Kristina

In two weeks we leave for Japan. Given the situation in there, and the uncertainty that we were going at all, I have done almost no sightseeing planning and could really use some guidance.
We have 5 nights in Tokyo which are are split 3 in the beginning and 2 in the end, with 3 nights in Kyoto in the middle. Hotels are in West Shinjuku and East Kyoto.

Sunday- A.M. we will probably do the "1/2 day tour" included with our package; Tokyo Tower, Meiji Shrine, drive by of Akasaka Guest House & National Diet Building, Imperial Palace East garden and then a drop off in Ginza.
Lunch in Ginza? A lot of places listed in the "Food, Sake, Tokyo" book in Ginza are closed on Sundays.
Food Halls of Mitsukoshi Department store?
Afternoon- Harajuku to see all the kids dressed up? Is this at Yoyogi park?

Monday- A.M. Tsukiji Fish Market (incl either/both breakfast and lunch here)
What else can we see in the area near the market?
Afternoon?

Tuesday-Early train to Kyoto arriving before lunch
Afternoon in Kyoto. Where to go?

Wednesday- Nara, Osaka, both, or?

Thursday- More Kyoto?

Friday- Back to Tokyo in AM

On either Friday or Saturday, I am going to try and get reservations at Sushi Saito, a Michelin 3 star restaurant (where we can only afford to eat lunch) which is located near the American Embassy in Akasaka.

Saturday-Tokyo?

Sunday- What to do in the morning?
Departure from NRT is at 7:40 pm. We will be going to airport by LimoBus and I think we will have to leave the hotel at either the 2:05PM bus or 3:10PM bus. Which one? On the bus schedule they allow for 2 hours to get to the airport.

Places in Tokyo which I'm interested in seeing (but not listed above):
Tokyo Museum of Photography (in Ebisu Garden)
Modern Art Museum
Sensoji Temple- near this in Asakusa are a lot of specialty food shops and a kitchen supply district
Ueno Park (the zoo is now open and has 2 new pandas!)
Tokyo National Museum

Places in Kyoto:
I don't even know yet what I want to see here.

Thanks for any and all advice.

gearsau

Kyoto:

Used to be the ancient capitol of Japan. I have been there on a number of occasions.

Have a look here . http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kyoto

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/indepth/fe...age/index.html

emilyblue

How about a visit to Kappabashi Dori -- on the Ginza line get off at Asakusa Station and walk from there (signs will direct you)
If you love food and cooking, this is a worthy stop. I loved all of the chunky, unique ceramic wares they sell, plus I bought a bunch of their beautiful wooden serving spoons for gifts.

I'm also dying to go here next time I am in Tokyo...
Quintessence Restaurant
1F “Barbizon 25" building,
5-4-7 Shirokane dai, Minato-Ku
http://www.quintessence.jp/english/menu.html
Think French with obvious Japanese touches. It's almost impossible to get into (the Michelin stars helped plus his prices are very reasonable for Tokyo) but it seems lunch might be easier and there's a chance a lot of visitors have cancelled their trips hence their reservations this month.

Have you thought about going to a Tokyo Giants baseball game? They are amazingly fun with lots of good food and beer to boot! It's also a glimpse into Japanese culture that I adore. Your hotel concierge can help you obtain tickets.

Also, the area of Naka-Meguro southwest of the city, is a lovely area for browsing, window shopping, sitting down and having a drink, lots of shops, galleries, cafes and bars in the area. Everyone looks like they've stepped off the pages of "The Sartorialist". It is a great area for people and fashion watching.

Another suggestion for food might be somewhere like Birdland and getting the "omakase" (putting yourself in the chef's hands for the night, you won't be disappointed). If you're an adventurous eater (fancy trying chicken sashimi?), it's a fun place to spend an evening. Plus, you MUST try "yakitori" (grilled chicken) whilst in Japan.

Bird Land, Tsukamoto Motoyama Bldg.,
B1, 4-2-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku; tel: (03) 5250-1081.
Open: 5-9:30 p.m. (last order); closed: Sundays, Mondays and holidays.
Nearest station: Ginza (Ginza, Hibiya and Marunouchi lines). Exit C-6 takes you straight into the basement housing Bird Land.

emilyblue

Forgot to mention... I was also waffling about our upcoming trip to Japan but we have decided to go. We are planning to go to the Fuji Rock Festival in July. We will be flying in and out of Narita and spending a few days in Tokyo on either side of the Festival. So I'll be very much looking forward to your trip report!

hawaiiantraveler

In Kyoto there are so many sites to see it hard to say which are the best but here are some of my faves that I would visit during the sakura season.
Kiyomizudera(everyone has to see this and walk up that hill)
Sanjusangendo(highly recommend)
Ginkakuji then a stroll down the Philosopher's Path(highly recommend if sakura is blooming)
Nijo Castle
Arashiyama(highly recommend)
See here for more detailed explanations of the above mentioned areas and how to get to them.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2158.html
Kyoto does have 17 World Heritage Sites if you are interested. Some have already been mentioned above.
http://www.pref.kyoto.jp/visitkyoto/...es/w_heritage/

The Miyako Odori is something that may interest you in Kyoto. Only done in April this is a great way to experience the geisha along with Japanese culture. It is held in the Gion Kobu Kaburen-jo Theater. The English site is down right now but see here for ticket information.

http://tinyurl.com/2fntql

http://gojapan.about.com/od/geisha/t...geishashow.htm

Also Nishiki Market may interest you and the nearby Pontocho is always fun to walk.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3931.html

In Tokyo I love the above suggestion of the Kappabashi Dori with your cooking interests and it is the kitchen supply district you mention above near Sensoji Temple.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3020.html

You should also pay a visit to Ameyoko Market which is across the street from Ueno Park. Lots of interesting shopping and food to see, buy and eat.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3012.html

I'll be back

Aloha!

offlady

Currently some dining establishments in Tokyo may be closing earlier than usual. Even if your guide book lists their hours of operation, you may want to call ahead to find out their closing time.

hawaiiantraveler

let's do this day by day....
Sunday:
Yoyogi Park is next to the Meiji Shrine and in Harajuku. Yes you may see cosplayers in the park but more likely to see them on the streets and in the malls of Harajuku especially on a Sunday. Lots of wedding dresses displayed by models walking the streets of Harajuku and Shinjuku on Saturdays and Sundays it seems. For lunch there are a plethora of small restaurants that are on the back streets of either side of the Ginza. The basement floors of Mitsukoshi and Matsuya are excellent ideas as you will see. The selections are mind boggling and if you ask them "oishi desu ka" which means "does this taste good" it usually will be followed by a sample being offered if the item is small enough. Samples of nigiri and the like usually have a sample being offered with toothpicks for you to use to sample the product. After you buy what you want finding a place to eat is where I have a problem because I cannot find where to sit and eat the food. Most Tokyoites either take the food home to eat or go back to their offices for lunch. I have heard that there is an area on the upper floors where you can eat your food but we usually head out the store and back down into the subway and look for an empty bench. I know this sounds a little weird but the subways of Tokyo are clean, warm(or cool) and out of the sometimes ever present rain. If you want the Tsukiji fishmarket area is just around the corner with its famous sushi restaurants which would still be open for a sushi lunch if you like. I am not the sushi eater but others have been there and am sure will chime in soon.

Monday-Well I see you have Tsukiji scheduled here so enjoy your sushi here. Not much else to see and do in the area except the Ginza around the corner so I would hop on the subway and make my way to Ueno and that area for Ueno Park, Ameyoko-cho, Kappabashi Dori and Sensoji Temple.

Tuesday-Have lunch in Kyoto Station before leaving for your hotel. You will arrive on the Shinkansen side of the station and there is a new exit close by with a few good restaurants on the way out but if you walk to the north exit you will exit into a large ten story shopping complex with literally hundreds of eating options on the floors above, in the basement level of the Isetan store and in the underground Cube mall. We like to go to the upper levels(I think the tenth or eleventh floors where there are many options from pizza to an unreal authentic Japanese tonkatsu restaurant and everything in between. After you check in you can take a bus down to Sanjo Dori and walk around for a couple of hours shopping maybe hitting Nishiki Market while you are in the area. Maybe even Nijo Castle if you have time or a late afternoon Miyako Odori show that I suggested above.

Wed-Nara and then Osaka. I would choose one and go from there as seeing both in one day would be too rushed imho......that said it could be done if you wanted. I would choose Osaka. Let us know which you choose so we can suggest.

Thurs-up early to open Sanjusangendo then walk from there up to Kiyomizudera. Walk down the hill and take a bus or taxi(thats what I do,lol) to Ginkakuji with another walk down Philosophers Path. From there to save time I would taxi over to Kinkakuji then back into the main Sanjo street shopping area to see what you thought you missed the other day. Or you could use this day to take a ten minute train ride up to Arashiyama and spend the day there visiting the temples and seeing a little Japanese town sans the aggressive deer.
Friday-Back to Tokyo and hope you can make your sushi res
Sat-Good time to go and explore Shinjuku. Start with the Shinjuku Station area and its huge stores and work you way around there towards Kabuki-cho. You will see a lot of cos-players in this area. If you get shopped out then head to Shinjuku Gyoen Park(our fav relaxing spot in Tokyo)for a bento lunch(which you just bought). Although if there are still cherry blossoms it will be packed with people and even more reason to go.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3034_001.html

Sun. - check with your hotel when you check in as the limo bus may not be running its full schedule. Do whatever you missed in the morning and leave your hotel on the 2:05 bus if your flight is at 7:40.
There is so much more to do and I am sure many here (lcuy) will have more and better options. You need more time!!!

Aloha!

someotherguy

The Tsukiji fish market is closed to tourists since the earthquake:
http://www.japan-guide.com/news/0018.html

Sanjusangendo and Ginkakuji are a bit technical in their interest.
After Kiyomizudera and Kinkakuji, and maybe a Zen temple, I'd instead
suggest heading south to Fushimi Inari Taisha, and Byodo-in (in Uji).
Google for photos and see what appeals.

Kristina

HT- Thanks your advice for specic things on specific days which is very helpful. I spent a lot of time going though my notes yesterday and will try to incorporate some of your suggestions.
I think we really want to go to Nara. A big part of the reason is because we want to see those deer.

someotherguy-as far as I can tell, it's only the auction which is closed to tourists, not the entire market which is still open for business.

Emilyblue-thanks for the heads up on Quintessence. Looks beautiful, but may be out of budget for this trip. Still, might have to check it out.
Is Kappabashi Dori the name of a specific store?

I'll be back later with a revised itinerary and more questions!

hawaiiantraveler

Dori means street in Japanese so there are a bunch of shops all along Kappabashi street

Aloha!

Mara

Here's a great walking tour in Kyoto although I've read Johnnie doesn't do it all the time anymore as he is getting up there in age...
http://web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/people/h-s-love/

Also contrary to someotherguy, I highly recommend Sanjusangendo - it was one of my top favorites in Kyoto....also the garden near Kinkakuji at Ryoanji Temple....

lcuy

I meant to respond last night and had unexpected visitors... I see you've gotten a lot of good tips.

Kyoto:

In Kyoto, the first thing you should do is go to the visitors' Info Center (TIC). It's on the first floor of the Kyoto tower building about 1/2 block from the Kyoto train station. Ask the staff for a list of all the events going on in town. They once told us about a little firefly festival at one of the temples on the river; they've even given us info on good sales at the depato.

My must-sees in Kyoto would be Nijo Castle, Kiyomizudera, Sanjusangendo, and Kinkaku-ji (the Golden Pavilion). I'm not a fan of Ginkaku-ji (the Silver pavillion)unless you are doing the philosophers walk to see the sakura in bloom.

In the evening, it's kind of fun to wander the back streets in Gion. You may get lucky and see a maiko getting out of her limo, or catch a peek into a beautiful entry-way garden in the private clubs.

One of my favorite shops in Kyoto is Kyukyo-do on Teramachi Dori - the covered shopping street. They sell brushes, paper things, and tea gadgets.

Actually, there are quite a few interesting old shops mixed in among the hip jeans & tee shirts shops in that area.

If you go to the long food market on Nishiki Dori, bring a collapsable insulated cooler/bag. You are going to want to take some of this stuff home, especially if you like pickled vegetables.

If you have time and the weather is nice, I'd go to Arashiyama, though if you go to Nara, this might be too much.

BTW, in Nara, watch your purse. No, not for criminals; for the aggressive deer. They know where humans hide their snacks!

Tokyo:

If you go to Tsukiji Mkt, you don't need to go at the crack of dawn if you are just going to eat. The fruit and veggie stalls are pretty amazing even if you can't see any fish action now. When you leave the mkt complex, turn left and head to the Hama Rikyu (sp?) garden. it is about 5-10 minutes away along the river.

Walk through this beautiful, imperial Japanese garden (allow about 30 - 45 minutes), then catch the ferry boat up the river to Asakusa. It's a pleasant ride with a different view of the city and all the different colored bridges. I think the first boat leaves the park at about 10 am, so again don't do this if you are leaving the fish mkt at 7 or 8 in the morning!

Which brings me to another important tip. Check in advance everywhere you go for their hours and closed days. So many places seem to have totally random hours.

A Tokyo neighborhood that is very old and has some wonderful old shops and a very interesting cemetery is Yanaka. I think it is North of Ueno, but if you walk from Nippori station to Nezu Station, you'll cover most of it. There are some very old sweet/ cracker shops, paper stores, and some nice, but not expensive galleries. We spent a couple of hours just wandering up the main streets on a rainy weekday morning last fall. It's a neighborhood that was not destroyed in WWII.

The National Museum in Ueno park is wonderful. There is a gift shop in the building next door that carries a lot of reproduction art, woodblock prints, etc.

I don't have a lot of food recommendations, as we do a lot of stumbling into places based on their window models, the number of people inside and the recommendation of old people sweeping their porches. We really like old style Japanese food, often in places with no sign in front.

Lunch time in the depato basements is a very good glimpse into the Japanese culture. If you don't buy enough stuff for a picnic, there are restaurants up on the 6th or 7th floor in most of these .

If you can find the Tonkatsu place in Tokyo that is run by the ethnic Ainu people, GO! Then tell me the name, as I lost track of it.

Have a great time. Try to mix up the modern Japan sights with the old.

Kristina

Alas Sushi Saito is fully booked for our Tokyo dates. It's usually booked very far in advance, but I had hope we might be able to slide in. Anyone have any good, yet affordable, sushi places to recommend?

lcuy, thanks so much for your tips! I will go through each one.

Mara- I came across that walking tour in my research. it looks interesting but it goes from 10:30 am to 3:30 pm with no stop for lunch. That won't work for me. ;-)
But I also found this one;
Self Guided Walking tour of Kyoto by the Japan National Tourism Organization.
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/rtg/pdf/pg-503.pdf

hawaiiantraveler

Kristina,
Those walks listed by the JNTO are great walks but note that they are in different sections of Kyoto. The first walk on pg 503 for "along the old canal" is the Philosophers path walk that I and others mention which is a great walk to do in cherry blossom season. Pg 3. is a walk in Arashiyama which is a town just north of Kyoto (iirc six stops on the local JR train maybe fifteen or twenty minutes)which feature boat rides and lovely hiking trails, a monkey park and a small town with a great temple to boot. All those walks that the JNTO show are self guided and really pretty nice(unless its raining) as we have done most of them.

Aloha!

Durdentyler

When in Kyoto definitely set aside a day to go to Nara and do the circuit walk around the temples in the main park on the hillside. I wouldn't recommend the Horyuji temple in Nara, it takes a long time to get to on an infrequent bus and there is not an awful lot there.

I also recommend Fushimi Inari if you don't mind a lengthy walk up the hill through the forest. The walk behind the shrine through thousands of bright red torii gates to the top of the hill is very atmospheric, particularly if you go later in the day when not many people are around.

In Tokyo, when you go to Yoyogi Park I would recommend spending some time walking round Harajuku, and down Omotesando past the many designer shops and architectural buildings. Have a look in the Omotesando Hills shopping centre, and make sure you make it as far as the famous Prada building.

The Museum of Contemporary Art - check out open days, sometimes if they are between exhibitions they can be closed or have minimal stuff on display. There is not much near there.

If you are into contemporary art you should also look up the National Art Centre and Mori Art Museum in Roppongi. Both have no permanent collection but have constantly changing temporary exhibitions. Again check what is on at the time you are there. Likewise, 21-21 Design Sight next to Tokyo Midtown. For shopping in Roppongi, browse around Tokyo Midtown and the AXIS design centre.

Durdentyler

Also forgot to add - if you are going to Ueno for the zoo there are plenty of other sights in Ueno Park. The Toshogu Shrine is very attractive with plenty of stone lanterns nearby (although nothing like what you will see at Nara). There are numerous museums that you could spend days visiting, choose your area of interest. The Tokyo National Museum has extensive anthropological treasures, including a large hall called the Gallery of Horyuji Treasures featuring artefacts rescued from Horyuji Temple at Nara.

Mealea

I live in Tokyo. If you have any specific questions, please let me know. I'd be glad to help.

hawaiiantraveler

If you need something to do at night while in Kyoto you can see the nightime hanami happening all around the city as they light up parks and venues, some thru May.

http://www.visitkansai.com/attractio...som-night-view

Late on Friday and Saturday nights around Kyoto Station are fun as "yatai" vehicles setup around the blocks that surround the front of the station and sell their food from their unique movable venues. I've bought delicious gyoza from a man with a kitchen set in the back of his mini station wagon complete with a grill, sink and stove and ramen from a vendor in a odd box shaped looking vehicle, amazing.

Aloha!

Kristina

I just ordered my JR Passes online and will pick them up this afternoon.
Can someone explain to me if and how we can use the passes within Tokyo on the local JR lines? Is there a card which is scanned? Do we just flash the pass? How does it work?

Mealea- Thanks for the offer, I will let you know. I hope you didn't feel today's aftershock too much.

HT- Thanks for the idea. I'm hoping we will still be able to see cherry blossoms while we are there. I'm also hoping we don't get too much rain which is forecasted.

I've been working on my itinerary and hope to post a revised one soon.

hawaiiantraveler

K-All JR line trains require you going into the JR track area which you have to go thru turnstiles to get to. With a JR Pass you just show the pass to the attendant at either end of the turnstiles. Same thing when exiting the tracks you don't go thru the turnstile just show your pass to the attendant located at either end of the turnstile. See #4 for a better explanation and picture. Take a look at the whole article as will familiarize you with what to expect before you get there. The main thing is to give yourself time so your not panicking trying to make a train time in a strange environment. All Japanese trains leave EXACTLY on time.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2016.html

Aloha!