SW visits Tokyo
By Itsarin Tisantia
Photos courtesy of AP, AFP,
Reuters and Bangkok Post
Tokyo, the huge capital of Japan, is famed for its business centres, entertainment and cultural diversity. Tokyo, which was formerly named Edo, is also a world leader in economy, technology and fashion.
For Freeze Frame this week, SW explores some of what Tokyo has to offer.
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Visitors view The Big Wave off the Coast of Kanagawa drawing by Katsushika Hokusai at the Tokyo National Museum, which was established in 1872. The museum exhibits a huge collection of artworks and archaeological objects. |
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Sports enthusiasts love to visit the Ryougoku Sumo Hall. Opened in 1985, the hall can seat up to 13,000 people. |
Located in Minato district, Roppongi Hills is a leafy area featuring many foreign embassies, as well as numerous restaurants, nightclubs and movie theaters. |
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Penguins parade at Ueno Zoo. First opened in 1882, the zoo is Japan’s oldest and home to 460 different species of animals. |
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The National Art Center in Roppongi holds regular public events and hosts many interesting travelling exhibits. |
A girl shops for leggings in Harajuku, a popular area for young people who want to check out the latest fashion trends in Tokyo. |
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Built in 1958, the spectacular, 333 metre-tall Tokyo Tower is one of the city’s major landmarks. |
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Girls pose on the street in Shibuya, a busy area where many young people go to eat, hang out, and shop for clothes, books, records and gadgets. |
Exercises
Read through Freeze Frame. Then, decide whether the following statements are true or false.
1. Tokyo Tower was built in 1958.
2. Fashionable young people like to shop in Harajuku.
3. The Ryougoku Sumo Hall first opened in 1958.
4. Ueno Zoo is home to 4,600 species of animals.
Vocabulary
- archaeological (adj): connected with the study of cultures of the past by examining the remains of buildings and objects found in the ground
leggings (n): pants for women that fit tightly over the legs, made of fabric that stretches easily
gadget (n): a small tool or device that does something useful
