tabana-san you're going to Japan???!! sounds like a fun trip! . how long are you gonna be there? You know, i think when you get there, you're just in time to see a Koda Kumi concert!
Joined: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 4 Location: philippines Country:
Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 10:38 am Post subject: I am going to Japan
I will visit Japan with 4 friends in mid-April and we're all 1st time visitors. We will stay in Kamakura. Any suggestion on the cheapest way to get there from Narita?
Also, on top of my "have-to list" is to go to 'Blue Note' jazz bar. I would really appreciate any tip as to its location and how to get there.
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:01 am Post subject:
mashasno1 wrote:
thank you so much, Tu_triky. you must be heaven-sent.
no, just a little help
...as far as transportation from Tokyo to Kamakura...I'm not sure but it would seem that a train ride is probably the most practical cost effective means of transportation.
edit: oh yeah the Blue Note Jazz Club is an eight minute walk from the Omotesando Station.
Cool...you got it all straight then....I just wouldn't want you to go all the way there and then be in the boonies making it difficult to travel to and fro from your hotel.
But since you're staying in Yokohama, doesn't sound like an issue....you'll be taking the train to hit Tokyo but then you have somebody to kick it with so it's all gravy.
EDIT: Well I know you have a long flight but hopefully you'll be able to sleep on the plane...from the West Coast the ride is about 12 hours but once you land you'll probably be excited to be there.....we landed Friday night and said, "f*ck it" and stayed up all night in order to adjust our sleeping schedules to local JPN time. Man, I'm excited for you.
yeah, everytime i go back, i end up pulling a 24hr straight, ...difficult to sleep on the plan with the excitment, anticipation of going back to Japan! I usually end up staying up only until 9p or 10p, then out...and so tired, and getting up really really early the next morning at say 4a...
landing in Narita, i think it would be logical to stay overnight at a nearby hotel(but now i prefer to skip on Narita and just go straight into Tokyo), and the first-two time i went there i stayed at a business-type hotel, SkyCourt Narita, and it was relatively cheap at 6000Y per single room. The next time i went i stayed at Excel Hotel in Narita a step up, but a comparable price. I took the Limo-bus from the Narita airport straight into Shinjuku once, and the last time i took it direct to my hotel in Akasaka. The cost is about 3100 Y for one way and it took about 1hr 20min drive into Tokyo. Once i took the JRX(Narita express train) direct from the ground level of the airport which has the connecting trainstation. My friend and i had got a 7 day JR-railpass, and exchanged our voucher for the actual JR-railpass. The Railpass if you activate it and choose to start the 7, 14, or 21 day pass, depending on which one you had purchased(only from your home country), then you can take the JR-X for free since it is covered by the JR pass, and you can take that straight into Shinjuku in about 1hr 10min. From there, i am not sure where where the hotel any of you will be staying...so any transfers from there will either be by taxi, which can be costly, or by train-transfer, and lugging luggage won't be fun, but think of the options, and plan ahead. Personally, if i knew ahead where i would be staying and how far it is from Shinjuku....ask yourself is it better to just take the Limo-bus and fork out the 3100Y if it would drop you off your hotel directly? or do i use the JRpass if i have it, and activated it the day i land, and use it to take the JR-X, knowingly i will have to traintransfer to my hotel directly, or take a taxi.....
I anticipate a longer wait time with the new implementation of fingerprnt, photo, standard procedure, not sure if any of you had to deal with it yet...but other than that, i just checked the weather in Tokyo, and when i get there, it will be scattered showers, high around 54 or so, and low of 41 degrees....i wonder if there will be any Sakura trees blooming yet, or am i just a month too early...'doh!
it looks like it will be considerably colder than the spoiled nice weather we have been getting here in SoCal. With all this said, it will be worth it just go back again.
with hotels, i recommend the Shinagawa Prince Hotel, i've stayed there twice, and this will be my 3rd time. I think for a 4-star hotel, and for the price, i'd say it is worth it. Also, the convenience of being right across the street from Shinagawa Station, you are minutes walk from access to the JR-station, and Shinkansen trains.
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:19 am Post subject:
qilver wrote:
yeah, everytime i go back, i end up pulling a 24hr straight, ...difficult to sleep on the plan with the excitment, anticipation of going back to Japan! I usually end up staying up only until 9p or 10p, then out...and so tired, and getting up really really early the next morning at say 4a...
landing in Narita, i think it would be logical to stay overnight at a nearby hotel(but now i prefer to skip on Narita and just go straight into Tokyo), and the first-two time i went there i stayed at a business-type hotel, SkyCourt Narita, and it was relatively cheap at 6000Y per single room. The next time i went i stayed at Excel Hotel in Narita a step up, but a comparable price. I took the Limo-bus from the Narita airport straight into Shinjuku once, and the last time i took it direct to my hotel in Akasaka. The cost is about 3100 Y for one way and it took about 1hr 20min drive into Tokyo. Once i took the JRX(Narita express train) direct from the ground level of the airport which has the connecting trainstation. My friend and i had got a 7 day JR-railpass, and exchanged our voucher for the actual JR-railpass. The Railpass if you activate it and choose to start the 7, 14, or 21 day pass, depending on which one you had purchased(only from your home country), then you can take the JR-X for free since it is covered by the JR pass, and you can take that straight into Shinjuku in about 1hr 10min. From there, i am not sure where where the hotel any of you will be staying...so any transfers from there will either be by taxi, which can be costly, or by train-transfer, and lugging luggage won't be fun, but think of the options, and plan ahead. Personally, if i knew ahead where i would be staying and how far it is from Shinjuku....ask yourself is it better to just take the Limo-bus and fork out the 3100Y if it would drop you off your hotel directly? or do i use the JRpass if i have it, and activated it the day i land, and use it to take the JR-X, knowingly i will have to traintransfer to my hotel directly, or take a taxi.....
If I were staying in central Tokyo I would take the Limo bus, which we did, 3100 is chump change....it dropped us off right at the Grand Hyatt, albeit stopping at other hotels first along the way for other passengers. If you were to get a door to door shuttle in most American cities from the airport to your destination it would probably cost you 20 bucks so 3100 yen from Narita all the way to Shinjuku, Shibuya, Roppongi, etc...is very reasonable. If I didn't have lots of lugguage I would take the subway...
...I think your suggestions are very sound...it all depends on one's circumstances.
Joined: 23 Jan 2005 Posts: 55 Location: South Bay, CA Country:
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 12:54 pm Post subject:
The last time I was in Tokyo, my friends told me how to get around the City without the whole schlepping of baggage problem -- I shipped my suitcases to the onsen in Kyoto where we were staying via Yamato Transport. It only costs about 2,000 yen per piece for overnight delivery. I love the Takkyubin service in Japan!
Joined: 08 Mar 2008 Posts: 4 Location: philippines Country:
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 7:54 pm Post subject: I am going to Japan
a belated thank you for the additional tip, tu_triky.
would also appreciate any input on where best to get english-subtitled dvds of japanese movies and music cds.
and this may seem quite trivial, but i must get myself a wind chime made of authentic japanese ceramic and paper. i had one a long time ago and would like to have another one for sentimental reasons....
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 10:58 pm Post subject: Re: I am going to Japan
mashasno1 wrote:
a belated thank you for the additional tip, tu_triky.
would also appreciate any input on where best to get english-subtitled dvds of japanese movies and music cds.
I'm not sure about that....you might want to try Kinokuniya in Shinjuku or HMV....
Quote:
and this may seem quite trivial, but i must get myself a wind chime made of authentic japanese ceramic and paper. i had one a long time ago and would like to have another one for sentimental reasons....
thanks in advance.
I have no idea about this...you're looking for what is called in Japanese, I believe, "furin" ~ I'm sure if you asked about at your hotel wherever you're staying they would be able to help you.
Joined: 15 Jun 2004 Posts: 46182 Location: Los Skandolous, California Country:
Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 11:20 pm Post subject:
CherKell wrote:
The last time I was in Tokyo, my friends told me how to get around the City without the whole schlepping of baggage problem -- I shipped my suitcases to the onsen in Kyoto where we were staying via Yamato Transport. It only costs about 2,000 yen per piece for overnight delivery. I love the Takkyubin service in Japan!
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. how long are you gonna be there? You know, i think when you get there, you're just in time to see a Koda Kumi concert!
i had one a long time ago and would like to have another one for sentimental reasons....
