The Japan Trip Resource Thread!

[dave heats]

Im having to pretty much stop my game buying now. Im worried it wont all fit in the suitcase.

Oh and has anyone ever been to singapore airport? Ive got an 8 hour wait there next monday before my connecting flight to Heathrow. Im hoping theres a cinema or something! haha, i can dream.


Look what I found today....

[Pavey]

I was is Singapore airport in February and there was a huge X-Box promotion going on,with 2 player game pods everywhere to play while you waited,so we played Halo throughout our stopover.

There's a fairly good electronics section aswell where i got my ipod from (20gb for ?230) and some ps2 games for sale.
And a McDonalds i think.
Nick

[dave heats]

AH mcdonalds, thats my food sorted out then. How long was your stop over Nick? 8 hours is sounding like a really long time right now. Ideally I'd like to get some sleep or something in the airport, but unless they're beds available I wont be sleeping with a few grands worth of stuff in my hand luggage.

Also, does singapore use the same 2 pin plugs as Japan and the US? As i dont want to waste the batteries of my ipod and ibook before the flight itself.

[Pavey]

I was there for only a few hrs mate. I seem to remember that Singapore has the same voltage/plugs as the UK,as my Ipod came like that aswell.
I think there may be a place to sleep just outside the airport,a Holiday Inn type affair,but dont quote me on it.

[Pavey]

Also the whole place is wireless,so you'll be able to get online while you wait.

[erp]

i'm also planning a trip to japan sometime soon.

been once before, about 5 years ago, that time with a japanese friend. this time, however, i'll be going alone, which is both exciting and a little scary.

i plan to travel around the country as much as possible, and videogames are pretty low on my list of priorities to be honest - akihabara was neat and all that, but the majesty of kyoto's temples and the beauty of the rice and tea fields have had a far larger impact on me.

one of the things i also want to do while i'm there, and this is the thing i want to ask for advice on, is to visit okinawa for a few days. some of the (excellent) hotel links already posted on this thread do list hotels for okinawa, so hopefully booking accomodation shouldn't be a problem. but what's concerning me is how on earth do i go about booking the flights between okinawa and mainland japan???

it's probably worth noting that, although i can blurt out a few broken sentences, my practical knowledge of the japanese language is essentially non-existant.

has anyone else ever done anything similar to this and can offer me any advice?

thanks in advance.

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Good reports Mr Heats, who did you book your flights with?
Most flights have a stop-over in Paris, Milan, Frankfurt or Copenhagen, who did you book with?
Do you know, i was only 1.5 kg's over my baggage limmit and they tried to charge me at Narita, bloody facists.
(Got round it by putting my SFC in a shopping bag got from Narita's Lawson store)
Watch out for that, the Japanese loooooove enforcing rules like this.

[buster_broon]

i leave my present job a day before my 40th Birthday and i get a nice lump sum cash payment which should clear half the mortgage

so i have spoken to the wife and we are going out to Japan for a month or so just because i can buy loads of stuff there and i love everything about the culture

never been and i'm dying to go at some point but its a nice dream to look forward too

gives me 8 years to learn Japanese

[dave heats]

Man, youve got me worried now. Was your suitcase full of really heavy stuff? Im going to have to take 2 suitcases. Im buying another case tomorrow as Ive bought that much stuff. Ive got a gamecube, a few boxsets, cds, ps2 games, figures and clothes in one case at the moment. The other will be relatively light, I just want to buy a fairly solid case to protect the things inside.

Im flying with singapore airlines, and they only allow one piece of handluggage per person on board. However Im hoping they will let me carry my rez boxset aswell as my laptop carry record bag with me onto the plane, as I dont want it to get completely destroyed in transit.

I was originally meant to fly both ways with Lufthansa, stopping in Frankfurt both trips. However seeing as I have to return a week early I ended up giving my Aunt, who works for a travel agency in the UK, a ring to sort my flight out. An 8 hour wait between flights next week, but Ive got my neo geo pocket with me, and also singapore airport sounds amazing. WHilst I was joking about hoping there is a cinema there, it turns out THERE IS ACTUALLY A CINEMA THERE. And its free. So in between sesions of metal slug, reading micheal moore or 1984, eating junk food and watching free films I should be ok.

To be honest with you Im looking forward to going home now. Its been an experience being here for the past few weeks, and Ill be coming back next year hopefully (depends on whether I decide to buy my dream FTO or not...), but staying here alone for nearly a month has'nt been all that great at times. I did all the touristy things in Tokyo last summer, so this year its been more a case of just checking out other things Tokyo has to offer. Ive been to Akihabara too many times quite frankly, and spent far too much money there. In fact, Ill be selling alot of stuff when I get back to repay a credit card bill that must be enormous by now. Theres been many times on this trip Ive longed for some company, and wished that some of my buds from back home had tagged along with me like last year.

The weather has made me really irritable lately too for some reason. You cant escape the humidity and heat. Tbh Im just waiting for some more things to go completely wrong on this trip before I get home, and by the sounds of it, I'll probably get completely ****ed over with baggage weight limits.
I'm a strange one tho, as when Im on holiday I generally get more stressed out than when I'm at home. Most people go away to chill out, but when Im in a group or obviously on my own I end up doing all the organising and planning and get quite panicked out at times. Like for example, now I am seriously worried about this luggage situation (cheers justin! haha). I find when I'm away from home my brain just doesnt switch off at night and I struggle to sleep. Ah i dont know, Im just seriously highly strung at the moment!

Its true enough what they say, experiences are best when they're shared.

[dave heats]

Buster I wouldnt recomend coming to Tokyo for a month really. You could quite feasibly explore Akihabara extensively and see all tokyo has to offer in 2-3 weeks maximum. Next year Im coming with a few m8s who havent been here before, and I'm only going to need a week to show them Tokyo's sights. I'm hoping to spend the other week or so going to Okinawa, Osaka and Kyoto.

Its clearly your call, and youve got 8 years to decide (now thats a long time) but to be a tourist in tokyo for a month isnt recomended. There simply isnt that much for a tourist to do. My landlord was frankly baffled that I'm staying here for such a long time without being here on business or anything. Tbh with you, I could have done everything ive done so far in a week.

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

I agree with you, it is far better to see TYO with a friend.
Its hard to make friends with the Japanese the mindset is too different, girlfriends are not a problem, as any awkward pause in the conversation can be resolved by sex.
My suitcase just had clothes, candy for my fammily and quite a few books, i didnt put any games in it, as it was allready 21.5 Kgs.
I put everything in my hand luggage, and as i say i got a plastic bag from the airport Lawson to put my SFC in, you can take 1 plastic bag on the airplane with your hand luggage, so if i were you id get a plastic bag and put your games in it.
The airline staff just assume its Duty free, bought from the airport.

Hurrahhhh, going round Malaysia and Thailand et al for 2 months, starting week after next, good old graduate loan extension, so no posty for a while, have fun in Japan, anyone who goes.
Byeeee

[coyott99]

Help ARGH

hi everybody, I read all your comment about Tokyo ans so yesterday I decide to go over there in august... from 5 to 16 in fact . I choose Alitalia as flying company (less expenssive than any other) and send a mail to make a reservation at Juyoh Hotel. 5 minutes ago, I receive a message to tell me they are full...! I thought I sould have a cheap hotel... Well, is any of you able to tell me where I can go for a goog price...? Thanks

[tokyochojin]

Try www.sakura-house.com mate, they might have something for you.

[coyott99]

Arigatoo gozaimasu Tokyochojin-san. I've already try sakura house and I red they offer house for min one month... But members of Juyoh Hotel were very kind and gived me an other adress, 5 min from them... It's hotel New Azuma (http://www9.ocn.ne.jp/~h-azuma/uk/) and they offer nearly the same condition... they are not expensive (3.100 yen a night for this summer) but I red they don't offer water or green thea... they are vending machines ... so not as cheap solution than Juyoh And as Juyoh, it is far in the north of Tokyo (near Minoma station). I hope it is not a problem to join the rest of the city anytime? And just can't wait to go there It all thanks to you people; you convinced me with all the description...
By the way, I read it is top heating now... the most important since 1923 ("Tokyo temperature hits record high as heat wave continues")... I hope Mosquitoes are not going to survive this heat. Just hate them. I would like to find a good cheap camera there so I could make nice pictures and send them here. Anyway, I'm going to LOVE this trip. thanks everybody.
hum, one more thing: Hankwangford, are you still going to there from 6 to 21 August? Hope can see u Ciao from Belgium

[coyott99]

Tokyochin : you were right... I look again and find hotel ... thanks again