Before your Asian adventure, get your Japanese Yen at Nour Exchange and the difference* will cover the cost of a traditional Japanese meal for two at a family restaurant.

Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics

Or referred to as the Games of the XXXII Olympiad, Tokyo was chosen to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games on 7 September 2013, at the 125th Session of the International Olympic Committee held in Buenos Aires. The Tokyo Olympic Games will take place from July 24 to August 9 2020, and the Tokyo Paralympic Games will be held from August 25 and September 6 2020. This will be the second time that Tokyo has hosted a Summer Olympic Games, with the first in 1964, making it the first city in Asia to host the Summer Games twice and the fourth Olympic Games to be held in Japan, which also hosted the Winter Olympics in 1972 in Sapporo, and 1998 in Nagano. Additionally, the 2020 Summer Games will be the second of three consecutive Olympics to be held in East Asia, the first was the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea, and the one after the 2020 Summer Games will the the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, China. These Games will see the introduction of new competitions, including 3 on 3 basketball, freestyle BMX and Madison cycling, karate, sport climbing, surfing and skateboarding make their Olympic debuts, as well as the return of baseball and softball from 2008.

For more information, use the Tokyo2020 site. As of this time, all tickets to all events have sold. It is unknown if additional tickets or refunded tickets will become available.

Tsukuba Space Center

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is a conglomeration of Institute of Space and Astronautical Science, the National Aerospace Laboratory, and the National Space Development Agency of Japan. There are a number of facilities under this umbrella that are open to visitors, indlucing the Tsukuba Space Center located in Tsukuba Science City, sitting on 530,000 square-meters with world-class equipment and testing facilities. JAXA performs activities which includes development and operation of satellites and analysis of acquired image data, space environment utilization using the Japanese Experiment Module “Kibo” of the International Space Station, providing astronaut training and promoting manned space activity and development of launch vehicles and other space transportation systems and technological research.

More info about this facility and the many others in the space agency is available at global.jaxa.jp

Sumo Museum

The Sumo Museum opened in September 1954 to coincide with the completion of professional sumo’s new home, the Kuramae Kokugikan, created to protect and preserve the heritage of Japan’s national sport. In January 1985 the museum moved to its present location when tournament sumo returned to Ryogoku with the opening of the Ryogoku Kokugikan. The purpose of the museum is to gather and preserve a wide range of materials related to the history of sumo, from woodblock prints and banzuke (rankings) to the ceremonial aprons worn by the great rikishi of the past. The museum functions as a research center, studying and reviewing sumo history as part of Japanese culture.

Using Nour to exchange your Yen could yield a savings large enough to pay for an arena seat at a tournament. For more information about the museum.

Showa-Kan

The National Showa Memorial Museum (Showa-Kan) exhibits the adversity suffered by everyday people during and after the Second World War. The museum was designed by architect Kiyonori Kikutake and houses over 18,000 items, including letters, clothes and other commodities from World War II. The exhibits provide a clear view of the day-to-day struggles of regular citizens, both during and after the conflict. In addition to the moving exhibits, there is an interactive area where you can try on replicas of period clothing and a theater with regular showings of wartime newsreels. There’s an English-language audio guide to fill you in.

For more information, open their PDF.

Imperial Palace

The Tokyo Imperial Palace is surrounded by parks and gardens offering a getaway from the busy city. At 1.3 sq miles, the grounds are meticulously maintained and one of the top destinations for visitors to Tokyo, and includes cherry blossoms viewing areas (hanami), art galleries, ruins and a private area reserved for royalty. Now among the most highly valued land in Japan, it is only a short walk from Tokyo Station. There are organized tours available for free, and days when you can see the Emperor himself. The current palace grounds were once the site of the residence of warrior Edo Shigetsugu and Edo Castle. Built in 1457 by Ota Dokan, Edo Castle, or Chiyoda Castle, was taken over by the Hojo clan, and was later abandoned during the Siege of Odawara in 1590, and later became the base of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the Tokugawa Shogunate, with the castle becoming the military capital. Following the Meiji Restoration it became the Imperial Palace, with Emperor Meiji residing there until the new palace was built. Unfortunately almost nothing remains of the original castle or ancient buildings due to fires, earthquakes and war but a few small areas have survived. The Tenshudai is the foundation of the once-tallest tower in Japan, and is in the East Garden.

* Based on a typical trip to Japan for two adults from ten to twelve nights including food, entertainment, local travel, ave. $3,000 CDN.