Tokyo, Japan's largest city at the start of the 21st century Map of the Kanto region Tokyo was extensively developed following the move to the area of Tokugawa Ieyasu's first Shogunate Government in 1603. The town, which then centered on Edo Castle, was primarily constructed during the 70-year regeneration of Edo that followed and in the years after the demise of the 265-year reign of the Tokugawa Shogunate, as Japan's Meiji Restoration remodeled Japan along more modern lines. Tokyo became the nation's capital city after the Emperor moved east along the Tokaido road from Kyoto. With a current population of some 12 million, Tokyo is by far the largest city in 21st century Japan and one of the charms of Tokyo is to be found in the combination of the traditional and historical sites sitting side by side amidst the ultramodern urban landscape. To that end, there are many places in Tokyo with their own unique character: the Shitamachi (older and more traditional) districts in and around Asakusa and Ueno. The shopping zones of Ginza, Aoyama, Shinjuku and Shibuya and of course other well known areas for visitors to shop or eat till they drop such as Nihombashi, Akihabara, Odaiba, Harajuku, Roppongi and Ikebukuro. For visitors and inhabitants, Tokyo has something for everyone.

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September Grand Sumo Tournament - Ryogoku Kokugikan, Sumida-ku, Tokyo - September 14th (Sun)-28th (Sun), 2008 Yokozuna (grand Champion) Hakuho won the undefeated championship (15 -0) in the previous July Grand Sumo Tournament in Nagoya, his second championship without losing a single match and his seventh overall. It showed his overwhelming power and gave many people the impression that the "era of Hakuho" may be arriving. Asashoryu, the other yokozuna, will be the challenger this time and trying to regain the championship. Another focal point is whether Ozeki Kotoooshu (from Bulgaria), who won the May tournament but failed to be promoted to the rank of yokozuna in the last tournament, can succeed in the September tournament. http://www.sumo.or.jp/eng/

Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine Reitaisai (Annual Festival) - Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine, Kamakura City, Kanagawa Prefecture - September 14th (Sun)-16th (Tue), 2008 Held at the Hachiman Shrine for three days from September 14th to 16th every year, the Reitaisai was once called Hojoe and was held on August 15th when the nation was following the old lunar calendar. According to the "Azumakagami," written in the late Kamakura era, the two ceremonies of Hojoe and Yabusame were first held on August 15th, 1187. Since this time the festival has retained its solemnity over the subsequent 800-years of history and tradition. The tea ceremony, flower arrangement events, martial arts contests, a concert, classical Japanese dance performances and other Shinto related rituals are held over the three days of the festival attracting many visitors. http://www.hachimangu.or.jp (Japanese version only)

Asakusa Samba Carnival - Asakusa Umamichi dori - Kaminari-mon dori, Taito-ku, Tokyo - August 30th (Sat), 2008 The intensive rhythms, energetic dancers and their colorful costumes all make the Asakusa Samba Carnival, held in the old shitamachi area of Asakusa in Tokyo in late summer, a most wonderful festival to behold - even if audience participation is officially out of the question. The contest itself is becoming more and more competitive year by year and while it may not yet rival Rio, it is now said to attract 450,000 bystanders to the nearby streets. http://www.asakusa-samba.jp/ (Japanese version only)

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