SQ421

We are back. And we are back in Tokyo!

Japan Do 5 will return to the Japanese Capital over the Easter Weekend in 2017.

Staying true to the structure of the Do's past, we'll kick off with welcome drinks on the Thursday. Friday will likely be a day to explore Tokyo and surrounds (Inaugural Japan Do thread has some ideas, and I'm sure NewbieRunner and armagebedarwill add some more of their own!) followed by the Main Do Dinner. Perhaps a day trip on Saturday, and maybe, just maybe I can convince armagebedar for a repeat of the Haneda Bay Cruise + Dinner.

Eagle eyed FT-ers might pick on the fact that the do begins on a Thursday (and ends on Saturday) - slight changed from the first four incarnations. Not for the first time, we are planning a post-Do. Newbierunner led a troupe someplace in Japan to an Onsen a couple of years ago, and this year we are thinking of hopping over to Seoul for a couple of days after Japan Do. As such, Sunday will be the day for travel, with "Post-Do" in Seoul from 16-18; and will include a trip to the DMZ.

Post Do has its own thread now, http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/commu...18-2017-a.html

Getting There
Tokyo is well serviced by a range of Star Alliance and OneWorld Carriers, with a choice of two airports to fly into.

Hotels
Everyone is a winner, with SPG, Hilton, Hyatt and InterContinental all having a presence in Tokyo. In the past, we've based ourselves around Shinjuku which offers a good deal of Hotels within a short walk from the train station, as well as easy access to trains (obviously!).

NewbieRunner

Narita Airport (NRT) to central Tokyo

Narita Express runs every 30 minutes during most of the day from T1 and T2 of Narita Airport to Tokyo, Shinagawa, Shibuya, Shinjuku and Yokohama. The timetable may be found here: From Narita, To Narita

If making a round trip the N'EX Tokyo Round Ticket at 4,000 yen is a good value. Otherwise it costs 3,190 yen one way from Narita Airport to Shinjuku and takes 90 minutes.

Alternatively Airport Limousine Bus runs directly to a number of hotels as well as some railway stations in Tokyo. The limousine bus takes between 120 to 130 minutes from NRT T1 to the Hilton depending on the time of day and costs 3,100 yen one way.

For other ways of getting from NRT to Tokyo check the FT Japan forum or Japan Guide.

Haneda Airport (HND) to central Tokyo

Haneda Airport is actually in central Tokyo. Two of the most commonly used ways to travel from Haneda Airport to other areas of Tokyo are:

1. Tokyo Monorail which links with the JR Yamanote Line at Hamamatsucho
2. Keikyu Railways which links with the JR Yamanote Line at Shinagawa and continues (as Subway Asakusa Line) to Shimbashi, Higashi-Ginza, Nihonbashi, and Asakusa.

For other ways of getting to/from HND check the airport's website or Japan Guide.

Getting around Tokyo

You are likely to use various metros and JR commuter lines during the Do. Tokyo's metro network is quite complex as you will see on this map.

Many visitors to Tokyo (and the rest of Japan) use jorudan which is a comprehensive public transport route navigation website. As far as I know the Japanese and Chinese versions of jorudan app are free but the English language version is not: iOS version, Android version.

Another popular timetable and route search website is HyperDia.

IC cards (Suica, Pasmo, etc.)

If you don't have one already you should get a Suica or a similar IC card for travelling around Tokyo as well as purchasing drinks and snacks from vending machines and convenience stores in and around railway stations, using coin lockers, paying some entrance fees, etc.

Here's a video on how to use Suica or Pasmo cards.


A Pasmo card is the private railway equivalent of a Suica (there are many others in different parts of the country) and for all practical purposes they are interchangeable. Don't worry if you have credits left on your Suica at the end of the trip. Unless you know you definitely won't return to Japan, credits on these IC cards are valid for 10 years after last use.

ATM

Many ATMs in Japan do not accept credit, debit, and other cash cards issued outside Japan. But there's no need to panic. You will find Seven Bank ATMs in 7-Eleven convenience stores everywhere which do accept foreign credit and ATM cards. These ATMs are available 24 hours a day and can display English, Japanese, Chinese (Simplified), Chinese (Traditional), Korean, Thai, Malay, Indonesian, Vietnamese, French, German, and Portuguese. Assistance is available using the handset in English, 24 hours day, year-round. There are also ATMs in Post Offices (Japan Post/Yucho Bank) which accept cards issued outside Japan. Many are only accessible during the Post Office hours but some of their ATMs are also located in Family Mart convenience stores.

NewbieRunner

JAPAN DO #5 will follow the usual pattern. For more information please follow the link to each event.

Thursday, 13 April 19:00~
Welcome drinks at Pub Cardinal Akasaka
Meet in the Tokyo Hilton lobby at 18:20 if interested in travelling to the venue as a group

Friday, 14 April 09:30~
Off the Beaten Track – a walk in Tokyo's shitamachi / downtown, with an optional picnic lunch (weather permitting)
Meet at JR Shinjuku Station West Entrance (Nishi-guchi) 09:45

Friday, 14 April 19:00~
Official Do dinner at Awajishima to Kurae, Shinjuku Higashiguchi Yasukunidori ten - prior registration and payment is necessary
Meet in the Tokyo Hilton lobby at 18:30 if interested in walking to the restaurant as a group

Saturday, 15 April 08:00~
Day trip to Matsumoto
Leave JR Shinjuku 08:00 Super Azusa #5 Platform 9


Unofficial (pre-Do) activities
Wednesday, 12 April 11:00~
Kirin Brewery tour (Yokohama)
Contact mapleg or krazykanuck

Thursday, 13 April 18:00~
Baseball game - Tokyo Yakult Swallows vs Chunichi Dragons at Meiji Jingu Stadium
Contact angra

Saturday, 15 April 13:00~
Maricar go-cart drive from Akihabara to Rainbow Bridge, Odaiba, Tokyo Tower and Ginza
Contact fifa

NewbieRunner

Bold = registered and paid for dinner, * = Matsumoto day trip

AASweets
angra *
armagebedar
awc4 *
beckoa *
BigRedBears *
bk3day *
Fifa
Fifa +1
firstglobal *
GarySTL
GarySTL +1
kaka *
kaka +1 *
kirkwoodj *
krazykanuck *
mapleg
mapleg +1
Middle_Seat
NewbieRunner *
nme7 *
nomadic.relief *
O Sora
perthite * (has railpass)
perthite +1 * (has railpass)
pudgym29
restlessinRNO *
RichardInSF
Sykes
The_Wrath_of_Khan
The_Wrath_of_Khan +1
TravelKane *
UncleJed *
upup&away *
wysiwyg *
ZFW-ATC *
ZFW-ATC +1 *

NewbieRunner

Arrivals

Apr10 13:00 NH824 TPE NRTx wysiwyg
Apr11 10:50 LH714 MUC HND NewbieRunner
Apr11 13:50 UA875 SFO HND restlessinRNO
Apr11 14:40 NH212 LHR HND TravelKane
Apr11 20:30 NH111 ORD HND pudgym29
Apr12 15:55 AA153 ORD NRT GarySTL, GarySTL +1
Apr13 14:00 UA7XX IAH NRTx kirkwoodj
Apr13 14:35 DL7XX LAX HNDx angra
Apr13 15:25 UA881 ORD NRT upup&away
Apr13 15:55 CX520 HKG NRTx beckoa
Apr13 20:10 NH810 HKG NRT nomadic.relief
Apr14 12:30 OZ104 ICN NRT kaka


Departures

Apr16 02:00 KE720X HND ICN angra
Apr16 08:25 JL091Xx HND GMP ZFW-ATC, ZFW-ATC +1
Apr16 09:00 OZ1055 HND GMP wysiwyg
Apr16 10:50 LJ202Xx NRT ICN GarySTL, GarySTL +1
Apr16 12:05 OZ1075 HND GMP kirkwoodj
Apr16 12:05 OZ1075 HND GMP nomadic.relief
Apr16 12:05 OZ1075 HND GMP upup&away
Apr16 12:20 KE2708 HND GMP beckoa
Apr16 12:40 OZ101X NRT ICN krazykanuck, fifa, fifa +1
Apr16 13:30 OZ103X NRT ICN TravelKane
Apr16 15:40 JL093Xx HND GMP NewbieRunner
Apr19 10:00 JL026 HND HKG kaka

Please post any corrections/additions.

NewbieRunner

There is no central DO hotel, but many attendees are staying in and around Shinjuku, including several people at the Hilton. Those wanting to travel as a group to Welcome Drinks on Thursday and the Do Dinner on Friday can meet in the Hilton lobby.

Hilton Tokyo
TravelKane
krazykanuck
restlessinRNO
perthite
ZFW-ATC
angra

Gracery Shinjuku
wysiwyg

Tokyu Stay Nishi-Shinjuku
NewbieRunner

Tokyo Hostel Fuji
pudgym29

Grand Hyatt
GarySTL

Hyatt Regency
upup&away

penegal

Sign me up.

I am planning on taking some annual leave around the do this (next) year, to make sure that pesky work doesn't disrupt my plans.

penegal

As usual, I am happy to offer my limited gaijin assistance to our fearless organizers NewbieRunner and armagebedar.

armagebedar

Looking forward to it! As always I'll be the (mostly) silent Man in Tokyo...

upup&away

Thanks for the good news. Count me in for the main Do, as well as the post-Do
in Seoul.

Awesom Andy

Put me down as interested for now. Relocation countries may be throwing spanners at this one.

kirkwoodj

Fantastic!!! I'll be there for DO, highly likely for post-Do as well!
Booked at Hilton Tokyo and Conrad Seoul ^

nme7

I'm in.

ellyse

Interested but will have to make plans later...

kirkwoodj

Looking at itineraries, seeing great deals if I include HND-GMP in there. Best to get morning flight to Seoul on Sunday? Would we have afternoon activities? Would think that DMZ visit would be on Monday...