Cam and Meg with the Tokyo Sky Tower in the background

On the weekend, we met up with some friends for brunch in Roppongi Hills.  Brookey is a member of the club and we shared some stories and had some laughs with his wife and daughter.  Brookey was kind enough to take a picture of Meg and I with the Tokyo Tower in the background from the 51st floor of the Roppongi Hills tower.

In the next photo, there is a building with what appears to be white lines up the length of the building.  That’s Google’s Japan head office.  

Mega projects and development

As far as you can see, there are buildings and expressways, which only end at the water. Cranes dot the landscape, with mega projects still being started.  Interest rates are still below zero percent in Japan, so large companies are being paid to borrow money to keep things going.  Japan does have an aging population and no one is sure how things will turn out.

Green space and parks

Despite it being such a large city, there are a number of parks and green spaces.  The most impressive, of course, is the Imperial Palace grounds. I’ll post more on that soon, as we plan to visit those grounds and hopefully get a tour inside. I’m sure when they figure out who I think I am, they will welcome inside me with open arms.

Over the next week, we’ll be exploring various neighbourhoods, each with it’s own specialty and vibe.

Have you been to Tokyo before?  If so, what was your favourite neighbourhood?