The Tokyo drift

If walls could speak, the Dai-ichi Seimei Building in Chiyoda-ku, overlooking the Tokyo Imperial Palace, would have many dramas to recount. After the Second World War, General Douglas MacArthur established occupation headquarters there.

"That's where MacArthur stayed for three years after the war. It used be the Life Insurance Building. The general's desk, his armchair and even his corn pipe are preserved in their original state," says my Japanese friend as he points to the Dai-ichi Seimei Building, which is across the Hibiya intersection.

Royal moment

Just around the bend, we strolled through the Imperial Palace's outer gardens. It was hot and beneath the rustling, deciduous shade of a weeping willow I felt summer's sweet languor and a sense of leisure and history. This is where lies the boundary between Edo (old Tokyo) and modern Tokyo. Japan's Imperial Palace is the site of the former Edo Castle of the medieval times.

In the heart of Tokyo, I discovered the Happo-en Gardens, no less than a living paradise, with natural greenery and large, freshwater koi ponds and a collection of meticulously tended bonsai trees. There, we also took part in observing the tradition of sado or tea ceremony — a spiritual activity introduced by Zen Buddhist monks in the 13th century.

City tour

For me, Tokyo stands for a blend of dramatic history, exquisite Japanese traditions and cutting-edge technology. Our sightseeing included the Tokyo Tower; the imposing National Diet Building (Parliament); the Harajuku Fashion District, the ground zero for Tokyo street style; the shopping district of Ginza, the Fifth Avenue of Japan; Tsukiji, the world's biggest fish market, Tokyo Cathedral; Tokyo Dome or Big Egg, home of the Nippon Fighters (Pacific League) and Tokyo Yomiuri Giants (Central League); the Nakamise Shopping Arcade and the Asakusa Kannon Temple, Tokyo's largest temple.

We hopped onto a kaishu (river boat) and cruised along the Sumida River, the lifeline of the city. Historically, the Sumida helped Tokyo's growth and development. Also known as Tokyo's kitchen, 90 per cent of the fish sold in Tokyo come from these parts. Our river cruise took us under 12 unique bridges, all the way from Odaiba to Asakusa, the heart of old downtown Tokyo.

At sundown, we boarded the Symphony luxury ship for a French-style dinner and a night cruise along Tokyo Bay. We passed the impressive Rainbow Bridge, Fuji TV Station, Maritime Museum, Tokyo Disney Sea, Haneda Airport and the futuristic waterfront of Odaiba. I stood on the ship's deck and was enthralled by the colourful, neon-lit spectacle that Tokyo is at night.

Bigger Disneyland

I also had a most fascinating time at the Tokyo Disneyland and watched the scintillating "Dreams on Parade", where world famous Disney characters and 200 other performers passed by in a grand cavalcade at night through the park.

We embarked on a jungle cruise in Adventureland and hopped onto the Grand Circuit Raceway in Tomorrowland for the race of our lives. Tokyo Disneyland is about one-and-a-half times the size of the original Disneyland Park in Anaheim, California, US, and is the biggest and most bewildering place I have ever been to!

Next, we went on a gastronomic trip at my friend Mariko's restaurant and sampled her tebasaki (grilled chicken wings), shirasu (white fish), nankotsu and, my favourite, shrimpo tosuto (shrimp toast). I did not think I would have my initiation to Japanese food right there but my Japanese friends insisted I try the awful smelling umeboshi (Japanese plum) as a rite of passage — much to my disgust.

I had every reason to believe I was having the perfect holiday in Tokyo and was feeling beatific when I got into trouble of sorts. On the day I had to leave, a taxicab was waiting outside the apartment to take me to the Tokyo City Air Terminal (TCAT) by 7am so that I could purchase a Narita Airport Limousine Ticket. In a mad rush to get out of the building, I accidentally and absent-mindedly pressed the fire-alarm button of the elevator, to my friend's disbelief and my horror!

The fire alarm rang throughout the 767-room, 14-storey building early on a Saturday morning and I was overcome with dread and mortification. So, I found myself tiptoeing in the empty lobby and rushing out of the building to the parking lot. As soon as I stepped inside the cab, I could not help but sigh despondently and, afterwards, break into a smile of guilty amusement.

— Christina Camingue Buo is a freelance writer based in Philippines

Go there...Tokyo

From the UAE
From Dubai: Emirates and Japan Airlines fly daily via Osaka. Fare from Dh4,480
Singapore Airlines flies daily via Singapore. Fare from Dh4,050
Thai Airways flies daily via Bangkok. Fare from Dh3,880
Malaysian Airlines flies five times a week via Kuala Lumpur. Fare from Dh3,480
— Information courtesy: The Holiday Lounge by Dnata.
Ph: 04 3166160

Information
Staying made easy
www.keioplaza.co.jp
www.service-apartment.jp
toyama-house@mail.goo.ne.jp
Tokyo International Hostel
E-mail: tokyo-ih@tokyo-ih.jp
Guest houses and dormitory accommodations
www.oakhouse.jp/eng/index.html
Cruises
www.suijobus.co.jp
Tokyo Bay Cruise Symphony E-mail: sealine@symphony-cruise.co.jp
Site-seeing
www.hatobus.co.jp/english www.jtb.co.jp/sunrisetour
www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp
For more info on Japan, log on to: www.jnto.go.jp