Traveling to Tokyo

Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 8:24 am Post subject: Traveling to Tokyo Post Rating: 0

Hey, I'm going to be traveling with a few friends to Tokyo near the end of May for 1 week and was wondering if I could get some suggestions as to what there is to do? We're not really interested in sight seeing stuff, but so far we've only come up hot springs (those you see on Naruto and stuff), shopping, food of course, nightlife (how's the clubbing there?), and that's it so far. We're going to be staying at a hotel BTW. We're probably going to be taking buses or trains for transportation. Thank you.

Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 9:57 am Post subject: Post Rating: 0

My favourite places in Tokyo are:
The Rikuguen (I may have spelt that wrong Tongue

) Landscape Poem Garden - it's really peaceful and beautiful.
Asakusa - You can shop and see the sights at the same time! Leading up to the pagoda is a massive marketplace. Dunno what kind of shopping you want to do, but here you can buy anything from cheap kimono to katana to okonomiyaki. Tongue

Akihabara - which I'm sure everyone will tell you. If you're shopping for electronic bargains, make sure you go round the back streets. If you want to go to the giant Yodobashi Camera by the train station to buy stuff, make yourself a point card and buy one item at a time so you can use the points from that on the next item. ;) Definitely try a maid cafe, if you have the money.
Harajuku - you can see the Meiji Shrine while you're at it, which was one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. And, of course, the cosplay girls (most of them come out at sunset on weekends ;)). You can also do a fair bit of shopping there, if you're willing to blow a lot of cash.

For the best onsen experience ever - catch a bus or train to Lake Kawaguchiko - it's a good 3-hour trip, but it'll take you right to Mt Fuji. Then walk along the lake until you see a group of hotels. Go into any one of them and they'll have onsens available, from which you can few Mt Fuji.

Although, onsenning it may not be the best idea - those things are hot! It was too hot for me in October, and May is crazy crazy hot here. Tongue

Good luck with that. ;)

As for food - my suggestion is to skip all the hotel stuff and go looking for places down smaller side streets (being careful not to enter snack bars) - you can meet some really interesting people, and the food will often be less than half the price. Smile

Have a great trip!