Ginkaku-ji (Ginkaku-ji), the “Temple of the Silver Pavilion,” is a Buddhist temple in the Sakyo ward of Kyoto, Japan. The official name is Jishō-ji (”Temple of Shining Mercy”). It was built in 1474 by the shogun Ashikaga Yoshimasa, who sought to emulate the golden Kinkaku-ji commissioned by his grandfather Ashikaga Yoshimitsu.

Like Kinkaku-ji, Ginkaku-ji was originally built to serve as a place of rest and solitude for the Shogun. During his reign as Shogun, Ashikaga Yoshimasa inspired a new outpouring of traditional culture, which came to be known as Higashiyama Bunka, the Culture of the Eastern Mountain. Having retired to the villa, it is said Yoshimasa sat in the pavilion, contemplating the calm and beauty of the gardens as the Ōnin War worsened and Kyoto was burned to the ground. In 1485, Yoshimasa became a Zen Buddhist monk, and after his death the villa became a Buddhist temple, renamed Jishō-ji.

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion Temple) is the informal name of Rokuon-ji (Deer Garden Temple) in Kyoto, Japan. It was originally built in 1397 to serve as a retirement villa for Shogun Ashikaga Yoshimitsu, as part of his estate then known as Kitayama. It was his son who converted the building into a Zen temple of the Rinzai school. The temple was burned down several times during the Ōnin War.

The Golden Pavilion, or Kinkaku, is a three-story building on the grounds of the temple. The top two stories of the pavilion are covered with pure gold leaf. The pavilion functions as a shariden, housing relics of the Buddha. On the roof is a golden hō-ō, or so-called “Chinese phoenix”. The building is often linked or contrasted with Ginkaku-ji, the Silver Pavilion Temple, which is also located in Kyoto.

The Golden Pavilion is set in a magnificent Japanese strolling garden (kaiyū-shiki). The pond in front of it is called Kyōko-chi (Mirror Pond). There are many islands and stones on the pond that represent the Buddhist creation story.

Sensō-ji is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Taitō, Tokyo. It is Tokyo’s oldest temple, and one of its most significant. Formerly associated with the Tendai sect, it became independent after World War II. Adjacent to the temple is a Shinto shrine, the Asakusa Jinja.

Sensō-ji is the focus of Tokyo’s largest and most popular matsuri (Shinto festival), Sanja Matsuri. This takes place over 3–4 days in late spring, and sees the surrounding streets closed to traffic from dawn until late evening.

Dominating the entrance to the temple is the kaminari-mon or “Thunder Gate”. This imposing Buddhist structure features a massive paper lantern dramatically painted in vivid red-and-black tones to suggest thunderclouds and lightning. Within the precincts stand a stately five-story pagoda and the main hall, devoted to Kannon Bosatsu.

Many tourists, both Japanese and from abroad, visit Sensō-ji every year. Catering to the visiting crowds, the surrounding area has many traditional shops and eating places that feature traditional dishes (hand-made noodles, sushi, tempura, etc.). Nakamise-dori, the street leading from the Thunder Gate to the temple itself, is lined with small shops selling souvenirs ranging from fans, ukiyo-e (woodblock prints), kimono and other robes, Buddhist scrolls, traditional sweets, to Godzilla toys, t-shirts, and cell-phone trinkets. These shops themselves are part of a living tradition of selling to pilgrims who walked to Sensō-ji.

Roppongi Hills is the one of Japan’s largest integrated property developments, located in the Roppongi district of Tokyo.

The mega-complex incorporates office space, apartments, shops, restaurants, cafés, movie theaters, a museum, a hotel, a major TV studio, an outdoor amphitheater, and a few parks. The centerpiece is the 54-story Mori Tower. Seventeen years after the design’s initial conception, the complex opened to the public on April 23, 2003.

Roppongi Hills cost over $4 billion and is built on a 27-acre (109,000 m²) site. The site amalgamated more than 400 smaller lots Mori acquired over 14 years.

Tokyo Tower is in Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It is 332.6 m (1,091 ft) tall, making it the tallest man-made structure in Japan.The design of the tower is based on the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France. Despite being 8.6 meters taller than the Eiffel Tower (32.6 if the tower’s TV antenna is included), Tokyo Tower only weighs about 4,000 tons, whereas the Eiffel Tower weighs about 7,300 tons.

It is painted in white and international orange according to air safety regulations. From dusk to midnight, the tower is brilliantly illuminated in orange (warm color) during the winter and spring and in silver/white (cool color) during the summer and autumn. The lighting is occasionally changed for special events: for the first day of Breast Cancer Awareness Month (October) it is lit pink, for the first World Diabetes Day on November 14, 2007 it was lit blue, and for the Japan premiere of the movie The Matrix Reloaded, for instance, the Tower was lit in neon green.

Rainbow Bridge is a suspension bridge crossing northern Tokyo Bay between the Shibaura Wharf and the Odaiba waterfront development in Minato Ward, Tokyo. It was completed in 1993. The bridge spans 570 meters (1870 ft) and carries three transportation lines: Metropolitan Expressway No. 11 Odaiba Route on the upper deck, and Route 357 (also known as “Rinkō Dōro”, Portside Avenue) and the Yurikamome New Transit on the lower deck. 

The bridge has separate walkways on the north and south sides; the north side offers views of inner Tokyo Harbor and the Tokyo Tower, while the south side offers views of Tokyo Bay and occasionally Mount Fuji. The walkways may only be used during certain hours (9 am to 9 pm in the summer; 10 am to 6 pm in the winter). Bicycles and light motorcycles (under 50cc) are not permitted on the decks or the walkway of the bridge.

The towers supporting the bridge are white in color, designed to harmonize with the skyline of central Tokyo seen from Odaiba. There are lamps placed on the wires supporting the bridge, which are illuminated into three different colors, red, white and green every night using solar energy obtained during the day.

Yokohama Chinatown is located in Yokohama, Japan. Just south of Tokyo. It has about 150 years of history. These days only a few Chinese people still live in Chinatown, but it has population of about 3,000 to 4,000. Most of the residents are from Guangzhou (Canton) but many come from other regions.

Yokohama Chinatown is the largest Chinatown not only in Japan but also in Asia (larger than Chinatowns in both Kobe and Nagasaki) and it is one of the largest in the world. There are over 200 restaurants alone (other shops are not included for this number).

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, (also referred to as Tokyo City Hall, or Tochō for short) is the building which houses the headquarters of Tokyo local government; this comprises not only the 23 wards, but also the cities, towns and villages that make up Tokyo as a whole.

Located in Shinjuku, it held title of the tallest building (by roof height) in Tokyo, at 243 meters (799 feet), from 1991 until late 2006, when it surrendered its title upon the completion of Midtown Tower. The two top-floor panoramic observation decks are free of charge to the public and contain many gift shops. They are open till 11 pm on weekdays. Use of cameras is permitted, but tripods are forbidden.

The building consists of a complex of three structures each taking up a city block. The tallest and most prominent of the three is Tokyo Metropolitan Main building No.1, a tower 48 stories tall that splits into two sections at the 33rd floor. The building also has three levels below ground. The design of the building (which was supposed to look like a computer chip), by architect Kenzo Tange (and associates), has many symbolic touches, most notably the aforementioned split which re-creates the look of a Gothic cathedral.

Finished in 1991 at the expense of 157 billion yen (about US$ 1 billion) of public money, a popular nickname for Tochō is “Tax Tower”.

Mt. Fuji

The highest mountain in Japan at 3,776 m (12,388 ft). An active volcano that last erupted in 1707-08, it straddles the boundary of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefectures just west of Tokyo, from which it can be seen on a clear day. It is located near the Pacific coast of central Honshū. Three small cities surround it: Gotemba (east), Fujiyoshida (north) and Fujinomiya (southwest). 

 Mount Fuji’s exceptionally symmetrical cone is a well-known symbol of Japan and it is frequently depicted in art and photographs, as well as visited by sightseers and climbers.

Minato Mirai 21

is a large urban development in Yokohama, Japan.  

The name, which means “Port Future 21,” was selected in a public competition. Construction of the area started in 1983. Built largely on reclaimed land, the area now features the Landmark Tower, Japan’s tallest skyscraper, the Queen’s Square shopping mall, the Pacifico convention center, Intercontinental Hotel, and more.

As of 2004, 20 years after the start of development and despite a 50 percent asset tax discount, half the 88-acre (356,000 m²) area remained unoccupied. The February 1, 2004 completion of the Minatomirai Line, which connects the area directly to both central Yokohama and Shibuya in Tokyo, is expected to revitalize construction in the area. Planned new tenants include the United Nations University.

The area is a popular tourist spot together with nearby Yokohama Chinatown. Minato Mirai is one of the few places in the Tokyo-Yokohama area where the seashore is accessible, and not blocked by industry and harbour areas. Another is Odaiba.