MANILA, Philippines - When in Tokyo, bring along your walking shoes, loads of money, dozens of Japanese words and phrases, and a lot of confidence to hurdle the ?challenges? that would come your way.

Tokyo is one of the most expensive cities in the world, so if money is a problem especially in traveling from one place to another (the taxi flagdown rate is around P300, the minimum bus fare is about P100 and the cheapest subway ticket is about P80), the walking shoes would do the trick.

No need to worry, though, because most Japanese and tourists alike will walk with you toward your destination.

Learning some Japanese words and phrases will also aid you to move around. You?ll need them to ask for directions, to order food, buy goods. Ordinary Japanese hardly understand or much less speak English. Their general warmth and friendliness aren?t enough, especially when you begin to realize that your message is not getting through and you?re only just smiling at each other.

As for the extra cash, better be prepared. Since most maps and street signs are in Japanese, you can get lost. When you take a cab, those loads of money will surely come in handy.

Highly affluent

Japan is the world?s second largest economic power, next to the United States. Its affluence is highly reflected in every aspect of the country?s lifestyle.

In Akihabara, gadgets from digital cameras to cell phones and even laptops are sold in cobbled sidewalks. There are buildings stocked from top to bottom with these gadgets?from brand new to surplus to second-hand. Great bargains can be had here.

Now known the world over, the small area around Chuo-dori Avenue has become a mecca for electrical appliances and electronic shops of all sizes. Also in this place are thousands of toys that satisfy the Japanese thirst for hobbies and leisure. The volume of toys from Ultraman to Goku to Naruto to the never unfashionable Hello Kitty is staggering.

Shibuya, on another side of Tokyo, is the enclave of one of the world?s most fashion-forward generations. It?s a place where fashion trends are born and spread nationwide.

The lively downtown district is lit by competing neon lights at night. Awash in youth fashion shops, game centers, movie theaters and music stores, the area also provides facilities for high-level culture such as concerts, operas, ballet performances, even a museum of electricity.

The most popular nightspot in Japan is Roppongi. Considered an international district because of its many foreign restaurants, shops and entertainment centers, the area also hosts the largest building complexes in Japan. At Roppongi Hills are multiple-theater cinema complexes, luxury residences, hotels, a TV station, an observatory and art museums.

At the 52nd floor of the Mori Tower is the Tokyo City View, whose glass-walled observatory offers a stunning view of the city.

Akasaka, meanwhile, is home to many foreign embassies, the Diet Building and the official residence of Japan?s prime minister. It?s also a business town with its many business establishments, and a historical and cultural site because of the many shrines and traces of the old town in it.

Well-preserved touches

But behind the cosmopolitan sheen and the towering skyscrapers are well-preserved touches of old Edo (Tokyo?s former name). Not very far from the central part of the city, reachable within 30 minutes by train, are ancient temples and shrines, parks and old houses.

Asakusa once thrived as a shrine town for Sensoji Temple, built in 628 AD, but is now a lovely shopping street that attracts many foreign tourists, visitors and worshippers throughout the year. Numerous shops are lined up along the Nakamise-dori Street on the way to Sensoji. Souvenirs, gift items, traditional Japanese flavored goods, distinct delicacies and small articles made of Japanese paper can be had here.

At Ueno, one can find both healing power and excitement. Solemn museum buildings are scattered throughout the vast park. The Toshogu Shrine, which was built in 1617, offers historically valuable architecture, including the Grand Oishi Torii Gate and bronze garden lanterns.

The Yushima Tenmangu Shrine, established in 458, was where Michizane Sugawara, the God of Learning, is enshrined. Its Shaden architecture entirely constructed with Japanese cypress is a must-see.

Ueno is always crowded with shoppers because of the hundreds of shops that sell everything from basic food to high-class imported goods at reasonable prices. There is also a concentration of cultural institutions here, such as the Tokyo Metropolitan Imperial Gift Ueno Zoo, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum and the Tokyo National Museum, all offering recreation and relaxation for citizens and visitors alike.

So, in the ever-progressive city of Tokyo where the future is constantly reborn, old and new seamlessly harmonize with each other.

There are certainly life lessons one can learn here. A place doesn?t have to get rid of its past just to make way for the present. A city can achieve progress without congestion and confusion, gridlock and pollution. Tokyo is teeming with 12 million people working and living in its hundreds of skyscrapers, but order and correctness is much evident in this one-of-a-kind city.