Tokyo is one of the greatest cities in the world. Tokyo has evolved from a tiny fishing village called Edo to a metropolis that is the largest in the world with 35 million people. In the process, Tokyo has perfectly merged the hundreds of years of history with a constant vision for the future and continues to do so at a feverish pace. The city doesn't sleep, its wards and municipalities each beating to their own beat but together forming the pulse of this city. One of the first and most striking characteristics you will notice is the diversity of individualism. The variety of fashion from clothes to cell phone accessories can only be experienced and the best way to experience the pace and this diversity is on a subway. The subway, train, tram or bus system connects every part of this city and serves as the blood line for the millions that travel and the punctuality and the facilities to support this is not only necessary but is more than available. The city is one of the most disaster prone areas in the world with a constant threat of typhoons, earthquakes and volcanoes but innovation and a will to survive have built around those challenges. After the devastation of World War II, Tokyo showed its resilience by hosting the 1964 Olympics and now it is getting ready to host it again in 2020, the first Asian city to host the Olympics twice.

For the people of Tokyo, the city bends to their needs. The retail industry is fair competition for London, Paris and New York, sometimes even dwarfing those and the restaurants and options for great food is better than all three combined. Tokyo is believed to have more Michelin stars than all of the rest of the world put together, and while it might take many lifetimes to experience it all, a taste in just of few will leave no doubt in your mind that this is the city for any lover of food. In the center of Tokyo is the Imperial Palace grounds, and scattered around the city, mixed with the shiny new skyscrapers are the ancient Buddhist and Shinto temples and shrines. People transition from celebrating the birth of their child in a Shinto shrine, to celebrating life in the city of Tokyo to mourning death in the Buddhist temples with minimum drama and the poise and politeness that only the Japanese have mastered.

Tokyo is unlike any other city in the world, because no where else in the world, is being a tourist merely enough. Tokyo can only be experienced by being a part its fabric, living and breathing the things that make it unique. Don't let that stop you from visiting it, I guarantee you will return with a love for land of the rising sun.