Short visit to US-Japan.. minimum necessary time?
 

Despite being a seasoned and experienced world-travelling-jet-setter (:D ) I am completely a novice when it comes to this...

Can anyone suggest what the minimum time is for a visit from NYC to Tokyo is?

I am trying to make arrangements to a band that has been invited to play one night in Japan this summer.

Time is tight and so is the budget, so we'd like to minimize the whole thing, but with time differences and jet lag, I don't want it to be torture.

So I'm looking for advice... what's the minimum time you would allow for a short visit?

Is there some thinking that if it's going to be less than X days, you might as well just turn around next day and not even bother with jet lag, productivity?

I see that it's anywhere from 12-17 hours depending on connections... so you arrive the same time you left and then... :confused:

You get the idea.

Best way to do this? Flights at certain times of days better than others?

Any suggestions very much appreciated!

thanks,

R

Pretty much all flights from the U.S. arrive in Tokyo between 1 - 4 pm. So that means the flights leave the U.S. between 11 - 2 pm local time (the day before). This means you will typically arrive in downtown Tokyo between 3:30 - 7:30 pm.

Likewise, pretty much all flights from Japan to the U.S. leave between 4 - 7 pm.

So you pretty much have to spend 1 night in Tokyo at a minimum. As to what the minimum time in Japan that is required to avoid the trip being torture, well, that depends on the individual. Could range from 1 - 5 days, I'd say.

A lot of the answer probably lies in the venue where your band will be playing.

For instance, if they're playing Fujirock 07 it's a completely different story than if they're playing in the greater Tokyo area.

Hopefully knowing the flight times will be useful, but, as kcvt750 has inferred, any useful advice or opinions will depend on WHERE the band are playing. If it's in one of the cities, as you say, there may not be any need for them to adjust to local time at all.

Another question is can any of them sleep in economy seats? And how hyped are they about playing in Japan? (the adrenalin factor should help).

I spent nearly a decade putting on bands in London, often having people stay over, (it's pretty much a given you'll know a few of them) what mostly affects their ability to cope with time differences, exhaustion and jet lag is how good a time they're having.

Summers can be pretty nasty (but I guess they'll be used to that if they're coming from New York) so that will take its toll on them too.

But without knowing where they're playing, there's not much advice anyone can really give.

If they're flying from NYC you might want to get them to stay out late the night before, give 'em some good travel pillows so they crash hard on the airplane, then wake up at something close to Japanese time. Late morning in New York is bedtime in Tokyo, so falling asleep after a late morning takeoff will have them almost precisely where they need to be upon arrival.

If they're still groggy after arrival look into a kind of chewing gum called "Black Black"--you'll find it in the convenience stores and it's basically chock full of caffeine. That should bring them back from the dead...

It is indeed in Fuji, and I hadn't thought much about internal transport, but yes, that would be a factor as well.

I think we've decided to decline, despite the generous offer as it's not quite generous enough to actually cover costs, even for a limited stay.

Thanks very much though for the input everyone.

^ :)

-R

No chance of combining the Fuji offer with a one off gig in Tokyo or Osaka then?

Sounds like this band has a heavy itinerary this summer - they're not playing at Benicassim (Fiberfib - Spain) are they?

FWIW, Fujirock isn't in Fuji, it's in Naeba which is ~ a 3 hr car ride or a longer train ride from Tokyo. Maybe a moot point if your friends can arrange for chopper service (several headliners did this last year; notably Franz Ferdinand, RHCP & other headliners).

Sorry to hear you're taking a pass on the venue. It is an absolutely wonderful festival (see other thread on Fujirock in this forum).

FWIW, there may be some other posters who appear to work in your capacity <cough....anonymous> who have already chimed in on the Fujirock thread. ;)

It's pretty small window between other dates, so we haven't found any other opportunities nearby. And I'm pretty sure that we're not doing Benicassim.



Thanks. It is an appealing option, but we've got some other great opportunities in Europe and other places that seem to make more sense for touring.

The truth is that I am a part owner of the label, but primarily a silent partner with my own separate life/work. I do get called on for travel questions and have gotten more and more involved as we tour farther afield internationally, though.

I'll look at the Fujirock thread and see what there is to see.. :)

Thanks for the info. ^

So, as a final data point, I'd say they will have to get to somewhere near the Fuji venue the day before they play, which is fairly difficult on arrival day (although theoretically possible this is very challenging coming off a 13+ hour flight in the afternoon), then play, and not be able to leave until the following day. This suggests a practical minimum would be three nights in Japan: first night in Tokyo, second and third nights closer to the venue.