The Japan Trip Resource Thread!

[Steev]

Thanks for the tips, especially womblingfree (on the grounds that he was most optomistic ). I'm a very capable wheelchair user, we are not talking Hawking levels of incapacity, but obviously any more than one step is a pain. I'd imagine certain places are fine, particularly Nagano, as it hosted the Olympics the other year.

I'm very keen on going for a fortnight this summer if I can find the money and anyone to go with. Maybe it's a phase, but every aspect of the country is appealing to me. Living there is tempting - if a holiday went well I would attempt to do one of those "teach english in schools halfway round the globe" things, and then live there. Pie in the sky and all that.

I've borrowed some books about the country and have some email addresses to pester about stuff in general, but at the end of the day, this country is hardly ideal for wheelchair users.

A tricky one to ponder

This thread is a godsend to me by the way, many thanks go to the grandiously named Jushin-Thunder-Liger, and everyone else .

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Here is a good link for visitirs to Tokyo http://www.larabell.org/cynic.html
I was interested in hearing from other people who travelled to Tokyo alone, anyone like to share their experiances?

[Tokyo Trash Baby]

I was last in Tokyo by myself last September for the Tokyo Game Show and stayed on for two weeks visiting a friend.

Accomodation - I stayed at the Juyoh hotel as well. Cheap as chips, clean rooms, TV, fridge, aircon. The only down side was the room size (3 tatami mats). But hey your in Tokyo, it's not like you'll be in your room for any long amounts of time. Close to Sensoji Temple, about 20 min walk and well worth it. Check out the link for info.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3001.html

Travel Arrangements - I booked everything through STA travel. Even though i'm not a student I found them to be very helpfull and if your under 25 you get cheaper rates (might only apply in Australia, check with your local). Considering I only booked 4 weeks prior they arranged everything. Accomadation, flights, insurance, taxes. So I recomend them highly

http://www.sta.com

Food - despite what you hear, if you plan, eating is not expensive. Breakfast for me would consist of cereal, tea and a bannana. I ate in my room and made use of the fridge, tea facilities was in the hall but you can get hot coffee from vending machines as well and its pretty good. Lunch would generally be Yoshinoya (Japanese fast food chain) or Mc Donalds. Convienence stores stock fresh sandwiches, sushi, and noodles. Mostly prepared in the shop, all fresh and tasty. At big train stations they sell bento boxes, that and a beer make for an awsome lunch. Dinner I would frequent Raman or sushi shops. Where I was staying there were lots of in-expensive family run eaterys. Not only were they cheap but they give you a real experience of japanese people. Plus because westerners (were an ignorant bunch) would never frequent these places they will treat you like a king. Big servings and maybe a free beer and a great place to meet locals.

Sight seeing - Because I mainly went for TGS I didn't plan much before but I found that Tokyo doesn't offer much in the way of sight seeing and you will probably spend most of your days shopping. Things I did included:
Imperial Palace - It was nice to see some grass but you cant touch

Akihabara - gaming/anime/manga heaven on earth, ASO BIT CITY anyone?

Shinjuku / Shibuya - neo Tokyo at its best

Harajuku - Under 30yo only, cos-players etc.

Sensoji Temple - avoid on weekends, Go at night its much better

Odaiba - Has the famous ferris wheel, Toyota showroom, Disneyworld

Ginza - High end shopping, has largest toy store in Japan

Sony Computer Entertainment building - get off at Akasaka-mitsuke station walk up the main road on left, just picture the GT3 track and you'll be fine

Roppongi - nightclub area, avoid like an ex-girlfriend

Ueno - large Park and zoo. Pretty ordinary zoo compared to world standards

For more things to see and do in Tokyo check out.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/destinations/north_east_asia/tokyo/

Tokyo for me is great but for some people it wouldnt be. Not the place for young children and if old japan is what your after go to Kyoto. Also after a week you would have done the tourist traps and spend the rest of your time shopping. But if neo/blade runner is what your after Tokyo is the go. I love it only because it offers what I like, it just comes down to the individual. This website caters for tourist info.

http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp

Hope to see you all at TGS 2004

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Wonderfull news!, flights to Tokyo have just gone up from a cheapest of #408 to #506, why the overnight price hike?

[dave heats]

Dont worry, flight prices change all the time. What dates were those prices for, and which airline?

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Air france has been #408 from Manchester - Tokyo, virtually every day from now untill june, for some reason the price has now gone to about #520.

https://www.expedia.co.uk

im going 13th-28th March by the way, hopefully

[MD]

Basically because it's now Feb. ^_^

When a new month starts the price goes up. Airlines like having booked flights so the price starts low and goes up. In a nice world it would be cheapest near the end but then everyone would book then.... ^_^

Going before April is also cheap. ^_^

[Prine]

I want to go sight-seeing around tokyo, how do i go about booking trips up the hills and mountains that surround tokyo? Have you people seen any indian/chinese resturants? Im most likely going to stick with food im familiar with.

How much money would you advise i take? (shopping + sight-seeing/theme parks)

Im hoping to go Japan with a mate of mine around june/july

cheers

[Ghost]

Also can I recommend that people (who go with their partner or finds one in a club) try a love hotel, these are great fun to try with things like jacuzzis and sauna. Me and my gf go all the time. If you go it is best to go during the day because that is when it is cheapest. They are a little expensive if you are trying to save a bit of money though (on average they cost 10,000 yen/50 pounds for about 6 hours).

Also people here say avoid roppongi, dont! if you go during the day it should be ok, also make sure to check out Roppongi Hills, it has a huge shopping centre and also Virgin Cinema (which pisses over the ones in britian) because Virgin are a british company the big japanese films will sometimes have english subtitles, Innocence (GitS2) comes out next month and that has subtitles

[Kirby]

Air france has been #408 from Manchester - Tokyo, virtually every day from now untill june, for some reason the price has now gone to about #520.

https://www.expedia.co.uk

im going 13th-28th March by the way, hopefully

CHeck out Lufthansa on Opodo.co.uk. I was looking earlier for flights in March (19~28th) and a return flight from LHR to NRT via Munich i think was ?380.

[dave heats]

Just a word of warning to anyone who flys with Lufthansa.

Im not sure if it was a old Jumbo I traveled on (presumably it was), but the inflight entertainment on both journeys to and from Japan was appalling. No personal tv screens or working radio, just the occasional non working tv screen hanging from the roof, like there used to be on short European flights.
Of course, this isnt a big deal, especially for a price like ?380, but just dont walk on the plane expecting the on flight entertainment to keep you busy. In fact, dont expect any atall!

Has anyone else flown to Japan with Lufthansa or a similar airline, and have any information regarding on board equipment? I hope for everyones sake the forementioned Jumbo is now out of action, and been replaced with a more modern plane.

[Kirby]

Airlines like Lufthansa and KLM dont really have PTVs in Economy (KLM definitely dont unless they've upgraded since last May) hence their very cheap prices. Although saying that Lufthansa have one of the newest fleets now and i think the transatlantic/asian routes are mostly newer Airbuses. Would you rather pay ?850 for BA and have nice TVs or ?350 on Lufthansa and take a Gameboy and spend the extra cash on games/food/drink/geishas? I flew to Osaka via Amsterdam last year on KLM and the flight was ?550. As you'd expect all they had was ****ty TVs hanging off the ceiling, but the equivalent ANA and JAL prices were about ?750~?1200.

[Himura Kaji]

I would agree with Roppongi being the worst place to go in Japan! Sod all there few crap shops of no interest. Russian Embassy Wohoo. Tokyo Tower ... nice for a picture / postcard but about as amzing as the eiffel tower in real life!

Also Shinjuku brilliant place just don't cross the traffic lights leading away from the main area unless you want escort bars and black guys trying to force you into sleazy clubs and i do mean force !!! They never shut up and one even tried to pull me along (Shame i'm 6"4 really otherwise he might have gotten away with it!).

As far as hotels go i stayed at Weekly Mansion

http://www.wmt.co.jp/index_t.html

There main helpline is 00813 - 3434 - 3939 (including japan dialing code)

Just say do you speak english or eigo ga dekimaska and if they don't they put someone on who does. Booking is easy enough, they take most credit cards so you can pay upfront and will fax you what you need to sign and you can fax back.

Works out bout ?32 a night per person (there were two people in the room). Nice place Beds, TV, Bathroom, Stove, Microwave and Air con.

I stayed in the kiba branch (15 mins from Akiharbara and 25 mins from shinjuku). The full address of this branch is:

Weekly Mansion Kiba Chou,
Kiba 1-1-10,
Kotu Ku.

As far as flights go I got mine with Lufthansa (from eBookers) cost ?410 pounds per person including insurance and registered post of the tickets.

Hope this helps.

[dave heats]

Guys, just as a massive example of how it pays to wait for booking flights, the legends at Airline network have flights from LHR to NRT around the 1st of March-ish for ?390 INCLUDING TAX.

Play the waiting game when booking flights. The cheap fares are there, you just have to find them

[MD]

https://www.jadetravel.co.uk

You can fly to Tokyo for ?500 via JAL, the only thing is that you have to go via Shanghai, but as Shanghai is worth a visit you can get a few days break there and then fly back to Tokyo and stay there before flying back to London direct... ^_^ And JAL means decent planes. ^_^ Sod waiting. ^_^

There is also a nice 30Kg Limit on Lugguage too... ^_^ None of this 20Kg limit.