Tokyo - Page 5

Dumar · 03-03-2009, 11:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Manseed

What does a mid range trip to Japan cost? A buddy and I would like to go there next year. We'll most likely split our time in half between sight seeing and partying. Anyone got any ballpark figures?

it can be cheap or expensive. airfare is the biggest chunk.. if you look around and go during nonholidays, you can get ticket for ~700. i've seen 650-2k+ for economy flights. a good middle ground is 1-1.2k.

mid-range you would spend ~30$ on food, 70-300 for hotel / day. you can go lower than this.. and higher obviously.

clubbing and barhopping is pretty expensive if you go to the nice places. 25 cover some places.. drinks 10-12 per.

sightseeing is cheap.. maybe 10-15 a day getting there if you travel around. most places you would sightsee are free, some have entrance fee 8-10.

if you wanna shop, you'll spend lots of money. that's where things get expensive fast.

so going just to party and sightsee is easily manageable. 2.5-3k including ticket for a week would be a comfortable trip. you can do it on less.

Ronne · 03-04-2009, 01:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zarcath

To fly from Chicago to Japan is like $1400+, which is a real shame. One of the reasons I don't think I can go back this year. Hawaii to Japan is only $600ish.

Only reason myself and a couple friends haven't done it yet. ~1500 just for the flight is such a kick in the nuts that we're having to wait until we're all (well, me mostly) done with school and have some kind of respectable income. Tickets are such a bitch that for a while we were contemplating driving to my relatives in San Fransisco, leaving my car there and hopping on a boat to Japan. 3 weeks at sea sounds shitty, but the prospect of being press-ganged into a pirate crew sounds like nothing but a bonus to me.

Know a couple people doing JET program stuff over there that we could even crash with(teaching english basically), but they are mostly out in bumfuck nowhere.

kahilm · 03-04-2009, 04:59 AM

i live about 15 minutes from shinjuku.

the washington hotel is near all the goverment buildings and skyscrapers so that area is kind of dead at night. you can easily walk to kabukicho (red light district) or take the oedo line from tochomae station to roppongi for some nightlife like everyone else has said.

drinking on the street is legal, by the way. you can grab beers from the convenience stores for like 200 yen and go to town. i recommend the new "strong 7" (7% alcohol) beer. try some chu-hi too, it's shochu + soda water + fruit flavors. tastes like sprite.

there are a bunch of conveyor belt sushi places in shinjuku, my favorite one is pretty close to your hotel. it's near the wendy's and yodobashi camera. i don't know the name, sorry.

don quixote is a pretty fun shop to check out. there's one one the big street in kabukicho. it's like a mix of wal-mart and spencer's gifts. lots of crazy japanese shit in there and everything is pretty cheap. great for souvenirs.

don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet, but be aware of the time of your last train. on the oedo line, from roppongi to tochomae, it's around 12:40am i think. after that, you gotta stay out until around 5-6am or take a taxi back. they can get pretty expensive.

also, when taking a cab, don't open or close the door. they're automatic. the driver will do it for you. no tips either.

edit: since you're so close to the tocho building (government offices), i recommend going to the top of them. it's free and it's a fucking awesome view, WAY better than tokyo tower. don't bother with that crap, it's a tourist trap. there's the south and north tower of the tocho building, check them both out. both are free. there's also a little tourist information center on the ground floor or 1st floor, i forget. it's the one where the elevator lets you out. the observation decks are open pretty late too (i think till around 11pm) so you can get an amazing night view. seriously recommended. awesome for dates too =)

Soygen · 03-04-2009, 07:55 PM

Man I'm jealous, Eomer! Japan is definitely somewhere I want to visit while I'm still relatively young. Hope you have a good time.

Araxen · 03-04-2009, 10:31 PM

I found this video entertaining.

Dumar · 03-04-2009, 11:03 PM

if interest in more pics of tokyo specifically, there's a site called tokyo night windows; has AMAZING pics of almost every area at night.

here's the english site.

r3probate · 03-05-2009, 08:35 PM

Go to Shibuya, find GAS PANIC, proceed down the stairs to the piss-smelling hellhole of a bar, and start picking up Filipino hookers.

You'll have a great time, I GUARANTEE IT.

Tripamang · 03-05-2009, 08:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r3probate

Go to Shibuya, find GAS PANIC, proceed down the stairs to the piss-smelling hellhole of a bar, and start picking up Filipino hookers.

You'll have a great time, I GUARANTEE IT.

Half of the hookers might actually turn out to be chicks.

GrobbeeTrull2.0 · 03-06-2009, 11:24 AM

Oh, be sure to go to Japan in fall/spring. Their summers are that sticky, nasty hot like in Ohio.

Zarcath · 03-09-2009, 12:55 PM

Did Eomer take off for Japan already? He didn't post a date in the op

Heylel Teomim · 03-09-2009, 01:22 PM

I went in summer and had a fine time.

IIRC I also went to Gas Panic and didn't care for it (didn't notice the hooker problem, just a bunch of underage girls). It was definitely a meat market, there were American servicemen all over the place generally giving us a bad name.

The one cool thing about the place is the lack of cover, which is rare in Japan. Instead, you must always have a drink in hand or they ask you to leave. It pretty much means everyone is utterly shitcanned by the end of the night. Ever seen a 90 lb girl in stiletto heels and a miniskirt trying to walk after eight shooters and a pitcher of beer? It's lke a top spinning down, it's hilarious.

Eomer · 03-09-2009, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Zarcath

Did Eomer take off for Japan already? He didn't post a date in the op

I leave Wednesday morning, stay in Tokyo Thursday/Friday and maybe Saturday, and then head to Nagano either Friday or Saturday, and then Hakuba from Sunday to Friday, then back to Tokyo and fly back on Sunday the 22nd. I have done pretty much zero to plan for this trip, all I know is I have hotels to stay in along the way, a 4 day rail pass, and that's pretty much it. Should be interesting!

Heylel Teomim · 03-09-2009, 01:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eomer

I leave Wednesday morning, stay in Tokyo Thursday/Friday and maybe Saturday, and then head to Nagano either Friday or Saturday, and then Hakuba from Sunday to Friday, then back to Tokyo and fly back on Sunday the 22nd. I have done pretty much zero to plan for this trip, all I know is I have hotels to stay in along the way, a 4 day rail pass, and that's pretty much it. Should be interesting!

You're ahead of where I was when I went. We had no hotels, but hostel reservations for about half the trip. If you're comfortable in a communal living environment, hostels are the way to go, you meet lots of really cool travelers. We didn't have many problems out of other tourists, and got along really well with the more adventurous ones. Brits and Aussies tended to be the most fun to hang around. Our only problems were, oddly enough, with some French Canadians who gave us a hard time and stole some things from a buddy of mine. I assume being Canadian you'll be immune to that :P

Eomer · 03-09-2009, 03:12 PM

Being Albertan and having a french name but despising sovereigntists I'd say that no, I probably wouldn't get along too well with em if they were on the "wrong" side of things, and there's about a 50/50 chance of that. In NZ we met a chick from Quebec, and she was a hardcore Quebec nationalist. We did not get along well at all.

But yes, British people tend to be a fucking blast, so long as they're not from Manchester, because communication becomes difficult. Aussies are pretty fun, but the dudes can get pretty fucking annoying after awhile.

Heylel Teomim · 03-09-2009, 03:18 PM

Not sure if they were from Quebec or not, but there was a pack of about six traveling together in one of our last hostels in Tokyo. We walk in and say our introductions, and before even saying hello we get "Do you speak French?" from a girl with them. None of us did, so we said no. Some guy behind her said something we didn't understand and they all laughed. For two days straight, they just stopped speaking English when we were in the room and kept snickering. Still don't know what they said. Later on we found a bunch of random stuff misisng when they left, couple shirts and a jacket, some souveniors.

We ran into the same Aussie guy in two different cities, and he was *always* hilariously drunk. Turns out when he got to Tokyo he missed his flight due to a visa issue and just decided to stay on vacation a few extra weeks. He kept forcing shochu and pineapple juice on everyone who walked in the room with him. I tried to take a nap on a couch in the commons one afternoon and he jumped up on my face screaming "OI OI WAKE UP SOLDIA!" and shoving booze in my face. He was definitely pretty exhausting. Funny guy though.

03-04-2009, 04:59 AM	#63 (permalink)
kahilm Registered User Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 75 +2 Internets	i live about 15 minutes from shinjuku. the washington hotel is near all the goverment buildings and skyscrapers so that area is kind of dead at night. you can easily walk to kabukicho (red light district) or take the oedo line from tochomae station to roppongi for some nightlife like everyone else has said. drinking on the street is legal, by the way. you can grab beers from the convenience stores for like 200 yen and go to town. i recommend the new "strong 7" (7% alcohol) beer. try some chu-hi too, it's shochu + soda water + fruit flavors. tastes like sprite. there are a bunch of conveyor belt sushi places in shinjuku, my favorite one is pretty close to your hotel. it's near the wendy's and yodobashi camera. i don't know the name, sorry. don quixote is a pretty fun shop to check out. there's one one the big street in kabukicho. it's like a mix of wal-mart and spencer's gifts. lots of crazy japanese shit in there and everything is pretty cheap. great for souvenirs. don't know if anyone has mentioned it yet, but be aware of the time of your last train. on the oedo line, from roppongi to tochomae, it's around 12:40am i think. after that, you gotta stay out until around 5-6am or take a taxi back. they can get pretty expensive. also, when taking a cab, don't open or close the door. they're automatic. the driver will do it for you. no tips either. edit: since you're so close to the tocho building (government offices), i recommend going to the top of them. it's free and it's a fucking awesome view, WAY better than tokyo tower. don't bother with that crap, it's a tourist trap. there's the south and north tower of the tocho building, check them both out. both are free. there's also a little tourist information center on the ground floor or 1st floor, i forget. it's the one where the elevator lets you out. the observation decks are open pretty late too (i think till around 11pm) so you can get an amazing night view. seriously recommended. awesome for dates too =) Last edited by kahilm; 03-04-2009 at 05:11 AM..

03-04-2009, 10:31 PM	#65 (permalink)
Araxen A Bearded Gnome Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Near Chicago, IL Posts: 4,919	I found this video entertaining. __________________ PSN: Araxen http://www.last.fm/user/araxen The Best FAQ on the Internet: The Official God FAQ

03-06-2009, 11:24 AM	#69 (permalink)
GrobbeeTrull2.0 Registered User Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Dayton, Ohio Posts: 4,174	Oh, be sure to go to Japan in fall/spring. Their summers are that sticky, nasty hot like in Ohio. __________________ "When the last tree has died; and the last river been poisoned; and the last fish been caught, we will realise that we cannot eat money." - Cree proverb

03-09-2009, 12:55 PM	#70 (permalink)
Zarcath is a little tea pot. Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Carlsbad CA Posts: 6,465 +75 Internets	Did Eomer take off for Japan already? He didn't post a date in the op __________________

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03-04-2009, 07:55 PM	#64 (permalink)
Soygen 100% Pure Soy Monk Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL Posts: 7,447 +107 Internets	Man I'm jealous, Eomer! Japan is definitely somewhere I want to visit while I'm still relatively young. Hope you have a good time.

03-05-2009, 08:35 PM	#67 (permalink)
r3probate unprincipled Join Date: Jan 2007 Posts: 756	Go to Shibuya, find GAS PANIC, proceed down the stairs to the piss-smelling hellhole of a bar, and start picking up Filipino hookers. You'll have a great time, I GUARANTEE IT.

03-09-2009, 01:22 PM	#71 (permalink)
Heylel Teomim The Educated Fool Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 2,987 +19 Internets	I went in summer and had a fine time. IIRC I also went to Gas Panic and didn't care for it (didn't notice the hooker problem, just a bunch of underage girls). It was definitely a meat market, there were American servicemen all over the place generally giving us a bad name. The one cool thing about the place is the lack of cover, which is rare in Japan. Instead, you must always have a drink in hand or they ask you to leave. It pretty much means everyone is utterly shitcanned by the end of the night. Ever seen a 90 lb girl in stiletto heels and a miniskirt trying to walk after eight shooters and a pitcher of beer? It's lke a top spinning down, it's hilarious.

03-09-2009, 03:12 PM	#74 (permalink)
Eomer You mean I can change this? Neat! Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 12,975 +66 Internets	Being Albertan and having a french name but despising sovereigntists I'd say that no, I probably wouldn't get along too well with em if they were on the "wrong" side of things, and there's about a 50/50 chance of that. In NZ we met a chick from Quebec, and she was a hardcore Quebec nationalist. We did not get along well at all. But yes, British people tend to be a fucking blast, so long as they're not from Manchester, because communication becomes difficult. Aussies are pretty fun, but the dudes can get pretty fucking annoying after awhile.

03-09-2009, 03:18 PM	#75 (permalink)
Heylel Teomim The Educated Fool Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Atlanta, GA Posts: 2,987 +19 Internets	Not sure if they were from Quebec or not, but there was a pack of about six traveling together in one of our last hostels in Tokyo. We walk in and say our introductions, and before even saying hello we get "Do you speak French?" from a girl with them. None of us did, so we said no. Some guy behind her said something we didn't understand and they all laughed. For two days straight, they just stopped speaking English when we were in the room and kept snickering. Still don't know what they said. Later on we found a bunch of random stuff misisng when they left, couple shirts and a jacket, some souveniors. We ran into the same Aussie guy in two different cities, and he was always hilariously drunk. Turns out when he got to Tokyo he missed his flight due to a visa issue and just decided to stay on vacation a few extra weeks. He kept forcing shochu and pineapple juice on everyone who walked in the room with him. I tried to take a nap on a couch in the commons one afternoon and he jumped up on my face screaming "OI OI WAKE UP SOLDIA!" and shoving booze in my face. He was definitely pretty exhausting. Funny guy though.