Tokyo 1 Day Trip, Printable Guide
Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō) is Japan’s capital and the world’s most populous metropolis. Tokyo is also one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, consisting of 23 central city wards and multiple cities, towns and villages west of the city center. The Izu and Ogasawara Islands are also part of Tokyo.
Prior to 1868, Tokyo was known as Edo. A small castle town in the 16th century, Edo became Japan’s political center in 1603 when Tokugawa Ieyasu established his feudal government there. A few decades later, Edo had grown into one of the world’s most populous cities. With the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the emperor and capital moved from Kyoto to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo (“Eastern Capital”). Large parts of Tokyo were destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and in the air raids of 1945.
Today, Tokyo offers a seemingly unlimited choice of shopping, entertainment, culture and dining to its visitors. The city’s history can be appreciated in districts such as Asakusa, and in many excellent museums, historic temples and gardens. Contrary to popular belief, Tokyo also offers a number of parks and green spaces, both in the city center and within a relatively short train ride towards the outskirts of the city.
The Yamanote Line
One of Tokyo’s most convenient amenities is the Yamanote line, a train that runs in a loop around the perimeter of central Tokyo. The Yamanote line has 29 stations that take riders through most of Tokyo’s most popular neighborhoods. YouTubers Kyde and Eric (Kyde pronounced Kay-dee) wanted to showcase the convenience of the Yamanote line by creating a video in which they used bicycles to travel to all 29 stations in one day.
Video: Bike Ride Along Tokyo’s Yamanote Line
As Kyde expresses in the opening of the video the Yamanote line is very important to the city of Tokyo. “It is the heart of Tokyo, its what gets people from major stations to the other major stations in Tokyo.” Each day over 3.7 million people ride the Yamanote line, making it one of the most heavily utilized train lines in the world.
Kyde and Eric used their bikes to ride all 34 kilometers (about 21 miles) of the line, stopping at each station to provide information including the station name, location, area, and some interesting facts about each station. At over one hour in length, the video does tend to drag on at times, particularly when Kyde and Eric were unable to find any interesting information about a given station, however, the overall video is still very entertaining and informative.
Kyde and Eric are YouTubers who produce laid-back travel videos about their travels around the world. After leaving the United States in 2009, Kyde and Eric traveled the world for over a year before settling down in Japan in 2011. After six years of fumbling around Japan, Kyde and Eric have become very knowledgeable about day to day life in Japan.
It is obvious that Kyde and Eric regularly use the Yamanote line as they are very familiar with many of the stations and share their stories and experiences throughout the video. Stops are made along the way to share local restaurants and points of interest that travelers may want to visit while exploring Tokyo. The video is well researched with many interesting facts about each location, and would be a great introduction to the line to anyone planning to travel around Tokyo, or move to the area.
Kyde and Eric offer usable advice, and a different perspective compared to other Japan focused YouTubers. Not taking themselves too seriously, Kyde and Eric have fun in their videos and it shows.
Further Travels
Tokyo is the most traveled destination in Japan and as a result, there is much content available. While the train system can be confusing at first, the Yamanote line moves travelers around the city with ease, and connects to all other train lines needed to get around Tokyo. Happy in Japan produced twelve videos about many of Tokyo’s most popular destinations. Each video features one location or topic and provides in-depth information about the area. Most destinations can be reached within walking distance of the Yamanote line, however some do require a transfer to a second train to reach.
