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If you're visiting Tokyo you really can choose from one of the widest ranges of food imaginable. There's something to suit all tastes.
If you want to choose from Japanese food then it's worth knowing a little before you go so you can select knowing you're not ordering anything too weird or wonderful! This resource gives you some of the top foods you'll find to help you on your way.
Odaiba is a man made island that sits right next to Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo Bay. There are great views of the city from here and you can enjoy lunch looking out over the bay from one of the many restaurants in the Tokyo Decks shopping center.
Nearby there are a number of museums (not the stuffy kind) to choose from as well as a huge game center Joypolis and Toyota Megaweb. This is an all-in-one day out in Tokyo.
If you are looking for an expert company doing phantastic walking tours in Japan, I can recommend Japan Travelogue. Lovely guys with a wealth of information doing tours for small groups and creating bespoke tours.
Akihabara is the largest electronics district in the world. The Japanese often refer to in its nickname - Akiba. The area is packed with shops selling electronics, PCs, video games and gadgets.
See more on which shops have english speaking stuff -
www.tokyo-top-guide.com/Akihabara.html
Sumo is the national sport in Japan. professional competitors weighing an average of 160 kg, and up to 250 kg !
Rules of Sumo are simple compared to western-style wrestling.
The professional sumo tournaments take place In January, May and September. More on how to buy tickets and reserve seats at -
www.tokyo-top-guide.com/Japan_Sports.html
Sumo tournaments take place at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
www.tokyo-top-guide.com
Sumo is the national sport in Japan. Most Sumo wrestlers are professional competitors weighing an average of 160 kg, and up to 250 kg !
In January, May and September sumo tournaments take place at Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
Try to go on the last days of the tournament. Get a ticket at the balcony because in the first rows there are tiny cabins. The Japanese sit there on their knees for hours, but it's unlikely that you can do that too.
Ryogoku Kokugikan in Tokyo.
Omotesando - A sophisticated tree-shaded boulevard often referred to as "Tokyo's fifth avenue".
This fashion avenue has stores such as Armani, Louis Vuitton, Prada, Christian Dior and many more.
A walk down Omotesando is like a compressed tour in contemporary architecture. All the designer label stores compete whose store is the most lavish, and up to date.
Omotesando
It happens every Sunday in Harajuku. Tokyo teens dress up in 'Harajuku Fashion'.
It is very amusing to see rebellious Tokyo teens dressed as Gothic Lolita, "fruits" or Anima characters.
They are just hanging out with friends, hoping their picture will be taken by one of the many magazine photographers in the crowd.
This takes place on Jingu Bridge (a pedestrian bridge that connects Harajuku to Meiji shrine).
The observation deck at Roppongi Hills is a very romantic place to be in the evening. The view of Tokyo urban light is stunning.
There is a bar at the same floor (must be the highest in the city) with transparent walls and shelves, so you can go on enjoying the astounding view of Tokyo while drinking.
While you're there, look for the excellent views of the Tokyo Tower - the Japanese version of the Eiffel Tower. It's a classic Romantic view at night.
At the Roppongi hills complex (Roppongi station on the Tokyo subway).
I highly recommend the daily guided walk from NaraWalk. The pace was excellent and the guide very knowledgeable and friendly. In addition to the historic sites, she showed us shopping areas for a wide range of items, including the famous Nara pickles. Nara is a short journey by train from Kyoto or Osaka and the website provides a link to an English-language route planner.
This is a restaurant, or rather coffee shop, where there are lots of cats hanging about for you to pet - really unique!
If you like the finest Powder (15 meters average snow fall), quiet slopes, stunning scenery, amazing food, politest lift attendants in the World and natural hot springs to soak your tired limbs in after a day on the slopes then Niseko on Japans far north Island Hokkaido, is definitely the place to go.
Prevailing Siberian winds dump hugh quantities of the worlds lightest powder creating a truly powder heaven. So if you’re a powder hound and want quality snow then this is the location.
Three interlinked ski areas (Hirafu, Annapuri and Higashiyama) combine to create Niseko, Japan’s largest and best known resort. Because it is so far from Tokyo it is relatively quiet compared to the ski areas in the Japan Alps.
The terrain includes wide cruising runs fringed with snow-laden trees (silver birch woodlands), steeper backcountry descents accessed from gates hidden throughout the ski area and a long well designed Snowboard Park. You can hike to the top of the mountain peak for some mind blowing views of Mt.Yotei (extinct volcano that is perfectly cone shaped) and excellent off-piste powder bowl runs. And did I mention the extensive night skiing? Wow and haven’t even stopped for a bowl of noodles.
If your there for a few weeks I would recommend checking out nearby resorts of Rusutsu and Furano (which allegedly has the driest finest powder in the world).
Getting there: Fly with BA or Virgin direct to Tokyo (11 hours) and Hokkaido is only a 11/2 hour flight and then 2 hour bus transfer. Or buy a JR rail pass which can only be bought by tourists to use bullet trains.
Where to stay:
Best secret, I stayed in Annapurna hostel which is more like a rustic hotel. 2 minutes to lifts it is a beautiful wooden chalet with great cosy communal area with open fire place. Amazingly tasty traditional Japanese dinner of several courses prepared fresh everyday by the loving friendly owner who will also drive you to local Onsons (natural hot springs) every night. Best value around at Y5,300 (£40) per night with breakfast and mind blowing dinner. You can even do your own board waxing in the ski room. www.snowjapan.com/e/hotel/viewhotel.php?hotid=79.
The only downside (or upside) is that there is no ‘western’ night life in Annapurna village but for a few days I highly recommend staying here. Those after nightlife (with an Australian flavour) should stay in Hirafu the largest of the villages, where there is plenty of bars to choose from.
Top tips for Boarding Japan
• Bring your own gear – hiring is expensive
• If you don’t have your own gear then book ski and board rental before you get there. It’s a lot cheaper.
• Bring cash. Only post offices and 7-11 cash points work with foreign visa cards. Also tell your card company that you are going away. I have two days stranded with no cash.
• Most hotels and lodges offer discount lift tickets. It is better to buy two discounted tickets (3 and 4 day) then to buy a 7 day ticket from the ticket office.
www.snowjapan.com/ - places to stay and snow reports
www.snowjapan.com/e/hotel/viewhotel.php?hotid=79. My favourite accommodation
www.skisafari.com/Ski-Japan.aspx - information about the area
www.skihirejapan.com/home.php - renting boarding gear
Japan's iconic bullet train lives up to its reputation. Fast, clean and always on time, the bullet train (Shinkansen) travels up and down Japan's main rail network, transporting you from hub cities like Tokyo and Kyoto in a matter of hours. Trains travel at speeds up to 300 kph and are a great travel experience. The city to city centre network means that they can be time saving as well, much quicker than travelling via Japan's notoriously remote airports.
The downside is that train travel can be very expensive, particularly at today's exchange rates. A single ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto starts from GBP100! However, there is a solution... if you are a visitor to Japan then before you travel you should get yourself a Japan Rail Pass. Available in 7, 14 and 21 day flavours, you can save a huge amount of money if you plan to travel more than a couple of times on Japan's rail network. A 7 day Japan Rail Pass costs around GBP235 at current exchange rates - just slightly more than the price of a return journey.
More details can be found at www.japanrail.com/JR_shinkansen.html
Your local travel agent or www.japantravel.co.uk can sell you a Japan Rail Pass
Remember, you have to get a Japan Rail Pass before you leave for Japan and it must be validated once you arrive in Japan. My recommendation is that get yourself a reserved ticket whenever you travel, as services can get quite busy at times. You can get reservations just 30 mins prior to travel. When you get to the Shinkansen station, go to the ticket office and ask for a reserved seat or go to the English speaking Tourist Information centre in the main stations for further help.
One additional tip, if travelling with a group of friends, also note that the seats also spin around so that you can sit face to face. Just place your foot on the lever under the seat and spin (thanks to a local passenger for showing my friends and I this!)
If you want to immerse yourself within the busy environment that Japan offers, then your best bet would be to stay at The Tokyo Hostel, in Ryusen Taito-Ku. The hostel is often home to a number of backpackers from all over the globe and makes for a fun and social accommodation option. Offering a superb selection of room options, from dorms to private rooms and at a great price too, this is an ideal place to stay when visiting the Japanese capital.
The no curfew rule means that you have access to the hostel 24 hours a day, meaning no restrictions to your evening’s plans. All in all this is an ideal hostel in Tokyo, as it offers great amenities and central location.
www.hostelbookers.com/booking/index.cfm?hostel=5465&nights=2&fuseaction=hosteldetails
Often referred to as Tokyo City Hall, this skyscraper offers amazing views of the city. The building is located in the Shinjuku area of the city and the panoramic observatories that take up the top two floors are almost 240 meters high, offering an unrivalled view of the Tokyo cityscape. The observatories are open to the public and are free to enter, making this a fantastic way to observe this Japanese metropolis.
2-8-1, Nishishinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 163-8001 Japan
The chain of Karaoke-Kan’s in Shibuya means that getting to belt out an 80’s classic is always going to be a possibility on a Friday night. With around several establishments dotted around the city, private karaoke rooms are available should you fear embarrassment from singing in front of others, are available from around £15 an hour, and most have an assortment of extra features, such as concert-style lighting, to add to the rock star experience.
30-8 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
The 2003 film, directed by Sofia Coppola, was shot entirely in Tokyo, mostly in the Shinjuku and Shibuya areas. Two of the most iconic locations from the film: The Park Hyatt Hotel, where Bill Murray and Scarlett Johansson both stay, can be found right in the heart of Shinjuku and is regarded as one of the city’s best hotels; and the skyscraper with the large video screen can be found at the Hachiko exit of the Shibuya station.
When visiting this area of Tokyo many people are taken aback at how bright and colorful the city becomes at night. The Japanese capital is famous for its neon cityscape and the main road in Shinjuku, around the corner from the Kabukicho district, is the perfect place to take photos of the wall of lights that line the streets.
For stunning free views of Shinjuku's ultra modern business district, and most of Tokyo, head to the high speed lifts that whisk you up either of the two 240m towers of this cathedral like government building by architect Kenzo Tange (Olympic gymnasium, Fuji TV centre, catholic cathedral,and further afield, Hiroshima peace park museum) Best place to see the sun set, and marvel at the extravagance of this 157 billion yen City Hall. While in the area explore Shinjuku metro, the worlds busiest station, and the teeming bar district. For a little solitude visit Hanazono shrine or the beautiful central park, imperial gardens or nearby iris filled Meiji Jingu gardens and shrine.
www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/TMG/outline.htm
Just west of JR Shinkuku, follow a subway if you can but when lost surface and head into the skyscrapers.
For such an urban country, Japan's many mountain ranges remain unspoilt and relatively unknown other than to numerous enthusiastic and fit Japanese walkers of all ages. The North Alps are as good as the European ones and once away from the busy valley entrance lodges, exhilaratingly empty, and stunningly scenic. A network of dozens of simple traditional mountain huts provide ridge-top overnight accommodation in dormitories which are decidedly cosy for taller people and a welcome evening meal of meat, fresh vegetables, rice, and mizo soup. Enormous bento box lunches see you through the days. With snow on the peaks much of the year, the summer season is quite short but the ridges are covered with alpine flowers, miniature love lies bleeding, stunted birch, pine and rhodedendron woods, and marmots. Autumn colours come early. Numerous trails are signed and there are plenty of routes for a few days to a couple of weeks. The Kamikochi Valley is a good place to start with afew hours walk up to many peaks at around 3000m. Booking accomodation which in summer is necessary will be easier if you speak Japanese or have a friend who does. Water is scarce high up, so treat yourself in a hotel with onsen baths when you descend.
Central North Honshu, a half days drive north of Kanazawa.
www.kamikochi.or.jp/english/
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