Another First-Timer with Miscellaneous Questions
Feb 10, 2014 | 11:00 pm
#16
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hyatt Place
Programs: world hyatt national
Posts: 5,894
I haven't been to either. Had a look at Taiko no Yu's website. Seems like a pretty large-scale place with a good variety of baths. Some of the online reviews talk about this place getting real busy and sometimes even having to wait a while to get in, so maybe you should try to go on a weekday when it's less busy. I couldn't find Tenzan no yu.
Feb 11, 2014 | 9:19 am
#17
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,777
In my experience, izakaya do not have this tourist-friendly feature, only handwritten menus on the wall, and serve side dishes and snacks rather than meals. I suppose you could use the "I'll have what they're having" approach and make a complete meal of side dishes, especially since they include things like yakitori, tofu with bonito flakes, spinach with sesame seeds, and various kinds of seafood.
I haven't been to either. Had a look at Taiko no Yu's website. Seems like a pretty large-scale place with a good variety of baths. Some of the online reviews talk about this place getting real busy and sometimes even having to wait a while to get in, so maybe you should try to go on a weekday when it's less busy. I couldn't find Tenzan no yu.
Feb 11, 2014 | 12:01 pm
#18
Join Date: Oct 2000
Location: From and of Boston.
Posts: 4,973
Are you locked in to the Park Hyatt in Tokyo? It's a great hotel, the gym/pool/spa are fantastic, and it has a gorgeous bar ... and it's also a really lousy location for a first-time tourist. Long walk from the nearest subway, a lot fewer nearby dining choices than most hotels, and the Shinjuku quarter (to/from which there's a hard-to-find hotel shuttle) is bewildering to first-timers.
An excellent alternative (esp if using points) is the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi. The property itself is very comfortable, though certainly not as elegant as the PH. But it's in a lively and interesting neighborhood, with zillions of dining choices within a 5- or 10-minute walk.
An excellent alternative (esp if using points) is the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi. The property itself is very comfortable, though certainly not as elegant as the PH. But it's in a lively and interesting neighborhood, with zillions of dining choices within a 5- or 10-minute walk.
Feb 11, 2014 | 12:32 pm
#19
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,777
Are you locked in to the Park Hyatt in Tokyo? It's a great hotel, the gym/pool/spa are fantastic, and it has a gorgeous bar ... and it's also a really lousy location for a first-time tourist. Long walk from the nearest subway, a lot fewer nearby dining choices than most hotels, and the Shinjuku quarter (to/from which there's a hard-to-find hotel shuttle) is bewildering to first-timers.
An excellent alternative (esp if using points) is the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi. The property itself is very comfortable, though certainly not as elegant as the PH. But it's in a lively and interesting neighborhood, with zillions of dining choices within a 5- or 10-minute walk.
An excellent alternative (esp if using points) is the Grand Hyatt in Roppongi. The property itself is very comfortable, though certainly not as elegant as the PH. But it's in a lively and interesting neighborhood, with zillions of dining choices within a 5- or 10-minute walk.
Feb 11, 2014 | 5:01 pm
#20
Join Date: Mar 2004
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota,USA
Programs: UA, NW
Posts: 3,752
Sounds good to me! In izakaya, and other less-formal restaurant types in general, is there any standard way to just say "please give me the specialty of the house" or similar? I know at a higher end place I would just ask for the kaiseki. Is there a general analog? Even at restaurants here in the US, I sometimes like to just say "bring me your favorite dishes".
quality inherent just in a restaurant's existence.
Feb 11, 2014 | 5:45 pm
#21
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,777
If I didn't speak Japanese, I would take advantage of the fact that all Japanese people under the age of about seventy can at least read a bit of English and maybe even understand a few words spoken. If you're trying to make a meal of izakaya snacks, you might try writing down the categories of food that you want (chicken, vegetables, seafood, and then "best") and/or pointing to what other people are eating. The available drinks are likely to be beer (bee-roo), whiskey, and sake ("sah-keh," not "sah-kee"). Prices are pretty reasonable in general, a few hundred yen per item.
Feb 19, 2014 | 8:07 pm
#22
In memoriam
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Near Jacksonville FL
Posts: 3,987
Hello all - very much excited about a first trip to Japan coming up in a couple weeks. Unfortunately, due to a general hectic schedule I've not done as much planning as I'd like. And frankly, the information available is overwhelming. That said, I'm not the kind of traveler who likes a rigorous, fully-planned schedule; I like it to feel like vacation after all.
As I greatly value the opinion of FTers more than just about any other groups, I'd be honored by any inputs you could provide on this assortment of newbie questions...
Traveling with SO, itinerary is as follows:
Feb 26: arrive 21:05 into HND (CX F). Plan to somehow obtain a Suica and then take paid rail to Shinjuku. Staying at PH.
Feb 26-Mar 1: stay at PH. Do Tokyo things.
Mar 2: check out of PH, first day of JR 7-day pass (green car), ride to Osaka.
Mar 2-Mar 5: Hilton Osaka.
Mar 6: check out of Hilton Osaka, ride to Yokosuka, meet with friends.
Mar 6-7: Yokosuka, staying with friends, probably just doing whatever they want to show us.
Mar 8: Leave Yokosuka, last day of JR pass, make it to Hilton NRT before end of night.
Mar 9: Depart NRT 11:10 AM (JL F to JFK).
Questions:
1) Most open-ended of them, I promise they won't all be this ridiculous...OK, so seriously, what do I absolutely have to do in Tokyo? Like I said we're not really super-strict planning people, generally when we're in big international cities we just like to get lost and take it all in...to us some of the most interesting things are simple everyday things like checking out grocery stores, etc. We explore on foot or rail and are fine with 10-15 miles a day of walking every day. We're not really huge museum/attraction/etc. folks but would obviously do something world class or unique. I'm sure we'll find plenty to keep ourselves entertained, it goes without saying! But when handful of things are just absolutely not to be missed?
2) Restaurants - What is a good source for restaurant info? City-specific or the whole country. Unfortunately I cannot read Japanese. Are hotel concierges generally pretty good, or will they try to cater to what they think we will like and lead us to conservative choices? In general, any pointers on finding good dining establishments? My usual rule is "look for places with lots of old men"; does that apply here? And any can't-miss suggestions? $500 dinners we have been and done and they're generally lost on us. We like flavor for our buck. I think we're going to be more izakaya types.
3) Tokyo day trips - with only 3 full days in Tokyo, and JR passes not yet activated, do you feel it worth it to take any distant day trips? My current feeling is no.
4) Osaka - we chose to stay here because we believed the folks that said it was better to stay there and take day trips than to stay in say Kyoto. We're also Hilton loyalists. Figure on one full day in Osaka, one full day Kyoto, and then a full day trip somehow combining Arima onsen, Mt. Rokko area, and maybe dinner in Kobe to the extent that that is possible. Does this seem reasonable?
5) Aforementioned trip to Arima onsen - where is the best actual onsen to visit for a couple hours as part of that day trip? And how best to tie in Mt. Rokko? Was planning on taking the cable car right up from Arima (but I read that may be closed?) and then somehow working our way down to Kobe...any suggestions on how to best do this would be appreciated.
6) 1/2 day trip for last day in Osaka - check out in Osaka morning of Mar 6 but don't need to be in Yokosuka until sometime that night...how best to fill that day?
7) Train seat reservations - do these need to be done in person? By phone with hotel concierge? At all (except for NEX which requires)? Opinions seem to vary.
8) Trains in general - seems that there are often many ways to do the same thing. Looks like Hyperdia is the best route planner. Not having cell service or wifi everywhere though, in the stations are route maps generally available? Is it easy to tell JR trains from other trains? Also, it seems there has been some integration of Suica across the country, but I can't seem to find out how far along it is...is it possible to use Suica on most non-JR rail lines I might run into in the general Kyoto/Osaka/Kobe region?
9) Yokosuka - Is there anything I need to know as an American visiting this area? I understand that there may be friction due to the US presence. I certainly want to convey as great a sentiment of respect as possible.
I apologize in advance if these are vague or have been previously answered repeatedly. But I would be grateful for any input or discussion that would come of this. My experience in traveling is that I can read books and guides for weeks but it is not worth as much as 5 minutes of advice from someone who has been there and done it. And maybe there is something here that might be of use to someone traveling after me.
Many, many thanks!
As I greatly value the opinion of FTers more than just about any other groups, I'd be honored by any inputs you could provide on this assortment of newbie questions...
Traveling with SO, itinerary is as follows:
Feb 26: arrive 21:05 into HND (CX F). Plan to somehow obtain a Suica and then take paid rail to Shinjuku. Staying at PH.
Feb 26-Mar 1: stay at PH. Do Tokyo things.
Mar 2: check out of PH, first day of JR 7-day pass (green car), ride to Osaka.
Mar 2-Mar 5: Hilton Osaka.
Mar 6: check out of Hilton Osaka, ride to Yokosuka, meet with friends.
Mar 6-7: Yokosuka, staying with friends, probably just doing whatever they want to show us.
Mar 8: Leave Yokosuka, last day of JR pass, make it to Hilton NRT before end of night.
Mar 9: Depart NRT 11:10 AM (JL F to JFK).
Questions:
1) Most open-ended of them, I promise they won't all be this ridiculous...OK, so seriously, what do I absolutely have to do in Tokyo? Like I said we're not really super-strict planning people, generally when we're in big international cities we just like to get lost and take it all in...to us some of the most interesting things are simple everyday things like checking out grocery stores, etc. We explore on foot or rail and are fine with 10-15 miles a day of walking every day. We're not really huge museum/attraction/etc. folks but would obviously do something world class or unique. I'm sure we'll find plenty to keep ourselves entertained, it goes without saying! But when handful of things are just absolutely not to be missed?
2) Restaurants - What is a good source for restaurant info? City-specific or the whole country. Unfortunately I cannot read Japanese. Are hotel concierges generally pretty good, or will they try to cater to what they think we will like and lead us to conservative choices? In general, any pointers on finding good dining establishments? My usual rule is "look for places with lots of old men"; does that apply here? And any can't-miss suggestions? $500 dinners we have been and done and they're generally lost on us. We like flavor for our buck. I think we're going to be more izakaya types.
3) Tokyo day trips - with only 3 full days in Tokyo, and JR passes not yet activated, do you feel it worth it to take any distant day trips? My current feeling is no.
4) Osaka - we chose to stay here because we believed the folks that said it was better to stay there and take day trips than to stay in say Kyoto. We're also Hilton loyalists. Figure on one full day in Osaka, one full day Kyoto, and then a full day trip somehow combining Arima onsen, Mt. Rokko area, and maybe dinner in Kobe to the extent that that is possible. Does this seem reasonable?
5) Aforementioned trip to Arima onsen - where is the best actual onsen to visit for a couple hours as part of that day trip? And how best to tie in Mt. Rokko? Was planning on taking the cable car right up from Arima (but I read that may be closed?) and then somehow working our way down to Kobe...any suggestions on how to best do this would be appreciated.
6) 1/2 day trip for last day in Osaka - check out in Osaka morning of Mar 6 but don't need to be in Yokosuka until sometime that night...how best to fill that day?
7) Train seat reservations - do these need to be done in person? By phone with hotel concierge? At all (except for NEX which requires)? Opinions seem to vary.
8) Trains in general - seems that there are often many ways to do the same thing. Looks like Hyperdia is the best route planner. Not having cell service or wifi everywhere though, in the stations are route maps generally available? Is it easy to tell JR trains from other trains? Also, it seems there has been some integration of Suica across the country, but I can't seem to find out how far along it is...is it possible to use Suica on most non-JR rail lines I might run into in the general Kyoto/Osaka/Kobe region?
9) Yokosuka - Is there anything I need to know as an American visiting this area? I understand that there may be friction due to the US presence. I certainly want to convey as great a sentiment of respect as possible.
I apologize in advance if these are vague or have been previously answered repeatedly. But I would be grateful for any input or discussion that would come of this. My experience in traveling is that I can read books and guides for weeks but it is not worth as much as 5 minutes of advice from someone who has been there and done it. And maybe there is something here that might be of use to someone traveling after me.
Many, many thanks!
The aquarium in Osaka is a must see attraction if in town.
Checking out grocery stores - meh. Checking out department store food basements (depachikas) - especially in higher end department stores - ^^^.
Walking 10-15 miles/day every day. Are you sure? Even if sure - there's no reason to do that in Tokyo/Osaka where the subway systems are so great. On my part - 5 miles/day is plenty.
Quite a few museums in Japan are difficult due to lack of signs in English. One we especially enjoyed on our trip last year was the Edo-Tokyo Museum (great history museum - English headsets available).
There's quite enough to do in Tokyo for 3 days. No trips out of town necessary.
There are supposed to be over 100k restaurants in Tokyo (there are a huge number in Osaka too - and the cuisine in the Tokyo region of Japan differs from that in the Osaka region). Decide what kinds of food you'd like to explore - and what your budget is. Many restaurants in Japan specialize in particular types of meals - ranging from sushi to tempura to eel. And that's not taking into consideration "international restaurants" - and they're tons of those. I recommend reading and studying up on food/restaurants - and choosing what you think you'll like best that's in your price range. You'll never get a better opportunity to explore Japanese food than you will in Japan - and it's worth putting some effort into the venture IMO. Also - many restaurants - even if not super high end/expensive - are small. And tend to prefer reservations as opposed to walk-ins. So I'd take the time to make at least some dining reservations.
FWIW - our hotel concierge made all our restaurant and train reservations on both of our trips after we told the concierge desk what we wanted. Robyn
Feb 20, 2014 | 9:00 pm
#23
formerly known as Tad's Broiled Steaks
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 6,424
If I didn't speak Japanese, I would take advantage of the fact that all Japanese people under the age of about seventy can at least read a bit of English and maybe even understand a few words spoken. If you're trying to make a meal of izakaya snacks, you might try writing down the categories of food that you want (chicken, vegetables, seafood, and then "best") and/or pointing to what other people are eating. The available drinks are likely to be beer (bee-roo), whiskey, and sake ("sah-keh," not "sah-kee"). Prices are pretty reasonable in general, a few hundred yen per item.
At the same time, I'd be rather amused if NY pizzerias or taco holes-in-the-wall in LA started placing "fake food" in their windows.
Feb 21, 2014 | 3:10 am
#24
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: NRT
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 10,045
Feb 21, 2014 | 5:18 am
#25
In memoriam
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Near Jacksonville FL
Posts: 3,987
Menus in Japan seem to use more and more English, and other languages - that is, written in katakana - which obviously doesn't blatantly help non-Japanese speakers/readers. However, tuna, salmon, even rice would all be eventually understood if the patron just took a guess.
At the same time, I'd be rather amused if NY pizzerias or taco holes-in-the-wall in LA started placing "fake food" in their windows.
At the same time, I'd be rather amused if NY pizzerias or taco holes-in-the-wall in LA started placing "fake food" in their windows.
Feb 21, 2014 | 9:13 pm
#26
Join Date: May 2003
Location: N/A
Posts: 413
High end department store's grocery section (usually located in the basement) is spectacular!!!! Local grocery store? Forget it, you should go straight to department store's basement!!!!
Oh, one random thought about the etiquette in the Bullet train/Shinkansen. It is usually considered a "quiet car", so you better use your earphone all the time if you prefer to listen to any music. On one occasion, I witnessed one foreign passenger in bullet train started his player with speaker feature, and immediately advised to shut that off or use earphone by the fellow foreign passenger.
Feb 22, 2014 | 6:00 am
#27
In memoriam
Join Date: Aug 2005
Location: Near Jacksonville FL
Posts: 3,987
). Robyn
Feb 22, 2014 | 7:17 am
#28
Join Date: May 2003
Location: N/A
Posts: 413
And there's always a lot more than groceries. There are all manner of prepared/take out foods. Breads. Cheeses. Desserts and other sweets (both local delicacies and international staples like chocolates). Wines and spirits. Etc. Often - you can get some samples too (try sampling 4 different kinds of seaweed ). Robyn
). RobynYes!! as listed above, please try Dept. grocery section. If I were you, that is one of my must stop.
Mar 13, 2014 | 7:53 pm
#29
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: DCA
Posts: 7,777
Thanks, all, for the advice. I had a great trip!
Having visited a number of these, I completely agree! However, there is something horribly cruel about these establishments...they sell the most amazing ready-to-eat foods, and yet there is NOWHERE to eat them, and eating while standing is such a no-no as I am told. So what on earth are the locals doing with this hot, fresh, ready to eat food? Just packing it up in the 15 layers of wrapping that these stores insist on providing and letting it get all cold and soggy during the hourlong train ride home? That is a crime against humanity!
Having visited a number of these, I completely agree! However, there is something horribly cruel about these establishments...they sell the most amazing ready-to-eat foods, and yet there is NOWHERE to eat them, and eating while standing is such a no-no as I am told. So what on earth are the locals doing with this hot, fresh, ready to eat food? Just packing it up in the 15 layers of wrapping that these stores insist on providing and letting it get all cold and soggy during the hourlong train ride home? That is a crime against humanity!