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Duckwater

Whats to do in Tokyo?

By Duckwater, in The Bonfire

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skydiverbrian    0

skydiverbrian
Been there.

It's cold. It's crowded. Everyone pretends they don't speak English.

But the food is amazing and the public transportation is color-coded and really easy to use. Look for vending machines that sell used ladies' underwear (I swear!). Check out their porn - it'll make you gag.

In a world full of people, only some want to fly... isn't that crazy! --Seal

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bob.dino    1

bob.dino
Fly into Narita, and out of Kansai. I spent about a week there just over a year ago, so here's my ideas:

- Spend a couple of days in Tokyo. Walk around, see the place. Eat sashimi. Stay in a capsule hotel. Visit a bathhouse.

- Climb Mt Fuji.

- See Kyoto. It's got more temples than you can shake a stick at. Stay in a Japanese-style hotel. Visit a bathhouse.

- Go to Koya-san. It's 100+ temples on top of a mountain. You can stay in one, eat the food, and wander 'round. It's very very far from Tokyo.

Use the Shinkansen to get around. If all you've tried is Amtrak, it'll blow you away. Get a Japan-Rail pass (note: this must be organised from outside Japan!). It'll allow you to travel on the Shinkansen - except for the very fastest one - for a fraction of the price that the locals pay.

Try the local food, drink the different types of Kirin and Asahi, don't blow your nose in public, and don't expect many folk to speak English. It's a wonderful experience, and you'll probably feel quite alien/displaced.

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faulknerwn    38

faulknerwn
I loved Tokyo! There's a cool section of town out by the water which has its own Statue of Liberty. (I could find em on a map but I forget the names). There's one section of town where there's a lot of English speakers - called Rokoko or something like that. Shingasin or something like is another really cool part of town which has tons of shops and bars and such.

Electric City is a section of town which is world-famous for all of its electronic shops.. And the last section I remember (starts with an R) is a section heavily populated by young kids - its worth going just to look - Japanese teenagers make American teenagers look like they dress great!

And of course, you could take the train out to Tokyo Skydiving Center. Make sure you talk to them beforehand cuz you have to get some special insurance and such, but they're a great bunch of folks to hang out with...

W

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Malkie    0

Malkie
Quote

Try the local food, drink the different types of Kirin and Asahi, don't blow your nose in public, and don't expect many folk to speak English. It's a wonderful experience, and you'll probably feel quite alien/displaced.



Bob got it pretty clear right there. Had one of the best times there but was never ready for the culture shock. Helps make Lost in Translation even seem like a decent film once you've been there.

Click for a good site of personal recomendations.

Ride the motorised panda's at the Tokyo tower. Stay in the Shibuya Capsule hotel. Sit in the first floor of Starbucks looking down on the Shibuya Scamble at rush hour. Drink green tea in the tea house in the middle of the Hama-Rikyu gardens.

Check out the atmosphere in Harajuku and see how the kids dress. Sing some karaoke in a karaoke bar. Get up at 6am and walk the streets to see how deserted it is and how scary crows can be!

If you get a chance to spend time in Osaka there is a great castle and some decent clubs.

Most of all have a great time!:)

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Frenchy68    0

Frenchy68
Fly into Narita. Worst airport in the world, but it gets you to Tokyo. As someone recommended, fly out of Kansai (which is Osaka's airport, so you can travel from Tokyo to Kyoto and Osaka).
Tokyo: I'd stay away from Roppongi (strip bars could easily cost you $600 for a watered down gin & Tonic and conversation with a loday who doesn't speak English). Shinjuku is where all the electronics shops are. Shibuya and Ayama are where the "cool" kids tend to hang out.
Note that the city is extremely expensive. Hotels either cost a fortune, or you have to sleep in a drawer. Food is expensive. But it's definitely a great gateway to Asia for foreigners, as it has an occidental flair to it.
I find it an exciting city, although it's so overcrowded that I sometimes feel clostrophobic there, especially on week ends in Shibuya or Shinjuku.
Expect very few people to speak English, and most of the signage to be in Japanese only.
Temperature should be in the 80's, possibly 90's (it was 97° yesterday in Shanghai, so Tokyo shouldn't be too much cooler). Fairly humid as well.
Kyoto is indeed fascinating, as unlike all other Japanese cities, it was not destroyed during WWII (agreement between the Japanese and Americans). So it does have an old flair to it, which is quite charming.
If you happen to get on the wrong plane and end up in Shanghai, drop me a line.

Have fun...

"For once you have tasted Absinthe you will walk the earth with your eyes turned towards the gutter, for there you have been and there you will long to return."

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