odaiba with Kasai Rinkai-kōen park, around 9km east from
Tsukiji across Tokyo Bay, where you'll also find an excellent
aquarium (see p.87).
Panasonic Center Tokyo
ύφιχοΫηϯλʔ౦ژ
• 3-5-1 Ariake, Kōtō-ku • Tues-Sun 10am-6pm • Free; Risupia ¥500 •
T
03 3599 2600,
W
panasonic.net
/center/tokyo • Ariake or Kokusai Tenjijō Seimon stations
Less than a minute's walk from Ariake monorail station is
Panasonic Center Tokyo
,
the electronics group's showcase where you can try out the latest Nintendo games on
a large-screen plasma display or high-resolution projector, as well as check out the
company's technologies of tomorrow. The centre includes the fun “digital network
museum”
Risupia
, at which you're issued with an electronic tag upon entering the
hi-tech display hall; as you learn about science and mathematics from the computer
games and simulations within, the tag keeps track of how well you're doing.
