The Japan Trip Resource Thread!

[dave heats]

How many times did you get hussled by illegal immigrants in that one evening mate?

"wanna come in my club my friend? have a good time!"

"**** OFF"

[DCharlie]

well, don't get me wrong - it's definitely worth going to at least once. To be honest though, it's a bit like Akihabara - now, bear with me here, this isn't meant to sound like an old fart moaning or someone trying to be "oh look at me, i've been in Japan longer than yous!" - but both Aki and Roppongi have changed from what they were , say, 5 years ago.

Roppongi, pre-9/11 , was a lot lot busier because of the US armed forces. This was good for that area as the place was always rocking no matter which night of the week it was. Some old places have gone or changed thier style - some for the best, but mainly for the worst.

Aki is rearranging and condensing - people have too many other things to spend their cash on, so the combination of less people buying up lots of stuff and the overall change of Akihabara (now becoming an office center - pushing up the local rentals) means that Aki is now comprised of much fewer stores, leaving you with less choice. It's still great to go to , but again, Den Den Town feels more like the old Aki than Aki these days.

If you want to go 'clubbing' clubbing by the way - it's an idea to check out Metropolis.co.jp's listings - the club scene here is very active. Last time a friend was over we got to see Paul Van Dyk, Deep Dish, Nick Warren in the space of a week. Plus - the club Agaha is worth seeing too - so if you can get out to that one night, it's definitely an experience.

For pulling girls, well, i guess you can't really go wrong with Roppongi. Possible complications now are that a lot of pro's worth the bars and _will_ expect to be paid despite what they do/don't make it look like. But i'd say pretty much pick anywhere, somewhere like Lexingtons if you haven't got the desire to wander around and want to conserve cash (although not a big fan myself - well, i think that goes for the whole of roppongi so that's a little unfair), but you are as likely to have lots more fun just going from bars/pubs to bars/pubs like Propaganda, 911, Heartland, etc...

Also bear in mind that Roppongi is one of the few places in Tokyo where you can easily get yourself into a lot of trouble. People (usually big african guys) will be trying to pull you into there bar with various levels of tactics - always politely decline or say you are off to meet a friend. And of course, you run the gamut of X hundred lasses offering you a massage (+ extras) - simply look at it like this : no matter what you get up to , it's more than likely you are getting well and truly stiffed if you are in Roppongi at the time. I've heard of people getting beaten in stings, tourists losing passports, a long with other less frightening eventualities. So avoid - especially if you couldn't talk your way in or out of any issue (in Japanese).

lol - anyways, listen to me!? i'm hardly the expert on going out and pulling so my advice probably isn't worht the paper it's not written on - plus i've not been out on the pull in over 5 years!

[dave heats]

nah man, thats one of the most informative posts ive read for a long time. Reminded me why i hate roppongi with a passion. How long have you been in Japan then?

[DCharlie]

well, not that long to be honest - it'll be 6 years in July. Flown by to be honest - a bit of whirlwind time

Sorry - misread your tag - you were in Osaka? How long were you there?

[JAPJAC]

I've been here half as long as dcharlie and with my limited experience I would agree with him regarding the decline of Akihabara and Roppongi. The first night I ever went to Roppongi with BA005 we got into a fight with some other foreigners. So really thats not true for me, it was a **** hole then, and it is a **** hole now. I've been told that 10 years ago it was a fantastic place to be with never any troubles at all. My knowledge of what Japanese girls looked like during the early nineties is based on my G 'n R DVD flimed at a Tokyo concert and it's shocking how minging they looked.

I think the reason for any trouble is that most people are off their tits on something or another. Roppongi is a **** hole and earlier I was only singing the praises of Lexington Queens as I have never really considered it to be in Roppongi really (it's not even on the main road) and always had an amazing time everytime I have been there. Like any pulling situation it's all to do with ones rivals. Darlings on charlie (city types) don't go to LQ's. Young G.I. Joes do that get wankered on two bottles of weak U.S.A. beer, so if you mention to a bird you a) Are not in the Army b) Are from England you can have the pick of the bunch by default. It's mint.

This island really is it seems at times one big floating restaurant and bar so there are a million and one places to go pulling other than Roppongi. One time I was stuck in the middle of two Africans having a running shoot out with air guns! Straight out of Compton.

Driving through Roppongi in the daytime one would never know how seedy it gets post 8pm, it's all quite leafy and pleasant. The biggest mistake is to go there straight, if you do it can be quite scary. If you're away with the fairies and just pick one club for the majority of the night then you will think it is the most hilarious place in the World.

Akihabara is a shadow of it's former self even Media Land and The Traders.

It's not all doom and gloom. If you know what you want from both places you can still get it and thats what it's all about.

Sums it up really:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urxcloeBKTQ&search=roppongi

Two country bumpkin birds (no oil paintings but) off to Lexington Queens on the hunt for blokes from England. Nuff said.

[dave heats]

well, not that long to be honest - it'll be 6 years in July. Flown by to be honest - a bit of whirlwind time

Sorry - misread your tag - you were in Osaka? How long were you there?

I only managed to spend 2 & and half months in Osaka this time. In total Ive been in Japan for just over 6 months from my various escapades, so I'm by no means a expert on anything related to Japan. Thats why I love reading your and JAPJAC's posts, as they never fail to be interesting.

Right now I'm 21 and a Uni student, so I've only ever been able to go to Japan during breaks in the educational year. Like for example, I'm going back for 2 months in July, but have to come back to finish my final year of Uni.

Once I graduate though.... Going to teach English in Osaka for a year or two, while looking out for any design work I can get during that time.

Well thats my life plan haha.

So DCharlie, JAPJAC, you guys have been there 6 years and 3 years respectively. If you dont mind me asking, were you about my age when you moved over there? Because in Osaka with all my various teaching friends, I was kinda the baby of the group!

[JAPJAC]

Pleasure. 26 I was.

[DCharlie]

I was 25 when i got out here.

[fumi]

A Year In Jpan

I will be living in Japan for a whole year as of this summer and hope to be able to get some features going again. I will be carrying out Linguistic Research at a University over there but I will also be posting articles about life in Japan. I imagine there will be the quite a few game-related pieces.

For me, a year in Japan will allow me the freedom to write a lot more than I have in the last year or so.

Anyway, that's not for a couple of months yet, but I wanted to give folks on here a 'heads-up' as I know some people from the old Forum days (circa 2002) like this kind of stuff.

You can bookmark it below and pick up RSS feeds as well.

http://www.jasonnewton.net/

I will probably post another reminder on the forums in the week or two before departing for Japan.
Kind Regards

[Reef]

Hi people,

Sorry to butt into this thread, I'm will be in Tokyo for 3 days with the missus and would like anyone to recommend a good hotel to us. I've just read the start of the thread (sorry not read through all 50 pages so this may have been asked loads of times already) and the Juyoh hotel is recommended. Ideally we would prefer a more traditional Japanese hotel with tatami mats rather than beds etc. This thread started back in 2004. Is this still a good hotel to stay at, we are ideally looking for the best for location and ease to get to. Price isn't a problem but ideally less than 200 quid fo rthe 3 nights.

Thanks very much, we'll be there 14th Jun for 3 days so is anything going on which we must see. Otherwise what would you advise (both our first time there). Also anyone fancy showing us around at all/meeting up for drinks etc??

[Darwock]

Tokyo Ryokan

https://www.tokyoryokan.com

A new venture by the incredibly nice people of the Taito Ryokan (which also comes recommended)... these people are lovely and I don't doubt their new place is the bees knees.

[Nobu]

I will be living in Japan for a whole year as of this summer and hope to be able to get some features going again. I will be carrying out Linguistic Research at a University over there but I will also be posting articles about life in Japan. I imagine there will be the quite a few game-related pieces.

For me, a year in Japan will allow me the freedom to write a lot more than I have in the last year or so.

Anyway, that's not for a couple of months yet, but I wanted to give folks on here a 'heads-up' as I know some people from the old Forum days (circa 2002) like this kind of stuff.

You can bookmark it below and pick up RSS feeds as well.

http://www.jasonnewton.net/

I will probably post another reminder on the forums in the week or two before departing for Japan.
Kind Regards

I landed at Narita one month ago, with a firm decision of doing a really good blog, once I had acquired the equipment I had set out to use. Since then all I've been able to do is change the Wordpress-template to my likings, and that was now, during Golden Week - during the few hours I managed to spend at home.

Tokyo is busy. (But of course, girlfriends take up some time as well. )

I didn't click your link, so it might already be answered, but: where in Japan will you be studying?

[hobo]

Hi people, can anyone advise on the location of this hotel, is it reasonably central, close to anything at all?

I have preliminary booked it for the a few days in June:

http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00078/index.html

Cheers.

[gravity0]

Wow, Kabukicho. Doesn't get much more central than that, hobo.

[Richard.John]

As in the red light district of Shinjuku?