My Honeymoon: Getting Around in Japan

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PrettyGirlJean
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My Honeymoon: Getting Around in Japan

Post by PrettyGirlJean »

Hi all!

Well, it's less than two weeks now until I tie the knot! :D I'm really excited and I'm beginning to think there might be something wrong with me since I'm not nervous ^^; Everyone keeps asking if I am though :p

The morning after though I'll be taking off towards accomplishing one of my dreams and that is to go to Japan! I'll be spending two weeks there and I really hope that I can make the best of it. I'm not sure how many of you have been to Japan, but if you have any suggestions on do's and don'ts and/or places I should definitely visit please let me know :) I'll definitely be going to Tokyo/Shibuya, Akihabara, and possibly Yokohama and we're planning on climbing Mt Fuji while we're there as well. I'll of course keep an eye out for any Lunar sightings! :D My fiance and I will be staying with a friend that is currently living there teaching english... I think he lives in Ageo about 40 minutes outside of Tokyo, we have to travel to Omiya to catch the train...

Which leads me to one of the main reasons I'm posting. Our friend for lord only knows what reason may not be able to meet us at the airport (it "slipped his mind" to ask for some time off) and although an adventure sounds a little exciting, I hardly know any Japanese and I can read next to nothing ^^; Now I've heard that the Japanese are a very friendly and helpful people, but still... should I be really worried? The only reason I'm not goin' psycho is that I'll be with my fiance/husband, but he probably knows less Japanese than me ^^; I guess I'm not THAT worried, but a little reassurance wouldn't be too bad either haha.

Anyhow, that's all, now back to anxiously waiting :p

Take care everyone!

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Post by phyco126 »

Well, I've never been to Japan, but do you plan on also visiting Tokyo Tower?

Anyway, have fun on your honeymoon!
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Post by PrettyGirlJean »

Oh yes, Tokyo Tower for sure :D We were thinking of Hot Springs but we'll probably pass this time. We're definitely hittin' that Karaoke scene though xD

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Re: My Honeymoon: Getting Around in Japan

Post by linkcj »

I used to live in Japan as a high school student. I don't think you have to worry much.

When I first arrived I didn't know a word a Japanese, but by the time I came back to America I spoke it rather well. Because of that, I aced my Japanese language classes in college... 5-credit hour A+'s really boost your GPA.

Anywho, yes the Japanese are very helpful people in general. You shouldn't have much trouble finding someone who can speak English and help you out since your flying in on an international flight. In fact you may want to ask one of your flight attendants what would be the best way in getting help in finding transportation to your friend's house before you get off the plane.

Have fun!!!


PrettyGirlJean wrote:Hi all!

Well, it's less than two weeks now until I tie the knot! :D I'm really excited and I'm beginning to think there might be something wrong with me since I'm not nervous ^^; Everyone keeps asking if I am though :p

The morning after though I'll be taking off towards accomplishing one of my dreams and that is to go to Japan! I'll be spending two weeks there and I really hope that I can make the best of it. I'm not sure how many of you have been to Japan, but if you have any suggestions on do's and don'ts and/or places I should definitely visit please let me know :) I'll definitely be going to Tokyo/Shibuya, Akihabara, and possibly Yokohama and we're planning on climbing Mt Fuji while we're there as well. I'll of course keep an eye out for any Lunar sightings! :D My fiance and I will be staying with a friend that is currently living there teaching english... I think he lives in Ageo about 40 minutes outside of Tokyo, we have to travel to Omiya to catch the train...

Which leads me to one of the main reasons I'm posting. Our friend for lord only knows what reason may not be able to meet us at the airport (it "slipped his mind" to ask for some time off) and although an adventure sounds a little exciting, I hardly know any Japanese and I can read next to nothing ^^; Now I've heard that the Japanese are a very friendly and helpful people, but still... should I be really worried? The only reason I'm not goin' psycho is that I'll be with my fiance/husband, but he probably knows less Japanese than me ^^; I guess I'm not THAT worried, but a little reassurance wouldn't be too bad either haha.

Anyhow, that's all, now back to anxiously waiting :p

Take care everyone!

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Post by PrettyGirlJean »

I hadn't thought about asking a flight attendant! Thank you very much! I was thinking that someone at the airport would help. We're pretty sure of the stop we need to get off at, but we don't know which train (I guess it's good at least that we know we have to take a train :p ). And even after getting off the train we're not sure. Our friend said that where he lives there are no street names... I wonder how anyone are suppose to find those people O_O I wonder if all of Japan is like that? There must be someway of telling which streets are which :p

Anyhow, thanks again! ^_^b It's cool that you spent time there. My friend that's there has been there for two years now. I think he was only assigned for one but he really loved it (and he's in a relationship now) so I'm not sure how long he'll be there; my point though is that in just two years he's learned a lot of Japanese, but I guess you kind of have to when you actually live. :p

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Post by Agawa »

Wow, I can't help you with your questions, but congratulations on getting married! I hope you guys have fun with your wedding and honeymoon, and have a great life together.

Good luck, and congratulations once more!

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Post by Kizyr »

Ok, this might turn into a long post, just warning you.

First, you have two weeks. So, forget Tokyo. The place is huge, overwhelming, way too crowded, and horridly expensive.

Well, you don't have to forget Tokyo, but you have two full bloody weeks. So I strongly recommend not spending more than 2-3 days in Tokyo. (The only reason I kind of enjoyed it was because my uncle had a house in Shibuya--yeah, a house--while I was there, so I had free lodging and meals. Even then I tried to get out to the surrounding prefectures).

Step 1: Getting Around

Now then, because you have two weeks, I highly recommend getting a JTB JR pass. There are several different rail companies in the country, but JR is nationwide. You can purchase a pass from the Japan Travel Bureau (http://www.jtbusa.com/). Check the JTB Pass page here (http://www.jtbusa.com/enhome/jrpasstop.asp)--I recommend either getting the JR Pass which covers all lines, or the JR West pass since that's where Kyoto, Nara, Hiroshima, Miyajima, and Osaka are.

Now, the JR pass is an unlimited-use pass for most JR lines, but not the Shinkansen lines--Shinkansen is a bit expensive ($100 to get from Tokyo to Nagoya, more to go further like up to Kyoto, Hiroshima, or Osaka). The down-side is that the JR trains you can get on will be slower (it's 2 hours by Shinkansen to Nagoya, but 4 hours by regular JR lines). It depends on if time or money is your greater concern--but still, don't stick around in Tokyo! You'll miss the better parts of the country!

Anyway, when planning a trip to another city, then you should either be pretty good at reading rail maps, or you should ask someone at a tourist center. If you're ever unsure about if you can board at a platform with your JR pass, then just show the pass to the attendant at the gate and ask (in English, preferably) if you can go on the train with that. 99.9% of the station attendants will be extremely helpful, even if they can't entirely understand you.

Step 2: Lodging

Lodging is typically very expensive, and depends on how comfortable you are with different kinds. 3/4-star hotels, particularly in cities, can range from expensive (in major cities) to unaffordable (in Tokyo--which is why I'm saying not to spend too long there). You might find some good deals, though, depending on how you booked.

As for alternatives to hotels, there are two. The first is hostels. You'll typically have to look these up online or elsewise before going, be pretty good with directions, and be comfortable with sharing rooms with strangers. Keep in mind that, even though you're going with your husband, many will not allow men and women to sleep in the same room. Also, some might not have showers or baths in the building itself, but you'll need to go to a public bathhouse for that--now, I happen to like them, but they're not for everybody.

The second are ryokan, or Japanese-style inns. These can be quite expensive, and I don't recommend them generally, but please try to stay in one for at least one or two nights! They're incredibly comfortable, and the staff can be incredibly hospitable. You won't regret it. (I'll recommend below where I think you might should stay in one.)

Step 3: Eating

Every place has a specialty. In Hiroshima it's okonomiyaki, in Nagoya it's kishimen, in Tochigi prefecture it's soba. If you can find out the local specialty, try to find a restaurant that specializes in that, well, specialty (in Hiroshima it's easy--look for a stand with barstools around and a guy making okonomiyaki in the middle).

If you're staying at a ryokan, then try the meals there at least once (the decent ones will have a dining room or something similar where you can be served). Once is enough 'cause you'll eat like royalty. Hey, it's your honeymoon, you should go all-out... at least somewhat.

On the road, most shops will specialize in a certain type of food or cuisine. You can usually tell on the outside what they have, and even if no one there speaks English, they'll understand if you point at a particular item (and prices are listed with tax included, always, and there's no tipping--so what you see is what you pay). But, general rule of thumb is that if it looks good, then go ahead and try it. Except natto, but that looks disgusting anyway.

Kaiten-zushi (conveyor-belt sushi) is another good stop, particularly if you're not very hungry and don't want to pay a lot. Pay attention to the pricing scheme they have (most price it by the color of the plate, ranging from 100Yen to 1000Yen); they'll typically also have 'sides' like shrimp miso soup if you ask for it ("ebi miso shiru"). Don't trust places that have all 100Yen plates, though.

If you want to go bar-hopping, then make sure you check out an izakaya (居酒屋) and not a 'snack' (スナック). The latter are usually in shadier places anyway. Izakaya can have a really nice set up and typically have really good food with them as well.

Step 4A: Tokyo

If you must stick around Tokyo, then I'll give a quick rundown of some of the places I liked... These are all downtown, and you can make the circle on the Yamanote-line (the 'green line' for the JR) on all these major spots. (The stops are named after these places, too.)

Shibuya
Pretty vibrant nightlife, even if you just feel like wandering the streets. Which is usually what I did. This is usually where folks from about 16-25 or so hang out.

Roppongi
Don't go at night unless clubbing or bar-hopping is your thing (that being said, most Japanese bars--izakaya--are pretty good places). If you go here in the daytime, then go to Roppongi Hills--it's a massive shopping and cultural center for the area (http://www.roppongihills.com/en/).

Harajuku
This is fun to go just for people-watching. You can see tons of girls going around in all elaborate Gothic Lolita costumes. Don't be afraid to ask for a photo.

Ueno
The park is lovely. If the fall colors are coming in the trees, then I recommend going to Ueno Park.

Akihabara
This was my favorite place in Tokyo. Make sure you exit out the end that says "Electronics Town" (電池町, I think--it'll look like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljnsn2_Hs8Q). The major-name shops are Tora no Ana (books and manga--don't browse the doujinshi), LAOX (games and more), and ASO Bit City (games and more, but they were renovating or something last time I was there--but that was in 2004). I also really like going onto the side roads and checking out back-alley used game shops, but have a decent sense of direction if you want to do that.

There's also all the usual tourist spots, like the Meiji Shrine and what not. In all honesty, I found them bland. The Meiji Shrine you can't go that far into, and even if you can it's so bloody crowded. If you skip it you really won't miss a whole lot, if you ask me...

Oh, and Yokohama... There's the port and not a whole lot else except for really big buildings. If you ask me, I'd skip it altogether and use the time to get elsewhere in the country.

Step 4B: Mt. Fuji

Mt. Fuji is beautiful, and takes an entire day to check out. Make sure you have some reliable transport to get up towards the top (your friend, if he has a car, might be able to help you out there). Since it seems you're already planning on this, I'll move on.

Step 4C: Nara

Nara has a stop on JR, but not on Shinkansen if I recall correctly... It comes before Kyoto if you're headed from Tokyo's direction.

Nara takes just one day to go around most of it. While there, make sure to see the Daibutsu (the giant Buddha statue) and some of the major temples there. You can pick up a map of the area (most of it is walkable--there's little or no mass transit within the city) from any tourist center or kiosk there.

The biscuits in the street vending machine are for the deer. Don't buy them as souveniers for people unless you really don't like them.

Step 4D: Kyoto

I have a curse with Kyoto. If I go it rains. Heavily. There's a saying that Kyoto looks best in the rain, but I don't have any basis for comparison. You'll probably want to spend 2-3 days here for a comfortable vacation.

Anyway, when I went last time, I stayed at a youth hostel with some friends. You might want to spring for a ryokan instead, although since it's tourist central for Japan then those might get real expensive. So plan accordingly.

Now then, there're a million shrines in the city. Take a tourist map from a kiosk or someplace, and check out the ones you want to see. If you and your husband don't mind a lot of walking, walk around downtown to most of the places--you might just happen upon a shrine, cemetary, or other lovely landmark along the way. The main thing to see is probably the "Golden Temple", in the west side of the city.

Kyoto has a small subway system, and a bus system. I had no problem with the bus, but other people I know have had problems with it. Hence, well, walking and perhaps 1-2 taxi rides might be a better bet for you.

Step 4E: Osaka

Osaka is the second largest city in Japan. ...I've never been, so sorry, I can't help you there. It's a short distance from Kyoto, however, so it'd be your next stop if you want to stay here.

Step 4F: Hiroshima

Hiroshima is a really, really wonderful city. You can spend 1-2 days here. You'll have to see the Peace Park in the center of the city, just south of where the bomb fell. If you like baseball by chance, the Hiroshima Giants stadium is a bit northeast from the park.

Hiroshima has a convenient light rail system that goes through most of the city, and further south to a port where you can get to your next stop...

Step 4G: Miyajima

Miyajima! Go to Miyajima! Seriously, if you go to no other place in Japan, then at least go here! You can spend 2 or so days here, but hell, I could spend an entire week.

Miyajima is just off the coast of Hiroshima. It's absolutely, positively gorgeous. It's where you'll find the Ise Shrine (with the famous Torii gate), more deer like in Nara, and some wonderful natural scenery. Hike up the trail to the top of the mountain / hill there; you'll catch the most beautiful scenery in the entire country.

This is one place where, if nowhere else, you want to stay at a ryokan. The one I stayed at had a bath at the top of the inn, where I stopped in at sunrise each day (most folks take baths in the evening though).

If you're comfortable enough, you might want to try checking out an onsen (hot springs) some time, at any point along your journey. Obviously you and your husband won't be going into the same one (there are some mixed-springs, but they're rare). I should warn you, though, that some of my female friends have had issues with women bringing their male children in--babies are typically acceptable, but some women don't get the hint when their boy is, like, 6-7 years old that he shouldn't be there.

Step 5: Other Places

So... Other places might include Nagoya, which is a great city to live in but unfortunately doesn't offer a lot for tourists. Karuizawa, which is up in the mountains near Nagano and has tons of wonderful hot-springs and baths. Sapporo in Hokkaido (way to the north). And Okinawa (wayyyyy to the south--you'll need a flight to get there).

If these places are starting to interest you, but you're worried about knowing how to get there, let me know. I might be able to help you actually plan getting between cities, since most schedules are available online.

Phew! That was long! I'll answer some other questions you brought up here sometime later. KF
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Post by Mog Dragonheart »

Osaka is the second largest city in Japan and next to Tokyo it's also one of the most expensive cities in the World.

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Post by TheRadicalAusa »

Aww, Danni! Your getting married and I didn't even notice!!! Congratz!!!!!!!!<3333333333

I have no help to offer, whatsoever, seeing as to how I know nothing next to nothing about Japan x3. I wish you the best of luck with your marriage and the little Danni's that will most likely be running around the house soon :wink:.

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Post by AbsoluteAlex »

I was in japan for a time, yokohama, tokyo, nagoya, hakata, kobe, yakozka. One thing that helped me a lot is before you go out somewhere, have someone write down in japanese where you are staying, or if they speak english, have them write down "take me to [insert hotel or lodging name in here and address]" in japanese. You can use this as a fail safe to get back to your hotel. I rode the rails while i was there, but a few times i got lost and it was handy having that. Also when youre there definately try Kirin and Sapporo beers. I dont want to sound like a drunk, but theyre both kind of unique. If you ever get to kobe, DEFINATELY have one of their steaks. I payed like $70 US for a steak, but it was amazingly delicious. Apparently they massage the cattle to make the meat more tender. Its a one of a kind meal. Only do this if you have a little extra cash.

Anyhow congrads on getting married and enjoy your honeymoon.
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Post by YoshiMars »

Congradulations!! I didn't know you were getting married! How wonderful! ^^ Sadly I can be of little help when it comes to visiting Japan (as I've never been there either... but oh would I love to go!), however, looks like Kizyr has it covered... I'd take that, yes indeed.

Have fun!!
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Post by Kizyr »

Danni, if you want to get me some feedback on how the places I listed sound, and what your time constraints might be, then I can revise that and help plan out where you might want to go, and some of the cities to stop off along the way. A lot of it will depend on if you're willing to pay to take the Shinkansen, if you're getting a JR pass (it's not worth doing both), or just what you and your husband are wanting to do there. KF
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Post by Zophar »

Wow, it seems just like yesterday when you announced your wedding date on your DA account, Danni. (Well actually that was several months ago but it doesn't feel like all that much time has pased).

Japan, huh? Well, have fun out there! :)


Wow that's a long post Kizyr. :shock: Did you use to live in Japan?

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Post by PrettyGirlJean »

Thanks for all the replies everyone!

Wow Kiz, thanks a lot! O_O I think I've heard of the JR pass you're referring to but isn't it a couple hundred dollars? I could be wrong... but I heard about this pass you can only buy outside of Japan. I took another intro/refresher Japanese course and that's what my teacher said. I hadn't bothered looking into it because we're working with a pretty tight money situation. That could change depending on what gift monies we receive at the wedding, but I don't want to count on that.

I know that we'll definitely go to Tokyo/Shibuya/Akihabara specifically and we're definitely (at least I'm hoping) going to climb Mt. Fuji. Although my friend doesn't have a car from what I hear, but I don't know about his girl friend... I don't think it's too likely we'll go to Yokohama. I was thinking about it so that I could meet an old pen pal, but I dunno. It's kinda sad, but we didn't do a whole lot of planning. My soon to be hubby kept saying he'd rather just explore and decide what we want to do when we get there... but I feel that we should at least plan on where to go and then we can kind of improvise then. It's unlikely that we'll be able to afford to go to Osaka, Kyoto, and Hiroshima although I'd really love to.

As far as lodging, we're staying at our friend's house in Ageo so we at least don't have to worry about that. We probably wouldn't have been able to go otherwise :\ I'm not sure if there's anything to do where he lives since I'd never heard of it before he told us he was living there.

Foodwise, my fiance will eat anything. Unfortunately (and I hate it), I'm a pretty picky eater. So while I like those little california sushi rolls I've tried other sushi and couldn't stand it. I also don't like miso soup the few times I had it. -_- As silly as it may sound we want to go to a ramen shop there. Have the real deal for the heck of it :) I love chicken, so if you have any places to recommend I'll definitely try to check them out :) We're not really into the bar scene, so unless we're somehow bored (yeah right) then we might check one out. Rippongi sounds interesting to go to during the day, thanks for the link I'll definitely look into it! ^_^ Ueno park really sounds great too; I'm taking my digital camera so any places with really nice views will be wonderful. I mean, I'm sure I'll take a million pictures anyway, but I'm going to try and make sure there's a reason for taking the picture too ^^ Nara as well as Miyajiya sound like really beautiful places I'll definitely see about going to each!

Thank you SO much for your post though Kiz! Seriously, it's really nice and you mentioned some places I'd heard of but hadn't thought about visiting and some that I hadn't that sound really intriguing! Any tips and suggestions you have would be great! Man, you were really thorough! Thanks so much ^_^b

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Post by Kizyr »

Ok I'm gonna answer some questions first, then move on to some itinerary suggestions for Danni (those might give you an idea of what kind of trip you two might enjoy the most).

PGJ wrote:Wow Kiz, thanks a lot! O_O I think I've heard of the JR pass you're referring to but isn't it a couple hundred dollars? I could be wrong... but I heard about this pass you can only buy outside of Japan.


It's a couple hundred, yes, but if you buy the JR West pass alone then it's still a really good bargain. We're talking a free pass around half of Honshu here, to all the major cities. However, I think there's a minimum of two weeks advance purchase...

PGJ wrote:As far as lodging, we're staying at our friend's house in Ageo so we at least don't have to worry about that. We probably wouldn't have been able to go otherwise :\ I'm not sure if there's anything to do where he lives since I'd never heard of it before he told us he was living there.


Ageo is in Saitama prefecture, which is outside of Tokyo (it borders Tokyo City). There actually might be quite a bit to do there that'll be a lot more relaxing than Tokyo itself.

Zophar wrote:Wow that's a long post Kizyr. :Shocked: Did you use to live in Japan?


I was in Japan in the summer of 1999, and again for the first half of 2004. In 2004, I was studying abroad at Nanzan University in Nagoya. College students are notorious for having a lot of free time, and since I only had one major class to worry about (Japanese language for 15 hours a week) as opposed to five, and the program I was on sponsored two trips, and I had relatives in Tokyo, I got the chance to travel around a lot.

Japan itself is also really friendly to backpacking. There's a good mass transit network across most of the country, there's cheap lodging to be found in most places, and most residents and travel bureaus are so helpful.

PGJ wrote:Our friend said that where he lives there are no street names... I wonder how anyone are suppose to find those people O_O I wonder if all of Japan is like that? There must be someway of telling which streets are which :p


There are street names, technically, but in a lot of residential areas (and some commercial areas!) the streets are unlabeled. You have to sometimes give step-by-step directions to cab drivers, even. Your best bet is to agree on a day for your friend to meet you at said train station, and they can take you to and from their place.

Now, onto travel plans... Keep in mind that these are only suggestions! My only aim is to give you an idea of what you might could do, not to stick you to some tight schedule.

Danni, if you think something like this sounds good, then get me some feedback and I can alter or append the suggestions here, maybe suggest some extra stuff like places to eat and whatnot. Also, if you do finally set on a general plan, I can look up prices, train schedules, and help take a load off of the planning side of things so the two of you can concentrate on more fun stuff.

Tour Suggestions...

I personally like seeing as many different kinds of places as I can, but without feeling all stressed. You can easily fit in, like, 4-5 cities in a week without overdoing it (I did that in Spring Break 2004, put up a Xanga entry up detailing it all back then: http://www.xanga.com/kizyr/75917050/item.html). I'll assume you have two weeks, and a trip like that would look like...

Day 1-4: Tokyo

You'll need the first day to relax, get to a hotel, and take a load off from the jetlag. Have a nice dinner out and don't worry about a thing. Maybe call your friend and make sure he's still up for meeting you in a few.

(EDIT: Money-saving idea... If your friend's place in Ageo is easy enough to get to and from (i.e., 1 hour or less of a commute), then stay there and train it into Tokyo each day. That'll save you a lot of money on the hotel, enough to go around the rest of the country after spending a few days in Tokyo and Saitama.)

On the second and third days, see some of the city. Most of it is accessible via the Yamanote JR line ("Green line" on the JR network that circles downtown Tokyo). There are something like 2 train networks (including JR), 2 subway lines, and 2-3 bus systems in the city. JR is the most straightforward, probably.

For the second day... Take the JR Yamanote line, and check out Ueno park (Ueno station) in the morning. It shouldn't be as crowded at that time. I'd suggest going from there on the Tokyo Metro (not the JR, but one of the city-wide subway systems) to Asakusa via the Ginza line ("Yellow line")--it's only a few stops away. Asakusa has a lot of shops at the main shrine, and the actual shrine itself is a really beautiful site (when it's not under renovations). It'll be a bit crowded here, but it's worth seeing. You can also grab lunch around here (you might find a ramen shop, too).

From Asakusa, take the same subway (the Ginza line / "Yellow line") back to Shibuya. Shibuya is another fun spot (if you ask me) with lots of shops and whatnot. If you want to go to a karaoke place, look around here; you can't go a block without finding at least 2 or 3. If it's not getting too late, you might want to check out Harajuku or some other places on that end of town as well.

For the third day, check out Roppongi in the day time. There's not a JR stop around there, but there's a subway stop on the Tokyo Metro's Hibiya line ("Grey line") and perhaps others. If you're further away from the center of town, there's a JR stop at Ebisu, and from Ebisu you can get off, ask directions to the Tokyo Metro's Hibiya line, and take the Hibiya line two stops to Roppongi.

When it gets to afternoon, you might want to take this time to spend the rest of the day around Akihabara. Akihabara is directly on the JR Yamanote line again. When you exit, follow the signs to "Akihabara Electric Town" (電池町) for the main street along which all the big-name shops are.

Day 4-6: Ageo

Since you have friends there, I suggest heading out to Ageo on the fourth day. You can take the JR Takasaki line from Ueno to Ageo, it's about 40-50 minutes.

You're going to have to ask your friend what there is to do around there. Since it's not as oversized as Tokyo (but still could be crowded, I don't know), it might vary. There could be some local tourist spots--like shrines or natural landmarks. Or perhaps a local cuisine specialty. Or there might be some nice hot springs around.

...if there are hot springs, check those out. It'll be better if it's you and your husband with your friend and his girlfriend; that way neither of you has to go into one side by yourself. If you're uncomfortable, hey, I understand, but I still gotta recommend it.

You can spend days 4 and 5 here, taking suggestions from your friend on what to do... On the sixth day, I'd say head out.

Day 6: Mt Fuji

Seeing Mt. Fuji takes about a day. Fill up your Day 6 here--hopefully all four of you can go along. Mt. Fuji is further west of Tokyo (opposite side of Saitama). So if you can go in the morning, it might take about 3 hours to get there and you'll have the day to chill.

If it's getting too late (like 6PM or later) by the time you're done, I'd suggest finding a place to stay nearby for the night. You might be able to find a good ryokan serving tourists, or a regular old hotel.

Day 7: Nara

From Mt. Fuji, you should be able to take a Shinkansen for the quickest route to get to Nara (if you have a JR pass, then take a regular JR line--it's longer, but you don't have to pay extra). There might be either Shin-Fuji or Shizuoka station close-by--ask at your hotel for the best route to Nara.

If you go via Shinkansen, then you should actually go first to Kyoto, then from Kyoto (don't stay there yet) go back up via the JR's Nara line to Nara (if you're going via regular JR, then you can just go straight to Nara). You can spend the day there literally walking around to all the sites. Even if you arrive, say, around lunchtime, then you'll have time to visit the Daibutsu statue, the parks, and check out any of the other major landmarks in the town.

Either find a place to stay in Nara, or you can go directly back to Kyoto that evening since they're both so closeby.

Day 8: Kyoto

Kyoto really is a lovely city. Do not worry about seeing everything here, though, since there's a whole load of attractions around. Get a map either from your hotel / hostel / ryokan, and perhaps ask for directions. If you and your husband are up for it, I recommend picking a section of the city and walking from perhaps the center to one of the edges, stopping off at anything that looks interesting along the way.

There's a bit of planning you might want to do regarding what part of the city to travel through, and where you want to end up (say, the Golden Temple / "kinkakuji"). But other than that, the less planning, the better.

Stay there for the night, and head out to Hiroshima the next day.

Day 9: Hiroshima

Hiroshima and Miyajima are right across from one another. So if you go to Miyajima, then you may as well stop off for one day at Hiroshima. You can take a Shinkansen from Kyoto station directly to Hiroshima to get there in just a couple of hours (again, if you have that JR pass, then use a regular JR line you can get on for free--ask at the station or a tourist center).

When you're in Hiroshima, there are two things you have to do: 1) eat okonomiyaki somewhere, and 2) visit the Peace Park. Okonomiyaki is the local specialty, and really, really good. The Peace Park is the center of the city and is a really lovely, yet sombering, place to visit.

Anyway, one day will suffice for Hiroshima for now. There's a light-rail that goes through the city that can take you to a port where the ferry leaves for Miyajima, which will be your next stop. Either stay tonight in Hiroshima, or go to Miyajima that evening and stay there.

Day 10-12: Miyajima

On day 10 or so, you should be in Miyajima. There's the Ise shrine and Torii gate here, and lots of natural scenery.

Other than the Ise shrine, don't bother planning. Just, pick a direction and go around. The entire island is absolutely lovely. In the town itself are plenty of shops you can stop in for lunch or dinner, or whatnot.

I also recommend staying at a ryokan here. This is the place to go all-out for your honeymoon. You really won't regret it...

I'm saying 3 days at Miyajima, just because it's so relaxing that it makes for a nice conclusion to this vacation. You can take a lot of time off here to unwind and relax together, to explore around, or do whatever you wish.

Day 13-14: Return to Tokyo

Now's the time to head back up Honshu. From Hiroshima you can take a Shinkansen straight to Tokyo station (or, again, regular JR line if you have the pass, which can be longer but still cheaper). You can spend the evening again in Tokyo (maybe visit Akihabara one last time before you go) then leave for Narita airport on your last day. KF
~Kizyr (they|them)
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LuNaRtIc
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Post by LuNaRtIc »

Congratulations PGJ!!! -^0^- I hope your wedding is nothing short of spectacular and that you have a blast on your honeymoon! Take pictures for us! xD
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PrettyGirlJean
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Post by PrettyGirlJean »

First and HUGE thanks to Kiz for his long posts (if you didn't already know Kiz, I replied to your PM ^^).

Thanks to everyone :) I am determined to find something having to do with Lunar there! Darnit, I will! :D I'm taking my digital camera so I'll try to catch as much awesome stuff on it as possible. It holds video as well, but that eats up a lot of memory :\

Thanks again everyone! ^_^b

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Post by phyco126 »

PrettyGirlJean wrote:First and HUGE thanks to Kiz for his long posts (if you didn't already know Kiz, I replied to your PM ^^).

Thanks to everyone :) I am determined to find something having to do with Lunar there! Darnit, I will! :D I'm taking my digital camera so I'll try to catch as much awesome stuff on it as possible. It holds video as well, but that eats up a lot of memory :\

Thanks again everyone! ^_^b


What kind of memory does your camera hold? Memory is cheap these days, you can get a 1 gig SD card for about $50 or less, depending on the brand. Of course, this is just guessing, it may be around $60, but regardless it's cheaper now than ever, so yeah, it's a good investment :D
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Kizyr
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Post by Kizyr »

PrettyGirlJean wrote:First and HUGE thanks to Kiz for his long posts (if you didn't already know Kiz, I replied to your PM ^^).


You know I'm always happy to help. Now, I'm gonna make one last trip suggestion, based on all the feedback you gave me thus far and (at least what I understand to be) what you and your future-husband want to do. So, here goes...

Possible Trip - City Life

Much as it pains me to say it, I think you're stuck in and around Tokyo for most of this vacation. (To some folks like my old Japanese professor, this would be ideal; to folks like me, I could pass.) But I think y'all are gonna have plenty of fun... I mean, the down-side is that you'll be in the same massive city; the up-side is that you have more time to spend in any given spot.

There are three main things you want to settle: (1) where to stay, (2) where to go, and (3) how to get there.

(1) Where to Stay

Definitely see if your friend is willing to have you two stay with him for 10-12 days. Saitama borders Tokyo, so if you can get into Tokyo in under one hour (each way), then definitely try and stay with him and 'commute' it in each day (most Japanese businessmen and women have at least an hour-long commute themselves, and that's every day).

Ageo Station has a direct line that goes from Ageo to Ueno on the JR (JR East) and should take just 40-50 minutes (try to take "express" trains when available, although "limited express" trains usually require a different train ticket). Ueno Station is also on the Yamanote-line, so that's literally right in the middle of where you want to be.

Now, if you're going to be going to Mt. Fuji, Osaka, Kyoto/Nara, Miyajima, or anywhere else, you'll need to find lodging there. If you're only staying somewhere for one night, I do still recommend trying to book a ryokan (you should probably find a tourist center or bureau, in the city you leave from or the city you go to, that can help you book that--there are usually a few in the larger central train stations). Otherwise, they might be able to help you get a regular, low-cost hotel. Hostels are another option, that I covered in another post already.

(2) How to Get There

Mixing up the order a bit... I'll explain how to get to certain places based on where I suggest going in the next section. But, in general, I can say a few things about the mass transit network.

For travel between cities, you should almost always be using trains. Short distances, you'll almost always want to use JR lines or sometimes other train companies that operate in the area (your friend should know the best way to get into and out of Tokyo from his place in Saitama). For travel within Tokyo, the JR lines themselves are very convenient, and the main Tokyo Subway line is also quite good.

There are actually 2-3 different train companies, and 2 subway companies, all with their own network of independent lines, criss-crossing the city. To avoid confusion, I recommend sticking to just JR lines and Tokyo Subway. The JR Yamanote-line ("green line") gets you around the main places downtown, and the Ueno station is a transfer point to Yamanote-line for the line that comes in from Ageo's direction. The Tokyo Subway Hibiya-line ("grey line") and Ginza-line ("gold line") will get you to a few other places that you'll probably want to visit.

(3) Where to Go

Now the meat of the trip... Rather than suggest what to do on Day 1, Day 2, etc., I'm just gonna suggest places to see and tell you about how long you might want to spend checking it out. You can do whatever you wish from there, once you have an idea.

...however, I'm almost out of work and it's before Labor Day weekend. I'm going to cut off the post here and continue later tonight with a new suggestion of places to go and things to see. KF
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PrettyGirlJean
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Post by PrettyGirlJean »

Hello from Japan :) I don't have long, I'll have to post again later. I'm just so excited! We're about to head out and hopefully make it to Akihabara without too much trouble. It was easy getting to our friends house since he came and met us :P

Thanks again Kiz for the post. We're also going back to Aki on friday. Apparently a friend of Brian's would like us to be apart of a TV show and we're suppose to eat some food, get a massage, try on costumes at a cosplay shop and some other stuff. I guess basically following us around :P I'll be able to tell you guys more that day though.

I gotta run now. Take care all!

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