Meriken Park is a waterfront spot of captivating, symbolic structures that include Kobe Port Tower, which, from its top-floor observation post, offers a 10-million-dollar panoramic night view of the port, city skyline, and Mount Rokko. Visitors here have the opportunity to shop, take excursion cruises, and savor the atmosphere of Port Town Kobe with its refreshing seaside breezes.

The first of its kind in Japan, Kyoto Studio Park blends a theme park together with an open film set that recreates street scenes of the Edo period, offering visitors opportunities to experience period dramas, watch the live filming of television dramas and movies, and enjoy other events and attractions that provide an up-close experience of the world of television and film. In 2011, the park underwent various remodeling projects that included the completion of a new anime museum and ninja compound.

This area, in the west of the city, now probably best represents modern Tokyo - its railway station complex alone is like a small city, as the busiest train station in the world (over 3 million passengers per day). In western area of this district, there are some distinctive skyscrapers including Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices (free observation deck at 202-m high), and in eastern area is Tokyo's bustling red-light district, Kabukicho, which is an amusing place to stroll around - unaccountable, but mostly safe.