Access/Travel
About Tokyo
Updated: September 16, 2022
About Tokyo
Tokyo General Information: About Tokyo
https://abouttokyo.jp/
Tokyo, the capital and a metropolis like no other, home to over 30 million people, offers you unique and inspiring moments through the marvelous mixture of traditional and contemporary culture.
The city is divided up into several municipalities, and each district and neighborhood has individual characteristics. There are myriad styles of seeing and enjoying Tokyo; something for every interest.
Among popular historical sites are Asakusa’s Sensoji Temple and Nakamise, a colorful lane leading to the temple with festive stalls, which are always bustling with local worshippers and tourists alike, and the imposing Meiji Shrine and surrounding woods near Harajuku that offers an oasis of tranquility in the midst of the urban bustle. Many UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage productions in the world-famous arts of Kabuki, Bunraku, and Noh are offered at various theaters. Visitors can also observe and practice the Zen-inspired tea ceremony, as well as Ikebana, an elegant traditional form of flower arrangement.
At the same time, Tokyo is a growing megalopolis bursting with ideas and innovation. Throughout the city are examples of ultra-modern and glass-walled skyscrapers, like the magnificent Tokyo Metropolitan Government building near Shinjuku Station. The sights and sounds of Western music and youth culture keep Shibuya constantly vibrant, and the bustle of modern business means things are never slow in the Shinagawa area.
Tokyo International Forum, the meeting venue, is located in close proximity to the Ginza, Marunouchi, and Yurakucho areas. You would be able to enjoy the most dynamic part of Tokyo.
The Ginza area is Tokyo’s premier shopping district, where global fashion brands and trendy shops line the wide streets. Adjacent is Yurakucho, which also has lots of shopping and dining opportunities, yet with a more casual atmosphere than Ginza. The Omotesando Hills complex (designed by Tadao Ando), Tokyo Midtown, Shiodome skyscrapers, and the TOKYO SKYTREE are all symbolic of Japan’s ever-furthering venture for modernity.
Marunouchi is the district to the west and south of Tokyo Station, where Tokyo International Forum, the meeting venue is located. (See “About the Venue” below.) The area developed as the home to major Japanese corporations and is a portal to Japan. At its heart is the historical Tokyo Station building that serves on average 500,000 passengers each day. Today, this area boasts sleek high-rise offices and elegant avenues with diverse shops and restaurants, both on the street and in the underground arcades.
For more information on Marunouchi, please visit the official website: https://www.marunouchi.com/
The Yurakucho area is only a short walk away from the meeting venue, with Ginza just beyond.
Throughout Tokyo, museums abound, from the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno with its comprehensive collection, including important national treasures, to the nearby National Museum of Western Art, in a building inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2016 as part of “The Architectural Work of Le Corbusier, an Outstanding Contribution to the Modern Movement,” and the National Art Center Tokyo near Roppongi boasting varying exhibitions in many genres. Also, the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Ryogoku, near the Sumo Stadium, has hands-on exhibits focused on the culture and history of Tokyo through the Edo period (1600-1868), including a recreation of the town in olden days.
Smaller museums offer a peaceful environment for viewing specialist collections, such as the Ota Memorial Museum of Art (Ukiyoe woodblock prints near Harajuku/Omotesando), the Nezu Museum (Pre-modern Japanese and East Asian Art near Omotesando/Aoyama) and the Mitsubishi Ichigokan (primarily Western art, near the meeting venue in Marunouchi).
Other innovative museums include the Digital Art Museum “teamlabo Borderless” in Odaiba on Tokyo Bay, and the Ghibli Museum for anime fans in Mitaka, west of central Tokyo.
Useful links:
Tokyo National Museum: https://www.tnm.jp/?lang=en
The National Museum of Western Art: https://www.nmwa.go.jp/en/index.html
The National Art Center, Tokyo: https://www.nact.jp/english/
Ōta Memorial Museum of Art: http://www.ukiyoe-ota-muse.jp/eng
Nezu Musium: https://www.nezu-muse.or.jp/en/
Mitsubishi Ichigokan Museum, Tokyo: https://mimt.jp/english/
teamLab Borderless: MORI Building DIGITAL ART MUSEUM: https://www.teamlab.art/e/borderless_azabudai/
Ghibli Museum, Mitaka: https://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/
Japan’s food and nutritional virtues are well known around the world, and you will be able to enjoy many varieties of Japanese traditional foods, at a broad range of restaurants that suit all budgets.
For more information on Food of Japan, please click on the “Food of Japan” video on this page.
Tokyo also features authentic cuisines from every international region, including Chinese, Korean, Indian, Italian, French, Spanish, Thai and many others, along with vegetarian and Halal menus.
The various facets of Tokyo will offer all of you unforgettable experiences.
Promotion Video
This video was created before
the COVID-19 pandemic.
The congress was then postponed to December 2022.