Great Japanese Railway Journeys
Tokyo, Part One
Season 1 Episode 11 of 15
Michael Portillo arrives in Tokyo on a sleek Shinkansen bullet train and explores the ornate Akasaka Palace, built in 1909 by Emperor Meiji for his son, the crown prince Yoshihito. On board a sleek Shinkansen bullet train, Michael arrives in Tokyo, one of the greatest cities on earth, with a population of 37 million in the metropolitan area. He begins by exploring the ornate Akasaka Palace, built in 1909 by Emperor Meiji for his son, the crown prince Yoshihito. He's surprised to find that, with its neo-baroque architecture and impressive fountains, it looks more than a little British. In the fashionable district of Ginza, Michael journeys underground to ride the metro, where he is intrigued by the catchy jingles played at each station and meets one of the composers behind 300 of the tunes