The Japan Trip Resource Thread!

[MD]

Spent about an hour in Tokyo Narita airport on route to Shanghai and couldn't resisit buying a densha de go electronic game... ^_^

Currently enjoying life in Shanghai ^_^

Found a shop that sold games and bought some sealed Dreamcast games quite cheaply. ^_^ (and yes they are originals...) also got a Hori knock off Joystick for the PS2 and Xbox. Hopefully going to find some more game shops. Sony have a large presence in Shanghai which is surprising, but the machines and games are advertised everywhere and games are easy enough to find. Neither Microsoft nor Nintendo have that much presence and games and machines are fairly hard to find (but more about this when I can upload my diary...).

Enjoying life here as everything is soo cheap, been here for a week and spent about 60 quid (and that included the games for the DC and the Joysticks). Food is terriblely cheap, it's hard to believe that a decent bowl of noddles with vegetables costs about 35p from high street noodle shops. Even a several course meal from a nicer resturant is less then 8 quid... Travel is about 14p on buses and tubes and if you want to travel by taxi then it's about 3 quid for a 15 KM journey... Even soya milk drinks which i drink lots are about 63p for 6 (they are about 50p each in the UK...). Found a few arcades, and the cost of a game like Initial D? 2 yuan (about 14p...)

Packets of noodles are so cheap it hurts, I'm going to buy lots of food here so I don't have to buy them in Tokyo.... (where I am off to on Sunday...)

[Sketcz]

Hotel:
Juyoh Hotel
Second cheapest in Tokyo when I went, and if you dont mind annoying whiny tourists its great, its also only 2 stops from the Akihabara, for those big into games.

Thyve got free net access, green tea machine on each floor, reasonably clean rooms, safes, and even public baths. (never tried those)

http://www.juyoh.co.jp/english.htm

Overall a good hotel at a low price, about 2900 Yen a night, which is what? ?14?

Otaku Im currently planning this summers trip, and am probably going to be staying here. I have one critical question though, is the air con in the room any good? If you could post some more thoughts on the hotel that would be superb.

I was looking at staying at Sakura again for a few days, but they are now around ?30 a night. Its not worth anything like that price.

WHOA!
Didnt see this post until now, sorry about that.
Air con was great, one in each room, but I unplugged it so I could play my turbo Duo I bought there.
TV, aircon and a lamp. (might have been a fridge, maybe not.)
Great net access, totally free. 3 PC's rarely a queue.
The bed was a bit dodgy looking, it seemed to have dirt all over it, but luckily they give you those special sheets things which you cover the duvet and in. It was so hot anyway that I slept uncovered with the aircon on.
The area was ok, only 1 stop from Akihabara. Theres also a shop right next door where I bought alot of food.
There were no good resturants that I saw there, except fro the dodgiest beef stew place Ive ever seen, some seedy old many game me a bowl of rice and beef and proceeded to mumble in a low voice. There never seemed to be cutomers there. Wierd stuff.

Theres also a rentable safe for storing valuables.
Never had any trouble with the staff. I left some valuables in key places, and everything was left untouched in a pile on the table. Even hid money in funny places, all of it was there at the end of the day when I returned.
So its quite safe. Was for me anyway.

Ok shower room, never went to the public baths. Never really a que there, but i showered with sandals on, didnt want to catch anything.

Single rooms are big enough for 1 person and a suit case, small table and the bed.

They have crap slipper selection, I mean they didnt even have british size 12!

Free green tea machine as well, drank it all evening.
Beer vending machine.
3 smokes machines.

Its smoking too, which was great for those who smoke.

theres also a mini garden in the foyer, so it looks nice.

Its not great, perhaps 2-star? You get what you pay for, but there was nothing bad about it. Except maybe whiney American tourists. >_<
Bare bones stuff basically. Nothing bad, but nothing fancy.
I recomend it. Especially if your there for only a couple of nights.
Not the ritz but perfectly adeqaute. Functional. What you pay for basically.

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Allready planning my next trip
6-8 weeks in an apartment, give me plenty of time o experiance living in TYO rather than just visiting.
I may do some freelance teaching while i am there.
10 days is absolutley no-where ner enough time for Tokyo, you will just be rushing all the time.
Ohh i cant wait

[dave heats]

Where will you be doing freelance teaching Justin? Im going for a month at the moment, but could stay longer if I had a source of cash.

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

I am knocking up a web-site, handing out flyers and advertising in that Tokyo classified free mag for gaijin.
This is not really legal, on a tourist visa, but is gererally allowed because of the need for english teachers.
How are you getting on with finding an apartment, Heats?
Aslo what is your budget, for the whole trip, if you dont mind me asking?
im looking at 5 grand, for 6 weeks

[dave heats]

Ive pretty much sorted the apartment and flights. Im currently looking at 400 for the flights, and around 550 for the apartment for a month. Thats not including the deposit, but that will either be refunded or taken off the bill anyway.
So, my total budget is only going to be around 1800 or something like that, allowing around 1,000 for travel, and accomodation, and 800 or more on food, travel and spending money.

5 grand sounds like quite alot for 6 weeks, or will you be 'living it up' while youre there?

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Ive pretty much sorted the apartment and flights. Im currently looking at 400 for the flights, and around 550 for the apartment for a month. Thats not including the deposit, but that will either be refunded or taken off the bill anyway.
So, my total budget is only going to be around 1800 or something like that, allowing around 1,000 for travel, and accomodation, and 800 or more on food, travel and spending money.

5 grand sounds like quite alot for 6 weeks, or will you be 'living it up' while youre there?

Yeah 5 grand is a touch high, but i will be getting a JR rail pass and going all over for 2 weeks of that.
Where are you getting your appartment from?
Do you have a link?
Do you eat at Yoshinoya et al, while your in Tokyo?
You can eat 4 square meals a day in those Noodle-Donburi bars for less than a tenner a day, which is great.
Next time i think i will rent one of those pre-paid Vodafones, i didnt know about this till late on in my stay last time, have you looked at this?
You can et them from arrivals at Narita from 9till8

[dave heats]

Well so far its looking like Ill be getting the apartment from sakura house, who seem to be the only apartment agency I can find thus far. Its just under 100,000 yen for the month, and has everything I need, such as an internet connection, private bathroom + kitchen etc. I've emailed them just to make sure its available for the dates I want, and if it is, its all systems go. And I really dont care about location, as, call me nuts, but I actually enjoy using the Tokyo subway.

Last time I was in Tokyo I basically survived off cheap noodle bars and snacks from the sensational Family Mart across from my accomodation. The great thing is, with an apartment and a kitchen I'll be able to buy actually half decent cookable food, rather than the snacks that dont need to be heated (like those luscious Horn chocolate biscuits! mmmmmmm Horm).

Im not sure exactly how much I was spending a day on food before, although it was around 10-15pounds.


I didnt know about those prepaid phones either, and they seem like a good idea. Phone bills are the only expenditure not covered in the apartments monthly rent, so I was hoping to find a mobile of some kind to use. Have you got any more info or prices on these phones dude?

Also, let me know if you get anywhere with the teaching. Its something I intend to do once I finish Uni (on the JET program), and Id quite happily spend this summer helping Japanese kids to say 'London' properly.

[MD]

10 to 15 quid? Your mad or doing something wrong, been here for one and a half days and my entire food budget has been about 4 quid...

I like the subway system as it's quick, quiet and fast and all the signs are in English and with a bit of intellegence you can find the right exits...

I like Tokyo been here for a day and already managed to buy 55 odd games... O_o

Also found out that maps can lie and found out I can walk from Asakusa to Akihabara in 45 minutes... saving me a good 300 Yen. ^_^ Could probably walk to Shinjuku if I tried.

Anyway off to bed, got more shopping to do tomorrow.

^_^

[dave heats]

Well tully sandwiches were about 2pounds, and combined with everything else such as huge bottles of pocari sweat of galpis 10-15 was my budget each day.

I must apologise for my lack of GBP sign btw. Im in the states, and cant seem to find the pound sign on the KB. ft:

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

The Pre-paid phones look bloody usefull, if you arrive before 8PM, you can get them outside Arrivals at Narita, near where you go downstairs to get on the subway.
Are Sakura house letting you arrange everthing via email?, they told me once you had to view the apartment and do the deal in person.
The guy could have been wrong tho

[MD]

I normally found water out of a tap free. You can also cunningly put these in bottles and drink it out of them. The hotel I'm styaing at also supplies green tea bags, so I can drink that too.

As for food, as most hotels have a kettle you can cunningly boil water and with a wire mesh or some tin foil and some paperclips you can steam and boil quite a lot of food and you can then buy (or even better bring) packs of noddles. I've managed to buy fried tofu and packs of vegetables quite cheaply too. ^_^

Oh as for the pound sign, hold down ALT and type 156 on the numeric pad (with Num Lock key on).

^_^

Joy more game buying. ^_^

[dave heats]

The Pre-paid phones look bloody usefull, if you arrive before 8PM, you can get them outside Arrivals at Narita, near where you go downstairs to get on the subway.
Are Sakura house letting you arrange everthing via email?, they told me once you had to view the apartment and do the deal in person.
The guy could have been wrong tho

Yeah, you still have to actually sign the contract and pick up the keys from their offices in Shinjuku, but you can reserve a room by putting down the 150,000yen deposit. You can do this online, and its just a way of making sure you get the room.

I still havent heard back from them yet, so Im off to email them again.

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

The Pre-paid phones look bloody usefull, if you arrive before 8PM, you can get them outside Arrivals at Narita, near where you go downstairs to get on the subway.
Are Sakura house letting you arrange everthing via email?, they told me once you had to view the apartment and do the deal in person.
The guy could have been wrong tho

Yeah, you still have to actually sign the contract and pick up the keys from their offices in Shinjuku, but you can reserve a room by putting down the 150,000yen deposit. You can do this online, and its just a way of making sure you get the room.

I still havent heard back from them yet, so Im off to email them again.

Seems like a great deal though, almost too good to be true!
I actually really like Jimbocho, it was quiet-ish and very conveniantly located, they don't have any apparments there tho.
It would be handy if there were some othe apartments companies we were aware off

[tokyochojin]

You guys should try a gaijin house in the west of Tokyo, you can normally get a good deal like 40,000Y per month with something like a 10,000 Y deposit. Its a cool way to live and will help with improving your Nihongo and you can meet some cool people. Check out the Tokyo notice board and i am sure you will be able to find something there. As for teaching English ( i don't wanna preach or anything) but it can take time to find private students and usually you offer the 1st lesson free so they can decide if they like the lesson. There is sooo much competition now for this, but good luck ne. You could always find bar work though? It pays ok 1000Y per hour is about the norm..

Btw MD can i ask how the weather is now?? Getting a little humid yet?? I always started to get ill at this point because of overusing the aircon. Have great trip matey!