Ginza

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. 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.

Imperial Palace

Home to the Japanese emperor and the imperial family, it is open to the public only on New Year's Day (2 January) and 23 December (the Emperor's birthday). The biggest drawcard 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 shogunate. 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.

Kite Museum

The Kite Museum is situated just behind Tokyu department store in Shibuya-ku. Most of the 4,000 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 museum is situated on the 5th floor of Taimeiken, a well-known restaurant, located in downtown Tokyo.

Shinjuku

The Shinjuku district is, without doubt, the most vigorous part of Tokyo; two million people per day pass through Shinjuku station alone. 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 will 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, digi-devotees, www.zoids 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. Most of the displays are hands-on.

Tokyo Disneyland

Much of Tokyo Disneyland is an exact replica of the Californian amusement park. To get there take the Tozai subway line to Urayasu station and then follow the signs for the bus that will take you straight to Disneyland and on into Tomorrowland. Alternatively, take the Yurakucho subway line to Shin-Kiba station and the JR Keiyo line to Maihama station, right in front of Disneyland's main gates.

Tokyo DisneySea

Situated in Tokyo Disney Resort, Tokyo DisneySea Park is set against the majestic back drop of Tokyo Bay. Its inspirations are from the popular disney legends of the sea and the sense of exploration and discovery of the ocean, with 7 ports of wonder and excitement such as Mermaid Lagoon (from The Little Mermaid) to American Waterfront.

Tokyo National Museum

The Tokyo National Museum holds Japan's largest collection of Japanese art, as well as a number of fine sculptures and a considerable 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 1,000 years old and great care is taken to protect them from the effects of humidity and dampness.

Tsukiji Central Fish Market

The Tsukiji Fish Market is one of the largest, and busiest, fish markets in the world. 2,500 tonnes of fish, worth over US$23 million, is sold daily, and 240 tonnes of ice per day is used to keep the produce fresh. Every water-living creature is sold here: giant tunas, scallops, fish galore, sea cucumbers, poisonous blowfish. A wander around the aisles is best topped off with breakfast at a sushi bar in one of the many alleyways running off the fishmarket.

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 is a carefully landscaped park dotted with museums, temples and a zoo. Attractions inside the park include the Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Tokyo National Museum, the National Science Museum, the National Museum of Western, 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.