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Where are the main places of interest to visit in Tokyo?

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hulme187:
I am going Tokyo for 6 days at the start of August and was wandering if anyone can recommend any sights or interesting places to visit. Thanks.

miss_cho:
What are you interested in? Tokyo is a bit city with a lot to do and people can probably offer more personalized advice if they know your interests. My interests run more towards localized religious practices so most of what I can recommend are shrines and temples but I'll try to include some other things as well

Meiji Shrine - this Shinto shrine is associated with the imperial family of Japan. It's tucked in a small forest in the middle of Tokyo. All the trees around it were gifts from people mourning the loss of the Emperor Meiji.

Harajuku - Meiji shrine is located next to this funky neighborhood where, if you're there at the right time, you'll see Japanese youth hanging out in some really incredible street fashion and cosplay. It's becoming more generic as name brand stores move in but there are still quite a few independent stores

Akihibara - this is the electronics neighborhood of Tokyo, it's an interesting place just to wonder around

Asakusa - Senso-ji, a Buddhist temple dedicated to Kannon (Quan Yi) is located in this neighborhood. It has some older buildings and the temple is quite beautiful. There are a lot of religious establishments in the area so you might come upon a festival (O-bon is usually in August though it depends on what calendar the temple uses). This temple along with Meiji are the most famous religious places in Tokyo.

Yasukuni - this shrine is overlooked by tourists but I find it quite interesting and it is significant in the relationship dynamic between Japan and Korea. This is a shrine dedicated to a kami (like a god) of war and it is where members of the military are honored - including war criminals from WWII. When I lived in Japan the prime minister unofficially (but still kind of officially) visited the shrine and it angered a lot of Koreans, Chinese and Japanese. There's a war museum on site.

If you're a big fan of Studio Ghibli films (Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, etc) you can visit the museum in nearby Mitaka. It's quite interesting and you can see a lot of his work ~ sketches, ideas, etc. in a beautiful old house. There's a cat bus but you have to be a small child to have the opportunity to play on it. If you're not a fan of Studio Ghibli though I wouldn't recommend it - I don't think the museum would appeal to just anybody.

hulme187:
Thanks, any place of interest really, I am a bit of a tourist and like to take photographs. Shrines and temples do appeal but also modern, weird, crazy and wacky stuff. I am a fan of Ghibli so intend to visit.

Which areas are reasonably cheap to stay for example a hostel? Shinjuku someone said but anywhere else? Also where do I find these capsules you can stay in.

Any more info would be great. Thanks.

miss_cho:
I'm not very helpful with places to stay ~ I'm not overly keen on Tokyo, it's just too big for me personally and I feel overwhelmed in the city so I've only been there when others planned the trip (work, friends, school). You could try couch surfing though if you're comfortable staying with other people - Tokyo seems to have a pretty active couch surfing community and it would be free. Or you could use couch surfing to meet up with some locals.

You'll find plenty of modern, weird, crazy and wacky stuff just wondering around Tokyo - Harajuku definitely but probably also Shinjuku. For a funky experience you could visit a Buddhist temple bar - basically it's a bar that's run by Buddhist priests. They're very small, the one I went to had enough room for about 15 people and in addition to all the religious items including a butsudan (common in Japanese homes where people pay their respects to the Buddha and ancestors), there's also a full bar. http://www.cnngo.com/tokyo/drink/buddhist-bars-700027

If you decide to go to the Ghibli museum you need to buy your ticket ahead of time - you can't buy it at the museum. From what I understand you can buy them at certain kiosks in convenience stores or you could get ahold of a travel agent and purchase it beforehand. 

There will probably be a festival or two going on while you're in Tokyo - usually at a temple but also some of the shrines. Festivals are great - there's food, drinking, sometimes dancing and fireworks. Girls are usually in yukata (cotton kimono) and some guys will wear it as well. They're fun and there are lots of opportunities for photos.

richj:
Does anybody know of any cheap hotels/hostels in Tokyo that they can recommend. I'm going to be there for a week in August. Also, where are the best spots for nightlife?

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