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Stringent posted:Everything. So wrong, Shibuya is great. But with kids, ehh, everything is different.
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Aug 17, 2017 16:14
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Phone posted:Learning katakana is going to be more useful since you'll be able (to try) to figure out what foreign/loan word things are without much prior knowledge. Toyko Dome City is the obvious first choice. https://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e/ Tokyo Dome City Attractions is quite noticeable, but also consider checking out TenQ (https://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/tenq/e/), the space museum, and LaQua (http://www.laqua.jp/pages/en/), the hot spring. Korakuen (http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/koishikawa/outline.html) is also nearby one and is one of Tokyo's most famous landscape gardens.
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Aug 17, 2017 16:24
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P-Mack posted:What's wrong with Shibuya? Nothing really.
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Aug 18, 2017 03:00
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Too many slackjawed tourists acting like they've never seen a pedestrian crossing before.
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Aug 18, 2017 05:48
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Seconding sue I. Great zoo great museums and cheaper accommodations and close to narita. And tidiest homeless population in the world
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Aug 18, 2017 06:02
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If you wanna ge really really drunk and see one of the most crowded spots in the world the Shibuya is great
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Aug 18, 2017 08:22
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My girlfriend and I will be visiting Kyoto for a short getaway next week. Two things high on the list are buying kimonos and visiting onsen, and I have a couple of specific questions about each. She's interested in getting a silk kimono with an obi, what kind of cash are we looking at here? Do they tailor-make them like suits? She's kinda short, around 5 feet. As for onsen, we won't have time to travel too far out of town, what are our options? She has a biggish tattoo on her forearm, and one on top of her foot, can she get away with wearing skin-coloured band-aids/bandages to cover them? Also, are mixed-gender onsen a thing? It would be neat to experience it together if possible.
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Aug 18, 2017 14:24
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A new, tailored kimono is going to cost thousands of dollars. The only way you can find one in a remotely affordable way is to trawl second hand shops. Fortunately, it's Japan and a kimono for a five foot tall woman isn't particularly unusual. Only thing I can think of is if she's large chested it's unlikely you'd be able to track one down that fits without getting it tailor made. E: To find second hand shops you might consider taking a short trip to Osaka, it's a much larger city and may have more opportunities to find one. It's right next to Kyoto and you can easily pop over for the afternoon to shop. Grand Fromage fucked around with this message at 14:34 on Aug 18, 2017 |
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Aug 18, 2017 14:31
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Getting a kimono and obi for a short girl isn't hard. Learning to tie it well is... Yukata you can buy new for $100 or less but a silk kimono will probably be used. Hard Off (lol) is a national recycle chain but most of the kimono selection is dead grandma stuff.
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Aug 18, 2017 15:09
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SquallStrife posted:As for onsen, we won't have time to travel too far out of town, what are our options? She has a biggish tattoo on her forearm, and one on top of her foot, can she get away with wearing skin-coloured band-aids/bandages to cover them? Also, are mixed-gender onsen a thing? It would be neat to experience it together if possible. Depends on how big the tattoos are, but yes you can sometimes get away with bandages covering them. That said, if you want to do mixed-gender look into ryokan that have a private onsen to book or have rooms that have their own onsen. It's not cheap, usually like $200-$300 a person a night, but they will include a nice dinner and breakfast as well. Example Onsen Ryokan: http://www.hanaikada.co.jp/english/facility.html
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Aug 18, 2017 16:04
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Every city will have one public bath that ignores tattoos... if you know who to ask (I don't sorry (´；ω；`)
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Aug 18, 2017 16:08
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peanut posted:Every city will have one public bath that ignores tattoos... if you know who to ask (I don't sorry (´；ω；`) Looks like Kyoto's is Gokouyu https://blog.gaijinpot.com/tattooed-foreign-and-in-a-bathhouse/ http://www.gokouyu.net/
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Aug 18, 2017 16:16
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Caberham made Tokyo goons walk past 9,000 bars in search of one specific forgettable microbrew place. It had nothing to do with Shibuya and everything to do with the absurdity of looking for a place to have a beer in Tokyo. You can drink anything within five minutes in Tokyo; you insisted in making that an ordeal.
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Aug 18, 2017 18:50
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Lol if you just don't pop into a conbini for a beer
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Aug 18, 2017 19:21
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peanut posted:Every city will have one public bath that ignores tattoos... if you know who to ask (I don't sorry (´；ω；`) If you're just looking for a sento, look up the places on Google Maps with a bunch of one star reviews. The Yakuza at the one I went to in Matsuyama were pretty chill, so don't worry about the pearl-clutching in the review comments. The one I used while I was in Kyoto also doesn't care and was close to the hostel.
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Aug 18, 2017 19:59
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sale on Banksy art posted:Caberham made Tokyo goons walk past 9,000 bars in search of one specific forgettable microbrew place. I wanna know which place it was so I can either agree with his choice or laugh at it
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Aug 18, 2017 22:25
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Hub Shibuya #3 they have Orion on tap!!
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Aug 19, 2017 03:10
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peanut posted:Hub Shibuya #3 they have Orion on tap!! At every hub they have DKs and that's all you need sooooo
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Aug 19, 2017 04:41
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LimburgLimbo posted:At every hub they have DKs and that's all you need sooooo Hub sells things other than Gin and Tonics?
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Aug 19, 2017 04:50
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don't go looking for places just tell Ned or stringent "I wanna get drunk" and follow them wherever they take you Guaranteed great time. Love em
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Aug 19, 2017 05:11
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admittedly it's an amazing time because of the people in Japan With good food In an awesome city like Tokyo I'm drunk right now
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Aug 19, 2017 05:12
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It was good beer faucets. They have beer ice cream floats 
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Aug 19, 2017 09:41
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sale on Banksy art posted:Caberham made Tokyo goons walk past 9,000 bars in search of one specific forgettable microbrew place. You can drink anything if you want lovely rear end beer yeah
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Aug 19, 2017 14:37
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The Great Autismo! posted:don't go looking for places just tell Ned or stringent "I wanna get drunk" and follow them wherever they take you Confirmed. Just buying a beer in a konbini and walking through Kabukicho while drinking it was hilarious with all the street touts it would attract and aggravate. Stringent turns it into a sport. Man, I miss being able to drink in public.
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Aug 19, 2017 15:40
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caberham posted:It was good beer faucets. They have beer ice cream floats That's a good choice but I'm disappointed you would have trouble finding it
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Aug 19, 2017 22:41
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The Great Autismo! posted:don't go looking for places just tell Ned or stringent "I wanna get drunk" and follow them wherever they take you I'm pretty worthless in Tokyo. I gave you an empty bar with 250 beers and a tranny who wants to show off her thong and then some drinks in the park.
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Aug 21, 2017 01:47
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Hey Ned, I'm in Tokyo next month can you get me incredibly drunk!?
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Aug 21, 2017 02:11
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Phone posted:Hey Ned, I'm in Tokyo next month can you get me incredibly drunk!? Yes.
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Aug 21, 2017 03:50
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Ned posted:I'm pretty worthless in Tokyo. I gave you an empty bar with 250 beers and a tranny who wants to show off her thong and then some drinks in the park. I know and I love you with all my heart for it
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Aug 21, 2017 12:37
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Finally got through the thread, disappointed in the lack of derails and no conclusion to the footjob guy from the first few pages. I'm winding up way early for a trip in 2018. Just booked July 25 to August 11. Nice that iah has direct flights to nrt. Nothing much is set in stone except for a Fuji climb somewhere in there (considering Subashiri trail, thoughts?) and trying to fit in some goofy animal stuff. I'm going as a couple with me in my late 20s and her in her late 30s. Our biggest draws are going to be some awesome dining (a few Michelin star places I hope) and sightseeing. Probably going to stick to the traditional Tokyo and Kyoto trip for most of the way. I'm considering the shimanami kaido for some scenic touring. Probably just one or two temples because they'll get old fast, and I'll do the ryokan thing the day I come down off Fuji because I bet the onsen will be amazing. No Hiroshima if all that's there is the ww2 stuff because war history isn't my thing. Excluding airfare, we're estimating a $6-8k budget for everything else including lodging and transport, how does that sound? I've never tried an airbnb but it's looking like an appealing option. I'm shying away from the 4*+ hotels since there's better uses of cash and I'm expecting to be out most of the day, but I'm worried about not having a concierge to snag reservations at some of the nicer places in Tokyo and Kyoto. I see a few services that are charging like $70+ just to make reservations for us. I'm coming over on ANA in F, which I'm stoked about. I've never flown with them before and I hear their soft product is amazing. Looks like nrt isn't that bad to navigate but I'm definitely trying to figure out baggage transport. Looking at the takyubin thing since we'll probably have 3-4 checked bags between us plus two carry on bags and I don't want to deal with that poo poo. Worried about how airbnb is going to play with pickup and drop-off. One thing on my food list is authentic sushi. I don't care too much for it (mix of texture and the strong fish flavor) but being in Texas I'm not expecting that I've had well prepared poo poo. I want to try something really well done and then decide if I hate it. My boss is telling me to try the conveyor sushi places but from what I've read I'm not sure if it'll be the experience I want. Likewise, I know going to a super high end place will be a waste because I won't know wtf I'm eating and how to appreciate it. Should I just look for a decently reviewed place on tableog that's under, what, 50k yen each? No other requests for the thread, but thanks for the cool read and ideas - I'll ask for some itinerary insight as I get poo poo together. Japan goons seem cool af so it would be nice to chill with someone.
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Aug 24, 2017 18:59
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You have an absurd amount of money to spend so most of what I know isn't applicable. 50K yen per person is stupendously expensive sushi, though. There is no reason you should be going anywhere over 10k or so if you aren't a giant sushi fan. In your shoes I would actually go to a good quality conveyor place first and see how you feel about it. Good conveyor belt sushi is a thing in Japan and I've been to places that are every bit as good as a highish end sushi place in the US. If you enjoy that you can go somewhere fancier. The famous Michelin star places you have to book six months in advance I wouldn't bother with, that's for people who are really into sushi. If you aren't, you won't appreciate the difference. You won't have to budget at all with that kind of cash to throw around. There are services in Japan to same day mail luggage from one hotel to another but I only travel with a carry on so I haven't used them.
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Aug 24, 2017 19:15
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Richard M Nixon posted:I'm going as a couple with me in my late 20s and her in her late 30s. Our biggest draws are going to be some awesome dining (a few Michelin star places I hope) and sightseeing. Probably going to stick to the traditional Tokyo and Kyoto trip for most of the way. I'm considering the shimanami kaido for some scenic touring. Probably just one or two temples because they'll get old fast, and I'll do the ryokan thing the day I come down off Fuji because I bet the onsen will be amazing. No Hiroshima if all that's there is the ww2 stuff because war history isn't my thing. peanut and some other people have other recs for Shimanami given that they live near there, but I'd say skip it for the summer and go to Aomori or Hokkaido instead. quote:Excluding airfare, we're estimating a $6-8k budget for everything else including lodging and transport, how does that sound? I've never tried an airbnb but it's looking like an appealing option. I'm shying away from the 4*+ hotels since there's better uses of cash and I'm expecting to be out most of the day, but I'm worried about not having a concierge to snag reservations at some of the nicer places in Tokyo and Kyoto. I see a few services that are charging like $70+ just to make reservations for us. $6-8k is pretty doable with a couple of splurge lodging or food here or there. I warn you a bit about michelin stars because that's what everybody in the US/Europe with disposable income is obsessed about these days, and the rating system is pretty bad at judging Japan in general (because it turns out that the Japanese know way better about Japanese food!). Ask Stringent or some other foodie who lives in Tokyo about food recs. Expensive hotels in Tokyo aren't worth it. Also go to Den's. quote:I'm coming over on ANA in F, which I'm stoked about. I've never flown with them before and I hear their soft product is amazing. Looks like nrt isn't that bad to navigate but I'm definitely trying to figure out baggage transport. Looking at the takyubin thing since we'll probably have 3-4 checked bags between us plus two carry on bags and I don't want to deal with that poo poo. Worried about how airbnb is going to play with pickup and drop-off. Travel lightly when going to Japan. In fact, travel lightly always. 3-4 checked bags is probably way too much. Do one carry-on sized bag + a backpack. Do your laundry while you're in the country, even if it's by hand. Been there, done that (including carrying like 4 luggage through Shinjuku kill me). quote:One thing on my food list is authentic sushi. I don't care too much for it (mix of texture and the strong fish flavor) but being in Texas I'm not expecting that I've had well prepared poo poo. I want to try something really well done and then decide if I hate it. My boss is telling me to try the conveyor sushi places but from what I've read I'm not sure if it'll be the experience I want. Likewise, I know going to a super high end place will be a waste because I won't know wtf I'm eating and how to appreciate it. Should I just look for a decently reviewed place on tableog that's under, what, 50k yen each? Go to Sushi Zanmai. You'll know right away.
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Aug 24, 2017 19:23
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Conbini sushi will knock the pants off of any Buy One Get One sit down places you find in America. You seem to be pretty set on just shoveling money into the fire, like.. you can do a bunch of high end shopping if you want to spend money that bad. If you don't do any fine dining stateside, you shouldn't feel compelled to do it overseas.
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Aug 24, 2017 19:57
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Thanks Fromage and ntan, that's the kind of into I was hoping for. I'm trying to take the western rating scales lightly (tripadvisor and Michelin guide) and I'll combine it with tableog. For the few rare places, any ideas on grabbing reservations if I'm not at the Ritz or comparable? Gurunavi seems decent but I'm loathe to use the paid services unless I have to. I haven't thought about doing laundry over the trip but I definitely don't want to gently caress with trains and anything bigger than my carryon. I imagine laundry services are plentiful if I'm not planning on doing it myself? I'll read up on the suggested sushi place and think about trying the conveyor place, which I know will be fun just for the novelty alone. Guessing tableog will help here. I'm not a big cycling fan so the kaido course made the just just because it is apparently the one that Conde Nast loves to cover. I'll admit I've seen the cycling on the beach anime scenes that I want to recreate, but I know they beaches aren't really what I'm imagining in Japan. Sounds like Kyoto will have some cool chances to bike around too? Anyone tried adventure world? It looks like it might be a zoo that doesn't make the gf break down in tears and I see there's a chance to feed a panda which I know she'll gush for. Guess ~800k jpy is a bit overzealous without housing taking up too much cash so I'll treat that as a stretch goal over the next year. I expect to slum it with a few cheap noodle bowls and I know I'm trying the conbini and pizza hut because the internet loves that poo poo. I'm a bit worried about breakfast if I'm not at a hotel since I'm not really seeing going out to eat as a thing people do? Reddit tells me that it'll be 7/11 for me unless I'm cooking for myself or going to Dennys.
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Aug 24, 2017 20:04
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Phone posted:Conbini sushi will knock the pants off of any Buy One Get One sit down places you find in America. I keep reading how stupid expensive Tokyo is and two weeks internationally for under $10k sounds cheap to me but I've never done Asia so I may be over planning. I'm not anticipating any shopping splurges just for the gently caress of it, but I know the gf will probably be grabbing clothing from time to time. She'll also want some kind of cool scrapbooking stuff and I found some store in Tokyo that lets you make your own ink so I know that's a win. My souvenirs will probably be kit kats, gross flavors of potato chips, etc. If not #1, culture through food is at least a #2 priority and we're both big into high end dining in our daily lives, so that's where some of my planning is going. I'm not talking caviar lunches daily (though with sushi I guess it's true) but I do want to get a bad rear end kaseki, waygu, maybe the molecular gastronomy place at the mandarin, and one or two other best in class places. We're not prissy socialites or anything (gently caress, we're from Texas), we just really like quality dining and it's the way we like to take in culture because we'll talk about a good meal more than we'll talk about seeing the eiffel tower or the coliseum.
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Aug 24, 2017 20:12
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There's plenty of breakfast options, Japan is just one of those countries that doesn't really have a distinct concept of breakfast foods. There's some stuff like tamago kake gohan but usually you just get noodles or something. Everywhere I've ever stayed in Japan had washing machines. I try to bring my carry-on at least 1/3 empty so I usually have four days of clothing with me and wash regularly. It's no issue at all. There are plenty of 24 hour laundromats if you end up somewhere weird that doesn't have one. Traveling with just a carry on is great and I highly, highly recommend it. One suitcase per person at the most. As for reservations, check with the hotel. I am poor and only stay in hostels and even at a $20 a night dorm place they were able to make reservations for me. I don't see why you'd need a service. Certainly before paying for one see if a goon can call and pretend, plenty of Japan goons are fluent and there's no harm in trying. I second Sushi Zanmai as a sweet spot on price/quality.
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Aug 24, 2017 20:13
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Richard M Nixon posted:I keep reading how stupid expensive Tokyo is and two weeks internationally for under $10k sounds cheap to me but I've never done Asia so I may be over planning. You're over planning and being deceived by the internet. $100 per person a day is plenty for Tokyo and you're budgeting way more than that. When I'm there I spend like $60 a day and all I do is walk around eating constantly.
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Aug 24, 2017 20:15
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Yeah, you're going super overboard. You can stay in a completely serviceable business hotel with breakfast for like $100/night per person that has washing machines on site. I've been in a room at the Ritz, and while it had an absolutely stunning view and the amenities were ridiculously nice, I couldn't tell someone that it was a Must Have Experience. If you're super into food and do high end dining all of the time at home, sure go nuts; however, I would find it hard to believe that having train station yakisoba wouldn't be just as memorable.
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Aug 24, 2017 20:25
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ntan1 posted:Also go to Den's. Seconding this. http://www.jimbochoden.com/en/reserve/
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Aug 24, 2017 20:28
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This is what the local feedback is for and I appreciate it. Definitely not going overboard on any hotels because I'm not planning on being there except when I'm asleep. I ran into at least two restaurants when exploring dining that said reservations could only be made through a concierge but for all I know they're overhyped tourist places. I'll definitely be posting my dining ideas to hear what you guys think. No way I'm shunning the street food either - I'm so excited to try the ekiben while on the shinkansen. Also, pizza hut. When I know where I'll be going in Tokyo I'll check on what neighborhoods are good for airbnb if that proves a more economical approach. The only splurge hotel is going to be a ryokan after Fuji but only because apparently they're all stupid expensive if you want an in room onsen. Richard M Nixon fucked around with this message at 20:52 on Aug 24, 2017 |
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Aug 24, 2017 20:34
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