| Aqua City, Venus Fort, and Rainbow | | | | wtching over its Aqua City shopping |
| Bridge. While they may sound like the | | | | center; Venus Fort, another shopping |
| settings for the next big battle of 21st | | | | mall designed to resemble |
| century superheroes, they are in | | | | eighteenth-century Venice; and Oedo |
| actuality just three of the attractions | | | | Onsen Monogatari, an Edo-period style |
| which have made Tokyo's Odaiba one of | | | | bathing park built around a 1400-metre |
| the city's most frequented destinations. | | | | deep hot spring. The Odiaba Kaihin Park, |
| Odaiba stands on two of six islands | | | | near the Rainbow Bridge and the |
| which the Togukawa shogunate built and | | | | possessor of one of Tokyo's two sand |
| fortified to protect Tokyo Harbor from | | | | beaches, is a favorite spot for romantic |
| Western intrusion, which arrived in the | | | | assignations, but swimming in Tokyo's |
| person of Commodore Matthew Perry in | | | | less-than-pristine bay is not |
| 1853. It received its name from the | | | | recommended. For the technologically |
| Japanese word 'daiba," for fort. When | | | | inclined, Odaiba has the Miraikan, |
| Japan experienced its enormous economic | | | | Japan's Museum of Emerging Science and |
| boom in the early 1980s, the third and | | | | Innovation, the Fuji Television |
| sixth of the fortified islands were | | | | Building, and the Toyota Mega Web. |
| extended, and named Tokyo Teleport Town | | | | Accessing Odaiba from either the Rainbow |
| for the ultramodern business city which | | | | Bridge or the Yurikamome elevated train |
| was to be constructed on them. The | | | | will afford visitors some splendid views |
| economic boom went bust, however, and in | | | | of Tokyo Bay. The park-like grounds and |
| the 1990s, new plans permitting Odaiba | | | | private waterfront balconies of the |
| to be commercially developed saw it | | | | five-star Odaiba Nikko Hotel, the first |
| quickly inhabited by the entertainment | | | | built on Odaiba, offer visitors an |
| and commercial enterprises which make it | | | | escape from the bustle of Tokyo with |
| such a huge draw today. Among Odiaba's | | | | its. The Odaiba Nikko is a perfect spot |
| most impressive attractions are the | | | | for romantic getaways. |
| replica of France's Statue of Liberty | | | | |