Although it houses a priceless collection of bronze sculpture from China, along with artwork that spans the history of Japan, the most valuable commodity of the Nezu Museum might be its tranquility. Outside lurks the distressingly crowded shopping mecca of Omotesando, but inside this museum, we found one of Tokyo's most peaceful corners.
Its reputation as the pleasure center of Tokyo has long since faded, the Kabuki theaters have relocated and geishas mostly vanished, but the northeastern neighborhood of Asakusa still boasts a few worthwhile attractions apart from the temple of Sensō-ji.
For such a congested city, Tokyo has a surprising amount of green space. Take, for example, the area directly outside the Imperial Palace. The Kyoko Gaien (Outer Garden) once held the houses of Japan's provincial lords, but today offers people a place to stretch out on the grass. We visited it and the nearby Hibiya Park on a sunny Sunday afternoon.
After noticing the white hulk of the Edo-Tokyo Museum from atop the SkyTree, we wondered how even the world's biggest city could justify such a monstrous history museum. But when exhibits include full-scale reconstructions of theaters, houses and even a publishing house, the extra room comes in handy.
On September 1st, 1923, Tokyo was struck by the most devastating earthquake in its history. Seventy percent of the city's housing was destroyed and over 140,000 people lost their lives during the quake, as well as in the subsequent fires which raged uncontrollably through the streets.
