I'm Going To Japan

qilver wrote:
actually, McD's wasn't too bad, we didn't get the fries, so our lunch wasn't too bad. But mostly, i had the good japanese food while in Japan, if anything, fast food is just simply of convenience, but would rather grab some onigiri or other snacks/food at a convenience store in japan.

hey, qilver, given your love for japanese covenience stores i thought you might appreciate this webpage....enjoy

http://smt.blogs.com/trends_style_culture/2004/07/a_single_person.html

Tu_triky wrote:

i'm glad you liked it...i figure this forum is a great place to exchange information and i know in this thread and various others i've learned so much so i would return the favor in kind.... :good:

without sounding trite or hackneyed...it's nice to have an arena to interact without the incessant flaming and bullsh*t one finds on the internet....that shiet is so fuggin' lame most of the time....it's like what? you feel big, talkin' shiet behind a computer screen...ya feel me?

yeah, great website @Tu_Triky, good description on the underground food markets. next time i am back in tokyo, gotta go to a few more of those, would love to bring back some more of that good food from there.
yeah, good place here to exchange info on our favorite food, place, etc...all japan...

qilver wrote:
well, you can try a local travel agency, there i got my flight airfare, hotel accomodations and my JR passes, all in one place. Maybe it is a bit more, but much more convenient. Both trips i made to japan, i used a travel agency. The hotel rooms would've been cheaper, but had to stay in one place, that would have been not possible since i stayed in Narita the first night, Kyoto the second night, and Tokyo thereafter. The only exception was that i went online to book the Kyoto Budget ryokan inn, since the prices for the other kyoto hotels were higher at the agency.
if you can extend your trip, you should do it for a week total, make it 7 days if possible if you can fit it in your budget and time. Figuring the extra costs, i think it might be worth it, my friend and i stayed an extra day, and i just paid the difference, figuring how often do i go to japan.
As far as the other post with the airfare/travel info, i could not access the page info, just showed the title web page and no specific info on it...
good luck in your vacation planning to japan, you still have a lot of time do make them, i only had three weeks when i booked my travel arrangements to japan. :bonk:

How much does a JR Rail pass cost anyways?

Wont I lose a day by flying?

I don't think any hotels are in walking distant from the Airport right?

qilver wrote:
yeah, great website @Tu_Triky, good description on the underground food markets. next time i am back in tokyo, gotta go to a few more of those, would love to bring back some more of that good food from there.
yeah, good place here to exchange info on our favorite food, place, etc...all japan...

right on, man....i wish i could have brought back some more foodstuffs, too...i brought back a few things that i knew would "surive" but there's so much over there it's as you mentioned...

like being a kid in a candy store, you gotta choose...

Hey Quick question...

Do Asain's like to wear alot of rings or what?

haha my mom says I have a crush on the Chinese girl at the Chinese fast food place, she is cute I gotta say that.

:bonk:

SubaruWRX wrote:
I don't think any hotels are in walking distant from the Airport right?

word of advice...if you want to hit tokyo as soon as possible...and not waste time...you don't want to stay anywhere NEAR narita...it's hella far from tokyo and there's absolutely nothing to do there...try to get to your hotel as soon as possible to get yourself in the mix with a quickness...that's the one thing that sux about narita int'l airport...it's in the boondocks...

SubaruWRX wrote:

How much does a JR Rail pass cost anyways?

Wont I lose a day by flying?

I don't think any hotels are in walking distant from the Airport right?

JRPass cost me about $267 and the exchange rate, must've been around 105 yen = $1 something like that, anyhow, should be close to that if you are getting a rail pass, now keep in mind that the $267 exchange rail pass was for a 7 day pass, and it starts when you arrive and let them know when you wanted it to begin. They have 14 day and 21 day passes, but they cost more. Inquire at your local travel agency(preferably if you can find a japanese travel agency), if not, they i am sure they have websites that will tell you the nearest office that can help you on JR-passes and airfare/accomodations.
Yes, you will lose a day traveling, I left on a Saturday around 3pm, arrived close to 11 hrs later, about 2am Californian time, that was about 5pm the next day(Sunday) in Narita, Japan.
Well, if you are landing in Narita, as most international flights do, you can chose a hotel, i recommend the Excel Narita hotel, not a bad price and it is quite nice, they have shuttle buses that leave every so often from the airport area, just look for the signs from the ground level or ask the information desk, they can point you out to the shuttles for the hotel. Shuttle service is free to the hotels and back.

and I heard the Taxis are alot of \\\\\\

qilver wrote:
JRPass cost me about $267 and the exchange rate, must've been around 105 yen = $1 something like that, anyhow, should be close to that if you are getting a rail pass, now keep in mind that the $267 exchange rail pass was for a 7 day pass, and it starts when you arrive and let them know when you wanted it to begin. They have 14 day and 21 day passes, but they cost more. Inquire at your local travel agency(preferably if you can find a japanese travel agency), if not, they i am sure they have websites that will tell you the nearest office that can help you on JR-passes and airfare/accomodations.
Yes, you will lose a day traveling, I left on a Saturday around 3pm, arrived close to 11 hrs later, about 2am Californian time, that was about 5pm the next day(Sunday) in Narita, Japan.
Well, if you are landing in Narita, as most international flights do, you can chose a hotel, i recommend the Excel Narita hotel, not a bad price and it is quite nice, they have shuttle buses that leave every so often from the airport area, just look for the signs from the ground level or ask the information desk, they can point you out to the shuttles for the hotel. Shuttle service is free to the hotels and back.

heh I gotta save this before I forget!

So better off then leaving on a Sat.

Is there any limits on how many times you can use the rail pass?

SubaruWRX wrote:and I heard the Taxis are alot of \\\\\\

oh YEAH...that taxi's there are a grip...the only time we took that ish was when the trains stopped running and we were pretty intoxicated and it was too far to walk back to the hotel....if my recollection serves me right it was very expensive....if ur not splitting that cab fare with anyone, it's better not to have to rely on it as a means of transportation because it really is overpriced.

Tu_triky wrote:

word of advice...if you want to hit tokyo as soon as possible...and not waste time...you don't want to stay anywhere NEAR narita...it's hella far from tokyo and there's absolutely nothing to do there...try to get to your hotel as soon as possible to get yourself in the mix with a quickness...that's the one thing that sux about narita int'l airport...it's in the boondocks...

Yeah, Tu_Triky, got a good point there. I was debating on whether or not to go to Tokyo late, and try to get a hotel somewhere in Shinjuku, or close by, but opt'd for Narita, since i figured i would be tired. Next time, I think i will just take the JRX train to Shinagawa or Shinjuku and stay in one of the hotels there and check in later, like maybe 10pm or so, then i don't have to deal with the traveling in between. Yeah, it is about a 1hr 15 min limobus(not a limo, just a nice word for comfortable nice bus with A/C. and it is about 3,000 yen or $30 each way, or you can take the JR-X, which is a bit faster and it cost me nothing to use it, using the JR-Pass. Keep in mind you have to exchange the voucher that you paid for and rec'd initially while in the USA, then exchange it for the JR pass at the Narita airport. :bonk:

Well I guess I would need to take a shuttle if I don't get lost before then lol.

Tu_triky wrote:

oh YEAH...that taxi's there are a grip...the only time we took that ish was when the trains stopped running and we were pretty intoxicated and it was too far to walk back to the hotel....if my recollection serves me right it was very expensive....if ur not splitting that cab fare with anyone, it's better not to have to rely on it as a means of transportation because it really is overpriced.

or i was thinking that in my next trip to japan, just fly into Osaka, and visit kyoto for a week(ideally), then take it to Nagoya, and check it out for awhile, and Nikko, then spend a week or more in Tokyo alone. I know what areas to visit and spend more time, maybe skip out on Asakusa, Imperial Palace, and maybe Ginza, and focus more on Akihabara, and Nakano, Shinjuku, Shibuya, and definitely Roponggi area. Or i can just move there and live there for awhile.
yeah the taxi's are a lot. My friend and i had to take it a few times, once in Kyoto, cause we were walking for a mile after visiting the Nijo Castle area, and could'nt figure out the frickin' bus stops and routes, so we opt'd for a taxi to simplify things, and we split the costs, wasn't too bad. Then on the way back from Shinjuku at night to Shinagawa, the last stop was at Osaki, the very next stop was our stop in Shinagawa, so it is like 11pm and we are walking around, and thought, let's just take a taxi, and not deal with the confusing bus' that may never come around, $11 to Shinagawa hotel, oh well, just had to take the taxi. :bonk:

qilver wrote:
Yeah, it is about a 1hr 15 min limobus(not a limo, just a nice word for comfortable nice bus with A/C.

that is SAGE advice....my boy and i took the limo bus BUT we arrived in tokyo on a friday around 5pm...we took the limo bus so as not to worry about porting our luggage on the train...but we suffered..in that we TOOK friekin' forever to arrive at our hotel which was in Roppongi Hills because our plane arrive at a really congested hour of rush hour traffic...f*ck it took us more than TWO FUGGIN HOURS by limo bus to arrive in Roppongi....despite how friekin' tired we were we stayed up all night partyin' in shibuya becase we didn't want to sleep a whole day to adjust to the jet lag...we figured we'd just drink our way thru it....but if you can don't make ur self suffer thru such...

SubaruWRX wrote:

heh I gotta save this before I forget!

So better off then leaving on a Sat.

Is there any limits on how many times you can use the rail pass?

unlimited usage of the JR-Pass, depending on which one you get 7, 14, or 21 day pass, I got the 7 day one at $267, but you have to buy it here first, then exchange the voucher for a JRpass at the Narita airport.
keep in mind, the JRpass works on the JR-rail system, and Shinkasen(i thing it doesn't work for the Nozima line which has the least stops)look in your travel book for more info on that. But the JRpass works on all other JR-trains, Shinkasens, BUT not on the subways. Found that out when i was going to Roponggi, but stay on the Yamanote line the most, it goes to the major cities in tokyo, and you will use it a lot. I am sure you will get use to the train map, by the time you are ready to go home from your trip.

Tu_triky wrote:

that is SAGE advice....my boy and i took the limo bus BUT we arrived in tokyo on a friday around 5pm...we took the limo bus so as not to worry about porting our luggage on the train...but we suffered..in that we TOOK friekin' forever to arrive at our hotel which was in Roppongi Hills because our plane arrive at a really congested hour of rush hour traffic...f*ck it took us more than TWO FUGGIN HOURS by limo bus to arrive in Roppongi....despite how friekin' tired we were we stayed up all night partyin' in shibuya becase we didn't want to sleep a whole day to adjust to the jet lag...we figured we'd just drink our way thru it....but if you can don't make ur self suffer thru such...

lol My body is already on Japanese time.. every since that day I forgot to set my time back.

I just want to enjoy myself without having to worry so much about How i'm going to get from A to B.

Tu_triky wrote:

that is SAGE advice....my boy and i took the limo bus BUT we arrived in tokyo on a friday around 5pm...we took the limo bus so as not to worry about porting our luggage on the train...but we suffered..in that we TOOK friekin' forever to arrive at our hotel which was in Roppongi Hills because our plane arrive at a really congested hour of rush hour traffic...f*ck it took us more than TWO FUGGIN HOURS by limo bus to arrive in Roppongi....despite how friekin' tired we were we stayed up all night partyin' in shibuya becase we didn't want to sleep a whole day to adjust to the jet lag...we figured we'd just drink our way thru it....but if you can don't make ur self suffer thru such...

yeah, the only thing with JR-X train, you don't want to probably take it going back, cause all the bags and luggages, the drawback of the limo bus, the traffic, although i didn't encounter that on both trips going back to narita airport from the hotels.
yeah that's the way, stay up and parttttyyyy. Roponggi hills, sounds happen' meet any nice j-girls on your trip? I stayed in Shinagawa, Tokyo both times, nice because, the hotel was directly across the street from the station, and the station is a major stop, the JR-X stopped there from Narita, an 1hr 10 min or so, no traffic since it is the train. But next time, maybe Ropponggi, or shibuya, something like that, then can bar hop without worry about the trains and long distance to the hotels.

SubaruWRX wrote:

lol My body is already on Japanese time.. every since that day I forgot to set my time back.

I just want to enjoy myself without having to worry so much about How i'm going to get from A to B.

well, four days is not enough, i am talking, not including air travel, ie: leave sat, arrive sun late afternoon, start out Monday(1st real day in japan), means Thurs is your 4th full day there, and you leave Friday late afternoon, really your trip is 4 1/2 days, and you gotta keep in mind, Friday you are leaving from your hotel, well for me it was Shinagawa, my flight was 5:20pm, i left the airport around 1pm, to get there around 2:30pm, which gave me a good three hours before my flight.
So if you are going to leave Sat, and stay until Fri, really you are staying 4 1/2 days in Tokyo. Pick out some areas to check out while in Tokyo, when is the main parts of interests? Temples, Gardens, Shopping? J-girl watching...? :naughty: :google: , you get the point.
your body is on Japanese standard time? huh? you set your watch to the time in Tokyo? hmmm, think they are 16hrs ahead of PST-westcoast.

qilver wrote:
yeah that's the way, stay up and parttttyyyy. Roponggi hills, sounds happen' meet any nice j-girls on your trip? . But next time, maybe Ropponggi, or shibuya, something like that, then can bar hop without worry about the trains and long distance to the hotels.

well my hommie and i stayed in roppongi hills for several days at the Grand Hyatt...we met this one girl who worked in roppongi hills, as a tour guide....we asked her to have a drink with us, after she got off work...she was cool in that she obliged us and spoke really good english....she used to live in irvine! i still keep in touch with her today...she's hella cool.

^

I hope something like that happens to me :woot: