Kay2

Our work/holiday trip to Japan is almost here. Thanks to all on this board who directly (or indirectly from my reading your posts) have helped.

Background--it's my second trip to Japan and my husband's first. We'll have a long weekend together in Kyoto, then to Tokyo for me to work most days of a week and him to ? He relies on me to be the tour guide and researcher and doesn't like to be a tourist on his own, but he has decided to give this a try because last year I was gone so much without him.

So, we are flying into NRT and plan to buy the Suica&NEX deal, take the NEX to Shinagawa and overnight at the Prince Hotel.

Next day we go to Kyoto on the Sunshine Tour freeplan. I need to email Japanican again as I see that the information says train between 10:30 and 12:10 and when I checked Hyperdia, I see there are 4 trains during that time. Not sure if they chose one for me, I tell them which one, if I make reservation upon arrival.
Question: Anyone done this before?

Upon arrival in Kyoto on Friday if early enough go to Nijo Castle.
Question: How long did you spend there?

Evening wander Gion area. Would like to see Gion Corner show this night or next night (Saturday).
Question: How/where did you get your Gion Corner tickets? Same day/advance?

Saturday walk all day Sanjusangendo, Kiyomizu, Sannezaka. Understand Museum of Traditional Crafts OK, but Kyoto Craft Center and Handicraft Center mostly souveniers?
If time, train to Fushimi Inari before dusk.

Sunday morning maybe zen gardens before boarding train back to Tokyo 12:00-14:00.
(again have to find out which train and reservation).

Transfer at Tokyo station to Marunouchi subway to Akasaka Mitsuke Stn and walk to hotel-Kitano Arms superior studio.
Question: Am I correct that Marunouchi has station attached to Tokyo rail station? Do you look for the final station name on the subway line to determine the direction?

Monday morning I have open.
Question: What is the Imperial Palace tour like? No interiors, I think. So, how interesting is it?

Now I have to help my husband with activities for him to consider while I am working the rest of Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Friday. He likes aviation, technology, engineering and the like, but not shopping for electronics. He likes to learn and likes the outdoors/parks.

I've identified Asimo at the Honda Showroom. He's thrilled with that.
But what/where else? Unusual museums, industrial tours, walking/jogging routes all welcome. I think he will be tired of shrines and temples after Kyoto. I will tell him about the Edo Museum and National Museum I visited last time.

I saw the Osunafumi Taisai walking on sand ritual at Tamagawa Daishi listed on calendar of events. What is that?

In evenings we will check out the lights in Roppongi, Ginza, and maybe go to the Metro Government Building Observation.

Thursday I have a free day (I hope) and we must choose preferred activity, then work schedule around that.
Question: Which would you recommend?
Day trip to Kamakura.
Bunraku performance at National Theater.
Sumo competition at Ryogoku.
How did you buy your tickets?
Sumo Arena A, B, C tickets are available but all the box for 2 are sold out.

Friday I have a meeting in Ginza, so if husband wants to go to Fish Market, we will head there and/or Hama Rikyu Garden before I abandon him. Last time I only walked through the outer market stalls.

Saturday we will be heading to NRT by late morning for our 3:30pm fligt so I'm not sure we have time for much. Haven't decided whether to use airport bus or subway to train to return. We'll probably wait until we're there to decide how easy it was to get to the hotel.

Thanks for any suggestions.

emd

Your husband might also enjoy the Miraikan NAtl. Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation in the Odaiba area of Tokyo Bay. Sometimes Asimo is there instead of at the Honda Showroom (or maybe there is >1 Asimo?)

See:
http://www.miraikan.jst.go.jp/index_e.html

http://tinyurl.com/6fjycr

http://tinyurl.com/5gvueg

The Museum of Maritime Science is in walking distance to Maraikan.

http://tinyurl.com/55ontq

I think he'd like the automated train (no driver) that runs to Odaiba. Tell him to sit right in front in the 1st car, it is really cool.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yurikamome

emd

He could easily spend an entire day at Odaiba, w/the two museums above, and the Toyota showplace "Megaweb" museum is there also. And the Panasonic showroom, and very cool Fuji bldg. Odaiba was built as a "futuristic" place. And lots of good places for lunch at Odaiba also.

This is a good article on Odaiba that I used to plan our day there:

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3008.html

emd

My vote for Thurs. would be sumo. After being in Kyoto, if your sense is that your husband wil have had enough temples and shrines, then Kamakura would nto be the best option. I don't know about your husband, but I don't think my husband, who aslo likes the technology stuff, would choose a bunraku performance. But Sumo is amazing, culturally, historically, and as sport.

emd

Also, what exact dates are you in Japan? There may be other festivals going on in Tokyo and Kyoto while you are there. Like the Sanja Matsuri in Asakusa in mid-May.

emd

ok, one more thing. I am intruiged by the Osunafumi Taisai as i have not heard of it.

I think the Osunafumi Taisai is a version of the famous 88 temple pilgrimage in Shikoku. Instead of going to the island of Shikoku for the actual pilgrimage, which involves walking btwn. 88 shrines and takes weeks/months to do on the island, you can do an "abbreviated" version of the pilgrimage by going to Tamagawa Daisi temple on that day and walking on sandbags that contain sand from each of the 88 temples in the SHikoku pilgrimage. This from what I was able to piece together from some sites.

See here:
http://tinyurl.com/5peq64

and note that you can click on a picture there of what a Sunafumi and the the little sandbags are like, in front of pictures of each of the 88 temples.

Also:
http://tinyurl.com/6glzxj

Kay2

Thanks for the help. I had marked Odaiba when I was planning my last trip, but forgot about it. The Miraikan sounds perfect, with more robot demonstrations. Now noting closing days and subway/train route for him. I think he can make a day out in that area.

He is indulging in my choice of "cultural events". He would not choose sumo or bunraku. However, he has accompanied me to Chinese opera, acrobats, Thai music and dance, etc. on our travels.

I am sure he will be asking me where is the hiking? Our true vacations always include day hikes in natural surroundings to enjoy plants, animals and birds. Visits to cities and tourist attractions are "educational experiences" for us, but we quickly tire of crowds, traffic, noise, etc.

I've been checking the event calendars for festivals, etc. but our time is so confined by my work that I don't think we will make it to any this trip.

kja

Hi, Kay2 -

> Nijo Castle. Question: How long did you spend there?

As I recall, I spent a little over an hour. One could rush through in less time, or linger much longer if you prefer.

> Question: How/where did you get your Gion Corner tickets? Same day/advance?

I got them at the Gion Corner ticket office the same day a few hours beforehand; I saw others buying their tickets just before the show started.

> Kyoto Craft Center and Handicraft Center mostly souveniers?

When I was there, it carried a range of mid- to high-end handicrafts, from not very expensive (but not at all tacky!) to some lovely, special pieces that were priced accordingly.

> Question: Which would you recommend? . . . Bunraku performance at National Theater.

When I was in Kyoto, the show at Gion Corner included a 20-minute bunraku performance that I really enjoyed. Unless you or your husband are particularly interested in Bunraku, you could probably skip this option in favor of some of your other choices.

Hope that helps!

TokachiM

This may be a silly suggestion, but have you ever been to the department store Tokyu Hands? Sometimes they have hobby classes -- you can go in, take a class for 60 to 90 minutes, and get out again. Tokyu Hands is kind of like a high-end hardware store, to tell you the truth.

I've spent many happy hours looking at the DIY floors . My kids have made clocks that look like schoolhouses, and other projects. If your husband is into this at all, it might be a way to while away the hours.

Also, this isn't a real hike, but Meiji Jingu is a really lovely, accessible part of Tokyo. One can spend hours wandering around the grounds there (if one likes gardens and that sort of thing).

Would rock-climbing be an interest? I'm pretty sure there are some rock-climbing clubs in Tokyo, too.

Maybe that will spark some different ideas. A day trip to Nikko might be do-able, too.

emd

Hiking ideas:

Kyoto: 1 hr hike from Kibune to Kurama, in lovely wooded area that passes by small shrines and ends at a great onsen w/outdoor natural rock baths.

See: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3933.html

Tokyo: Mt. Takao hikes, 50 min. from Shinjuku station.

See; http://tinyurl.com/5qzj84

Google those and you'll get great pics and blogs. I've always wanted to do both of those hikes, plan to do them next time I go.

http://hinoai.livejournal.com/617821.html

http://an-fi.blogspot.com/2007/08/kurama.html

http://tinyurl.com/57mqpr

etc.

Enjoy!

Kay2

Thought I'd let you know how the trip turned out.

When we arrived at NRT, there had been an accident on the NEX line so they would not sell the NEX+Suica deal. JR Travel staff quickly gave us the alternative route using Keisei and Yamanote and pointed us to the Keisei ticket office--so much for easy train ride to hotel. We gave up our seats on the train when some older ladies boarded which delighted them. They insisted I sit down when a space opened and them practically pulled my 6ft blond husband down to sit when a second space opened. When they departed the train we were treated to thanks and bows. Wish we spoke more Japanese.

Shinagawa Prince Hotel was convenient to the train station and a quiet oasis for first night recovery. The Sunrise Tour train tickets were waiting at check-in.

We got to the station eary the next morning and after some discussion about gates and directions, found our platform. It was easy to find the number for our car on the platform and be ready to board, taking along our picnic (or bento box) along with everyone else. Luggage space on the bullet train is very limited to some space behind the last seat in the car or the overhead racks. Our 22" rollaboards easily fit overhead.

No sight of Mt Fuji in either direction on the train, but plenty of rice paddies and other sights.

Kyoto Station was packed with hundreds of school children on field trips, so we had to wind our way out to the subway. Buying subway tickets in Kyoto and Tokyo was relatively easy at the machine once you locate a system map with the stations in English and the fare for each distance posted there. We loved that the stations are numbered so you can tell the proper direction by whether the station numbers are going up or down and look for the number as well as the name when the train is arriving. We found the onboard signs and announcements unreliable as with any electronic equipment it sometimes fails.

We enjoyed the Nijo Castle. We toured the house, then the garden, then the cafe. Last hour they started announcing that the house would close at 5:00 so anyone wanting to tour the house should go immediately there. When we walked around the front to see the garden again a woman with a megaphone ran up to us trying to get us to hurry to see the house. We had a hard time reassuring her that we had seen the house and were just passing through. I think we should have gone in again to make her feel better.

We also enjoyed walking through the shopping streets on Friday night, seeing the teenagers out in force. We choose a small restaurant and chose dinner by pointing to the plastic dishes in the window. Then up Pontocho, but we got stuck swimming upstream through a mass of humanity as we tried to reach and cross the river. My husband was ready to dive over the railing--he hates crowds.

We made it to Gion that night. My plan was to buy tickets for Gion Corner for our second night in Kyoto. We arrived at 6:30pm while the first show was in progress and they had the box office closed until 6:45pm when they would sell for that night's 7:00pm performance. We decided just to stay as there were very few people. I was a little disappointed in the show. The first part seemed rushed. Start a tea ceremony, but before it is finished bring on the musicians, then also the flower arranger. The woman conducting the tea ceremony was so serious and regal, I felt rude turning to watch the flower arranger instead. Then the second set of musicians and the dancers. Now only one act at a time, which I preferred. The comedy that needed no explanation was not that entertaining in Japanese. I did enjoy the Bunratu scene. My husband was having trouble staying awake with the dimmed lighting, music and Japanese language, but managed not to fall out of his chair.

It was very hot in Kyoto already so our usual walking left my husband sunburned and us both hot and tired. We visited Kawai Kanjio's house, which we really enjoyed--no more than 4 people and we could see Japanese design and his furniture. Kiyomizudera was packed, but the structure was interesting, the view good, and the shave ice excellent. We enjoyed the Frommers walk down the shopping streets and over to Kodaiji Temple, seeing geishas, buying sweets, checking out the bamboo. We came across a wedding at the Shinto shrine as we worked our way back to the hotel and air conditioning. We headed to a department store basement grocery for the shopping frenzy before closing and my husband snagged a good buy on a box of sushi for dinner.

We visited Sanjusangendo, but were underwhelmed. We were also underwhelmed by the Handicrafts Center.

Time for some Zen gardens before our return to Tokyo. Nice taxi driver stopped to ask if we needed directions when he saw us studying our map on a corner. His English was "Which temple?" We pointed on the map and he nodded and pointed for us to continue in our direction.

Our transfer to our hotel in Tokyo using the Metro was not fun to say the least. We only had the rollaboards and a daypack each, but we encountered stairs, long passages, and crowds. In hindsight, we should have used taxi from Tokyo station, but we also should have had the hotel information in Japanese readily available for the driver.

We found a studio apartment for the week where my husband could spread out, use the kitchenette, laundry room etc. It was a good choice for us though located near the government buildings and not the tourist spots.

We did get caught in a subway crowd one morning at 10am--waited in line while first train filled, then literally pushed by the line behind us into the next train until I was up on my tiptoes and wedged into the center of the car. I understand why there are female only cars until 9:30am each work day. I purchased a prepaid Passmo card that saved a lot of time since I rode the subways and trains a lot. Then I refunded the deposit at the booth at the train turnstiles at NRT before departing.

My husband did not venture out much on his own due to the heat and crowds. Just not enjoyable to him. He did walk to the Palace and Gardens, to Honda to Asimo, and took care of most of the chores--grocery shopping, buying the limosine bus tickets/reservation for the airport, etc. then joined me for dinner in the evenings. A couple evenings were elaborate Japanese meals arranged by hosts.

On our full day off I was too tired to plan a day out of the city so we went to Odaiba and the science/technology museum and Panasonic together. I was ready to hit the maritime museum as well, but my husband had developed a bad headache so we returned to the cool of the room for him to recover.

We also went to Ginza one weeknight to see the lights. Not the energy I had experienced during the Christmas shopping season. Also went to Roppongi, but not our type of neighborhood.

We used the limosine bus to return to the airport and it was a smooth ride on the weekend. Our lack of language once again caused confusion as we stood at the ticket machine in the airport before refunding my PASSMO at the booth. Two policemen greeted us and we thought they were trying to help us. Instead, they wanted to see our passports and ask us questions about our stay in Japan--the usual how long, purpose, etc. But they didn't ask for our passports, just pointed at their police arm badges, said please, and held out their hands. We finally figured it out.

We were impressed by the friendliness and helpfulness of the individual Japanese people. We were oppressed by the crowds and the already high humidity. We gained weight from all the great food. I'm sure I made many mistakes in my business dealings, but I think I'm developing some good personal relationships. They suggested I come back in Jan/Feb to ski and in March/April for the peach blossoms and sword making.

bmttokyo

Thanks Kay2,

We're on our way to our 3 day Kyoto trip to celebrate our 20th !!
Appreciate your timely input. Planning on having a great time there .

hawaiiantraveler

Thanks for the update and report! Sounds like you had a fun but hot trip.

Aloha!