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Old and New Tokyo

One of the things that sets Tokyo apart from other major cities is the old and the new coexisting alongside each other.  While we were in Tokyo last summer, the must-see attractions of temples, shrines and castles of Old Tokyo were side by side with the steel and glass skyscrapers of modern Tokyo.  It was quite fascinating.  These are just a few of the pictures showing traditional and modern Tokyo in structures and its people.

Old and New Yokyo image picture

One of the apparent contrasts was the first attraction we visited.  Coming out of the subway, we were greeted with some of Tokyo’s famous ultra-modern skyscrapers.  A block down and across the the street was a moat and the stone walls of the Imperial Palace and the East Gardens.  It was totally unexpected and a pleasant surprise.

Tokyo Imperial palace wall image

The Imperial Palace East Gardens used to be part of Edo (old Tokyo) castle’s inner defense circle.  Deep within the gardens is a quiet oasis surrounded by a concrete jungle.  It was so serene here I almost forgot where we were if not for those buildings sticking out behind the trees.  Surprisingly, the trees acted like buffers from all the traffic noise beyond the walls.

Tokyo Imperial gardens image picture

This was one of several guardhouses that still remained from the Edo period.  They housed samurai guardsmen who watched the castle gates of the Edo castle grounds.

Tokyo Imperial guard house image picture

Remnants of the foundation of the old castle tower that looked out into an expansive lawn was here too with sweeping views of one of Tokyo’s business district.

Tokyo Imperial garden edo castle wall image

The imposing Tokyo Skytree, as it stood out in the city’s skyline, was definitely hard to miss.  It was interesting to see the plastic figure of a Japanese man dressed in his traditional costume hanging from the side of the building along with a traditional painting on the wall beside him.

Tokyo Sky tree picture image

The Tokyo Skytree is an observation and broadcasting tower at 2080 feet(634 m) and is scheduled to open in May 2012.  It will be one of the tallest structures in the world.  The futuristic looking tower looms in the background of the historic Sensoji temple and its structures.

Tokyo sky tree with temple image picture

The Zojoji temples with Tokyo Tower in the background presented some great contrasting pictures between old and new Tokyo. This is the tallest self-supporting steel tower in the world and is used for broadcasting .  My kids dubbed it the “orange Eiffel Tower“.   It also functions as an observation deck at 1091 feet (333 m) – about 30 feet taller than the Eiffel Tower.

Tokyo tower and zojoji temple image picture

The two story, red main gate marking the entrance to the Zojoji Buddhist temples still stands among the modern skyscrapers surrounding it.

Tokyo Zojoji gate image picture

I found the Japanese dressed in their traditional attire walking the streets captivating.  Walking through the historic Asakusa district on a Saturday afternoon, we found many of the ladies and children in a parade of colorful kimonos and their geta (footwear) for visits to the nearby Sensoji temple – Tokyo’s oldest Buddhist temple.  It was a joy to see them among the crowds there. Asakusa ladies in kimono image picture

We came across a few wedding parties taking pictures around the Meiji Jingu shrine too.  This was a Shinto shrine dedicated to Japan’s ancient and original religion.  We saw this wedding procession where the main wedding participants were dressed in beautiful, traditional attire but found a few of the men in the party dressed in modern tuxedos with coattails.

Tokyo wedding at Meiji Shrine image

I loved this shot of the mom in modern clothes with her daughter in the traditional kimono walking through the Meiji shrine – both beautiful and perfectly dressed.

Tokyo girl image

Even in the neon lights of the busy Shinjuku district and amidst the multi-storied department stores, we found small, traditional restaurants and shops wedged between modern office buildings.

Tokyo Shinjuku at night image picture

Have you experienced old and new Tokyo?  Have you been to other cities where the old and new coexist?

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54 thoughts on “Old and New Tokyo”

  1. I loved Tokyo when we visited and I agree, there were many old buildins surrounded by new and vice versa. I think that added to the charm of the city for me. I especially loved all the parks situated throughout the city. I felt like there was always somewhere green for us to go and sit and relax.

    1. Thanks Jade! Glad to hear you had a great time in Tokyo. We didn’t explore the parks as much as we wanted since we were there in July and it was so hot and humid.

    1. Thanks for stopping by Sophie! It was wonderful to see Tokyo’s well-preserved historic sites while they were building giant skyscrapers around them.

  2. What a great post. I love the juxtaposition of old and new – and like how you’ve taken it
    beyond the buildings to the people too. I particularly liked the photo of the lawn – with
    not a blade of grass out of place, and of the wedding party. I hadn’t appreciated what
    a bride’s outfit would look like.

    1. Thanks Leigh! It was easy to take these pictures since the contrasts were everywhere. The Japanese brides wore such beautiful traditional attire. It still amazes me how much layer they had and managed not to break a sweat with all the heat and humidity.

  3. Thanks for that Tokyo tour! I’ve only ever flown through the airport, but never visisted the city. I love the contrast of old and new here. I’ve seen a similar contrast like that in Guangzhou, China. Very intriguing!

    1. Thanks Sabrina! I’ve always wondered if China had such contrasts considering the amount of shrines and temples they have and all the the skyscrapers they’re building. Tokyo was such a great city so I hope you go beyond Narita soon. Try flying into Haneda if you can which is a lot closer to Tokyo and less crowded.

  4. Debbie Beardsley @ European Travelista

    I really enjoyed your post on Tokyo! I haven’t been but can see that I would love the Imperial Palace. The contrast I liked most was the people wearing the traditional dress next to the more current dress. Very interesting!

  5. Love the juxtaposition of the old and new buildings – particularly the “orange Eiffel Tower”. But the little girl in the kimono is my favourite – love that shot!

    1. Thanks Lisa! That is also one of my favorites! I wish I could have taken a picture of them from the front- they were flawless even in the heat and humidity. But, I didn’t want to be that annoying tourist.

  6. You’ve captured some wonderful contrasts, Mary. I especially like the photos of the wedding party and the mom and daughter. I’ve only flown through Japan (Narita) but have never visited…I hope to soon!

    I see many “old and new” contrasts each time I visit India, but perhaps not as well-integrated as what you’ve described in Japan. It’s always so interesting!

    1. Thanks Andi! I love the people shots too. I loved the colors on the little girl’s kimono and my daughter pointed her out to me saying she wanted a kimono like hers for Halloween =) I didn’t realize India had such contrasts too. It would be neat to see them. I hope you visit Japan soon.

  7. These pictures are so cool – I love how you captured the old with the modern – did you purposely think that while taking them all?

    And the Orange Eiffel Tower is a perfect name for it!

    ~Becca

    1. Thanks Becca! I purposely did it for the Skytree and the orange Eiffel Tower because they were so apparent. The people shots were just really interesting and just glad we were able to capture some contrasts – no planning on those. Glad you like them.

  8. Wonderful photo essay! Yes, I’ve had the pleasure of
    visiting Tokyo and was also captivated with the old and the new.
    I loved the Imperial Palace. Like you mentioned, it was just so peaceful.
    and serene.

  9. I think it is wonderful how sometimes we take pictures, and then realize later what may be in them. I have that same problem when I take a picture of my plate of food and then moments later it is all gone.

    Question: Are the ladies walking down the street holding umbrellas doing it to shade from the sun?

    1. Thanks Justin! Yes, we have the same problem with pictures and food =) To answer your question, the ladies were holding umbrellas as shade. We were there in July so it was extremely hot and humid. I wish I had those umbrellas too for shade.

  10. I love this! It is one of my favorite things about Japan, the old and new coexisting. I love finding temples next to huge buildings, etc. I also like the Tokyo sky tree photo, it wasnt nearly as big my last trip to Japan. Do you know if it is completed yet?

    1. Thanks Anwar! I knew you’d like this post considering how much time it seemed you spent in Japan. The SkyTree is scheduled to open in a couple of months so I imagine it’s closr to completion. I would love to return and see how it looks and go up the observation tower.

    1. Thanks Amy! I hope you and your family get to visit Tokyo soon. I believe for more colors – Tokyo is at its best during Spring and cherry blossom season.

  11. Nice collection of photos here that really show the old and new. It reminds me of a lot of what we saw in Osaka a couple years ago. We loved Japan and hope to go to Tokyo next year.

  12. I love old and new contrasts in cities. I haven’t been to Tokyo, but hope to see sights like those in your photos someday. A few of the cities where I’ve paid special attention to the contrasts (especially architecture) are Chicago, New York, Boston and San Francisco. It’s wonderful when the old and new complement each other.

    1. Thanks Cathy! I will keep my eye out when taking pictures in those cities. We’ll be in NY briefly this summer. I loved how it was so apparent in Tokyo so it was easy to remember.

  13. Mary, your pictures are stunning! I’m always so impressed bu thi ancient-meets-new cities! It reflect how the culture and the history has evolved and it’s always so interesting! To be honest I prefer ancient buidings rather than the modern ones, but it’s just my opinion!

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