Thanks for the suggestion!! That itinerary sounds much better.. Would it be possible to spend the 1.5 hours on a tour in Himeji Temple then spend the rest of the day in Kobe or is it an all day affair? I guess I'd do it on the 24th and head to Tokyo on the morning on the 25th. Also, I already booked my hotel in Osaka.. would it still be possible to use that as my base if I'm going to Kyoto, Nara and Himeji instead of Osaka or would it better to be use a different city as a base? I was really looking forward to the hotel I booked ;/
I would head out for Himeji first thing in the morning, and spend as much time as you'd like, and then head back to Kobe for a late afternoon/early evening stroll to a few places there.
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All those experiences sound great actually but I guess I would emphasize unique eating experiences (though as recent grads, we're not in a place to afford a Kobe steak), cultural experiences, and fashion. I like natural beauty and history if it's convenient but I won't have time to make an out of the way trips to all the popular historic sites.. I thought a capsule hotel would be a unique cultural experience but perhaps it'll make us tired so maybe I'll stay there during my last night or something instead sowe can catch up on rest on the plane. We're staying in HK longer because both my friend and I have family there and can stay with them for free for extended periods of time. It's just economical, we'd both rather spend all our time in Japan.
I haven't done the capsule thing myself, but I understand the draw. I don't see why you couldn't fit it in somewhere, but I agree that it would make for a lousy jetlagged first night.
Other people on the board are better for food recs, as I am limited in that dept. For fashion in Tokyo, hit Harajuku/Omotesando (I think there is even more to see near there on Sundays, but ask others about that), and Shibuya. LapLap has written recently about women in exquisite kimonos in the Ginza area side streets. For museum culture, spend most of a day in Ueno Park and the museums on the north side. Also make sure to spend time at the Tokyo Edo museum. In Ginza, catch a Kabuki performance and make sure to rent the in-ear English explanation. Go to Akihabara for the electronics culture and maybe check out an area maid cafe for otaku culture.
Kyoto and Nara are all about shrines, temples, and natural beauty. All of that is easily accessible in both cities. There is more to do in Kyoto, but ask others about that.
The other important cultural experiences you need to hit is some sort of a ryokan experience - there are cheap and expensive ways to do it - and at least one or two onsen experiences. I'm embarrassed to say that in two trips I've only been to one onsen.
There might be other castles (besides Osaka) that are more accessible than Himeji- I've only been to two others, both further away- but Himeji is known as the undisputed best castle in Japan. It also helps that a good portion of it is original, and not rebuilt from scratch in the 60's for the Tokyo Olympics like so many other "historical" sites. However, if you feel that you can spend your time better without the 2-3 hours travel to and fro, that is up to you- perhaps you'd be okay with a closer castle.
As for HK- I would strongly suggest either getting a visa (ahead of time) to check out some of mainland China, and/or going to Macau as well. You'll have plenty to see in HK, but not weeks worth. Shenzhen is just a bus/train ride away, or you can fly in to Shanghai or Beijing. Just more ways you could maximize a "once in a lifetime" trip.
My revision to your schedule would be something like this:
21st: Tokyo
22nd: Take one of the first trains to Kyoto, stay in Kyoto
23rd: Take one of early trains to Nara, be a tourist for a day, then return to Kyoto (deliver luggage to Kobe?)
24th: Go to Himeji early, tour Himeji, catch a train to Kobe, tour Kobe, stay in Kobe.
25th-27th: Tokyo
I'd take the Narita Express to Tokyo on the first day and sleep in a capsule hotel near Tokyo station that allows women (anyone know any?)
Capsule hotels have been eclipsed recently, overtaken by their modern counterparts - the cyber cafe (manga kissa). If you're looking to stay in one for a cultural experience, this might be what you actually want to do.
There are a range of capsule hotels around the city, but one of the (many) reasons that they are geared to male occupation only is the range of facilities they offer, doubling the baths and saunas and showers and rest rooms as well as the rooms with capsules would double their costs and the low number of female clientele makes this unviable.
However, by focusing solely on the cubicle, my impression is that most visitors kind of miss the point of what makes successful city capsule hotels an attractive draw - the bathing facilities. Some of the hotels are more like Spas with sleeping facilities, a very agreeable way to spend a night out away from home, rather than an experience to endure (as is being implied by other contributors to this thread!)
Of course, not all capsule hotels offer much in the way of baths, and these are perhaps the ones losing out to the phenomenon of the internet cafe booth, which offer beds or easy chairs and a whole range of entertainment and broadband facilities as well as a degree of privacy (and boxes of kleenex!).
Here's a BBC report of a particularly grim example: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programme...ca/7953376.stm
But there are plenty within Tokyo which offer a much more polished and attractive experience (higher prices make them unsuitable for long term residents)
For a capsule hotel experience, as well as a way to wind down after your journey, the Green Plaza in Shinjuku is one of the most well known places and has some of the best facilities http://www.hgpshinjuku.jp/
particularly if you're male.
There are women's facilities available also, but I suspect these aren't a patch on what the male 'side' has to offer (I'm not even entirely sure that there are actual capsules women can use, all I know is that we can spend the whole night there)
One of the few places that does have at least basic baths and saunas (which I think of as an essential part of the capsule experience) as well as accommodation for women is this facility near Gotanda station http://www.ctl-inn-en.net/ Central Inn Gotanda.
Gotanda is two stops away from Shinagawa station which would be a convenient starting point for a bullet train trip to the West.
There are a few more capsule hotels with baths and facilities for women, but most of these are in locations inconvenient for time strapped tourists.
As a woman, my only suggestion for getting a memorable "Green Plaza"-type experience at a capsule hotel was by staying at the Oedo Monogatari Onsen themepark.
Alas, I've just discovered that the blackship capsule accommodation is 'men only'
There are conventional rooms available that will sleep two, these are available from 4,000yen per hour and 1,000yen for each additional hour http://www.ooedoonsen.jp/higaeri/stay/index.html (English web page not ready yet, I translated the information using http://www.excite.co.jp/world/english/web/THUS
EDIT please see the next post as jib71 has been able to provide a couple of interesting suggestions
Just as the Japanese have a tradition of taking ideas from abroad and importing them, refining them and adding their own unique twist in order for those ideas to suit their domestic needs, the British have returned the favour when it comes to capsule hotels. Ignoring the inconvenient reality of the attached sento/spa (just like most visitors seem to), the Yotels near London and Amsterdam might to be the best way to experience a modern capsule hotel.
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Originally Posted by puggle
The reason I wanted to stay in Kyoto for a day is to stay in a ryokan. Is it worth the hassle? If anyone has any recommendations for a good/affordable-ish ryokan near tourist spots, it would be greatly appreciated.
Kyoto is one of the most expensive places in Japan to stay in a ryokan (which is why I've always stayed clear of them in this city).
If your intended aim is to stay in a Ryokan (and this, IMO, is a very good aim) my advice would be to seek one out somewhere else and make this a part of your trip. (Shizuoka might be a good place to start - if you search this forum there are some wonderful recommendations from other FTers)
Christmas eve/day at a Ryokan sounds like a very attractive proposition to me!
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Originally Posted by puggle
I'd read about people eating fried chicken and eating Christmas cake on that day so I was really looking forward to shopping on Christmas and eating cake. Thanks for all the warnings about its insignificance.
I wouldn't worry too much about the size of Christmas Cakes. Once you go into the patisserie section of a respected department store, the variety and temptations on offer are going to take your breath away. These cakes will be available in every portion size you could wish for.
Christmas was a fantastic marketing tool for Mitsubishi's introduction of KFC to the Japanese market, many people attribute the success of KFC (other chains, such as BK, have failed in Japan) to the now indelible association of KFC and the year end celebrations.
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Originally Posted by puggle
I'm thinking of getting Frommer's and Rough Guide to Japan but I'm really overwhelmed by the length of travel books. Thanks again!
I don't usually recommend this book as it's spare with the facts and useless for booking/serious planning, but if you're looking for a beautifully photographed and easily digested run down of what Japan has to offer, try the Dorling Kindersley Eyewitness Guide to Japan. You can always turn to Frommers/Rough Guide/This Forum for further details.
The hotel is called the Will-inn. (Try asking for speak to the proprietress - Lady Anne Will Inn - sure to bring the house down). It's got a 24 hour gym and thai massage, above a Korean cafe, in Kabukicho ... I've sat in that cafe, wondering what it might be like, but I'll never know...
There's also a rather famous capsule hotel on the other side of town in Kiba or Shin Kiba. I'm not sure if they have women's facilities, but they do offer extra wide capsules for salarymen who like to double-up... Can probably dig up the details if you're interested. The guy who owns it always goes to the olympics to support Japan's athletes in a gold costume and gold top hat ...
(Seems to be some connection between Japanese hotel owners and weird hats ... cf. APA Hotels)
You could, for example, stay in Kyoto rather than Osaka and make a trip to Hikone castle (just a couple of stops from Kyoto) rather than to Himeji. Regarding the hotel in Osaka - What makes you keen to stay there? Might there be a hotel in Kyoto that meets the same criteria?
How could I have forgotten Hikone (not to be confused with the better-known Hakone National Park) Castle? Yes, that's an excellent idea. I took a group of students there once. It's sort of like Himeji Castle in miniature, and even though it's not a major tourist draw, it's a fine and authentic example of samurai-era architecture.
An added attraction is the train ride along Lake Biwa. (Take the regular Tokaido train, not the Shinkansen, which will cause you to overshoot Hikone.)
Slightly OT but I think Hikone may become my recommended castle daytrip from Kyoto starting next year after Himeji goes under the scaffolding in the spring.
Whittle the Tokyo portion down to one day, and see it via a bus tour. Use the extra time to see Kyoto.
(Gasps!)
We've had a claim here that everything worth seeing in Tokyo could be seen in one and a half days.
Congratulations! A new record!
Sadly, we never did find out what sights should be chosen for this 1.5 day itinerary. Out of the numerous bus tours available, which do you think would be one to fully convey Tokyo to a visitor?
This thread in particular could really do with your contribution: Tokyo City Bus Tours
We've had a claim here that everything worth seeing in Tokyo could be seen in one and a half days.
Congratulations! A new record!
Nobody in this thread, and certainly not me, stated "that everything in Tokyo could be seen in one and a half days".
The OP is asking for advice and stated
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We want to see historic buildings...
I would opine that there are more opportunities for that in Kyoto than in Tokyo, and in appreciating how these relate to traditional Japanese culture. Given the timetable, I would spend more time in Kyoto. But hey, don't let me get in the way of a good rant
I though the Hato 1-day bus tour was fine. Starts with the Kanon temple and ends with the Eiffel tower, includes a boat ride.
I would opine that there are more opportunities for that in Kyoto than in Tokyo, and in appreciating how these relate to traditional Japanese culture.
Absolutely right!
The OP can stay in a machiya (like this http://www.uronza.com/) and freeze their nuts off in December. No better way to experience a historic building and appreciate how this relates to authentic traditional Japanese culture.
Absolutely right!
The OP can stay in a machiya (like this http://www.uronza.com/) and freeze their nuts off in December. No better way to experience a historic building and appreciate how this relates to authentic traditional Japanese culture.
Lol! Indeed.
However, nuts don't really "freeze off". When it gets really cold they ascend up closer to the body to take advantage of body heat
Indeed.
