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Tokyo has hundreds of hot spots for shopping. Most visitors begin with the Ginza District, then move on to Shinjuku, Shibuya and Akihabara. Add to all that the miles of underground shopping malls at hotels and railway stations. The sum total is Tokyo as a monolithic, city-wide department store.

Here are the best districts to go to if you are looking for the following items:
1.Cameras and audiovisual equipment: Shinjuku (west side) and Ikebukuro (east side)
2.Electric and electronic appliances: Akihabara
3.Groceries, clothing and other items appealing to popular taste: Ameyoko (between JR Ueno and Okachimachi Stations)
4.Souvenirs: International Arcade (at Ginza) and Japanese souvenir sections of Mitsukoshi and Matsuya Department Stores at Ginza
5.Japanese and Oriental Items: Oriental Bazaar at Harajuku and Nakamise of Asakusa
6.Discount Stores: Takeya (at Okachimachi) and There (at Okachimachi and Ginza)
7.Supermarkets: Seiyu (at Omori) and Daiei (at Akabane)
8. If you don't mind secondhand goods, there is a chance to get a lucky find in the Flea Markets. A big flea market is usually held twice a month on Sundays in Yoyogi Park.

Aikido some adherents claim is half sport, half religion. The chinese characters for Aikido refer to an elevation from the traditional physical arts to a spiritual martial art. Its techniques incorporate woven elements of philosophy, psychology and dynamics. The basic form is the circle and the straight, upward line. Founded in Japan by Morihei Ueshiba (1883-1970), Aikido embodies the principles of Judo, Karate and Kendo into one form of non-body contact self-defense. It features throwing exercises, holding techniques and "atemi", or a body blows aimed at keeping one's opponent's power in check. Adherents of Aikido claim an ability to lead an opponent's "ki" or spiritual power, and to throw him with little effort, sometimes even without touching his body. This martial art is performed without a weapon as a rule, but one is at times used to simulate an armed opponent. Practice is usually performed in either a white Judogi with or without a Japanese Hakama (split skirt).

In cozy and friendly Japanese-style bars, customers often pour drinks for each other from bottles of beer as a gesture of companionship. If you are a fellow beer drinker, reciprocate with your own bottle. A whiskey drinker may invite you to drink from his bottle and fix a drink for you. In this case, you need not reciprocate unless you have your own bottle. (Many of these bars have a "bottle-keep" system for regular patrons who buy a bottle from time to time as it is less expensive than paying for single drinks.) If with a group, do not begin to drink until everyone is served. Glasses are raised in the traditional salute as everyone shouts "Kampai!" (Cheers!) If you drink sake, and someone offers a drink from his carafe, drink what remains in your cup before holding it out. In this case, too, reciprocate. Excessive drinking is frowned on. But it happens. Rely on the bartender if someone close to you gets too boisterous.

Most Japanese have had six years of English-language studies in junior-high school and high school. Many go on to become good or even fluent English conversationalists. Don't hesitate to jump in.

It is not unusual for the same family to celebrate birth with Shinto rites, have a Christian marriage, and pay last respects with a Buddhist ceremony. Japanese have long held a tolerance for varieties of religion. Freedom of worship is guaranteed by law.

Edo-Tokyo Museum: The purpose of the Edo-Tokyo Museum is to preserve the historic heritage of the city Tokyo and its precursor Edo. The museum hopes to contribute to the creation of a new culture that will enable the city's past to live on into the future. The eight-floor building (seven stories above ground and one below) with its innovative architectural design is filled with attractions never before seen in a Japanese museum. The Museum is centered on a permanent exhibit, which includes displays featuring original and reproduction artifacts, as well as 55 large-scaled replicas including NihonbashBridge. The exhibits, arranged fro maximum viewing pleasure and ease of understanding, reveal the history of the city and the life and culture of the people who lived there. The Museum sponsors special exhibits, lecture series, and other events, and makes its halls, lecture rooms and other facilities available to the public for a variety of cultural activities.

In Rural Japan "A detailed guide to rural Japanese travel getaways, with comprehensive facts on using Japanese inns, transportation, and baths, plus insights on Japanese culture, customs, and religion. " -Randy Jonhson

Asahi Shimbun
The first issue of Asahi Shimbun was published in Osaka on January 25, 1879. Asahi Shimbun was also the first newspaper publisher in Japan to use its own cast type, dispatch correspondents to Europe and the United States, and use rotary presses. It set the model for today's newspapers in Japan.

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