Japan, Tokyo? Anyone ever been?

[iJin]

Long time...

Anyways. I was suggested I'd come to you guys here and see if anyone has ever been to Tokyo. If you have, what fun stuff do you suggest? I'm heading over there at the end of December for New Years with my sister. I have a small itinerary going, but don't know if I'm missing anything good.

Also, what airlines did you guys use? I'm using ANA to get there, and then United to get back. Dec 28-Jan 6. I don't even know if that's enough time! I don't even know how much money to bring. I'm planning on 4k. Is that enough? The conversion of US monies to Yen isn't bad either. So many thoughts, blergh.

First time out of the country, crazy--unless you count my birth place. Anyways, sup!

[Alashir]

Oh god, I'm planning on going next year, please let me know how it is and what you experienced. I also feel clueless so I've been reading it up but sounds like a wild ride.

[iJin]

I'd suggest studying up Japanese then! That's what I've been doing, and I know all of my hiragana and katakana, and just barely starting kanji, but damn it's hard. I can read it...but I haven't gotten to the whole understanding it yet. lol.

Definitely go! Only way I got to go is cause I used my tax refund and thought, "why the hell not?!" That and I'm planning on going back to school, and if I like it enough I'll probably look into teaching abroad.

[Androidpk]

Sup, slacker.

[Androidpk]

Make sure to visit Akihibara. And Go drink some whiskey at the Park Hyatt (like Bill Murray.)

[iJin]

I need to visit that restaurant that Kill Bill was filmed in, and you know bring a katana and slice my sushi with it. I do plan on drinking a lot on New Year's Eve. Apparently, NYE is their Xmas, so they go all out.

I'm going to be buzzed, hanging out with some gundams, riding the ferris wheel-- while eating mochi ice cream.

[Stanley Burrell]

You gotta have blue hair.

[Androidpk]

http://fc01.deviantart.net/fs71/f/2011/018/f/0/gundam_mask_with_model_by_designoob-d37hve2.png

[iJin]

You gotta have blue hair.

wtf. Are you spying on me?! I had blue hair like..4 days ago, but went back to black...cause you know what they say...


Also, hi!

[Stanley Burrell]

Mushi mushi!

[Androidpk]

Mushi mushi!

Moshi moshi!

[iJin]

Moshi moshi!

申し申し

[JackWhisper]

Don't bother learning the entire language sets. Pick up some books at Amazon labeled 'Conversational *InsertTypeHere*' and they should have them, or their likeness. They include a lot of information about areas that use the languages and their famous spots, and how to talk without having to understand language nuances. You'll learn more and retain more.

Hope you have a wonderful time.

[Alashir]

I'd suggest studying up Japanese then! That's what I've been doing, and I know all of my hiragana and katakana, and just barely starting kanji, but damn it's hard. I can read it...but I haven't gotten to the whole understanding it yet. lol.

Definitely go! Only way I got to go is cause I used my tax refund and thought, "why the hell not?!" That and I'm planning on going back to school, and if I like it enough I'll probably look into teaching abroad.

What are you using to learn Japanese? I was thinking of buying the rosetta stone package but its a little spendy. They actually bought their highest rated competitors so I guess they're the most solid choice.

Also, did you guys purchase a package deal or does your sister just know someone? How are you doing your trip?

[Tenlaar]

...cause you know what they say...

What DO they say?

[JackWhisper]

申し申し

Bust out the pimp on her.

Ni hao! Ni hao mei!

[iJin]

What are you using to learn Japanese? I was thinking of buying the rosetta stone package but its a little spendy. They actually bought their highest rated competitors so I guess they're the most solid choice.

Also, did you guys purchase a package deal or does your sister just know someone? How are you doing your trip?


I've been using a crapton of books and apps. For apps, I absolutely suggest Dr.Moku's Hiragana and Katakana app (1.99 each, or they have the lite ver.) and in two weeks I learned both sets. For books I have Japanese From Zero! and Japanese in Mangaland (teaches you the not so formal way of speaking, so you're able to understand what they use the most in every day-to-day convo). After learning those two sets, kanji is the way to go...but...I'm not there yet so I'll let you know. :p

I used expedia for a travel vacation pack. I'm staying in Sakura Ikebukoro, and for 2 people and 8 nights it was 2783ish. That's also with insurance for the trip, just in case. :) Don't use Rosetta Stone, I hear it is not really good. :( I'm going to be signing up for JPN 101 at my local community college in the fall, to really get it down! Maybe something you could look into if time allows.

[Back]

I'd recommend taking a bullet train to another city for the day if you can. We went to Kyoto to see the temple of 1000 Buddhas. Strolled around the city outside the train station. Really nice sidebar to the trip.

[Peppwyn]

Went last year and had an amazing time. There is so much to do and see in Japan. I'll PM you some suggestions.

[Androidpk]

I recommend taking some karate classes just in case you get jumped by ninjas or yakuza.

[JackWhisper]

I recommend taking some karate classes just in case you get jumped by ninjas or yakuza.

Don't expect to survive if you get jumped by ninja yakuza. That's too much badass.

[Alashir]

I've been using a crapton of books and apps. For apps, I absolutely suggest Dr.Moku's Hiragana and Katakana app (1.99 each, or they have the lite ver.) and in two weeks I learned both sets. For books I have Japanese From Zero! and Japanese in Mangaland (teaches you the not so formal way of speaking, so you're able to understand what they use the most in every day-to-day convo). After learning those two sets, kanji is the way to go...but...I'm not there yet so I'll let you know. :p

I used expedia for a travel vacation pack. I'm staying in Sakura Ikebukoro, and for 2 people and 8 nights it was 2783ish. That's also with insurance for the trip, just in case. :) Don't use Rosetta Stone, I hear it is not really good. :( I'm going to be signing up for JPN 101 at my local community college in the fall, to really get it down! Maybe something you could look into if time allows.

That's great, appreciate the advice and info.

I'm finishing paying off my student loans this year so my reward next year is Japan. Plenty of time to take a basic Japanese course.

Let us all know how everything went. Make sure to thoroughly document with pictures!

[iJin]

Don't expect to survive if you get jumped by ninja yakuza. That's too much badass.

I'll just try to seduce them with a bowl of soba noodles. They can't resist!!

[shad0ws0ngs]

I went to Japan in august, though I did not go to tokyo. I think it depends on how much of the country you want to see, aside from just tokyo. Originally, when I was starting my planning Tokyo was the top of my list. As I learned about other things, though, it dropped farther and farther. If you do plan to travel, I recommend you get a rail pass. You can get them outside of the country, only, and they are an insanely good deal, compared to what everyone living there has to do(per my buddy I was visiting who has lived there 10 years). The shinkansen/bullet train was great, with the pass you can get on no problem. I recommend going a bit early and reserving a seat. It wont cost you anything extra, you just show them your pass. Don't lose it and keep it, and your passport on you. If you do get the rail pass.. or if you want to travel any on your own, I would download an app called Hyperdia. It's free to download but is 3 dollars to toggle on the rail pass search. TOTALLY worth it.

If you are going anywhere specific, I recommend printing out information on it. Not necessarily as personal reference, but also because you can get a cab, take that out, point to it, and they'll take you there. The bus system took me a minute to figure out and was great. The taxi is pretty straight forward. The rail line in hiroshima the info desk lady told me was too complex to explain and to avoid it, but fuck that lady, an insanely hot girl helped me out.

Thats a big thing I noticed over there. Most of the time everyone would ignore me, but I don't think it was necessarily to be rude, so much as everyone wants their privacy/personal space. However, every single person I did interact with bent over backwards to help me. The only rude person I met was a taxi driver in kagoshima. I was going from the train station to the ferry to take it over to an island and was showing him my papers and he was like "oh, climb mountain?" and I'm like "hai, yep!" and he made a muscle pose(bent arm, whatever you call it) laughed, and rubbed my belly.. like "oh, no, you fat american fuck, you no get up there", but whatever. I met a lady on the plane out there and she showed me where to go in the tokyo airport.. tried to help me with my luggage which was as big as her. Taxi drivers, people on the street, security guards.. everyone was super polite and helpful, except that one guy. I end up back in the tokyo airport and cannot figure where the hell I'm supposed to be going, ask a security guard and he doesn't speak english, but he goes and gets a stewardess, she translates, then he got 2 more security(I was very worried at this point), but then they lead me around to the restricted area and past the crowds to show me where to go. Just amazingly polite and helpful people.

A lot of signs in english, but not as many as I was expecting. A lot of people who spot some english, but not very well. I speak maybe 4 words of japanese and did fine, just be polite, smile, and you can get by. Also, menus all had pictures so I could point and get something. Sometimes that was an adventure in and of itself.

Some things I highly recommend would be the island of yakushima.. it's got a primeval forest and it's beautiful. Mount Aso has a small town inside a massive volcanic caldera and 5 active peaks in the center of that, you can take a bus up, then a trolley, to the very top. It's not always open, when I went they had to shut it down because of toxic fumes. Hiroshima was pretty sweet and very clean, I got a ryuuken(sp) there that was super cheap(I wasn't planning to spend the night, but my friend had his girlfriend over, I think, and found it for me and strongly suggested it). miyajima was pretty awesome too, it's worth a day and it's just off of hiroshima.. the ferry is free, too, if you have the rail pass.

Kyoto is awesome. For some reason I thought I could pack a few temples in each day.. holy fuck, no. Those things are HUGE. Went to a shingon one in otsu, an inari one in kyoto, and the main tendai one between otsu and kyoto.. it's like "how many fucking stairs can we fit into one area? lets find out!" .. and goddamn that ten thousand torii gates place, Fushimi Inari-taisha. More like ten thousand fucking uneven steps. WORTH IT, but goddamn. Actually, the best part of that shrine, aside from finding out I can't throw up a lung, was we took a wrong turn back down and found a "Watch out for perverts" sign in this residential area, so I got a picture with that. Seriously though.. fucking women in 3 inch heels, traditional garb, etc, walking up a good 500 stairs.

I was SUPER thankful I brought a filtered water bottle. Not to say the water isn't good there, but I went in august and it was hot as fuck and there were no drinking fountains. Tons of vending machines for drinks, I probably spent about 200 dollars just on those.

Osaka was really neat, we went to denden town, which is a nerdy gamer heaven. The airport there didn't even blink when they x-rayed my bag with a sword in it. Security guy is just like "sword?" and I go "Yep, sword!" and he shrugs and on I go.

Things I wish I'd seen, the suicide forest near fuji. There is also an island where you need to have a gas mask with you at any time because of the volcanic gases, that would have been cool.

Best vacation I ever had. Oh, something that made it much better. While I couldn't use my phone for calls in japan, my buddy did loan me his portable wi-fi. I kept my phone in airplane mode, but turned the wifi on, so I kept in contact with people via PMs.

So, I guess... portable wifi, water source, rail pass and app... smiley disposition. I also learned while I was there about "sweat rash", but you're going in december so no worries, I guess. I dunno, hope something in there was useful.


oh, also, check out an onsen, they are awesome. Check out a traditional japanese bath, they're uncomfortable... but help get you ready for showering whilst sitting naked in a room of old men, so you can go sit in said onsen. If you have tattoos, some places wont let you in, but that's not as bad as it used to be I am told.

oh! and use the official japanese tourism site, they can tell you if things are under construction or anything. I was planning to go to a specific castle and it said they were renovating it until 2016. However, I went to another one and it was awesome, until I fell down a flight of 400 year old stone stairs. And the old ass ladders? Who the fuck in japan put in those stairs? Those people are shorter than me, good lord those stairs are built for 6 foot + people

final edit: until i remember more
Hikone Castle - super awesome
There is also a ninja mansion and a ninja village in Koka which was really cool. I got a huge ass bag of tea there and it's wonderful.
The village is more for kids... but fuck, you can rent a ninja outfit in any color and throw throwing stars and see old traps and stuff. It was pretty fun.
enryaku-ji - super cool tendai temple up on top of a mountain. An insane view of kyoto and otsu getting up there and then a really nice temple along with everything else. You can ding a giant bell, walk up a disgusting amount of stairs, walk back down them. Don't step on the big ass bottom board of the entrances to temples, it's super rude.

[Alashir]

If I were a citizen you would've just clenched my vote!

[Alashir]

The only rude person I met was a taxi driver in kagoshima. I was going from the train station to the ferry to take it over to an island and was showing him my papers and he was like "oh, climb mountain?" and I'm like "hai, yep!" and he made a muscle pose(bent arm, whatever you call it) laughed, and rubbed my belly.. like "oh, no, you fat american fuck, you no get up there", but whatever.

That is hilarious.

Also, huge ups for throwing down all this info. Very helpful to hear from people who have actually been there and done that. Even though it's more than a year out I'm so excited!

[shad0ws0ngs]

I think I edited the post 3-4 times already, trying to remember names of places I went. I know, it's a pretty mashed up thing, but the more I think about it, the more details come to mind.

It was nothing like I was expecting, at all. I was nervous to be traveling, as I was crossing the country on my own. I spent the first few days with my friend who lived there, then did a week around the south/southeast area of japan, then a few more days with my friend, then again on my own. Day two of traveling on my own I realized I could take my pants of, swing them around, and no one was likely to say anything. It was kind of freeing. It was a great experience and I'd love to go back, but I don't think I'd want to live there forever, like my friend is planning.

[Peppwyn]

I went in July ... holy balls is it HOT! Make sure to pack accordingly.

[iJin]

What's the name of this rail pass? I was planning on getting the suica card for the trains and stuff, but is that not enough? I know they have the metro and the JR, I'm assuming it's not the same thing. How did you get to Osaka? I want to go there, but don't know how expensive it'll be since it's...like 7 hours or so from Tokyo? Isn't it? I think that's what it said.

Suicide Forest...dude...that seems hella scary. I don't want to come out of there with some haunting japanese women sitting on my shoulders, yaknowwhatimsayin'. Although, my sister will want to go for sure.

I don't know if I'll be going much farther than Osaka and Tokyo. If the trip fairs well, I plan to visit again and head to the rest of Japan.

[shad0ws0ngs]

Japanese Rail Pass... I went through japan-rail-pass.com 240 for a week, about 400 for 2 weeks. Initially I didn't know if it was going to be worth it, but my friend told me that one trip on the shinkansen between kyoto and tokyo, and back would pretty much cover it. I dunno. I felt it was really worth it. They are good for the JR, but not metro lines. If you have the hyperdia app it will tell you if you're taking any local rails or additional fee routes. It's a great app. You put in the start train station, the ending, and what time you're leaving.. mark if you have a rail pass or not and it spits out a ton. And the time on there? that's the time. I had a few times where I didn't catch the name of the stop so I check the time versus hyperdia and I'm like "oh, it's 1:48, but my stop is at 1:51, this isn't it." and bam, 1:51 I'm at my stop

for the shinkansen you can reserve a seat, which costs nothing extra with a rail pass, or you can just get on. It'll tell you what platform and then which shape and number are the ones you want. Like 1-9 triangle, you go find a spot with a triangle and numbered for that, and go get on. Super easy, once you do it a time or two.

[shad0ws0ngs]

I don't know if I'll be going much farther than Osaka and Tokyo. If the trip fairs well, I plan to visit again and head to the rest of Japan.

What I saw of Osaka was pretty neat. My friend's girlfriend lived in Osaka so we met up with her there. We went to the top floor of this weird ass tower that had locks all over it.. apparently a "locket" over there is a lock you get engraved with his and her names and then lock it onto the building to ensure the relationship lasts or some such thing. They were also having oktoberfest outside that building, despite it being august.

They took me to this incredible restaurant where you pay for an hour and it has a built in fondu thing in the table.. oil.. and you go and load up on random items on a stick.. sausage, crab, octopus, weird doughnut fish things, etc. You take it back to your table, roll it in batter, then cover it in breading and fry that sucker. It was really nice and pretty inexpensive. We also went to Denden town, which is like heaven for gamers/anime/manga nerds.. it's where you'd find the creepy maid cafes, though we didn't go in any. I spent 1-2 hours in this one six-story store that had an INSANE amount of transformers and G.I.Joes and pretty much every toy from my childhood I'd always wanted. I was so close to buying a mint condition, still in the box, set of constructicons for 125 bucks, but wanted to wait until later in my trip. There was another shop called.. it was like super potato.. and it had every single console game ever, for every goddamn system. And then oodles of hentai everywhere. Found an amazingly explicit umbrella, but decided against it.

I did, however, get THE MOST AWESOME UMBRELLA EVER. http://a.tgcdn.net/images/products/additional/large/b625_samurai_sword_umbrella_tanto_compare.jpg - it looks like a tanto, but you whip it out and bam, umbrella. Got a lot of stares at the weird american with the tanto running around.

[JackWhisper]

But was it a tanto for real? Or just had the hilt? Umbrella blades are pwn.

[shad0ws0ngs]

just the hilt! it also changes design when wet

[Peppwyn]

Oh, another thing I would HIGHLY recommend is getting a mobile hotspot delivered to the airport when you get there! There a few to choose from, some will deliver to your hotel or whatever but you can also get them from the airport. It was invaluable wandering around town not knowing which rail to get on.

[JackWhisper]

just the hilt! it also changes design when wet

Dangit. It woulda been so spiffy if it was a tanto for srs!

Still, badass umbrella. #InsertThugLifeUmbrella

[Alashir]

What I saw of Osaka was pretty neat. My friend's girlfriend lived in Osaka so we met up with her there. We went to the top floor of this weird ass tower that had locks all over it.. apparently a "locket" over there is a lock you get engraved with his and her names and then lock it onto the building to ensure the relationship lasts or some such thing. They were also having oktoberfest outside that building, despite it being august.

They took me to this incredible restaurant where you pay for an hour and it has a built in fondu thing in the table.. oil.. and you go and load up on random items on a stick.. sausage, crab, octopus, weird doughnut fish things, etc. You take it back to your table, roll it in batter, then cover it in breading and fry that sucker. It was really nice and pretty inexpensive. We also went to Denden town, which is like heaven for gamers/anime/manga nerds.. it's where you'd find the creepy maid cafes, though we didn't go in any. I spent 1-2 hours in this one six-story store that had an INSANE amount of transformers and G.I.Joes and pretty much every toy from my childhood I'd always wanted. I was so close to buying a mint condition, still in the box, set of constructicons for 125 bucks, but wanted to wait until later in my trip. There was another shop called.. it was like super potato.. and it had every single console game ever, for every goddamn system. And then oodles of hentai everywhere. Found an amazingly explicit umbrella, but decided against it.

I did, however, get THE MOST AWESOME UMBRELLA EVER. http://a.tgcdn.net/images/products/additional/large/b625_samurai_sword_umbrella_tanto_compare.jpg - it looks like a tanto, but you whip it out and bam, umbrella. Got a lot of stares at the weird american with the tanto running around.

What's a maid cafe?

[shad0ws0ngs]

What's a maid cafe?

Pretty much an overpriced joint where the staff are dresses as maids and such and call you sir or whatever you want. I read you have to pay for their company and conversation. Like a Hooters taken to insane levels. I watched this short like.. 10 minute documentary before I left and it asserted that the japanese have essentially taken each aspect of a relationship.. companionship, sex, snuggling, conversation, etc.. broken it down and monetized it. Like there are places you can go and snuggle.. or get your ears cleaned. And while prostitution is illegal there, the definition of it covers coitus only, so loopholes. Not that I went to any such establishments, but my friend had some stories.. he lived about 4 blocks from a yakuza owned soap land. i remember a few years ago he was trying to get me to visit and he goes "Don't worry, I know which brothels you can go to and they wont kill you"... really wasn't selling me on it.

[Alashir]

Well that's horrifying

[JackWhisper]

Well that's horrifying

Sadly, this would be huge in the USA for geeks and nerds. I'm JUST saying.

I wonder how they deal with stalkers and shit. Hmm.

[shad0ws0ngs]

Couldn't say! Make them pay more?

[Alashir]

I'm not sure what would be worse; paying for snuggles or being killed by the yakuza for banging someone in the wrong brothel. I can't wrap my mind around either. Part of me wants to actually pay someone for snuggies just to see how god damn awkward it would be!

[JackWhisper]

I'm not sure what would be worse; paying for snuggles or being killed by the yakuza for banging someone in the wrong brothel. I can't wrap my mind around either. Part of me wants to actually pay someone for snuggies just to see how god damn awkward it would be!

So Alashir. 30 bucks for an hour of snuggles. I've got a tiny Asian girl who will snuggle with you! I get 20% manager's cut. Let's do this! It won't be awkward. You two can snuggle and watch some Korean food drama. Woot.

[JackWhisper]

The thing I want to know is.... do the maid cafes have men for women and women for men? Are people supposed to snuggle with same gender, even if that's not their orientation?

Quite a curious thing, these maid cafes.

[Alashir]

The thing I want to know is.... do the maid cafes have men for women and women for men? Are people supposed to snuggle with same gender, even if that's not their orientation?

Quite a curious thing, these maid cafes.

Asking the real questions here

[mrspuffy7]

There may not be a "male maid cafe" in Japan
but
they have "boyfriends for hire/rent".

[Astray]

There are male maid cafes. The dudes dress like butlers and do the same thing that female maid cafes do.

[JackWhisper]

There are male maid cafes. The dudes dress like butlers and do the same thing that female maid cafes do.

You are NOT supposed to know this much about fellow men, Astray.

[Astray]

You are NOT supposed to know this much about fellow men, Astray.

Well, let's be correct here. If you want snuggles, you won't get them in a Maid Cafe. You pay for them to call you Master, eat some really good food and tea, and have them check in on you and bow alot.

A better bet is a Host/ess club. Where you get plastered and handsome men and hot women compliment you on nearly every asset of your life. "Oh, you scoop up dog crap for hours on end? You are SO amazing! Wow! Here's another beer." Some of them allow touching (nothing CRAZY like shoving your hand down shirts or up dresses).

If you want to be a complete weirdo, go to a Soapland. There, you get naked and have a bath. Then they lay you down on a pool mattress floaty, pour oil on themselves and you, then rub you down. With their body.

[JackWhisper]

If you want to be a complete weirdo, go to a Soapland. There, you get naked and have a bath. Then they lay you down on a pool mattress floaty, pour oil on themselves and you, then rub you down. With their body.

So THAT'S where the inspiration for that porno came from. Fuckin' Asians man!

[Astray]

So THAT'S where the inspiration for that porno came from. Fuckin' Asians man!

Prostitution is illegal in Japan but there are ways around this law. The establishments don't record or film any of the rooms and the places are expensive. A single trip could be anywhere for $300-$1000 for two hours.

[JackWhisper]

Prostitution is illegal in Japan but there are ways around this law. The establishments don't record or film any of the rooms and the places are expensive. A single trip could be anywhere for $300-$1000 for two hours.

It's illegal in a majority of the US, too. But we record our backrooms and then the owners sell the film as amateur hour shit to porn sites, probably. =P

[Astray]

It's illegal in a majority of the US, too. But we record our backrooms and then the owners sell the film as amateur hour shit to porn sites, probably. =P

It's typically frowned upon to record inside an establishment in Japan. In some places, it's also illegal.

Anyways! I know way too much about places like this...

[JackWhisper]

Anyways! I know way too much about places like this...

Yeah I said that a while ago. HA!

[Astray]

YOUR MOM JACK

[JackWhisper]

And I meant prostitution is illegal in a majority of the US! Not recording... though I'm sure that's frowned upon/illegal as well.

[Astray]

Well, you can find prostitutes in nearly every town in the US, standing on the corner and just waiting. In Japan, you are hard pressed to find them doing this. Because police patrol the places on foot and aren't shy about leading this person away or questioning them on the spot.

Also, Tokyo has a dense as shit population but you will rarely, if ever, find trash in the streets. Very very clean.

[JackWhisper]

Asia also makes their children clean schools.

Though, quite honestly, I agree with that.

[Astray]

Asia also makes their children clean schools.

Though, quite honestly, I agree with that.

It sucks and it's boring and tedious but it teaches you some respect for your environment.

[iJin]

Don't go to maid cafes, check. Lol.

[Astray]

Maid cafes are fine and they have some awesome desserts.

Don't go to Soaplands.

Strip clubs are still on the table. Though some of them are WAAAAAY out there.

[Latrinsorm]

I've been using a crapton of books and apps. For apps, I absolutely suggest Dr.Moku's Hiragana and Katakana app (1.99 each, or they have the lite ver.) and in two weeks I learned both sets. For books I have Japanese From Zero! and Japanese in Mangaland (teaches you the not so formal way of speaking, so you're able to understand what they use the most in every day-to-day convo). After learning those two sets, kanji is the way to go...but...I'm not there yet so I'll let you know. :p

I used expedia for a travel vacation pack. I'm staying in Sakura Ikebukoro, and for 2 people and 8 nights it was 2783ish. That's also with insurance for the trip, just in case. :) Don't use Rosetta Stone, I hear it is not really good. :( I'm going to be signing up for JPN 101 at my local community college in the fall, to really get it down! Maybe something you could look into if time allows.Ikebukoro? Watch out for IZAYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[shad0ws0ngs]

Something I did to get ideas for visiting I went to Quora.com and looked up questions on Japan. Things like non touristy places, things foreigners wouldn't expect about Japan, customs and such. I found a great article on chopsticks etiquette.

[Astray]

Brush up on some very basic phrases and etiquette if you haven't already. Oh and get ready for some strange behavior towards you. Some good, some bad, but try not to take anything personal.

[JackWhisper]

Like people rubbing your belly because you're a fat fuck American? LOL. Poor Japh.

[iJin]

So I went ahead and changed my hotel to one in Akihabara, just so I can be closer to all things anime and electronic! Thanks for all the good suggestions everyone. I hope 9 days is enough. :(

[Back]

Def check out Ueno Park and the National Museum. Easiest way to get around is by subway. They use roman numerals. Most public or service people speak English. Also, just take a walk around your hotel. Experience the daily life. Eat in a local establishment. Red lanterns means they serve alcohol.

[Androidpk]

Stay longer.

[Astray]

9 Days is enough to see some sights and make you want to come back. Just remember you will likely be jet lagged for a few of those days.

[iJin]

Hmm, is there a quick way to get over being jet lagged? I get there on the 29th around 5:30 pm, I assume I'll be at my hotel by like 7...my sister will probably be hungry and want to go get ramen somewhere...I'm hoping to pop a xanax in the plane and sleep all the way there. !

[Astray]

Convert your sleep schedule to Japanese time.

[Back]

Hmm, is there a quick way to get over being jet lagged? I get there on the 29th around 5:30 pm, I assume I'll be at my hotel by like 7...my sister will probably be hungry and want to go get ramen somewhere...I'm hoping to pop a xanax in the plane and sleep all the way there. !

There are plenty of vending machines that sell hot, or cold, coffee. ;)

[Whirlin]

I spent 12 weeks there for my internship a while back. Let me know if you have any specific questions... I don't quite feel like reading through 8 pages.

[Whirlin]

Hmm, is there a quick way to get over being jet lagged? I get there on the 29th around 5:30 pm, I assume I'll be at my hotel by like 7...my sister will probably be hungry and want to go get ramen somewhere...I'm hoping to pop a xanax in the plane and sleep all the way there. !
Plan out your sleeping pattern on your flight over. Since you'll be arriving late in the evening, try either not to sleep on the flight, sleep before the flight, or try to sleep incredibly minimally during the flight. Even if you fall asleep shortly after arriving, getting to sleep at something like, 8 PM isn't that far off, plus, you'll probably oversleep to a normal time.

[iJin]

You guys, did anyone take the airport limousine bus service? I'm worried about how many bags I can take with me on that. I will have one big bag with my clothes, and then probably bringing another big duffel bag to steal all the tamagotchis I can and gudetamas. They only say on the website something about 1 bag, but I'm not sure.

How did you guys get to your airport/hotel? Also, I'm still not clear on which pass I need to travel around Tokyo, and go to Osaka. :(