Nakano, Tokyo rental

Old Oct 4th, 2010, 07:28 AM
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Nakano, Tokyo rental

Aloha, all. I am planning a first time trip to Tokyo in March with my family - 2 children, 13 and 9, my husband, my mom and myself. Because there are 5 of us and we would like to have a place to retreat to from the crowds and neon jungles, as well as give us a little space for privacy, I am looking for a condo. I found two two-bedroom apartments in Nakano, but have no idea how far from the city (Shinjuku, Ameyoko, Shibuya, etc) it is, or how difficult it will be to get there. It sounds like it is more of a residential area but still has shops and restaurants, which is what I am looking for. Has anyone seen or stayed at either of the two (and there are only two two bedroom rentals) , and, if so, how was your expericence? Any tips or insights?

Also, we arrive at Haneda airport at 10pm and , while I am sure that there must be some type of transportation since the Japanese are very efficient, I can't find any info that reassures me that we will be able to get to the city around midnight or so (after clearing customs) without taking a taxi. We will spend the first two nights at a hotel due to our late arrival. Hawaiian Traveler mentioned Ueno and Ikebukuro as good places to stay with children.

Also, we would like to visit the Iwako eraser factory - does anyone know how far it is to Sataima from Ueno or Ikebukuro?

Tokyo is a big change from where we live in Hawai`i, and, while it is the trip of a life-time for us, is is starting to seem overwhelming. Thanks in advance for your tips!
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Old Oct 4th, 2010, 08:52 AM
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Last Tokyo Monorail from Haneda airport departs just before midnight. Don't know where in Nakano you're going to, but last JR Chuo Line train departs Tokyo at 00:35 and arrives Nakano 1:08. So, unless your flight is very late, there are definitely train connections to get you there.
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Old Oct 4th, 2010, 09:06 AM
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Be a bit careful and check the overall size of the apartment. The ones I'm seeing in Nakano are 63 m2, which is the same as two normal hotel rooms in a Hilton or Hyatt, which isn't a lit of space for an entire apartment. There is also only one bathroom, which may be difficult with five of you. If space and privacy are important, two hotel rooms may be more comfortable if your budget allows better than a business hotel.
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Old Oct 5th, 2010, 07:30 AM
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Thank you, rkkwan and KimJapan. I feel much better now knowing that there should be a Monorail departure for us. I had visions of getting stuck at the airport, having to pay an exhorbitant taxi fare to get into town. And KimJapan, the one bathroom thing does bother me - five people is alot for one bathroom! 63 sq meters should equal approx 678 square feet, right? While that isn't very large, our budget won't allow for more than two business hotel rooms per night (and that would be stretching it), and I am having trouble finding hotels that have connecting doors between rooms, so that is one reason we are looking at the apartments. Also, it would be nice being able to cook breakfast instead of having to wait for everyone to wake up to go out for breakfast every morning. Do you know of any larger or better apartments I could rent for one week? I am open to suggestions! Thank you again.
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Old Oct 5th, 2010, 07:37 AM
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Also, does anyone have suggestions (or comments) regarding hotels we could stay at in Ikebukuro or Ueno the first couple of nights we arrive? We were thinking about staying in Shinjuku or Shibuya, but it sounds from the posts that Ueno or Ikebukuro may be better. Would getting to Haneda from one of these places be easier than from Nakano when we leave?
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Old Oct 5th, 2010, 07:44 AM
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The Tokyo Monorail connects to the JR Yamanote Line at Hamamatsucho, so any place on the Yamanote Line will only be one connection away. There is also the Haneda Limousine Bus that provides one-ride service to most of the major areas of Tokyo.

But it all depends on how far your apartment at Nakano is from what train station. It may not be that complicated to warrant a move to another hotel.

I stayed at the "b" in Ikebukuro last summer, and it's perfectly fine to me, but there are many other places to stay in that area, so that's just one of many choices.
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Old Oct 5th, 2010, 08:40 AM
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The area with the easiest access to Haneda would be Shinagawa -- the Keikyu Limited Express travels goes between the two directly. The last train for Shinagawa leaves Haneda at 23:59.

Shinagawa is a great area for having access to other sections of Tokyo, and it has several hotels at different price ranges (though I'm not aware of condo-style rentals there). That said, there isn't anything in Shinagawa itself that I'd consider to be an attraction.

Perhaps it might make sense to stay in Shinagawa for the first night, then move to another location?
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Old Oct 8th, 2010, 09:11 PM
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I stayed in one of the 1 bedroom apartments in Nakano---they are in the same building as the 2 bedroom apartments, so very similar other than size. On my recommendation, a colleague stayed in a two bedroom apartment with her husband and two teenage children. She also
liked it.

The apartments are typical Japanese (small, a bit spartan but comfortable) and the location is very convenient: about five minutes walk to Nakano station, which is served by both JR (Chuo line, just one stop west of Shinjuku) and subway (can't recall which line at the moment, but it was very convenient). The walk to the station takes you through a nice little Tokyo residential area that turns into a "shopping street"/pedestrianized area as you get closer to the station. Lots of inexpensive small restaurants and takeaway nearby.

I would recommend this experience to somebody who likes living a bit like locals, right down to rinsing and sorting your trash and recyclables and making sure that you never/ever go inside without taking off your shoes. Convenient to Shinjuku, more of a trek to tourist areas on the east/northeast side of town.
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Old Oct 9th, 2010, 05:56 PM
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Thank you, rizzuto and rkkwan, for your hotel suggestions. I will certainly check those out. And Therese, you sold me on the Nakano rental; any other tips about the area?
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Old Oct 9th, 2010, 09:51 PM
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Nothing so specific that you won't hear about it from the person who meets you at Nakano station when you first arrive. We were both met by Makoto, and he oriented us to the neighborhood and had literature with specific recommendations about restaurants and sights. For me the lack of sightseeing venues was part of the charm of the area.
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Old Oct 9th, 2010, 09:55 PM
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I agree with you, Therese; we want to be able to escape from the crowds when we need to. Thanks again.
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Old Oct 11th, 2010, 11:05 AM
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I assume you've already booked your flights? If not, flying into NRT might be a better option as those flights arrive in the early to late afternoon, giving you more time to find your way and settle down.
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Old Oct 11th, 2010, 03:37 PM
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firsttimethere - We also looked at those rentals. We are staying in a vacation rental in Kyoto, so opted to stay in Shinjuku while in Tokyo. We used points for one room and paid for the other. It came out to about the same amount.

We are traveling with 12, 9, and 4YOs. My 9YO was bouncing off the wall at the prospect of visiting the Iwako Eraser Factory. But, I can't seem to find any information on it. Any hints?

Here's what on my boys' list for Tokyo: Pokemon store, Odiaba, Sony building, Namaja town, Tokyo Stock Exchange, Shimizu Koen (obstacle course), Yokohama Cosmo World. Whew!
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Old Oct 11th, 2010, 06:45 PM
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According to this page http://kids.gakken.co.jp/spguide/cgi...a&cd=11&page=1 . Tours of the Iwako factory are by appointment only and for groups of 10 or more. However individuals may be allowed to join an already scheduled group tour depending on the circumstances. The factory is a 15 minute walk from Yashio station on the Tsukuba line. Phone number for tour information is 048-998-5502.
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Old Oct 11th, 2010, 09:08 PM
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sdfamily, this is the link for the Iwako website:

http://www.iwako.com/IWAKO/company/index.htm

I emailed them via the "contact us" page and they mentioned that they hold factory tours "almost" every Saturday, and like, fukuhara said, individuals may join in. I am wondering, however, just how difficult it will be to get there (it is located in Saitama).

I was also thinking about visiting the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation as well as Disneysea, as that is the only one in the world. We are not, however, looking forward to the crowds.

Fukuhara, I wish I had checked with you first. Friends encouraged me to fly into HAN instead of NAR, since it is much closer to the city. HOWEVER, I am finding out (after booking the flight, of course) that transportation into Tokyo is much easier from NAR than from HAN. Any tips? We arrive at 10pm and I am worried that we may miss the last transportation to the hotel.
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Old Oct 11th, 2010, 10:24 PM
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firsttimethere,

Getting to Yashio station shouldn't be a problem, It's the 7th stop from Akibahara on the Tsukuba Express line if taking the local, 5th if taking the semi-rapid. From Yashio to the Iwako factory might be a bit of a hike though http://maps.google.com/maps?q=%E5%85...7,0.01929&z=16

I almost booked a HNL-HND flight myself but decided I didn't like the timing. You might consider staying at the Toyoko Inn Haneda Kuko Hotel http://www.toyoko-inn.com/e_hotel/00068/index.html which has a free shuttle bus from Haneda. There's really nothing of interest in that neighborhood however, so I wouldn't stay there for more than a night. The Keikyu Otorii station is about a block from the hotel.
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Old Oct 12th, 2010, 07:34 AM
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Thanks, fukuhara, it sounds like we probably live in the same state (and if "fukuhara" is your last name I may even know you). Thank you also for the directions to Saitama - my daughter will appreciate the information. I think that next time we go (if the economy improves enough so there is a next time), it will definitely be HNL-NAR! It sounds like you are a regular to Japan - I am so jealous!
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Old Oct 15th, 2010, 12:29 PM
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firsttimthere,
I have been on the HNL-NRT flight many times and if I flew HA I would defiantly go HNL-HND hands down. The limo bus service will be available when you arrive and the new subway lines are already completed from the new Int'l wing of Haneda.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2430.html

Aloha!
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Old Oct 16th, 2010, 11:08 AM
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Thanks, HawaiianTraveler. Do you think Ueno would be a good home base for two days? I am looking at three hotels: Hotel Parkside, New Izu and Chiun. Any comments, anyone? thanks!
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Old Oct 16th, 2010, 11:09 AM
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Sorry, the thid hotel is "Chisun"
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