The Japan Trip Resource Thread!

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Cheers guys, airline network sorted me out.

I'll give you a PM about Club Asia, cheif.

I'll be there for 1 week from May 13th, mucking about with a WAN i am suposed to be setting up.

We could probably do with a few more hotel links here, anyone care to help?

Its easy to fing the $200 a night hotels on the web, but the sub $100 are tricky

[thebuddahman]

I stayed at the Sumisho Hotel in Ningyocho. It was cheap and cheerful and easy to get elsewhere in Tokyo. I think I ordered through hostelworld.com (or similar) for some strange reason. Was fine though, they had all the paperwork there when we arrived. Would recommend.

[Nobu]

As I'm sitting here, starving after not being able to eat for five days (tonsillectomy and a bad case of herpes simplex - NOT the sexually transferrable type), I'm looking even more forward to tasting Japanese dishes. With that said, I don't know what things taste like, even remotely, or what dishes to go for/absolutely avoid. So I was thinking, how about a few hints and tips on that, from those of you who have visited Japan and tasted its cuisine.

I HAVE to taste chinese dumplings, or gyooza as they apparently are called, as well as sukiyaki. Of course, I'd like to have some sushi as well, but there seems to be a lot of types, and I'm not sure which is best fitted for someone who likes fish, but never has eaten it raw.

So, enlighten us, oh great travel gods?

Edit: I had to edit this post four times. Words or letters missing, spelt badly or sentences making no sense. Losing five kilos in a week is not recommended. Not when you weigh in at 65 kg to start with.

[Saurian]

Char Siu men!

[Nobu]

Char Siu men!

Exactly what is that? I'd Google it, but writing this I have already spent my energy ration for this hour. Ingredients? Taste? Doesn't look bad at all.

Edit: After actually checking it up, I only found 36 hits for it on Google. You sure you weren't drunk when you got the name for it? Could be just a letter or something. Didn't find anything like it in my new phrasebook which includes a handfull "most-popular" dishes, though.

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Yoshinoya Gyudon Bowl, cheap and tasty with plenty of Chilli pepper and Garlic chips.

For breakfast, Salmon eggs and Chicken eggs over rice, again from yoshinoya.

[Nobu]

Salmon eggs kind of bring back bad memories. Like the moment I realised what I had been eating for all those years, growing up. But I suppose I will have to try it anyway.

Has anyone been to one of those places where sushi rolls by? Of course you have, but, care to share the experience of it? That's one of the things I'm looking really forward to.

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

I eat Sushi almost every day when i am over there, your average sushi place is about 130 Yen a plate.
Much cheaper than Yo-****ing-Sushi with its Tory cnut owner.

Anyway, I digress

Not much of an experiance to it, if its buisy the Chefs will be making all kinds of Sushi and Sahimi and you just pick and chose which you want.
Otherwise you have to say "Sah ma sen!" and tell them what you want.
I like Toro, Sweet Prawn, Natto and Uni best

When they dont give you what you want, you drink 10 pints of Sapporo and threaten him with your chopsticks. You may want to mention the 2nd world war too.


Its that simple, it really is

[Nobu]

Did you just give me the recipe on how to get my arse kicked by Japanese sushi-chefs?

Anyway, I'm excited about tasting the different types of food. And to see what kind of obscure items I can bring back home.

[Robster]

Can anyone advise on Narita airport in Tokyo . Im checking flights on www.aboutflights.co.uk and it asked me what airport I preferred in Tokyo???

I havent heard of it before, and as for Nippon Airways are the stewardess's really cute

(my fetish for asian women is starting again - like its never been away )

[Mofoman]

I am going to Tokyo on the 29th of May and got a return flight in January with Lufthansa for 518 squid, so i was well chuffed and I am staying at the Touganeya just outside Tokyo for 80 dollars a night which isn't bad considering it's near the peak holiday season, I am looking forward to more shopping help from this thread and would be very keen to meet up with anyone who is already there or going there at the same time as me, we could go for a few beers and a gaming hunt and gaming session in tokyo :-)

[Robster]

and japanese women of course!

[tokyochojin]

Can anyone advise on Narita airport in Tokyo . Im checking flights on www.aboutflights.co.uk and it asked me what airport I preferred in Tokyo???

I havent heard of it before, and as for Nippon Airways are the stewardess's really cute

(my fetish for asian women is starting again - like its never been away )

There's only one airport you can connect to in Tokyo (well its not actually Tokyo but i digress) and thats Narita.
Unless of course you are coming from inside Japan and then you can use Haneda.

Narita is about an 1hours train ride from central Tokyo, and yep Nippon airways has the staff to boot!!

Happy Hunting

I like Toro, Sweet Prawn, Natto and Uni best

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

There's only one airport you can connect to in Tokyo (well its not actually Tokyo but i digress) and thats Narita.
Unless of course you are coming from inside Japan and then you can use Haneda.

Narita is about an 1hours train ride from central Tokyo, and yep Nippon airways has the staff to boot!!

Happy Hunting

Natto is grand, i know a lot of the yokels dont like it. But what do they know?

I dunno why peole dont like it, its nice and salty sweet imho

Did you just give me the recipe on how to get my arse kicked by Japanese sushi-chefs?

Anyway, I'm excited about tasting the different types of food. And to see what kind of obscure items I can bring back home.

The food is great man, especially if your a bit of a foodie like me.
Ramen - Great and cheap, Yoshinoya - Great and cheap, Sushi - Very great but not so cheap.
I went to a restraunt owned by 1 of the Iron Chefs, it was really great

The only meal's i didnt like when i have been there was a disgusting breakfast my friends mum made for me once, nothing wrong with the ingrediants (salmon, rice, miso and green tea) she just couldnt cook.

The other was Okonomiyaki (spelling?), it seemed popular, but it tasted like stodgy errrrm stodge really.

Tip for shopping?

Take your time, look down all the back streets and shop around

[Robster]

I went to a restraunt owned by 1 of the Iron Chefs, it was really great

Can you explain what the " Iron chefs " are for me please , thanks

@ Tokyo Chojin: Thanks for the explantion re airport, Oh and Nippon airways it is