Japlanning 101 - Odiaba

August 7, 2013

Today, Japlanning are giving you the lowdown on one of the newer areas of Tokyo, right in the heart of Tokyo Bay, Odaiba. Odaiba is a major tourism and leisure zone for Tokyo with shopping, dining and attractions for the whole family. Come take a look at what Odaiba has to offer, and see why you should plan a trip out to the bay for your next trip to Tokyo.

Odaiba’s origins date back to 1853 when six island fortresses were constructed to protect Edo (then-Tokyo) from sea attacks. Over the years, the islands were connected via large landfills, and in the 80’s development plans were launched to make Odaiba a new showcase of futuristic living and business districts, however when the sky high economy of the early eighties burst in the nineties, Odaiba was left vacant.

Japlanning 101 - Tsukiji Fish Market

July 31, 2013

oday Japlanning is back with a new entry in our 101 series, it's the biggest seafood market in the world, and one of Tokyo's biggest tourist draws: Tsukiji Fish Market, in central Tokyo. Each day this market sells the most seafood in the world, and the freshest catches with over 2000 tonnes of seafood handled a day! Read on to find out when to plan your visit, and where you'll find the freshest sushi breakfast in the world, at Tsukiji Fish Market.

Tsukiji Market is a massive fruit and vegetable market, however the biggest item on sale, and what draws the tourists is the seafood. Handling over 2000 tonnes of fresh seafood produce a day makes Tsukiji the biggest and busiest fish market in the world. The market opened in 1935, as a replacement for the Nihonbashi Market, which was destroyed by fire during the great Kanto earthquake in 1923.

The best things in life are free - 30 free things to do in Tokyo

May 23, 2013

We've scoured through our memories, past trip notes and the internet for our top 30 Tokyo freebies. Here's our list of over 30 activities to experience that cost you absolutely nothing!

Keeping with our budget tips, we have grouped the activities into regions, so if you want to check some out, we've already done the work so you can keep travel times (and costs) to a minimum.