I'm Going To Japan

[niko2x]

Tu_triky wrote:

you might want to PM, kenjilina, a user on this message board...he's from the United Kingdom as well and will be departing for Japan next month I believe...he might be able to give you some realistic and useful information regarding your question.

whereas us non-brits will just fill this place up with mindless chatter, right, Tu?
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[qilver]

niko2x wrote:

whereas us non-brits will just fill this place up with mindless chatter, right, Tu?

mostly...yes.

[Tu_triky]

niko2x wrote:

whereas us non-brits will just fill this place up with mindless chatter, right, Tu?

i only speak for myself...haha...nah i just thought since somebody from the same area might have more relevant advice because they use the same currency so foreign exchange issues wouldn't be implicated as much by somebody from the states given the same advice.

[tabana]

Tu_triky wrote:

...if you watch the Tokyo Revealed documentary, which i believe you have, it says that during rush hour, at Shinjuku Station, a train arrives every minute or something crazy like that?!?!

Every minute... wow. I watched it, but I guess I missed that part. I knew they were always on time, but if they have a train every minute they must be on time. If not, they're going to crash into one another.
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[Tu_triky]

tabana wrote:

Every minute... wow. I watched it, but I guess I missed that part. I knew they were always on time, but if they have a train every minute they must be on time. If not, they're going to crash into one another.

i was close



Shinjuku is the busiest railway station in the world, with something like a million and a half commuters scurrying through it every day. The Chuo and Yamanote lines (the two busiest in Japan), the Keio, Odakyu, Saikyo, and Sobu lines (no slouches themselves), and the Marunouchi and Toei subway lines all feed into Shinjuku Station, which also manages to accommodate four built-in department stores.

As a good third of the day's people-moving activity takes place between 7:45 and 8:30 in the morning, to be in attendance then is to witness an astounding exercise in social organization.

The platform between Tracks 9 and 10 is the best vantage point. Looking up at the schedule which hangs over the platform, you will note that between 8 and 9 pm, 22 Sobu line trains are scheduled to arrive on Track 9, while Yamanote line trains arrive so frequently on Track 10 that the times aren't even listed - the schedule notes there will be a train every two to five minutes throughout the day. In fact, during rush hour, a ten-car train carrying upwards of three thousand people pulls into Track 10 every 90 seconds.

[tabana]

Ouch. That's a lot of people...

By looking at the rush hour pictures, I wouldn't want to be in one of those trains. I took the bus and subway for a few years to goto school and work, but it wasn't pack that much. It might even be considered roomy compared to rush hour in Tokyo.
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[Tu_triky]

tabana wrote:

Ouch. That's a lot of people... By looking at the rush hour pictures, I wouldn't want to be in one of those trains. I took the bus and subway for a few years to goto school and work, but it wasn't pack that much. It might even be considered roomy compared to rush hour in Tokyo.

i mentioned here a loooong time ago...this girl we met in tokyo told us her friend's father actually broke a rib from being crushed so much while riding the train coming out of shinjuku during rush hour.


dude, rush hour...if you are walking in and out of shinjuku, you better be walking the same direction as everybody else or you can f*ckin' forget it! you cannot possibly walk against that tide of humanity.

[tabana]

Broke a rib... ouch. You have to prepare to get out of the train 5 stations before yours to try to reach the door.

I never thought about it, but you're right. To walk against all these people is near to impossible. I think I'd prefer Pamplona Bull Run.
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[Tu_triky]

tabana wrote:

Broke a rib... ouch. You have to prepare to get out of the train 5 stations before yours to try to reach the door. I never thought about it, but you're right. To walk against all these people is near to impossible. I think I'd prefer Pamplona Bull Run.

you might reach the door...it's the perils that lie beyond that strike fear in the hearts of men.

yeah pamplona seems like a suitable alternative.

[qilver]

Tu_triky wrote:

i mentioned here a loooong time ago...this girl we met in tokyo told us her friend's father actually broke a rib from being crushed so much while riding the train coming out of shinjuku during rush hour. dude, rush hour...if you are walking in and out of shinjuku, you better be walking the same direction as everybody else or you can f*ckin' forget it! you cannot possibly walk against that tide of humanity.

that's insane yo....
the tide of the Shinjuku rush....

[Tu_triky]

qilver wrote:

that's insane yo.... the tide of the Shinjuku rush....

i never experienced it in its full insanity but we came pretty close...because staying at the park hyatt shinjuku, shinjuku station is the closest jump off point for the subway system. waves and waves of ppl...it's pretty nutty.

[qilver]

Tu_triky wrote:

i never experienced it in its full insanity but we came pretty close...because staying at the park hyatt shinjuku, shinjuku station is the closest jump off point for the subway system. waves and waves of ppl...it's pretty nutty.

yea, park hyatt, about a 10 min taxi ride from the station, or a 30 min or more walk...

[Tu_triky]

qilver wrote:

yea, park hyatt, about a 10 min taxi ride from the station, or a 30 min or more walk...

it wasn't that far...but at around 15 mins...it was bit annoying especially if you're tired from walking around all day.

[Tu_triky]

i thought this was amusing, must be comparing things to the States.

excerpt from Article re: Nelly's recent concert tour in Japan:


Nelly's consideration from fans won him all kinds of admirers.

"He was really great with the Japanese fans that came up to him and asked for autographs or photos. Really down to earth," said Rick Hayes, of Future Security Productions. Hayes said Nelly marveled at the organized manner in which Japanese did things.

"They don't have a lot of chaos over here. I could definitely live here," the star said

[qilver]

Tu_triky wrote:

i thought this was amusing, must be comparing things to the States. excerpt from Article re: Nelly's recent concert tour in Japan: Nelly's consideration from fans won him all kinds of admirers. "He was really great with the Japanese fans that came up to him and asked for autographs or photos. Really down to earth," said Rick Hayes, of Future Security Productions. Hayes said Nelly marveled at the organized manner in which Japanese did things. "They don't have a lot of chaos over here. I could definitely live here," the star said

no chao's? compared to what?

[qilver]

Tu_triky wrote:

it wasn't that far...but at around 15 mins...it was bit annoying especially if you're tired from walking around all day.

yeah, my friend and i kept thinking, oh we can walk it, it is just over there,
we underestimated the location, and probably should have taken the taxi, instead of walking the 50min, i think it took that long...anyways, we were tired and it was the evening after walking most of the day. But when we finally found Hyatt, it was amazing to see it from the 41st floor of the city views.

[Tu_triky]

qilver wrote:

yeah, my friend and i kept thinking, oh we can walk it, it is just over there, we underestimated the location, and probably should have taken the taxi, instead of walking the 50min, i think it took that long...anyways, we were tired and it was the evening after walking most of the day. But when we finally found Hyatt, it was amazing to see it from the 41st floor of the city views.

no offense, brother, but 50 mins...it shouldn't have taken that long! perhaps you were walking to the Hotel from a different subway station...it's only about 15 minutes...i even looked it up to make sure my memory serves me right (read the yellow bold faced type below)

in any case the view is breathtaking.

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http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20031108.SLEEPOVER/TPStory/Travel

PARK HYATT TOKYO
JANET FORMAN

Special to The Globe and Mail

TOKYO -- Only a few hotels in the world have an ambiance so powerful that it can provide the entire mise-en-scene for a film. There's the brooding spa that sparked Last Year at Marienbad, the embodiment of Berlin's Golden Age in Grand Hotel, and the kitschy Borscht Belt resort that set the stage for Dirty Dancing.

And now there's the sleek citadel that provides the protective membrane against culture shock in the current hit Lost in Translation: the Park Hyatt Tokyo.

And while Marienbad's Mittle Europe, Grand Hotel's decadent 1930s Berlin and Dirty Dancing's mid-century America can be visited only on video, the Park Hyatt's place in 21st-century Japan can be experienced by anyone willing to pay the price.

Although its prices are steep, the Park Hyatt cossets clients in a singular manner. Instead of arriving at a check-in desk, guests are escorted directly to a cloud-piercing aerie by a phalanx of concierges and bell "people" (since some are female).

In one of the most densely populated cities on the planet, the Park Hyatt's 50-square-metre rooms feel like expansive lofts.

Location

The Park Hyatt's only drawback is its location, a 15-minute walk to Shinjuku Station, although a shuttle bus does run every 20 minutes. Once there, however, access to all parts of the city (indeed to all parts of the country) is simple, as Shinjuku is the busiest rail and subway hub in Japan.


Ambiance

The hotel is so tall that the city feels both immediate and remote. Peering through the glass walls on its upper floors is a thrill akin to skydiving.

Design

Kenzo Tange, considered the father of Japanese architecture for rebuilding Hiroshima after it was devastated by the atom bomb, has created three granite and glass towers of different heights to maximize the spectacular views of Tokyo, the Kanto Plain and Mount Fuji. Their slender design minimizes the building's impact on the surrounding area and reduces the shadows cast onto the neighbouring park.

Hong Kong-based American designer John Morford has injected a splash of levity into an austere palate of greens, browns and greys, with panels of colourful cartoon art. He also respects the Japanese attention to detail with touches such as elevator lights that brighten as the car rises to the hotel tower.

Rooms

The casual layout, in which amenities are tucked away as they would be in a home, makes the accommodations feel residential: Open a dressing-room drawer and you'll find the traditional cotton robe known as a yukata; the coffee-making tray, generously supplied with freshly ground beans and a range of herbal and black teas, is in the back of a cabinet.

In a moment of repose, you can browse a row of lavish books culled from the hotel's 2,000-volume library.

While many Japanese hotels have expansive bathing areas to accommodate their clients' affinity for long, meditative soaks, the Park Hyatt enhances those baths with deep marble and granite tubs, 15-inch plasma-screen TVs (in addition to the 37-inch TV in the bedroom) and a toilet with enough automation to warrant its own keypad.

There are also such thoughtful amenities as fabric ties to keep tresses above the water line and Australian-made Aesop botanical products that release a field's worth of aromas.

A day or two into your stay, you may discover a velvet bag filled with tiny vials of costly Dermascience Facial cleansing foam and night lotion.

Service

Pass through the lobby with a puzzled look on your face and a concierge will beckon you over to discuss your day. No query is too mundane -- Park Hyatt employees know as much about Japan's simple pleasures as they do about its high-end indulgences. They are happy to demystify the subway system and know just where to find the best noodle shop. If necessary, they'll even supply a note in Japanese that reads: "I want a bowl of noodles."

Food and drink

At the New York Grille, even the tables held aside for hotel guests are at a premium since the restaurant is booked weeks ahead by locals, who appreciate it as much for its arresting views as for its superior ingredients. Luxury dishes include Maezawa beef and Yonezawa beef -- cuts even more prized than the famous Kobe beef -- and sugary kochi tomatoes served with tender Buffalo mozzarella.

The two-storey Japanese restaurant Kozue serves innovative Japanese cuisine in a rustic fashion: on earthenware, lacquerware and porcelain created by noted craftsmen from all over Japan.

A dramatic 144-panel photographic montage of European café life lines the walls at the hotel's French Brasserie, Girandole. As in many Asian hotels, the breakfast buffet here offers salad, including a platter of those sweet kochi tomatoes, with salt.

The Peak Lounge -- a bamboo garden bathed in natural light during the day and lit by more than 50 washi paper lanterns at night -- serves fresh homemade pastries during English-style afternoon tea.

And in a scene straight out of Lost in Translation, there's live jazz Monday through Saturday nights at the New York Bar.

Clientele

The Park Hyatt's envelope of privacy and breathtaking rates creates a suitable atmosphere for heads of state, titans of industry and the occasional rock star.

Things to do

The closest entertainment is the Tokyo Opera City Block, which includes three performance spaces at the New National Theatre, three concert halls at the Opera City Building, and the renowned Nambata Art Gallery.

Near the station, the 14-storey Takashimaya Times Square -- an enormous luxury retail complex -- is a window on Japanese leisure pursuits, housing the Takashimaya department store and the Sega Amusement and Theme Park called Joypolis.

Take a cue from Bill Murray in Lost in Translation, and swim at Club on the Park, which occupies a pyramidal glass-and-steel atrium on the hotel's 45th and 47th floors. Backstroking across the pool, amid 360-degree views of the city's neon tangle under a snow peaked Mt. Fuji, feels like swimming in the clouds. This 2,100-square-metre facility seems built for moguls at leisure, with its own concierges, an eight-person conference room, a game room, a video room and a library.

The club is both state-of-the-art and extremely traditional: Guests must change shoes between wet and dry areas, and walk through a footbath and shower to get to the pool. Trainers offer service that is almost butler style: The moment I climbed onto a treadmill, an attendant brought me earphones and turned the TV to an English channel.

For the most traditional of Japanese health treatments, try shiatsu. To the uninitiated, however, it can feel less like a healing measure than like having a finger bore into the tenderest part of a muscle to see how quickly you'll yelp.

[qilver]

Tu,

i am sure you are right, i think we took the long long way, and i believe there are different exits from the Shinjuku station, we might've came out the wrong side, and walked around, to the direction of the Park Hyatt. It didn't help that we found the building but thought it was another building, and walked around the block, only to discover that was the correct building initially. That wasted another 15 minutes, so getting lost and taking the long path, probably didn't do us good.

but i got lost so many damn times in Japan, in the subways, and elsewhere, thank goodness for the map, and kind people along the way, that bailed out the gaijin.

[Tu_triky]

qilver wrote:

Tu, i am sure you are right, i think we took the long long way, and i believe there are different exits from the Shinjuku station, we might've came out the wrong side, and walked around, to the direction of the Park Hyatt. It didn't help that we found the building but thought it was another building, and walked around the block, only to discover that was the correct building initially. That wasted another 15 minutes, so getting lost and taking the long path, probably didn't do us good. but i got lost so many damn times in Japan, in the subways, and elsewhere, thank goodness for the map, and kind people along the way, that bailed out the gaijin.

man, don't trip...i got lost numerous times...TRUST ME. i actually went to those police koban for help a couple of times. and my friend and i had a pretty good map too...

oh yeah, for sure...if the uninitiated traveler, such as you or i, walks out the wrong side of the subway station (especially a large one like Shinjuku)...forget about it...it's over. it can definitely add to the travel time.


one time we were looking for this bar...we had our map and still stopped to ask a gas station attendant for help...a couple of guys looked at the address and the map and they couldn't even help us!

[qilver]

Tu_triky wrote:

man, don't trip...i got lost numerous times...TRUST ME. i actually went to those police koban for help a couple of times. and my friend and i had a pretty good map too... oh yeah, for sure...if the uninitiated traveler, such as you or i, walks out the wrong side of the subway station (especially a large one like Shinjuku)...forget about it...it's over. it can definitely add to the travel time. one time we were looking for this bar...we had our map and still stopped to ask a gas station attendant for help...a couple of guys looked at the address and the map and they couldn't even help us!

that is a handy and useful map/atlas, for reals yo, i got lost and even walked right pass the anime-shops-building that my friend and i were looking forward. I had to break out my gaijin-pronounciation of limited japanese phrases to ask for directions, a lot, yeah, even with the map. I have a feeling the next time, i might have a better idea, but probably will still get a lost in the huge metropolis of Tokyo.