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Japan Travel |OT| One does simply not visit just once
- Thread starter hwalker84
- Start date
It's all about seeing it at night. Tokyo at night on a clear evening is stunning:
It's open until 9 pm right?
So I have to clear a day to queue at least from 4 pm?
Thanks for the insight! I think we're going to go the night climb route so we can get to the top for sunrise. Should be quite the experience.
GloomyHitsuji
Member
What's a good place to shop for inexpensive clothes in Japan? (near Tokyo/Osaka)
I heard places like 下北沢 are good?
Also, how do I buy concert tickets? I've checked チケットぴあ, but no luck, I can't figure out how to use it. Need Japanese address, pre-reserve system, etc.
I heard places like 下北沢 are good?
Also, how do I buy concert tickets? I've checked チケットぴあ, but no luck, I can't figure out how to use it. Need Japanese address, pre-reserve system, etc.
MikeHattsu
Member
Yeah, we went to the Mori Art museum/Mori Tower Sky Deck as well. There were no queues or anything when we went in July, so it might be better than going to the Skytree and wait in line for several hours.
It's 'only' 230 meters high vs the 350/450 meters of the Skytree, but it's an open-air deck so you won't get any accidental reflections in photos.
I just purchased tickets for a work friend yesterday and they were already sold out until February 23rd. They'll sell out much more quickly as Spring/Summer rolls in too. Definitely good advice.
Oh that's too bad. Was it worth the wait though? My hostel is very near to that place, so maybe I can get a ticket and come at a time when it is not so busy.
It seems to not be possible to buy them from Indonesia. Last time I went there we bought the tickets from a machine in Lawson. I was planning to directly go to the one in Haneda airport once we arrive and buy the tickets. Hopefully there is an empty spot.
MikeHattsu
Member
Ah, right. You're in Indonesia. Sorry.
Ah, no worries.
If the Ghibli museum is fully booked we might visit another one. Any recommendations? The Edo-Tokyo museum looks interesting.
distantmantra
Member
We're renting an apartment in Sangenjaya, so we'll probably go to the top of Carrot Tower and check out the view from there. It's also free.
Another spot for a good nighttime view is the Chibo okonomiyaki restaurant in Ebisu Garden Place. My wife and I went there on a Wednesday night in April 2010 and got a fantastic window table.
I guess that depends on your personal taste and how excited you are about the status as one of the tallest structures. It's a cool view, but not so different from the sort of view you get from the airplane during takeoff and landing.
If you are staying nearby you might want to consider just lining up half an hour before it opens in the morning. The morning view is nice too; on clear days you can see Mt. Fuji.
Try the flagship UNIQLO store located on Chuo Dori in the Ginza neighborhood of Tokyo. First of all, it is worth going just to see the store, because it is a fantastic example of modern design.
http://tokyofashion.com/uniqlo-ginza-opening-pictures/
Most UNIQLO stuff tends to be more functional than stylish, IMO, but this particular store has a lot of designer clothes too. It's a great place to go if you like t-shirts, as they have a big section of designer shirts that sell for around 1000 yen, which is extremely cheap for Japan. It's also one of their global flagship stores, so they have staff available that speak many different languages.
Zoe
Member
I always wondered why I couldn't find their design shirts in other stores. So they're only at big ones like that?
Thanks again dude. Really appreciate your posts and videos.
Cheers.
So looks like a lot of us are going March/April.
Anyone want to meet up?
distantmantra
Member
So looks like a lot of us are going March/April.
Anyone want to meet up?
I will be in Akihabara on the morning of April 10th to pick up Super Robot Wars Z3. Not sure what store yet. People are welcome to join me.
MikeHattsu
Member
Well... I'll be in the Kyoto/Osaka area 6th-11th and Tokyo area 12th-17th of April.
Ah, no worries.
If the Ghibli museum is fully booked we might visit another one. Any recommendations? The Edo-Tokyo museum looks interesting.
If you let me know the dates and hour you wanna go, I can go to a Lawson and buy the tickets for you.
And give you when you come, or send to you.
Let me know.
K's house?
That's my hostel, only got the 12 mixed dorm room that's a lot of people.
PM
super-famicom
Member
Not certain, but that is what I would assume. The flagship stores have kind of a different image from normal UNIQLO stores, and the collaboration with famous artists for the shirt designs was announced as part of the promotion for the new store. The Japanese also have a bit of a penchant for making items exclusive to certain locations. Part of the omiyage culture I guess.
That's so nice of you to do that, Gromph. Good man!
The support and honesty in this thread is fantastic, I love it. Please everyone, always be supportive and caring in everything you do. You will be rewarded in some form or another later.
Yes. Got lost somewhere via this thread but here is the beautiful Kyoto video I made for those people that requested me via messages. Super high res is really the way to go to watch this video as I captured everything in RAW format so it should look absolutely beautifully on your TV. If people want to see that, let me know so I can give you a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKAiFaBvmQ
I think you need to see if it's a UT store, typically they have the cooler looks shirts.
That's so nice of you to do that, Gromph. Good man!
The support and honesty in this thread is fantastic, I love it. Please everyone, always be supportive and caring in everything you do. You will be rewarded in some form or another later.
Yes. Got lost somewhere via this thread but here is the beautiful Kyoto video I made for those people that requested me via messages. Super high res is really the way to go to watch this video as I captured everything in RAW format so it should look absolutely beautifully on your TV. If people want to see that, let me know so I can give you a link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKAiFaBvmQ
You know, there is no problem, i live in Tokyo, so for me is easy to access to that stuff.
True, and since we stay so close to it we'll give it a try. On my previous trip years ago I went to an observatory in Ikebukero which was quite nice too.
Wow, thank you so much Gromph!
I appreciate the offer. I'll discuss it with my girlfriend first and will let you know a later? Are you sure we would not be inconveniencing you? I was planning K's house first, but now we'll be staying at Khaosan Tokyo Kabuki, also dorm room, but only 4 beds (2 bunkbeds). I really wanted to stay at this place but it was filled up: http://www.tokyoryokan.com
BronsonLee
Member
No clue how I missed this thread, but..
So I'm making a random dumbass trip to Osaka during Golden Week, April 28th to May 4th (I fly to Japan on the 27th and leave the 5th, for reference).
I've absorbed the info in this thread like a sponge, but naturally I'd love personal recommendations.
I'm getting the rail pass, and I'd like to use Osaka as a hub for day trips and the like. Also, I've never been, so I'm certainly going to make the mistake of trying to see everything at once. That being said...My totally tentative ass plan:
28th: Check into hotel (Hotel Taiyo? It looked fairly decent, and I'm not going to be in my room often), look around Osaka for a tad, sleep.
29th: Osaka full on. Wander about like a fool. Things I was thinking of: SPA WORLD, Sky Museum, the Aquarium, and the shopping districts? Probably look into Kyoto if possible.
30th: Kyoto and Nara. Not a ton today in Kyoto, but Nara full on. Day trip.
May 1st: Tokyo full on. 2 and a half hour train ride, so I may just find a cheap hotel in Tokyo to extend it without needing to take the train back.
May 2nd: Tokyo again. Do what I can.
May 3rd: NJPW Wrestling Dontaku...in Fukuoka. Now from what I understand, this is a 3 hour train ride. Should I consider this a day trip and try to make it back, or just get a hotel in Fukuoka? This is basically the most rigid thing beyond the first day in Osaka.
May 4th: Relax in Osaka, dance the night away.
May 5th: Leave. Sit in Doha Airport for 20 hours. Cry.
Any and all tips/recommendations/itinerary changes will be absolutely appreciated. This is basically on a whim, and is the last thing ever on my Travel Bucket List (and at 24, I had to jump at the chance).
Oh, and meeting up with GAFfers sounds like a delight if you guys are in the area around that time too.
Thanks!
So I'm making a random dumbass trip to Osaka during Golden Week, April 28th to May 4th (I fly to Japan on the 27th and leave the 5th, for reference).
I've absorbed the info in this thread like a sponge, but naturally I'd love personal recommendations.
I'm getting the rail pass, and I'd like to use Osaka as a hub for day trips and the like. Also, I've never been, so I'm certainly going to make the mistake of trying to see everything at once. That being said...My totally tentative ass plan:
28th: Check into hotel (Hotel Taiyo? It looked fairly decent, and I'm not going to be in my room often), look around Osaka for a tad, sleep.
29th: Osaka full on. Wander about like a fool. Things I was thinking of: SPA WORLD, Sky Museum, the Aquarium, and the shopping districts? Probably look into Kyoto if possible.
30th: Kyoto and Nara. Not a ton today in Kyoto, but Nara full on. Day trip.
May 1st: Tokyo full on. 2 and a half hour train ride, so I may just find a cheap hotel in Tokyo to extend it without needing to take the train back.
May 2nd: Tokyo again. Do what I can.
May 3rd: NJPW Wrestling Dontaku...in Fukuoka. Now from what I understand, this is a 3 hour train ride. Should I consider this a day trip and try to make it back, or just get a hotel in Fukuoka? This is basically the most rigid thing beyond the first day in Osaka.
May 4th: Relax in Osaka, dance the night away.
May 5th: Leave. Sit in Doha Airport for 20 hours. Cry.
Any and all tips/recommendations/itinerary changes will be absolutely appreciated. This is basically on a whim, and is the last thing ever on my Travel Bucket List (and at 24, I had to jump at the chance).
Oh, and meeting up with GAFfers sounds like a delight if you guys are in the area around that time too.
Thanks!
True, and since we stay so close to it we'll give it a try. On my previous trip years ago I went to an observatory in Ikebukero which was quite nice too.
Wow, thank you so much Gromph!
I was planning K's house first, but now we'll be staying at Khaosan Tokyo Kabuki, also dorm room, but only 4 beds (2 bunkbeds). I really wanted to stay at this place but it was filled up: http://www.tokyoryokan.com
Don't worry, is there no problem.
Why golden week? :O
BronsonLee
Member
It's a dumbass trip for a reason~!
Also: Basically, special promo rates from Philly from February to April, and they included the beginning of May for some reason. So I figure I'll never get the opportunity again, even if it's extremely inconvenient
Please remember to tell my buddy Tsubasa that Harold said hello. Point to the Steelers terrible towel on the wall.
I will! I already received some emails from him.
The Japan National Tourism Organization has a lot of practical information for tourists. I was looking for information on walks in Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara and they had it here in PDF format.
Tokyo Walks
Kyoto Walks
Nara Walks
Tokyo Walks
Kyoto Walks
Nara Walks
I'm out during golden week this year as well, is it really going to be that bad in Tokyo? As a special twist we intend to go to Disneyland on the Friday of golden week! Queue-mania, but at least we can get the fast passes for each ride.
But will Tokyo proper be mega rammed all week? Will things be closed?
I'm a Londoner so a busy city doesn't really bother me, but it would suck if services/ opening hours change that week.
MikeHattsu
Member
Anybody planning to go to Tokyo Disneyland/Disneysea should check this site out for crowd estimates:
http://tdrnavi.jp/forecast/disneyland/2014/?lang=en
And there's this Japanese only site too:
http://www15.plala.or.jp/gcap/disney/
We went last year on a day with 90+ estimated crowd level. Went to the Star Wars ride at 1 pm and got a fast pass for 7 pm.
They had also shut down some of the fast pass machines, like the one at Splash Mountain.
Guess one needs to get there earlier if one wants to go on a crowded day.
Hmm. Just realized I'm going to need a shuffle in the schedule...
Ryokans seem to hike prices up a little on Saturdays...
And we're actually leaving on the 2nd not the 3rd...
(See? This is why I don't like the Planning)
3/24M - Arrive Tokyo
3/25T - Tokyo
3/26W - Tokyo/Yokohama (Ramen Museum, etc.)
3/27T - Tokyo/Kamakura
3/28F - Tokyo
3/29S - Tokyo -> Kyoto
3/30S - Kyoto/Osaka-Nara?
3/31M - Kyoto -> Nara? -> Hakone
4/1T - Hakone -> Tokyo
4/2W - Tokyo / Leave
I'm going kill our group aren't I?
Looking at ryokans are fun though...
Also anyone have any experience with Hotwire in Japan?
Ryokans seem to hike prices up a little on Saturdays...
And we're actually leaving on the 2nd not the 3rd...
(See? This is why I don't like the Planning)
3/24M - Arrive Tokyo
3/25T - Tokyo
3/26W - Tokyo/Yokohama (Ramen Museum, etc.)
3/27T - Tokyo/Kamakura
3/28F - Tokyo
3/29S - Tokyo -> Kyoto
3/30S - Kyoto/Osaka-Nara?
3/31M - Kyoto -> Nara? -> Hakone
4/1T - Hakone -> Tokyo
4/2W - Tokyo / Leave
I'm going kill our group aren't I?
Looking at ryokans are fun though...
Also anyone have any experience with Hotwire in Japan?
distantmantra
Member
My wife and I went to Disney Sea on a Saturday evening in July 2006. If you entered after 5 or 6pm, the entry fee was reduced and the wait times weren't a problem at all. A Saturday in July isn't Golden Week, though.
GloomyHitsuji
Member
Thanks, most of its tips seems to be suggesting buying the tickets locally though (via machines, etc).
Guess I can't really plan my entire trip ahead of time then and would have to try my luck, which sucks, cos I'd really like to attend at least one major concert in Japan at places like 横浜アリーナ.
What's your Japanese level? I bought here http://www.udo.jp the last Kiss concert in Tokyo for a ex coworker.
MikeHattsu
Member
They are just unofficial estimates though, so they could be way off.
Thanks for this, I've been having no luck finding a Tokyo Disney crowd calendar.
MikeHattsu
Member
No problem
GloomyHitsuji
Member
Average, studied a bit of Japanese back in school.
The website above seems limited in the contents they provide, and appears to be linked to Pia, or operates in a similar fashion. On account registration, they still ask for a valid Japanese phone # & address. Can I just randomly fill those in?
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0000970988
Cherry blossom predictions.
Damn, I'm gonna miss it I think.
Cherry blossom predictions.
Damn, I'm gonna miss it I think.
http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0000970988
Cherry blossom predictions.
Damn, I'm gonna miss it I think.
That's (too) fast
John Rabbit
Banned
if you really want to soak in Kamakura, then no. i went with the same idea of doing both in the same day, an we ended up spending almost 8 hours alone in Kamakura between Daibutsu, Hasedera, and just wandering around. it's quite a beautiful and quiet area compared to the chaos of Tokyo. if you end up doing both, you'll probably hit some rush hour train traffic returning back to Tokyo depending on how late in the day you return.
honestly? skip tsukiji. unless you're total diehard weirdo fanatics about sushi (which who isn't, i understand) and absolutely NEED TO SEE THE TUNA AUCTIONS and wait more than an hour to eat $20 of sushi for $50, then i'd advise not going. my girlfriend and I were really excited to go and it ended up being the least interesting/most boring thing we did the entire trip. if you're just merely curious and don't plan on seeing the auctions or eating expensive sushi, go later after the main selling area opens to visitors and just have a little walk around the area. there's some really neat shopping alleys just...north? of tsukiji that are worth strolling through too. lots of great street food in there. otherwise it's just a giant smelly fish market where something is always inches from running you over and the vendors generally kind of look at you with an expression of tempered annoyance.
i would advise anyone staying in tokyo not to skip a walk through yoyogi park/meiji shrine. really fun to people watch and walk through the shrine areas. very quiet and serene compared to the city just outside it's borders. very busy with activity on the weekend too. you might catch a random festival (or two in rapid succession like we did).
shanshan310
Member
Woah. Fingers crossed I'll be able to see them in bloom in Tokyo and then again in Kobe.http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0000970988
Cherry blossom predictions.
Damn, I'm gonna miss it I think.
lol, the whole time I'm in Tokyo is looking dodgy. Oh well, can't be helped.
You'll probably want to spend the 3/30 in Kyoto if it's your only full day there. Otherwise, looks great!
I have some questions for anyone in Sapporo.
I'm going to Sapporo for the Snow Festival with a few friends next month. Aside from sightseeing, I'd like to look for illustration books, some games, and art supplies(Copic and other stuff).
A friend suggested a place called Daimarufujii CENTRAL (大丸藤井セントラル for art supplies. Seems like it's near the Sapporo JR Tower that we will visit so I think that's good.
My friend had no idea about games unfortunately. I would like to look for some(hopefully cheap) old PS2, Game Boy/GBA and DS games like the Sega Ages series and Gamecenter CX 2.
I've seen people mentioned Book Off. Is it like a Goodwill store for books and games? I have also seen people mentioned Softmap. Which one has better selections and which one is easier to find? I thought Book off might be good as I can look for books there as well.
Also what's a good place to go to get some anime goods? I know a couple of kids who are into Sketdance so I'm hoping to get maybe character charms for them. I kinda want to get small Nintendo and Ultraman figurines for myself, too.
The trip is sadly only for a few days though so I won't have much time(not to mention my sense of direction is horrible). If possible I would like to find places that are in the same area to save time. We will be in Sapporo and Otaru.
I appreciate any help. Thanks!
I'm going to Sapporo for the Snow Festival with a few friends next month. Aside from sightseeing, I'd like to look for illustration books, some games, and art supplies(Copic and other stuff).
A friend suggested a place called Daimarufujii CENTRAL (大丸藤井セントラル
for art supplies. Seems like it's near the Sapporo JR Tower that we will visit so I think that's good.My friend had no idea about games unfortunately. I would like to look for some(hopefully cheap) old PS2, Game Boy/GBA and DS games like the Sega Ages series and Gamecenter CX 2.
I've seen people mentioned Book Off. Is it like a Goodwill store for books and games? I have also seen people mentioned Softmap. Which one has better selections and which one is easier to find? I thought Book off might be good as I can look for books there as well.
Also what's a good place to go to get some anime goods? I know a couple of kids who are into Sketdance so I'm hoping to get maybe character charms for them. I kinda want to get small Nintendo and Ultraman figurines for myself, too.
The trip is sadly only for a few days though so I won't have much time(not to mention my sense of direction is horrible). If possible I would like to find places that are in the same area to save time. We will be in Sapporo and Otaru.
I appreciate any help. Thanks!