....Aha! Great to know the ATM "day" is still linked to at-home time, not Japan time!!!! Knowing that will avoid frustration and worry....thanks!

Hi robyng, I wanted to know if you used Mrs. Mikako Matsumoto services in Tokyo and if so how is she? Do you have other recommendations for tour guides in Tokyo?
Thanks!

Our trip to Tokyo isn't until September - and we haven't made a decision on using a guide yet. Also - I don't know the names of any other guides. Sorry I can't help more. Robyn

Thanks for the update robyng...
I found a guide with her name on the internet at http://www.tokyowalkingtours.com/mee...des-ezp-1.html (3rd guide). Could it be her?
Anyway, I will ask the hotel for recommendations as well (trip is in October).

We used taxi driver/tour guide Naoki Doi during our recent trip to Kyoto. I want to echo how great he was. His English and his knowledge of the places he took us was excellent. He kept my 2 teenage girls engaged for the 6 hours we booked with him, no easy feat. I highly recommend him to anyone considering a guide in Kyoto. We found having a guide very helpful as our time was limited and public transportation, while available, is not as easily accessible or user-friendly in Kyoto as it is in Tokyo.

http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~doitaxi/

dcman2

I'm really glad to hear that :).

Following your link - I see that Mr. Doi now has a new website - and a new van as well. Robyn

I agree with all of the suggestions above. I had fear as well going from the US to Tokyo. And, I can tell you, that going to Japan was actually easier than going to most other major US cities. Two or three things to consider:

1. Buy the Fodor Tokyo guide book. I get the print version because you do not need a computer or internet access to reference it. Also, my mom and I put post-it notes into the pages where we were interested. Check out their free site here. http://www.fodors.com/world/asia/japan/
Fodor's have excellent guidebooks that can really organize the information you need for a successful trip and also provide recommendations for different types of tourists (i.e. with kids, adults, adventure seekers).
2. JTB Sunrise tours does offer some very good tours. They have various tours in Tokyo, and these can be quite helpful. I took their tour in Kyoto which was good. I also have friends who did a tour in Tokyo. One of them is an american from Japan, and even he learned from it, so I would recommend it. http://www.jtb-sunrisetours.jp/
3. Watch 'Lost in Translation'. I think it definitely shows a lot of Japan, but also will help to reduce some of the anxiety you may be having, because you can see americans in Japan in a modern-day setting. For me, it had that effect.

I was scared before I went to. Terrified even. However, I had to go for work, which was probably a good thing, because I could not back out. That being said, it was one of the singular best experiences of my life. I would recommend, however, no matter what you do, to practice good planning. The above resources, and guidebooks and having an idea of what you want to do, and what resources you use will take a lot of the stress away so that you can focus on enjoying your trip.

What were you afraid of going to Japan? It's an extremely safe/clean county.

About the only 2 things that I'm afraid of (especially at my age) are extreme jet lag (likely for me - since I live 13 time zones away) - and earthquakes (not likely during a short stay). Robyn

Fear is not always rational for human beings. For me, there does not have to be a physical threat. Usually, for me it is just anything new or unknown which creates fear. Just being different caused me to experience fear.

You should be afraid of the prices.

Not really. Hotels, restaurants, and public transportation in Tokyo are reasonably priced when compared with major cities around the world. The budget travel forum and a few threads on this forum have some good tips about keeping costs down.

Tokyo guide
 

I found costs in Japan to be not inexpensive, but much more reasonable than I was led to believe. A strong dollar at the time certainly helped. Don't let the fear- mongers scare anyone. You CAN travel Japan without going broke.

I think visitors to Japan who found Japan to be expensive is usually try to live every day like way they live back home. If you eat and go about every day like what middle class Japanese do, then the cost will be lot less than what one might expect. I understand that some may be on a vacation, hence staying at a hotel like Four Seasons, Hyatt, etc. and having Starbucks in morning with English style breakfast at a hotel. Not to forget about the post about having sushi at Sukiyabashi-jiro on this forum.

But middle class Japanese do not live like that every day, and cost of going about every day in Japan like Japanese can be quite cheaper than you think. But I understand that due to language barrier, preference on food, etc. can make such little difficult.

When I go to Japan, I stay in business hotels (paying prices that would buy me a nothing more than a dirty and dangerous fleabag hotel in New York or London), eat in mom and pop restaurants, and ride public transit. I stayed in a luxury ryokan in Kyoto ONCE many years ago, just to see what it was like, but otherwise, I have no interest in fancy hotels.

All in all, I can travel in Japan for about the same price as a I do in the U.S., maybe less.

If you want high prices, try Scandinavia, especially Norway, on for size. I'd go again in a heartbeat, but this time I'd be better prepared for the prices.

I hear that ksandness, though I reckon NYC (well, with an accent on Manhattan) is even worse than London in terms of budget + quality.

I've been staying at Weekly Mansions (small rooms available by the day/week/month for different rates) in the Tokyo area for years. You might have to travel a bit longer on the train/metro, but there will nearly always be a 24-hour convenience store nearby, and if it's a relatively busy train station (whatever that means in Tokyo), expect to have a supermarket or small assortment of fast food chains (ie, Matsuya or a Chinese gyouza place) in the vicinity too. Before the Kameido Weekly Mansion became a hotel, I paid around US$55 per night, and it's not a podunk neighborhood either.