TOKYO×YAMANASHI Patricia & Raimee

Located on the 12th and 13th floors of Shinjuku Takashimaya Department Store, Takashimaya Times Square’s White Garden is a tranquil rooftop garden, lush with greenery, offering a peaceful space where you can forget the hustle and bustle of Shinjuku. From the spacious garden, you can enjoy panoramic views in three directions encompassing Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, Tokyo Skytree, the skyscrapers of Shinjuku, and NTT Docomo Tower. It’s a hot spot to watch the projection mapping show held daily at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building from a comfortable distance. Numerous benches are placed throughout the garden, making it perfect for chatting while enjoying the evening breeze. During the Christmas season, the terrace is beautifully decorated with illuminations, creating a romantic atmosphere alongside the night skyline. White Garden is a hidden oasis of relaxation in the heart of the city.

Located in Shinjuku City, Tokyo, Hanazono-Jinja Shrine is a historic shrine renowned as the guardian deity of Shinjuku today, and has been ever since the opening of Naito Shinjuku in the Edo Period over 320 years ago. Originating from an Inari shrine (god of rice, harvests, business prosperity, and household wellbeing) enshrined from Mt. Yoshino, located in the ancient Yamato Province (modern-day Nara Prefecture), the shrine was relocated to its current site during the Kan’ei era (1624-1644). The shrine was also called Hanazono Inari, in honor of the flower garden at the Owari Tokugawa family’s villa (Hanazono literally means “flower garden”). The shrine is believed to grant blessings for good fortune, business prosperity, matchmaking, and skill in the performing arts. In particular, Hanazono Shrine’s Tori-no-Ichi (festival held in November on a day of the rooster in the Japanese zodiac to pray for good luck and business prosperity) is nationally famous as one of the three prominent Tori-no-Ichi in the Kanto region, alongside Asakusa Ohtori Shrine and Fuchu Ohkunitama-Jinja Shrine. After being destroyed during the war, the current buildings at Hanazono were reconstructed in 1965. The bronze ‘foo dog (Chinese lion)’ statue within the grounds is designated as a Tangible Cultural Property by Shinjuku City.

This is a walking tour of Shinjuku’s Kabukicho district, where you can experience the diverse charms of Japan’s largest entertainment district. One of the popular daytime routes include visiting movie theaters, batting centers, and Hanazono-Jinja Shrine, then venturing into the nostalgic Yokocho alleyways that retain the atmosphere of Showa-era (1926-1989) Japan. Alternatively, new spots like the Tokyo Shunjuku Kabukicho Tower that opened in 2023, the giant cat at Cross Shinjuku Vision, and the Godzilla head are also highlights. The Shiki-no-Michi (four seasons pathway) trail offers a peaceful respite from the bustling district, while Hanazono-Jinja Shrine, dating back to the Edo period, allows you to feel its history. Suehiro Street, home to the traditional comedy theater “Shinjuku Suehirotei,” offers a retro atmosphere. Come nightfall, immerse yourself in the vibrant nightlife of the entertainment district. Experience the depth of Kabukicho, where old and new charms coexist.

MUFG Stadium (Japan National Stadium), the main stadium for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games, offers stadium tours. You’ll get to see areas not usually open to the public, such as the athletes' locker rooms and the competition area, where you may still feel the energy from the events. Run around the track of this historic sports venue, and step onto the Olympic podium, constructed of recycled plastic, to get a feel for what the competitors themselves felt. You’ll also have an opportunity to see a wall covered in athletes’ signatures and sit on the same benches where they sat to create your own Olympic memories.
*It will be renamed “MUFG Stadium” from January 1st

Shibuya AXSH is a 23-story multipurpose facility that opened in 2024 in the East Exit area of Shibuya Station. The name of the building is a coined word combining the initials of Aoyama and Shibuya with X (crossing) that connects the two districts, embodying the concept of a “connecting place,” linking the areas of Aoyama and Shibuya to foster interaction between people and cultures. Conveniently located just a 1-minute walk from the Hikarie Gate of the Ginza Line, its commercial floors (1st-4th) house restaurants and an art gallery, while office floors span the 5th to 23rd levels. A lush, double-height atrium spanning the 1st and 2nd floors improves access to the Aoyama area within Shibuya’s hilly terrain. Aiming to become an icon for “AoShibu” (short for Aoyama-Shibuya), the complex strives to be a new hub for interaction and liveliness in Shibuya.

Musashino Forest (Mushashino-no-mori) Park was the starting point for the cycling competition (road race) during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The park is now named Musashino Forest Olympic and Paralympic Park to signify its role as an event host. Tokyo’s Fuchu City, where the park is located, has set up four cycling courses ranging from 10 to 30 km and including a competition course. Beginners and experienced cyclists alike can enjoy a safe and enjoyable ride here. Surrounding the park is Musashino Forest, which provides a beautiful green backdrop and is a relaxing place with a murmuring river and wild birds flying about. From Furusato no Oka (hometown hill), where stones from each prefecture are placed, you can see Chofu Airport, and on clear days, you can see the Shinjuku skyscrapers.

Experience kayaking on Lake Mizugaki, a famous autumn foliage spot within the Kobushi UNESCO Ecopark, which is one of the Biosphere Reserves recognized by UNESCO. Surrounded by broadleaf trees, Lake Mizugaki boasts beautiful autumn colors. The tour guides provide careful instruction, from how to hold the kayak paddle, to safe riding and stable paddling techniques, ensuring enjoyment for everyone from beginners to experienced riders. The appeal lies in unique scenic spots easily accessible by kayak, such as observing the colorful trees from the water's surface, and seeing the Rokumeikyo Bridge spanning over the lake from directly below. Kayaks can also be paddled up the inflowing Kamase River for a landing, to view the scenery of a mountain stream. Operated by Yatsugatake Outdoor Activities, which also offers universal kayaking, the tour includes activities accessible to many people even with disabilities.

Ojiragawa Valley is a beautiful gorge in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, where its waters originate from Mt. Kaikoma in the Southern Alps. It is known as the home of pure water, selected as one of 100 Famous Japanese Springs. The emerald-green clear stream flowing over the granite rock surface never ceases to impress. The valley is full of waterfalls and pools of various sizes and shapes, including Sengafuchi just a 15-minute walk from the parking lot, and the three-tiered Shinja Falls, and Fudo Falls at the deepest part of the valley. Visitors can enjoy the beauty of the valley on a walking trail along the mountain stream. The valley shows beautiful expressions in each season, such as the fresh green of spring and the fiery red leaves of autumn, and is a scenic spot where the indescribable beauty of nature spreads out before your eyes.

Yamanashi Meijo Co., Ltd. is a long-established sake brewery founded in 1750 in Hakushu in Hokuto City, Yamanashi Prefecture, known for its “Shichiken” brand sake brewed with underground water from Mount Kaikoma. Located at the foot of Mt. Kaikoma, designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in 2014, it is the only brewery that uses the world-renowned pristine water from the “mountain of water” to brew its sake. Its flagship sake, “Junmai Daiginjo Onakaya,” has been served at the official reception of the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos, Switzerland for four consecutive years. In addition to the sake Shichiken—a name inspired by the “Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove” (Chikurin no Shichikenjin in Japanese)—the company offers other products including sparkling sake, COJIE brand skincare, and Hitosaji Koji brand fermented foods using malted rice. Visitors can tour the historic brewery, see the “Imperial Lodging” where Emperor Meiji stayed, and enjoy cuisine featuring local ingredients at Daimin, a brewery-owned restaurant.

Kinseiken in Daigahara, Hokuto City is a long-established Japanese confectionery founded in 1902. Its stately store, built in 1852, was renovated from a building that operated as the Maruya inn in Daigahara-juku (a post town on the Koshu Highway) from the Edo to Meiji periods. This historic building, where Jippensha Ikku, the author of comic picaresque novel “Tokaidochu Hizakurige” (known in translation as Shank’s Mare) once stayed, features a 50-tatami-mat gallery on the second floor, evoking the atmosphere of the past. Its specialty is “Mizu Shingen Mochi,” a confectionary made using soft water from Mt. Kaikoma, one of 100 Famous Japanese Springs. It is sold in limited quantities on Saturdays and Sundays from June to September. This simple confection consists of Hakushu water with just a touch of agar. It is enjoyed with organic green soybean kinako powder and black sugar syrup. Due to its softness and delicateness, it cannot be transported, yet its popularity draws long lines before opening, attracting visitors from across Japan.

As the center of the Olympic movement in Japan, this museum introduces the history and value of the Olympics from different perspectives. Along with exhibits on the event's origins and history, there's a theater where you can experience the dynamism of Olympians through video and audio. There are also booths in which you can test your physical abilities compared with those of the athletes. At the neighboring Monument Area outdoor plaza, you can take commemorative photos with the iconic Olympic symbol and scale replicas of Olympic cauldrons from previous Olympics held in Japan.

As one of Japan’s largest mixed-use urban development projects, Takanawa Gateway City is being promoted by JR East in Minato City, Tokyo. It is being carried out as the “Shinagawa Development Project,” with a total floor area of approximately 845,000 square meters (208.8 acres). Centered around JR Takanawa Gateway Station, the project will establish MICE facilities, offices, commercial facilities, residences, and cultural facilities under the concept of “a testing ground for enriching lifestyles 100 years into the future.” In this innovation hub where Japan's first railway ran over 150 years ago, the historic Takanawa Embankment from the Meiji era will be preserved and opened to the public, passing its historical value to future generations. As the “Global Gateway” international exchange hub linking Shinagawa Station, Takanawa Gateway Station, and Sengakuji Station, it aims to become a future city that creates solutions to global challenges through co-creation with diverse partners.