2008-01-22 樱花大战  阅读(230)  

Tokyo 东京

The sheer level of energy is the most striking aspect of Japan''s capital city. Tokyo remains a glittering example of the ''miracle'' of post World War II Japan. Streets are lined with tiny specialist shops and bustling restaurants, most of which stay open late into the night. Close to the soaring office blocks exist pockets of another Tokyo - an old wooden house, a Japanese inn, an old lady in a kimono sweeping the pavement outside her home with a straw broom. More than anything else, Tokyo is a place where the urgent rhythms of consumer culture collide with the quieter moments that linger from older traditions.

Spring is the best time to visit Tokyo, particularly as cherry blossoms begin to appear in early April and this is when the city is at its most beautiful. Autumn is not a bad time to visit either, with its cool temperatures and many clear days, while winter is marked by the occasional snowfall but rarely freezing conditions. The city can be an unpleasant place during summer, when torrential downpours and mugginess combine with the crowded public transport to wear down your calm visitor''s fa?ade.

Imperial Palace

The Japanese emperor and the imperial family still call the Imperial Palace home, so unless you get a royal invite to tea tourists are restricted to the outskirts and the gardens. New Year''s Day (2 January) and 23 December (the Emperor''s birthday) are the only exceptions to this rule.

The biggest draw card of the Imperial Palace, both literally and metaphorically, is Edo-jo castle. From the 17th century until the Meiji Restoration, it was used as the impregnable fortress of the ruling shogun ate. Over the years the castle was upgraded, added to, renovated and built onto with all the force of a rabid renovator. For a while it was the largest castle in the world but all the DIY''ing came to an abrupt end when large portions of it were destroyed in the transfer of power from shogun back to emperor during the Meiji Restoration.

The Imperial East Garden is entered through one of three gates although the most popular is the Ote-mon, which was once the principle gate of Edo-jo. The garden is an oasis of quiet after the bustle of Tokyo, and characteristically Japanese; a horizon of clear lines, an attention to detail and the religious placement of objects within the landscape.

Tokyo Disneyland

You could be forgiven for assuming that the country that invented fake waves would jump at the chance to out-Disney Disneyland, so it comes as something of a shock to see such uncharacteristic restraint. Surprisingly Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck and most of Walt''s other empire-building prototypes have been respectfully left alone and much of Tokyo Disneyland is an exact replica of the Californian amusement park.

Shinjuku

The Shinjuku district is, without doubt, the most vigorous part of Tokyo; two million people per day pass through Shinjuku station alone. With a total lack of irony or tongue-in-cheekness, the two sides - east and west - sit side-by-side in mutual harmony; west Shinjuku is the staid, buttoned-down commercial hub of the city, while the east is its colourful, seedy and exotic counterpart. The west is planned, administrative and skyscrapped, while the east side is rambling, chaotic and full of fast-food shops and pawn shops.

Wandering the east side you''ll be able to see the entire world go by while simultaneously having your senses assaulted by archetypal Blade Runner video billboards on the Studio Alta building, a popular meeting place for Tokyoites. Other east-side attractions include Hanazona-jinja shrine, the many departmemt stores and the colourful if risque Kabukicho and Golden Gai areas.

Sony Building

The Sony building, at the Sukiyabashi intersection, is a must-see for all the cyberjunkies, digital-devotees, and Playstation groupies. Any electronic gizmo that has ever been invented is here in the Sony building, as well as some yet-to-be-retailed prototypes. With most of the displays being a hands-on proposition, it''s an oversized kid''s arcade.

The building itself is a rather phlegmatic version of the sixties - a lot of function over form - but with eight stories of unadulterated electronic heaven who cares about the packaging.

Ginza

Despite its disaster-ridden history and propensity for shape-changing, Ginza has become synonymous with conspicuous consumption and excessive shopping. At the end of the 19th century, after fire razed it to the ground, it was ressurected in a London-cum-faux-Parisian style with brick buildings and wide boulevards that mimicked the Champs Elysses. Since then, earthquakes and WWII carpet-bombing has seen it gradually transform from continental chic to trans-atlantic functional, but it still pulls the crowds.

There are some jejeune shopping districts that have tried to wrestle the crown from Ginza - they''re more crowded, more opulent and hipper - but the grande old dame of ostentatious spending stills retains her imperious snob value. Serious shoppers don''t leave town without swinging through the doors of Matsuya, Mitsukosh and Wako department stores. The Ginza strip is where you can purchase novelty items whose fetishistic value far outweigh its functional value, and indulge in a spot of retail therapy. Window shopping is free, though, and the window displays in the department stores are works of installation art in themselves.

Ueno-koen park

If Ginza is for shopping, Ueno-koen Park is for strolling, museum-hopping and temple-gazing. The area of Ueno was historically the Alamo of the last shogunate - site of his futile last-ditch effort to prevent a takeover by the imperial army. Today it''s a carefully landscaped park dotted with museums, temples and a not-half-bad zoo.

Attractions inside the park include the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art (if contemporary art is your bag this is a good place to start), the Tokyo National Museum, the National Science Museum, the National Museum of Western Art (not only does the building house some impressive examples of western art, the building itself was built by Le Corbusier and the garden contains original Rodins including his iconic sculpture,The Thinker), the Tokyo Metropolitan Festival Hall and the Ueno-no-Mori Art Museum, which often has calligraphy exhibitions scheduled.

One of the most frequently and fervently patronised temples in Ueno-koen park is the Kiyomizu Kannon-do Temple. Women wishing to conceive leave a doll here for the 1000-armed goddess senju Kannon; after the dolls are burnt in an annual bonfire on 25 September, the women wait to see if Kannon has granted them the gift of fertility.

Hama Rikyu Detached Palace Garden

The Hama Rikyu Detached Palace Garden, south of Tokyo central, is 25 hectares (62 acres) of Tokyo''s greenest, and most finely landscaped, pieces of real estate. In the 17th century it was the happy hunting ground for the Tokugawa shogunate but passed into the hands of the good citizens of Tokyo, post World War II. The park is actually on an island, cut off from the surrounding metropolis by an ancient walled moat and accessible by only one entrance over the Nanmon Bridge.

The Park is a popular venue for a stroll because it feels deceptively large and has an unusual emphasis on water. The huge Shiori Pond is a focal point for visitors but its tidal pools, teahouses, bridges, pine trees, and pavilions for moon-watching all contribute to the garden''s charm and photogenic appeal.

An entry fee ensures that the Hama Rikyu is one of the quieter and less-congested areas of Tokyo, although the US''3 entry fee is waived for disabled travellers and one companion.

Tokyo National Museum

The Tokyo National Museum is one place worth going out of your way to visit. It holds Japan''s largest collection of Japanese art, as well as a number of fine sculptures and a not inconsiderable number of antiquities. Only a fraction of the collection is displayed at any one time.

The four main galleries - the Main Gallery, the Gallery of Eastern Antiquities, Hyokeikan Hall and the Gallery of Horyu-ji Treasures - hold Japanese art (including sculpture, swords, lacquerware and calligraphy), archaelogical finds from throughout Asia, Japanese archaelogical items, and masks and scrolls respectively.

The Gallery of Horyuji Treasures is only open on Thursdays and even then, if it is raining or humid, can be summarily closed. Some of the galleries exhibits are over 1000 years old and great care is taken to protect them from the effects of humidity and dampness.

Kite Museum

The Kite Museum, just behind Tokyu department store in Shibuya-ku, is living reproof to all those rinky-dink kites with plain plastic sails, ply wood frames and a Sunday driver at the end of the string. Most of the 4000 kites housed in the museum are traditional Japanese kites (Edo Nishiki-E Dako) but there are some fine examples from China and other Asian countries.

The frames are mainly bamboo while the sails are made of ''washi'', a type of handmade paper made from the kohzo tree (a species of mulberry). The paper is both lightweight and strong. Illustrations are first outlined in dark sumi ink to restrict the pigments to the desired areas and then the artist goes to town on the design itself. Kite scenes include scowling Kabuki actors, samurai warriors hacking each other to death against a busy backdrop of psychedelic swirls and cute fluffy ''Hello Kitty'' type animals doing unnatural things.

The museum is situated on the 5th floor of Taimeiken, a well-known restaurant, located in downtown Tokyo. It''s cramped and pokey and lacks explanatory material, but its still a unique museum with a unique collection.

Tokyo is serviced by two major airports, Narita and Haneda. There are 12 subway lines operated by two companies. The subway services are essentially the same and have good connections from one to the other, although they do operate under separate ticketing systems. Driving is possible in Tokyo, but not without its frustrations, jams and high tolls. Unless you''re heading out of town, stick to public transport. The same rule applies to the city''s expensive taxis. Generally speaking, the traffic system in Tokyo is good. How about planning your trip to Tokyo right now? You will not regret.

东京作为日本的首都繁华而拥挤，东京旅游可以以东京站为起点出发或走或坐电车。

行 走的话出东京站往南就是世界上地价最高的地方---银座，在这里你几乎可以找到所有日本著名的公司：三菱、sony、住友及各大银行。东京站往西是皇宫所 在地，皇宫外苑的二重桥是游客留影最多的地方，它被公认为日本的标志。位于皇宫东侧的东御苑是唯一对外开放的地方，不过很一般。从东京站坐JR山手线往北 5分钟左右可以到国人常去的秋叶原，这里可以买到最便宜的日本电器。

从银座乘银座线15分钟左右可以到达位于东京东北的浅草，这里是 东京的发源地。建于628年的浅草寺是东京最古老的寺庙，据传公元628年，一对以捕鱼为生的兄弟在隅田川中发现了观音像，认为是“观音显灵”。于是，人 们在当地修建寺院，供奉观音。浅草寺的象征是风雷神门，上面挂着写有“雷门”两个字的大红灯笼，赫然醒目。在浅草寺抽签，先摇签筒，摇出号码后，根据号码 去找签文。签文是一首中文诗，上有日文解释。人们抽到大吉签后便高兴地带回家，若抽到不满意的签就将其系到树上，以求逢凶化吉。

浅草寺雷门
从 东京站乘JR京叶线20分钟后就可以到达迪斯尼乐园，这是目前世界上客流量最大的乐园。在这里即使用1天的时间也玩不过来。几年前去了一趟苏州，发现苏州 乐园在很多地方可以找到东京迪斯尼的影子。从东京站乘JR中央线约15分钟可以到达新宿，这里是东京的行政中心(市政厅)和情色中心（歌舞伎街）。

在东京站有不少电车可以到达横滨市，耗时约半小时左右，因此我一直感觉横滨就是东京的一个区。十年前去横滨主要是横滨有很不错的海洋馆，那时国内还没有一座海洋馆。如今国内到处都是海洋馆，横滨剩下值得游客去的大概只剩下唐人街了。

日本人将京都、奈良、大阪和神户地区称之为关西。这一地区不仅有着高度发达的城市，更是日本的古都所在，因此历来是旅游日本的重头戏，可以说不到关西地区就不能算是真正了解日本。上世纪90年代的两次日本之行，去了关西的大阪、京都和奈良，可以说收获颇丰。
大阪是一个商业气息十足的城市，就旅游而言，除了大阪城堡外也没有什么流下记忆的了。城堡原是由丰臣秀吉于1585年修建，后被德川家康摧毁。现在的城堡是上世纪的复制品，这是一座典型的日本式城堡。

从大阪到京都和奈良旅游非常方便，发达的城际铁路系统可以让你住在大阪，而玩在京都、奈良。

京 都就如同中国的西安，从公元794年到1868年的近1100年间，一直是日本皇室所在地，因此这里几乎就代表着日本的传统，一直以来有着贵族的气息。二 战期间美国未将此地作为轰炸目标，使得它很好保留了大量的寺庙。出京都车站往北不远就是著名的丰臣秀吉创建的西本愿寺和德川家族创建的东本愿寺，这是京都 1600座佛庙的杰出代表。从东本愿寺一路往北可以经过很多寺庙和神社：三十三间堂、青水寺、六波罗密寺、八坂神社，直至平安神宫。建于1895年的平安 神宫是防原皇宫建造，有着明显的盛唐风味。

奈良唐招提寺
当然京都游的高潮在于西北部的金阁寺，明信片式的美景倾倒了每一个来此旅游的人，甚至是超凡脱俗的僧人。1950年一个日本僧人因被金阁的魅力所征服，愚昧地以为如果烧毁它能使自己的审美观接近完美而烧毁了它，目前的金阁是1955年重建的复制品。

奈 良是我最喜欢的日本城市，仿照长安而建的古都奈良处处显示着其典雅之美。奈良的主要景点都集中于奈良车站东面的奈良公园一侧，其中建于镰仓时代的东大寺是 保存最完好的寺庙，据说是世界上最大的木质建筑。在奈良公园鹿是散养的，因此可以喂鹿。不过有的时候这也是一件很危险的事。首先公鹿不能喂，因为有角，一 不小心肚上会给顶个洞；其次喂鹿不能偏心，不然没吃到的鹿会顶你肚子。

对于每个中国人来说，位于奈良西南方的唐招提寺是必去的地方。建于751年，由鉴真和尚创建的唐招提寺内，至今仍供奉着鉴真和尚的肉身佛，它是中日友好的象征。

从 福冈往北进入本州岛的南部中国地区，这里有最令我心情舒畅的城市---广岛。1945年8月6日上午8:15一颗原子弹给了自以为是的日本人致命一击，顷 刻间20多万生灵涂炭。位于元安川和太田河之间的和平纪念公园是我每次去广岛必去之处，这里的纪念堂和纪念碑，以及核爆废墟清楚地记录了军国主义给日本人 民留下的苦难。

除了和平纪念公园外，严岛神社是另一处被列入世界文化保护遗产名录的地方，同时也是日本仅次于富士山的圣地。坐船进入 严岛，第一眼看到的就是严岛鸟居门，几乎所有介绍日本风光的广告照片中都有这扇门。早在公元6世纪时，岛上就建有神社，供奉着天照大神的3个女儿---海 洋女神。从那时起为维护小岛的“圣洁”，就不许人们在这里生老病死。现存的神社由平清盛于1168年重建，该家族后来夺取了日本的最高统治权。

严岛鸟居门
从 广岛继续往北经冈山，过建成于1988年的濑户大桥，可以到达日本的四国岛。濑户大桥全长12.3公里，历时十年建成，是当时世界上最长的桥。在它建成以 前，进出四国岛只能乘坐飞机或轮船，因此四国岛就成了日本相对开发程度最低的地区，民风纯朴，夜不闭户。我在丸龟市居住期间，发现停于街边的小车基本不锁 车门，自行车不加锁。

丸龟市就位于濑户大桥之下，是香川县除高松外的第二大城市。因工作关系两次到日本，我都在丸龟市住上一个星期。 因此常去香川首府高松游玩，这里的栗林公园闻名日本，当然这里讚岐面更是日本面中的上品，我每次来这里都会吃上一碗。高松以东的四国村，是一座露天博物 馆，保留了四国地区的传统和历史。