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Since the OP recommends couchsurfing (and mentions he did it himself), are there any goons here that offer accommodation in general? I plan on making a trip sometime next year (nothing fixed yet, probably Tokyo-centric) so I'm curious if there's someone here who'd like to share their place. Obviously I'd offer more details about myself and everything if someone is interested. Just testing the waters. 
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Sep 30, 2012 14:51
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| # ? Jun 9, 2024 19:13 |
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I lived in Japan for a few years, and right before I left I got a fantastic tattoo in Osaka. Well, now I'm heading back for a week in January, do any of you guys know of onsen in/around Tokyo that allow tattooed patrons?
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Oct 3, 2012 20:19
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I didn't have a problem in Nasu and there were also Japanese with cosmetic ones.
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Oct 5, 2012 04:24
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Looks like everything has come together and I'll be returning to Japan next January, probably towards the end of the month. No big plans as of yet, I'd just like to tick off some of the things around Tokyo I couldn't get around to last time when I was busy working. With that said, I'd really like go into this trip with some sort of plan, instead of the 'wander aimlessly around Japan' of last time. I have my girlfriend and half a dozen guy friends on board for ~2 weeks landing on the tentative date of January 17th so it'll be a pretty even split of doing dorky things with bros and doing couple-y (+infinite shopping) things with the gf. I hope this isn't asking too much of the thread but here's a brief list of things I'd like to know more about so that I could organise to make them happen during my trip: -Baseball: I know the season doesn't start til' April, so this might be a bit of a silly request. Maybe there's some super early preseason junk going on? -Snow: Anywhere easily accessible from Tokyo that could be a fun snow experience? As Australians we have never seen snow so any at all is going to interest us. -Arcades: Hit up basically every arcade in Shibuya last time I was over, loved the retro gamecenters, anyone have any personal recommendations? Any real stand-out venues? -Disneyland: GF is crazy about going here. Seems pretty straightforward, i remember driving passed it when I left Narita last time. With that said, any tips? Good time/day to go? How much does it cost? My only other concern right now is about our accommodation. We still haven't settled on where we all want to stay. The guys want to go super budget, but the girlfriend wants something a little comfier; she still wants to budget but definitely wants 'western' accom. She seems to hate the idea of staying in a Ryokan. We found a place called the Belmont in Asakusabashi but I'm not familiar with the area at all. It's close to Akihabara which is a plus for most of us, but me and the gf plan on spending a lot of time in Shibuya, is it easy to commute from Asakusabashi? I got kind of familiar with the Yamanote line last time, is it just a matter of using that?
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Oct 8, 2012 14:43
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Dick Danger posted:It's close to Akihabara which is a plus for most of us, but me and the gf plan on spending a lot of time in Shibuya, is it easy to commute from Asakusabashi? I got kind of familiar with the Yamanote line last time, is it just a matter of using that? Sorta, the fastest way is to walk 1000 feet to the Asakusabashi station, take the Chuo/Sobu across the middle of the city to Shinjuku, and then it's a short hop on the Yamanote to Shibuya. If you took a short hop to Akihabara and then took the Yamanote, you'd be taking the long way. Including walking, you're probably looking at a 30-40min to Shibuya from there. Dick Danger posted:Baseball Doubtful, but I think there's the Hall of Fame at the Tokyo Dome, which is off of Suidobashi station, which is on the way to Shinjuku via Chuo/Sobu. Dick Danger posted:Snow You can get to Nagano, where the Winter Olympics were, in about 90 minutes from Ueno via shinkansen. As far as actually getting IN the snow or skiing or seeing Olympic exhibits, however, I don't know anything beyond getting to the city. If you want an onsen type experience in an area that may have snow at the time, Kusatsu Onsen takes about 3 hours via train from Asakusabashi, then another 30 by bus. Dick Danger posted:Arcades Shibuya has the best ones, so you've probably seen the highlights. You could try pachinko or something more "native". If you're a retro nerd, be sure to see Super Potato in Akihabara. Edit: Take note of the photograph and study a map before going. I walked past the loving thing 3 times trying to find it. Dick Danger posted:Disney Can't tell you much about Disney Tokyo, unfortunately. I grew up near Disneyland in Anaheim, so I didn't have much interest in there. You may want to look up Disney Sea, however. It might be something you and your gf would enjoy together. Maybe a park hopper pass of sorts - they're right by each other. Fryhtaning fucked around with this message at 20:03 on Oct 8, 2012 |
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Oct 8, 2012 19:59
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Ryokans, while being low tech in some ways, are definitely not "budget" -- they are an experience of their own and tend to be in the mid to high price range. For Western style (what does this mean? Western bed?) Have you tried Sakura hostel or the like?
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Oct 8, 2012 22:46
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Dick Danger posted:-Disneyland: GF is crazy about going here. Seems pretty straightforward, i remember driving passed it when I left Narita last time. With that said, any tips? Good time/day to go? How much does it cost? http://www.tokyodisneyresort.co.jp/en/index.html and http://land.allears.net/blogs/lauragilbreath/2011/11/holidays_at_the_tokyo_disney_r_1.html is someone's trip in five different parts. It's pretty much constantly packed, so get ready for crazy rear end lines. However, it's also crazy polite (bit of a given, but still). I've been told when you get there to make a bee line for the Winnie The Pooh ride and either get in line or get a fast pass for it since fast passes disappear FAST for it. It's supposedly the only ride in any disney park running under that sort of tech (what sort of tech I couldn't possibly tell you) so it's supposed to be a unique experience. I've also been told not to bother with the gift shops until after all the Japanese have gotten gifts for friends/family not on the trip. If you shop on an off-time while most people are at lunch or dinner, it'll probably be a lot less crowded. Also, eat on an off time too but that goes for any disney park.
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Oct 8, 2012 23:22
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hitension posted:Ryokans, while being low tech in some ways, are definitely not "budget" -- they are an experience of their own and tend to be in the mid to high price range. You're right, I probably should have worded things better. With that said however, many of the Ryokan type places we've looked at have been considerably cheaper than a regular hotel. As for Western, I think it means tall bed + own bathroom. I'm not personally too fussed about accom at all, I mean last time I was over I slept on tatami mats in a waterlogged restaurant in Ishinomaki and loved every bit of it, but the gf doesn't get much time off work so she wants some degree of 'luxury' I suppose. @Fryhtaning: Thanks for all the tips. The transport situation seems quite reasonable, I mean I'd love for things to be as easy as they were last time (Tokyu Shibuya Inn was right in the middle of Shibuya and like 1 minute walk from the Yamanote line) but I'll really just have to deal with what I get, and it looks like Asakusabashi is the go-to place for affordable hotels. Thanks also for the heads up on Super Potato, myself and mates are dying to check it out. @Fluffy Bunnies: Perfect. Super useful, thanks a load man. Gonna' ride that Pooh. E: Twice now I've forgotten to include my most burning question in a post - What's a good resource for checking concert/gig dates and details in Japan/primarily Tokyo? I'm a big fan of new Japanese music and understand enough of the language to check artist's websites for dates, but it'd be a lot easier if there was a gig guide website that just listed everything on at a certain date or something. Does this exist? EE: There's a site literally called 'Tokyo Gig Guide' apparently. Bit empty but I guess I'll check it closer to the date. Dick Danger fucked around with this message at 05:32 on Oct 9, 2012 |
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Oct 9, 2012 02:44
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I've tried figuring this out on my own to no avail, but is it possible to have two consecutive JR passes? I'm going to be here for two months, hanging out on my lonesome mostly. I have a current pass, but in a month I have a friend coming over and I imagine we are going to do some Kansai tourist stuff together. Is it possible for her to bring over a new JR Pass in my name, that I can then activate after my current one has expired? Is there a limit to how many individual passes you can use in a period of time? Cool place, thus far, though I'm yet to meet any people to hang out with. So far I've just run into the Canadian-Autist English teacher and probable pedophile, and the chintzy Russian couple that take glamour shots on the guesthouse roof. Any recommendations for West Honshu, Kyuushu and Shikoku, aside from the obvious?
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Oct 9, 2012 08:48
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Dick Danger posted:
I'm bad with names, but I'd recommend: Tokyo Leisureland on Odaiba. It's huge and has some random stuff I still haven't seen anywhere else (e.g. Tokyo Bus Driver). Also, Akihabara of course. There's the 'Try Tower' (I think that is its name) which has a massive batch of retro games as well as the most recent stuff too. Also, one of the Club Sega's in that area has some classic Sega games on top of the more recent stuff. It also has some guy who dual-wields his way through House of the Dead 5 without losing a life and getting 'S' ranks on everything.
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Oct 9, 2012 09:20
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It might be worth traveling to a Round One while you're in town, they're great fun with a group of people. I'd recommend going to one which has "sport-cha", where you can pay for 3 hours of doing all sorts of interesting activities. I think that the only one in Tokyo which has it is in the middle of Itabashi, you can get there by subway but it's quite a trip, although I do think it is worth it. Maybe there's a closer one in Chiba. Nakano Broadway is also very much worth the trip if you're interested in underground culture, most of the "real" Japanese otaku prefer it to Akihabara. Fryhtaning posted:
Shibuya is actually pretty mediocre for arcades, there are a couple of them but compared to other districts it's nothing special at all. Akihabara is obviously the best, but if you're looking for something more unique and outside of that area you could try Takadanobaba, they have a famous retro arcade called "Mikado" with a lot of good games. Ikebukuro also has a ton of arcades but in all honesty there's nothing you can't find elsewhere so it's not worth making the trip just for it, although if you want to go shopping then Sunshine City is worth visiting. There's also a Super Potato there which is smaller than the Akihabara one but can have different stuff if you're looking for something in particular. DiscoJ posted:I'm bad with names, but I'd recommend: Odaiba Leisureland is pretty expensive, a lot of the games cost 200yen to play due to its location and being more of a family-fun center than an arcade for dedicated gamers. There is an authentic showa-era retro arcade in Decks though, tons of old cocktail tables and mechanical games. Try Amusement Tower closed down several years ago, for retro games in Akihabara "Hey" is probably your best shot now, it's on the main street. Original_Z fucked around with this message at 13:46 on Oct 9, 2012 |
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Oct 9, 2012 13:42
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Leisure land is pretty fun with a group/as a couple. It feels more like the big places back in the UK - aimed at friends, couples and families rather than hardcore gamers but I don't see that as a bad thing. And sorry, I did mean 'Hey' rather than 'Try'. Still the only place with SFEX2+ as far as I've seen.
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Oct 9, 2012 14:01
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Original_Z posted:It might be worth traveling to a Round One while you're in town, they're great fun with a group of people. I'd recommend going to one which has "sport-cha", where you can pay for 3 hours of doing all sorts of interesting activities. I think that the only one in Tokyo which has it is in the middle of Itabashi, you can get there by subway but it's quite a trip, although I do think it is worth it. Maybe there's a closer one in Chiba. I second Hey. One floor is dedicated to all manners of Shoot-em-ups and beat em ups and another for fighting games. The floor with fighting games has King of Fighters 94(or one of them, I can't remember) and SSFIIX for 10 yen. Like 4 or 5 people will play SSFIIX so you can still play people and not have to wait too long. When I was playing that I also met some dude who claimed to be Daigo Umehara's friend. Daigo apparently lives in Nakano?
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Oct 10, 2012 21:42
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Ok, I'm going to Japan with some co-workers and we're spending one night in Tokyo, at the Hyatt in Shinjuku. I've been tasked with finding us (2 guys and a girl) a good nightclub to help beat the jet lag (it's kinda a tradition when we travel). OP posted:4) Clubs! I want to go clubbing, so tell me where to go. So whats a good night club that some Americans/Canadian would enjoy thats not too far? If anyone here is familiar with Singapore does a place like Clark Quay exist close to where we're staying?
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Oct 11, 2012 06:13
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I think the OP is inaccurate, plenty of places in Tokyo allow dancing past 1AM. Maybe it's illegal but the owners are the ones that suffer the consequences, not the customers. Raids do happen but they only make an impact at certain places which tend to suck anyway (looking at you Feria). Shibuya is geographically pretty close to Park Hyatt. Plenty of options there. The big names are probably Womb, Atom, clubasia, Trump Room, and relatively newer Vision. If you want to get more specific: http://iflyer.tv/venues/ Also just a tip... New York Bar is way past its prime, and I don't say this very often about alcohol but it was a waste of time and money. Go to some random izakaya instead. There must be thousands of izakayas within a 1km radius of Shinjuku station alone. Clark Quay seemed like Downtown Disney/Pleasure Island to me, I don't know of anywhere in Tokyo with a similar vibe. Things here are more gritty. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 07:48 on Oct 11, 2012 |
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Oct 11, 2012 07:46
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Depending on the night of the week and how much you guys are into the clubbing thing, consider a trip to ageha, best club in town. It is better when it is warm but I really like it. Unfortunately, it is all the way out in shin-kiba.
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Oct 11, 2012 16:57
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Good point. There's a free shuttle bus that runs to/from Shibuya too, making it easier.
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Oct 12, 2012 00:59
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zmcnulty posted:Good point. There's a free shuttle bus that runs to/from Shibuya too, making it easier. Bus pregame party !!!
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Oct 12, 2012 03:53
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You guys are crazy. They'll be in town one night, and you tell them to go to Ageha?? Unless they are hardcore into techno, that's a silly idea. It's in the middle of nowhere, hard to get to, even harder to get back from, and they're screwed if they decide they want to go somewhere else. I'd second the Shibuya idea, though.
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Oct 12, 2012 04:38
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GTGastby posted:You guys are crazy. They'll be in town one night, and you tell them to go to Ageha?? Unless they are hardcore into techno, that's a silly idea. It's in the middle of nowhere, hard to get to, even harder to get back from, and they're screwed if they decide they want to go somewhere else. Yeah thanks, I was looking at Ageha and thinking how the hell do I get there? (And nice catch on the Techno.) Looking at the places are they usually this expensive? (between about 30-40 USD).
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Oct 12, 2012 06:02
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Yes a good place on a popular night will run 3-4000 yen
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Oct 12, 2012 08:12
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GTGastby posted:You guys are crazy. They'll be in town one night, and you tell them to go to Ageha?? Unless they are hardcore into techno, that's a silly idea. It's in the middle of nowhere, hard to get to, even harder to get back from, and they're screwed if they decide they want to go somewhere else. Hey, Shibuya already got covered,so I thought I'd mention the other nice club in town. Cover is usually expensive, yes, and drinks will be too, and small to boot. Try to forego anything you don't want to carry around because there isn't a lot of storage. Lastly, if you leave early, you will have to take the taxi. Won't be expensive, though (if you stayed in Shibuya/Shinjuku).
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Oct 12, 2012 18:24
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totalnewbie posted:Hey, Shibuya already got covered,so I thought I'd mention the other nice club in town. Great thanks for the tips!! Define Early?
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Oct 13, 2012 02:15
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Before the metro/trains start running again. So before 4.30/5am or thereabouts.
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Oct 13, 2012 03:19
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What night are you guys going to be there?
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Oct 13, 2012 17:44
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totalnewbie posted:What night are you guys going to be there? Saturday night (though we're also going to be there for one night, the friday before halloween, as well).
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Oct 14, 2012 00:20
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Oh well you guys are looking at a good time no matter what, then. Saturday: Womb http://www.womb.co.jp/#!/calendar/2012/10/20 with sample. It's apparently Womb's 11th anniversary? Will be a good time, I'm sure. Atom http://clubatom.com/schedule/ will be house/electro and a hip-hop area (I think. Their website is terrible.) Asia http://asia.iflyer.jp/venue/flyer/116404 with Reggae Dub BreakBeats ageHa http://www.ageha.com/gn/ja/events/index.html it's  gay night Vision (Sound Museum Vision - what a great name) http://www.vision-tokyo.com/event/shibuya-fashion-festival-after-party-2 house/electro Eleven http://go-to-eleven.com/schedule/detail/737/2012/10 feat. The Orb
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Oct 14, 2012 01:08
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totalnewbie posted:What night are you guys going to be there? Wooooo yeah totalnewbie is coming back to Japan to party!
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Oct 14, 2012 02:36
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In about a year, I'll be hitting up Nagoya. And then, if you're lucky, I might just swing by Tokyo.
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Oct 14, 2012 02:53
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I wasn't really all that interested in hitting any clubs in Tokyo, but all this club talk has me keen. Do you have to be 21 to enter a club in Japan? I'm fine but my partner is 19 so she probably won't have much luck if we want to go out drinking and stuff right? Oh and I booked my hotel and flights, It's all happening  . Some place called the Villa Fontaine Nihonbashi; I'm not at all familiar with the area and I have absolutely no idea how the public transport works there. Could any transport savvy goons fill me in on how I'll go about getting between Nihonbashi and, say, Shibuya? Google maps says subway, which I'm pretty clueless about. Any foreigner friendly Tokyo transport guides/tutorials out there?
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Oct 14, 2012 05:22
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Google Maps is generally pretty good for getting around Tokyo so you can trust it for directions and prices. If your place is closest to Nihonbashi, that's on the same subway line as Shibuya so it's very easy to get to. You should also be fairly close to Tokyo Station, which is on the Yamanote Line and thus gives a direct connection to Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ueno and Akihabara.
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Oct 14, 2012 06:48
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Dick Danger posted:I wasn't really all that interested in hitting any clubs in Tokyo, but all this club talk has me keen. Do you have to be 21 to enter a club in Japan? I'm fine but my partner is 19 so she probably won't have much luck if we want to go out drinking and stuff right? Legal age is 20 for all things. She might be able to get a beer at restaurants - they're not as keen to check for IDs from my experience, but they definitely card for clubs, without exception.
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Oct 14, 2012 20:45
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totalnewbie posted:Legal age is 20 for all things. You can often enough get into clubs even if you're underage, however. No guarantees of course.
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Oct 14, 2012 22:19
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Dick Danger posted:Could any transport savvy goons fill me in on how I'll go about getting between Nihonbashi and, say, Shibuya? Google maps says subway, which I'm pretty clueless about. Any foreigner friendly Tokyo transport guides/tutorials out there? Hyperdia.com, but you'd need to find your way to the nearest station first. I'm guessing that's Nihombashi (note the spelling - hyperdia won't find nihonbashi), or Tokyo. For Nihombashi to Shibuya, Hyperdia says: code:
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Oct 14, 2012 22:54
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I used to live right around the corner from that hotel. Mitsukoshimae is closer than Nihombashi. JR Kanda station is a ~10min walk from there too so easy enough to get around on Chuo line and Yamanote line. Don't bother crossing the river for JR Tokyo station, it's a 20+ minute hike from there. Some local suggestions: have the Nihombashi cocktail at Mandarin Bar... and only one because they're 2500 yen each. MAKE SURE you use the men's bathroom while there, it's the best bathroom in Japan. If you're on a tighter budget then XEX Nihombashi is right across the street. As for getting into clubs underage, I think you'll have a difficult time with the big names mentioned on this page. Even Club Tamachi cards. But for places that aren't specifically clubs (bars, restaurants, lounges, two places mentioned above) you shouldn't have any problems. In any case I've only ever been carded by bouncers before paying for entry -- e.g. never bartenders or wait staff. So worst case scenario you will just get turned away at the door.
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Oct 15, 2012 01:50
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This hyperdia is a great tool, looks like it's going to make things pretty easy. Thanks Fryhtaning! zmcnulty, that first bar looks totally baller, can't say I had any cocktails last time I was over (just a lot of calpis beer, which I'm dying to hit up again this time) so I'll take your word and make a night of this one. As for bathrooms, well, I still haven't shut up about about the quality of bathrooms in general in Tokyo so I'm very prepared to be impressed again.
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Oct 17, 2012 02:38
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I would highly, highly recommend buying a suica card. It's a pre-paid card that'll get you all around Tokyo and lots of other areas (though not Kansai, I think - has it been integrated yet?). It costs 2000 yen with 1500 yen credit (so 500 yen for the card itself). It'll save you lots of time, effort, headaches. Plus, I think it makes for a neat souvenir.
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Oct 17, 2012 03:45
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I'm pretty sure Suica and ICOCA are interchangeable now
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Oct 17, 2012 14:34
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if you're in nihombashi for the love of god go to Kagaya bar http://gaijintonic.com/2007/02/08/kagaya-maddest-bar-in-tokyo/ actually if you are alive anywhere on earth, find your way to Kagaya bar
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Oct 17, 2012 14:34
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| # ? Jun 9, 2024 19:13 |
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Went to Japan for three weeks, visited Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima/Itsukushima and Osaka. Here are some things I experienced. 1. Thank you for smoking: Are you from the USA? If so, good for you. The USA is the only country with a total ban on indoor smoking. If you are allergic to cigarettes or do not like the smell be prepared to, at times, have a bad time because there will be smoking indoors. If you are a smoker, welcome to Paradise. 2. Maid Cafes, spreading the creep: What the gently caress happened to Akihabara? Why the gently caress did you animu pieces of poo poo have to ruin Nerd Mecca with your creepy fetishism? I don't know where to go for my old video game stuff now.  3. The Ghibli Museum: The Ghibli Museum is loving beautiful, and worth it and you should go but you need to buy tickets two weeks in advance at least! 4. The Deer on Itsukushima will pick your pockets: If you are going to Itsukushima, try not to leave anything loose in your pockets. The "tame" deer on the island will pluck it right out of your pockets. Do not trust these fuckers!  Also, Hachiko: 
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Oct 17, 2012 22:37
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