Haven't been to Japan in a decade and am looking forward to stopping over in a few months.

Any suggestions would be most appreciated. Thanks.

Kabuki dance; Tokyo Tower; Asakusa Senso-ji; Meiji Jingu; two-tiered bridge near the Imperial Palace; Ueno Park; Tokyo Station; Kamakura Buddha in Kamakura. Enjoy.

Now for something completely different...

Omotesando/Harajuku on a weekend; Aoyama cemetery; Yasukuni jinja; Hanzomon bridge; the Okura lobby for a drink; Park Grill or Kozue @PHT for dinner; Ginza on a weekend (Hermes building, Matsuya basement, Kyukyudo, Itoya); Tsukiji at 5:00 AM; Meiji Jingu secret garden; PCCW building and Vinoly's TIF; Sputnik and Las Chicas; Tokyu Hands. Enjoy.

While in Tokyo once, I was aimlessly wandering during a 1-2 hour free period. A man stopped me and showed me a laminated card with some Japanese writing and a picture of a woman in a bikini. I couldn't understand him because I don't speak Japanese. I never figured out what he wanted. Was it prostitution? Was it one of those British code words like when 007 walks up to someone and says "The birds fly south in winter, don't they?" and gets a secret response.

The street market in Asakusa and the nearby shrine.

Three Perfect Days in Tokyo, of which you can pick the best stuff:

http://www.hemispheresmagazine.com/three/tokyo.html

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by Skylink USA:
While in Tokyo once, I was aimlessly wandering during a 1-2 hour free period. A man stopped me and showed me a laminated card with some Japanese writing and a picture of a woman in a bikini. I couldn't understand him because I don't speak Japanese. I never figured out what he wanted. Was it prostitution? Was it one of those British code words like when 007 walks up to someone and says "The birds fly south in winter, don't they?" and gets a secret response.</font>

Yup, it was prostitution.

Everyone above has listed some standard sites. If you'd like a great guide to some non-standard sites, take a look at the "Quirky Japan homepage:"

http://www3.tky.3web.ne.jp/~edjacob/index.html

Incidentally, the restaurant at the Park Hyatt is the "New York Grill," not the Park Grill, and you definitely need to make a booking in advance. But give more details: how long are you there exactly? where are you staying? what are you interested in? and I bet we can come up with more recommendations.

P.S. I have been to Tokyo 4 times a year for the past 7-8 years and have never felt the need to go up Tokyo Tower or see Kabuki. And you'll never FIND the restaurant "Las Chicas" without someone showing you (and while it's nice, I am not sure it's worth a detour, as Michelin would say).

<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by RichardInSF:
Everyone above has listed some standard sites. If you'd like a great guide to some non-standard sites, take a look at the "Quirky Japan homepage:"

http://www3.tky.3web.ne.jp/~edjacob/index.html

Incidentally, the restaurant at the Park Hyatt is the "New York Grill," not the Park Grill, and you definitely need to make a booking in advance. But give more details: how long are you there exactly? where are you staying? what are you interested in? and I bet we can come up with more recommendations.

P.S. I have been to Tokyo 4 times a year for the past 7-8 years and have never felt the need to go up Tokyo Tower or see Kabuki. And you'll never FIND the restaurant "Las Chicas" without someone showing you (and while it's nice, I am not sure it's worth a detour, as Michelin would say). </font>

That "quirky Japan" site is a riot. One more reason to goof off at work. All right, so the Grill at the Park Hyatt is called the New York Grill. I knew that, just didn't show it in the exam!

Also, finding Las Chicas used to be easy, now a little harder. Walk down Aoyama Doori towards Shibuya past the Kinokunya and the Children's Castle (Kodomo no shiro) until you hit the Citibank ATM. Make a right at the street just before it. Walk down about 200 meters or so. Its on your left. The problem, of course, is that the Citibank ATM is now gone, so good luck! Now, is it worth a detour? Depends. Are you into quirky people? I had lunch there with Karel van Wolferen once. That qualifies in my book as worth visiting. Also, if you are into interior design and furniture, stop by the Sputnik just across the street for some leading edge stuff. Mrs. Pickles is slowly furnishing the apartment back in Cambridge with stuff from them.

Of course, all this is meaningless unless we know what fallinasleep likes. As for me, I've been both to Kabuki and to Tokyo Tower, once each. Had I known better, I'd definitely skip Tokyo Tower from the beginning, and gone to the City Hall (To Cho) building or the Park Hyatt instead for a view. Kabuki, I'm not into, but it can be a big deal for some people, like Alex Kerr. Also, I thought my visit to the Daibutsu at Kamakura was a monumental (pun intended) waste of time, and I LIKE temples!

So, as they say, "en gustos se rompen generos", apparently.



[This message has been edited by Pickles (edited 12-11-2002).]

Thanks all for the replies so far!!!

I think my flight arrives midday and does not leave until the early evening of the following day (assuming I decide on only one day for stopover, although I will probably decide on two days when I finalize my ticket). I don't want to blow the budget on a nice hotel though since I'll be going solo. Unfortunately, I think I'll miss the weekend stuff as my plan is to visit midweek at the moment.

My primary objective with this stopover is to visit the fish market. I hear the sushi stalls there are among the freshest in the world. Anything else would be a bonus.

During my previous visit, I bought a Japan Rail pass and went to all the main castles (Matsumoto, Himeji, Kyoto, and a few more) as well as Nikko and Hiroshima in Honshu. I also stayed with a friend's host family in Kyoto and went to some great shabu shabu, sukiyaki, and okonomiyaki places in Osaka, where I also tried sashimi for the first time, but I spent only a day in Tokyo. I've been meaning to return to Tokyo ever since.

So, besides the fish market, my aim is just to get a feel for the people and the city (as I am sure I'll be back sooner than later). It may just mean walking around, or it may mean going to Tokyo Disneyland (NOT), but I am open to any other suggestions http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/smile.gif


[This message has been edited by fallinasleep (edited 12-11-2002).]

If you are going solo, that changes things a bit. I agree with you that when traveling solo there is no pleasure in staying at a top notch hotel, unless of course, someone is paying.

Still, you ought to go to the bar at the New York Grill (the "New York Bar"), and sit at the big communal table for a drink and a cigar late at night. Take in the atmosphere, check out the view, have some snacks, listen to the live music. Check out the senior Japanese businessmen with their "daughters".

Tsukiji is an excellent choice. Arrive early (5:00-6:00 AM) and watch the auction. Then stop by one of the sushi places for breakfast. Daiwa-sushi is my favorite, but if the line is too long, try any of the other ones. They are all good, and their kitchen serves as a loading dock for the stuff being sold in the market.

Walking around, Tokyo is a great walking around city. Go to Ginza, Omotesando/Harajuku (check out the Aoyama cemetery, if you are into that), and Shibuya (check out the Tokyu Hands there). Get lost on purpose and then ask your way to the nearest subway or train station.

Yes, Tsukiji is a good choice. They have the freshiest sashimi and sushi.

You may want to walk around Marunouchi, west side of Tokyo station. This is the hottest area right now in Tokyo. They only had office buildings before, but now after major redevelopment, they have so many shops, restaurants, and the street is very beautiful.

But, I strongly recommend you to go Hakone. It is known for hot spring. It is not that far from Tokyo and if you cannot stay over nigth there, many good (really good) "ryokan" (japanese style hotel) offer day-use package which includes lunch and bath. If you are interested in, try "Goda Kadan" which is one of the best ryokans in Hakone.

I'm sorry, I wouldn't recommend Hakone if you just had one or two days in Tokyo. It has what KC747 noted, but it also has many parts that are very schlocky. Given the places you've already been, Hakone can be skipped.

Roppongi for nightlife, even though it's filled with foreigners. Also walk through Kabuki-cho, although there you need to be especially careful not to enter any club unless you know IN ADVANCE what it will cost.

Quirky Japan talks about the Parasite museum, and I finally got there. It's small, but they sell a nice tapeworm T-shirt in western sizes.

Walking around Akihabara is great fun if you are an electronics geek at any level. If you are in Tokyo between Jan 11-26 (I think!), try to go to sumo. You can negotiate with the scalpers at the entrance even if you don't speak a single word of Japanese, but it won't be cheap. Still, unique.

I'd second the recommendation to skip Hakone also. It is usually crowded, overbuilt, and just too much for me. If all you have is two days in Tokyo, spend them in Tokyo. If you are into what Hakone pretends to offer, there are many places in Japan that are far superior to Hakone in all respects. If you had a few days, head to Kamikochi or Nasu-shiobara, Takayama, Matsumoto, or even Nikko, before Hakone...

I agree Kamikochi, Takayama, Matsumoto, Nikko are nice places to visit. I have been all these places. But a few days are too short to visit these places, even single one of them. Only Nikko is possible. I do not recommend to go Kamikochi, Takayama, or Even Matsumoto in winter unless you really do not care how cold it is. Besides, these places are much prettier in spring and summer.
I still believe Hakone is nice for one day trip. I done it and many of my friends done it. You just NEED to know which one you should try and where you should go. It is close from Tokyo. But if your schedule is too tight, you probably want to stay inside Tokyo, experience auction at Tsukiji, try very fresh sashimi and sushi, walk around Marunouchi (newly redeveloped area) and Akihabara. I do not think it is worth going Roppongi or Kabukicho. What do you want there?

What's wrong with Roppongi (besides being full of seedy foreigners and a hotbed of iniquity and sin) or Kabukicho (besides being full of seedy Japanese and a hotbed of iniquity and sin)? Some people are into that! You've never experienced Nirvana until you have been thrown out face first on the street by the Hawaiian bouncer at the Gas Panic!

And I agree Kamikochi in winter is a bad proposition. It closes in winter.

In Roppongi, I try to get a window seat at the moderately priced Bellini Pizza Kitchen, and watch the parade of the beautiful people who think if they act like a model we'll think they are one!

In Kabuki-cho, I just look for weirdness, like the strangely dressed young girls near the movie theatre area on weekend afternoons. You can see them at JR Harajuku station as well -- last time I was there they were all dressed as Southern Belles (even Goth Southern Belles), but things do change quickly in the teenage style Olympics.

Incidentally, I do think O-Daiba is worth a visit.

I'm sorry, I wouldn't recommend Hakone if you just had one or two days in Tokyo. It has what KC747 noted, but it also has many parts that are very schlocky. Given the places you've already been, Hakone can be skipped.

Roppongi for nightlife, even though it's filled with foreigners. Also walk through Kabuki-cho, although there you need to be especially careful not to enter any club unless you know IN ADVANCE what it will cost.
...
Still, unique.

Are they very expensive?

Wow, look at the resurrected old thread! Re Roppongi: Bellini Pizza Kitchen is gone (although there are Bellini branches elsewhere, they're nothing special). There's a Wolfgang Puck cafe roughly across the street and down a few feet but there's no view of the street from it. The biggest tourist attraction is now a store -- Don Quijote. And the touts are way more obnoxious.

Clubs in Japan can be very reasonable or they can be outrageous. I understand it's not unprecedented to ring up a bill in the thousands of dollars in a few hours without doing anything special. And you won't know it until you're presented the bill, when it is too late -- being a foreign visitor won't save you. Most common in Kabuki-cho, Akasaka-Mitsuke, and Ginza, among the areas I have some familiarity with.

There are some clubs like this in Roppongi too, I expect, but you are much less likely to encounter them, Doubt if there's many at or near street level there, for example.

I am not a fan of any of the multiple GasPanic clubs, but they are cheap and you won't spend a lot if you drink reasonably slowly. The evening I accidentally stumbled into what appeared to be "Filipino new-half night" at the upstairs Motown was more unusual for me.

Are they very expensive?If you are a price conscious viewer of scantily clad Filipinas, I recommend you visit the Philippines.

... Aoyama cemetery... ^ I thought I was the only one!

The evening I accidentally stumbled into what appeared to be "Filipino new-half night" at the upstairs Motown was more unusual for me.

Every night is "Filipino new-half night" at the Motown. And it usually lasts one night. Frankly, you don't want it to last much longer than that if you want to retain your self-esteem.

As for the touts, they get more annoying by the minute. The latest brush off I learned from a friend is "I don't like women, but I'd like to know you better". They move away quickly then.

If you haven't visited the Imperial Palace grounds, they're worth a walk through. I found them very relaxing, even though the trees and vegetation are strategically placed so that you won't get the least glimpse of the imperial family or their home.

If you want to see ordinary working class Tokyo, ride the old-style streetcar (not a tourist ride, but a functioning means of transportation) from Waseda to Minoya.

Take the boat from Asakusa to Hama Rikyu Gardens. (Actually, if you're going to Tsukiji, see Hama Rikyu Gardens after that, and then take the boat up to Asakusa.)

If you're a bookworm, you must see the Jinbocho-Suidobashi area, with bookstores of every description crowded side by side.

Near Ueno Station is Ameya-Yokocho, once the principal black market area for Tokyo and still full of vaguely tacky vendors and show-off touts. Also near Ueno Station is the ....amachi Museum, which displays life in Tokyo before World War II.

These are just a few of my favorites.

Also near Ueno Station is the ....amachi Museum, which displays life in Tokyo before World War II.

That's the sh!tamachi museum (or sh'itamachi)

...The latest brush off I learned from a friend is "I don't like women, but I'd like to know you better". They move away quickly then.
:D ^ ^

I'm definitely going to have to remember this one.

JR

Also, finding Las Chicas used to be easy, now a little harder. Walk down Aoyama Doori towards Shibuya past the Kinokunya and the Children's Castle (Kodomo no shiro) until you hit the Citibank ATM. Make a right at the street just before it. Walk down about 200 meters or so. Its on your left. The problem, of course, is that the Citibank ATM is now gone, so good luck! Now, is it worth a detour? Depends. Are you into quirky people? I had lunch there with Karel van Wolferen once. That qualifies in my book as worth visiting. Also, if you are into interior design and furniture, stop by the Sputnik just across the street for some leading edge stuff. Mrs. Pickles is slowly furnishing the apartment back in Cambridge with stuff from them.


Plus ca change.... The Sputnik is now a Paul Smith store. Still pretty interesting, because they have three floors or random retro stuff, including old LPs and books from the 80s. Las Chicas is now a demolition site. Rumor has it that they're rebuilding and will reopen in 2008. Too bad, I liked the original building, an old rambling house with all kinds of decrepit things floating around, not including the staff and the clientele. I heard once that the house used to be the Venezuelan ambassador's residence.

What's wrong with Roppongi (besides being full of seedy foreigners and a hotbed of iniquity and sin) or Kabukicho (besides being full of seedy Japanese and a hotbed of iniquity and sin)? Some people are into that! You've never experienced Nirvana until you have been thrown out face first on the street by the Hawaiian bouncer at the Gas Panic!

And I agree Kamikochi in winter is a bad proposition. It closes in winter.

Kabukicho is and has always been bliss and the only part of Edo that looks like a city. ;) The combo of odd Golden Gai bars, Koreantown BBQs and a Chinese massage afterwards is worthy of waguo.

Roppongi village has no depth, it feeleth like Leicester Square in London on a particularly bad night. But Kudos to the enterprising Japanese bar owners, ever devising new ways to empty the pockets of their colorful clientele.

Every night is "Filipino new-half night" at the Motown. And it usually lasts one night. Frankly, you don't want it to last much longer than that if you want to retain your self-esteem....

There is NO WAY I want to know further details of that experience!

i would check out the edo tokyo musuem

http://www.tokyoessentials.com/edo-tokyo%20museum.html

its in ryogoku right next to the sumo stadium, there are plenty of english displays.

the sumida river cruse isn't a bad way to see hama-rikyuen if you are coming from asakusa.
http://picturetokyo.com/travel/tokyo/hamarikyu.html

Kabukicho is and has always been bliss and the only part of Edo that looks like a city. ;)

OK - I give in. Why did the rest of Edo not "look like a city"?

i would check out the edo tokyo musuem... there are plenty of english displays.

I agree that the museum is fascinating, but there is not much English signage. A good solution for a non-Japanese speaker is to request a guide when you enter the museum. There are English-, Chinese- and Korean-speaking volunteer guides who are very happy to explain the exhibits (possibly some volunteers who speak other languages too). There is no charge and no expectation of a tip for this service.

OK - I give in. Why did the rest of Edo not "look like a city"?

I believe mosburger's standard of reference on what a city looks like is Seoul. That would explain a lot.

I believe mosburger's standard of reference on what a city looks like is Seoul. That would explain a lot.

North of the Han that's actually a pretty good reference. ;) Nanjing would be even more to my liking as are of course the Kansai trio.