Tokyo this Dec 25-29- first time to japan!
Nov 29th, 2006, 09:33 AM
#1
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Tokyo this Dec 25-29- first time to japan!
We'll be arriving at Narita xmas day - Dec 25 in the afternoon, and will be staying at the Shinjuku Prince hotel and will be leaving tokyo on Dec 29 in the afternoon.
My concerns are:
- as we arrive xmas day, will the shops/restaurants/transit be open?
- will we need to make reservations for dinners for the rest of the nights (Dec 26 thru 28) as it's the holiday season ? (fyi - we're not looking to eat high end meals)
- is the ferry from Tuskiji to Asakusa running in dec?
Our points of interest so far are:
- imperial palace
- Tsukiji fish market
- Hama Rikyu garden
- ferry to Asakusa for the Sensoji temple
- Ueno - park, flea market, museum
- Harajuku - meiji jingu shring
- shibuya
- window shopping at ginza
Thanks!
My concerns are:
- as we arrive xmas day, will the shops/restaurants/transit be open?
- will we need to make reservations for dinners for the rest of the nights (Dec 26 thru 28) as it's the holiday season ? (fyi - we're not looking to eat high end meals)
- is the ferry from Tuskiji to Asakusa running in dec?
Our points of interest so far are:
- imperial palace
- Tsukiji fish market
- Hama Rikyu garden
- ferry to Asakusa for the Sensoji temple
- Ueno - park, flea market, museum
- Harajuku - meiji jingu shring
- shibuya
- window shopping at ginza
Thanks!
Nov 29th, 2006, 10:31 AM
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To answer a couple of your questions,
- Christmas Day, 25th December is not a holidaz in Japan. Isn't it a Christian holiday ? ;-) And even if it falls on Sunday (this year), most shops/restaurants are open on Sunday in Tokyo.
- Right after Christmas is not exactly holiday season either. Perhaps you are thinking about holiday time back at home, US and Europe where people tend to take holiday from Christmas through to New Year. In Japan people work and shops are open till 30 or 31 Dec. Many people start going home (visiting their family, parents) outside Tokyo by Shinkansen but that's really 30/31 Dec, so getting Shinkansen seats might get difficult but that's about it. Restaurants don't close anyway before then. They may be busy than usual though due to many new year eve parties but that won't be a problem for you.
- Christmas Day, 25th December is not a holidaz in Japan. Isn't it a Christian holiday ? ;-) And even if it falls on Sunday (this year), most shops/restaurants are open on Sunday in Tokyo.
- Right after Christmas is not exactly holiday season either. Perhaps you are thinking about holiday time back at home, US and Europe where people tend to take holiday from Christmas through to New Year. In Japan people work and shops are open till 30 or 31 Dec. Many people start going home (visiting their family, parents) outside Tokyo by Shinkansen but that's really 30/31 Dec, so getting Shinkansen seats might get difficult but that's about it. Restaurants don't close anyway before then. They may be busy than usual though due to many new year eve parties but that won't be a problem for you.
Nov 29th, 2006, 10:31 AM
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December 25th is not a holiday in Japan so it should be business as usual. Some celebrations however:
http://www.igougo.com/travelcontent/...viewID=1215130
http://www.igougo.com/travelcontent/...viewID=1215130
Nov 29th, 2006, 04:37 PM
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After you have window shopped in Ginza catch an hour at the Kabuki theatre. It is great fun and only costs about 700 yen for one act. I didn't hire the English translation headphones, I just read the synopsis provided.
Also the Edo museum is very good and they have free English speaking guides
I have just come back from my first trip to Tokyo and am absolutely hooked.
Clean and organised city with lovely people.
One thing I found absolutely amazing was that I never heard a mobile phone ring in a public place nor people having long, loud telephone conversations on mobiles(like here in Australia). The Japanese seem very much aware that this disturbs others and they simply put their phones on silent.
Also the Edo museum is very good and they have free English speaking guides
I have just come back from my first trip to Tokyo and am absolutely hooked.
Clean and organised city with lovely people.
One thing I found absolutely amazing was that I never heard a mobile phone ring in a public place nor people having long, loud telephone conversations on mobiles(like here in Australia). The Japanese seem very much aware that this disturbs others and they simply put their phones on silent.
Nov 29th, 2006, 07:40 PM
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Hi
I can't really answer your spesific questions. But my wife and I went to Japan for the first time last year and if you want you can read about our experience in a trip report with pictures and links on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/japan_tokyo.htm . I hope that you can find some useful info there. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions
regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures
I can't really answer your spesific questions. But my wife and I went to Japan for the first time last year and if you want you can read about our experience in a trip report with pictures and links on my homepage http://gardkarlsen.com/japan_tokyo.htm . I hope that you can find some useful info there. Feel free to get in touch if you have any questions
regards
Gard
http://gardkarlsen.com - trip reports and pictures
Nov 30th, 2006, 01:54 PM
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Imperial Palace is open to public on 2 Jan and 23 Dec (Emperor's b-day). Even then one can only approach the inner court, not actually inside the palace.
You take a metro between Tsukiji and Asakusa. Water bus is between Asakusa and Hamarikyu. I also recommend Edo museum over national museums in Ueno, which tends to have lots of non-Japanese Asian antique arts.
You take a metro between Tsukiji and Asakusa. Water bus is between Asakusa and Hamarikyu. I also recommend Edo museum over national museums in Ueno, which tends to have lots of non-Japanese Asian antique arts.
Dec 4th, 2006, 01:35 AM
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Bonjour g1g1,
In addition to the anwers you already got, you should know that most governmental businesses will be closed from around the 28th (until around Jan 3-4). That means state museums (Edo-Tokyo, Ueno museums, etc.), zoos, and unfortunately some tourism offices and hotel reservation centers, but not the main post offices (and one of the sadest parts is seeing those otherwise nice aquariums in some subway stations be neglected for a full week, like in Nezu station
). All private businesses will be open (shops, restaurants, private museums, ferries, etc.) like usual.
Christmas deco is quickly replaced by New Year decorations (check the New Year greeting cards at Ito-Ya in Ginza, and in the main department stores - they're so beautiful they make fantastic gifts back home).
One of my great pleasures is strolling in small streets on the 31st and seeing everybody going through "O-Soji", i.e. a super spring-cleaning but in December, of their houses and shops, before placing the special NewYear decoration (Kadomatsu).
In addition to the anwers you already got, you should know that most governmental businesses will be closed from around the 28th (until around Jan 3-4). That means state museums (Edo-Tokyo, Ueno museums, etc.), zoos, and unfortunately some tourism offices and hotel reservation centers, but not the main post offices (and one of the sadest parts is seeing those otherwise nice aquariums in some subway stations be neglected for a full week, like in Nezu station
). All private businesses will be open (shops, restaurants, private museums, ferries, etc.) like usual.Christmas deco is quickly replaced by New Year decorations (check the New Year greeting cards at Ito-Ya in Ginza, and in the main department stores - they're so beautiful they make fantastic gifts back home).
One of my great pleasures is strolling in small streets on the 31st and seeing everybody going through "O-Soji", i.e. a super spring-cleaning but in December, of their houses and shops, before placing the special NewYear decoration (Kadomatsu).
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