Back to the Future in Tokyo: The City Where Old Meets New

Tokyo is a city where you can go back to the future, where the ancient and the futuristic are seamlessly entwined.

You might visit a shiny new shopping centre to pick up traditional snacks and souvenirs. Or perhaps you’ll stroll along streets where centuries-old temples rub shoulders with neon-drenched skyscrapers. Or of course, you could explore a cutting-edge contemporary art gallery then grab dinner at a restaurant founded generations ago.

You’ll find this intoxicating blend of old and new everywhere in the city, but perhaps it’s most evident in its architecture and green spaces.

Taking us to explore them today is travel writer Rebecca Hallett. A regular contributor to Wanderlust, Rebecca specializes in Japan, and Tokyo is a place she has visited many times and knows incredibly well.

There are probably only a handful of truly great cities in the world, the cities that are on everyone’s bucket list: Paris, London, New York … but perhaps the most unique of all is Tokyo. 

The capital of Japan is a roller coaster for the senses, and a place every traveller who loves culture, good food and a taste of the unknown should visit once in their lives. And today, we’re going to give you a a little teaser of what you might expect

Highlights include:

Exploring Sumida, a neighbourhood with a very shitamachi feel which is also home to the spectacular Skytree.

Walking through the Waseda/Sekiguchi areas, by the Kanda River, a unique combination of modern architectural design, such as the incredible concrete St Mary's Cathedral, but also the Ana Hachiman-gu (shrine) and Toyama Park.

Experiencing the Shibuya Scramble Crossing under the light of multi-story video billboards - one of the city’s iconic images. But this hyper-modern district has been a popular entertainment area for a long time, and you can still find retro corners to explore even now.

Taking a day trip to Mt Takao’s mountain hiking trails, temples and shrines.

FIND OUT MORE
For more information and to start planning your own trip exploring Tokyo's ancient and modern sides, head to the official tourist board website. tokyotokyo.jp

Rebecca Hallett's website is https://rebeccahallett.com/, her instagram is @becca.hallett https://www.instagram.com/becca.hallett/

WANDERLUST MAGAZINE
Wanderlust is the UK’s leading independent travel magazine which has been taking the road less travelled since 1993. Find out more at wanderlustmagazine.com

Become a Wanderlust Club Member to join our community of serious travellers for just £35 a year (or about $50). This will get you six beautiful collectible issues, exclusive member- only competitions and events, access to our entire online archive back to 2010, and heaps of other benefits.

This episode was produced by Armchair Productions, the audio experts for the travel industry. Aaron Millar hosts the show and produces it; Charles Tyrie does the audio editing and sound design. Find our other shows at armchair-productions.com