planning the next great escape [Wanderlust]
It's official: M and I will be in Japan between 7/2 and 7/18/08. Flying into Tokyo, flying out of Osaka, figure we'll spend at least a few days each in Tokyo and Kyoto, with some day-trips elsewhere as warranted.
We're doing the usual devouring of guidebooks now, but presumably my brilliant and well-travelled friends will have some opinions about stuff we shouldn't miss. This is your open invitation: what should we see and do?
Recommendations for accommodations in Tokyo especially solicited. Introduction to local friends who would be fun to meet even moreso.
We're doing the usual devouring of guidebooks now, but presumably my brilliant and well-travelled friends will have some opinions about stuff we shouldn't miss. This is your open invitation: what should we see and do?
Recommendations for accommodations in Tokyo especially solicited. Introduction to local friends who would be fun to meet even moreso.
damn can't remember the name...
And OMG, you are in for some crazy good eating.
Edited at 2008-04-28 03:02 am (UTC)
In Osaka the view from the top of the tall building on the side of the station (Osaka station not Shin-Osaka) which is called ACTY if I remember correctly, is very good. In particular you can both go up and walk around for free, and some of the restaurants have the good view while not being overpriced, like the Chinese up there. The Chinese there also has the latest-generation Neorest toilets, not to be missed :) After that view we didn't bother to go up the Umeda Sky Building.
In Osaka we stayed in the splendidly-named Hotel Kinki which suited us well. It has: coin-op wash/dry machines (bring your own laundry detergent, they claim the machine dispenses it but if so it is *quite* insufficient); a beer vending machine in the reception, as well as a microwave; convenience stores, bars, other shops all around; 100mbit ethernet in the wall; it's right in the centre of the entertainment district and about 3 mins walk from Osaka station; yet it's pretty quiet; rooms are rather larger than average for a business hotel; aircon in the room really did the job; staff English minimal but nice people. Also cheap. It would be my choice for a base in Osaka again.
You must spend some time in Kyoto train station and go up to the top. Plenty of places to eat in the upper levels too. Watch the sunset after touristing the city, then go home.
If you make it to Hiroshima the Mazda car factory is interesting, book a trip in advance (they do one tour a day in English).
The castle to see, if you see no other, is Himeji. Easy daytrip from Osaka. Also the gardens next to the castle are nice, separate entrance fee. The castle is huge.
Simon Cozens, if you know him, can be tempted to travel to Kyoto or maybe Osaka (or maybe even Tokyo) to meet up.
Edited at 2008-04-27 10:42 pm (UTC)
Osaka is fun and full of great food (there's a saying that roughly translates to "In Tokyo you go broke buying clothes, in Osaka you go broke dining out"). My full notes of our time there are here, with restaurant recommendations etc.
Kyoto is just plain beautiful, especially on foot. We did the Philosopher's Walk and really enjoyed it, and it was very easy to pick out a random restaurant downtown and get a good dinner. Lots of cute little stores.
Also: did you bring a laptop, and if so did you feel comfortable leaving it in various hotel rooms?
As far as I can tell, the Japanese go touristing domestically exactly the same way they stereotypically go touristing abroad: in gaggles, all pointing their cameras at each other and everything.
I felt less like a tourist tool stopping to take photos of everything in Japan than anywhere else I've ever been. It's not only ubiquitous, as far as I can tell it's pretty much expected that people will take photos of everything. Modulo a slight reticence in temples, etc (people are just a bit more subtle), but I'm sure you can work out where to be more discreet.
I brought a laptop, I felt fine leaving it in hotel rooms, I just put it and other stuff in my bag, locked the bag, and put it in the back of the closet or similar.
Get some good tea for yourselves! Try Ippodo Tea in Kyoto.
If you can make it work, try staying at a ryokan... there are quite a few in Kyoto. Some won't accept foreigners. We stayed at Hiiragiya Ryokan in Kyoto and it was amazing... the food was fantastic there, too... if you've never had a kaiseki meal, you should definitely try it... I've never found anywhere in the US that could compare.
There are also grades of Kobe beef in Japan that are never seen outside of the country.
If you can make the time, Koyasan is a mountain covered with Buddhist monasteries. It's a fantastic place... you can spend the whole day there... you can arrange to eat at one of the monasteries...
I'll try to remember more...
I also really liked Kamakura.
Some awesome things we saw in Japan: The Hiroshima Peace Park and Museum. The Studio Ghibli museum in Mitaka, outside of Tokyo. A sumo tournament. The Hakone area (Yunessun, Ashinoko, Tozan Ropeway, Owakudani). Todai-ji and overly-familiar deer in Nara. Shinsaibashi shopping district, okonomiyaki, and love hotels in Osaka. The Kiyomizu-dera temple complex in Kyoto (we didn't have nearly enough time in Kyoto, sadly).
Ryokan Asakusa Shigetsu in Asakusa, Tokyo, was good to us. Nice, clean, convenient to the Asakusa line, has onsen on upper floor.
I hope it's not as hot in July as it was in late August/early September. The heat and humidity were brutal, especially in Kyoto. Holy crap.
Overall, though, I intend to go back to Japan and I intend not to go there in June, July, or August.
Ghibli tickets should really be booked in advance, there are foreign agents for them but not many. There are special all-day tickets available for foreigners, rather than the timed-entry ones sold in Japan (to anyone, but timed-entry is less convenient).
I only know one person in japan and, not having spent that much time with him recently, I don't know if you'd have much fun with him. However, if you'd be willing to box him up and send him to me, I could get you his address ;)
Go to a maid bar and think of me! It may be my destiny to open one up out here.
If you do stay at a Ryokan and opt for the Japanese breakfast, note that you do not get any Coffee there. Scout out the location of the nearest café beforehand to avoid the whole hunting for a coffee and not finding it thing.
Odaiba has the most amazing kitsch - (a miniature Eiffel tower and a miniature Statue of Liberty). And so does Don Quijote - a discount retailer on Roppongi. And if you do go there - check out the roller coaster on the top of the building. And oh, walk into a 100Yen store and see how long you can last before you have to lol at something.
There's an antique samurai sword store near the Oriental Bazaar in Omotesando (near Harajuku) - and you need an export license (which takes up to two weeks) if you're going to buy an ancient katana.
And if you need kitchen knives - Kappabashi is the best place to buy them. Amazingly, that's the one item I've found that is cheaper in Japan.
Oh yeah, go check out a Love Hotel.
And the Beer Museum (there's one in Sapporo as well as Ebisu).
When I think of more stuff I'll let you know...
Tokyo
This guy has some opinions about what to do in Tokyo. And really, there is something to be said for taking his advice, given who he is.
Thinking a bit harder about my travels around Japan:
Edited at 2008-04-29 01:40 pm (UTC)
A cheap place to stay in Kyoto
Osaka (located in the Shin-Osaka area, a couple blocks from the Nishinakajima-Minimigata subway station):
Sin-Osaka Sunny Stone Hotel
4-12-2, Nishinakajima, Yodogawa-ku, Osaka City
Ph. 06-6390-0001
Tokyo (located just outside the Ginza section, a couple blocks from the Ginza subway station):
Hotel Check Inn
3-10-10 Shimbashi, Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0004
Ph. 03-3434-6000
I discovered the day *after* we left Tokyo that our hotel was two subway stops away from that famous fish market ... argh!!
*envy* ... I miss Japan, and would go back tomorrow if I had the chance. Looking forward to your trip reports and photos. :) Have fun!!
I found the fish market pretty remarkable...i forget the name of the district, but it's the fish market in tokyo. i have never ever seen so much tuna. $15 million worth of fish get auctioned/traded everyday there. and i had some of the best sushi i've ever had, after walking around there. but this is one of those 6 am type experiences...so it's best done like the first day you're there.
Shibuya was fun, lots of young people, and the street crossing at the major intersection was super duper crazy, particularly at night when everyone was out and about. Apparently, it's called "scramble crossing". I've never ever seen so many people crossing the street all at once. I also did a fair amount of shopping there :P
There is also a really nice hot springs bath house type place in the southern part of tokyo. I think it's southern? We had to take a train to get there, in addition to the subway. It was awesome. But only limited areas are coed. I spent 6 hours there, soaking in different tubs and eating.
I didn't have time, but I was wanting to check out the kabuki theatre in ginza.
In Reppongi, there are a couple towers, where you can get a really awesome view of the city. One is significantly more expensive than the other, iirc. I went to the pricier one, and ate dinner at the restaurant up there, which has absurdly small portions and a cover just to get in. But the drinks were fun and yummy.