Hot answers tagged tokyo
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I'm afraid I can't find any government numbers to back up my anecdotal evidence, but Shinjuku, Shibuya and Ikebukuro are all very safe - much safer than their equivalents in London, New York or any other 'world' city. I've spent many nights in each, in varying states of sobriety, and never had any problems at all. I've lost my wallet a few times (on trains, ...
12
Cycling is generally very safe, particularly in Taito-ku. There aren't any bike lanes really but you're free to cycle on the pavement, as long as you dismount when it's too crowded. Furthermore drivers are used to cyclists, just keep tight to the left on bigger roads. Helmets are seldom worn, even by mothers with a kid on the front, one on the back and one ...
11
I doubt that a JR pass will be worth it for just travel within Tokyo; usually with most rail passes, you need to be making several long-distance trips for it to break even. JR pass would make sense if you planned taking the shinkansen to/from Tokyo, and then you can consider the rail travel within Tokyo to be a "free" benefit.
According to this site, a ...
9
EDIT: I realise this actual is rather off-topic, more dealing with places to get various Japanese foods than the food itself. Hopefully still useful.
Just to give a bit more specific detail on particular places, and specifically the cheap places...
Generally speaking breakfast comes in 2 varieties - Japanese or "Western". I won't go into crazy detail ...
9
Here's a site with reviews of many amusement parks in Japan, that can probably give you more information than is possible here.
The biggest one is probably Tokyo Disneyland. However, most amusements parks in Japan seem to be relatively small (at least the two I visited were) and cram lots of attractions into very little space - sometimes literally ...
9
Can only answer question no 1 & 2 :
Tokyo Metro is accessible for the disabled.
Maps of World claims that "In the Tokyo Subway, there are special wheel chair access arrangements and ticket counters for the disabled passengers"
Seems that not all stations support accessibility for disabled persons, even for major stations like Shibuya and ...
8
No, Tokyo is not a disaster area during golden week. However, flights out of Tokyo may well be more expensive, crowded, or already sold out on the first weekend, and queues may be longer. Another factor is that on the national holidays, some (not all) stores will be closed down, as will be banks (and that includes ATMs in most cases). Possibly also some ...
8
I'm not sure about the visa part, but about the time:
By the cheapest train I seem to recall Narita airport is about two hours from Tokyo. Also you might well have to be back at the airport at least one hour before boarding, and quite possibly more. And the train system in Japan is notoriously complex. It will be very easy to get a bit lost and miss your ...
8
A typical Japanese breakfast consists of rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables and/or salad, fish, and possibly poached/cooked egg or natto. The price for this kind of breakfast starts at around 400 yen (at a family hotel or cheap restaurant).
Lunch might be out of a bento box (with contents quite similar to the breakfast), or in a restaurant it might be some ...
7
I'll try to answer on the assumption that you're asking mostly about the relative practicality of a day trip, rather than asking for a sort of value judgment on the merits of an overnight.
You can see a number of popular tourist destinations on a day trip to Kamakura from Tokyo. Additionally, it's a somewhat sleepy city that, in comparison to much of Tokyo ...
7
For the visa part, the rules are (from Timaticweb):
Visitors continuing their journey to a third country within 72 hours
can obtain a Shore Pass/Transit Pass on arrival, provided:
being able to prove to Japanese immigration that Shore/Transit Pass will be appropriately used; and
departing from the same airport of arrival; or
departing from ...
7
So, you're basically out of luck, as the pros do not compete outside the tournaments. You'd need to catch an exhibition or temple game, but I'm not aware of any handy schedule for these. Edit: Found a list on Japanese Wikipedia, but the regular ones listed there are only in February, June and October.
What you can do, though, is head to Ryogoku in Tokyo ...
7
For the truly cultural Japanese accommodation experience you need to stay in a traditional Japanese inn, called a "ryokan", but they are not cheap.
I just found a website via Google to help you choose a ryokan that covers both Tokyo and Kyoto.
A cheaper option which won't be as traditional but will give you more cultural immersion than a hotel is to stay ...
6
My experience with public holidays in Japan is that traveling via the roads is a disaster. If you are not driving or taking a bus it should be busy but tolerable, else expect to be moving at a few kilometers an hour-even on the more popular country side roads outside of Tokyo. Getting a car park is also near impossible.
Accommodation is also very difficult ...
6
The fastest way is by Shinkansen - anything else is much slower.
Highway buses can be less than 5000 yen (one way), but take over 8 hours.
The cheapest (reliable) option would be the Seishun 18 ticket, which allows 5 (unconnected) days of unlimited travel, but only using local trains. Partially used tickets can be resold, so it comes out to 2300 yen (one ...
5
I'll buy a Japan Rail Pass, but I didn't understand if I can use it on nearby subway stations such as Ningyocho, Kodenmacho and others. Is it possible?
No. These are part of the Tokyo Metro, which is not operated by JR, and thus the JR pass is not valid there.
The nearest JR station is Shin-Nihombashi on the Sōbu line, but it's a commuter line that ...
5
A close alternative would be 'Yoyogi Park' which is just two stops south on the Yamanote line or you could even walk or run from Shinjuku. I walked around in Yoyogi and I am pretty sure I did not have to pay there.
There are tons of other parks in Tokyo.
I don't remember seeing any parks in Osaka, but that could just be me.
5
A colleague has traveled to Okinawa from the US twice to teach a class. Each time, he flew to Tokyo (Narita, I believe), and transferred to another flight that stopped in Osaka before heading to Naha.
A list of ferries are listed on this Japan-Guide website, including ones from Kagoshima or Tokyo. Travel times are over a day.
5
I presume you’re looking for something in English.
The main English-language listings magazine in Tokyo is called Metropolis (メトロポリス). The concerts section includes some J-Pop:
http://metropolis.co.jp/listings/concerts/?concerts=1
5
Dedicated bicycle paths are rare to nonexistant; people ride their bikes on the (usually narrow) sidewalks. Interestingly, there are explicit bicycle lanes marked on crossings, but only there.
However, I would still consider it safe since everyone (drivers, pedestrians and cyclists) is very careful, polite and rule-abiding. If you behave similarly, there ...
5
Cycling in Tokyo is a popular means of getting around for locals, so as a visitor you should try to experience the city by bicycle. Touring a city by bike gives you a totally different perspective as you become part of the city rather than a regular observer.
As stated by others it is acceptable to cycle on both roads and sidewalks, so you're free to cycle ...
4
A JR pass won’t save you money on short journeys. Just pay the normal ticket price: it’s not expensive. To find the best route, use an on-line route planner. I recommend jorudan.
The larger stations are crowded and confusing, so allow extra time for connections. Be aware that sometimes there are two stations of the same name, but belonging to different ...
4
Your question is a little confusing. You're asking about staying in Tokyo, but there are no hot spring inns ("ryokan," as others have already pointed out) that I know of in Tokyo. In Tokyo, your best bet for an authentic Japanese experience would probably be one of the guesthouses.
You could, however, find ryokan in Kyoto, although that city is not ...
4
Hatsumōde (the year's first visit of a Shinto shrine, less commonly a Buddhist temple) happens not necessarily on the 1st - some people do it on the 2nd or 3rd (or already on new year's eve). Expect popular shrines such as the Meiji Shrine to be extremely crowded so that it can take an hour or more to get to the front - but many people will wear traditional ...
3
First question: how much credit? In the upper part of the page it says it's ¥1500, but the "See how much you save!" figure says "Includes a ¥500 deposit".
The deposit is the amount that is not credit - "deposit" means that you pay it and get it back when you return the card. So there's ¥1500 of credit.
I think it's not worthy for me, am I right?
...
3
Many visitors in your situation find their time in Tokyo quite disappointing. Tokyo is far from Narita*, confusing, and crowded. The best sights in Tokyo are the temples, but there is a superb temple complex in Narita city. Stay in Narita.
*This should improve when the new train line is completed.
3
Aside from a few hungry all-night clubbers and the odd loaded sushi fanatic rolling up in a cab, everybody else will be in the same boat as you, so you're quite likely to get in if you arrive on the first train.
Also, while for some reason the auctions get all the press, the main event at Tsukiji is actually eating the world's best sushi. I'm pretty sure ...
3
In Tokyo and all arround Japan you don't need to worry to travel as a handicaped person. Even if the station has no facilities for disabled all staff persons will help you to access where you need inside the metro or inside train stations.
Yes, there are limited places where you can manage alone all, but don't worry, in Japan in the metro or train you are ...
3
Right, so you're from London. One of the top attractions in Kobe is, ironically, a concentration of Western-style houses(!). But that's probably not going to be a huge attraction for you. However it's claimed by many sources, including Wikitravel, to be the must see attraction, so if you want to, head to the Ijinkan - near the Shin-Kobe station. These ...
3
Shinjuku-Gyoen is really nice and well worth the 200 yen at least once. The only closeby alternative would be the park around Meiji Shrine, which has fewer open spaces IIRC.
The park east of Osaka Castle is reasonably large and quite nice if you don't mind the (many, but very orderly) homeless campsites there.
An alternative would be the riverside. On ...
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