The Japan Trip Resource Thread!

[Darwock]

Try National Azabu in Hirou for your frozen peas. That is the best international supermarket I have seen in Tokyo.

Spending 30,000 yen on the shinkansen is a little too much just to satisfy a craving, but cheers anyway!

In Osaka we have Seijo Ishii and some other foreign supermarkets, but they're balls. Everywhere has the same selection of mostly Italian/Japanese stuff - the only UK produce to be found is Walkers shortbread. People here swear by Costco, but all it stocks is American and Japanese stuff. Recently I tried to buy double cream to make a cheesecake... forget it. Best we could do was clotted cream that could only be found in Carrefour (french supermarket now owned by Aeon) and our cake ended up looking like cat vomit.

I would literally kill someone if I could get a can of Irn Bru out of it.

[DeathAdder]

There are Carrefours in Kansai? They used to have them in Kanto too, but they closed after they didn't do very well. Like Tesco are doing, they had too much local produce in them. Perhaps they've made a comeback here too.

[DCharlie]

i came to Japan not liking fish - now i love most of it. There's so many Japanese foods to try, it's hard to imagine someone not finding something to like.

Tonkatsu seems to be the safe choice as an introduction, then there's yakitori/kushiyaki, sushi/sashimi , tempura, soba, udon, okonomiyaki , etc - and then all have regional variations on the theme. i dunno, if you can't find -anything- to like in that list, it feels a little bit of a stretch.

And that's outside of Japanese takes on non-Japanese originated cusine (ramen, yakiniku, etc). The -standard- of all food though is excellent across the spectrum and most places are going to have at least good standard food/ingredients/etc.

Japan is seen as a cullinary power house, i think it's a reputation well deserved.

[JAPJAC]

I miss Waitrose.

[MonkeyWrench]

Monkeywrench, what hotel are you staying in? If it's near the Bandai HQ could it be the Chisun Inn?

It was indeed the Chisun Inn, you know it?

[teddymeow]

^Surely do!! It's where we stayed this year. Liked it so much that we're staying there next Feb too. Nice little hotel. Thought the beds were good and comfy after all day walking around Tokyo.

[kryss]

In Osaka we have Seijo Ishii

We had one of those in Toride and was great for Cadbury's chocolate. I got a bottle of Harvey's Bristol Cream Sherry there once too, I was overjoyed. There's also one near where my sister-in-law works in Nishi
Azabu, and more around the place.

Speaking of alcohol, has anyone found Stone's Ginger Wine anywhere in Kanto?
The only place in Japan that seems to sell it is a small shop in the underground bit of Sapporo, which is a long way to go for a bottle of booze.

[MonkeyWrench]

^Surely do!! It's where we stayed this year. Liked it so much that we're staying there next Feb too. Nice little hotel. Thought the beds were good and comfy after all day walking around Tokyo.

haha excellent! Yeah really liked it too, nice rooms and wifi! The worst so far is the Sun Route in Nagano, but the best so far is the current one in Nagoya, big room, wifi and HDTV. Tomorrow we are in a ryokan in hiroshima, might be abit of a shock to the system

[kryss]

Flower Hotel in Nagoya = awful

[teddymeow]

Okay, randomest of random questions.

Does anybody know where I can get the Tokyo Metro station announcements from? The station names etc being called out by a female voice.

Just wondering.

[Darwock]

Pervert!

I'm not sure if you can... other than going there and recording them. It'll be different announcements/announcers for every train line.

[MonkeyWrench]

Will be winging my way home in an hour or so, currently sat in Kansai airport after experiencing the smoothest check I`ve ever had (10 mins!). As much as I`ve enjoyed myself here, I can`t wait to get home and get a proper cup of tea, cheese on toast and watch some semi-serious TV. The last few days haven`t been great here, went to Kyoto and it was worlds apart from all the other places I`ve visited. The travel network was **** and we had to get buses and the place was full of bloody school tours. Anyway, off to do some final duty free shopping...see you guys when I get back!

[Darwock]

Kyoto can be awesome but you have to do it the right way.. go in summer and spend your evenings sitting by the Kamo river with a conbini beer, it's just paradise! Travel around the tourist temples on a packed city bus and it's hell on earth. You're lucky it isn't in red leaves season yet.. shudder...

[teddymeow]

Pervert!

Gah, rumbled!!

It's not that, more a reminder of good memories to help me chill out (been more than a little stressful the last couple of weeks).

I found some train sim footage on Yourube and that had it on. Hearing them did make me feel a little better.

My God, I come over as a right weirdo! And, for the record, I am not into trains at all (no offence intended to anyone who is).

[saif]

Not ideal but...

http://melody.pos.to/sound/jreast/yamanote/?S=A

Other option is off of densha de go.