City of Countless Faces

Tokyo is not just one of the world's biggest cities (the biggest, by some definitions) it is also one of the most varied. Moving from one locality to the next can take you instantly from streets that a samurai would recognize into the world of science fiction. From the otaku paradise of Akihabara to the street fashions of Harajuku and the bustling nightlife of Shibuya, here are just some of Tokyo's many faces for you to enjoy.

The Art of the Compact

From folding fans to multi-compartment bento lunchboxes, Japan has long been famous for sophisticated techniques to fit things into small spaces. In modern times, this gave the world the transistor radio, the walkman, and now multi-function mobile phones. But this is more than just technique: as you might guess from the Japanese garden and the art of bonsai, there lies behind it a philosophy of creating spaces, however compact, designed to keep us in touch with the world of nature.

Keeping the Expressways Safe

Japan's extensive 7'400-kilometer network of expressways carries 5,6 million vehicles a day and is indispensable to the nation's economy. The expressways keep functioning safely thanks to a system of round the clock road repair and maintenance, computerized traffic control and expressway patrol vehicles.

Weaving Works of Art

Nishijin, in the north of Kyoto, has been a silk weaving center for over 1'000 years. Two brothers from a poor family became weavers here straight from elementary school. Both are now over 100 years old. They are still weavers, but in middle age they each turned to art. Itaro, now 104, is close to completing his decades long project to reproduce in silk a famous 900-year old painting of the Tale of Genji. His younger brother Yujiro decided to research dyeing techniques to restore old Noh costumes. Now a leading expert, he creates original Noh kimonos.