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Daily Photo: Human scramble at Shibuya intersection, Tokyo

Crossing the street at Shibuya in Tokyo, Japan
An astounding 2,000 pedestrians cross on every green light on a Saturday afternoon at Tokyo’s Shibuya intersection. Photo by Steve MacNaull.

Crowds – massive and never-ending – are an inescapable reality in Tokyo.

After all, the population of the greater metropolitan area of this fascinating Japanese city closes in on 30 million – the biggest in the world.  But on a recent family holiday, rather than it being a drawback we embraced it.

People watching and crowd surfing are exhilarating because the Tokyo masses are efficient and well-behaved, never intimidating.  This couldn’t be more true than during the morning rush hour on the subway platform at Shinjuku Station, the busiest in the country where numerous subway and rail lines converge.

“This is the real Tokyo,” said our guide Kyoko Matsumotom sweeping her hand over the bustle of the scene.  “You can get everywhere you need to on the subway.”

She wasn’t exaggerating.

Over the next three days we zipped around underground to Tokyo’s greatest hits – both crowded and uncrowded. We joined the human crush at Shibuya intersection, the busiest in Tokyo, to ‘scramble’ across the street with 2,000 others on a single green light on a Saturday afternoon. It’s the intersection made famous in the Oscar-winning movie Lost in Translation where Bill Murray’s character stands bewildered.

We cruised the packed Ginza and Harajuku shopping streets; checked out the tigers and lions at Ueno Zoo; walked through the massive Tsukiji Fish Market; and zoomed to the top of Tokyo Tower

But there were also tranquil moments to balance it all out. We revelled in an elaborate traditional afternoon tea experience at Reisenkai; enjoyed the calm at the Imperial Place and Meiji Shrine; and soaked at the Oedo-Onsen public baths. The only time we ventured outside the city limits was to make the 120 kilometre trip on the “bullet train” to Mount Fuji – the majestic volcanic peak that’s considered holy by the Japanese.

All in all, a huge departure from the Mexican beach holidays we usually take as a family, but an incredible urban cultural immersion experience.    

Air Canada flies non-stop to Tokyo from Toronto, Vancouver and Calgary.

For more information about visiting Tokyo, go to: www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp.


Steve MacNaull

Steve MacNaull is a business reporter for the Kelowna Daily Courier who loves to travel and write about that too. Find out more about Steve at www.bctravelwriters.com/macnaull.

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