-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Japan Travel |OT| One does simply not visit just once
- Thread starter hwalker84
- Start date
Couldn't see mines in the op
Gomen nasai
BronsonLee
Member
3 weeks to my second trip to Japan.
And I legitimately feel like I don't care.
And I legitimately feel like I don't care.
Subpar Scrub
Banned
Yeah, I was going to Tokyo but also Osaka, Kyoto and Nara. Good to hear nothing will be extraordinarily busy though... Well, any more busy than Tokyo usually is, anyway.
Oh? Feeling negative about it or just unhyped?
BronsonLee
Member
A bit unhyped. My first trip was to Osaka and Nara during Golden Week, which was an absolute blast. I'm sure I'll get hype as I get there. And the trip will be MUCH easier. No 10 hour flights - > 17 hour layovers in the Middle East -> 10 hour flights. And no hostels! And no foreign credit cards!
ZackieChan
Member
I arrive Tuesday! Super excited. Gaf Tokyo meetup sometime in the next few weeks?
killertofu
Member
Nikko was so damn beautiful. I wish we spent the night there.
killertofu
Member
Ughhhh I can't find any men's sukkah jackets on cat street
Cool though I heard the akiba yobodashi is a little expensive because a lot of tourists go there, would the shinjuku one be the same?
Those are some beautiful pics Fritz, can I ask what camera/lens you used?
I just googled that for you, seems the savest bet is in Ueno
Thank you! I remember being a bit down after I had returned back then because I felt the pics were all trash. Revisting them lately I am really fond of them. I used a very "simple" digital camera, a Samsung EX1. The advantages are that it is build real sturdy and compact and lets you do a lot of settings manually. Worst downside is definitely the lack of live-view.
Contemplating getting a reflex cam for this year's trip since they are much more affordable now
killertofu
Member
Ahh thank you. Will check there tomorrow
Someone told me how there's speciality ear cleaning Salons in Tokyo. I've never had my ears cleaned outside of just normal q-tip and normal washing in shower, and wouldn't mind trying.
Can anyone recommend one that isn't some creepy fetish one but a professional one. I don't care if it's a girl or guy who cleans my ears, I just wouldn't mind getting them done.
Can anyone recommend one that isn't some creepy fetish one but a professional one. I don't care if it's a girl or guy who cleans my ears, I just wouldn't mind getting them done.
I'll be looking for one when I'll be in Tokyo later this year so make sure to leave some hints in this thread
Zoe
Member
Are you Asian? Do you have dry earwax?
ZackieChan
Member
You probably don't need it. I've seen people getting shit like this done in China, but it's probably all superstition and faux medicine.
I know a good maid cafe that will do it tho (😉 jk)
Zoe
Member
If you're not Asian, you most likely have wet earwax. This kind of thing is for dry earwax.
killertofu
Member
Spent over $200 on art books ;___;
One more day yolo
One more day yolo
Art books of what?
Book off was Great for cheap "Used" Art Books. Sometimes they have also figurines and Most of the the Time they have an Used Game Area.
killertofu
Member
Dragon ball, art of Godzilla, some random one that looked cool, a Spirited Away one, a few gundam books and the book cj wanted
Subpar Scrub
Banned
Wear a jacket with a big neogaf logo on the back. Wear a nametag that says "Breckin" on it. Wear a printed out bish face.
Be GafMan.
cj_iwakura
Member
I could have gone absolutely insane at Mandarake Nakano. They had dozens of Gundam books, and at least five different Votoms ones. I had to limit myself to the game section, and I still walked away with four. The prices at Mandarake Galaxy were insanely good. I think they're used books, but they're in immaculate shape; you'd never know.
Thanks, by the way.
killertofu
Member
I could have gone absolutely insane at Mandarake Nakano. They had dozens of Gundam books, and at least five different Votoms ones. I had to limit myself to the game section, and I still walked away with four. The prices at Mandarake Galaxy were insanely good. I think they're used books, but they're in immaculate shape; you'd never know.
Thanks, by the way.
No problem.
God, I actually can't wait to go home because that means I'll stop spending money. Its like being 10 years old but having a bank account. Its insane. I just unraveled in my deepest otaku desires
Just stumbled upon this very cool side for Tokyo sights and activities and wanted to share
http://100tokyo.jp/
The Photo Tours are gold as far as I can tell.
P.S.: i do have a few questions and I hope someone here can help me out.
Has anyone been to the oedo onsen monogatari? How much time does one spend there? What else is a must see in Odaiba (apart from Gundam obviously)?
I am thinking about going to Miraikan in the morning, then spend the afternoon at the Onsen theme park and then hit the views of Rainbow Bridge at dawn.
Can anyone of you recommend an app where I can mark points on a map of Tokyo and share that map amongst devices?
http://100tokyo.jp/
The Photo Tours are gold as far as I can tell.
P.S.: i do have a few questions and I hope someone here can help me out.
Has anyone been to the oedo onsen monogatari? How much time does one spend there? What else is a must see in Odaiba (apart from Gundam obviously)?
I am thinking about going to Miraikan in the morning, then spend the afternoon at the Onsen theme park and then hit the views of Rainbow Bridge at dawn.
Can anyone of you recommend an app where I can mark points on a map of Tokyo and share that map amongst devices?
Subpar Scrub
Banned
In Odaiba I was going to go to the museum of innovation (or whatever it's called) and the Toyota tech facility. I can't recall their exact names unfortunately. I'll check later tonight.
That museum of innovation should be the Miraikan. It gets a lot of praise. Worth the visit?
killertofu
Member
Sitting at the airport. It's been lit, Japan
cj_iwakura
Member
Hope you enjoyed it. Have a good flight.
ThreePiMatt
Member
Also sitting at the airport, but I'm going the other way.
MikeHattsu
Member
If you like robots and stuff then it's good. Make sure to be there at a time when the Asimo demonstration is happening. At 11:00, 13:00, 14:00 and 16:00 normally. And you can check out the creepy uncanny valley androids as well.
Hm, kinda indifferent towards robots. I thought it was more about food printing, future transportation, new energy sources, this kinda stuff. I do fancy the Asimo performance though.
MikeHattsu
Member
ThatCrazyGuy
Member
Where did you find the deal at? If I may ask.
Subpar Scrub
Banned
3 days until departure, the fear that I'm going to get lost at the airport upon arrival is increasing lol.
I need to exchange a JR pass while I'm there, figured I'd do it at the airport and set it for activation later in the trip. Is this hard to communicate this to the staff, or should I just exchange the pass on the day I start using shinkansens?
I need to exchange a JR pass while I'm there, figured I'd do it at the airport and set it for activation later in the trip. Is this hard to communicate this to the staff, or should I just exchange the pass on the day I start using shinkansens?
MikeHattsu
Member
Nah, don't worry. All the ticket office staff at the airport should be able to understand English. Depending on the airport they sometimes hand out a form where you fill in the details of wanted dates and stuff as well before the exchange.
I'd recommend waiting until later to exchange the pass if there's long queues at the airport though (depends on what airport and time of arrival). No need to stand in queue for 1+ hours if you're not going to use it right away
killertofu
Member
Enjoy it!
Been back for a day. My coworkers liked the gatchaballs I got them. My jet lag is unbelievable though omg.
ZackieChan
Member
Holy crap, I'm a complete mess. Couldn't sleep more than an hour or two at a time last night. Hoping tonight goes better.
cj_iwakura
Member
I adjusted pretty well, just made sure I stayed home all that day and slept when I got tired.
Subpar Scrub
Banned
Nah, don't worry. All the ticket office staff at the airport should be able to understand English. Depending on the airport they sometimes hand out a form where you fill in the details of wanted dates and stuff as well before the exchange.
I'd recommend waiting until later to exchange the pass if there's long queues at the airport though (depends on what airport and time of arrival). No need to stand in queue for 1+ hours if you're not going to use it right away
Cheers, It's Narita and I arrive at 7pm-ish I think, I'll have to double check.
I will! hopefully, haha.
Luckily my flight there is 11am to 7pm, and back is 8.30pm to 6.30 am. So the times aren't too weird and I plan on sleeping on the plane on the return flight.
killertofu
Member
Basically the same. Fell right asleep after work, woke up at 8:30 thinking it was the morning. Fell back asleep at 11:30, woke up at 2. Fell back asleep at 3, woke back up at 5 and said fuck it and just got up -___-
Yeaaah, I had to go to work the next day. And I'm driving 5 hours to Atlanta tonight for a music festival. What a mess lol
MikeHattsu
Member
That's sort of late and Narita has had the longest JR Pass queues of the airports in Japan I've arrived at.
I'd rather focus on just getting into Tokyo and my accommodation in that case if it were me, since you won't use the pass on the first day and you can exchange it at any of the major stations like Ueno, Tokyo, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and Shinagawa. Usually no or minimal queues in the stations as well, unlike at Narita.
Subpar Scrub
Banned
Ok no worries. I already have a shuttle bus booked to tokyo station and I'm staying like 100m from ueno station, plus a late check in confirmation with my hotel.
So hopefully the first night won't fall apart haha.
Had to go through tokyo station 1 day before my pass needs to start, so I'll do it then.
MikeHattsu
Member
You taking the Keisei Bus then?