The Japan Trip Resource Thread!

[macosx!]

Just got back yesterday, did couple of days in Tokyo, then down to Hiroshima, then Matsuyama on Shikoko, then back up to Osaka. That JR pass is fantastic value, the five hours trip down south on the Shinkansen was a joy.

I'd definitely recommend Osaka for stay and now prefer it to Tokyo, only spent a few days there before, but spent a week there this time. Fantastic city, more buzz to the place than Tokyo and in all two centralised regions rather than many Tokyos separate ones. Den Den town is absolutely superb for gaming goodness and IMHO better than Akhibara.

[MD]

The weather is fine, warm but can get a little sticky in the afternoon, but with the window open I am fine. ^_^

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Pre-Paid mobile phones, for when you in japan

http://prekei-japan.com/

or



very cool

http://www.jcrcorp.com/

[MD]

Yay cheap... although at $99 a week I think buying a 1000 Yen Phonecard works out better value... unless of course you get the cheap option and want to pay to get calls.

It's only an option if you know several people in Japan, else it becomes an expensive toy.

[gooner]

Anyone know any good resources for learning japanese? or atleast a bit of the lingo?

[MD]

Ah well trip over, will write it up and post it up somewhere.

As for learning Japanese if your going to be a lazy Gaijin just buying games that you only need to know the japanese for "Hello", "I want", "Thank You", "I don't understand" and "I don't speak Japanese". That's all I used and it worked well (*).

Still going back after France and during xmas.

(*) Although it does help if you have friends who speak Japanese and better still cute women to help you in return for speaking English to them.

[Prine]

How much would it cost to stay in a 3 star hotel in Tokyo?? For around a 14 days

As for the food, any chinese resturants around tokyo?

[tanoshimi]

Just came back from my first trip to Japan, including 3 days in Akihabara.

Firstly, massive thanks to Otaku84 / Dave Heats for supplying the map on page one of this thread - even though Akihabara really isn't spread over a big area, this was really helpful to get our bearings on the first day there. I've made notes on quite a few changes/additions which I hope to copy up here as soon as I've had chance (and I have photos to show some of the more important storefronts / signs) so that this can be of use to more first-time visitors.

I was pleasantly surprised as to how cheap everything was in Japan - the subway is excellent (and runs *perfectly* to time, as you'd expect) and you can eat good food for less than 300Y per meal. I was led to believe that Tokyo was one of the most expensive cities in the world, but coming from London, it's nothing!

My main spoils were a famicom GBA SP (11,000Y), a sakura PS2 (18,000Y), Drummania (13,000Y), N64 Bangai-o (3,000Y) Donkey Konga + 2 Controllers (5,500Y) and loads of PS2 and Gamecube games for around 2,000Y each. I could have bought so much more (including that Steel Battalion controller for 9,800Y!), but my back was breaking as it was.

The only other thing I'd add is that I know that everyone here is a videogamer, and that may be one of the main attractions of going to Japan. However, if you went to Japan and only stayed in Tokyo/Akihabara you would miss out on so much of one of the most interesting, beautiful, and culturally-rich countries of the world (as well as some of the most hospitable people you will ever meet).
Although we were only there for a very short time, we also went on the shinkansen to Kyoto, spent a day at Oshino at the foot of Mt. Fuji, saw Osaka, went to a Yomiuru Giants baseball game at the Tokyo dome, drank in the New York bar on the 58th floor of the Tokyo Park Hyatt hotel ('lost in translation'), drank sake at a hanami party in Ueno park, spent Hana Matsuri (Buddha's Birthday) at Senso-ji Temple, saw Ikebana in Meiji-jingu shrine, sang Karaoke till the small hours in Aoyama... and I personally wouldn't have missed any of that for all the videogames in the world.

I hope that anyone visiting Japan enjoys their trip as much as I did - if any other first-time visistors have questions I'm more than happy to share any advice I can.

t.

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Just came back from my first trip to Japan, including 3 days in Akihabara.

Firstly, massive thanks to Otaku84 / Dave Heats for supplying the map on page one of this thread - even though Akihabara really isn't spread over a big area, this was really helpful to get our bearings on the first day there. I've made notes on quite a few changes/additions which I hope to copy up here as soon as I've had chance (and I have photos to show some of the more important storefronts / signs) so that this can be of use to more first-time visitors.

I was pleasantly surprised as to how cheap everything was in Japan - the subway is excellent (and runs *perfectly* to time, as you'd expect) and you can eat good food for less than 300Y per meal. I was led to believe that Tokyo was one of the most expensive cities in the world, but coming from London, it's nothing!

My main spoils were a famicom GBA SP (11,000Y), a sakura PS2 (18,000Y), Drummania (13,000Y), N64 Bangai-o (3,000Y) Donkey Konga + 2 Controllers (5,500Y) and loads of PS2 and Gamecube games for around 2,000Y each. I could have bought so much more (including that Steel Battalion controller for 9,800Y!), but my back was breaking as it was.

The only other thing I'd add is that I know that everyone here is a videogamer, and that may be one of the main attractions of going to Japan. However, if you went to Japan and only stayed in Tokyo/Akihabara you would miss out on so much of one of the most interesting, beautiful, and culturally-rich countries of the world (as well as some of the most hospitable people you will ever meet).
Although we were only there for a very short time, we also went on the shinkansen to Kyoto, spent a day at Oshino at the foot of Mt. Fuji, saw Osaka, went to a Yomiuru Giants baseball game at the Tokyo dome, drank in the New York bar on the 58th floor of the Tokyo Park Hyatt hotel ('lost in translation'), drank sake at a hanami party in Ueno park, spent Hana Matsuri (Buddha's Birthday) at Senso-ji Temple, saw Ikebana in Meiji-jingu shrine, sang Karaoke till the small hours in Aoyama... and I personally wouldn't have missed any of that for all the videogames in the world.

I hope that anyone visiting Japan enjoys their trip as much as I did - if any other first-time visistors have questions I'm more than happy to share any advice I can.

t.

I totally agree, if you just spend all your time in Akiba, you will miss out on a great country, especially the food and the chicks.
Its interesting to visit small town Japan, like Hanno city just outside of Tokyo. The quality of life outside of Tokyo is pretty lousy really, nothing to do, ****ty houses and you can't buy games anywhere.
Another tip for you is that all the women in the Manhatten Show Bar in Roppongi, are actually Russian Trannys.

[MD]

There is life outside of Akihabara?!?!

Nah must be a lie to make sure that people don't get all the good games.

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

There is life outside of Akihabara?!?!

Nah must be a lie to make sure that people don't get all the good games.

Did you just spend all your time in Akiba?, eastin dehydrated Noodles?
Oh dear, Oh Dear
Did you stay at "The Gamers Choice" Sakura Hotel?

[kotatsuneko]

dont forget the sweet :

http://tangotown.jp/tangotown/

run by GomiGirl a regular at ****edgaijin.com

stop trying to play shmups on da keitai n get learnin ??

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

And how is Dave Heats trip going, everything sorted?

[dave heats]

Yeah man, all the organising went well. I'm going to be over there from the 28th of June until the 28th of July.

Flying with lufthansa for ?406 all in, and staying at the Hotel Asia center of Japan on the first night. After that, I'll be renting an apartment from the geezers at Sakura House.

Got travel insurance for around ?26 for the month from Atlas Direct, who were the cheapest/best value I could find.

All in all, its going to be a most awesome trip. Unfortuently Uni work is at astronomical levels at the moment, so I have to get through revision->exams first.

Anyone else over there during the forementioned dates?

[MD]

Good luck with lufthansa, cheap normally means the worst flight you can ever imagine... ^_^; Its better then Aeroflot or Turkish airlines but not by much....

Still im going in August. ^_^