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Japan
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).
This is a restaurant, or rather coffee shop, where there are lots of cats hanging about for you to pet - really unique!
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.
Situated next to the Toshimaen theme park, Niwa-no-Yu Onsen (garden spa) is a relatively new super onsen, about 15 minutes from Ikebukero by train. Costing 2200yen for a ticket, you get towels, yukata, and even a free toothbrush and razor.
Inside is a selection of different flavour natural spring hot pools, sauna, steam room, cold pool, and then a lovely garden-set rotenburo outside.
Once you've bathed (usual caveats about Japanese bathing apply - shower first, so you're clean when you get in the pool) you can slip into your yukata and pop upstairs. A restaurant, bar, smoking terrace, and relaxation room await. The reclining chairs with the birdsong tweeting out of the speakers in the headrest are particularly good for a gentle sleep.
As far as I can tell there is no time limit on being there - the last visit we spent about 5 hours, bathing, sleeping, eating, bathing etc.
Super clean, very luxurious and not as gimmicky as some of the other themed onsen in Tokyo city. Worth a go if you can't get out to a countryside onsen and do it early in your trip, because after your first try you'll definitely want to do it all again.
A short walk from Toshimaen station, on the Oedo line or Seibu Ikebukero line. web-japan.org/tokyo/tips/onsen_tour/onsen_cont6.html
If you fly into Narita, go to the JR ticket office (on the lowest floor where the trains leave from) and there they have a combo offer allowing you to buy a Narita Express ticket (the train to get you into Tokyo) and get a Suica card (the Japanese Oyster card equivalent) at the same time. The best bit is that the combined cost is little more than the cost of the Narita Express ticket on its own and the Suica card comes with 1500yen preloaded on it and you don't have to pay the usual 500yen deposit. You need your passport to be able to take up the offer..
Don't try to do all Japan in one trip, but these three places provide a perfect introduction: the cutting-edge modernity of Tokyo, the mystical beauty of Kyoto and the serenity of Hakone National Park, where you can stay in a traditional hot spring inn. The itinerary offered by Inside Japan Tours also includes travel on the Bullet Train.
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