Did I Tell You I Am Rather Fond Of Tokyo?

As you probably know, I have a soft spot for Tokyo. I was there three times and I always wanted to go back. And now I can, at least virtually.



I can visit the first hotel I stayed in, the second hotel I stayed in and even the third hotel I stayed in!

All that thanks to Google Maps' new Street View coverage. You can now see Tokyo's new city hall, the giant golden turd, big-ass roller coaster right in the middle of the city and even Godzilla herself. Unfortunately, most of the photos are taken very early in the morning and that means one of the most important elements is missing - the people. And, of course, you cannot see areas where cars don't have access.

Street View, coupled with Panoramio, Picasaweb and Youtube integration, makes Google Maps really, really useful tool for selecting your vacation or just "having a look how it looks over there". Recently, I used it to check out where we are going for a vacation in a few weeks.