Five Days In Japan
 

A TR from my trip to Japan.

My previous trip reports can be found at the links below:

A Trip to Afghanistan
A Journey Through Kyrgyzstan
A Trip Around The Arabian Gulf
A Trip To Yemen
A Trip To Jordan & Israel
A Southern African Adventure
Road Trip to Saudi Arabia & Qatar

Day 0.

About to board the EK 777 at Dubai at 3am in the morning.
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My neighbour borrowing a shoulder:D.
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The Japanese breakfast option in Economy.
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After arriving at Narita airport at ~5:30pm, got my passport stamped, exchanged some yen, bought N'EX tickets, a SUICA card (for the subway), and hopped on the Narita Express train for Tokyo.
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Trying to comprehend the spaghetti-like map on the Tokyo subway:).
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A crossing just outside my hotel in Suidobashi, with the Tokyo Dome on the left where the Rolling Stones played a week prior.
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My hotel. A reasonable ~8000 yen a night including breakfast.
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I had a 3am start tomorrow, so dinner was just at the local 7/11:D.
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Still quite tasty though:).
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Day 1.

Up early to catch up a taxi to the Tsukiji Fish Markets. ~3000 yen, so not cheap but not unreasonable.
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I got there before 4am, and although the tour didn't start until 5:20am, there was still a decent queue already.
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After putting on yellow fluoro vests we were directed into the main tuna auctions.
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The frozen tuna ready for auction.
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The buyers doing alot of poking & prodding and close inspection it with a torch:).
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Looks like he is happy with this one:).
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There are two (free) tours most mornings, with each tour limited to ~75 people which quickly fill up.
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Discussing the days catch:).
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One of the auctions underway.
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The tour lasted ~25 minutes, after which we are escorted out of the inner markets.
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Organising the days orders.
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Morning cigarette on a skewer:).
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Ready with the bandsaw to cut up the frozen tuna.
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After the end of the tour, I went for a walk through Ginza.
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Not many people or cars about at ~6am:).
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Kabuki-za in Ginza, the principal theater in Tokyo for traditional Kabuki theater. I would later come back on day 3 to watch a performance.
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Traffic on the roads through Ginza.
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Conductor on one of the JR lines.
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After going back to my hotel for breakfast and a quick nap, I headed down to Tokyo Station to get my Shinkansen tickets to Kyoto on day 4. 21,000 yen for the Japanican deal for return un-reserved Shinkansen tickets and a day pass for buses/metro in Kyoto, and was quite a good bargain.
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Heading underground.
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The famous crossing in Shibuya, as seen in films such as 'Lost in Translation', and 'Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'.
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Out shopping in Shibuya.
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Graffiti.
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I then walked up to Meiji Shrine, where there was a traditional Japanese wedding procression.
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Group photo:).
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Barrels of sake. The shrine is situated in a 175 acre forest.
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I then walked to Takeshita-dori, a pedestrian-only street lined with fashion boutiques, cafes and restaurants in Harajuku.
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A great place to watch all the latest Japanese fashions:).
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The Mods.
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Fluorescent:).
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In Black.
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Blonde.
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I then caught the metro to Sumida to see the Tokyo Skytree.
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The weather wasn't ideal, but still had some great views of the city below.
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I then caught the JR train back to Suidobashi.
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Bookshop.
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Dinner of pork & noodles after a great first day in Tokyo:).
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Day 2.

After going for a run around Tokyo Dome and then grabbing some breakfast, I walked down to Yasukuni Shrine in Chiyoda. This is the shrine that is often in the media whenever the Japanese prime minister (controversially) pays his respects to the war dead.
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I then visited Yūshūkan, the war museum next door. A Yokosuka MXY7 Ohka, or rocket powered flying bomb used by Kamikaze.
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The museum wasn't as controversial as I expected, with most of the exhibits and information being relatively factual. The Pearl Harbour attack had quite alot of displays, model aeroplanes, photo's etc. but the atomic bombings of Hiroshima & Nagasaki were limited to a few sentences of text though. The description of the Nanking 'Incident' also differed significantly from the Chinese version.
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Just outside Yasukuni Shrine, a busy flea market.
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I then walked down to the Imperial Palace Grounds. It was Saturday morning, and literally hundreds of runners were doing laps of the grounds:).
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Some blossoms in the east gardens of the Imperial Palace.
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Some buildings on the Palace grounds beside the moat.
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Back in Ginza again.
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No photo's:)!
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A street closed for pedestrians in Ginza.
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Pachinko:)!
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At the outer markets of Tsukiji.
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Lots of different foods as well as fish for sale.
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Queueing for bbq'ed shellfish.
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Stopping for lunch at one of the Tsukiji restaurants.
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The chef preparing my dish.
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It definitely tasted as good as it looks:)!
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After a good feed at Tsukiji, I caught the metro out west to Shinjuku, and went up one of the observatories of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building.
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Looking down at a flea market in Shinjuku Central Park.
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Looking South-East. Not as high as Tokyo Skytree, but a great price though (free:)).
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Sofia Coppola, the director of the Tokyo film, 'Lost in Translation'.
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Walkway.
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More pachinko in Shinjuku.
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The ubiquitous Japanese drink vending machines which seem to be everywhere:).
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Prayer cards at Hanazono Shrine.
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Some of the neon in Shinjuku.
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One last photo of the day, back at Shibuya crossing:).
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Nice report....

Day 3.

Back on the underground again, this time to Asakusa.
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Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple. I only had a short time here unfortunately...
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...as I needed to get to Ginza for Kabuki tickets:). Only 1000 yen for the 50 minute morning matinee.
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Was a great, cheap way to experience traditional Japanese theater:).
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I then headed out to Minato to Tokyo Tower. The tower was the tallest structure in Tokyo up until 2010, when it was surpassed by the Skytree.
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The view from the mid-deck:).
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Some hot chocolate from a vending machine at the metro. It actually came out steaming hot too:).
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I then headed to Akhihabara, the electronics district of Tokyo.
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And straight to the camera gear:D.
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They had almost all the Canon & Nikon lenses available to try, so had a play with a few of them, including this Canon fisheye lens:).
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I then went back out to Asakusa to Senso-ji again, since I only had a short time in the morning.
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And bought some Kimono's as gifts back home:).
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A shop selling sweets, cakes etc., with a 100 metre queue down the street:)!
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Spicy pork & rice for dinner for a very reasonable ~800 yen.
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Since I was in Japan, I figured I had to check out one of the quirky capsule hotels:).
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Vending machines & laundry. It was Sunday night, so I got a reduced rate of 2600 yen.
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The communal lounge.
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My 'room' for the night:D.
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Actually not too bad if you're not too claustrophobic:).
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Japan's a bit mainstream by your standards isn't it? ;) Cracking pics though, and I enevy your stamina.

Day 4.

Up early for the 6am Shinkansen to Kyoto from Tokyo Station. My first time on a high speed train so was super-excited:)!
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The train was reasonably full on the journey west. The seating was 2-3, with the middle seat on the 3 side being ~5cm wider than the rest for some reason (for fat gaijin:)?).
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Meal & drinks cart coming through.
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Great view of Mount Fuji on a nice clear morning.
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Plenty of snow as we headed west.
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Arriving at Kyoto Station at about ~8:20am.
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After arriving at Kyoto, I picked up my bus/train day pass, and caught the 205 bus to Kinkaku-ji.
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The 'serious' photo of Kinkaku-ji (or Temple of the Golden Pavillion).
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And the fun version:D!
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I then caught the 206 bus to Kiyomizu-dera. Some Geisha in the streets while walking up to the temple.
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Kiyomizu-dera with downtown Kyoto and Kyoto Tower on the left.
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Some more Geisha ladies.
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I then caught the metro from Kyoto Station up to the grounds of the Kyoto Imperial palace, and had a walk around the gardens.
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One of the gates to the Imperial palace.
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I then joined a tour of the Imperial Palace. The royal family seal on one of the Palace eaves.
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The well cared for Palace grounds. The Palace tour is only for foreigners, needs to be booked in advance, with Japanese only allowed into the grounds on 2 days of the year.
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More blossoms:).
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I then went to the Nishiki markets in central Kyoto. Quite a vibrant place with lots of stalls, people and a great atmosphere:).
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Lots of fresh food for sale.
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And some Japanese sweets I bought:).
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I then had some grilled mochi (glutinous rice) at restaurant in the markets for a late lunch:).
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Last stop of the day in Kyoto, the view from Kyoto Tower.
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And then to catch the 17:06 Nozomi train back to Tokyo:).
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Day 5.

Breakfast at the hotel for my last day in Japan.
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Tokyo Dome on the right and a roller coaster on the left:).
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I then caught the Tokyu Toyoko Line down to Yokohama, the second largest city in Japan. The Chinatown in Yokohama is also the biggest in Japan.
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Some locals buying some chinese dumplings:).
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I then went for a walk on the waterfront. The museum ship, the Hikawa Maru.
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One of the US built bridges (from 1908) on the waterfront walk.
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Cosmo Clock 21, a 112.5 m Ferris wheel which doubles as "the world's largest clock":).
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A good view of the city, and Tokyo in the distance from the Cosmo Clock.
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The Nippon-maru.
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The view from Landmark Tower, the tallest building in Japan. Nippon-maru bottom-middle and the Hikawa-maru top-left.
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The view to the west, with Mount Fuji top-right.
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Mochigashi sweets at a Yokohama mall.
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After catching the train back to Tokyo, I had a late-lunch of chicken, pork & shrimp for 1400 yen:).
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And back to Tokyo Station to catch the Narita Express for the flight back home:)!
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Thank you, RTW1:). My first time to the land of the rising sun and had a great time.

Thanks, exilencfc:). Next trip is to one of the 'Axis Of Evil' to make up for it:).

Looks you did as well..... I'll be there in two days so this was a nice reminder of what to expect.

Very nice pictures - thanks! Also, I've always wanted to try one of the capsule hotels... :D

(PS, you might want to blur out your name/passport - for your own privacy...)

Loved the report and your photos are amazing!

I'm possibly looking at going to Japan this summer, did you find it expensive to eat out and was it easy to navigate on the subway?

Amazing trip report! I'm going to Japan for the first time in a month and I'm really excited. I think I'll take advantage of this trip for some tips, thanks for sharing!

I NEED to get back to Japan!!! Your pictures Were just great.

Travelgirl88: in Japan you can eat very inexpensively or easily drop hundreds of dollars on meal. Either choice will be of at least good quality. The variety of food is amazing.

The subway stations have English signage and the staff will generally try their best to communicate in English, as with most of your fellow passengers. Fair warning, tjoug, the system is vast.

Japan is an incredible country... you will love it! The FT Japan forum is a great resource for trip planning.

Thanks, bluegreentravel:). Yes, the capsule hotel was quite the experience, not bad for $26 a night in Shinjuku too:).

I've censored out my signature & DOB. My name is on my website (dsw-photo.com) so figured it is too late to be anonymous:).

Thank you, travelgirl88:). The depreciation of the yen makes everything 20-25% cheaper than it was a year or two ago. Eating out was quite reasonable, plenty of cheap restaurants where you can eat for 600-800 yen. The sushi I got at Tsukiji was my most expensive meal at 3500 yen. I didn't visit any 'higher-end' restaurants though.

The subway wasn't too hard to navigate. I only had a little trouble sussing out the different JR lines and the subway system though, but nothing too difficult. E.g. you can get from Shinjuku to Shibuya on either the JR lines, or on the subway, but I never figured out what was best/easiest.

You'll have a great time, I've been to quite a few Asian countries, but Japan is truly unique. Very friendly and polite people and so much to see and take in:).

Yes, a good source of advice & info. I spent quite a bit of time planning my trip to fit in as much as possible in the short time, and think it really helped.

Fantastic TR, and amazing photos ^ Thank you for sharing!

Your TR brings back fond memories of our own vacations to Tokyo. It has been a couple of years since we've been there and I'm hoping to get back again soon.

Great photos and an excellent report. It definitely makes me want to visit some day!

Great report!

Great pictures! The weather this weekend was wonderful, I even managed to arrive after the rain ended on Friday. I spent a few days in Narita and never actually made it to Tokyo. Sometimes quiet is nice.

Brilliant photography!! I'm sure you have much better equipment, but my respectable compact megazoom bit the dust on my flight over to Japan in January. Boy was I pissed. Seeing your pictures makes up for my loss of them.. thank you!

Too funny. The very first hotel I stayed at in Tokyo was at the suidobashi grand. It was back when I was a wee lad and met Frederick Fennell with our current band director. In fact, this was during his tenure as the initial director of the Tokyo wind ensemble.

Nice TR. many places I have enjoyed. I have 14 days in Japan in June. My 4th trip back since may 07.

Loved the TR. All your TRs are awesome. Thank you Daniel :)

Very nice report.

I'll be in Hong Kong for the first time in August, 2.5 days. I hope I can hang like you did here!

we are going in June and really appreciate the info
Great pictures

Thank you, Madone59:). I have always wanted to visit Japan, and when planning my annual trip back to NZ, tried to sus out some options via Japan. The best way was with Emirates/JetStar. The cost via the Emirates website was ~$US6000, but when I booked the same flights through Kayak.com, it was a more reasonable ~$US1800:).


Cheers, El Cochinito. I would really love to go back some time and see abit more too:).

Thanks, dakid23:).

Thanks, Cohall:). Yes, definitely one of those rare places where everything is easy, convenient, but with still a decent dose of culture/new experiences:).

Cheers, Feorlen:). Narita sounds like a cool town to explore, on my list for next time:).

Cheers, jpetekYXMD80:). Yes, an easy place to taek great photo's. You should have gone to Akhihabara and picked up a new one:).

Thanks, mkjr:). Yes, the hotel was a great place to stay. Nothing flash, but very clean, cheap, a decent breakfast buffet, and three subway/JR stations within walking distance.

One thing that intrigued me though was the housekeeping. They changed everyone's bedsheets with clean ones each day. Is this a Japan thing? It was definitely a business/family establishment and not a love hotel anyway:)!

14 days will be a great amount of time to see the country too:).

Thank you, DL17:). Hopefully a few more TR's in the next few months.

Cheers, brg:). I used the Lonelyplanet 'Tokyo' guide to help plan and guide me around, was a real great resource of info.

Thanks, Gamecock:). Hong Kong looks like a cool place to explore. I haven't been yet though, apart from the airport.

Your trip report is exactly what I was in the mood for tonight. Inspirational and poetic. Your pictures do most of the talking along with the to the point captions. I enjoyed all of it and look forward to more and using it as a reference for future trip to Japan. Would you say it is worth buying electronics (minus the plug/hydro) there?

cheers

Great TR as usual DanielW! Been a fan of all of your past reports, especially the amazing photos, so always glad to see another report. As others have said, this is a bit of a "tamer" locale compared to the other reports.

I've been to Japan many times and always enjoy going back - love the range of foods as well, going from expensive but high quality sushi to inexpensive but still very good ramen.

Great report as always, Daniel. I guess living in Dubai makes you crave pork!

Wonderful TR. Daniel, are you fluent in Japanese?

Thank you, corruptcanadian:). I'm not 100% sure on the electronics, but the camera gear prices was very reasonable with the recent yen depreciation. Definitely worth checking out anyway:).

Thanks, shogunate03:). Yes, the food was definitely a highlight, wide range of tastes/flavours, healthy, and importantly very photogenic:).

Just sussing out my next trip now, flying an old 727 to Iran:).

Cheers, UKdiver:). Yes, the pork was most appreciated, even the hotel breakfast buffet bacon was a treat:D.

Thanks, agp423:). Apart 'Hello' & 'Thank you', I know nil Japanese:p. No problems though as most signs and most service people (i.e. hotel, trains, some restaurants) used English perfectly.

Great TR! All these Japan TR's are making me antsy to travel back to Japan. Why am I doing this to myself lol

We LOVE Japan....especially the high tech toliets!....GREAT TR

Ah, this brings back memories of my wife's and my trip over Thanksgiving a couple of years ago. Tokyo is a great destination, and your report is a wonderful reminder for those of us who often find ourselves mindlessly trasiting NRT.

So...Axis of Evil, eh? Do I sense an Air Koryo report coming up?? :D

Cheers, cornellfOo, yes Japan is one of those places I want to go back and explore some more:)!

Yes, the toilets were very interesting, with the different buttons for ladies & gents. My hotel toilet always half-flushed when ever I sat on it, I guess as a pre-emptive move:)?

Thanks, zcat18, the next trip will be a little more local (for me), Iran.

Outstanding TR! Great pictures and you really made the most of your time. This really makes me want to get back to Japan. One question -- did you feel you were able to do justice to Kyoto in one day, or do you wish you could have spent more time there?

Thank you, KevinDTW:). I spent a lot of time trying to sus out to make the most of my five days and see as much as possible.

I was happy with my one day in Kyoto. It would have been nice to spend a day or two more, but I felt that one day out of 5 was about the right amount of time for me. Personally I am not much of a temple person though, so this may differ for other people.

Beautiful pictures. I'll be in Japan for the first time in October and you've given me some ideas.

The first idea being I need to get a new SLR body. Mine went MIA last year and I've been fighting the urge to replace it.