Discussion
Consider catching the bus in from the airport as it is cheaper and will likely drop you close to your hotel, avoiding the confusion under Tokyo Station.
If you do catch the train, and take the commuter one rather than the Narita Express, go first class unless you like very close human contact.
In terms of sights, Ginza and Ometesando are great for shopping, and the latter for people watching, with the area where the teenagers go to show off their interesting style ideas.
Try Ropponggi for the nightlife - I had a great night at a jazz club there, but the hostess bars are pretty dull unless you like Chivas Regal with water and giggling women.
Bear in mind that restaurants in Tokyo are often on upper floors, so don't be put off. Worth doing a traditional meal - I had a nice one in the huge modern complex next to Marianouchi, and there were lots of choices in there.
Get the bullet train tickets before you go. Costs about £120 for a week's unlimited travel, but you can't buy them from within Japan. Costs about £120 a single journey once you're there, so it's very much a no-brainer.
Also, the Cross Hotel in Osaka is tremendous value for money. We stayed there for about £25/night a couple of years back and its proper lush if you're otherwise on a budget.
Also, the Cross Hotel in Osaka is tremendous value for money. We stayed there for about £25/night a couple of years back and its proper lush if you're otherwise on a budget.
CampDavid said:
Fleckers said:
good luck
I hated Tokyo
Why would you post that?I hated Tokyo
Anyway, Japan is on the list of places to go, maybe not this coming year though. Have fun and post up your finding
because I hated Toyko, I hated every second of the 2 months I was there with work and was very very glad to get on the BA flight back to Heathrow
I agree with the above, get the Limousine Bus to and from the Airport as it drops you off and picks you up either at or close to the majority of the hotels. More info here http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/
The easiest way to get around Tokyo and the surrounding area is by train or subway. The Yamanote line covers the major areas
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2370.html
If you like your gadgets then a trip to the Sony Building http://www.sonybuilding.jp/e/ is a must as is visiting the Akihabara area.
For night life you can't beat Roppungi :-)
Visiting Tokyo or Shinjuku stations during the rush hour is an experience.
A trip to Nikko is always worth doing. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3800.html
In Osaka, Osaka Castle is worth seeing http://www.osakacastle.net/english/
The easiest way to get around Tokyo and the surrounding area is by train or subway. The Yamanote line covers the major areas
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2370.html
If you like your gadgets then a trip to the Sony Building http://www.sonybuilding.jp/e/ is a must as is visiting the Akihabara area.
For night life you can't beat Roppungi :-)
Visiting Tokyo or Shinjuku stations during the rush hour is an experience.
A trip to Nikko is always worth doing. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3800.html
In Osaka, Osaka Castle is worth seeing http://www.osakacastle.net/english/
Fleckers said:
CampDavid said:
Fleckers said:
good luck
I hated Tokyo
Why would you post that?I hated Tokyo
Anyway, Japan is on the list of places to go, maybe not this coming year though. Have fun and post up your finding
because I hated Toyko, I hated every second of the 2 months I was there with work and was very very glad to get on the BA flight back to Heathrow
).M.
Edited by marcosgt on Saturday 22 December 15:11
To be honest, you could spend the entire two weeks in Tokyo and not even scratch the surface but...
In Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Akihabara, Ginza, Roppongi Hills, Ebisu and a nice monorail ride over Tokyo Bay to Odaiba.
I wouldn't bother with expensive restaurants in Japan, you will get a far more authentic Japanese experience by hitting some of the cheap ramen shops and various traditional Japanese restaurants, than in the overpriced restaurants in the nicer hotels in Tokyo.
Don't forget it is winter sports season and that Japan has some amazing skiing/snowboarding, if that is your thing...
Osaka is more of a party place than Tokyo, I have enjoyed shopping and eating in Tokyo, but for a good night out Osaka is far more fun.
Close(ish) to Osaka is Kyoto, which is worth a day trip - Golden Temple, Silver Temple and Kiyomizu-dera (my personal favourite) are pretty much must sees.
People are far friendlier in Osaka/Kyoto than in Tokyo, in Osaka it is worth talking to the locals and asking for details on a decent place to eat/drink, but in Tokyo people tend to stare at their feet and ignore you.
oh and it's damn cold in Japan right now and in two weeks time, it will be colder. Pack some warm clothes and bring some throat medication, the winters here are very dry and will destroy your throat.
In Tokyo, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Akihabara, Ginza, Roppongi Hills, Ebisu and a nice monorail ride over Tokyo Bay to Odaiba.
I wouldn't bother with expensive restaurants in Japan, you will get a far more authentic Japanese experience by hitting some of the cheap ramen shops and various traditional Japanese restaurants, than in the overpriced restaurants in the nicer hotels in Tokyo.
Don't forget it is winter sports season and that Japan has some amazing skiing/snowboarding, if that is your thing...
Osaka is more of a party place than Tokyo, I have enjoyed shopping and eating in Tokyo, but for a good night out Osaka is far more fun.
Close(ish) to Osaka is Kyoto, which is worth a day trip - Golden Temple, Silver Temple and Kiyomizu-dera (my personal favourite) are pretty much must sees.
People are far friendlier in Osaka/Kyoto than in Tokyo, in Osaka it is worth talking to the locals and asking for details on a decent place to eat/drink, but in Tokyo people tend to stare at their feet and ignore you.
oh and it's damn cold in Japan right now and in two weeks time, it will be colder. Pack some warm clothes and bring some throat medication, the winters here are very dry and will destroy your throat.
First time I've ever seen someone write they hated it. I lived and worked there for a year and enjoyed my time there although the work side of things is very hard for us Gai-jin. You will never tell the Japanese how to do something as they are so procedural and narrow minded. Frequent business meeting with colleagues sleeping and snoring at the table only to wake up and explain how thoroughly interesting the meeting was and ask for minutes of the meeting there and then.
Go to Akihabara for the electronic goods and spend some time visiting the shrines at places like Asakusa.
Go to Akihabara for the electronic goods and spend some time visiting the shrines at places like Asakusa.
shibby! said:
I have always wanted to go out that way of the world! good for you!
Whats the English situation there like?
and sign situation?
Is there an issue or is it best to brush up a bit before you go.
Non-existentWhats the English situation there like?
and sign situation?
Is there an issue or is it best to brush up a bit before you go.
No one speaks English, all signs are in Japanese with no alternatives in Western script. It's the only place I have visited where I felt completely lost, I even attempted to book a hotel room in a medical clinic one day.
horton said:
that's BS.
Whilst you may not agree can you please show some manners.eta
please see here, let's keep PH a nice place to be.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
CaptainSlow said:
Non-existent
No one speaks English, all signs are in dJapanese with no alternatives in Western script. It's the only place I have visited where I felt completely lost, I even attempted to book a hotel room in a medical clinic one day.
Don't agree based on my experiences in Tokyo, Osaka and Nagoya however as I said in the rural areas that I visited like Fukushima it was hard work.No one speaks English, all signs are in dJapanese with no alternatives in Western script. It's the only place I have visited where I felt completely lost, I even attempted to book a hotel room in a medical clinic one day.
CaptainSlow said:
Whilst you may not agree can you please show some manners.
eta
please see here, let's keep PH a nice place to be.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
Untrue/False/BS/misleading/etceta
please see here, let's keep PH a nice place to be.
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
feel free to pick whichever terms are compatible with your sensitive nature, and I'm sorry but I assumed that the forum that coined the phrase "vigilante bum rape justice" would not be offended by "BS"
either way, there is plenty of English in Japan, lots of signs are both English and Japanese and lots of people are able to speak the language to some extent, especially when you consider that it is a compulsory subject at school.
Edited by horton on Saturday 22 December 16:58
Sorry, but I'd also say BS. Either that or you were wilfully acting the lost foreigner.
Never met a more helpful bunch of folk. Granted, people got a bit less forthcoming the older they were, but if you're lost just ask someone who looks younger than about 35 and they're generally delighted to a) help and b) practice their English. And most major signage is in Japanese and English. And a lot of Japanese words are actually English spoken in phonetic Japanese, e.g. a telephone card is "terehon cahdu".
Never met a more helpful bunch of folk. Granted, people got a bit less forthcoming the older they were, but if you're lost just ask someone who looks younger than about 35 and they're generally delighted to a) help and b) practice their English. And most major signage is in Japanese and English. And a lot of Japanese words are actually English spoken in phonetic Japanese, e.g. a telephone card is "terehon cahdu".
The people I asked for help were very friendly and tried to be helpful, however, I found that very few people spoke English. I also found very few signs in English.
eta
I'm not overly sensitive, just getting fed up with the way people are posting on PH recently, totally unnecessary especially as you may be parking next to them at the next SS. If I were in a group of strangers and one made a statement I didn't agree with I wouldn't shout BS at them. I'm not sure why on here is different.
Untrue/False/BS/misleading/etc
You could just say I don't agree or that's not what I have found...etc etc
eta
I'm not overly sensitive, just getting fed up with the way people are posting on PH recently, totally unnecessary especially as you may be parking next to them at the next SS. If I were in a group of strangers and one made a statement I didn't agree with I wouldn't shout BS at them. I'm not sure why on here is different.
Untrue/False/BS/misleading/etc
You could just say I don't agree or that's not what I have found...etc etc
Edited by CaptainSlow on Saturday 22 December 17:07
Visited Yokohama and Tokyo in 2007 and most of the signage nr the hotels was English as well as Japanese. We got completely lost in a tube station where it was all Japanese on the signs until a nice chap in a suit asked us very politely if he could help, showed us which station we needed to get to Kamakura, and how much it would be and how to put it in the machine. Then he continued on, presumably, his way to work.
I made myself understood in a chemist shop for cold remedies basically using mime and made liberal use of konichiwa (hello) and arigato (thankyou) which seemed to go down well most places. Also drinking Asahi or Sapporo, though that's a matter of taste. As warned, by the time I came back, I was making little polite bows even while on the telephone because I'd got into the habit.
Definitely want to go back.
I made myself understood in a chemist shop for cold remedies basically using mime and made liberal use of konichiwa (hello) and arigato (thankyou) which seemed to go down well most places. Also drinking Asahi or Sapporo, though that's a matter of taste. As warned, by the time I came back, I was making little polite bows even while on the telephone because I'd got into the habit.
Definitely want to go back.
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