10. Tokyo
Tokyo, whose neon lights and craning towers have inspired generations of futurist writers and filmmakers, remains evocative today, finding itself in the strange position of an established megacity in a neighborhood of fresh-faced upstarts. Despite Japan's decades-long malaise, Tokyo is still home to the single largest collection of Fortune 500 companies and serves as the financial center of much of East Asia. The Japanese capital has also become a cultural landmark -- boasting the most Michelin stars of any city in the world -- and is emerging as a global center for fashion.
Above, shoppers walk along Takeshita Street, a popular pedestrian-only shopping strip, in the Harajuku area of Tokyo, Japan, on May 25, 2010.
Mark Kolbe/GettyImages
