The University of Tokyo and the Sony Corporation have developed a small device with a tiny camera, a GPS and a Bluetooth that attaches to a cat’s collar, sending real-time tweets that show if the cat is eating, running or sleeping. At a wedding that took place recently on a restaurant’s rooftop in Tokyo’s Hibiya Park, the marriage vows were read by “I-Fairy,” a 4-foot robot with flashing eyes and plastic pigtails manufactured by the Kokoro Company. New cigarette vending machines around Tokyo have electronic eyes that can read customers’ skin and wrinkles to determine if they are old enough to purchase tobacco.

The Shimizu construction company’s Mega-City Pyramid is a proposed real estate project to construct a massive glass pyramid over Tokyo Bay. The structure would be 14 times larger than the Great Pyramid at Giza, and 750,000 people would live within it. Although the project’s completion relies on materials based on carbon nanotubes — not yet developed — it is assumed that engineers in Tokyo will find a way to make it happen.

Tokyo lives in the future. It allows its inventors and designers, and thus its residents as well, to live out their dreams and fantasies, no matter how wild and eccentric they may seem. PricewaterhouseCoopers rates Tokyo as the first in the world in “skyscraper construction activity” and third in the world in “percent of population with higher education.” This means that a lot of smart people are designing innovative and futuristic products, from urban wind farms and floating botanical cities outside Tokyo to affordable and pollution-free electric vehicles for Tokyo drivers.

Metropolitan Tokyo, with more than 34 million people, lives in a type of utopia that other urban areas can only dream about. There is little crime — and even less litter — on its streets. Air pollution and water quality are closely monitored. The extensive commuter train and subway systems run 98 percent on time. Earthquake resistance measures are routinely applied to all new construction, and landlords are often asked to renovate older buildings to current codes.

Much of present-day Tokyo evolved from the ashes of World War II, but the city’s history is long and complex. Formerly known as Edo, it dates to 1603 when the Tokugawa clan established a military government here, controlling most of Japan through their shoguns. In 1868, the Tokugawa clan was dismantled; the authority of the emperor was restored; and the capital was moved from Kyoto to Edo, which became known as Tokyo. Because of the devastating earthquake and fire that destroyed much of the city in 1923 and the bombing attacks of World War II that leveled the re-built city, the transformation of Tokyo during the past 60 years into one of the most important economic and cultural centers in the world is all the more remarkable.

Japan’s new premier, Naoto Kan, hopes to bolster the country’s exports and fight deflation, a problem for any export-minded country during recessionary times. Although Tokyo looks and feels prosperous, Japan’s economy has stagnated for the past two decades, hurt by increased competition in the electronics industry and, to some extent, its low birthrate. This spring, when Apple introduced the iPad to Japan, thousands of customers waited overnight in Tokyo’s hip Harajuku district to purchase the product. Whereas in past decades the latest innovative “must-have” item would have come from Sony (remember the Walkman?), these days it could just as easily be an American or South Korean product. Adding to Japan’s emerging competition from the United States and its Asian neighbors is the country’s aging population. Japan’s fertility rate is only 1.34 births per woman, one of the lowest in the world; and its percentage of citizens over the age of 65 years is now 22 percent, up from 17 percent in 2000, and predicted to hit 30 percent by 2030. An increasingly smaller workforce will result in budget cuts that may undermine the excellent health services and worker benefits the Japanese have come to expect.

Japan still has the world’s second-largest economy, however, and in Tokyo — which has the largest metropolitan economy in the world and the second-largest stock exchange by market capitalization — these national concerns have not slowed the pace of business. Softbank, a Tokyo-based technology giant not well known outside the country, runs the fastest-growing mobile phone carrier in Japan, operating the country’s largest broadband network and recently racing past Google as Japan’s most popular search engine and e-commerce site. This summer the Keisei Railroad Company celebrated its 30th anniversary of operating an airport-to-city express train by opening an even faster high-speed line from Narita International Airport (NRT) to Tokyo; the new 100-mph Sky Access train, with stylish rail cars designed by fashion designer Kansai Yamamoto, takes just 36 minutes from distant Narita to downtown Tokyo. In the Sumida district a new, 2,080-foot digital broadcast antenna tower is being constructed, making it the world’s tallest free-standing tower when completed in 2012. Like most new structures in Tokyo, it will have striking design features and lead to more commercial development in the surrounding neighborhoods.

Diversions

The Edo-Tokyo Museum (1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-ku, tel 81 3 3626 9974) is a good introduction to Tokyo’s long history, from its beginnings in the 17th century to the present. The architecture of this 7-year-old building is also quite interesting. The Tokyo National Museum (13-9 Ueno Park, Taito-ku, tel 81 3 5405 8686), is the oldest museum in the country, opened in 1872, with five exhibition galleries focusing on specific areas of Japanese and Asian culture and art.

Tokyo’s most prestigious cultural center is Bunkamura (24-1 Dogenzaka 2-chome Shibuya-ku, tel 81 3 3477 9111), which includes Orchard Hall, site of performances by the NHK Symphony Orchestra, the Tokyo Ballet and the Moscow Stanislavsky Ballet; Theatre Cocoon, where dramas and musicals take place; and Le Cinéma, a popular venue for films.

Walk through the Shibuya district at night, where futuristic glass buildings disappear into a sky that is brilliantly lit with the reflections of a million neon signs, and imagine New York’s Times Square on steroids. The Ginza area has lots of expensive shops; Akihabara abounds with discount electronic stores; and Roppongi is all about the crazy nightlife in Tokyo, with a wide choice of large, flashy restaurants, loud music bars, crowded dancing venues and tiny, hidden counter bars (called nomiya) with just a few seats. In the Kappabashi-dori district, near Tawaramachi subway station, you can purchase the realistic-looking plastic food replicas that are displayed outside many Tokyo restaurants. They can be pricey but make great souvenirs.

At Isetan (3-14-1 Shinjuku), a Tokyo department store, you’ll find edible chrysanthemums and other delicious food items, including dumplings and fresh fish. Speaking of fish, don’t miss Tsukiji Market (5-2-1 Tsukiji, Chuo-Ku, tel 81 3 3547 8011), one of the world’s largest and most interesting fish markets, occupying 56 acres of waterfront. More than 450 types of fish are trucked in to the 75-year-old market every evening, coming off hundreds of Japanese fishing boats and cargo flights from all over the world. Thousands of sea urchins, buckets of eels, pallets of tuna and tanks of abalone are on display for wholesalers and restaurant chefs. Tsukiji is crowded, hectic, wet and slippery; and the action takes place from about 3 a.m. to 8 a.m., the earlier the better.

To see eclectic and inventive Tokyo in all its glory, visit Tabloid Tokyo (2-6-24 Kaigan, Minato-ku), a huge printing press warehouse recently converted into art studios, galleries and office space in the not-yet-trendy Minato-ku district. Here the city’s most dynamic artists and designers have created Tokyo’s newest cutting-edge space. Grab a snack at Tabloid’s little café and check out the view of Rainbow Bridge from the rooftop terrace.

Just The Facts

Time Zone: GMT+9

Phone Code: 81 Japan, 3 Tokyo

Currency: Yen

Entry/Exit Requirement: American visitors must have a U.S. passport valid three months beyond intended stay and flight tickets and documents showing onward trip. No visa is required for stays up to 90 days.

Official Language: Japanese. English is spoken in most business hotels, shops and Western-style restaurants.

Key Industries: Banking, insurance, transportation, construction, publishing and music, broadcasting, electronics, fashion, tourism

Lodging

Hotel Okura
A 5-star hotel in the heart of Tokyo, Hotel Okura features an inviting blend of modern comfort and Japanese tradition. 2-10-4 Toranomon, Minato-ku, tel 81 3 3582 0111, $$$$

Imperial Hotel
The legendary landmark, once part of the Emperor’s palace, redesigned by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1923 and redone in 1970, offers impeccable Japanese hospitality. 1-1 Uchisaiwai- cho 1-chome, Chiyoda-ku, tel 81 3 3504 1111, $$$$

Mandarin Oriental, Tokyo
ll 179 guestrooms and suites of the modern high-rise have great city or Tokyo Bay views, including the 37th-floor “Spa in the Sky.” 2-1-1 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, tel 81 3 3270 8800, $$$$

Dining

Cha Cha Hana
This small house at the end of a narrow lane is pure Tokyo; try grilled Japanese yam or potato dumplings with stuffed scallops. 1-1-1 Kabukicho, Shinjuku-ku, tel 81 3 5292 2933 $

Fukuzushi
The upscale sushi bar in a lively night-time neighborhood, opened in 1917, is said to have the best sushi in Tokyo. 5-7-8 Roppong, tel 81 3 3402 4116, $$$$

Yamasaki
This four-table restaurant run by a woman (a rarity in Tokyo) earned a Michelin star in 2009 and 2010. Fukuya Building 2F, 4-2 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, tel 81 3 3267 2310 $$$

Checking In With Wayne Graczyk
Baseball journalist for The Japan Times and Nippon Television

How Long Have You Been Living In Japan?

Originally from Clark, N.J., I have lived in Japan for 41 years, since was here with the U.S. Air Force. have a Japanese wife and two grown children and currently live in Kichijoji, a suburb about 30 minutes by express train from downtown Tokyo. studied Japanese at Tokyo’s Sophia University. My Japanese mother-in-law also lived with us for 25 years until she died in 2002, at the age of 92. She did not speak English at all, so speaking Japanese with her was the best language training.

What Are The Positive And Negative Aspects Of Living In Tokyo?

In all of Japan, the things that impress me are the safe and clean streets, the incredibly efficient high-speed train and subway system, and the friendliness and politeness of the Japanese people. It is hard to believe, but Tokyo and the surrounding areas are not very polluted, and vehicle emissions are not a big problem since there are so many electric vehicles. actually like everything about Tokyo, except perhaps the Roppongi nightclub district, which should be cleaned up, and there still seem to be too many people here who smoke. Prices are high, but salaries and bonuses allow most people to keep up with the prices of goods and services.

What Is On Your Must-see List For Visitors?

The Meiji Shrine, Asakusa Kanon Temple, Tokyo Dome and the Japan Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum, Tokyo Disneyland and Disney Sea, Tokyo Tower and a visit to a sumo stable. If time allows, several museums and tours cost only a few hundred yen: the Transportation Communications Museum, Ramen Museum and the NHK-TV studio broadcast tour.

How Are You Involved With Japanese Baseball?

I compile and edit the English-language Japan Pro Baseball Fan Handbook & Media Guide, write a weekly column on Japanese baseball in The Japan Times and cover all home games of the Tokyo Giants for Nippon Television, obtaining comments from the foreign players and relaying them in Japanese to the play-by-play announcer.

What Can Spectators Learn About Japanese Culture From Watching Baseball In Japan?

The main thing is the group concept. The team comes first, never the individual, and the cheering sections in the baseball stadiums are very organized, showing a great respect for the opposing team. Japanese society is like that; group work is revered and teachers and company owners and managers have the respect of those under them. This results in a certain loyalty to the organization, a good work ethic and high-quality workmanship. The quality of life here is always improving, and Japan keeps up with the changes in other leading countries as well, always maintaining a high standard of living for its residents.