Private Guide in Hakone:Yokoso! Japan
Member Since 2005
Country: Japan
City: Hakone
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Discovering Tokyo from an open-top tour bus
Private Tour Guide in Japan: Yokoso! Japan
Regardless of whether you are visiting Tokyo for pleasure or on business, or a long-term resident, the Skybus Tokyo, Japan's first open-top double-decker tour bus, is highly recommended. This sightseeing bus, recently launched by Hinomaru Limousine, has 45 seats and drives all the way around the central districts of the city, giving riders an unobstructed view of the Imperial Palace, the Otemachi financial center, the Diet Building and government district, Ginza and Nihombashi. The trip takes approximately 45 minutes and features a recorded audio guide in Japanese and English. It departs every hour on the hour from 10:00 am through 6:00 pm daily from Tokyo Station. Tickets (1,200 yen for adults/600 yen for children) are available from the Skybus Ticket Office in the lobby of the Mitsubishi Building across from the Marunouchi South Entrance of Tokyo Station.
After boarding, you are told to tightly buckle up and remain seated at all times while the vehicle is in motion. The strict instructions might seem to some people a bit much -- after all, this is just a tour bus, not a roller coaster. But you soon understand the reasoning behind the strict rules -- when the new double-decker passes under the gingko and cherry trees lining the streets, some of the lower branches swish past just over your head; they could easily knock an unsuspecting rubber-necker right off the bus. Besides, the clearance of a certain JR railroad bridge in the center of Tokyo is only 3.8 meters -- not much higher than the bus itself. You won't be tempted to stand up and take a photo of this particular old bridge -- you'll be too busy ducking your head.
As long as you're safely seated, you can, of course, crane your neck around to enjoy the panoramic view as the Skybus meanders along its route. The most spectacular part of the tour is the drive along the water-filled inner moat of the Imperial Palace. It's also a rather novel experience to peer down at the crowds thronging the streets of Ginza as they, in turn, gape up at you touring on your eye-grabbing open-top bus.
Most of the Skybus tours at the moment seem to be filled mainly with Tokyoites, even though the bus operator initially expected to accommodate more visitors from elsewhere in Japan and abroad. Even for people who know Tokyo well, the view from the top of the Skybus gives a new sense of discovery.
