aadadadasdsadadsdadasdada2. Criminal law 3. labor law 5. Taxation 7. Ethics Getting Arou Alternative/Indie Music Roppongi Akihabara Ueno Ame-yokocho ( gCandy Alley h) Asaku Odaiba Daikanyama Shimokitazawa Other Neighborhoods Yanesen and the University of Tokyo Yasukuni shrine and Yushukan Shibamata Jinbocho Sugamo Koishikawa Korakuen and Tokyo Dome Akasaka Tokyo Tower Tokyo Sky Tree Odaiba Ferris Wheel Things (Some) Locals Do, See and Eat Capsule hotel Pachinko Combini Tsukiji Dagashi Matsuri Onsen Kabuki/No Fake Food Themed restaurants Cat cafes, rabbit cafes Romantic spots Food and Drinks Yakitori Okonomiyaki Takoyaki Sukiyaki Sushi Curry-Rice Noodles Oden Tempura Tonkatsu Drinks Shopping Don Quixote (Donki) Takeshita-doori Daiso Harajuku Bic Camera, Yodobashi Camera, LABI Shopping for Cameras Tokyu Hands Beyond Tokyo Beaches Yokohama Chinatown Mt. Fuji Before planning Things you want to bring Getting there Once you fre there Nikko Kamakura Getting there Osaka Kyoto Getting there Places to Stay Places to Go Recommended pathways Nara Hiroshima Haikyo Other Logistics Telephones, Cellphones Money Stuff Currency Exchange Purchasing online Credit cards ATMs Wifi Postal System? Guidebooks The content here is by no means authoritative or complete. Please be sure to che ck out other useful sources. http://www.hellodamage.com/top/tokyo-tour-guide/ http://tokyoscum.blogspot.jp/ http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html http://tokyodeep.info/tokyo/minato/ (JP) http://wikitravel.org/en/Tokyo http://unmissablejapan.com http://travel.nytimes.com/frommers/travel/guides/asia/japan/tokyo/frm_tokyo_0085 020048.html http://injapan.gaijinpot.com/play/travel/2012/04/26/10-free-or-cheap-accommodati ons-in-japan/ General Cultural Thoughts There are some general things that might serve as a brief introduction to the cu lture and life of Tokyo as well as the 8.9 million (2013) people who occupy its 23 wards or municipalities. That pans out to about 37,000 people per square mile , though this pales in comparison to the 70,000 or so per square mile in Manhatt an. Area/Space Space and land is pretty much at a premium in Tokyo, and as such there is a lot of attention paid to maximizing the use of small spaces and keeping areas genera lly clean. For example, if you couldn ft afford the space or the plumbing for a wa sh basin next to a bathroom, you could just add a small spigot at the top of the tank that would spew out clean water when you flush, with the leftover water fi lling the toilet bowl tank. Cleanliness The finickiness surrounding cleanliness comes from the fact that homes have tata mi (rice/rush straw) flooring, which can hardly afford your dirt and grime on th e bottom of your shoes (which is why you fll want to take off your shoes when you enter someone fs home, always). This philosophy translates well to the outdoors, w here you fll notice pretty immaculate subway platforms, trains, and pavements. The re aren ft that many garbage bins, however, so the expectation is that you fll take it with you and throw things away at home. Politeness Japanese folks can be polite to a fault, and people apologize for pretty much an y indiscretion, however minor. Case in point: gwe truly apologize for the delay c aused by a man who fell ill at Iidabashi station h. Apologies don ft correlate with the person apologizing making any particular amends, however, which is why it ca n feel a bit hollow to foreigners. An ounce of politeness on your part will go a long way, whether it be a short bow or a smile. Following Rules/Groupthink Even as a Japanese national some aspects of the unquestioning, rule-abiding Japa nese person can be particularly infuriating. The Japanese equivalent to gthe nail that sticks out gets hammered h ( o é Y Í Å ½ ê é) really does discourage any deviation from n a party of 8 state they want a beer, it really doesn ft matter if you want one o r not - just order beer as well. Similarly, a friend of mine was asked to remove her PC power plug from a Starbucks cafe where she was drinking coffee simply be cause git was against the rules h. Really? Tatemae/Hon-ne One particularly interesting aspect of Japanese psychology arises from the need to gsave face h by providing a different set of opinions in public and in truth. Ta temae refers to this public behavior and opinion that a person will profess to h ave, while they may secretly harbor completely different opinions, which manifes t themselves in their gtrue self h (hon-ne). You wouldn ft want to embarrass someone by saying to them gwait, you just contradicted what you told me yesterday! h, becau se they may actually be maintaining a facade for others. Tokyo (Kanto) vs. Osaka (Kansai) There are some interesting nuances and differences Tokyo and Osaka, stemming fro m the way Japanese is spoken, to the side people pass each other on the escalato r. The general sense is that Osaka-folks are a little rough around the edges and are finicky with money, whereas Tokyo-folks will try to be appear a little more sophisticated and refined. Media Consumption It fs particularly telling to note that of the top 10 highest circulated paid news papers in the world, 5 are Japanese. Most newspapers have both a morning and eve ning edition, and you fll see many advertisements on the subway for weekly magazin es adorned with scantily-clad women. There are quite a few concerns about Japane se media in general -- the use of kisha-clubs and the lack of international focu s -- but regardless, consider Japan to be a highly media-saturated country. Before Getting In There are some things you can ft do if you fre a foreigner unless you do it outside Japan. The big part is purchasing a JR Pass if you decide to travel outside of T okyo. Also, consider checking if your credit or debit card provides ATM withdraw als without fees. Credit unions and Capital One or Charles Schwab Visa are a few that I know of that have that feature. You will want to have some cash on hand as well, or traveler fs cheques. See also: JR Pass Budgeting If you expect to be visiting museums or tourist attractions, they will cost on a verage about 1000~1500 yen per person. You can purchase a Grutt Pass at one of 7 5 museums (see Grutt Pass) for \2000. Food is relatively cheap. If you really want to swing things very cheaply, you c an pull off not being hungry with about \1200 per day (\200 for breakfast, \500 for lunch, \500 for dinner, all with stuff from the convenience store), but if y ou want to make sure to have enough money to enjoy a good Japanese meal/restaura nt/izakaya once a day, factor in about 2000~3000. Some places, especially those places that provide beer and food, will put in a cover charge to your meal - don f t feel duped if you see a cover charge. Protip: if you get a small bowl of edama me as you sit down, chances are there fs a cover charge. Transportation isn ft cheap and can add up pretty quickly. Since the fare is calcu lated by distance between departing point and destination, a two-or-three stop t rip on the subway will set you back \170, with the average about \300 each way ( if you have to transfer between subway systems, it adds up even more). If you pl an your trip wisely, you can get away with a maximum \1000 for travel each day. If you plan on doing a lot of traveling, consider getting a day pass, though tho se have travel restrictions that are sometimes more of a headache than they fre wo rth. Also check your bank to see if they levy a fee for withdrawing money at a foreig n ATM. See also: Money Stuff, Trains and Subways Dress The Japanese dress pretty much according to Western fashion, though women do wea r skirts much more than their American counterparts (regardless of weather). Driving You cannot drive in Japan with only a US driver fs licence. International Driver fs permits obtained outside of Japan can be used, but not for extended periods of t ime. In order to complicate things even further, International Driver fs permits f rom some countries (France for instance) are not valid in Japan. Driving is on t he left side, with the driver fs wheel on the right. No right turns on red are all owed. Public transportation provides more than enough for getting around Tokyo. See also: Trains and Subways New Years and Holidays Japan gets particularly quiet during New Years, with most businesses closed for December 30, 31, January 1, 2 and 3 (the Tokyo Stock Exchange is closed January 1, 2, and 3). Protip: if you fre in town during New Years, be on the lookout for fukubukoro ( Ü), i.e. glucky bag h which are basically bags with unknown items inside sold at a steep di scount. For example, you might pay \1,000 for a bag with a certain theme (like ge lectronics h or gmenswear h) - you might not necessarily know what fs inside, but the t otal value is always more than \1,000. Another staple of the New Year is the Hak one Ekiden, where college runners run a relay from Tokyo to Hakone and back. Las tly, hatsumoude ( w), the first visit to a temple of the year, is a big deal, so if you spot lots of people carrying what looks like wooden arrows with bells (hamay a j î - gevil destroying arrow h), just retrace their steps and pay respects to the local spirits and deities. Japan has a relatively large number of public holidays (see Wikipedia article), which is basically an excuse for overworked salary-men to relax with their famil ies - all at the same places. Golden Week, which is usually towards the end of A pril to the beginning of May, designates the cluster of several public holidays that allow most to take an entire week off. Visiting touristic places on public holidays will almost certainly be a crowded affair. Earthquakes Japan lies on tectonic territory and earthquakes are a common occurrence. As a r esult, Japanese infrastructure in preparation for earthquakes is perhaps one of the best in the world - any building built after the 1981 building code revision must withstand a Shindo 6 magnitude earthquake without collapsing. (Japan doesn f t use the Richter scale, but the Shindo scale is out of 7). A nationwide early warning system will dispatch warnings to desktop clients and dedicated receivers up to 30 seconds before a large earthquake, and TV programmes will regularly ha ve a text overlay providing up-to-the-minute information about earthquakes. If y ou fre particularly concerned, download Yurekuru Call from the App store or Google Play, which will warn you of an earthquake. If you feel one, stay calm and chec k your exit paths by opening doors and avoid places where furniture can shift or items can fall. If you fre in a high rise or hotel, wait for the PA system to kic k in and tell you if you need to evacuate. Getting In Tokyo has two international airports: Narita Airport (NRT) and Haneda Airport (H ND). Narita is the main international hub for Tokyo and services ANA, Delta, JAL , Nippon Cargo Airlines, and United Airlines. Haneda is mostly used for domestic flights, but recently opened an international terminal. Delta also uses Haneda. Haneda vs. Narita Haneda is much closer to central Tokyo than Narita, and as such fares are much m ore reasonable and there fs less of a headache to get to the airport. Consider, fo r example, getting into Roppongi: Get to Grand Hyatt using Limousine Bus: 1,100 yen (takes 60-85 minutes) (as oppo sed to 3,000 yen from Narita) or Using the Haneda Monorail: 470 yen, walk to Daimon station and take the Oedo lin e to Roppongi (190 yen) Limousine Bus http://www.flickr.com/photos/trubble/32294114/sizes/m/in/photostream/ If you have a lot of luggage or are headed to a downtown hotel (like the Tokyo P rince Hotel), the easiest way to get from Narita to central Tokyo is to take the Airport Limousine Bus. The cost is \3,000 and will take you from the terminal s traight to pretty much any hotel in town, and it takes about 1.5 hours to get in to the city. There is plenty of luggage space below the bus and the attendees an d bus drivers will help you load/unload your luggage. The limousine bus also off ers transportation to and from Haneda airport, as well as to the airport from an y of the hotels you fre dropped off at. Narita Express A faster option is to take the Narita Express Train run by Japan Rail (JR), whic h takes approximately 1.5 hours, depending on what station you get off at. If yo u are going straight to Roppongi, I would recommend taking the Narita Express to Shibuya and taking the bus from Shibuya directly to Roppongi Hills. However, be sure to note that only select Narita Express trains stop at Shibuya so be sure to check the schedule beforehand. If you have a non-Japanese passport, you can a lso purchase the Suica and Narita Express package (\3,500), which is a great dea l and I highly recommend this option. If you are traveling with a lot of luggage , I would recommend the Limousine Bus since you will not have to worry about tra nsferring. You must be fairly quick about getting on and off the trains since th ey run on a timed schedule. Keisei Line Skyliner The fastest option, is the Keisei Line Skyliner, which takes 41 minutes to arriv e at Ueno station and costs \2,400. However, depending on where you are headed, Ueno may be slightly out of the way. There fs also the Keisei Access Express (62 m inutes) and the Keisei Main Line (70 minutes), which offer cheaper fares but wit h more stops along the way. The last train out of Narita on the Keisei Main line is at 11pm. Getting Around Addresses The Japanese address system differs starkly from those in the United States or E urope, with the general idea that a Japanese address identifies a particular bui lding by geographic regions that decrease in size, starting by prefecture and en ding with the building name (see this Wikipedia article). An unfortunate consequ ence is that addresses that look close numerically aren ft necessarily close geogr aphically. As a result, finding a location by address requires nothing less than a through map, and most businesses or homes will help reduce confusion by highl ighting the nearest subway station. An interesting tidbit - most Japanese address dropdowns for prefecture are order ed by geographic order (north to south) rather than any phonetic order. Trains and Subways The main form of transportation around Tokyo is by train and subway. There are t wo main subway services, the Tokyo Metro and Toei Subway. Because these subways are run by different companies, transferring between these services requires you to pay and pass through a ticketing gate before transferring - if you use a Sui ca card, you get a discount on your second leg when you transfer. Prices for tic kets vary depending on how far you plan to travel. Also, depending on where you want to go it may make more sense to walk to a different subway station even tho ugh you fre right in front of one, so make sure to plan accordingly. Protip: once you fre on the platform look for yellow signs indicating which exits are more suitable for which destinations. They can save you quite the hassle or confusion! See also: Suica and Pasmo East Japan Railway Company (JR East) operates trains throughout Tokyo as well as part of the shinkansen network. Note that the Shinkansen going to Osaka is not operated by JR East, but by JR Central. If you decide to do some traveling, the shinkansen is a great option but is fairly expensive. You can purchase discount shinkansen tickets at special discount ticketing shops throughout Tokyo called à ® (kink en-ya) or ` P b g V b v (chiketto-shoppu). Another less comfortable, but much cheaper optio to take an overnight bus, called é s o X (yak? basu). See also: Shinkansen JR Pass If you are foreign passport holder, consider using the JR Pass if travelling a fair amount outside of Tokyo. This pass is allows for unlimited travel for a cer tain number of days. The pass covers many Shinkansen as well as certain local tr ains, busses and even ferries. However, it can only be purchased before you arri ve in Japan. Plan on purchasing the pass at least several weeks in advance so th at it arrives before your departure. Note that you do not actually receive the J R Pass in the mail, rather you receive a coupon that you trade in for the JR Pas s on the first day of travel. The primary station in the larger cities will have a specific location where you can receive your JR Pass. If you are unfamiliar w ith the station, I would highly recommend that you arrive early to find out wher e you can trade in for your JR Pass. Finally, it is important to be aware that t he trade-in locations may open later and/or closer earlier than the rest of the station or ticketing booths. Another pass useful for Tokyo is the Tokyo Free Kippu, a 1-day ticket covering m ost trains, subways and bus running in the city (but NOT the trains getting to t he airports). The pass can be purchased in advance at a Midori-no-madoguchi. JR East also offers its own pass, valid only for its network, covering Tokyo and th e northern half of Honshu. I would recommend downloading a Japanese train application if you have a smartph one available. The Rail Map Lite app is a good start. Otherwise you can try Hype rdia. Like many major cities, the subways and trains in Japan typically stop running b etween midnight and 5AM, so be sure to plan accordingly. This is called I d ( µ ã ¤ Å ñ, shyu st train. Train types If you take any of the suburban trains you fll quickly notice there are different classes of trains. Make sure you know which stops your train stops at before boa rding.
Photo by shunanrail These trains are faster by skipping certain stations along the route. In order f rom fastest to slowest: Á }, tokkyu Limited Express Á }, jyun-tokkyu Semi Special Express } s, kyuukou Express æ Ô } s, kukan-kyuukou Semi Express (trains that run express during some stretches of the route, and no rmal at other stretches) õ ¬, kaisoku, occasionally Ê Î õ ¬, tsuukin-kaisoku Rapid Service Commuter Rapid Service Ê, futsu, alternatively e w â Ô, kakueki-teisha Local (stops at every station) Bus The bus system is slower than the trains and road traffic gets especially conges ted during rush hour. However, this is the most convenient and direct route to t ravel between Roppongi and Shibuya and a fun way to discover the city. There is no direct route via the train or subways and the bus stop for this bus is locate d in Roppongi Hills. This takes approximately 12 minutes (depending on traffic) and costs \200. However, be sure to note that buses stop running much earlier th an trains. Taxis Rates start at \710 for the first 2km and \80 for about 300m thereafter or 2 min utes in traffic (though this differs slightly between taxi companies). Prices go up about 30% after dark. Rear taxi doors open and close automatically using hyd raulic actuators, so your driver may say something to discourage you from reachi ng for the door handle. Suica and Pasmo http://www.flickr.com/photos/mrjoro/6495843317/sizes/m/in/photostream/ I highly recommend purchasing a SUICA or PASMO card. These cards are a rechargea ble contactless smart cards used for train fares. Without this card, you will ha ve to purchase a train ticket each time you board. This can be time consuming es pecially during rush hour since you will have to wait in line. Also, these cards will automatically take care of your transfer fee if you transfer from one trai n system to another (because sometimes you fll have to exit a turnstile in order t o get into another). There is no difference between the Suica or Pasmo card and are just owned by different companies (There may be the rare case in which only one card is accepted at a particular store, but I have never had this problem an d you will not have to worry about this if you are using your card for transport ation). You can purchase or recharge these cards at the traditional ticket booth where you would normally buy a subway ticket. These booths have an English guidance option, so purchasing tickets should not b e a problem. If and when you buy them, you can choose to have your name printed on them (Personal PASMO) so that you and only you can use it, and you can have i t reissued if you lose the card. You can choose the General variant without any problems. Both cards require a \500 deposit, which will be refunded when you return the ca rd. These cards are also accepted on the bus as well as some combini fs (convenien ce stores), stores, and vending machines. The minimum recharge amount is \1000.
Transportation out of Tokyo Shinkansen The bullet train, shinkansen ( V ² ü) is the pride of Japan and epitome of smooth and extr emely efficient transportation system. Pricing for the trains differ largely on speed, with names for each train segment and service: Nozomi/Hayabusa - fast Hikari/Yamabiko - semi-fast Kodama - local Prices can be on par or slightly more expensive than flying, but the trains are extremely punctual (a 2003 report by JR Central apparently claimed that average train arrivals were within 6 seconds of their promised time). One particular part of the shinkansen experience is the ekiben ( w Ù, gstation meal h), w hich are basically lunch packs that you can buy on the train platforms or even w ithin the trains. They cost about \1000 but they fre worth every penny, and since you really can ft get your hands on the authentic stuff outside of the train syste m, they fre really worth a try. A gentleman orders ekiben at the Sendai station before his train ride. Photo by Rio Akasaka. Overnight bus There is a fairly extensive overnight bus network in Japan, and Tokyo is well-se rved by buses that travel north and south. They are exceedingly cheap: a Tokyo-K yoto bus ride leaves Tokyo station at 10 and arrives at Kyoto at 6 for a total c ost of \2700. The same path would take 2 hours and 20 minutes by Shinkansen and cost you \12,710 Protip: look for buses that have 3 seats per row (3? ñ Ô, san-retsusha) instead of 4 ( S? ñ Ô retsusha) if you want any realistic amount of sleep. San-retsusha buses usually have bathrooms inside and will only stop at highway stops to give the two driver s some time to rest, which means it gives you more peace and quiet because peopl e won ft be shuffling down the aisles to get off as they would in a yonretsu-sha. Drivers will stop in either bus arrangement about every 2 hours, but the 4-row b us is a bit more cramped. Check out bushikaku.net for a good hub for searching for buses. Flights Low-cost domestic carriers include Skymark Jetstar Peach AirAsia Beginning January 8, 2013, Skymark is doing a \10,000 promotion for any domestic flight. While this likely won ft last forever, they give you a good indication of how low prices go. Be aware about which airports these carriers fly out of, how ever. Neighborhoods As with any metropolitan city, Tokyo fs neighborhoods tend to have their own uniqu e flavor and crowd - this fact is made even more evident by the fact that each n eighborhood seems to be ringed by residential areas, effectively cordoning off t he fun parts and the quiet parts of town. Harajuku Harajuku is overrun by high school girls and cosplay fans, making it an ideal sp ot for people-watching. You fll likely want to swing by Harajuku if you like shopp ing. Takeshita-doori is a narrow stretch of stores that runs from Meiji road to Harajuku fs JR station, and there fs a ton of accessory stores, music stores and cre peries. Good luck trying to get by the crowd on the weekends! See also: Shibuya, Daiso Harajuku Shibuya Harajuku and Shibuya are about 15-20 minutes walk apart. If you do decide to go from one place to another, it may be fun to walk through Yoyogi park as well as the Meiji shrine inside. Shibuya fs claim to fame is the scramble crossing (or massive intersection where h ordes of people cross the road at the same time) - it provides ample opportuniti es for people-watching. In terms of stores in the area, look out for Tower Recor ds, for any and all kinds of music. For those into crafts and DIY, the Tokyu Han ds store is a required stop - you fll find 8 floors of materials from clock hands to carpentry (there fs 3 mezzanines for each floor, making it a total of 24 flight s if you want to see it all. Check out the floor guide). If you're a clothing ma ker, go across the street to Yuzawaya, a great resource in the city for knitters /crocheters. If you fre looking for the quintessential touristy thing to do here, though, head for the Akita dog statue, Hachiko. Legend has it that the loyal dog waited for h is master for years at the station, even after his master passed away. It fs now a popular meeting point, right next to the incessantly busy Shibuya crossing. See also: Harajuku, Tokyu Hands Alternative/Indie Music Contributed by dokool, on reddit Shibuya is also one of the centers of the alternative/indie music scene in the c ity. In Dogenzaka there's O-EAST/WEST/NEST/CREST and Duo Music Exchange as well as Club Asia and Bar Come On Rock, then in Center-gai you have Club Quattro, Cyc lone up on Spain Street, and then across from Tokyu Hands up on the hill is a bu ilding with half a dozen livehouses (Chelsea Hotel, Star Lounge, GAME, Milky Way , AUBE and one or two more). Then around the corner from that are Rock no Cocoro and Rockaholic, two very wel l-known music bars. A couple streets down are the flagship stores for RUDIE'S, S KULLSHIT, and ROLLING CRADLE, three of the most influential street clothing bran ds in Japanese punk. And if you go up the hill to CC Lemon Hall, you'll also find Shibuya Eggman, the livehouse that got on the news post-3/11 after Fox News mistook it for a nuclea r reactor. Shibuya AX is up there as well but that's basically on the way to Har ajuku. Roppongi Some say Roppongi is the area where expats go if they don ft want to feel like the y are in Japan. Roppongi is popular for being a mecca for nightclubs, restaurant s and izakaya (drinking/eatery), as well as the massive Roppongi Mori Tower whic h occupies a big portion of a dainty district called Roppongi Hills. You can go to the top of Mori Tower for a fantastic vista over the city (\1500 for Tokyo Ci ty View, another \500 for the Sky Deck). One big discount chain store called Don Quixote (see gShopping h) stocks a lot of things, from foodstuffs to regular house hold items. The place definitely comes alive past sundown. A short walk from Roppongi is Tokyo Midtown, a glitzy shopping/hotel/park/museum complex that seems to cater to the baby-toting nouveau-riche. ( gOh look, I can t ake a cooking class on the first floor! h) Akihabara Akihabara (you fll find signs at the train stations referring to the gElectric City h ) hosts thousands of electronics stores. If you fre into gadgets and/or newfangled tech be sure to swing by. You may want to check prices online beforehand, howev er, as they might be marked up simply because you fre in Akihabara. The other big draw of the area is the otaku culture and various related stores (like maid cafe s), even though it's no longer anywhere close to as interesting as it used to be now that the Sunday pedestrian walk is heavily policed and restricted. See also: Purchasing online, Ikebukuro, Bic Camera Ueno Ame-yokocho ( gCandy Alley h) Ame-yokocho (historically, A ¡ ¬) is a open-air street market selling a lot of stuff in g al, though its popularity is more around food. Prepare to spend a bit of money o n things if you fre hungry, and prepare to be squashed by the throng. There fs also the Ueno Zoo. Asakusa Ueno and Asakasa are about a 20 minute walk from each other. Hanayashiki Japan fs oldest amusement park, with Japan fs correspondingly oldest roller coast. I t fs fairly small, though, so don ft come expecting a Six Flags in the middle of Asa kusa. Rides cost a dirt-cheap \100, admission is \900. You may want to check out the Ghost Mansion as Japanese lore around ghosts/apparitions/demons are pretty interesting. See park map.