TOKYO2005

The Great Buddha of Kamakura is a bronze statue of Amida Buddha that is located on the grounds of the Kotokuin Temple. With a height of 13.35 meters, it is the second largest Buddha statue in Japan (the largest is located in the Todaiji Temple in Nara).

The statue was cast in 1252 and originally located inside a large temple hall. However, the temple buildings were washed away by a tsunami tidal wave in the end of the 15th century, and since then the Buddha stands in the open air. (MORE PHOTOS)

Ikebukuro is one of Tokyo's multiple city centers, located in the northwestern corner of the Yamanote loop line. Ikebukuro offers plenty of entertainment, shopping and dining opportunities. Ikebukuro is one of Tokyo's multiple city centers. With the second busiest railway station of Japan at its center, the district offers lots of entertainment, shopping and dining opportunities.

Handling more than a million passengers per day, Ikebukuro Station is surpassed only by Shinjuku Station as Japan's busiest railway station. Three subway and multiple urban and suburban train lines commence or pass through the large station complex.

MyLord offers seven floors of shopping and three restaurant floors. The complex also includes "Mosaic Dori", a narrow pedestrian street between the Keio and Odakyu department stores. Mylord is affiliated with the Odakyu Group.

Takashimaya Dept. Store- Takashimaya Company has the honor of being the oldest department store chain in Japan.

Tobu Department Store Located on top of the west exit of Ikebukuro Station, the Tobu Department Store is one of Tokyo's largest department stores. It belongs to the Tobu Group, which also operates several suburban railway lines, including the Tobu Tojo Line which terminates at Ikebukuro Station.

Everyday bicycles in Japan - commuting to school, work or to the closest railway station, picking up children from preschool or doing the daily groceries are among the activities commonly done by bicycle.

Harajuku's main attraction is the Takeshita Street, a narrow and busy pedestrian street featuring various small stores.

Takeshita Street Harajuku is Tokyo's teenager town, a shopping and entertainment district for the young and trendy. Many small stores, boutiques, restaurants and cafes can be found in the area. It is located in Shibuya-ku, north of the Shibuya shopping district and just next to the entrance of the Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park.

The Omotesando, sometimes refered to as Tokyo's Champs-Elysees, is a broad avenue lined with trees that starts just outside of Harajuku Station.

January 10th of every year in Japan is Seijin no Hi. Seijin no Hi translates into "Coming of Age Day." It is the day that all 20-year-olds in Japan become adults. At 20 years old, all Japanese young people have the right to vote, drink, and smoke cigarettes.

Omikuji are fortune telling paper slips found at many shrines and temples. Randomly drawn, they contain predictions ranging from daikichi ("great good luck") to daikyo ("great bad luck"). By tying the piece of paper around a tree's branch, good fortune will come true or bad fortune can be averted.