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So, I just booked a flight to Japan
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First week in October, I'll be landing in Tokyo.
Have 6 days to do things... and would like to get Hiroshima, or Hakone into the mix. I'll gladly take suggestions. On a tight budget.... ________________________________ --m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig? 
Tokyo is the largest city in the world, IIRC. You can spend six weeks there and not see everything, let alone going anywhere else in Japan.
What are you most interested in? -- Rob Kelk "Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of the same sovereign, servants of the same law." - Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012 
And what kind of budget are we talking about here? Because take it from someone that was there for three years: the military gave me four-hundred extra dollars a month for a damn good reason. (It's called COLA or Cost Of Living Allowance - given to service members living in areas with unusually high cost of living and based on a sliding scale.)
The Yamato museum (Kure), the Toyota Automobile Museum (Nagakute), IJN Mikasa (Yokosuka) are just some places I can think of, but potentially won't fit your schedule.
 Black Aeronaut Wrote:And what kind of budget are we talking about here? Because take it fromThat might no longer be true. I mean, look at the graph here: http://www.google.com/search?q=1+USD+in+JPY You're getting 33¥ more per $US than five years ago. That's like almost 50% more buying power*. Tokyo itself is expensive, but any rate, there probably hasn't been a cheaper time to visit since the 1970s. Oh right, you're in Europe. Well... http://www.google.com/search?q=1+USD+i ... uro+in+jpy isn't quite as amazing as the USD exchange rate, but it's still a good 25% more buying power. * I didn't actually compare to any price index over there, but given that the central bank has negative interest rates there now, I can't really imagine inflation. -- ∇×V
Exchange rates don't exactly translate into cost of living. It's like the difference between living here in San Antonio, TX and living in New York City - your dollar is the same, but it definitely does not spend as well. And trust me, things around Tokyo in general and other major tourist destinations? Pretty dang pricey.
Dartz, you're probably going to want to make sure you hit up Yokohama. They got themselves the tallest second-tallest building in Japan there, the Yokohama Landmark Tower. Trust me, it is well worth the 1,000-yen ticket to ride one of the fastest elevators in the world (2nd fastest at 12.5 m/s) to get to the observation deck, known as the Sky Garden, and enjoy the 360-degree view it provides. Right across the street from Landmark Tower is the famous amusement park, Cosmoworld, with its infamous Cosmo Clock ferris wheel. There's also the rest of the Minato Mirai 21 development (of which Landmark Tower and Cosmoworld are a part of), chock full of shops, business, and tourist attractions that you will easily spend a full day on. Also, I cannot recommend enough that you visit Yodabashi Camera in Yokohama. This place is a freaking mecca of consumer electronics. They have everything at Yodabashi's: home appliances, computers, PC parts and accessories, Gunpla, figurines, consol systems, cameras, and cell phones. I also highly recommend you visit Yokosuka - home of the US Navy's Seventh Fleet and a good portion of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Forces. While you will not be able to get onto any of the bases, you can go to Yokosuka's Central Park - it's located at the city's highest elevation and offers a stunning view of the harbors. You can also do the next best thing and visit Mikasa Park - the place where the famous Battleship Mikasa, Admiral Togo's flagship from the Russo-Japan wars, is preserved. There, you will be able to tour the ship itself and even see the Admiral's very own stateroom and wardroom. (It is telling that the anterooms of the wardroom have gun ports for crew served weapons - while the space is posh, this was still a warship, full stop.) Getting between Yokohama and Yokosuka is a piece of cake. Just get to the Yokohama Station (The BIG one with connections to EVERYTHING) and get on the Keikyu Mainline - There's also the JR, but the Keikyu has a much faster express train. You'll want the express train with the green kanji - that one has the fewest stops and will get you there in about 45 minutes. The one with red kanji has more stops and will get you there in about an hour. Do not get on the black-kanji train - that one hits EVERY STOP and you'll be on the train for a long long time. (It's only really meant to get people over on short trips or to the larger stations where the express trains do stop.) Oh, and one final tip: Snag yourself a PASSMO card! These little babies make it super-easy to get around using the trains (and the buses, too!) and can be used pretty much anywhere on the JR system. Additionally, a lot of convenience stores and other vendors accept these cards as payment, and even some of the vending machines use them. They use a near-field system so you can leave the card in your wallet and just swipe the whole kit over the reader pad at the turnstiles. I honestly wish I could go with you, but you know how it is. Have fun in Japan, Dartz!
Thanks... In the cold light of morning I realise I may have fucked up a little. I kind of sort of booked the flights to prove that I could because I am so sick of things being put onto the longest of fingers and being told to wait 'another six months'..... I probably shouldn't have done it this year but it's too late to back out. Flights are booked and non-transfereable. Stupid reason to book a holiday, I know.
Anyway. On with the show. We have something like Passmo here. Only it's shit and brain damaged like the rest of the country's transit system. An integrated public transit system that works will be manna from heaven. Was kind of hoping to bring my old film camera with me for some old-fasioned snaps although film and X-rays would be an interesting thing. Either I could find something like it, parts for it, or a newer version. Unfortunately Akihabara's supposed to have changed a lot but I would've killed to hit up some of the back-alley electronics places they used to have. Old turntable parts, cartridges, tools, good whiskey..... I amn't really a holiday shopper. ________________________________ --m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig? Dartz Wrote:Was kind of hoping to bring my old film camera with me for some old-fasioned snaps although film and X-rays would be an interesting thing. Either I could find something like it, parts for it, or a newer version. If that's your plan: Black Aeronaut Wrote:Also, I cannot recommend enough that you visit http://www.google.com/maps/place/Yodob ... 6b37299560]Yodabashi Camera in Yokohama.Specifically, the third floor. -- Rob Kelk "Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of the same sovereign, servants of the same law." - Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
Indeed.
Now. This is definitely being patched together on the fly. We'll probably end up staying in a business hotel or somewhere else cheap and close to trains. After that, what happens will happen ________________________________ --m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
See if you can't hook up with some Active-Duty Sailors who are trustworthy and Japanophiles. They'll get you to all the really 'Interesting' places.
Oh, and don't forget about the Studio Ghibli Museum. I'm still kicking myself for not going to see that. One final tip: if you like curry, then by all means, you must visit a CoCo's Curry. REALLY. GOOD. CURRY. (And multi-lingual menus, too!)
Found this http://www.japanvisitor.com/japanese-fe ... al-october the horseback archery sounds interesting but is probably on after you're on the way back. I'm also ashamed to admit that I've no idea (or forgotten) of the name or dates for majorish Japan Cons, though I don't believe there's one on.
Hmm watch a new release JDM movie?
Seconding the Ghibli Museum. I haven't been, but reliable sources say it's pretty cool.
Ebony the Black Dragon http://ebony14.livejournal.com "Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you." Ebony Wrote:Seconding the Ghibli Museum. I haven't been, but reliable sources say it's pretty cool.It's also the only place in the world where you can legally watch http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Neighb ... nime_short]Mei and the Kittenbus. -- Rob Kelk "Governments have no right to question the loyalty of those who oppose them. Adversaries remain citizens of the same state, common subjects of the same sovereign, servants of the same law." - Michael Ignatieff, addressing Stanford University in 2012
Is there anything else you'd be particularly interested in? I mean, we know you've got some interest in photography, anime and so on... but what I mean is, is there, I dunno, particular food you're after, are you more of a city type or would you be interested in more trips out of the city...do you like cars and so on? Do you do tours, or just plan to wander around walking a lot with a map app and GPS?
For example, within Tokyo there's a free Toyota exhibition hall and historic automotive garage in Odaiba, which I mentally classify as the sort of thing which can either be exceedingly awesome or completely boring depending on the person. The whole Odaiba area's a good example, it's very theme park, amusement complex-y, but may either be cool or exceedingly pointless to you. Me, I just giggled like a madman when I discovered the train station at Odaiba was called Tokyo Teleport. The damn station entrances even look like they've perfected matter transportation. Have you been to Tokyo or elsewhere in Japan before? How much shopping do you wanna do? I mean, for instance, I went pretty nuts in looking for action figures and other junk on one trip, so hitting Nakano Broadway was worth my while, but I've been back to Japan since and didn't really buy anything. If you're looking to go up to Hakone and only have six days, maybe you'd want to join a bus tour or something, do the whole bit where you head up Mt. Fuji and poke at points of interest in the vicinity - doesn't seem terribly practical otherwise. Very bog-standard tourist thing to do, but you'd need to maximise your time. There's a lot of recommendations people could give, but there's just so much stuff you could do, you know? Hell, there's a whole industry of duty-free pharmacies and cosmetic stores catering specifically to tourists - multilingual staff and all that. Because, well, people specifically want to buy medicinal stuff, cosmetics, whatever when in Japan. There's just such a massive range of things that people want to do in the country. The more goals and preferences you can convey to us, the more other folks on the forum can suggest things. -- Acyl
I know, I know. I'm a fool for booking this thing without knowing exactly what I wanted to do but I have a half-assed itinery hacked together.
We're arriving at 8am on the 4th so we'll probably be hopping a train down to Hiroshima. Spend the night in Hiroshima. Next day, the museum there and maybe Mazda if we have the time (Because I own a Mazda car and it'd be amusing to take a piece of it home to the factory). Another night, then take the train back up to Tokyo. I know we go through Osaka on the way, so it's a possible stop. We also pass Hakone, so there should be a connection and the chance to spend a night there if needs be. In Tokyo, I have: Ghibli Museum, Yodabashi, maybe the Gundam statue in Odaiba (If it's still there), which also toys in with the Toyota exhibition hall - because I'm a bit of a car nut. Never been there, and will also be limited by a travelling companion who's sole aim is to see *everything*. But I didn't think I could afford more than a few nights. ________________________________ --m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig? 
Hmm. That's something to consider: is your travelling companion into the "Widget/WJT/Weird Japanese Thing" fandom? Or wants to see "authentic Japan?" Cause you might need to hit up "Ripley's Believe it or Not!" episodes to find something, As I recall, the Jack Palance-hosted programme from the 80s always seemed to have some strange Japanese festival or other in every episode.
''We don't just borrow words; on occasion, English has pursued other languages down alleyways to beat them unconscious and rifle their pockets for new vocabulary.'' -- James Nicoll
Okay so your planning on taking the Bullet Train to Hiroshima and back, well the Toyota Automobile Museum is a change of trains at Nagoya towards Fujigaoka and then a Maglev to the museum. It's apparently more of a Petersen/Beaulieu-type museum then a pure corporate one. The Yamato Museum is a train ride to Kure from Hiroshima, pity your going to miss the USS Missouri exhibit.
Can't think of anything in Osaka, Kyoto has the old Imperial Palace and the other remnants from being the old capital. Man your passing though Okayama and you don't plan on seeing Tenchi's digs?
Dartz doesn't know much about Tenchi Muyo, unfortunately.
Shit's starting to nail down.
2 Nights in Hiroshima already booked. Hotel to. Someone booked the Grand Prince Hotel which was bloody cheap - if a bit out of the way. And possibly split, 2 nights in Hakone, 3 in Tokyo. Or 5 in Tokyo. ________________________________ --m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
Was briefly in Odaiba in December. I can confirm the Gundam Front museum/exhibition thing in Odaiba is still going strong, but I don't know about the Gundam statue outside. I'd assume so; I'm not a huge Gundam fan and didn't walk in that direction, merely noted it was there and was a thing.
For the...Toyota exhibition building and the historic garage (they don't physically link up, they're in neighbouring buildings), if you're doing that I recommend hitting it in the daytime. They open surprisingly late, probably because they're free to the public, but all the demonstration stuff is shut down and you can't ride the knockoff-Toyota-segways around the hall. Look out for the three cars in Zeon Zaku livery with the Char cutout, you'd probably get more enjoyment from that than I. I admit I'm not sure the Odaiba Toyota thing is worthwhile if you'll be visiting dedicated auto museums during your trip, in my case we happened to be in the area anyway. It is really damn good for the total cost, of, well, zero, since it's free, but, y'know. -- Acyl
Sweet...
We just booked a place in Hakone up near the ropeway ofver Owakudani..... for stunning views of Tokyo-3 or so I'm told. Or a golf-course. That is the dumbest reason ever to go somwhere. But it's supposed to be a very pretty part of the country, too. ________________________________ --m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig? 
And at sunset, you can watch the golf flags rise up out of the holes on the greens...
-- Bob --------- Then the horns kicked in... ...and my shoes began to squeak.
So.
Hotel booked in Hiroshima. Ryokan in Hakone..... now a Hotel n Tokyo, 10 minutes from Tokyo tower. Now that's just asking for trouble. All told, it's coming in fairly reasonable. 70 a night at a not-crap hotel. That's the guts of it all nailed down. Maybe we might get a chance to climb Mt Tenpo in Osaka on the way through. Final planning needs to wait a few months for the JR pass and a few other minor things like insurance. ________________________________ --m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig?
And we move forward.
JR Passes booked. Travel insurance booked. Yen ordered New pair of boots. Seems like I have all the shit in ordered but I amn't any sort of traveller so i've no idea what I'm forgetting. Also just found out the Hakone hotel we booked is brand new and better than we thought: http://www.miyama-furin.com/rooms.htm We thought we booked a nearby hotel owned by the same chain. We actually booked somewhere that hadn't even opened - which has its own Hot Spring... I guarantee I will fuck this up somehow. Anyway maybe some seasoned globetrotters can take a look at my lis: Man Passports JR passes No Visa requirement. Travel insurance. Aircraft tickets. Passenger pre-flight information done. Method Flights with British Airways. Hotel addresses. Maps of cities. Taxi to airport/lift arranged Materials Yen. 50,000 for hotels. Clothes. 10 days. Pyjamas. Bathwear/Towels. Light trainers. Hiking boots. Machines Mobile phones with good headphones for plane. Laptop computer. Travel Adapter. (Still to find something that works. ) Japan PAYG SIM card on arrival might be helpful. Environment October is mild. So normal Irish autumn clothes will be good. Shoes thet're quick to remove might be a good idea. Rainproof jacket for Hakone. Hiking boots. Loose clothes for flight across. ________________________________ --m(^0^)m-- Wot, no sig? |
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