Of the temples I visited in Tokyo, zoujouji was probably the most memorable. Very grand, and near Tokyo tower, so you can kill 2 birds with one stone. Akihabara is probably another must see in Tokyo. For food, if you are feeling adventurous try out an izakaya (Japanese pub/restaurant). The franchised/chain izakayas usually have pictures on the menu so you know what you're choosing (check b4 going in). They have a lot of variety in food and cheap beer. If you can though, I highly recommend going to kyoto. I think it's 4? to 5? hours by shinkansen. More touristy things to see and better food (and prettier girls ).
Oh and another difference is the % of crazy people. In just 1 week there, saw a couple of literally insane people in Tokyo (babbling nonsense, yelling inside the train for no reason, etc.). But that's probably a plus for visiting tokyo over kyoto :grin:
No I have not. I guess craziness is a symptom of mega cities? Didn't see any crazy people in kyoto, kobe, sapporo, and not as many in osaka.
To be fair, Tokyo is not as expensive as it was in the 90s. It's not cheap by any means, but I think it's on park with NYC, SF, etc.
Yes, that was a bit of a problem for me, I went to look for something to eat late at night, so just walked outside of the hotel and there were plenty of places open, but the menus were only in Japanese, and since I didn't want to end up eating fish eyes or something like that, ignorant me ended up at McDonald's (well at least I ordered a Teriyaki Burger, ha!). A Japanese friend will pick me up and give me a tour tomorrow, so hopefully then I will start getting to see more of the "real Tokyo" . Thanks for everyone's friendly tips on this thread...very useful...please keep them coming .
Or go to a cheaper eatery (like a ramen or a beef/pork bowl stall) where you make your payment and order through a ticketing machine. There are pics displayed on the machine, so u know what u're getting. Yoshinoya/Matsuya are considered the lowest end of Japanese food (like Japanese ver. of fast food), but it beats eating mcdonalds and I like matsuya .
I go through Narita at least once a year for an overnight layover and it doesn't take anytime to get through immigration. Its fast and efficient.
Here's a video tour: <object width="480" height="385"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/nPdP1jBfxzo?fs=1&hl=en_US"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/nPdP1jBfxzo?fs=1&hl=en_US" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="480" height="385"></embed></object>
This thread brings out old longings to go to Japan. Anyone ever done it on a low budget? Are there any bed/breakfast type places out in the country? I think that's the best way to get a real feel for a new area.
ryokans are exactly what you're looking for. They range from very cheap to more expensive, but are popular with locals and you may need to book beforehand. Language may be a problem too. For Tokyo specifically, there are capsule hotels shown in tmoney1101's pic for ulta budget accommodation. In the southern side of Osaka, I know there are budget hotels charging only 2,000yen a night for a tiny room, but I dunno how "nasty" a place you're willing to put up with If you plan to explore the Kansai region making the budget hotels in Osaka your base might be a good idea. Kobe, Kyoto, Nara, Himeji are all local train rides away, u can make day trips. If you only have time for 1 place, make it Kyoto. I dunno about budget accommodations there, but i'm sure they exist if u can find them.
The Imperial Palace in the city center was pretty cool. Basically they're remains of some old forts, smack dab in the middle of a park. The Sensoji Temple in Asakusa is worthwhile seeing, especially if you can catch them during service. If you make it out to Askakusa, then Akhihabra might be worth it for the electronics market and arcades, but that's up to you. We stayed in Shinjuku, which is typically where most folks stay. I walked over to the Park Hyatt to have a couple of cocktails at the hotel bar - the one that was made famous in Lost in Translation with Bill Murray. Shinjuku also has a really massive park, that is gorgeous. As far as going out, Shibuya is a good spot that's not too touristy.
It's a different culture. Duh. Eastern culture in general is different from Western. I know. I'm asian. The first thing that pops into my head when I hear Tokyo is "expensive". That place is beautiful, modern, and will burn through all your money if you aren't careful.
