Shiodome Live Cam

The beautiful Seaside Top Observatory has views across the modern city


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History

Shiodome is a district located in Minato ward, Tokyo, Japan. Its history dates back to the Edo period (1603-1868) when it was originally an inlet used as a landing area for maritime traffic. The name "Shiodome" itself can be translated as "halt the tides," which is indicative of its function as a coastal zone.

During the Meiji Restoration in the late 19th century, Japan underwent significant modernization and development. In the 1870s, extensive land reclamation efforts were undertaken in the Tokyo Bay area, and the Shiodome region was transformed into dry land. This land reclamation was part of Tokyo's urban expansion plan, which aimed to accommodate the city's growing population and promote industrialization.

In the early 20th century, Shiodome became a major railway terminal and freight depot. It housed the Shimbashi Station, which served as a transportation hub for trains traveling between Tokyo and Yokohama. The district also became an essential area for freight transportation and warehousing.

However, during World War II, much of Shiodome was destroyed by Allied bombing raids, leaving it in ruins. After the war, the area underwent reconstruction and redevelopment to restore its function as a commercial and transportation hub.

In the late 20th century, Shiodome underwent another transformation as the Japanese economy flourished. Many of the older industrial and railway facilities were gradually replaced with modern office buildings, hotels, and commercial complexes. The area became known for its futuristic architectural designs and skyscrapers.

Today, Shiodome is a bustling urban district with a mix of business, shopping, and entertainment establishments. Its waterfront location and proximity to other major areas of Tokyo, such as Ginza and Hamamatsucho, make it an attractive location for both locals and tourists.

Things to Spend on During Your Travel to Tokyo

When you travel to Tokyo, you’ll see an amazing collision of traditional and modern flavors of Japan. That’s why it’s important for you to carefully plan your travel to Tokyo. You don’t want to miss out on anything when you travel to Tokyo, do you? Visiting this oriental city needs to be very memorable and well worth your time.

Not that your travel to Tokyo needs to be expensive, but there are just so many things you really got to try when you travel to Tokyo. It’s quite natural that you should be able to shell out money no matter which part of the planet you visit. When you travel to Tokyo, you will see that there are a lot of things worth spending for.

Gastronomic Feasts

You’ll have no problem eating out during your travel to Tokyo, as there are many restaurants in the city that are both accessible and inexpensive. Japan is famous for its very unique cuisine found nowhere else in the world. It’s extremely difficult not to try Japanese fast food when you travel to Tokyo.

Some of the foods you will encounter throughout your travel to Tokyo include gyudon, tendon, and udon noodles. Your travel to Tokyo is not complete without trying out sushi. Of course sushi is available anywhere else in the world where Japanese food is available. However, eating sushi right from its origin is definitely another story! You will discover that sushi is generally cheap during your travel, especially at well-known kaiten-zushi shops.

Shopping Galore

You might be surprised by the number of shops around. Perhaps, too, you will find the biggest shopping malls you have ever seen. It seems that shops in Tokyo are compelled to sell every product on the planet. From wigs to high-end gadgets, you’ll have a fun time shopping.

Be ready to shell out cash during your travel, as you will find lots of interesting things to buy for you and your loved ones back home. Shopping can get very fun and addictive. That’s why it’s advisable for you to wear a comfortable pair of sneakers, for you will surely have a great time hopping from one shop to the other.

Seeing the Sights

Your travel to Tokyo is not complete without checking out some of the city’s popular tourist spots. Such places have natural charisma that is hard to forget once you have seen them. Forgetting to stash your digital camera in your luggage during your travel to Tokyo is a blunder.

Sightseeing is both easy and inexpensive, as there are many affordable modes of transportation. Every year, there are millions of travelers from all over the world who travel to Tokyo just to have a glimpse of what it has to offer visually. Some of the places to visit include: Tokyo Station, the Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower and the Rainbow Bridge.

Essential Facts About Budget

You will see why this city is both charming and expensive. But don’t let the high-priced reputation of this city stop you from visiting it. The beauty you will discover in Tokyo is more than enough to make up for the costs.

Careful planning will help cut down the expenses of your travel. When you are going on a budget, read the following information to help you out.

Properly Timing Your Travel

It’s common knowledge that, to cut on travel expenses, one must not take a trip during peak seasons. During peak seasons and you will surely go beyond your budget, as well as run into heavily-crowded tourist spots.

Never time your travel on months like December and January during the Christmas season. People all over the world on Christmas vacation travel to experience the beauty of this Asian city when snow is falling. Late April and early May should also be avoided if you are planning a budget. Many national holidays are held during such times, and locals and tourists alike embark. Also, avoid timing in August, when a Japanese festival called “Obon” takes place to commemorate their forefathers.

A great time to travel to Tokyo is in March, during springtime, when the cherry trees are beginning to bloom once more. During an off-peak season like this, you are likely not to overshoot your travel budget. When fewer festivals take place, airfares, hotel accommodations and other travel expenses are at their cheapest.

Affordable Accommodations

You will not have a hard time finding accommodations, as it is one of hottest destinations in Asia. There are many hotels in the city, both expensive and inexpensive ones, so a place to stay at night is not something people who travel to Tokyo should be worried about.

You will find staying in a capsule hotel a great advantage. Each stay is about $30 to $40. However, this option is not for someone who is claustrophobic. Each capsule is the size of a single bed, just about enough to enclose someone. Some of them even have a TV and control panels with an alarm clock and a radio.

Capsule hotels are suitable for businessmen who work late, and for tourists. Although most capsule hotels are for men only, women should not worry because there are some which permit them.

Places to Visit

Admission to some tourist hotspots is free. One such amazing place to visit is the Yoyogi Park. This park is one of the largest in the city, a popular hangout where there are bands playing, people practicing martial arts, flea markets and other activities.

How to Travel Around Tokyo

With a vast number of commuters daily, it is only imperative that the travel or transport system in Tokyo is efficient.

Travel by train

Probably the most convenient way is through the train or subway. Most people through the trains or subways because it is punctual, fast and efficient. However, foreign visitors can find their train and subway system a little confusing.

Using the train system one can simplify the different train lines. The Yamanote line is the most useful train line Tokyo’s major districts. Visitors wanting to travel to Tokyo’s major districts can take the Yamanote line.

The Chuo lines travel right through the center of Tokyo. Travelers wanting to travel to Shinjuku and Ochanomizu in Tokyo can take this line instead. This train line also travel to Tokyo station. The Sobu lines also travel through the center of Tokyo, however, unlike the Chuo line it does not go to Tokyo station.

Other train lines travel to the different districts in Tokyo. Ginza subway line travels to Shibuya and Ueno while Odakyu private railway line travels to Fujisawa and Kamakura.

Travel by bus

Although the number of people who travel by bus around Tokyo is not as many as those who travel by train or subway, the bus system in the city is also reliable. Most buses clearly label in roman letters the front of their buses with its travel destination around Tokyo. Aside from this, bus stops are clearly marked as well. Oftentimes buses that travel begin and end their routes at railway stations. So visitors can easily travel from a train line to a bus line easily in Tokyo. It is important that visitors remember that buses do not travel at night. The bus service usually stops at 10 PM.

Travel around by taxi

Visitors may travel around Tokyo via a taxi. However, it is advisable to have one’s destination written down in Japanese to avoid any confusion. Taxis in Tokyo are quite in abundance and one can get a taxi through a taxi rank located in most train or subway stations. One can also get a taxi by hailing one on a roadside. They are available almost any time of the day and night. However, there is a night time surcharge wherein from 11 PM until 5 AM the rate goes up. When hailing a taxi note that a red light means that the taxi is vacant and can be hailed while a yellow lights means that the taxi is not available. The green light connotes that the night time surcharges are now in operation.

Travel around by bike

Traveling by bicycle in Tokyo is a good way to skirt in and around the small streets of the city as well as to avoid any heavy traffic during rush hour. It is also acceptable to cycle along pedestrian lanes.

Discover Their Entertainment and Sports

Tokyo is perceived as a fast-paced city and visitors who travel to the place eventually find out that the city is also an energetic and vibrant one as well. In Tokyo, people tend to work hard but with the vast number of restaurants, bars, pubs, clubs and theaters in the city, visitors that travel to the city can conclude that they do like to have fun as well.

Aside from visiting the different breathtaking natural sites of Tokyo and its surrounding areas one can travel within the city itself and experience how the locals wind down after a day of work.

Traditional Entertainment

Tokyo has an ability to let both their traditional and modern habits co-exist, and many foreigners who travel to the city are amazed by this. Kabuki Theater is a traditional form of entertainment that still exists in Tokyo and many visitors travel to Japan just to witness this art form of theater arts. Visitors wanting to experience this traditional form of entertainment in Tokyo must travel to the Kabuki Theater late in the morning. Also, Kabuki takes place most days in Tokyo so visitors can travel to these theaters several days in a week.

Another traditional form of entertainment in Tokyo is the tea ceremony that many foreign visitors who travel to the country are very interested in. In Tokyo, the tea ceremony is considered a spiritual discipline that can be applied to everyday life so many people travel to see the ceremony being performed. It is an intricate, delicate and traditional ceremony in Tokyo that many tea lovers purposely travel to Japan to learn about it.

Modern Entertainment

Visitors of Tokyo can travel within the city itself and visit many of the city’s bars, clubs and pubs. There are several establishments in Tokyo that locals travel to to entertain themselves. The most common entertainment hubs in Tokyo that people travel to are the karaoke, pachinko, internet, and gaming bars. These are the more modern forms of entertainment in Tokyo that both locals and foreign visitors travel to to experience at least once.

Probably considered to be one of Tokyo’s most popular forms of modern entertainment is the karaoke wherein many of the locals travel to karaoke clubs after a day of work. Aside from the karaoke, people in Tokyo also travel and spend some time at game centers. Unlike in other countries, game centers in Tokyo are filled with streams of office workers who travel to these centers to have fun. Pachinko lounges are also very common in Tokyo and many locals travel to such places to play a game or two of pachinko.

Sports - In Tokyo, one of the most popular sports that people really do travel to to see is sumo wrestling. There are currently three tournaments held in Tokyo and during these tournaments hundreds travel to watch the match. Aside from the locals in Tokyo, there are also many foreign visitors who travel to the area to watch. Aside from sumo wrestling, Tokyo also enjoys a game of baseball and ice hockey so visitors who travel to the city can watch their favorite sports as well.