Im getting to travel to each of these destinations returning from a work assignment, and need to talk to folk who have spent time at each to find out what to do, where to stay, and for how long. Any help would be appreciated.

Please call

727-743-7777

By the way, this is not diving related, ill be dove out by the time I get there and only have a few days for each, just general travel info.

Where in Tokyo are you staying and what are you looking to do(touristy stuff, sightsee, etc)? I assume you will be landing at Narita Airport. The two options to get into town are by "airport limousine"(charter style short buses) or by "narita express"(limited stop trains). The buses can take up to 2.5 hours, though 2 hours is more of the norm, and they stop at certain hotels in certain districts. The trains stop at certain districts at the train station and then you go from there. They take about 1.5 hours to Ikebukuro and most of the hotels are right outside of the station, though there is an exit at each cardinal direction. The trains cost about the same as the buses, sometimes a little more. I prefer the trains personally. edit: forgot to mention that the trains are more viable if you are travelling light. If you have a giant suitcase and other luggage with you that could be unwieldy in a crowd, you might be better off with the buses.

Try to get a hotel in one of the districts on the yamanote line(central loop through central Tokyo), it will make travel much easier. Ikebukuro has plenty of nice hotels at reasonable rates close to the train station, and is full of things to do. I've stayed in bukuro a few times and liked it each time. edit: It is also pretty centrally located between the touristy districts.

Shibuya is another yamanote line district and though I haven't stayed there, there is lots of stuff to do and clubs and bars to hang out in. Roppongi is another district that is loaded with clubs and things of that nature. Ueno has a really big and beautiful park that has museums and stuff in it, and its pretty nice to go walking around in.

Akihabara is the electronics district and my nerdy self enjoys the area immensely. Lots of shopping and arcades. Generally the prices on the electronics aren't cheap like people think they are, though the technology is usually stuff that hasn't made it to America yet. Cheap electronics can be had in Hong Kong, if that is what you are really after.

Japanese in Tokyo, generally speaking, are scared to death of "gaijin" or foreigners and of speaking English to one. You can expect to be stared at on trains and expect for the average person to communicate with you via hand signs. A big X across their chest means no, and both hands on the head makign a circle means yes. I've been lucky in finding the one Japanese person that knows English and is comfortable with it in my various travels.

One dude owned a Jazz record store in Seattle and figured I was a gaijin because I was totally lost trying to find the hotel carting my bags around. Another time, I ran into a white guy selling jewelry on the street. These guys are usually around high traffic areas and they are, 99% of the time, Israeli youth(20-30) that come to Japan with certain companies to experience life and the company has them selling jewelry on the street as a way to make money. They almost always speak good english and can be helpful if you are trying to get acclimated. I even hung out with a group of them the first time I went to Tokyo, and they showed me all the clubs and stuff in Shibuya and Roppongi.

If you are going this time of year, it will be very humid and hot.

edit: I would advise getting a suica card, which is a little transponder card for using the JR trains. Put about 2000 yen into it when you get it and it will save you alot of time in trying to figure out a fare from your location to where you want to go. It is rechargable too and you can get them at any of the kiosks where you buy train tickets. One thing of note is that the trains shut down around 12-1AM, so you'd better catch the last train from where you are back to your hotel district because you'll get stuck there until the trains restart. Of course, there are cafes and small restaurants that cater to these sorts of individuals so it isn't a total loss. I've got some pictures of a Japanese guy passed out sleeping sitting up in front of my hotel, cell phone lit up with people looking for him around 4am.

I'm probably forgetting something but if you have any questions, feel free to PM me or give me a call at (949)412-1587.

edit: forgot to add that you will never want to take a taxi. If will drain your funds so fast you won't even know what hit you. Getting in and sitting down costs around $6 USD as a starting fare and about $1 USD per 1/5 of a KM.

I am near Tokyo right now.

Thanks Mike! Thats the exact kind of info I am searching for. I will be traveling with only a very small backpack, so the train it will be... when you say reasonable priced hotels, what do you mean? Also, Im planning in three days in Japan, should I stay in Tokyo, or head elsewhere also?

Depends on what you are looking to do, really. If you just want to hang out and check things out for the first time, I would say that staying in Tokyo is fine. If you want to do some spearing or diving, I'd say look up the Oki boys that are on here. If you were going to be there for a week, and you had the funds for a Shinkansen ride(expensive) I'd say you could spend a couple of days in Kyoto or Osaka to get a different scene. Then again, you could always save it for the next time. I'm hoping to make it to Japan in the wintertime and go to Hokkaido for the hot springs sometime in the future.

I stayed at this hotel in Ikebukuro the last time around, and it was fine. The rooms are pretty small for a single, being Japan and all, but its more than enough of a pad to rest your bones at night. I think I paid like $70 or 80 a night, though it will depend on the nights that you are staying there and whether or not you need a single or double bed room.
http://www.expedia.com/pub/agent.dll/qscr=dspv/htid=470466

I think the biggest bonus to that hotel is how easy it is to get to.

Here's another site that I use when I book hotels in Asia. My bookmark was already set to Tokyo so it should go straight there.
http://wired-destinations.com/hotels/Japan/Tokyo/index.htm

I've stayed at the Crowne Plaza Metropolitan in Ikebukuro once too. It is more of a western sized/styled hotel but costs about $150 a night.

edit: There are all sorts of things to do in the other districts too. I kind of glossed them over because I didn't hang out in them as much as the other ones that I mentioned. There's plenty of online guidebooks to help you sort out everything.
Passed out dude at 4am:
http://i102.photobucket.com/albums/m96/mnguy004/Theworldpassingyouby001.jpg

Stay at a capsule hotel. I wished that was one of the things I did when I stayed there. Google Capsule Hotel Tokyo.

Joe

I was thinking about the capsule Hotels! Its just me and a small backpack for a few days, that sounds about my speed...

I was thinking about the capsule Hotels! Its just me and a small backpack for a few days, that sounds about my speed...

My wife and I went and they don't allow woman in a lot of the Capsules, so that nixed that idea.

If you get a chance and want to wake up at the ass crack of dawn, go to the fish market. It's awesome to see the huge Tuna and all the excitement at 5 am. Here's the video of me and the misses visit:

Tokyo Video (http://youtube.com/watch?v=Wbb9DFZJJa0)

It wasn't a very relaxing vacation, it's so busy and everything moves fast. Especially compared to slow paced Okinawa.

Joe

Very cool video!! L0ved the music, got me really exited for that part of the trip... THat fish market looks like a great idea... is it near the touristy area?

Very cool video!! L0ved the music, got me really exited for that part of the trip... THat fish market looks like a great idea... is it near the touristy area?

It's real close to the subway line. That's the easiest way to travel in Tokyo. Don't take a Taxi, it'll cost you an arm and a leg.