Tokyo Tower is a famous Japanese and Tokyo icon and landmark located in Shiba Park, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. At 332.5 metres (1,091 ft), it is the tallest artificial structure in Japan. Tokyo Tower is 13 meters taller than its model, the Eiffel Tower of Paris, and the world’s tallest self-supporting steel tower. It has been made famous by its appearance in many movies and cartoons. It was completed in the year 1958 as a symbol for Japan’s rebirth as a major economic power, and serves as a television and radio broadcast antenna and tourist attraction.

Visitors can ascend to the main observatory at 150 meters and the special observatory at 250 meters to get a bird’s eye view of Tokyo. Under good weather conditions, Mount Fuji can be seen in the distance. Unfortunately in Tokyo it is not possible to use tripod and black curtain (to get rid of reflections) for photography on any observation deck.

See a little gallery of all the images shot here: Gallery of Tokyo Photos Images – Japan Stock Photography.

Tokyo (東京), Kanto (関東地方), Honshu (本州), Japan (日本国)

Venus Fort shopping mall in Odaiba, Tokyo embodies a Japanese vision of a young woman’s shopping paradise. The interior is modeled after Italy in the 18th century where the ceilings simulate the sky turning from day to night creating a sunset every thirty minutes. There are marble fountains along with all the shop fronts looking like the buildings of Venice. The stores are mainly fashion and accessories, together with restaurants and cake shops.

I’ve found that people who have built the Venus Fort are very-very wise. Not just smart, but worldly wise as well. Why? It’s very simple. Men (usually) hate do a shopping with women in fashion boutiques. So they’ve built an entertainment complex for men as well. When a couple enters the Palette Town complex in Odaiba woman will go to the right to the Venus Fort and men will go to the left to the Toyota Mega Web – a Toyota car technology showcase where you see some great racing cars Toyota produces, drive a micro electric car and sit in many of the current Toyota cars many of which are not available outside of Japan. Women do their shopping in fashion boutiques, spending time in restaurants and cafes while husbands enjoy playing with big toys. Everyone is happy. Family idyll is restored.

More images: Gallery of Tokyo Stock Images – Japan Stock Photography.

The French Statue of Liberty came to Odaiba, the beach area of Tokyo since April 1998 until May 1999 in commemoration of “The French year in Japan”. Because of its popularity, in 2000, a replica of the French Statue of Liberty was erected at the same place.

The Rainbow Bridge is a suspension bridge crossing northern Tokyo Bay between Shibaura Wharf and the Odaiba, a large artificial island in Tokyo Bay, Japan. The towers supporting the bridge are white in color, designed to harmonize with the skyline of central Tokyo seen from Odaiba. There are lamps placed on the wires supporting the bridge, which are illuminated into three different colors, red, white and green every night using solar energy obtained during the day.

More images: Gallery of Tokyo Stock Images – Japan Stock Photography.

Odaiba (お台場), Tokyo (東京), Kanto (関東地方), Honshu (本州), Japan (日本国)

At all Shinto shrines and temples, worshippers and casual visitors are asked to purify themselves (Harai) of impurity before praying to the Shinto deities. The act of cleansing is called Misogi, and the actual washing of hands and mouth with water is called Temizu.

The protocol is thus: take one of the ladles provided, fill it with fresh water and rinse both hands. Then transfer some water into your cupped hand, rinse your mouth and spit the water beside the fountain. You are not supposed to transfer the water directly from the ladle into your mouth or swallow the water. Quite a few visitors skip the mouth rinsing part or the purification ritual altogether.

More images: Gallery of Tokyo Stock Images – Japan Stock Photography.

Senso-ji Temple (also known as Asakusa Kannon Temple) is an ancient Buddhist temple located in Asakusa, Tokyo. It is Tokyo’s oldest temple, and one of its most significant.

The legend says that in the year 628, two brothers fished a statue of Kannon, the goddess of mercy, out of the Sumida River, and even though they put the statue back into the river, it always returned to them. Consequently, Sensoji was built there for the goddess of Kannon. The temple was completed in 645, making it Tokyo’s oldest temple.

The photo shows the five-story pagoda and Hozo-mon gate (“Treasure House Gate”) which provides the entrance to the inner complex.

More images: Gallery of Tokyo Stock Images – Japan Stock Photography.

Senso-ji (金龍山浅草寺), Tokyo (東京), Kanto (関東地方), Honshu (本州), Japan (日本国)