Going to Tokyo; need help
- Thread starter Xerolt
- Start date
Well to add to some of the stuff here, it seems like you and I have similar interest especially for when I was younger, i.e. anime gaming, etc although I enjoyed the culture a lot too.
Disney: Disneyland is like any Disneyland in the world as they are meant to be for the most part with a little local flair and the castles usually being a bit different. If you are a Disney fan check out DisneySea instead much different, and IMHO more enjoyable for me, but I do say it's a bit more adult themed. The wife is a DisneyFreak so she just loves to go whenever she can, they sometimes have after 5 or 6 special tickets that are cheaper which lets you catch the tail end of things and the night shows. Also if you do plan to go, go during a week day it's MUCH less crowded and you won't be spending a lot of time waiting on line. We usually plan our route out and grab fastpass tickets while waiting to do other stuff. But for the last few times we've basically been able to go in and just hop on rides within 5 minutes. So like everyone says you're looking at a full day, unless you do the evening pass. From Tokyo Station it takes about 20 minutes to get to Maihama Station then Disneyland is right there or you can take the disney monorail 2 stops to DisneySea (about a 5-10minute ride)
Akihabara: Definitely as an Anime Fan, though given your short time frame I would only spend about 2-3hrs there but it can also be half a day. There are many stores and it has been becoming more of a Maid Cafe place. The backroads will have more technology stuff, but the main stores like Sofmap will be like Bic Camera or Yodobashi Camera, so I would steer clear of Sofmap's main stores. The only exception to that is Sofmap has 1 store that has just video games if you want to see that, you'll notice it because the store is mostly red and has about 6 37" screens int he front showing different new games. But other than that check out Animate for character goods (there is one at Ikebukuro's Otome Rd too), some of the stores up and down the road for more Models.
Odaiba: One of my favorite places. It's a great little island of rebuilt land, the monorail goes around but you'll probably get off at daiba stop. Aqua City is there with Sega's Joypolis which is a big arcade of sorts in a themepark kind of design. They just renovated it so I don't know what it's like now inside. Usually the wife and I go at nights for the night ticket. Driver City is a new mall opened about a few months ago. The Giant Gundam is outside still, and there is a Gundam museum and experience inside on the top floor near Round 1 Amusements (also a giant arcade but with more sports too). Most likely as well during the time you visit in December, FujiTV headquarters (unmistakeable building they have a HUGE steps, and what looks like a giant ball hanging in the middle of the building) will have some sort of winter special going on. Then if you walk across the pedestrian bridge that links one side of Odaiba to the other (or take the monorail for a loop around) you will see VenusFort. It's another shopping mall but it's like the Bellagio in Las Vegas with the painted ceiling like a sky and lights that change color to give it the feeling of sunrise to sunset. All in all you could spend about half a day to a full day in Odaiba seeing everything.
Shinjuku Gyoenmae: It's a large park and lots of natural beauty to it, and is also like a public garden. Unfortunately the timing of your trip again won't allow you to see it at it's full beauty since you're about 3-4 months early for the Cherry Blossom Viewing (Sakura Trees) and about a month late for the chrysanthemum blossoms. But it would still probably be a nice stroll in the park.
Ghibli Museum: Another of my favorites. You'll need to get tickets in advance for this. I'd recommend getting them before you leave here's the page with the info from Ghibli: The official site of Ghibli Museum, Mitaka in Japan - TICKETS if you buy them when you arrive into Japan immediately find a Lawson to buy them there (they have little Kiosks, but they are all in Japanese). The museum itself takes quite a bit of time to get to as you have to transfer to a bus. Bring a good coat, gloves and bundle up much of it is outdoors. You're probably looking to spend anywhere from 3-6hours here depending on what you do.
Tokyo Sky Tree / Tokyo Tower : TST was built to replace TT as a communications tower. I have not been up TST yet but I hear it is fantastic. TT i've been up many times, I love both the day and night views. if you want to get the best of both I'd suggest trying to get up before sunset. Though you'll have to time it since there are usually lines. TT I use to spend about 2-3hrs there including the time it takes to wait in line and go. I hear the lines for TST are still pretty long right now, but I'm not sure how the ticketing situation is, maybe someone will have more info on this.
Squenix Store: This is in Shinjuku so I'd spend time not just at the store but walking around, it's also very close to Harajuku which is know for their specific fasion. But here is a review of Squenix store if you haven't seen it already gives a pretty good account of what to expect: The Square Enix Showcase: Shinjuku Japan | The Japan Guy
Sensoji Temple: is a great place as well, very crowded though. Lots of things to see in front of the temple along the ally that leads up to it. Enjoy the wagashi and all the other Japanese treats lined up. Oh and try out the Melon Pan that is here too, it's quite famous in japan, it's pretty big and tasty. Here's the website: sorry it's in Japanese Only: ﾃ?ﾃｵﾃ?ｰﾂ｡ﾂ｡ﾂｲﾃ鳴ｷﾃｮﾃ?ｲ :: ﾃ?ﾃｵﾃ?ｰﾂｻﾃｻﾂ｡ﾂｦﾃ?ﾃｵﾃ?ｰ'ﾃ堕ｸﾃｷﾂ､ﾃ篠､'ﾂｵﾃ卍ｷﾃ?｡ﾂｦﾂ､ﾂｪﾂｿﾂｩﾂｻﾃｶﾂ｡ﾂｦﾂ､ﾂｪﾃ?堋ｻﾂｺﾂ､ﾃ擬/url]
Imperial palace: If I remember correctly you have to apply for tickets for a set time on this too but I can't remember. It's a very calm and quiet place and has quite a bit of history behind it. The imperial gardens are also nearby to take a look at as well. I personally go through these pretty quickly but you can probably spend 2-3 hours or more here as well.
So given the amount of stuff you want to do an the amount of time you have, planning is definitely needed. A lot of the places can be done rather quickly but to enjoy them you'll want to spend some time. Stores don't typically open until about 10am here so something like Squenix shop in the morning before you go somewhere might be a good idea. You'll want to get use to the Yamanote Line since that's where a majority of your places you want to visit are going to be on. For Odaiba you'll get off at Shimbashi station and go find the Yurikamome monorail, it's an unattended monorail so if you can get to the front of the monorail and you'll have a nice view of the ride as you take it towards Rainbow Bridge.
As for your initial planning it seems pretty good, you might want to put Odaiba on the first day too since it looks like the day you'll be running around Tokyo. I would also decide what to cut in case you end up staying at places too long, and then maybe having that as a backup for places to visit if you end up finishing early. Also you might want to look at the times for things too, i think the imperial palace and ghibli museum share the same hours and they are quite far apart so you might want to split those up. I mentioned earlier that shops open at 10am they close around 8pm as well, so places like Akiba and Otome you might want to do during the day. Odaiba still has quite a bit to see even with some of the stores closed at night, in Driver city I beilieve the stores close at 8pm as well, there is a Calbee shop that always has long lines. They are a famous snack brand here in Japan and they make fresh fries, chips and stuff.
I hope this info helps!
Disney: Disneyland is like any Disneyland in the world as they are meant to be for the most part with a little local flair and the castles usually being a bit different. If you are a Disney fan check out DisneySea instead much different, and IMHO more enjoyable for me, but I do say it's a bit more adult themed. The wife is a DisneyFreak so she just loves to go whenever she can, they sometimes have after 5 or 6 special tickets that are cheaper which lets you catch the tail end of things and the night shows. Also if you do plan to go, go during a week day it's MUCH less crowded and you won't be spending a lot of time waiting on line. We usually plan our route out and grab fastpass tickets while waiting to do other stuff. But for the last few times we've basically been able to go in and just hop on rides within 5 minutes. So like everyone says you're looking at a full day, unless you do the evening pass. From Tokyo Station it takes about 20 minutes to get to Maihama Station then Disneyland is right there or you can take the disney monorail 2 stops to DisneySea (about a 5-10minute ride)
Akihabara: Definitely as an Anime Fan, though given your short time frame I would only spend about 2-3hrs there but it can also be half a day. There are many stores and it has been becoming more of a Maid Cafe place. The backroads will have more technology stuff, but the main stores like Sofmap will be like Bic Camera or Yodobashi Camera, so I would steer clear of Sofmap's main stores. The only exception to that is Sofmap has 1 store that has just video games if you want to see that, you'll notice it because the store is mostly red and has about 6 37" screens int he front showing different new games. But other than that check out Animate for character goods (there is one at Ikebukuro's Otome Rd too), some of the stores up and down the road for more Models.
Odaiba: One of my favorite places. It's a great little island of rebuilt land, the monorail goes around but you'll probably get off at daiba stop. Aqua City is there with Sega's Joypolis which is a big arcade of sorts in a themepark kind of design. They just renovated it so I don't know what it's like now inside. Usually the wife and I go at nights for the night ticket. Driver City is a new mall opened about a few months ago. The Giant Gundam is outside still, and there is a Gundam museum and experience inside on the top floor near Round 1 Amusements (also a giant arcade but with more sports too). Most likely as well during the time you visit in December, FujiTV headquarters (unmistakeable building they have a HUGE steps, and what looks like a giant ball hanging in the middle of the building) will have some sort of winter special going on. Then if you walk across the pedestrian bridge that links one side of Odaiba to the other (or take the monorail for a loop around) you will see VenusFort. It's another shopping mall but it's like the Bellagio in Las Vegas with the painted ceiling like a sky and lights that change color to give it the feeling of sunrise to sunset. All in all you could spend about half a day to a full day in Odaiba seeing everything.
Shinjuku Gyoenmae: It's a large park and lots of natural beauty to it, and is also like a public garden. Unfortunately the timing of your trip again won't allow you to see it at it's full beauty since you're about 3-4 months early for the Cherry Blossom Viewing (Sakura Trees) and about a month late for the chrysanthemum blossoms. But it would still probably be a nice stroll in the park.
Ghibli Museum: Another of my favorites. You'll need to get tickets in advance for this. I'd recommend getting them before you leave here's the page with the info from Ghibli: The official site of Ghibli Museum, Mitaka in Japan - TICKETS if you buy them when you arrive into Japan immediately find a Lawson to buy them there (they have little Kiosks, but they are all in Japanese). The museum itself takes quite a bit of time to get to as you have to transfer to a bus. Bring a good coat, gloves and bundle up much of it is outdoors. You're probably looking to spend anywhere from 3-6hours here depending on what you do.
Tokyo Sky Tree / Tokyo Tower : TST was built to replace TT as a communications tower. I have not been up TST yet but I hear it is fantastic. TT i've been up many times, I love both the day and night views. if you want to get the best of both I'd suggest trying to get up before sunset. Though you'll have to time it since there are usually lines. TT I use to spend about 2-3hrs there including the time it takes to wait in line and go. I hear the lines for TST are still pretty long right now, but I'm not sure how the ticketing situation is, maybe someone will have more info on this.
Squenix Store: This is in Shinjuku so I'd spend time not just at the store but walking around, it's also very close to Harajuku which is know for their specific fasion. But here is a review of Squenix store if you haven't seen it already gives a pretty good account of what to expect: The Square Enix Showcase: Shinjuku Japan | The Japan Guy
Sensoji Temple: is a great place as well, very crowded though. Lots of things to see in front of the temple along the ally that leads up to it. Enjoy the wagashi and all the other Japanese treats lined up. Oh and try out the Melon Pan that is here too, it's quite famous in japan, it's pretty big and tasty. Here's the website: sorry it's in Japanese Only: ﾃ?ﾃｵﾃ?ｰﾂ｡ﾂ｡ﾂｲﾃ鳴ｷﾃｮﾃ?ｲ :: ﾃ?ﾃｵﾃ?ｰﾂｻﾃｻﾂ｡ﾂｦﾃ?ﾃｵﾃ?ｰ'ﾃ堕ｸﾃｷﾂ､ﾃ篠､'ﾂｵﾃ卍ｷﾃ?｡ﾂｦﾂ､ﾂｪﾂｿﾂｩﾂｻﾃｶﾂ｡ﾂｦﾂ､ﾂｪﾃ?堋ｻﾂｺﾂ､ﾃ擬/url]
Imperial palace: If I remember correctly you have to apply for tickets for a set time on this too but I can't remember. It's a very calm and quiet place and has quite a bit of history behind it. The imperial gardens are also nearby to take a look at as well. I personally go through these pretty quickly but you can probably spend 2-3 hours or more here as well.
So given the amount of stuff you want to do an the amount of time you have, planning is definitely needed. A lot of the places can be done rather quickly but to enjoy them you'll want to spend some time. Stores don't typically open until about 10am here so something like Squenix shop in the morning before you go somewhere might be a good idea. You'll want to get use to the Yamanote Line since that's where a majority of your places you want to visit are going to be on. For Odaiba you'll get off at Shimbashi station and go find the Yurikamome monorail, it's an unattended monorail so if you can get to the front of the monorail and you'll have a nice view of the ride as you take it towards Rainbow Bridge.
As for your initial planning it seems pretty good, you might want to put Odaiba on the first day too since it looks like the day you'll be running around Tokyo. I would also decide what to cut in case you end up staying at places too long, and then maybe having that as a backup for places to visit if you end up finishing early. Also you might want to look at the times for things too, i think the imperial palace and ghibli museum share the same hours and they are quite far apart so you might want to split those up. I mentioned earlier that shops open at 10am they close around 8pm as well, so places like Akiba and Otome you might want to do during the day. Odaiba still has quite a bit to see even with some of the stores closed at night, in Driver city I beilieve the stores close at 8pm as well, there is a Calbee shop that always has long lines. They are a famous snack brand here in Japan and they make fresh fries, chips and stuff.
I hope this info helps!
Xerolt
後輩
- 21 Sep 2012
- 16
- 0
- Thread starter
- #29
^That post was very helpful. Thank you ^-^
So, cherry blossom trees don't bloom in December? Which means I won't get to see ANY cherry blossoms?
Any chances of snow btw?
I'm sending my details to someone in japan so I can receive an invite and get my Visa. Once my Visa is confirmed, I'll reserve tickets for the Ghibli Museum.
So, cherry blossom trees don't bloom in December? Which means I won't get to see ANY cherry blossoms?
Any chances of snow btw?
I'm sending my details to someone in japan so I can receive an invite and get my Visa. Once my Visa is confirmed, I'll reserve tickets for the Ghibli Museum.
- 20 Aug 2003
- 4,910
- 416
^That post was very helpful. Thank you ^-^
So, cherry blossom trees don't bloom in December? Which means I won't get to see ANY cherry blossoms?
Any chances of snow btw?
I'm sending my details to someone in japan so I can receive an invite and get my Visa. Once my Visa is confirmed, I'll reserve tickets for the Ghibli Museum.
Your details to someone in Japan so you can receive an invite and get your Visa? Be clear O.O.
Hope he is someone you know lols
zoomingjapan
Japan Travel Expert
- 18 Jun 2012
- 274
- 49
So, cherry blossom trees don't bloom in December? Which means I won't get to see ANY cherry blossoms?
Any chances of snow btw?
Uhm .... no, cherry blossoms bloom in spring. If you want to see them you should come from end of March to beginning of May (depending on where you go).
There are some special types of cherry blossoms that you can see in autumn together with the beautiful autumn colors at places like Sakurayama.
Snow in Tokyo? Very rarely!
If you want to see a lot of snow I suggest you visit the Chubu area (e.g. Gifu or Nagano) or Tohoku / Hokkaido .
Xerolt
後輩
- 21 Sep 2012
- 16
- 0
- Thread starter
- #34
Quite sad that I will be unable to see the cherry blossoms, but I guess it's okay. Perhaps another time in the future.
And yes, the person I've sent my details to is someone I know. He has received them and sent an invite. I'm hoping for my Visa to arrive soon. My tickets have been booked as well.
I've also asked that person to get the tickets for the Ghibli museum and the Imperial Palace. Are there any other places that require tickets? Tickets for Disneyland Tokyo can be purchased on site, without issues, right?
Also, is there anything else you people would like to recommend? Something that can only be seen in Tokyo?
And yes, the person I've sent my details to is someone I know. He has received them and sent an invite. I'm hoping for my Visa to arrive soon. My tickets have been booked as well.
I've also asked that person to get the tickets for the Ghibli museum and the Imperial Palace. Are there any other places that require tickets? Tickets for Disneyland Tokyo can be purchased on site, without issues, right?
Also, is there anything else you people would like to recommend? Something that can only be seen in Tokyo?
- 18 Oct 2004
- 2,497
- 110
As others recommended, I would skip Disneyland as it is just like the others in the world. At Asakusa (Senso-ji temple), there is Nakamise Street to buy Japanese touristy goods. If you can't get tickets for the Sky Tree, Tokyo Tower is a good alternative. Odaiba is okay, only for Aqua City and the museums. Tsukiji Fish Market is generally open to the public for early morning views, but December-January are busy and they may not let you in. Skip Mt. Fuji. As others said, the mountain is a "shy" one and may be cloud-covered.
For a three-day visit, I would do these:
Asakusa/Nakamise Street
Sky Tree or Tokyo Tower
Shibuya (youth culture)
Ginza/Hibiya (go see the Godzilla statue in Hibiya)
Meiji Shrine
Imperial Palace
Setagaya (Toho Studios (another Godzilla statue, but man-sized at main gate) and Ultraman town)
Akihabara (if you actually want to buy things)
Shinjuku (camera stores)
For a three-day visit, I would do these:
Asakusa/Nakamise Street
Sky Tree or Tokyo Tower
Shibuya (youth culture)
Ginza/Hibiya (go see the Godzilla statue in Hibiya)
Meiji Shrine
Imperial Palace
Setagaya (Toho Studios (another Godzilla statue, but man-sized at main gate) and Ultraman town)
Akihabara (if you actually want to buy things)
Shinjuku (camera stores)
epigene
相変わらず不束者です
- 10 Nov 2004
- 4,354
- 179
Oh alright, I think that will be easier for me
Thanks for the help guys! If any of you have any further suggestions, do post them here. Oh and I'm still waiting for some info on Shinjuku Gyoen.
Shinjuku Gyoen is indeed a beautiful place if you love gardening and nature. However, you will be able to see the sakura there only in March-April season (blossoms are short-lived and happen sometime during these 2 months, dependent on the temperature at that time).
Considering you have a short stay, I think you should put Shinjuku Gyoen low in your list of priorities on where to go in Tokyo, unless you want to see the bustle of Shinjuku shopping/commercial area as well.
Also, if you are coming during the sakura season, the cherry blossoms along the Sumida River (near Sensoji and Sky Tree) are much more worthwhile considering the time you have.
Hope you enjoy your trip!
- 20 Aug 2003
- 4,910
- 416
You might want to see this thread on Lonely Planet. Basically, no, things are not cheaper here. There are also other things to consider like warranties and manuals in English and tech support.
What to buy in Japan - Lonely Planet travel forum
What to buy in Japan - Lonely Planet travel forum
Xerolt
後輩
- 21 Sep 2012
- 16
- 0
- Thread starter
- #44
Okay, so everything is planned out and I'll be leaving within a week.
Now, I wanted to ask the average cost of things there. I already know the cost for the hotels and the travelling and stuff, but what about other things? Like food, for example. I just want to know so that everything is a little more convenient for me. I'll mostly be eating at restaurants and fast food chains, so what's the average cost of a meal there, in Yen?
Also, I'm interested in figurines and nendoroids. I've found that their prices are somewhere along 3500-4000 Yen. Is this true?
How about clothes and other random things that one might like and take back as a souvenier? I'm not planning on doing any heavy shopping, but it's nice to know.
Edit: Btw, does anyone know where I can buy Nendoroids except from the Good Smile Company? Nendoroid Petites look affordable imo.
Now, I wanted to ask the average cost of things there. I already know the cost for the hotels and the travelling and stuff, but what about other things? Like food, for example. I just want to know so that everything is a little more convenient for me. I'll mostly be eating at restaurants and fast food chains, so what's the average cost of a meal there, in Yen?
Also, I'm interested in figurines and nendoroids. I've found that their prices are somewhere along 3500-4000 Yen. Is this true?
How about clothes and other random things that one might like and take back as a souvenier? I'm not planning on doing any heavy shopping, but it's nice to know.
Edit: Btw, does anyone know where I can buy Nendoroids except from the Good Smile Company? Nendoroid Petites look affordable imo.
- 27 Nov 2012
- 1,689
- 1,086
Fast food is usually about \600-1,000, depending on the style of restaurant. McDonalds might have combos for \500. But you can get reasonable food at a convenience store for under \500 as well.
Figurines have all sorts of prices. I've never bought one, but I've looked. They often go over \10,000. I'd recommend going to "recycle" shops, which sell lots of used goods. The conditions should be good, and you'll save a bundle.
Clothes depend on the place, of course, but I'd recommend Uni-Qlo, for cheap stylish goods. They often have interesting t-shirt lines for \1500-2500. It is a very Japanese brand. And you can check their website first: ﾆ停??ﾆ男ﾆ誰ﾆ陳哉暖ﾆ鍛ﾆ致 - UNIQLO ﾆ停??ﾆ男ﾆ誰ﾆ陳梗/url]
Figurines have all sorts of prices. I've never bought one, but I've looked. They often go over \10,000. I'd recommend going to "recycle" shops, which sell lots of used goods. The conditions should be good, and you'll save a bundle.
Clothes depend on the place, of course, but I'd recommend Uni-Qlo, for cheap stylish goods. They often have interesting t-shirt lines for \1500-2500. It is a very Japanese brand. And you can check their website first: ﾆ停??ﾆ男ﾆ誰ﾆ陳哉暖ﾆ鍛ﾆ致 - UNIQLO ﾆ停??ﾆ男ﾆ誰ﾆ陳梗/url]
Everything runs the gambit, from low prices to really high prices. the lower price stuff though you would probably need someone that speaks Japanese to find those deals.
Regarding Disney, if you're short on time, skip Disneyland, if you think you have time to go then check out DisneySea over Disneyland.
Regarding Disney, if you're short on time, skip Disneyland, if you think you have time to go then check out DisneySea over Disneyland.
Xerolt
後輩
- 21 Sep 2012
- 16
- 0
- Thread starter
- #47
Hey guys,
Got back from Tokyo last week. My trip was a success. I stayed there for 5 days and managed to do almost everything I had on my list. I went to the Studio Ghibli Museum, Imperial Palace, Artnia (Which is cafe that replaced the Square Enix store and had all the merchandise there), Odaiba (+ Divers City), Pokemon Center and Akihabara (although I did not spend much time there).
I also went to both Disneyland and Disneysea, but once again, I did not spend much time there. I looked around and admired the different things that they had created, but did not go into many rides as the waiting time for almost every ride was over 2 hours. Then again, I was more interested in how they'd themed everything according to Disney movies, instead of the rides.
I did not get to see Shinjuku Gyoenmae or the Temple, but I went to very large park in Mitaka, which was good enough for me, since I just wanted to enjoy the greenery for a change.
I also explored much of Shinjuku on foot.
Overall, I really enjoyed my trip. I may not have travelled the world much, but Tokyo certainly seemed like one of the best cities on Earth. It was very clean, sophisticated, advanced and everything was just so convenient. Also, the people were wonderful. I must say I've been inspired by them and their humbleness.
I don't have any regrets, but I wish I had spent more time at Disneyland/Sea and Akihabara since I visited those places at the end when there wasn't much time left. Then again, I don't think I missed much there.
I would love to go to Tokyo again some time in the future. Until then, thank you all for helping me out in planning this trip I owe you people a lot.
Got back from Tokyo last week. My trip was a success. I stayed there for 5 days and managed to do almost everything I had on my list. I went to the Studio Ghibli Museum, Imperial Palace, Artnia (Which is cafe that replaced the Square Enix store and had all the merchandise there), Odaiba (+ Divers City), Pokemon Center and Akihabara (although I did not spend much time there).
I also went to both Disneyland and Disneysea, but once again, I did not spend much time there. I looked around and admired the different things that they had created, but did not go into many rides as the waiting time for almost every ride was over 2 hours. Then again, I was more interested in how they'd themed everything according to Disney movies, instead of the rides.
I did not get to see Shinjuku Gyoenmae or the Temple, but I went to very large park in Mitaka, which was good enough for me, since I just wanted to enjoy the greenery for a change.
I also explored much of Shinjuku on foot.
Overall, I really enjoyed my trip. I may not have travelled the world much, but Tokyo certainly seemed like one of the best cities on Earth. It was very clean, sophisticated, advanced and everything was just so convenient. Also, the people were wonderful. I must say I've been inspired by them and their humbleness.
I don't have any regrets, but I wish I had spent more time at Disneyland/Sea and Akihabara since I visited those places at the end when there wasn't much time left. Then again, I don't think I missed much there.
I would love to go to Tokyo again some time in the future. Until then, thank you all for helping me out in planning this trip
I owe you people a lot.
