Bob, Gaggan is a given..... Regardless of hotel choice :)
Now I am in a fix, because I had only really considered the PH!,,,,,,
Haven't a clue about where we plan to visit yet, it's giving me a headache! Is he location fork he PH really that in conveinient ?

All things considered the GH is in the better position with the subway close by and the shopping/restaurant mall attached. Eating venues abound in both places and the night life again abounds in both places with Roppongi being a little smaller yet and more compact whereas Shinjuku's nightlife and shopping is spread over a larger area. People who stay at the PH really don't worry about subways and public transport anyway.....they limo and taxi everywhere somewhat like the Kimaball's do ;)

Staying at the GH will save you money not only on the price of your stay in Tokyo but also drinks in the evenings and the cost of breakfasts and dinners(the hors at GH are plentiful and can sub for dinner easily). Another plus would be the savings of breakfast in Kyoto plus one free night at the Hyatt Kyoto(which can be expensive). The cost of a night in the GH while paying for the club level rooms would rival the cost of staying at the PH so you can see the deal you would be getting.

We have stayed at both hotels and although the PH is one of the best hotels in the world, and we enjoyed our stay immensely, I would save it for your next time in Tokyo as the Park Hyatt will still be there but these offers probably won't be.

If you do decide to stay in the PH, the bar on the 48th floor still offers killer views of Tokyo and has a fantastic atmosphere with the advantage of cheaper drinks than the NY bar on the 54th floor.

Aloha!

ok, a new way to look at it.... you will need several suitcases for yourself and at least a dozen for muffin if you stay at the PH... think of the airline cost...

so stay at the GH and your wonderful normal clothing will surfice and you can buy a case of hand creams in bkk and have tons left over for designer japanese duds....

muffin will never notice the switch..

That's the other problem. Muffin already knows I have booked us in there... Ok I am going to seriously look into it.
SORRY Craig for hijacking your thread.

The Yen continues to fall. 6 months ago, a dollar bought 78 Yen; today it buys 96. That means that the hotel that cost $250/night last October now costs $200/night. (A pound sterling buys over 3 billion yen, so Englishmenandwomen can probably afford anything they feel like.)

I'm rooting for it to hit 100 by November.

I'm rooting for 100 by mid May. By Nov I am hoping it to be around 106.....

Aloha!

dreamers

What's that song....beautiful dreamers?
97.125 right now

Loving it...

i feel sorry for the japanese... in the spirit of ABO i would like to offer them a rate of 68.2215

looks like it's time for bobbo to have a cup of cocoa and take a nap with Faux Newz groaning in the background

ABO???

Yes what is ABO?

> ABO?

Anyone But Obama. See the rhk trip report from last fall for context (look for "silent voters," "next President of the U.S. voting in Belmont," and put-down of Nate Silver).

I suppose I should know that, but since the President's fate for the next 4 years has now been determined, it didn't occur to me...

It appears that the Japanese are now mimicking the US' and Europe's policies of "quantitative easing" or in layman's terms, "printing money". Lord knows where this will all lead but if it gets Fodorites traveling to Japan next fall a better exchange rate, I'm all for it...

Jerez you guys still on about Obama, seriously get over it.... ;)

That should say.. Jeeez.... Damn this spell checker....

Yep, that's exactly it, Craig: put a lot more cash into the economy and hope that will spur investment. Seems that the Japanese are notoriously averse to using credit, even when readily available, which is why the cash inflow is bring tried.

The increase in money supply will cause the Yen's value to decrease in world markets, but the real risk is that it would kick off an inflationary cycle. (As even our right-of-center friends surely understand, the only economic reason for taxation is to prevent inflation.)

Not me Nicky. On Fodor's I've learned to report the news but not comment on it. Wouldn't want to incriminate anyone in particular for excess opinionating, but you can draw your own conclusions...:-)

Lol Craig!

And Don (you were writing at the same time I was) - the goal the Japanese have set with this new policy is bringing inflation UP to 2%. We'll see...

I love the idea that our trip may cost less than I anticipated. How often does that happen? My only problem is that some of the booking sites have charged my credit card at the current exchange rate for our Nov. bookings.

shelley, that is not a problem, it is your generous gift to the people of japan.

98.575 as the Monday Market opens in Japan

99.465 today.......dreams do come true sometimes

So if its at 99 today, where will it be in November??

60

Now we positively know where it won't be.....

Back to Kyoto and a couple of the posts here:
1) I am sure it is easy to take a taxi from eastern Kyoto to the tourist sites on the outskirts. How easy is it to get a taxi from those places to our next destinations?
2) I'm not clear on the best itinerary at Arashiyama. Torokko train to where? River cruise from where? What are the best sites along the way, where are they and when/where do we arrange the jinrikisha (rickshaw) to get from place to place?

1. Easy. There are taxis everywhere. There are usually some waiting at every sight.

2. Train to end, where you get out and follow the people and signs to the boats. Boat downstream. Total time about 3 1/2 hours. Relaxing unless the boat is packed full. You can buy both tickets at the train station as a set.

3. Reserve jinrikisha ahead of time to get an English speaking shafu - runner. They are informative and entertaining. 45 minutes to an hour gets you a great overview of the in town sights.

4. Don't miss Tenryuji.

5. Try tofu/yuba lunch.

6. For a real splurge Arashiyama Kitcho is excellent. It is a serious splurge and you must reserve much in advance.

Still not sure about the timing at Arashiyama. When and where to reserve the jinrikisha? What order to do things in or what will we see on jinriskisha?

When you exit Arashiyama train station, Tenryuji is on the other side of the street (there are signs in English as you walk out of the station). Admission to the temple is separate from admission to the garden. My suggestion would be to exit the garden from the back, up the hill. You will walk into a bamboo grove. Upon exiting make a right and go to Okochi Sanso, which is the former home of a Japanese actor. The property does not see many tourists and we found it nice to spend some time strolling the grounds. Upon exiting, make a right (the bamboo grove will be on your left) and head into the park. Follow signs to Togetsukyo bridge. As you get to the riverbank and close to the bridge, there will be boats you can hire if you want some time on the water. Here is where you can hire the rickshaws as well. You can cross the bridge to a little island (we did not have time for that). If you walk away from the bridge, you will be back at the train station. The whole trip took us about 6 hours not including travel time. Let me know if you have questions. Hope this helps.

If I am understanding Kim's directions clearly, she say to take the Torokko train to Saga then catch the Hozu river boats down stream to Arashiyama where you would disembark and meet your English speaking richshaw drivers there at the boat dock in Arashiyama. Then touring Arashiyama, Togetsukyo Bridge, Tenryuji and town via rickshaw having lunch in town. Then take either the train from station across the temple or the JR line back to Kyoto or even a taxi.

Torokko train to Saga

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3965.html

Then boat ride

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3966.html

then rickshaw

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sushiigirl/8220550080/

http://www.tv-tokyo.co.jp.e.ck.hp.tr...pot/64710.html

Kim must have a good contact number for the jinrickshaw in Arashiyama

Then back to Kyoto


Aloha!

First one sHould be Torokko train from Saga Arasiyama to Kameoka,sorry

HT got it 100% correct. The jinrikisha company has English speaking shafu (a few, which is why you need to book) but no English phone service. http://www.ebisuya.com

From photos it appears that the scenery is similar from the boat and the train. If I were to do only one, which is preferable? (I don't think DH would be very comfortable on the boat for 2-3 hours). Alternatively, it would be my preference to do more walking than sitting. Are there trails that showcase similar scenery to the boat and train rides? And is it possible to hire a boat for half an hour to an hour just to get the perpective from the water and to take some photos?

Craig you are putting Billy and I to shame with your organisation.....

shelleyk, you can go directly to Arashiyama, walk to the bridge and take a 30 minute or an hour long boat ride <b>up</b> the river. You rent at the bridge boat docks. You can also walk along the Hozu river a ways if you wish. When looking up the river from the Togetsukyo bridge, the left bank of the river(where the monkey sanctuary is)has a path that you can walk a ways up the river to near the bend that goes around the corner....you'll see. The right side of the river also has a path but you can only walk maybe a quarter of a mile up then it heads uphill to the back of the bamboo grove and the back end of a temple I think.
If taking the JR line train in from Kyoto it is about a 1/2 mile walk to the bridge and main part of town anyways so you will get your walking in there too going back and forth. There are the jinrikshaws mentioned above right outside the JR station for hire if you don't feel like walking and some of them do speak English. Taxis are available everywhere.

Aloha!

Great stuff.

And Nicky - I'm not doing much. Fellow Fodorites are doing all the work. I am just asking the the right questions. So when you eventually get to doing research for your trip, click on my name and it will all be there: guides to Tokyo, Kyoto and Kanazawa plus much more info...