Top 10 Attractions of Tokyo

Tokyo is a sensuous place to be but navigating through the city can be a bit daunting if you don’t know where you’re going.  Therefore, we have assembled this comprehensive guide to top 10 attractions of Tokyo so you can have the time of your life in the heart of Japan.

The heart of Japan’s capital is a culture in its own might with, an amalgam of ultra-modern to the downright traditional.  From Tokyo’s National Park to Sensoji Temple, there’s a world to explore for you in Tokyo.

 

Tsukiji Market

Tsukiji Market, the largest fish market of the world handles over 2000 tons of fish a day.  Be there by 5:00 am to get a chance to see the Tuna auctions, the highlight of Tsukiji Market.

Tokyo National Museum

Witness Japanese art and artifacts and trace the history of Japanese people in their relics and paintings.  You will find delicate pottery, ornate swords, kimonos, Japanese calligraphy, paintings and much more in this expansive museum.

Meiji Shrine

The shrine with its surrounding Yoyogi Park are a must see.  While the forest has over 245 species of trees around the world, Meiji Shrine itself is a celebration of modernization of Japan by Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken.

Sensoji Temple

This is the oldest religious site in Tokyo and although its crowded surroundings have reduced its allure, once inside you will find the beauty and serenity worth the visit.

Imperial Palace

Plan ahead and apply for your admission tickets well ahead of time to be able to enjoy the stunning beauty of Imperial Palace.  You get a Japanese guide with English audio guides and pamphlet.  This is a great place for picnic amongst the flourishing greens.

National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation

This is a high-tech museum also called Miraikan and exhibits modern technological feats and advances in medical and genetic.  This is a fun place even for the kids and the parents alike.

Ginza

This is Tokyo’s Fifth Avenue and then some.  Find mega departmental stores like Matsuya and Hankyu or explore the neighborhood for retailers like Chanel and Cartier.  Beware of the shopping spree though!

Edo-Tokyo Museum

This gigantic Museum is a dive into the history of the city. From Tokyo’s most humble origins to the high-rising mega-malls, WWII to the birth of the modern metropolis, the city and its history springs to life in the intricate models as if they were real.

Tokyo Sea Life Park

This is a fun filled place for parents as well as their kids.  The well designed aquarium offers knowledge about various waterbody habitats around the world in a fun and memorable way.  Open from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., it doesn’t admit visitors after 4 p.m. and remains closed on Wednesdays.

Tokyo Tower

This is the Japanese version of Eiffel Tower and the tallest steel tower of the world.  It has two observation decks for visitors, at 150 meters and at 250 meters. You can observe the Tokyo city and the Mount Fuji as well from its observation deck.

Tokyo Tower seen from the bottom

Pokémon Go! What’s the fuss about?

Pokémon Go!

What’s the fuss about?

One day I logged onto my internet and it was abuzz with Pokémon Go!

Pokémon, that adorable little cartoon character all of us who are in our 20s or 30s today, remember to adore.

“But What’s the fuss about?” I wondered.

Gasp! Pokémon is back

Pokémon was ancient for all I knew. With the era of apps and games like Temple Run, Angry Birds and the like, Pokémon it seemed had been long forgotten.  There were no Pokémon for smartphones, the devices that are found in everyone’s hands today.  Nintendo had not introduced any of its famous characters like Pokémon, Mario or Zelda and the likes to the smart world.

But, Pokémon Craze of the late 90’s is back.  And this time with a huge leap in technology as well as madness, it’s Pokémon Go!

Evolution of Pokémon

Pokémon is a term derived from a Japanese brand Pocket Monsters and it refers to over 700 species of fictional monster species which include famous Pikachu specie as well.  The classic Pokémon were baby monsters who were bred by Pokémon trainers, the humans, and the goal was to collect all the Pokémon, breed them and so on.

Yet another AR Game!

Pokémon Go! is pretty much the same game but with augmented reality (AR) incorporated into it.  This new game makes you get up and get moving if you want to succeed.  Pokémon players have to get up on their own two legs and visit the real-world locations in order to catch their Pikachus and Wigglypuffs.   The game is said to lure players into nooks and corners of their towns they’ve never visited before.  People have been complaining of their sore legs and feet ever since the release of the game.

Location database of Niantic’s original augmented reality game, Ingress, is made available to the user community.

Scope for Business and Marketing

Revenue is derived from sponsored game locations, in which McDonalds was the first to cut the deal with around 3000 outlets in Japan.  And, this is just the beginning.  If Pokémon Go manages to keep up its popularity, numerous sponsored PokéStops and PokéClubs will spring up bringing in a huge chance of business and marketing.

Meanwhile, the game is earning revenue by microtransactions, like sale of Pokéballs, lucky eggs, special items, and expansions, etc. Monetization at the moment isn’t intrusive while playing the game which is a very smart move.  Too much focus on monetization this early can result in losing players.  Also, augmented reality games do not have a successful history and it’s wiser to wait till the game is stable before digging into the goldmine of its capability and outreach.

Availability and breeding opportunity for malware

Pokémon Go is still not available worldwide.  The official version of the app is being released around the world slowly.  But, such is the hype of its release that people have been passing APK files to friends in regions where it’s not available yet. One of such files was maliciously infected by DroidJack.  Just 72 hours after the release, Proofpoint spotted the infected version of the game intended for android users.  On their blog, they have highlighted some of the features that can help a user differentiate if they have downloaded the infected version.

It’s not necessary that if one downloads software or an app from third party or unknown source, it would be infected but there’s always a risk.  That’s why the firm urges people to download software from a reputed or well known app store.  The infected game software is very similar to the real game and thus easily fools the user.  Hence, it is better to wait for the official release than to get the risk of getting your system wrecked or worse, hacked.

For more reviews, articles, stories, and poetry visit PenSlips E-Zine