Sitting above Tokyo Station, Marunouchi is generally known as the financial district of Tokyo, with major banks and the Tokyo Stock Exchange situated in the area. However, the name Marunouchi literally means “inside the circle” and refers to the outer moat of the nearby Imperial Palace

A City Within itself

Roppongi Hills will always be remembered as the first of Tokyo’s grand scale mixed-use developments of the new millenium. Its concept of “city within a city” made it the flagship for Mori Building’s cutting edge urban design and architecture.

The “mega development” of 2007 definitely goes to Tokyo Midtown Project – Mitsui Fudosan Corporation’s answer to Mori Building’s Roppongi Hills. Opened right in the middle of the bustling Roppongi district in 2007

In contrast to most train stations throughout modern Japan, Tokyo Station is somewhat of an anomaly, having evolved into far more than a transportation hub since its construction nearly a century ago.

Representatives of Railway Operator Tokyu announced that “Tokyu Toyoko-line” and “Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin-Line” are starting a direct link from 16th of March, 2013.

This underground construction project will improve the access between Yokohama and Shibuya.

Previously, many transfers were required to travel from Motomachi Chukagai to Shinrinkoen and from Motomachi Chukagai to Hannou. With the new train system, it will be easier access to go from Motomachi Chukagai to Shinrinkoen and from Motomachi Chukagai to Hannou  as seen in the image below. This will be more convenient for the commuters as it will reduce the commute time and cost.

Example:

A series of articles about the current and future city development of Tokyo. The first article is about Tokyo Sky Tree and the Sumida-ku area. 

Earthquakes happen from time to time in Japan. As a result the building codes are very stringent and the buildings some of the safest in the world.

Great news this month on the transportation front for central Tokyo residents. It was announced that a new breed of Keisei Sky Liner, the ‘Narita Sky Access’ will cut the time from Nippori Station to Narita Terminal 2 from 51 minutes to a mere 36 minutes.

A few days back I pointed out that Narita Airport is still pretty darn far away despite improvements like the Narita Sky Express. Of course Tokyo is lucky to have an alternative airport in Haneda, even if it doesn’t do International flights all that often.

Their new International Terminal is set to open in October and a few lucky visitors managed to get a sneak peek

Cross-section of Tokyo Sky Tree

Tokyo Sky Tree, set to be completed in 2011, has already claimed the title as Japan’s tallest building. This is no small architectural feat. From a layman’s point of view, one of the first things that comes to mind is the dangers of erecting such a tall structure in an location prone to so much seismic activity.

As the population of Japan sees itself faced with an aging crisis, many are starting to realize that old traditions are also in danger of being lost. I was pleased to see that one blogger has taken it upon herself to do something about it, by blogging in English and telling the world about kimono culture in Japan.

I have to admit that the amount of Tokyo time-lapse videos floating around on the internet on sites like Vimeo can be overwhelming at times. Most of these videos seem to follow a similar formula — shoot a video of Tokyo, speed it up, add a Radiohead soundtrack, and upload to Vimeo. Easy right?

But here’s one video that stands out among all the others. At least, it stands out to me.

There are a number of ways that you can attack the problem of starting your own business in Japan. A few resources online include:

• JETRO’s How to set up a business in Japan
• Nagoya International Center’s outline of setting up a business
• wa-pedia’s Setting up a business in Japan
• Danny Choo’s explanation of sole proprietorship
• Japan Guide on sole proprietorship

But by far one of the most thorough explanations is one recently posted by Michael Werneburg, describing in great detail how he launched the online business that he currently operates. Here’s a short excerpt:

Japanese Road Signs

North Americans might find that getting a drivers license in Japan is especially daunting. It sometimes takes people months just to get accustomed to the reverse flow of traffic while walking. Driving is a different story

Listening to some tunes

In the interests of getting your Japanese up to speed both before and after your arrival, studying up on your nihongo by listening to as much Japanese as you can is certainly a big help. Japanese TV is always a smart idea, but if you’re not in Japan yet you can always try radio. And to that end, we’re going to list out a few of our favorite online Japanese radio resources.

Photography in Japan

As one of the most photogenic cities on the planet, Tokyo is not a place that you want to be without a camera. Evening photography in Tokyo can be particularly stunning in the core of the city, with its bustling nightlife and towers of neon.

Tucked in behind Mori Tower and the Asahi TV building, the rich greenery of Mohri Garden brings a certain calmness to Roppongi Hills. This classic Japanese garden only covers around 4,300 square meters

Komazawa Olympic Park began as the site of the second stadium for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. So it was originally designed and built as a venue for sports such as track & field, soccer, wrestling and volleyball

Shiba Park is best known for its proximity to Zoujyoji Temple and as one of Tokyo’s original westernized parks from the Meiji Restoration. During the Edo period, the park was one large block and home to

One of the most intimidating things about coming to Japan’s capital city is trying to learn the intricate maze that makes up the Tokyo train system. Even if you get a good grasp of your local area and the surrounding

Arisugawa-no-miya Memorial Park (more commonly referred to as Arisugawa Park) is perhaps the most popular expat park in central Tokyo. It is a great little getaway nestled into a large city block in Azabu

Travelers to Tokyo are often surprised by how hard it is to find open wi-fi spots in the city. And for newcomers here who move into a new place, this can be a huge pain as well because internet service providers in Japan can be slow to get your broadband installed

A 114-year-old woman from Okinawa died just a week before her 115th birthday, according to the Associated Press. According to the piece, Okinawa might be a good place to live if longevity is your ultimate life goal

Hibiya Park is definitely one of Tokyo’s best parks as it is a large block of landscaped greenery right in the center of Tokyo – across from the imperial gardens to the north and government district of Kasumigaseki to the south.

Web Developers Wanted

Housing Japan is looking for part-time web developers in Tokyo

Dear Parents: Our Summer Soccer Camp schedule has been finalized and we’re offering our young super stars the opportunity to attend 4 different camps during the holiday period

Looking for a really cool thing to do with your summer weekend?  If you like skiing or boarding I highly recommend a trip to SNOVA, the indoor snow park in Yokohama.

Last weekend we took a couple of riders from Hakuba to test out the new range of “Liberty Skis” – free style skis from Colorado new to Japan this year.

Happy Birthday Tokyo Tower

Tokyo Tower, one of the iconic symbols of Tokyo, turned 50 years old on Tuesday December 23rd.