Forum - View topicCrashing Japan - One Week in Tokyo
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Faceman
 Posts: 300 Location: Boston |
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Hey, just wondering if there would be anyway to create a Crashing Japan master archive list. The previous years don't seem to be listed anywhere (at least under the Features). Would be nice to have a direct link for all three years (and any future ones at that)!
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Cowboy Cadenza
Posts: 243 Location: Poughkeepsie, NY |
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Heh, I just got back from a two-month stay in Tokyo (through my college); the first night, 4 of us stayed in that Sakura House. It was probably just the jetlag, but I was happy to get out of there after one night. The area is pretty quiet, though, and lots of vendors right down the street make it easy to get a cheap meal. The shrines in Asakusa are also beautiful. I ended up living in an apartment in Monzen-nakacho (in the Fukagawa district) for the rest of my time there. I was studying at Ochanomizu University (it's an all-girl's school; it has some sort of tie to my college when mine was all girls back in the late 1800s or something)(I'm a guy, by the way), which was a 40-45 minute commute every morning. Anyway, no matter where you stay in Tokyo, nothing else in Tokyo is more than 45-60 minutes away by subway or the JR Lines, 'cept maybe Odaiba (which you should DEFINITELY go to - there's a nice Shonen Jump store, and what I think is the biggest Ferris wheel in Tokyo). Ah, I miss Tokyo now... 
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scortia
 Posts: 174 |
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Oh Shounen Jump Store... I couldn't leave you without blowing at least $100. The wall of pins is STAGGERING. When the most obscure characters of almost every Jump title are available in pin form... how can you resist!? 
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sorvani
Posts: 71 |
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if you are hauling all your luggage, i definitely recommend either the limo bus or the narita express for the simplification of the trip. Takin the normal train is much cheaper, and with only a single bag and a carry on it is pretty simple.
For my hotels i usually search on Rakuten Travel's website. http://travel.rakuten.co.jp/en/ I found a nice little hotel in Shibuya on there a couple years ago that has become my default Tokyo hotel, the Sakura Fleur Aoyama. 5 minutes from Shibuya station and single room rate form 7800 yen a night. and just fyi for those who think the JR pass is all that.. well it isn't really. unless you are going to be running back and forth on the shinkansen it isn't worth it. Just stop at the JR ticket office at Narita and get a SUICA card or a PASSMO and put 2,000 yen on it. It works on the JR lines, the Tokyo Metro, and most other lines around Tokyo, and you will spend less money. You can even use it at many shops around the stations to pay for a quick meal or purchase. The SUICA doesn't cost anything as long as you turn it back in when you leave. When you first get it, they ask for 2000 yen and charge it with 1500 of that. the remaining 500 is a deposit that you get back when you return the card. I never bothered to return mine, I simply brought it home and then 6 months later when i went back, i charged it back up at the fare machine and off i went. |
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Rosyna
Posts: 40 |
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I found most places in the Tokyo area accept credit cards. It is entirely, completely possible to visit japan without using much cash (well, you can't use cash in the food stalls).
Note that Visa is everywhere you want to be. And the CitiBanks in Tokyo (there's at least one in Shibuya, Ginza, and Hiro-o that are super easy to get to) have ATMs that accept foreign debit cards. There's also a citibank ATM in the Narita airport. Special note about Visa: For all foreign transactions, you are charged a 3% fee (regardless of what bank you use). For all ATM transactions there is a %1 fee (again, regardless of the bank). These are fees VISA adds. And depending on the bank that issued your check card, you may have a $5 fee for each use of a foreign ATM. But either way, it's far, far cheaper than using one of those airport currency exchange windows. They charge you an arm and a leg in fees and give you bad conversion rates. |
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yourfinallyfree
 Posts: 9 |
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its not fair I've always wanted to go to japan. but as of late i cant even afford food so i dont see that ever happening. but it nice to vicariously live though people who have.
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Rosyna
Posts: 40 |
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vicariously is my middle name. See http://sailor月.com/japan/Japan.html |
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Tempest
 I Run this place.ANN Publisher  Posts: 10420 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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First time I went three years ago it was very different. Since then I've noticed that credit cards are more and more accepted every year. But I still wouldn't go without taking about 100,000 yen cash with me.
I'm going back in a month, I actually don't want to. I love Japan, but I'm getting sick of airports. -t |
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Rosyna
Posts: 40 |
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As they say, Visa: It's everywhere you want to be. I want to be in Japan, so Visa is there. I think every place that accepts the JCB cards accepts Visa too.
Hmm, I take about 1,500 yen with me. (Just because it's what I left with). Then I find the Citibank ATM in the Narita Terminal and grab 40,000 yen (I find this is the amount where the fees for ATM vs Credit are in favor of ATM). You can also use a credit card (check card/debit card/whatever/anything with a Visa/MasterCard logo on it) to pay for the JR and various other ticket types. But, iirc, only specific machines at the JR stations allow paying by CC. Japanese money is filthy, so I suggest people try to use coins as fast as they can. I've had my entire white pocket turn pitch black from the dirt and oil on those coins. |
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Faceman
Posts: 300 Location: Boston |
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FYI, in the Akiba guide, the left thumbnail, for the capsule store, is a bad link. And the last photo links to a previous thumbnail's picture and not it's own.
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Tempest
I Run this place. ANN Publisher Posts: 10420 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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Buying an IC card also helps to keep down the amount of spare change floating around in your pockets. -t |
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Descent123
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I herd the Super Potato in Tokyo is a rip-off.
Most of the prices are too high for its own good. Many of the retro gamers agree that the Super Potato shop in Den Den Town (Osaka) is much better than the one in Tokyo. |
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britannicamoore
 Posts: 2618 Location: Out. |
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I know that this is a tour she is on, but should we have a good understanding of the language before we go on one of these tours?
I'm still beginner, and i'm worried because i'll have to go to Japan for my major= but I wasn't sure if it'd be better to do a tour before I have to go or after I go. |
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render
Posts: 12 |
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The tours are very accessable to those with little to no Japanese language experience. It's a really good way to get an introduction to real-life Japan, and get a close-up look at what you can expect out of the language. ...I know that sounds a little vague, but I really do think the tours are worth a go not only for some exposure to the language, but as a fun excursion in an interesting country. Though, maybe I'm biased. |
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Tempest
I Run this place. ANN Publisher Posts: 10420 Location: Do not message me for support. |
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A good understanding of Japanese is in now way necessarry in order to go on these tours. And these tours are a good way to familiarize yourself with Japan before going on your own. Obviously language of the knowledge is a good start before going to Japan on your own, but it's easier than you think. Learn the basic Japanese syllables (there aren't very many), and a few basic words, and you'll be fine. For example, if you're looking for central street in Shibuya, you need to know how to pronounce Central (se-tu-ru) and how to say where (doco), and you'll be able to get directions. But if you try "Central street doco?" no one will understand you. "Neanderthal English," the use of common nouns without adjectives, grammar, verbs, etc... can get you very far in Japan. You just need to pronounce the English words "right." It's also a very good idea to have a pocket translator.... I don't speak a word of Japanese, and I have very little problem getting around. Obviously though, the more Japanese you speak the better...
Being in charge of one of the tours, I'd say you are. I'd also say I agree with you :-p -t |
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