Traffic in and out of Shinjuku, one of Tokyo's huge shopping districts
An adrenaline-pumping bullet-train ride to a place of deep calm.
The sheer level of energy is the most striking aspect of Japan's capital city. Tokyo is a place where the urgent rhythms of consumer culture collide with the quieter moments that linger from older traditions. It's hectic madness leavened by the most Zenic of calms.
Lovely big pieces of raw fish: salmon sushi in Tokyo restaurant
Sumo wrestlers and gyoji (referee) at Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena
Teenagers and big teenagers, shopping in Harajuku
Japanese drummers thrashing about in Tokyo
Neon Canyon: Yasukuni-dori (Yasukuni street), Shinjuku
One big electricity bill, Shinjuku district
While it's true the exciting vibe has a somewhat depressing flip side - shoebox housing estates and office blocks traversed by overhead expressways crowded with traffic - Tokyo remains a glittering example of the 'miracle' of post-WWII Japan.
Great Buddha of Kamakura: built 1252, almost washed away by tidal wave, 1495
What the future will be like: sleeping accommodation in capsule hotel, Shinjuku
Vending machine capital of the world
