|
|
Post by Hurricane on Sept 18, 2015 20:26:42 GMT -5
Hey there, so I'm over here in Australia and randomly saw the other day that airline companies had a sale on where you buy a one-way ticket to Japan and get the return ticket free. On a whim, my friends and I bought tickets to travel there in May 2016 for a few weeks.
I've been researching some stuff to do and have a good list going, but was wondering if anyone here had first hand experiences/tips/knowledge that could help out? It's gonna be a huge difference to me as the only countries I've been to are Australia, USA and Mexico. So far we have planned to go to Robot Restaurant, Disneyland/DisneySea, Imperial Palace, Akihabara, Tokyo Tower, Senso-Ji Temple/Meiji Jingu Shrine/etc.
What are some of the best things to do? Some things to avoid?Thanks for any help!
|
|
Deleted
Joined on: May 5, 2024 10:34:02 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 18, 2015 21:43:59 GMT -5
Have fun mate! I'm a fellow Aussie who one day will hopefully be in the same boat as you...
|
|
BigT
Main Eventer
Joined on: Dec 20, 2004 23:10:09 GMT -5
Posts: 3,491
|
Post by BigT on Sept 19, 2015 2:02:01 GMT -5
Yeah those Jetstar flights were/are crazy cheap. I've been lucky enough to go over to Tokyo as part of a university research trip, it's an absolutely amazing place. I'll see what pointers I can give but if you would like/need more details just ask or message me. Given you're travelling in May you might even be able to check out the Grand Sumo Tournament, that's in Tokyo every May.
You've got some good destinations listed. If you like your anime/geeky stuff (possible if Akihabara is on your list) I'd also consider checking out the Nakano Broadway (in Nakano) it's a smaller setup than Akiba but it has a lot of retro western merchandise as well as Japanese stuff. Since you're going to the Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park is a nice place to relax for a bit (and if you go on Sunday there's a lot of people dressed up or performers around), and the NHK building (a television studio) is nearby too which is only a couple of dollars and pretty cool. From there Harajuku is a short walk and that's interesting even if you aren't into fashion.
Robot Restaurant is crazy. It's completely westernised (all in English without Japanese) but it's still fun. But be careful around there as it's bang in the middle of the red light district of Shinjuku, I was offered a 'massage'. It's not dangerous, but wouldn't hurt to be wary. One of the nearby buildings has a giant Godzilla head poking out too which is cool.
If you have time Odaiba is worth checking out, especially at night when the Gundam statue and ferris wheel lights up.
If you're in Ikebukuro, keep an eye out for Jpop/Idol performances in the Sunshine City Plaza. It's worth checking out just because the scene is so different over there compared to Western Music. My research topic was on the Idol scene and I ended up seeing a couple of shows at the Shinjuku Loft, and a couple of 'Mall' performances at the Plaza as well as in Odaiba
Get yourself a Suica card. It lets you use the busses and trains and you just load it up with money and scan it as you go through the stations. Makes everything within Tokyo an absolute breeze. Also, keep the JR Yamanote Line in mind. A lot of the districts that are worth going to are connected by that line, and it's structured as a loop so it's very easy to find your way around with it.
Even if you don't speak Japanese it's pretty easy to get around. You tend to just point at pictures of food you might want and unlike Australia you aren't expected to be able to speak the native language. You won't go thirsty eigher, there are vending machines at every corner and you can get drinks out of them damn cheap. In Osaka one of them had a 500ml Pepsi for 100 yen (like $1.20 AUD) while the average 600ml runs at 160 yen. You'll love it man, it's such a great place
|
|
|
|
Post by ¡Twist Of Cinnamon! on Sept 19, 2015 2:10:10 GMT -5
Have fun mate! I'm a fellow Aussie who one day will hopefully be in the same boat as you... Hes going on a plane, not a boat. *Leaves* |
|
|
|
Post by theMOESIAH on Sept 19, 2015 4:05:14 GMT -5
You have to try to get to a New Japan show.
|
|
|
|
Post by 0,Y on Sept 19, 2015 4:48:30 GMT -5
Go up the Tokyo skytree for an amazing panorama over the whole city. Also if you have the time make the trip to Mt. Fuji, it's 60 miles from Tokyo even though it seems closer as the mountain can be seen from the city.
If you're there for a few weeks take the shinkansen to Kyoto. It's really worth it as Kyoto is a beautiful city. If you do that make sure to visit Kinkaku-ji also known as the golden pavillon. That's what we did when we went there in 2005 (other than visiting the Skytree of course).
edit: Forgot to mention Ueno-Park.
|
|
|
|
Post by Hurricane on Sept 19, 2015 9:13:46 GMT -5
Yeah those Jetstar flights were/are crazy cheap. I've been lucky enough to go over to Tokyo as part of a university research trip, it's an absolutely amazing place. I'll see what pointers I can give but if you would like/need more details just ask or message me. Given you're travelling in May you might even be able to check out the Grand Sumo Tournament, that's in Tokyo every May. You've got some good destinations listed. If you like your anime/geeky stuff (possible if Akihabara is on your list) I'd also consider checking out the Nakano Broadway (in Nakano) it's a smaller setup than Akiba but it has a lot of retro western merchandise as well as Japanese stuff. Since you're going to the Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park is a nice place to relax for a bit (and if you go on Sunday there's a lot of people dressed up or performers around), and the NHK building (a television studio) is nearby too which is only a couple of dollars and pretty cool. From there Harajuku is a short walk and that's interesting even if you aren't into fashion. Robot Restaurant is crazy. It's completely westernised (all in English without Japanese) but it's still fun. But be careful around there as it's bang in the middle of the red light district of Shinjuku, I was offered a 'massage'. It's not dangerous, but wouldn't hurt to be wary. One of the nearby buildings has a giant Godzilla head poking out too which is cool. If you have time Odaiba is worth checking out, especially at night when the Gundam statue and ferris wheel lights up. If you're in Ikebukuro, keep an eye out for Jpop/Idol performances in the Sunshine City Plaza. It's worth checking out just because the scene is so different over there compared to Western Music. My research topic was on the Idol scene and I ended up seeing a couple of shows at the Shinjuku Loft, and a couple of 'Mall' performances at the Plaza as well as in Odaiba Get yourself a Suica card. It lets you use the busses and trains and you just load it up with money and scan it as you go through the stations. Makes everything within Tokyo an absolute breeze. Also, keep the JR Yamanote Line in mind. A lot of the districts that are worth going to are connected by that line, and it's structured as a loop so it's very easy to find your way around with it. Even if you don't speak Japanese it's pretty easy to get around. You tend to just point at pictures of food you might want and unlike Australia you aren't expected to be able to speak the native language. You won't go thirsty eigher, there are vending machines at every corner and you can get drinks out of them damn cheap. In Osaka one of them had a 500ml Pepsi for 100 yen (like $1.20 AUD) while the average 600ml runs at 160 yen. You'll love it man, it's such a great place That's a huge help! I'm learning basic Japanese and can comfortably hold a basic conversation. Thanks for letting me know about the Grand Sumo Tournament, turns out it IS while I am there! The trains/buses was something I am pretty clueless about over there, I tried looking up rails and didn't understand it well. I've got as far as figuring out I can get from Narita at Terminal 2/3 to Ueno Station which is right near my hotel. I'll look into it more and suss it out! Thanks heaps! And yeah, I'm into the geeky stuff, going to Sunshine City for the Pokemon Centre/J-World/etc. We will be staying one block from Ueno Park.  |
|
BigT
Main Eventer
Joined on: Dec 20, 2004 23:10:09 GMT -5
Posts: 3,491
|
Post by BigT on Sept 19, 2015 17:47:33 GMT -5
Yeah those Jetstar flights were/are crazy cheap. I've been lucky enough to go over to Tokyo as part of a university research trip, it's an absolutely amazing place. I'll see what pointers I can give but if you would like/need more details just ask or message me. Given you're travelling in May you might even be able to check out the Grand Sumo Tournament, that's in Tokyo every May. You've got some good destinations listed. If you like your anime/geeky stuff (possible if Akihabara is on your list) I'd also consider checking out the Nakano Broadway (in Nakano) it's a smaller setup than Akiba but it has a lot of retro western merchandise as well as Japanese stuff. Since you're going to the Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi Park is a nice place to relax for a bit (and if you go on Sunday there's a lot of people dressed up or performers around), and the NHK building (a television studio) is nearby too which is only a couple of dollars and pretty cool. From there Harajuku is a short walk and that's interesting even if you aren't into fashion. Robot Restaurant is crazy. It's completely westernised (all in English without Japanese) but it's still fun. But be careful around there as it's bang in the middle of the red light district of Shinjuku, I was offered a 'massage'. It's not dangerous, but wouldn't hurt to be wary. One of the nearby buildings has a giant Godzilla head poking out too which is cool. If you have time Odaiba is worth checking out, especially at night when the Gundam statue and ferris wheel lights up. If you're in Ikebukuro, keep an eye out for Jpop/Idol performances in the Sunshine City Plaza. It's worth checking out just because the scene is so different over there compared to Western Music. My research topic was on the Idol scene and I ended up seeing a couple of shows at the Shinjuku Loft, and a couple of 'Mall' performances at the Plaza as well as in Odaiba Get yourself a Suica card. It lets you use the busses and trains and you just load it up with money and scan it as you go through the stations. Makes everything within Tokyo an absolute breeze. Also, keep the JR Yamanote Line in mind. A lot of the districts that are worth going to are connected by that line, and it's structured as a loop so it's very easy to find your way around with it. Even if you don't speak Japanese it's pretty easy to get around. You tend to just point at pictures of food you might want and unlike Australia you aren't expected to be able to speak the native language. You won't go thirsty eigher, there are vending machines at every corner and you can get drinks out of them damn cheap. In Osaka one of them had a 500ml Pepsi for 100 yen (like $1.20 AUD) while the average 600ml runs at 160 yen. You'll love it man, it's such a great place That's a huge help! I'm learning basic Japanese and can comfortably hold a basic conversation. Thanks for letting me know about the Grand Sumo Tournament, turns out it IS while I am there! The trains/buses was something I am pretty clueless about over there, I tried looking up rails and didn't understand it well. I've got as far as figuring out I can get from Narita at Terminal 2/3 to Ueno Station which is right near my hotel. I'll look into it more and suss it out! Thanks heaps! And yeah, I'm into the geeky stuff, going to Sunshine City for the Pokemon Centre/J-World/etc. We will be staying one block from Ueno Park. That's awesome the sumo's are on while you're there, I missed out unfortunately. Is that the Narita Express? If so that's very smooth. The rail lines are confusing to look at online, but you'll probably find it's a lot easier to get a handle on once you're there. The Yamanote will connect you from Ueno to Akihabara, Shinjuku, Tokyo, Shibuya, Harajuku, Ikebukuro etc, and you get to learn pretty quickly how yo get around on them. The Sunshine City Poke-centre is really cool, they were running a promotion with Pikachu dolls dressed up as Magikarp and Gyarados, was way too adorable. Ikebukuro is a great place to just look around too, so Sunshine City is just part of the fun. You'll love it there man |
|
Deleted
Joined on: May 5, 2024 10:34:02 GMT -5
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 19, 2015 17:49:12 GMT -5
Go to a NJPW show
|
|
BigT
Main Eventer
Joined on: Dec 20, 2004 23:10:09 GMT -5
Posts: 3,491
|
Post by BigT on Sept 19, 2015 18:21:05 GMT -5
Couple more things I just thought of:
Make sure you have cash on you, there's a lot more places over there that don't take card, even some you'd expect would. Not to say you'll never use a card over there, but you don't want to get stuck.
Also, when paying, it's considered rude to hand them your cash/card via hand. Most places will have a small plate where you place your money in and they take it from there and then give you your receipt and change on it. They're pretty understanding of gaijun not knowing their etiquette, but they'll appreciate it.
If you like any of the Studio Ghibli movies, definitely try and make it out to the museum. It's generally cheaper to buy tickets from overseas that from within Japan (not to mention cheaper haha) but they can sell out, so if you want to go try and book early. It's still pretty cool if you've never seen any of their movies, but you'll get a lot out of it if you have, though of the things mentioned it's probably the hardest to get to (train then bus kinda thing)
And just in case you've never been to a Disney, if you go to DisneySea, stay till the end! The end of day performance and fireworks are fantastic. I presume DisneyLand there is the same but we only did Sea
|
|
|
|
Post by Tim of thee on Sept 19, 2015 18:54:03 GMT -5
Your post just made me look up airbnbs in Tokyo
|
|
|
|
Post by Hurricane on Sept 19, 2015 20:04:14 GMT -5
Couple more things I just thought of: Make sure you have cash on you, there's a lot more places over there that don't take card, even some you'd expect would. Not to say you'll never use a card over there, but you don't want to get stuck. Also, when paying, it's considered rude to hand them your cash/card via hand. Most places will have a small plate where you place your money in and they take it from there and then give you your receipt and change on it. They're pretty understanding of gaijun not knowing their etiquette, but they'll appreciate it. If you like any of the Studio Ghibli movies, definitely try and make it out to the museum. It's generally cheaper to buy tickets from overseas that from within Japan (not to mention cheaper haha) but they can sell out, so if you want to go try and book early. It's still pretty cool if you've never seen any of their movies, but you'll get a lot out of it if you have, though of the things mentioned it's probably the hardest to get to (train then bus kinda thing) And just in case you've never been to a Disney, if you go to DisneySea, stay till the end! The end of day performance and fireworks are fantastic. I presume DisneyLand there is the same but we only did Sea Didn't know that about the money! Thanks for that, will help a lot. Are ATMs easy to find in Tokyo to get cash out from a card? We are going to Disneyland and DisneySea, since you save $20 on each if you buy together and go on consecutive days. |
|
|
|
Post by A-Rob on Sept 19, 2015 22:33:52 GMT -5
Sounds cool, i'm sure going to Korakuen Hall and Ribera Steakhouse are musts.
|
|
BigT
Main Eventer
Joined on: Dec 20, 2004 23:10:09 GMT -5
Posts: 3,491
|
Post by BigT on Sept 20, 2015 1:17:13 GMT -5
Couple more things I just thought of: Make sure you have cash on you, there's a lot more places over there that don't take card, even some you'd expect would. Not to say you'll never use a card over there, but you don't want to get stuck. Also, when paying, it's considered rude to hand them your cash/card via hand. Most places will have a small plate where you place your money in and they take it from there and then give you your receipt and change on it. They're pretty understanding of gaijun not knowing their etiquette, but they'll appreciate it. If you like any of the Studio Ghibli movies, definitely try and make it out to the museum. It's generally cheaper to buy tickets from overseas that from within Japan (not to mention cheaper haha) but they can sell out, so if you want to go try and book early. It's still pretty cool if you've never seen any of their movies, but you'll get a lot out of it if you have, though of the things mentioned it's probably the hardest to get to (train then bus kinda thing) And just in case you've never been to a Disney, if you go to DisneySea, stay till the end! The end of day performance and fireworks are fantastic. I presume DisneyLand there is the same but we only did Sea Didn't know that about the money! Thanks for that, will help a lot. Are ATMs easy to find in Tokyo to get cash out from a card? We are going to Disneyland and DisneySea, since you save $20 on each if you buy together and go on consecutive days. They're around, I think a fair few of the convenience stores have international-able ATMs, and if not just find a Post Office as they'll have them. You don't really see them out on the street like you do in Australia though |
|
