Tokyo Culture

Written by Viator, August 2010

RECOMMENDATION Keywords:
Cultural Experience, Holy Place, Popular with Locals, Sporting Event, Tip - General Travel

West meets East. East meets West. For many of us, the notions we have of the East and the Orient are mere stereotyped snapshots gleaned from childhood history classes, Hollywood movies, and maybe a random postcard from a lone wandering aunt. This, as you might guess, is a far cry from what is truly in store for the first-time visitor to Japan.

One of the oldest civilizations in history, Japan is a cultural hodgepodge teeming with variety, intelligence, and soul. From traditional Kabuki theater to communal baths to rampant consumerism, Japan is a thrumming hub of culture.

Traditional culture lives on in modern times in the Japanese shrines. Easily accessible on a morning tour, the shrines offer you a glimpse into the ways of the past, including architecture, atmosphere, and fascinating customs such as ritual smoke bathing.

Also not to be missed is the always exhilarating sumo-wrestling. A mainstay in Japanese culture since the early Edo period, Japan is still the only country in the world to practice professional sumo-wrestling today. Thought to be a remnant of samurai customs, sumo wrestlers are still revered in Japanese culture, and, due to strict regulations on attire and conduct, are easily distinguishable outside of the dojo (if their massive girth doesn’t give them away).

Kabuki Theater is another tenet of traditional Japanese culture, and also has origins in the Edo period. Known as a highly stylized Japanese dance-drama, Kabuki is known for its presentation, the elaborate makeup worn by some of its performers, its distinctive dances, and elaborate play-making involving revolving stages and sometimes flying characters. While traditional Kabuki would be an all day event lasting up to eight hours, today you can see this iconic event in much less time and buy a ticket for just the first act.

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Reply by Viator, April 2013
Doing what: Tokyo Studio Ghibli Museum Afternoon Tour

I love this tour. Definitely a must go if you're in Tokyo.

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Reply by Viator, April 2013
Doing what: Tokyo Studio Ghibli Museum Afternoon Tour

We loved this tour, especially my teen daughter... Lots of memories... Beautiful place and the tour guide was extremely knowledgeable
Great tour!

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Reply by Viator, April 2013
Doing what: Tokyo Studio Ghibli Museum Afternoon Tour

This was a wonderful tour in terms of quality, time saving and convenience.
Sometimes, these tickets are hard to get if you do not speak Japanese, and also they are hard to get for the time you want when you travel ahead of time. This tour solved this problem immediately by just selecting your date and having the ticket ready for the day and time you wanted! Also, the museum is in a suburb of Tokyo ahich would be tricky to find if you're not used to Japan, and again this problem is solved as you meet in an easy to fine location in Tokyo first. Also, even if you can get the ticket yourself, it is only for a certain time and if you're not sure how to get there you might waste some of your ticket time. Also, not only for convenience, but in terms of enjoying the museum, the guide was wonderful. She was happy for you to see the museum yourself, but I strongly recommend that you listen to the guide first, The guide pointed out the main features of the museum so you didn't miss anything and then left plenty of free time for you to explore by yourself before guiding you home. Don't get put off by the pictures used in advertising as no pictures from inside can be used - there is no photography allowed in the museum so that your visit is a complete surprise to you - and it's wonderful. This tour is tops in terms of quality and a real time saver if you are on a schedule. This is how tours should be run. PS when you're there, check out all the little details - ride in the elevator, go to the toilets etc - I know it sounds weird, but it's all wonderful!

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