I'm Going To Japan

I'm not going to Japan, but my niece is in four days.. For about a week.

Hope she doesn't go crazy shopping in Roppongi. :sweat:

bmwracer wrote:I'm not going to Japan, but my niece is in four days.. For about a week.

Hope she doesn't go crazy shopping in Roppongi. :sweat:

Is this your niece who travels a lot? Lucky her! She must be going for work tho if she's only going for a week, eh? Is this her first time?

Wynter wrote:Is this your niece who travels a lot?

She's my only niece... But she hasn't traveled that much.

My cousin, whom I'm having lunch with today, is the real world traveler... :sweat:

She must be going for work tho if she's only going for a week, eh?

Nope... Strictly pleasure: she has a friend whose parents have a home in Roppongi... Essentially free room and board for her. :victory:

qilver wrote:

ah, thanks for the info.
i am planning on staying in Shinagawa Prince Hotel again, but at $130 a night or, i am hoping in can split the time duration of my trip and offset some of the costs of accomodation while out and about in Tokyo and beyond.
its bad enough that we are getting bit in the arse with a terrible weak dollar to the yen.

Q, you might as well move to Japan considering how often you travel there... :sweat: Terrible exchange rate aside, airfares to Japan should be lower now with the drop in oil prices. The fuel surcharges should be lower early next year (still significant, but lower).

bmwracer wrote:
Nope... Strictly pleasure: she has a friend whose parents have a home in Roppongi... Essentially free room and board for her. :victory:

Ahhhh I must have gotten the two mixed up!

SUGOI! Free rooming?! It's accommodation that sucks the wallet when traveling. Lucky girl!

Wynter wrote:Ahhhh I must have gotten the two mixed up!

SUGOI! Free rooming?! It's accommodation that sucks the wallet when traveling. Lucky girl!

She is that. :victory:

That'd be great if Qilver and Wynter could visit Japan together.

I know some other people from different parts of the world that hook up once or twice a year in Japan to have fun together.

Hanzo21 wrote:That'd be great if Qilver and Wynter could visit Japan together.

I know some other people from different parts of the world that hook up once or twice a year in Japan to have fun together.

airfare/hotel for first 3 nights is booked, I am set for early March. :applaud:

I plan on staying again at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel, the price isn't bad, but i am not sure if i would want to pay $130/night, total price per night at that rate everywhere. I am hoping i can find other hotels, where i stay at around half that price, for some of the nights in Japan. I will look into some other places, and Dochira's accomodation suggestions.

I am open to staying in Osaka, Hiroshima, even a night in Fukuoka. The majority of my stay will be around Shinagawa, Tokyo. I thought of Sendai area, but i'd first travel westward towards Kansei area.

anyone know of some affordable, business-type hotels price ranging 6000 to 8000 yen per night? i am open to other cities, cause i know Tokyo and Kyoto can be more expensive. I am thinking of Osaka, Kobe, Nagoya, Hiroshima areas. I haven't even thought of a night around Sendai, perhaps.

@wynter,

when are you going to Japan, will you only be in Tokyo area?
i suggest you look into visiting Kyoto as well, it is worth the visit.
let me know if you got any questions, i will be frequenting this forum more now.

qilver wrote:@wynter,

when are you going to Japan, will you only be in Tokyo area?
i suggest you look into visiting Kyoto as well, it is worth the visit.
let me know if you got any questions, i will be frequenting this forum more now.

I'll be in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hakone if I can swing it. I'm there in the second week of March. :woot:

Wynter wrote:I'll be in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hakone if I can swing it. I'm there in the second week of March. :woot:

You and Q can pal around in Japan.... :beaten:

bmwracer wrote:You and Q can pal around in Japan.... :beaten:

we should all just go to japan at the same time and chill out together :woot:

judochick wrote:we should all just go to japan at the same time and chill out together :woot:

A J-Dorama junket to Japan? :victory:

bmwracer wrote:
You and Q can pal around in Japan.... :beaten:

Erm... I have the impression that our "tastes" in "tourist attractions" won't match. Besides, he wrote before that he's done the touring thing, and now just visits what he wants to see. I'm going for the first time. I really DO want to do the touristy thing and visit the temples and shines and historical locations.

judochick wrote:
we should all just go to japan at the same time and chill out together :woot:

OMG CAN WE?! I have this summer off!

bmwracer wrote:A J-Dorama junket to Japan? :victory:

exactly!!! that'll be killer :mrgreen:

Wynter wrote:
Erm... I have the impression that our "tastes" in "tourist attractions" won't match. Besides, he wrote before that he's done the touring thing, and now just visits what he wants to see. I'm going for the first time. I really DO want to do the touristy thing and visit the temples and shines and historical locations.

i booked my flight, and i will be there the second week in March as well. I plan on staying a few days in Tokyo, and thereafter traveling to other cities in Japan, most likely towards Hiroshima. If you want, we could meet up while in Tokyo, i intend to stay there most of my trip which is just over 2 weeks. I know of some good places to visit, such as

Tokyo:
-Asakusa Sensoji Temple (#1 Tourist place to visit in Tokyo)
-Takeshita Street (a nice area to visit/shop to see the latest fashions, etc in Harajuku)
-Shibuya 109 (in Shibuya accross the street from the Shibuya station, also here is the HMV music store i recommend checking out, and not forgetting the Tokyuu Hands store, levels of merchandise worth checking out.
-Sunshine City (a shopping area, eateries, etc worth checking out, i saw this last time, but not too much since i had limited time, located in Ikebukuro, Tokyo).
and this is just Tokyo area, i haven't even began to talk about Kyoto, which is a must-see/visit.

Kyoto:
-ginkakuji temple(Golden Pavillion) i saw this three times, and i might go see it again, its that amazing!!
-Kyomizu dera temple, truly breathtaking, and you cannot miss seeing this one, what a view! The little shops going up the to the temple is worth stopping in and browsing, souvenirs and food. I have photos of this in my japan blog.
-Arashiyama district, now this is where the bamboo green forest is located, think thousands of towering bamboo, it is so mysterious, and asian.
-Fusihi Inari Taisha, think Memoirs of a Geisha where the girl was running thru the red torii gates, this is the exact place, and i have been there twice. I think this is a nice place to see if you have time.
-Ryo anji rock garden, this place is a short taxi-cab(i was lazy to take the bus, and wanted to get there fast, and didn't mind paying the yen) this rock garden is nice, and seen in postcards. It is closeby the golden pavillion, well according to the map.
-Higashiyama distict(downtown Kyoto), i stayed nearby here my first night, during my last trip. This place is nice to see, and March should be ok to see during the night-time hours, and it is lit, but i'd ask around, because in March they had the lighted latern tour during the 3rd week of March, last year, not sure this year. Also, if you want a good to decent chance at seeing a geisha/maiko walking around, here is the place. I saw a few, and even took a photo with them last visit. I love the architeture and surrounding areas in the Higashiyama district, i get my Japanese ideas/influence from Kyoto.

judochick wrote:
we should all just go to japan at the same time and chill out together :woot:

I will be in Tokyo early on, after i arrive, then venturing to other parts in Japan, and then coming back to Tokyo for a week. Tokyo for a week, is barely enough to get in, it is that huge.

Where are you going to be at in Japan?

I tend to stick to the Yamanote line, green, while in Tokyo. :bonk:

qilver wrote:

I will be in Tokyo early on, after i arrive, then venturing to other parts in Japan, and then coming back to Tokyo for a week. Tokyo for a week, is barely enough to get in, it is that huge.

Where are you going to be at in Japan?

I tend to stick to the Yamanote line, green, while in Tokyo. :bonk:

i hope your taking alot of pictures!

Wynter wrote:

I'll be in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Hakone if I can swing it. I'm there in the second week of March. :woot:

that sounds great. in umeda, osaka there is a little eatery called kanda and they do the best oyako donburi. worth visiting osaka just for that.

You should swing by Dotonbori for food. It's the street with the huge crab on one of the buildings.