Arriving in Tokyo amid the darkness and rain brought by a typhoon is about as close to being in Blade Runner as you can get. With a population of 35 million and seemingly boundless urban construction, Tokyo operates more like a medium-sized country than a city. I've separated into groups some of the unusual and beautiful things that have been created by a city of this size.
A city the scale of Tokyo demands a series of colossal infrastructural and commercial systems to keep running. These organs such as the Tsukiji fish market, the container terminals at the port or the quadruple-decker highways create unintended yet magnificent urban phenomena.
In addition to the horizontal density of the street, made up from sign posts, adverts, telephone cables and sidewalk furniture, Tokyo is a city that can be readily experienced vertically. Most apartments have accessible fire escapes that give unique views. Many of the towers and skyscrapers host observatories and viewing platforms. However, perhaps the best way to experience the density of Tokyo is by chartered helicopter.
The eccentricities of Tokyo leads to some extremes. This ranges from the ever-improving art of a sushi restaurant to places like the Robot Restaurant where the show culminates in a neon striped tank battling a panda riding a cow.
