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Basic Notes
Each district in Neo-Edo contains its own militia depot, Shinto shrines, shopping and entertainment areas, craftsmen and artisans as well as militia check points at strategic junctions. All districts are connected by the monorail which circles the city and a network of roads maintained by the Nobunaga zaibatsu. The areas listed below are worthy of individual note.
Central Park and Peace Gardens
At the centre of Neo-Edo is a large park complex where the citizens come to escape the daily grind amid a natural setting. The park is divided into quarters around a central amphitheatre of yellowed stone which is used solely for ceremonial occasions.
One quarter of the park is the Garden of Peace, a traditional contemplative garden of bubbling streams, raked sand and well placed stones surrounded by trees and hedges.
Another quarter is forested with strategically placed groves containing stone lanterns on pedastals. Water again plays an important part in this garden and the forests many streams are crossed with wooden bridges in the traditional style.
A third quarter of the park is rocky and bare but conveys to the vistor a sense of strength and resilience rather than barren desolation. Many of the young people of Neo-Edo use this area for rock-climbing and exercise.
The final quarter consists of a series of lakes and canals fed by the streams flowing through the other quarters of the park. Families often gather here to allow the children to play in safety and freedom.
Each quarter of the park also contains enclosures were animals common to that type of terrain are kept in safety and may be enjoyed by the people of the city.
Shopping Mall Ginza
The Ginza district remains the heart of high class shopping in Neo-Edo after World War III. It seems that nothing can put a dent in the rampant commercialism of the Ginza area. In this area, the visitor may find decorative crafts recently revived such as expensive hand-carved wooden trinkets, traditional clothes and even the revival of the swordmakers' art. Restaurants here specialise in traditional and pre-war cuisine. Make sure you check you credit references before you think of shopping here.
Harajuku District
This area is virtually ruled by the teenagers and young adults of Neo-Edo. because of this, one may expect to see a high-visibility militia presence here in order to prevent gangs from the rival zaibatsu coming to blows and prevent the inevitable accidents from illegal motorbike racing in the back streets.
Surrounding Harajuku square are many stores and cafes catering to the young. One can find here many bargains as long as one enjoys teen fashion and past-times. In the back-alleys of the district, if one knows where to look, one can find the some of the best technicians and vehicle repair shops in the city.
Castle Edo
The Imperial Palace (Kokyo) is located on the former site of Edo Castle, a large park area surrounded by moats and massive stone walls in the center of Neo-Edo. The main buildings, including the moats, walls, entrance gates and several guardhouses have been rebuilt to house the Shogun's offices and living quarters. It is inside these walls that Shogun general Meiji governs Neo-Edo.
A wide lawn and the remaining foundation of the former castle tower can be found on top of the hill, where the castle's innermost buildings once stood. The castle tower was rebuilt in 2038 as the tallest castle tower in Japan's history.
In place of the former buildings in the secondary circle of defense at the foot of the hill, a nice Japanese style garden has been created. It is here that the Shogun ajudicates on civil court proceedings and hear petitions from the populace.
Dazaifu Temple
Although there is no central authority within the Shinto faith, this temple is as close as it comes to the spiritual centre of Shinto in Neo-Edo. There are many other local shrines in each of the districts and attached to each of the great families in the city. The fact that the Dazaifu Temple escaped the war without any hint of damage has convinced people of its holiness.
The first shrine was built in 905. A larger structure was constructed by the Fujiwara clan in 919 but was burnt to the ground during the one of many civil wars. The main shrine visitors see today dates from 1591 and is a fine example of traditional architecture. The abbot receive supplicants most days and officiates at ceremonies whenever called upon by the Shogun or family head.
The bridge which dominates the gardens is formed from three elements, the first arched bridge represents the past, the flat bridge the present, and the second arched bridge the future. Just to the right of the bridge is this pretty pond, seen to best advantage in June, when irises are in full bloom. There are many camphor trees in the area, and the one towering to the left of the main shrine is estimated at least 1,500 years old.
The City Walls
Neo-Edo is surrounded by reinforced ferro-concrete walls ten metres high when measured on the outside face. They are topped with battlements constantly manned by soliders. Every kilometre or so around the walls is a strong point containing heavier weapons and access to the city streets below.
Outside the walls is a 400 metre wide strip bulldozed clear in the early days of the post-war recovery. This strip separates Neo-Edo from the twisted metal wreckage and stoney concrete rubble of the wastelands.
At six points around the walls are gates with huge steel doors. Access through the gates is strictly controlled. One may only pass the gates with a pass signed by the Shogun or a member of the general staff and these are only issued to individuals with important business outside the walls. More importantly, no one is let in without a pass. If one is in the wastelands and loses one's pass, there is no way to return to Neo-Edo.
The Dockyard District
The dockyard district is home the the fishing fleet. After the war, Neo-Edo soon regained its reliance on the sea as a means of feeding its people. The occaisonal ship from another land only serves to show how well Neo-Edo survived the war under the benevolent rule of Shogun General Meiji.
Tsukiji Central Wholesale Market is a large wholesale market for fish, fruit and vegetables in the dockyard district. It is the most famous of over ten wholesale markets that handle the collection and distribution of fruit, vegetables, flowers, meat and fish in Neo-Edo.
The sight of the many kinds of fresh fish, shellfish and other seafood and the busy atmosphere of scooters, trucks, sellers and buyers hurrying around, make Tsukiji Market one of Tokyo's major tourist attractions. However, since Tsukiji Market is a site where serious business is conducted, it is important for visitors not to interfere with the action by not bringing any large bags and not obstructing traffic along the narrow lanes.