Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [86]
Ebisu & Daikanyama
Human scale in size and speed, Ebisu and Daikanyama are stylish neighbourhoods that make quick escapes from faster-paced parts of the city. Daikanyama has a slow Euro-Japanese fusion atmosphere, with abundant alfresco cafes and boutiques of imaginative local designers. Neighbouring Ebisu, meanwhile, possesses some of Tokyo’s cooler clubs and bars, and the open-air Yebisu Garden Place complex.
YEBISU GARDEN PLACE
This complex (Map; 5423-7111; http://gardenplace.jp, in Japanese; JR Yamanote line to Ebisu, east exit to Skywalk) of shops, restaurants and a 39-floor tower is surrounded by an open mall area – perfect for hanging out on warmer days, when you might catch live music. And, as you would expect, the restaurants on the 38th and 39th floors of Yebisu Garden Place Tower offer expansive city views.
Also located here is the Sapporo Breweries headquarters, which houses the Beer Museum Yebisu (5423-7255; www.sapporobeer.jp/english/guide/yebisu/; 4-20-1 Ebisu, Shibuya-ku; admission free; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun). Sure, the exhibits are interesting, but the obvious draw is its tasting lounge, where you can sample Sapporo’s various brews (¥200 to ¥250 per glass) or a flight of four for ¥400.
Finally, check out the terrific Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography (3280-0099; www.syabi.com; 1-13-3 Mita, Meguro-ku; admission varies; 10am-6pm Tue, Wed, Sat & Sun, 10am-8pm Thu & Fri), Japan’s first large-scale museum devoted entirely to photography. The emphasis here is on Japanese pictures, but international work is also displayed.
MEGURO PARASITOLOGICAL MUSEUM
Some people will not find exhibits like the 9m-long tapeworm to their liking, but for others, this tiny museum (Map;3716 1264; http://kiseichu.org/english.aspx; 4-1-1 Shimo-Meguro, Meguro-ku; admission free; 10am-5pm Tue-Sun; JR Yamanote line to Meguro, west exit;) is gruesomely fascinating. Though there isn’t much English signage, kids will get a kick out of the rows of formaldehyde-preserved critters, which are labelled with their Latin names. Upstairs, the gift counter sells parasite-themed keychains and T-shirts.
Roppongi & Akasaka
Roppongi has undergone a renaissance over the last several years, with monumental development changing the urban landscape as well as elevating its respectability quotient. While Roppongi is still the pulsating centre of wild nightlife, it now also claims bragging rights to world-class restaurants, a trio of superb museums collectively making up the Roppongi Art Triangle and even some green oases.
Neighbouring Akasaka, mainly a government and business district, has a few notable sights of its own.
ROPPONGI HILLS
This massive development was no less than 17 years in the making, conceived by developer Mori Minoru, who envisioned improving people’s quality of urban life by centralising home, work and leisure into a microcosm of a city. Whether this grand vision has been realised may be a matter of opinion, but the shopping-dining-entertainment-housing complex certainly continues to draw crowds.
Enviably ensconced atop Mori Tower is Mori Art Museum (Map; 5777-8600; www.mori.art.museum; 53rd fl, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku; admission incl entry to Tokyo City View about ¥1500; 10am-10pm Wed-Mon, to 5pm Tue; Hibiya & Toei Ōedo lines to Roppongi, exits 1c & 3), forming one corner of the Roppongi Art Triangle. Exhibitions at this contemporary art museum tend toward the (mind-bogglingly myriad) multimedia variety and are of a consistently high calibre.
Admission to the museum also gets you into Tokyo City View (Map; 6406-6652; www.tokyocityview.com; 52nd fl, Roppongi Hills Mori Tower, 6-10-1 Roppongi, Minato-ku; adult/student/child ¥1500/1000/500; 9-1am, last admission midnight;