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News & Announcements |
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Temporary Closure of the Tsukiji Market Tuna Auction Observation Area
The tuna auction observation area of the Tsukiji Market will be temporarily closed to visitors to help ensure greater safety and efficiency for those working over the busy New Year season. The auction will be temporarily off limits between December 1, 2011 and January 21, 2012. Tours will resume on January 23, 2012. http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/administration/h23/tsukiji_201111.html |
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"Tokyo stock footage" Launched by TCVB
Tokyo Convention & Visitors Bureau (TCVB) launched an exciting free lending service to overseas travel agencies and media of its collection of video stock footage featuring 155 scenes of Tokyo, including tourist attractions, events, festivals, food and entertainment. http://tokyo-footage.com/ |
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Tokyo Metropolitan Government Renewed its Fun-yet-informative Website on Japanese Food
Visit the website to learn about Japanese food culture and to find tourist-friendly restaurants that have multilingual menus. The website is packed with many fun features, including a guide for Japanese table manners for specific Japanese foods, a web magazine full of ideas of how to enjoy food in Tokyo and more. http://menu-tokyo.jp/menu/english/index.html |
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Tourist Information Center to Be Relocated in Marunouchi from January 2012
Tourist Information Center, operated by JNTO (Japan National Tourism Organization), is scheduled to be relocated in the center of the Marunouchi district and will open on January 2, 2012. Located adjacent to Tokyo Station and Yurakucho Station, the center offers easy access to over a dozen major Shinkansen, subway and train lines. It is close to popular tourist destinations such as the Imperial Palace and the famed fashion street, Marunouchi Naka-dori Avenue. http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/topics/2011/cbo4ij00000c3gwx-att/cbo4ij00000c3gx6.pdf |
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Artisan's Facility "2k540" Completed in Okachimachi: Campaign to Be Held
The unique commercial facility 2k540 AKI-OKA ARTISAN with a "Monozukuri," or "Creating Goods" theme - located between Okachimachi and Akihabara under the elevated railway tracks of the JR Yamanote and Keihintohoku lines - was renewed and reopened on September 29 with 17 additional shops. It houses small shops plus studios, with a wide range of one-of-a-kind craftsmanship from accessories and jewelry to interior décor. Chat with the artisans as they create their crafts or try a hand at making something yourself.
The "Yes! Tokyo Festa in 2k540" will be held from November 24, 2011 through February 26, 2012. During this campaign, show your passport to get a discount. Tokyo-themed novelties will be for sale. Special workshops will be held from November 24 through December 4. For further information, please click here. Open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. Closed on Wednesdays. 4-min walk from JR Okachimachi Station, and 6-min walk from JR Akihabara Station. http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/tourists/topics_event/topics/110606/topics.html http://www.jrtk.jp/2k540/ (Japanese only) |
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Tokyo City Promotion in Spain
 The Tokyo Metropolitan Government will conduct city promotional campaigns in two Spanish cities, Madrid and Barcelona. Local travel agencies and businesses will interact with their counterparts from Tokyo to exchange information and promote Tokyo as a tour destination for the people in Spain.http://www.promocion-tokio2012.com/ (Spanish only) On this occasion, the cities of Tokyo and Madrid will renew their bilateral agreement for both cities to promote tourism. As part of the accord in Madrid, the city of Tokyo will promote its tourist destinations through a network of information in bus shelters as well as on pillars throughout the entire city. In Tokyo, Madrid will showcase its culture and tourist attractions in some of Tokyo's most popular subway lines. |
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Out-of-the-ordinary Sightseeing: Industrial Tourism and Hands-on Experience
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Are you interested in touring factories and facilities outside the ordinary sightseeing spots or having a hands-on experience in the production of a traditional craft? And possibly discover new aspects of Japan's modern technology and traditional crafts as well? For a memorable experience, check out the list below for some of these spots. Please check in advance for reservation requirements and age limits of each facility. Reservation is required unless otherwise noted. Visitors to factories and facilities should make sure that they do not disrupt the work in progress. Industry, Economy, and Transportation A number of small- and medium-sized factories in Tokyo are at the base of Japan's manufacturing sector. Itabashi Ward is an area with many such small factories. Saito Seisakusho Co., Ltd., famous for its original brand ATOM, manufactures and sells carbide precision cutting tools. A drill that "can drill a hole in a hair" (top photo) with a diameter of 0.02 mm is their specialty product. Their products and production processes are explained and can be seen in operation.
Sawanoi (Ozawa-Syuzou Co., Ltd.), the famous sake and tofu producer in Okutama, offers a sake brewery tour. The tour includes a tour of the production area, a lecture about sake storehouses, and a sampling of sake at the end. Visitors can relax and enjoy the cafe and souvenir shopping at the nearby Sawanoi-en Garden.
The plastic food replicas on display in restaurant windows in Japan is getting famous. They look exactly like the real food but are made of various types of plastics, resins and paraffin wax. Yamato Sample Seisakusho offers hands-on workshops to make a replica, of such food items as a parfait, a cupcake charm, and tempura.
Japan Mint is in charge of the coinage of Japanese currency. The Mint Museum in the Tokyo Branch is a small currency museum showing about 1,000 items, such as old gold coins, commemorative coins, medals and orders where you can learn the history of coins in Japan. With a prior reservation, the production process of orders and proof coins can be observed at the factory in the Tokyo Branch.
Near Haneda Airport, a major gateway to Tokyo, there are airplane maintenance facilities. ANA offers tours of their facilities for maintenance of large and mid-sized aircrafts. The tour include a lecture, informative video showing and a tour of the maintenance area for large and mid-sized aircrafts, including Boeing 777s, 747s, and 767s. The size of the facility and the real airplanes up close are awesome! Visitors are required to wear the safety helmet provided.
Disaster Prevention  The Disaster Prevention Experience-learning Facility located in the Tokyo Rinkai Disaster Prevention Park is called Sona Area Tokyo. The Seventy-two-hour Tokyo Earthquake Simulation tour will show you how to survive for 72 hours after an earthquake occurs, the average time needed to survive before organized rescue efforts start after a devastating earthquake occurs. Participants have to try to safely reach an evacuation area through a diorama with many simulated aftershocks created by special effects of sound, light, and projected images, and take safety precautions quizzes using Nintendo DS®.
Traditional Crafts You may be interested in the production process and having a hands-on experience. Here are some examples. 
Even though it's in the center of the busy modern metropolis, Shinjuku has continued to be a home to the traditional dyeing industry. Tomita Sen Kogei is a long-established store for dyed kimono cloth with fine patterns, called Tokyo-some-komon. Tokyo Some-Monogatari Museum (The Story of Tokyo Dyeing Museum) exhibits traditional works of
Tokyo-some-komon (cloth dyed with intricate patterns) and
Edo-sarasa (calico or printed cotton), which are two of 41 traditional crafts of Tokyo. A hands-on experience of dyeing is also available upon reservation.
Hakocho in Asakusa has been producing paulownia products since 1874. Products made using a special technique called "kimekomi" in which a wood form is tightly covered by a cloth are popular furnishings. Experience this technique in progress at the workshop.
These are not typical tourist spots in Tokyo and, as such, are not as familiar with serving non-Japanese tourists. However, please do not let the language barrier keep you from a good opportunity for a unique Tokyo experience. |
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No Negative Impact on Our Health: Updated Radiation-related Information in Tokyo
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Q & A on Food and Radiation from Consumer Affairs Agency
Please find the answers on your questions about food and its safety in Japan here. Consumer Affairs Agency: Food and Radiation Q&A (PDF) Radiation Level in the Air (Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Public Health) Environmental radiation levels in Tokyo Radiation Level in Tap Water (Bureau of Waterworks Tokyo Metropolitan Government) No radioactive substances have been detected either from raw water or at the water purification plants of Tokyo since April. Latest information related to the effect on purified water by radioactivity |
Event Information |
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Ueno Sakura Matsuri (Cherry Blossom Festival)
- Ueno Park, Taito Ward, Tokyo- Nearest Station: Ueno Station on the JR Line, Tokyo Metro Ginza/Hibiya lines, and Keisei Ueno Station on the Keisei Line - Late March-early April, 2012 (exact dates will depend on the cherry blossom forecast) Ueno area has been famous for its cherry blossoms since the Edo period (1603-1867). Approximately 800 cherry trees of the Someiyoshino variety are planted in the park, with a large number of these forming a 300 meter long avenue. Many groups of friends and company workers enjoy parties under the trees on clear days. Ueno Park is one of Japan's top 100 locales known for its cherry blossoms. http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/kanko/taito/event/uenosakuramaturi.html |
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Sanja Matsuri (Sanja Festival)
- Asakusa Shrine, Taito Ward, Tokyo- Nearest Station: Asakusa Station on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line, the Toei Asakusa Line and the Tobu Isesaki Line - Mid May, 2012 The Sanja Matsuri is the main annual festival of Asakusa Shrine in Tokyo and has been one of the city's three main festivals since the Edo period (1603-1867). It has long inspired passion in the local Asakusa folk as it is one of the wildest festival in Tokyo. As part of the celebrations, local residents enthusiastically carry around mikoshi (miniature portable shrines). The Sanja Matsuri is famous not only in Tokyo but also throughout Japan. http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/kanko/taito/event/sanjyamaturi.html |
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