I am off to Japan

[The Mole]

After a tough year i have treated myself to 10 days in Japan in September and have a few questions.

What are the best theme parks around the Tokyo area?
How easy is it to get to Mount Fuji on public transport from Tokyo?
Where are the best arcades in Tokyo? I like the look of the Sega one
I am also looking to visit the Pokemon Centre/Nintendo store, is that still going and where is it?
I am looking for some good gaming stores to pick up some bits while i am there, where are the gems?
I am also looking for suggestions for things to do while i am there.

One final thing i am a bit worried about the language barrier and am keen not to offend. I have seen Americans use arigato (sp?) to thank but i understood domo to be the more common word to use in shops and general everyday conversation.

[buster_broon]

get loads of photos, just a little jealous

[kryss]

What are the best theme parks around the Tokyo area?
Tokyo Disney Sea

How easy is it to get to Mount Fuji on public transport from Tokyo?
Pass.

Where are the best arcades in Tokyo? I like the look of the Sega one.
On streets of Akihabara. Club SEGA, the Taito one across the street and the one down the back alley next to Club SEGA.

I am also looking to visit the Pokemon Centre/Nintendo store, is that still going and where is it?
There are several Pokemon centres, one in the base of Landmark Tower in Yokohama (near Sakuragicho station), and one in Shimbashi.

http://www.pokemon.co.jp/pokecen/english.html

I am looking for some good gaming stores to pick up some bits while i am there, where are the gems?
Personally I like MediaLand (across from Club SEGA in Akihabara). Best prices around usually. Also the bargain bin behind the pillar at the front of the Sofmap up the road from Club SEGA is worth a look.

I am also looking for suggestions for things to do while i am there.
Go to some gardens: Hamarikyu near Ginza is nice, as are the Imperial Palace gardens.
Eat some sushi. Take a Hato bus tour around Tokyo in English (bookable just a little walk from the Marunouchi South exit of Tokyo Station). Go to a Japanese supermarket/department store like Daiei, Ito Yokado or Aeon/Jusco. Try playing pachinko in said department store. Walk through Ueno park drinking a beer. Pretend you don't understand English when you see other foreigners (this one is a must). Pretend you can't understand what "cans only" meas when you want to throw out a chocolate bar wrapper and there are no bins. Take the monorail across Tokyo Bay to Odaiba (Shimbashi->Daiba station).

One final thing i am a bit worried about the language barrier and am keen not to offend. I have seen Americans use arigato (sp?) to thank but i understood domo to be the more common word to use in shops and general everyday conversation.
Watch the Japanese people. If you see them say thank you to shop staff give them a sticker. They really don't. Being a polite foreigner, "arigatou" does you fine.

[wakka]

What are the best theme parks around the Tokyo area?

If you're into extreme thrill rides, try Fuji Q too. You have to take a bus out to it, it's a slightly unpleasant concrete unthemed park, and the lines are huge, but it has three of the most extreme rides around: Eejanaika (in which the seats go head-over-heels hydraulically during the ride), Fujiyama (one of the tallest roller coasters in the world), and Dodonpa, second fastest launched ride in the world, which fires you at about 106mph. They're awesome rides but it depends on how devoted you are to thrills.

Tokyo DisneySea is wonderful too, a must visit. Great rides and the most unbelievable theming, the volcano is sick!

[kryss]

If it's raining FujiQ will be almost completely closed and it's over 2 hours from Tokyo. It closes around 4.30pm too. You can apparently get a good view of Mt. Fuji from there.
As you might have guessed the day we went it rained, hence my poor opinion of it.

[r3z]

Did I go to the same DisneySea? I thought the rides were all pretty average, the only impressive attraction was the show on the lake in the evening.

Thought FujiQ was pretty good when I went.. surprisingly very few people (even though it was at the start of August during school holidays) so we were able to ride the coasters as many times as we liked and decent weather meant some great views of Mt Fuji from the top of Fujiyama.

[Golgo]

Make sure you go to the Mandrake store in Shibuya for the ultimate otaku experience.

[teddymeow]

Make sure you go to the Mandrake store in Shibuya for the ultimate otaku experience.

Or Nakano Broadway where there are like 15 different Manadarake shops selling different things.

The gaming one was sweet: Powerstone 2 for ¥1000!

There's loads of little shops in there selling Gashapon and AV films too. Not on the same shelves you understand.

You should head to Shibuya and go inside the Starbucks overlooking the crossing as it's getting dark outside and stare in slack jawed amazement at the neon everywhere!

Also, be amazed at how that many people can cross one road at the same time without serious incident!!

[Richard.John]

Yomiuri land is another theme park in the greater Tokyo area. It can be reached via the Odakyu line from Shinjuku, and the nearest station is imaginatively called Yomiuri land - mae. About 30mins or so from Shinjuku by the way.

Rent a car and drive to Hakone/Gotenba for stunning views of Mt. Fuji.

[abigsmurf]

I follow themepark news a lot as I love reading about rides (which is weird as I'm a bit of a wuss, mine trains and water chutes are my limit). Tokyo Disney Sea looks amazing, brilliant themeing and rides not available at other Disney parks. It's not a coaster park though.

[Richie_uk]

Hakone is gorgeous, dont forget to buy some black eggs for good luck.

[kryss]

They're meant to extend your life by 7 years. Pretty amazing for a hard boiling egg.

I remember going to Mandrake in Nakano Broadway soon are the DSlite came out. I wasn't impressed by the 28'000yen price tag they had one at (DSlite 16'800yen mrp).

[fishbowlhead]

Don't forget to wander around shibuya station at 3am with no idea of how to get back to your hotel as well, being drunk helps too

[112]

^ Is the rail system 24/7?

112

[Richard.John]

No it isn't.