Tokyo - Page 2

earthfell · 03-02-2009, 08:44 PM

Yes, for the duration of your trip you are American. In other parts of the world Americans have to say they are Canadian. Not here.

Paybacks a bitch!

Just follow Zarcath's advice.

I personally didn't like Tokyo that much, it's more of an amusement park than anything else. It felt like that sleazy city in the movie A.I. to me. Osaka though, now that place is awesome. A perfect mixture of traditional and modern (whereas Tokyo was firebombed to hell and back).

But fuck the bars and the clubs... just a bunch of drunks and druggies and meaningless superficial culture of cool. Go to Mt Fuji and cry as 90 year old hunchbacked obaasans pass you by. Get ramen, yummiest food in Japan (and cheap too!). It comes down to what type of person you are (besides being a total bitch). Would you rather spend your time with pop-culture or traditional culture?

But the easiest way to have fun in Tokyo is to just wander around. Everything is that different. It may not have been my favorite place, but it has a powerful vibe, and you can feel it.

Zarcath · 03-02-2009, 08:59 PM

I didn't actually get to go to Osaka. I wanted to, but I didn't realize how far away it was in relation to Tokyo. It's about 2-4+ hours, depending on how fast the train is, and can cost anywhere from $100-300. When I was looking at it, I was planning to do an overnight bus for about $150ish? But to do that side trip alone (including room to rent) would have been $500+, and I was already paying rent for the place I was at.

The next time I go to japan, I'm just going to fly direct to Kansai and then take a train back to Tokyo, fly out of Narita.

Deus Divini · 03-02-2009, 09:18 PM

Last time I was in Tokyo, which was in 2002, I stayed at the Shinjuku Washington Hotel... there was this park directly across the street that was breath taking. There were all kinds of sculptures, both classic and contemporary all through the park. And there was an awesome Shinto shrine there as well. If the park is still there I HIGHLY recommend checking it out. I got lost in there for like 3 hours.

Also a very close friend of mine is studying out there and working as an interpreter... if you're interested I can ask her if she'd be up to showing you around a bit.

Dumar · 03-02-2009, 09:39 PM

trying to find my other funny/nontourist pics, but i think i lost most of them on hard drive wipe.

Heylel Teomim · 03-02-2009, 09:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zarcath

I didn't actually get to go to Osaka. I wanted to, but I didn't realize how far away it was in relation to Tokyo. It's about 2-4+ hours, depending on how fast the train is, and can cost anywhere from $100-300. When I was looking at it, I was planning to do an overnight bus for about $150ish? But to do that side trip alone (including room to rent) would have been $500+, and I was already paying rent for the place I was at.

The next time I go to japan, I'm just going to fly direct to Kansai and then take a train back to Tokyo, fly out of Narita.

Osaka is awesome, but it is the most confusing goddamn city in the world. Addresses aren't in order, the buildings are assigned numbers chronologically on the same block, and everything is a high rise with no directory. Being a mailman in that city must be the most frustrating job in the world.

We arrived in Osaka late on our very first night in the country, and we were starving. We found this awesome little korean bbq near our hostel, owned by a filipino family. We sat and had a huge meal, the owner and his wife sat and ate with us while their daughter practiced her english. It was so much fun we went back the next night. They were so flattered we came back that they gave us over 1000 yen in food for free, on top of the oversized orders we already had. It was awesome.

Dumar · 03-02-2009, 09:55 PM

this is my fav aside from the glare on the left. on an early autumn morning at temple in kamakura, japanese archery prep.

Ginn · 03-02-2009, 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eomer

Keep with the recent theme of posting about future travels and asking about things to do, I'm taking off for about 12 days in Japan next week. Most of the trip is a scheduled "tour", basically we're heading to Nagano and Hakuba to ski. However I get in a couple days before that starts, and will be staying probably at the Shinjuku Washington hotel. Please offer your suggestions for things to do in those couple spare days, and any general travel tips I should know about Japan.

Ok the big party spots are in the Roppongi area of Tokyo. The Rodeo Drive area is Ginza. Hot rich chicks hang out in Ginza, but the local bartenders and wait staff don't speak much English.

Roppongi is fucking booming on Friday and Saturday, while I was in Japan my favorite bar was Shot Bar in Roppongi actually I'll give you the address. Rokuei bldg. b1F 1-14-11. Roppongi, Minato-ku Tokyo. Long story short, coolest fucking bartender in the world his name is Yamauchi. Spoke decent english, always had hot local girls in the bar (that spoke very good english), and when me and my Aussie snowboarding buddies didn't have any women he called some up. Oh yeah and if some Nigerian tries to get you to go with him when you're stumbling down the street after closing the bar down... don't fucking go, he'll lead you to a shitty Yakuza owned strip club where the women don't even dance and they want to charge you $50 U.S. just to get in and $20 a drink for the strippers. Damn I almost got my ass handed to me that night....

I wish I could tell you more about Japan, but I was there 2 weeks and never left Tokyo cause there was just too damn much to see there. I hear Kyoto women are much friendlier than Tokyo women. So you know might want to hit that city too!

Heylel Teomim · 03-02-2009, 10:04 PM

Roppongi is the most American night life district, and its where most of the servicemen go when they get a weekend pass.

Kabukicho is a sub-district of Shinjuku, it's technically the red light district. It's way more fun, and not as seedy as you'd think from its reputation. You'll find many fewer tourists. Also, if you do happen to hook up with a local girl, Kabukicho is much closer to the little themed sex hotels that the locals love. At first blush you'd think they were brothels, but they're actually just discrete hotels where people who hook up in bars end up going rather than taking the trains home since the city is so huge. Even older couples end up taking weekend trips and stuff. On that note, you'll pretty much have to insist on a condom, the girls won't do it for you. It's still the exception rather than the rule over there.

One more thing, it really helps to go out with a friend, so if you meet a cool local stick to them and have them show you around. This more than anything else will keep the Nigerians off your back. A white guy walking alone in a night life district is going to have every con man's attention for ten blocks. If you have a local guide, they usually back off.

Zarcath · 03-02-2009, 10:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dumar

this is my fav aside from the glare on the left. on an early autumn morning at temple in kamakura, japanese archery prep.

Nice! One of my goals is to backpack across Japan and shoot at a kyudojo in each city.

Quote:

One more thing, it really helps to go out with a friend, so if you meet a cool local stick to them and have them show you around. This more than anything else will keep the Nigerians off your back. A white guy walking alone in a night life district is going to have every con man's attention for ten blocks. If you have a local guide, they usually back off.

I guess I was lucky in that regard, I was never approached by con artists. Then again, I was never approached by women either.

the wedding procession i saw at meiji shrine

Deus Divini · 03-02-2009, 10:39 PM

God, seeing all these pics I feel a very serious need to go back. I've never been somewhere that I've felt so surrounded by life, and felt just honestly happy the be somewhere.
Kyoto is by far one of the most beautiful and culturally rich cities on Earth IMO

Dumar · 03-02-2009, 10:42 PM

yeah deus, i feel same way.

i can post more pics if you guys want. i'm sure zarcrath has some too. lemme know if you actually wanna see. didn't wanna flood the thread with them. =P

Deus Divini · 03-02-2009, 10:48 PM

I lost all mine from my last trip, since they're all hard copy photos... I'll look through all my boxes and see if I can find them.
Best pic ever was me outside a KFC in Shinjuku standing with some girls in Yukata and a statue of the Colonel in a Yukata as well. Every time I see it I damn near piss myself.

But yeah, throw up some more pics man. I love seeing pics of Japan

Eduardo · 03-02-2009, 11:32 PM

While this isn't Tokyo related, this is a great movie about a guy who walks the length of Japan. Definitely worth the full watch, inspiring.

Deus Divini · 03-02-2009, 11:45 PM

Pic of my friend Edith (the interpreter) getting ready for a spring festival and another of her and a friend at a glass blower's place in northern Japan.

Zarcath · 03-03-2009, 12:23 AM

Man you know you're a japanophile when...

First thought "I'd hit it"

Second thought "she's wearing her yukata wrong"

that dinner was at Denny's. I went in there because I was craving some american food...

03-02-2009, 08:59 PM	#17 (permalink)
Zarcath is a little tea pot. Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Carlsbad CA Posts: 6,465 +75 Internets	I didn't actually get to go to Osaka. I wanted to, but I didn't realize how far away it was in relation to Tokyo. It's about 2-4+ hours, depending on how fast the train is, and can cost anywhere from $100-300. When I was looking at it, I was planning to do an overnight bus for about $150ish? But to do that side trip alone (including room to rent) would have been $500+, and I was already paying rent for the place I was at. The next time I go to japan, I'm just going to fly direct to Kansai and then take a train back to Tokyo, fly out of Narita. __________________

03-02-2009, 10:48 PM	#27 (permalink)
Deus Divini Fate's Fool Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Sin City Posts: 33 -17 Internets	I lost all mine from my last trip, since they're all hard copy photos... I'll look through all my boxes and see if I can find them. Best pic ever was me outside a KFC in Shinjuku standing with some girls in Yukata and a statue of the Colonel in a Yukata as well. Every time I see it I damn near piss myself. But yeah, throw up some more pics man. I love seeing pics of Japan Last edited by Deus Divini; 03-02-2009 at 10:57 PM..

03-02-2009, 11:45 PM	#29 (permalink)
Deus Divini Fate's Fool Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Sin City Posts: 33 -17 Internets	Pic of my friend Edith (the interpreter) getting ready for a spring festival and another of her and a friend at a glass blower's place in northern Japan. Attached Images

03-03-2009, 12:23 AM	#30 (permalink)
Zarcath is a little tea pot. Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Carlsbad CA Posts: 6,465 +75 Internets	Man you know you're a japanophile when... First thought "I'd hit it" Second thought "she's wearing her yukata wrong" that dinner was at Denny's. I went in there because I was craving some american food... Attached Images __________________

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03-02-2009, 08:44 PM	#16 (permalink)
earthfell The clouds are my friends. Join Date: Mar 2007 Posts: 881 -67 Internets	Yes, for the duration of your trip you are American. In other parts of the world Americans have to say they are Canadian. Not here. Paybacks a bitch! Just follow Zarcath's advice. I personally didn't like Tokyo that much, it's more of an amusement park than anything else. It felt like that sleazy city in the movie A.I. to me. Osaka though, now that place is awesome. A perfect mixture of traditional and modern (whereas Tokyo was firebombed to hell and back). But fuck the bars and the clubs... just a bunch of drunks and druggies and meaningless superficial culture of cool. Go to Mt Fuji and cry as 90 year old hunchbacked obaasans pass you by. Get ramen, yummiest food in Japan (and cheap too!). It comes down to what type of person you are (besides being a total bitch). Would you rather spend your time with pop-culture or traditional culture? But the easiest way to have fun in Tokyo is to just wander around. Everything is that different. It may not have been my favorite place, but it has a powerful vibe, and you can feel it.

03-02-2009, 09:18 PM	#18 (permalink)
Deus Divini Fate's Fool Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Sin City Posts: 33 -17 Internets	Last time I was in Tokyo, which was in 2002, I stayed at the Shinjuku Washington Hotel... there was this park directly across the street that was breath taking. There were all kinds of sculptures, both classic and contemporary all through the park. And there was an awesome Shinto shrine there as well. If the park is still there I HIGHLY recommend checking it out. I got lost in there for like 3 hours. Also a very close friend of mine is studying out there and working as an interpreter... if you're interested I can ask her if she'd be up to showing you around a bit.

03-02-2009, 10:04 PM	#23 (permalink)
Heylel Teomim The Educated Fool Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 2,987 +19 Internets	Roppongi is the most American night life district, and its where most of the servicemen go when they get a weekend pass. Kabukicho is a sub-district of Shinjuku, it's technically the red light district. It's way more fun, and not as seedy as you'd think from its reputation. You'll find many fewer tourists. Also, if you do happen to hook up with a local girl, Kabukicho is much closer to the little themed sex hotels that the locals love. At first blush you'd think they were brothels, but they're actually just discrete hotels where people who hook up in bars end up going rather than taking the trains home since the city is so huge. Even older couples end up taking weekend trips and stuff. On that note, you'll pretty much have to insist on a condom, the girls won't do it for you. It's still the exception rather than the rule over there. One more thing, it really helps to go out with a friend, so if you meet a cool local stick to them and have them show you around. This more than anything else will keep the Nigerians off your back. A white guy walking alone in a night life district is going to have every con man's attention for ten blocks. If you have a local guide, they usually back off.

03-02-2009, 10:39 PM	#25 (permalink)
Deus Divini Fate's Fool Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Sin City Posts: 33 -17 Internets	God, seeing all these pics I feel a very serious need to go back. I've never been somewhere that I've felt so surrounded by life, and felt just honestly happy the be somewhere. Kyoto is by far one of the most beautiful and culturally rich cities on Earth IMO

03-02-2009, 11:32 PM	#28 (permalink)
Eduardo Cinnamilk cures homeopathy Join Date: Jun 2006 Posts: 734 -15 Internets	While this isn't Tokyo related, this is a great movie about a guy who walks the length of Japan. Definitely worth the full watch, inspiring.