Page 3 - japan
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where you can’t recognize and finding un-

                                                                                         expected  oases  of  calm.  in  the  tranquil

                                                                                         grounds of a neighbourhood Shinto shrine.

                                                                                         It’s all perfectly safe, and the locals will

                                                                                         go to sometimes extraordinary lengths to

                                                                                         help you if you just ask.

                                                                                         From  modern  electronics  and  gleaming

                                                                                         skyscrapers to cherry blossoms and the

                                                                                         Imperial  Palace,  this  city  represents  the

                                                                                         entire country.

                                                                                         Tokyo is classified as lying in the humid

                                                                                         subtropical climate zone and has five dis-

                                                                                         tinct seasons.Spring kicks off with plum

                                                                                         blossoms  in  late  February,  followed  by

                                                                                         the  famous cherry  blossoms (sakura)  in

                                                                                         March–April. Parks, most famously Ueno,

                                                                                         fill up with blue tarps and sozzled salary-

                                                                                         men.

                                                                                         Rainy season (baiu or tsuyu) in late May

                                                                                         to June means a month of overcast skies

                                                                                         and  drizzle  punctuated  with  downpours,

                                                                                         with temperatures in the twenties.

                                                                                         Summer really kicks off in July, with clear

                                                                                         skies but temperatures peaking into the

                                                                                         high  thirties  and  brutal  steam  bath  hu-

                                                                                         midity. Even a short walk outside will leave

                                                                                         you drenched in sweat, so this is proba-

                                                                                         bly the worst time of year to visit, and is

                                                                                         best avoided if you have a choice. The one

                                                                                         bright  spot  is  the  plethora  of  fireworks,

                                                                                         most notably the epic pyrotechnic extrav-
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