Insider info-Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone
 

Any insider info that I should be putting on my radar... like amazing restaurant (cheap or expensive) or hidden gems that a first timer might not ever know about from books, etc.? We love everything and are open to all suggestions even the bizarre and kitschy.

Also, we are going during rainy season...should we be spending two nights in Hakone and 2 in Kyoto or should we make Kyoto three nights?

This forum is truly the best "guidebook" I have come across. Thanks to all of you for all your great suggestions past & future.

monkey: Kuranosuke on this board reviewed 3 restaurants he went to in a thread a few months ago. One in particular might be good for getting out of Tokyo for a late afternoon/evening when it is hot in summer, Ukai Toriyama, in the lush hills (west I think) of Tokyo. Put in that name in the search box or Matsukan or Edogin (the other 2 places) and his 3 posts will come up. Mealea, who lives in Tokyo, originally posted about Ukai T. as a special place, look for his post also. I can direct you to that one if you can't find it.

From the research I did (alot) on Hakone and having gone to Kyoto, my vote would be go to Hakone early in the day, stay 1 night, add on extra in Kyoto.

I highly recommend the Luxe City Guide Tokyo. It has a lot of cool and off-beat advice on secret spots that mostly only people who live here know about. Has lots of good insider info.

One night in Hakone is enough. The more time in Kyoto, the better. With such little time, personally I would skip Hakone. The rainy season in Hakone is pretty dreary and you won't get any nice views. Kyoto is charming in all seasons.

If you have more specific questions on Tokyo, let me know. Do a search for the website called "Quirky Japan."

Once again...always good advice. Ok, before I go changing my reservations and such...We want to at least see Hakone. Who knows when we'll be back. Right now, we are scheduled to be there Sunday & Monday nights. If we are there all day Sunday, will we be able to enjoy the area or will things be closed? Here's our current schedule...

Thurs-Arrive Tokyo-Southern Century Tower
Fri-Tokyo
Sat-Tokyo
Sun-Hakone-Fujiya Hotel
Mon-Hakone
Tues-Kyoto-Westin Miyako
Wed-Kyoto-Ryokan
Thurs-Tokyo-Sofitel-Ueno Park
Fri-Tokyo
Sat-Leave Japan =(

We are jumping around a bit, but I really wanted to stay in a nice Ryokan & Hakone was supposed to be the relaxation part of the trip...I do think shorting Hakone would be fine, but all suggestions are welcome.

Quirky Japan is a very cool sight. Between the two of you, I think I will have lots of good info to make this trip just the way we'd like it.

Your trip is shaping up, customized for you, the best way IMO. Get one of those good luck charm papers in Kyoto and tie it to the line for me, ok? You'll understand when you get there.

I agree with Mealea that one night in Hakone would be enough. Maybe no nights in rainy season unless you have a nice ryokan with a nice onsen bath that you have picked out and are looking for some down time. But if you were planning on staying in a budget guest house then you could save Hakone for your next trip. Try the peach jusu.

I wrote my last reply and then pressed "Post My Reply" a half hour later. Now I see your itinerary and it looks great. You're right, who knows when you might get back to Japan. A visit to Hakone now is worth two visits in the future, I suppose.

I really wanted to go to one of the good restaurants in Kyoto close to Nanzenji (on the Path of Philosophy, in walking distance from Miyako). They are generally open during daylight hours, but one famous one, Junsei, is open later, you can get in til 7 pm I think. They are known for tofu dishes but also have shabu shabu, kaiseki, sukiyaki, etc. The grounds and several buildings that make it up are supposed to be lovely (originally aprt of a med school established during shogun era). Eng. menu; it does attract tourists. Google it.
There are several other places like this in that same area- Miyako has a map w/all of them and info.

Second Mealea's suggestion - my Luxe guide was a treasure trove. Discovered gems like Maisen a converted bath house near Aoyama where I ate for under 410. Buy one from www.luxecityguides.com.

Sorry - type in my hurry - that shd be under $10!

emd...I hope I am tying a good luck charm for general good luck and not swollen ankle & foot disease. Are you better? I hope you are on the road to speedy recovery.

All these suggestions are great. I have already added a night on to our Kyoto hotel & will reduce our stay at Fujiya to one night. I will also get the Luxe guide (I think I have a full library of Japan books now...Not so easy when trying to hide the surprise from hubby)

I have to say after capsule toys and food, I may have to move in with one of you because we will be broke! It's seems so difficult not to do everything. I have no will power when it comes to sticking with a budget. It will be worth it.

I have looked deeper into the Quirky Japan site and am highly entertained by it. It is very much in line with our thinking for this trip. Thanks again, Mealea.

Food does not have to be expensive there to be good. On the contrary, our most enjoyable meals were small inexpensive places we ducked into. We only had one big hoopla meal in Tokyo. Everything else was more modest but really good, IMO, and much more authentic.
Capsule toys are not expensive, $1 to $2. If you find ones you really like or that are more intricate and $$, go to Gee Store and buy the set instead of paying the machines. Just play the machines for fun and see what you get. And keep them in the plastic cases so that you have to haul them all back to the hotel, that way you are limited by how many you can carry.

I figure that with the keiseki meal at the ryokan, we don't have to go nuts, but temptation might be hard to resist. Maybe one great meal in tokyo (maybe shabu, shabu...we love it), keiseki in kyoto & call it a day. We love sushi, noodles, etc, so we should get by just fine. As for the toys, my collection is not as much a problem as my husband's. He collects pretty expensive die cast transformers and robotech. In the US they can sometimes be hundreds on dollars...I will just have to divert his attention. Fortunately, he has a little more self control =)

Benchmark today, I send in my forms for my JR Passes & Ghiblii Museum passes. Very exciting. I don't need anything special for Bandai do I? Also, can you get baseball tix from the states or not until arrival?

how exciting! I recall how really excitedIi got when I actually had my JR voucher in hand.
Nothing special needed for Bandai.
I just got tickets by going to the ticket window at the stadium. Mrwunrfl here ahs gotten walk up tickets on day of the games in regular season (recall I was preseason). If you are going to see the Giants play at Tokyo Dome, I ahve heard it said that it is good to get seats ahead if possible, but I don't know that it is a must. Check this website for ticket info: www.japanesebaseball.com
Search the forums there; the ticket issue is discussed all the time there.
I also have a link to a great site that gives you info on the stadiums, how to get there, what food is available, what shopping and eating is nearby the stadium, what seats are like in different areas, etc. I'll dig it out for you later.
So you will be going to Tokyo Dome for Giants, or Jingu stadium in Tokyo to see the Swallows, or are you going in Osaka to se the Tigers or Buffaloes? Schedlues for all the teams are on that japanesebaseball site also, on the left side of homepage, click on team name.

Saw an article (at japantimes.com, I think, or maybe Daily Yomiuri) that said that Giants tix were not so hard to get anymore. Could not find the j-ball schedule at japantimes.com like they had last year. It listed all of the games for each day with game times. The one at japanesebaseball doesn't show game times after April 6, unless I am missing something.

honestly, don't know too much about japanese baseball, but it sounds like fun (especially on opening day here in Boston...go Sox). What team is Gabe Kapler on again? Tigers? It might be fun to see one of our guys play. This is one of those "would like to do, but if we don't, not the end of the world" things. It just seemed like fun...I will check into the things you recommended.

Anyone gone to baths in Tokyo? We might want to do that in our first days in Japan rather than wait until mid-trip. We will have the opportunity in both Hakone & Kyoto, but thought we might want to "practice" early on =)

Random question emd...I remember reading something in your log about the Milwaukee airport...Just curious, why were you in Milwaukee?

GAbe Kapler is on the Giants. I saw him steal bases in Tokyo. But the real MLB player who shines on Giants is Tuffy Rhodes. He is doing well and I saw him hit a 3 run homer in the 1st inning. My husband told me that Tuffy has a record in the MLB- was it the most opening day home runs? I'll have to ask him again.
mrwunrfl, where are you looking on japanesebaseball.com? The schedules for the entire season are there, I just went and made sure again. Go to the home page, scroll down on the left side to the team you want, like Tigers, and click, and there is the entire schedule for the season.

Thanks, would like a schedule that lists all of the games on each day instead of each team separate. More important is the game times.

If you are in Tokyo on May 29 then you could go to the Japanese Derby. I think it will be at Tokyo Race Course in Fuchu. You can get to Fuchu via a Keio Rail line from Shinjuku station. It can be reached via JR but in a more roundabout way. If the (horse) race is not in Fuchu it would be at a course called Nakayama.

oh, i'm sorry i spaced on the work "times", didn't realize it was times at issue. I had to have the concierge find out time for me at the hotels a few days before we went to the games.

monkey, I was put in Minneapolis for 4 hours in kind of a purgatory situation, waiting to go to Narita on NWA. All I remember is watching the CNN stories on Brian Nichols being arrested finally in Atlanta, over and over and over for hrs. at the gate TV. Being on the plane to Narita was alot more fun.
OK, here's the skinny on Tuffy Rhodes. Prior to this year he was the last MLB player to hit 3 HRs in an opening day game; my husband thinks he did it in the mid-80s, and that he is one of only 3 to have ever done that.