Kitanomaru Park

Want to spend a spring time in Japan under cherry blossom? Are you looking for National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo? Do you have an interest in visiting Science Museum Tokyo? Is your destination the Nippon Budokan, the "martial arts hall"? Or you are seeking for the way to get to Yasukuni Shrine? Now, for all these questions, your answer is Kitanomaru Park. And whenever this park is concerned, there must be a discussion on Yasukuni Shrine, a controversial shrine to Japan's war dead, housing the souls of some 2.5 million people killed in Japan's wars - including convicted war criminals executed by the Allies.

Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art
Kitanomaru Park houses the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art. Established in 1952, this is the foremost collecting and exhibiting museum of modern Japanese art. Here the set boasts many distinguished Japanese artists since the Meiji period as well as a few contemporary Western prints.

The Nippon Budokan
Often abridged as just "Budokan", this is an arena in central Tokyo. For many Westerners, the Budokan is identical with large-scale rock concerts. This, however, was at first constructed for the Judo competition in the 1964 Summer Olympics, hence its name, rendered into English is "martial arts hall".
However, the primary purpose of Budokan is holding competition of Japanese martial arts, though it still functions as a venue for big musical events. It has three halls, the largest of which holds 14,000 people and is shaped after a hall in Horyuji Temple in Nara.
This is two minutes' walking distance from Kudanshita Subway Station, and near Yasukuni Shrine. This 42 m (140 ft) high imposing octagonal structure holds 14,201 people
Arena seats: 2,762
1st floor seats: 3,199
2nd floor seats: 7,760 and
Standee: 480

The national championships of the different branches of the martial arts (Judo, Kendo, Karate, Aikido, Shorinji Kempo, Kyudo, Naginata, etc.) are held annually at the Budokan.

Hotels in Tokyo
Shiba Park Hotel	Metropolitan Edmont Hotel
Grand Palace Hotel	Grand Prince Akasaka Hotel
The B Akasaka Hotel	Mitsui Garden Shiodome Italia Hotel