Random Japan Trip Notes

POB

POB

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Here are a few short random notes about a trip to Japan I just returned from.
Please note I'm a terrible photographer! I did way more than the photos would suggest but I'm lazy when it comes to taking photos.

Flight
Went KLM via Schiphol, on the 747 Combi. (Half cargo/half passengers)
Whole row of seats for me:


Landed at Narita Airport which is 57km from Tokyo Station. Took the Narita Express train which was ¥4,000 for a return trip. Takes 53 minutes.

Hotel

Yes it had a magical toilet. However I did use a better one somewhere else that had a remote control :p.

The squirting water fountain is great, nice and clean. I want a Japanese toilet.


Food
I ate cheaply. Not really due to budget but being a solo trip I preferred noodle bar style eating, rather than a table sit down kinda meal.

Burger king has melon Fanta and cheese fondue.

Selection of random pics:




Onsen Theme Park

Oedo-Onsen-Monogatari is a Japanese bath theme park. But very foreigner friendly. Don't bother if you have tattoos, they won't let you in as they think you're a member of the Yakuza.

You arrive, put your shoes in a shoe locker. Pick the style of Yukata (like a dressing gown). Get dressed into the Yukata. Then explore the Edo style town. Which has food, carnival games and drinking.

This place has an outside foot bath (you can still wear the Yukata). Then the main indoor and outdoor hot springs (which are gender separated)

You need to get naked and shower, making sure you are clean with no soap suds. They give you a modesty towel.

Hot springs are relaxing and different styles of pools etc. When your done dry up and go back to the Edo town for more drinking etc. :D

They give you an English leaflet at reception so it was a great way to learn how to use hot springs. Quite a few foreign visitors. I'd highly recommend this place, surprisingly good experience and mega relaxing after tiring days of walking. Not as authentic as say a small Onsen in a small town with views of mountains but a great way to start.



Tokyo Tower

Like the Eiffel tower except much more efficient and partly taken over by a One Piece attraction (Pirate Manga). I want the Once Piece Fiat 500.

The tower has some odd mascots.


Robot Restaurant

Crazy!!! Less of a restaurant more of a show, you don't have to eat and they only serve bento boxes. Complete with Japanese dancers, fighting robots, lights, mega loud music and smoke.

Utterly bananas. This place is everything you'd hope Japan would be.

Grab a couple of drinks in the robot lounge first to help the experience.

Cost was ¥5,500 inc one drink via JAPANiCAN.com


 
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Part 2:

Tokyo Disney & Disney Sea
I love theme parks, Tokyo Disney sea is a great park. The other main Disneyland one is basically the same as any other Magic Kingdom.

Get there for opening and you do most of the rides in a couple of hours before the mega queues start.

According to Disney it is Easter until sometime in June. :confused:

Story on the tower of terror is completely different, I love the twilightzone but this is better. Sadly they make you wear a chest seatbelt, so no airtime :(.

Food is kinda Japanese, being in an American theme parked I craved American food. Pretty sure all the other foreign visitors in the park had the same idea and all found the fried chicken place.






Akihabara

Is the sort of electronics district. My favorite area of Tokyo.

There is a cool video game store called Super Potato. It is down a side street with no street level entrance, you have to go up a few levels to get in. (http://www.superpotato.com/) They have loads of retro stuff. They even have the worst game ever.



I kinda wish I'd tried to get AKB48 tickets. (140 member girl group :D) They have a foreigner lottery but you have to do it in advance.



Random Drinks

I love random vending machine drinks. Sooooo many different kinds, all about ¥100-¥130. So much Tomy Lee Jones Boss Coffee.

 
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Part 3

Shinkansen to Kyoto

The Shinkansen is how trains should work, plenty of room, on time and quick.
Two trains departing:


Watch 3:30 onwards to see Mt. Fuji (I think!:p) Then another train passes at speed. (Sorry for the vertical video!)


Experienced a game of snap with my Surface :p


I grabbed a Bento Box at the train station. Fun to try items you have no idea what will taste like :cool:.



Kyoto

When looking into visiting Japan, I was convinced I'd just want to visit Tokyo, but I'm very glad I added an overnight in Kyoto.

I needed to ride the Shinkansen so picked here. Visiting Japan without going anywhere else would be a mistake.

Kyoto is very beautiful and has a lot of temples and shrines. All cheap to get into around ¥400ish.

Got a one day transport pass included with my Shinkansen ticket allowed use of buses and subway all day.

Kinkaku-ji is covered in Gold.



Nij? Castle is cool, Showguns castle you can walk around inside.

Gion in Kyoto is a Geisha District and looks old.



I did an overnight in Kyoto. Stayed in the capsule hotel :p



Very clean one in Kyoto called Nine Hours http://ninehours.co.jp/en/

Very warm inside though, but slept very well. Might be from too much walking.
 
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The one thing I regret from my trip is not visiting the Robot Restaurant, but finances didn't permit. Did you visit the Sky Tower, Disney or Fuji at all?
 
The one thing I regret from my trip is not visiting the Robot Restaurant, but finances didn't permit. Did you visit the Sky Tower, Disney or Fuji at all?

Went to both Disney parks. Only saw Fuji from the Shinkansen. Skipped the sky tower due to visiting the government metropolitan building for the view.
 
Did you go one your own? I wish I was brave enough to set off by myself, I only live about 10 mins away from an airport. In the past there was a stage in my life I could have taken a year out just to wonder the world, I still want to travel the world at some stage, but I'm just getting older and older.
 
Off to Tokyo 4 weeks today. Any places you recommend eating at?
Been looking at going for ages but it was just so expensive however recently we got a stupidly cheap deal for flights, £400 return flights each (with premium economy on the return leg).
 
Man you missed out on the epic Fuji Theme Park? It's phenomenal roller coaster wise. From the looks of it you had fairly decent weather for the trip, I was in Disney on NYE and it was on par with the weather today, rather bizarre. Did the efficiency of the train system catch you off guard a bit? I know it did for me.
 
Off to Tokyo 4 weeks today. Any places you recommend eating at?
Been looking at going for ages but it was just so expensive however recently we got a stupidly cheap deal for flights, £400 return flights each (with premium economy on the return leg).

two awesome places you should definitely try. one is yoshinawa. the outside looks like this

URMo1Wz.jpg


yes its a fast food chain and its bloody lovely. you can get a rice bowl with onions and beef for about 2 quid and its sooooo tasty. saved my life on more than one occasion as the savier and pre stopper to a hangover.

another awesome place is here https://goo.gl/maps/g4j6S its known as a few things such as yakatori alley and also **** alley ( think wee wee ) but its awesome food and just a great place to visit just becasue
 
Did you go one your own? I wish I was brave enough to set off by myself, I only live about 10 mins away from an airport. In the past there was a stage in my life I could have taken a year out just to wonder the world, I still want to travel the world at some stage, but I'm just getting older and older.

Yeah on my own. I'm kinda shy but less so outside the UK for some reason.

I've allways wanted to go to Japan. It seems daunghting but was easier than I expected once there.

My tip for a solo trip would be to pre book some tickets for shows and attractions so you are forced to do things, rather than giving yourself the option to skip things.

Seriously just do it!
 
Off to Tokyo 4 weeks today. Any places you recommend eating at?
Been looking at going for ages but it was just so expensive however recently we got a stupidly cheap deal for flights, £400 return flights each (with premium economy on the return leg).

My favourite place is a Udon place in the middle of Asakusa. Their curry Udon is AMAZING! Just trying to find it on Google maps...
 
Off to Tokyo 4 weeks today. Any places you recommend eating at?
Been looking at going for ages but it was just so expensive however recently we got a stupidly cheap deal for flights, £400 return flights each (with premium economy on the return leg).

Ahh the Air Itallia deal, that is what got me started. In the end I decided the connection times were not worth the saving over using KLM from my local airport Bristol.

As ikillbears mentioned yoshinoya is good. But Curry House CoCo is my favorite. It is Japanese curry which is different.



Other than that for cheap eats just grab random ramen etc from everywhere.

Most places have plastic models of the food, vending machines to buy food are common, the machine prints a ticket which you hand over when you sit down.

Make sure you have Okonomiyaki somewhere.
 
Man you missed out on the epic Fuji Theme Park? It's phenomenal roller coaster wise. From the looks of it you had fairly decent weather for the trip, I was in Disney on NYE and it was on par with the weather today, rather bizarre. Did the efficiency of the train system catch you off guard a bit? I know it did for me.

:( that places looks epic!

I'll be back....

Train system was impressive, especially the Shinkansen. They ran to time but I did not enjoy buses around Kyoto.
 
It was. I intend on going back maybe next year. Went over NYE just gone and it's not the best time to go. You get the Emperors speech at the Tokyo Palace, but other than that there's not a lot to do as everywhere is either closed or limited hours. I did 10 days in Tokyo which is more than enough there, so next time I'll probably do Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka, and if the timing is right, actually climb Fuji.

I should start saving now...
 
It's one thing I just used to love doing after traipsing about all day - clothes off and put on the yukata. A nice glass of asahi beer and some yakitori chicken. Bliss!
 
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