Visiting Japan, need suggestions/help

[Gunnar]

Well, Im leaving for Japan next week, and I need some advice/suggestions:

1. How do I get from Tokyo Narita to Tokyo cheaply? Can I find a hotel in Tokyo? Should I sleep in a capsule?

2. I heard money might be a problem in japan. Should I bring 1000 dollars converted to yen in my pocket? I have an american express card.

3. Im going to be by myself for the first two days, probably in tokyo, what should I do?

4. Must see sites?

5. Do I need shots before I go?

6. Seriously, should I carry around a wad of cash?

Thanks, Im sure a billion people here have gone there without incident, I hope I do the same...

 

[sillymofo]

You don't need wad of cash, there are ATMs that would give you Yen (at bank's converted rates).

EDIT: Oh.. I don't know if you're into scenery, but board a bullet train to Kyoto, some of the most wonderful sceneries to be seen. And it's almost spring.

 

[HeroOfPellinor]

I've got your picture
Of me and you
You wrote "I love you"
I love you too
I sit there staring and there's nothing else to do

Oh it's in color
Your hair is brown
Your eyes are hazel
And soft as clouds
I often kiss you when there's no one else around

I've got your picture, I've got your picture
I'd like a million of you over myself
I asked the doctor to take your picture
So I can look at you from inside as well
You've got me turning up and turning down and turning in and
turning 'round

 

[SaigonK]

And a hoorah! for the first person to come out with the "Turning Japanese" tune.

 

[stinkycheese]

Must see Mt. Fuji. Everyone should climb it once, only a fool does it twice.

 

[StageLeft]

Wow talk about leaving things to the last minute? I'm going to my older brother's wedding there next week.

 

[Shortcut]

1. IIRC, you can take the Keisei limited express from Narita airport to Tokyo for 1000 yen. You should prolly make reservations for a hotel in advance.

2 and 6. Don't convert dollars to yen...if you can avoid it (it'll save you the hefty service fees). First of all, make sure your ATM card has the Plus logo (Cirrus logo too?). Then, call up your bank and let them know you're gonna be using your ATM card in Tokyo.

You can use the ATMs at Narita airport to get local currency. The ATMs there have English menus. The post offices and Citibanks in Tokyo are also places where you can find ATMs. It's a good idea to find out where these places are, in relation to the destinations on your itinerary.

AmEx isn't widely accepted in Tokyo at all. In fact, cash is king in Tokyo - a lot of the neighborhood restaurants and stores don't accept credit cards. (Big department stores will accept most plastic...except for AmEx).

Get a travel book for Tokyo (I used Lonely Planet). It'll be a useful tool for learning how to do basic stuff in Tokyo (e.g. how to _not_ get totally confused with their railway system).

 

[dullard]

I just got back myself from my first trip to Japan about 2 weeks ago (Osaka, Kyoto, Katada region). I wasn't in Tokyo so I cannot answer most of your questions. Japan has one of the lowest crime rates in the world - I wouldn't worry about theft of a large wad of cash. However, I feel the cheapest way is often just to use an ATM once you reach Japan. You'll usually get the lowest transaction fee ($0 if you have the right ATM or ~$1 to $2 for a foreign ATM) and the best exchange rate that way (well the only better exchange rate is with a CC, but CC use in Japan is spotty). No you do not need shots.

My biggest difficulty was language. Far fewer people speak English there than I would have thought. Luckilly I had people who lived there for guides. There were a few strange customs as well that I wasn't prepared for (such as having to check in my hotel key each morning - without a guide I wouldn't have been able to understand hotel staff). But that may have just been a policy of the hotel I stayed in.

The public transportation can be very confusing. Frequently you might get on the correct train, but it'll split during your trip. So if you are on the wrong car of the train, you might end up in the wrong location. The train stations had nothing in English either. So get lots of help from the information desk.

 

[Ameesh]

take travellers checks and only change some of it at a time, you dont want to get robbed with a g in your pocket.

 

[darktubbly]

You might want to check out this page. Have a good trip!

 

[AlienCraft]

Your cash problem is a non existant worry. There are ATM's and your AmEx card will get you through without the userous commissions charged by money changers.
Busses run regularly, as do trains from Narita.
If it were me, and I were spending your money :evil: , I would go into the Roppongi area, stay at the ANA hotel, There's a Subway across the mezzanine entrance and a Johnny Rocker's down the street. There is much to see in the area, it's a short train ride to Akihabara, the electronics shopping area. Go see The Meji Palace, Leave some yen at the shrines, write a "good luck note* " for all of us here ...... * I freaking forgot what those are called just as I started to write this.....
Also, take a bullet train to Osaka or Kyoto and go see some of those Castles..... Then , you can come back to the US and when ever anyone says "Freeways suck, we need something else", you can speak with authority from experience on the pleasures of high speed rail travel.
Should be kind of chilly there still, have fun, listen to the man with the pinky missing.....:Q
Wish I was going there on tour this year......

 

[larciel]

don't allow strange girls to suck any part of your body..

seriouly, my friend got red dots on his 'private meat' after doing some 'mouth wash' in japan.

...

and you don't need alot of cash, depends on how long you're going to stay, you need around 5000-7000 yen for one day, (if you're going to live in a hotel.. add about 8000-10000 yen/day :Q

places i recommend in Tokyo

1. ikebukuro. (IWGP).
2. shinjuku (bits of everything in one place)
3. shibuya (have you seen tall buildings with big screens on it?. you'll see some here)
4. ueno kouen (it's a park.. but there's small shops around you might want to take a look at)
5. harajuku (youngsters)
6. akihabara (gadgets are EVERYWHERE!)
7. tokyo university

if you have a chance, you might want to go to 'odaiba' and go to the 'Sega World' .. it's a big amusement park.. (but don't eat at the hamburger shop on 4th floor..

i heard Yokohama is fun place to go.. i didn't go there.

and if you're white/blond/blue eye... alot of girls will stare at you with their mouths open... i don't know if they're different now, but it was like that i went there 4 years ago.

but most importantly. have fun

 

[StageLeft]

and if you're white/blond/blue eye... alot of girls will stare at you with their mouths open... i don't know if they're different now, but it was like that i went there 4 years ago.

It's still like that from what I hear. It's seemingly quite easy for a white guy to get laid there.

 

[MaxDepth]

Cna yous speak Japanese? I got a job posting that either brings you to Japan or allows you to work at home and travel there occasionally. (tech writing. PM me if you want the details.)


But back to the OP, climb Mt Fuji?

 

[Sid59]

not a master of pre-planning? never been to japan but if all goes well, im going to the Osaka, / Kyoto region in a year or so,

have fun! bring back pictures!

 

[StageLeft]

Speaking of pictures I need an xD mem card for my camera when I go to Japan. How much cheaper will it be there? I will not have much time for shopping, but if it would be easy to come by I could benefit from such a purchase there.

 

[Shortcut]

You should prolly get another card here before the trip. Digicam memory is commonplace there, too...but it's more expensive than here (e.g. Costco)

 

[xospec1alk]

theres the narita express from tokyo to narita, its like 40 bucks iirc, but its quick. its half that price if you take the regular train i forget which one it is.

money mire be a problem. i noticed a lot of atms would not take any of my cards, MC, Visa, and Amex even the cards w/ the cirrus logo. there is a citibank in shibuya that saved my life. its located between the two tokyu hands stores in shibuya. definetley bring some cash if you can...

hang out in shibuya, or roppongi where the nitelife is. if you liked the ghibli anime, you can visit the ghibli museum, but you need to get advanced tickets.

and i would DEFINETELY bring cash.

 

[Shortcut]

(Double post deleted)

 

[Ogg]

Originally posted by: Skoorb

and if you're white/blond/blue eye... alot of girls will stare at you with their mouths open... i don't know if they're different now, but it was like that i went there 4 years ago.

It's still like that from what I hear. It's seemingly quite easy for a white guy to get laid there.

I guess youre gonna have a really really good time there then huh.........:evil:











sorry Mrs. Skoorb

 

[vegetation]

I'd take sufficient cash and not rely on the ATMs there. Even though there may be an english interface, many ATMs don't accept cards from outside Japan, and they close down for the night after certain hours (not a 24 hour thing). If you aren't familiar with the area it could be a major waste of travel time just trying to find an ATM to service you.

 

[Aquaman]

Go to "soapland"

that is all

Cheers,
Aquaman

 

[fs5]

1) promote whiskey and get paid bank
2) meet a wife of a photographer that wants to have a good time
3) watch the rest of the movie and find out what happens.

 

[alkemyst]

I'd find out the details from whoever you'll be with overseas. Some of the stuff mentioned about is sort of true but mostly the 'gaijin' interpretation of everything.

As many white guys that go over there and do well, there is an equal or higher amount that do terrible. Also many of the 'women' these guys are getting are the older chicks (they look young to americans) that japanese men don't want to deal with (at 30 women are sort of 'washed' up....sort of like here but much more critical)

Just a little worried you didn't even know want the traveling requirements (shots) were....I'd get at least a pocket 'lonely planet' guide (usually barnes and nobles have them)...crime is non-existant really...but it still occassionally happens, ATMs should be fine 90% of the time....some are indeed not 24 hours....don't be alarmed when you see people bowing to them though, they bow back

Good luck...I am debating whether to move there or not. My wife is japanese.

Å

 

[Ranger X]

These are all very good advice. I have plans to go mid-April to Tokyo for a week myself. Not sure what the hype is but you can try the Tsukiji Fish Market early in the morning. Bring back pictures and keep us updated as I'm interested in all the places I can go while over there.