2 Weeks in Japan?

[mwgdrwg]

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Takoyaki. I used to be obsessed. Ate too much and now I'm over it. Nikuman too. I had a three year phase, now I don't think I could ever take another bite.

 

[bi0boy]

My favourite Kyoto temple is fushimi inari, all the others were a bit samey for me.

On the NEX right now headed home

 

[bi0boy]

Oh, everyone should visit Gotokuji temple in Tokyo, it's where the waving cat meme started in the Edo period. An old guy there showed me all the cat carvings on the buildings, and they have a shrine with millions of plastic cat ornaments.

 

[Cid]

I'm in Kyoto. Got a ramshackle, insect-infested, tatami matted, pine-smelling house to myself. With added Thelonius Monk vinyl. Been in Japan about 2 weeks and got a week here. Been great... Er... not much to add. Been on the Strong Zero and whiskey.

 

[Cid]

Spent a few days in Kumamoto (we went to Kagoshima for a couple of days) visiting a mate who teaches English there. It's surprisingly good.

Also Kagoshima black pig shabu shabu is amazing.

 

[Cid]

In Tokyo do a day in the vicinity of the fish market. If you have massive energy or are on weird jet lag time do Tsukiji (the fish market, I didn't go). Then Hama Rikyu, nice gardens, tea house. Next Kyu Shiba Rikyu; small but amazingly well constructed formal garden.Then 21_21 design sight which takes you into Roppongi, a gallery designed by Tadao Ando collaborating with Issey Miyaki (i.e achingly trendy) and usually has en excellent if expensive exhibition (expensive for Tokyo galleries being about £5). Also a glimpse of wealthy Tokyo and its increased number of small, pointless dogs is interesting.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I'm in Kyoto. Got a ramshackle, insect-infested, tatami matted, pine-smelling house to myself. With added Thelonius Monk vinyl. Been in Japan about 2 weeks and got a week here. Been great... Er... not much to add. Been on the Strong Zero and whiskey.

So confusing, zero on beer sometimes means zero calories, and sometimes zero alcohol. Some lemonade has booze in it, but cider is always just a fizzy soft drink.
I like the 'fake' beers that are basicly a beer flavor with alcohol inserted. Dirt cheap.

 

[Ted Striker]

*Thread Bump*

Out there for 2 and a bit weeks after Easter (late March/Early April - so hopefully Cherry blossom season). May need to pepper all you Japan/Tokyo experts and visitors for advice, but for now, I've just got the confirmation email through and wanted to say 'Yay!'

 

[sim667]

*Thread Bump*

Out there for 2 and a bit weeks after Easter (late March/Early April - so hopefully Cherry blossom season). May need to pepper all you Japan/Tokyo experts and visitors for advice, but for now, I've just got the confirmation email through and wanted to say 'Yay!'

I was out in cherry blossom season, and there's lots going on in the parks etc to go an see, from ceremonies, to just general picnicing and drinking in the park.

 

[mwgdrwg]

Where are you going in Japan, Ted Striker ?

I'm going over Easter too. I've done 2 short solo trips before, but this time my wife and children are coming along...so it will be a completely different adventure. Very excited indeed!

 

[Mapped]

Timely bump for me too. I'm off to Tokyo for work (3 days work/5 days play ) in a month's time. The work stuff is located in Chiyoda, near what looks to be a big park and palace and museums and stuff. Has anyone got any recommendations for places to stay near there or a short commute from there that I can book on the work dollar?

I've a Japanese school mate in Shinagawa that I'm going to be staying with on my time off, i've not seen him for nearly 20 years, so we've got plenty to catch up on.

I'm properly looking forward to this trip

 

[sim667]

OOOOOOOOooooh just had a thought!

If anyones going to Tokyo or Kyoto and is going near the B-Side Label sticker shops, can they get me a load if I give them the money first?

I love their stickers, but they won't sell them abroad

 

[bi0boy]

Timely bump for me too. I'm off to Tokyo for work (3 days work/5 days play ) in a month's time. The work stuff is located in Chiyoda, near what looks to be a big park and palace and museums and stuff. Has anyone got any recommendations for places to stay near there or a short commute from there that I can book on the work dollar?

I've a Japanese school mate in Shinagawa that I'm going to be staying with on my time off, i've not seen him for nearly 20 years, so we've got plenty to catch up on.

I'm properly looking forward to this trip

That's the Imperial Palace gardens etc, I stayed here next to Shimbashi station which was a great location because of an evening you can either take a relaxing walk north around Chiyoda and the gardens or walk south into the dense Shimbashi bit which is full of little food places and stuff.

 

[Mapped]

That's the Imperial Palace gardens etc, I stayed here next to Shimbashi station which was a great location because of an evening you can either take a relaxing walk north around Chiyoda and the gardens or walk south into the dense Shimbashi bit which is full of little food places and stuff.

Cheers, I'll take a look, sounds like a good location.

OOOOOOOOooooh just had a thought!

If anyones going to Tokyo or Kyoto and is going near the B-Side Label sticker shops, can they get me a load if I give them the money first?

I love their stickers, but they won't sell them abroad

If you let me know where to go and I'm in the vicinity then I'll pick some up for you. PM me with what you want, I'll be arriving there on the 27th Feb and have plenty of wandering time for this sort of thing.

I seem to remember gift giving is big with the Japanese, I need to get some stuff in for my mate and his family. It's probably bad form to turn up with a bottle as I would here.

 

[sim667]

Cheers, I'll take a look, sounds like a good location.



If you let me know where to go and I'm in the vicinity then I'll pick some up for you. PM me with what you want, I'll be arriving there on the 27th Feb and have plenty of wandering time for this sort of thing.

I seem to remember gift giving is big with the Japanese, I need to get some stuff in for my mate and his family. It's probably bad form to turn up with a bottle as I would here.

Yes please, I'll defibately take you up on the offer.

You good anyway fella? Haven't spoken for a while.

 

[Mapped]

Yes please, I'll defibately take you up on the offer.

You good anyway fella? Haven't spoken for a while.

Quick tip for anyone going to Tokyo. Don't go to this shop and buy anything for sim667 as you'll end up spending an absolute fortune on yourself as well

It's a great find. Really friendly folks and I got some freebies.

It's absolutely ace here, apart from the jetlag.

 

[pk]

Been lucky enough to go to Japan a few times recently. Not cheap. If alone, take advantage of the capsule hotels.

Kyoto is a must. Capsule Hotel near Kyoto Sta.- CAPSULE RYOKAN KYOTO -Cheap hotel /ryokan in Kyoto

 

[Lord Camomile]

Right, off there in a couple of weeks and have spectacularly failed to prepare...

Going with my 26 year old brother and 64 year old mother, so going to be a certain amount of divergent interests. He'll have been there for 6 weeks by the time we get there though, and we generally like the same sort of stuff.

Think the current plan is to spend a few days in Tokyo at the start, then head off to places like Kyoto, Osaka, and... one of the H's. Bugger, forget which. And I think possibly somewhere with a view of Mount Fuji.

Will start scouring this thread, but any further recommendations appreciated

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Tokyo has a view of mount fuji doesn't it?

 

[Lord Camomile]

Tokyo has a view of mount fuji doesn't it?

I honestly have no idea.

But perhaps a closer view? It was somewhere more countrysidey. I'll ask my mum tonight...

 

[sim667]

one of the H's. Bugger, forget which. And I think possibly somewhere with a view of Mount Fuji.

Hiroshima?

Have you got a JR Pass for the trains? You might want to consider one if not, but you can't buy them when you're there, only in advance.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Hiroshima?

Have you got a JR Pass for the trains? You might want to consider one if not, but you can't buy them when you're there, only in advance.

No, def not Hiroshima, would have remembered that one.

I think we're umming and ahhing over a JR pass right now.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Ah, might have been Hakone.

 

[bi0boy]

Will start scouring this thread, but any further recommendations appreciated

Don't think that only silly people could possibly get lost in Tokyo central station, and don't leave your luggage in those apparently easy-to-find lockers dotted about the place there, or rely on those simplified station plans they have in multiple locations, or arrange to meet anyone there right by such-and-such an entrance where they can't be missed. If you do do these things, allow at least half a day to get to the airport.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

Don't think that only silly people could possibly get lost in Tokyo central station, and don't leave your luggage in those apparently easy-to-find lockers dotted about the place there, or rely on those simplified station plans they have in multiple locations, or arrange to meet anyone there right by such-and-such an entrance where they can't be missed. If you do do these things, allow at least half a day to get to the airport.

Shinjuku is easily the best one for mucking up.
I try to stick to jr wherever possible, meeting where lines cross has caused me too many problems in the past. If you like that, try finding a person's house from the address. Christ only knows how postmen do their job. Houses are numbered by when they were built in the district, not by street or any other logic.

 

[krtek a houby]

Tokyo has a view of mount fuji doesn't it?

I've seen it from a place in Chiba, bout an hour outside Tokyo. On our wedding day

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I've seen it from a place in Chiba, bout an hour outside Tokyo. On our wedding day

I stayed in chiba when I got married in Japan. Shimosakayama. Fuji can't be that far because I know friends who have done day trips climbing while staying in central Tokyo.
I'm terrible, I've been to Japan about twenty times and only really left Tokyo once (I'm not counting narita, chiba or Yokohama). I did do all the meji jingu stuff etc a couple of times, but I guess I have at least been lucky enough to do a lot of cultural family things, (sadly including a funeral) and local friend day to day stuff that as a regular tourist might not have been so easy.

 

[green.tea]

I'm gonna be living in Japan (Tsukuba) for a year from september so this thread is pretty interesting for me as I intend to travel around a lot.

 

[ATOMIC SUPLEX]

I've seen it from a place in Chiba, about an hour outside Tokyo. On our wedding day

I stayed in shimosakayama for a few months. That was chiba, very old school Japan. Walking from the station to my flat was like walking through a samurai movie. There was even a cool kendo dojo on the way. Loads of wood houses and more temples than usual. Those were very relaxed days. I had no job and my wife to be was at work all day. Just wandered around, drunk too much nihonshu and hung out. The pound was crazy strong against the yen (and the dollar) at that point. Less than half the price everything is now (and will be worse after brexit).
I think I was married fairly close to shinkokiwa.