If you read this blog and have never been to Japan, one day you will hopefully make it to Tokyo and to Ryogoku Kokugikan (両国国技館) – the main sumo venue. The next train station is literally Tokyo’s Tinsel Town, Kinshicho (錦糸町). You will recognize the first character as nishiki. I’ve written before about the meaning of nishiki. Together with the kanji for thread, it means tinsel.

Now, the city itself is not really all that much of a tourist attraction. There are a couple of big malls that service the neighboring communities, including Ryogoku and Kameido (亀戸); the train station is also a local hub with an express train of the Sobu Line. Off the main streets, there’s also a bit of the rather unseemly side of Tokyo with the hostess clubs, massage parlors, and love hotels. Don’t worry, as a foreigner you won’t be hassled too much because most of the fuuzoku (風俗) places are off-limits (NG) places so not many touts will bug you. But as I mentioned, the area is really best known locally as a shopping district for the neighborhoods.