JM_ Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I'm going to be going to Tokyo for a short trip in April - does anyone have any suggestions for things to check out? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift-4 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Don't go to Japan Nothing ever happens there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustABandwagoner Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 JAPAN is DA best Love those toilet seats <3 Food is good at every restaurant pretty much Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ShakyWalton Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 11 minutes ago, S'all Good Man said: I'm going to be going to Tokyo for a short trip in April - does anyone have any suggestions for things to check out? @Nuxfanabroad lives there..Im sure he can give you some tips. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 Just now, ShakyWalton said: @Nuxfanabroad lives there..Im sure he can give you some tips. Cool thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 8 minutes ago, Shift-4 said: Don't go to Japan Nothing ever happens there. Yah I was thing of spending the week in Whalley instead, you know, for the buzz. And the fine dining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kragar Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Was there repeatedly for work through much of 2006. Part of the issue with working there was less time to see sights and all, so while I was there a lot, I may not be as much help. Hopefully you are going in early April... better chance to experience the cherry trees blooming (IIRC, March is best time for that). What kind of things are you interested in? I'll do what I can to help out. Oh, one thing I remembered: it was much better for me to exchange funds in Narita airport, just after you get out of customs, as opposed to airport or bank exchanges at home (Los Angeles area, in my case). Might be worth some research to see what the best way to go is. So much good food, but can get pricey. Subway system is decent way to get around, and was very reasonable IMO. You pay by distance, buying a ticket ahead of time. I think many stations have enough English maps to get around fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift-4 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 24 minutes ago, S'all Good Man said: Yah I was thing of spending the week in Whalley instead, you know, for the buzz. And the fine dining. it's a joke around here that goes back many years Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tortorella's Rant Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Ukranian Canuck Something does or does not happen there, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inane Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I lived there! Near kami-itabashi station. Good times. Expensive, but good times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Westcoasting Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 34 minutes ago, S'all Good Man said: Yah I was thing of spending the week in Whalley instead, you know, for the buzz. And the fine dining. Lol or maybe Spuzzum!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancaster Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I personally enjoy Osaka more. Anyways, if you can give us more details. How long do you have? Are you big into anime/manga scene? Culinary trip? Outdoors/nature views? History tours? Soapland? Your budget? A month long trip will have a very different itinerary than a very short 1 week trip. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lancaster Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 44 minutes ago, Kragar said: Was there repeatedly for work through much of 2006. Part of the issue with working there was less time to see sights and all, so while I was there a lot, I may not be as much help. Hopefully you are going in early April... better chance to experience the cherry trees blooming (IIRC, March is best time for that). What kind of things are you interested in? I'll do what I can to help out. Oh, one thing I remembered: it was much better for me to exchange funds in Narita airport, just after you get out of customs, as opposed to airport or bank exchanges at home (Los Angeles area, in my case). Might be worth some research to see what the best way to go is. So much good food, but can get pricey. Subway system is decent way to get around, and was very reasonable IMO. You pay by distance, buying a ticket ahead of time. I think many stations have enough English maps to get around fine. In my case, I got better rates changing CAD to JPY back in Canada. Canadian currency is rarer in Japan, unlike the USD. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 47 minutes ago, Kragar said: Was there repeatedly for work through much of 2006. Part of the issue with working there was less time to see sights and all, so while I was there a lot, I may not be as much help. Hopefully you are going in early April... better chance to experience the cherry trees blooming (IIRC, March is best time for that). What kind of things are you interested in? I'll do what I can to help out. Oh, one thing I remembered: it was much better for me to exchange funds in Narita airport, just after you get out of customs, as opposed to airport or bank exchanges at home (Los Angeles area, in my case). Might be worth some research to see what the best way to go is. So much good food, but can get pricey. Subway system is decent way to get around, and was very reasonable IMO. You pay by distance, buying a ticket ahead of time. I think many stations have enough English maps to get around fine. 7 minutes ago, Lancaster said: I personally enjoy Osaka more. Anyways, if you can give us more details. How long do you have? Are you big into anime/manga scene? Culinary trip? Outdoors/nature views? History tours? Soapland? Your budget? A month long trip will have a very different itinerary than a very short 1 week trip. I'm pretty much an omnivore when it comes to food, love walking through places vs. tours, photography, and technology of all sorts. And museums. And sake. Just curious what stood out for others. Its going to be a short trip, only 5 days with some unfortunate work time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 22 minutes ago, Silky mitts said: Bang a couple chicks and enjoy the confidence boost as they proclaim your endowment as massive S'all good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JM_ Posted January 4, 2017 Author Share Posted January 4, 2017 15 minutes ago, inane said: I lived there! Near kami-itabashi station. Good times. Expensive, but good times. I'm going to be close to the Shinjuku station. If you had say 3 days what would stand out for you? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Canuck_Fan_52 Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I stopped by the Narita airport multiple times for flight transfers and visited twice, the first time back in the Fall of 1997 and the second time the winter of 1999. The first time it was an unscheduled stop as I was on a flight from the States to Hong Kong but there was a typhoon that closed the airport so we ended up landing in Tokyo and spending a night at a hotel near the airport. The second time was a planned family trip around Christmas of 1999. We spent about a week there. We stayed primarily in the Shinjuku District which has a decent nightlife. The food was excellent and public transportation was very convenient. We primarily got around by taking the metro. I was surprised at the cleanness of the city. We visited the Imperial palace and was able to catch a glimpse of the Japanese royal family behind the bullet proof glass for the Emperor's annual Christmas message. On a side note, Kentucky Fried Chicken sales soar in Japan as many Japanese families eat that for Christmas. We also visited Tokyo Disneyland. It was smaller than the one in the states but interesting as it also incorporates some Asian themes. Some of the rides do not make sense if you are not a native Japanese speaker so I just played along. Don't expect all Cast members to speak English. In general, English is spoken mainly in the touristy areas but not widely spoken in the country. Overall it is a great country to visit and also very safe. Honor is a big deal there and you'll find that nobody padlocks their bikes. There are some etiquette to keep in mind although as a foreigner you may be given some grace. Just FYI, blowing your nose in public is impolite as it is similar to passing gas in their point of view. It is ok to sniffle until you find a private place to blow your nose. Slurping noodles is encouraged as it shows you enjoy the meal. Hope this helps. Enjoy your trip! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Green Building Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 I was there for vacation in 2006. Eat bowls of Ramen, eat Yakitori at Memory Lane (Piss Alley), grab a daily made well made Onigiri from a 7 11 or other convenience store just to further remind yourself that the western diet is $&!#, be prepared to be yelled at when you enter a restaurant - most people are already aware of that greeting nowadays anyways, go to Tsukiji Fish Market, sit in an onsen bath, visit a Japanese garden, visit a sex shop - seriously - we had quite a laugh at a 4 story shop that had some unspeakable things inside, don't waste your time sleeping. I had a blast there, and would love to go back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 Love it. Just find a cool area like Shinjuku and walk around. The city never sleeps. The bars are set up in huge city blocks of 3-4 levels, with restaurants, bars, and clubs all over them. You can spend hours just walking around. I've heard a lot of the arcade/game places are closing down in the last couple of years, which is no good. They are an experience. Go to one of the fancy hotels that have the sky bars. Get a $30 beer. It'll be worth it. Someone will pull your seat in and out for you when you get up. Live piano. Have a beer and enjoy the atmosphere. As for the museums and palaces, they are okay. Japan likes to whitewash their history. So you end up seeing only the things the government wants you to see. For example, no mention of their atrocious role in WWII. The museums with the old samurai armour are pretty neat though. Also check out the fish market. It's the largest in the world. They only let limited people in and you have to be their at the crack of dawn. The sushi restaurants around that area are amazing though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kragar Posted January 4, 2017 Share Posted January 4, 2017 15 minutes ago, S'all Good Man said: I'm pretty much an omnivore when it comes to food, love walking through places vs. tours, photography, and technology of all sorts. And museums. And sake. Just curious what stood out for others. Its going to be a short trip, only 5 days with some unfortunate work time. Most places have pictures to go with menus, covering most menu items. Hit or miss as to how much English a given server has. Even less English likely when shopping, especially in outdoor stalls. Often, those selling things will just present you with a calculator with the total cost of what you are buying. Oh, one thing that really struck me with fast food places... napkins are weird. They're quite small, waxy, and you don't tend to get many of them. Likely a result of trying to be less wasteful, but if you are used to going through a pile of napkins while mowing down a burger, you might be in for a shock. You're on the Yamanote subway line, which is awesome. Shibuya, 3 stops south from Shinjuku, has an interesting outdoor mall, but it was pretty crowded. Asakusa, on the other side of the Yamanote Line from you, is a large shopping experience, mix of buildings and outdoor stalls, and there is a shrine near there too. Some interesting shots, but then, most places you go will have good photo opportunities. Shinjuku Gyoen is a nice park, great for pics and walking around. Akihabara is THE place for tech and gadget shopping, IIRC. I never went there, so can't comment much beyond that, but some of my work associates went and were impressed. The Ginza is more modern shopping and restaurants, like you see in any metro area. I don't remember how to get there though. Some nice things to check out, but less picturesque than Shinjuku, Shibuya, or Asakusa. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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