Going to Tokyo...gimme some help!

[noise626]

Okay, here's the deal...

In a few months, my wife and I are going to Toyko for the first time. So, since it's well known that DUers travel all over the place, I have a few questions for those who have visited the Big City:

1. I would like to visit a night club that has some good live music, mostly of the rock/goth/prog rock sort. Any Ideas?

2. I want to buy a bottle of Absinthe and bring it back. Can I do that?

3. I know that the Japanese do not like to discuss politics that much, but overall, how are Americans viewed there? I know I will have to apologize for Shrub at least once, I just want to gauge how much apologizing I will have to do :)


Oh, and if you have any stories to share about your visit there, I would LOVE to hear them!

Thanks!

pax
ant

[hatrack]

1. Absinthe? Yowza!

I never saw it in Japan (I lived there 3 years) and you would NOT be allowed to bring it back. I seriously doubt Customs would be too amused at your choice of beverages.

As for politics, the Japanese I knew there and know here today generally like Americans as individuals. Most of them (probably 70% or more) dislike Bush & his policies, at least going by the polls I've seen, but that hasn't spilled over to Americans as people.

[Swede]

2. You can buy absinthe in Canada.

5 ppm wormwood.

[da_chimperor]

3. Here's a link that can help with finding a place to go out

http://www.cyberjapan.tv/contents/tokyoclubguide/area_e.html

[sphincter]

4. Just moved ...

Check:

http://www.metropolis.co.jp
Weekly magazine in English listing events, clubs, concerts etc.

I just moved out of Japan after spending 11 years in Tokyo, and if there is one thing I would like to recommend, it is the "onsen", or hot springs. If you have time, you should take a trip to either Nikko or Hakone.
There is nothing like sitting in the hot water, outdoors, watching the snow fall and drink some nice, cold Japanese sake....

Can't wait to go back....

[Elidor]

5. Man, if I went to Tokyo, I'd go to one of those drug bars & pull a Hunter

Thompson. Geishas (or worse), spirits, and whatever else they sell in those places. Let the good times roll!

[Zech Marquis]

6. lived there for 3 great years

definitely use the subway system, because the cabs are sky high and driving directions aren't exactly accurate :evilgrin: Also, skip the Mickey Ds and go for some of the local flair--sush, sashimi, yakitori foodstands. Most importantly, don't be ugly Americans.

[Art_from_Ark]

7. Hello from Tokyo

In answer to your questions:

1) I would have no idea about night clubs, only that what you are looking for would probably be in the Harajuku-Shibuya area, along the Yamanote Line, Tokyo's main above ground loop line. You can also check out the Roppongi district, which is a popular spot for foreigners. You better be careful, though-- some night clubs can have some serious charges (like $100 for a bottle of beer).

2) I actually saw a bottle of Absinthe for sale in a local shop, but I don't think it is the extremely potent kind. Japan has some very tough anti-drug laws. (And don't even think of bringing any weed with you into Japan. Unless you're Paul McCartney, you'd get fast-tracked to the deportation line if you were caught with it.)

3) Tokyo people are very blase. They usually won't let you know what they really think about politics. But you probably won't find any outright hostility, either, and as long as you're polite and realize you're in their country, you should do fine.

Gotta get back to work now.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. Even if you ARE a former Beatle, it's not a good idea to bring drugs

I believe John Lennon was turned back at the airport because they found some dope in his luggage.

Most Japanese won't question you about your politics, but if they do, not liking Bush will be to your advantage.

I agree with the advice about taking the subways and trains. Cabs are really, really expensive.

Above all, do NOT take a cab from Narita Airport to central Tokyo. It really will cost $200--because the airport is 40 miles out of town. There are two separate train lines (one JR--the one to use if you have a JR Pass--and one private and cheaper, the Keisei Skyliner. The Skyliner costs about $15-20, depending on the exchange rate.)

There are literally thousands of clubs in Tokyo, but I don't frequent them, so I can't make any recommendations. But there are English-language entertainment magazines for foreigners (Metropolis, as mentioned above), and that would be a good starting point.

If you plan to travel much out of Tokyo, get a JR Pass, which you must buy before leaving the States. Just wave it at the guy at the turnstile, and you can ride any JR train, including the Shinkansen. You can even make seat reservations for free.

If you will be mostly in Tokyo and environs, forget the JR pass: your train and subway traveling life will be easier if you get two ticket debit cards. The SF Metro card, sold from vending machines in subway stations in denominations up to 5000 yen, is for the subway and private railroads. (You'll recognize the SF on the machine.) The IO card (eeyoh-kah-doh) is a debit card for the JR trains. You have to buy it at a station ticket office.

With both the SF Metro card and the IO-card, you just insert it in the automatic turnstile in the direction indicated by the arrowl. The turnstile returns it to you with the minimum fare subtracted. At your destination, you insert it in the exit turnstile, whereupon it will subtract any extra fare and an indication of how much money is left.

I don't know where you plan to stay, but if you need non-expensive accommodations, try a "business hotel," where you should be able to get a double for somewhere in the neighborhood of $100 a night. (Japan may be in Asia, but it's not Indonesia, so don't expect bargains. Still, it's not as expensive as people think.)

[Art_from_Ark]

12. Lennon might have been turned away, but several years later,

they tried to bust Paul McCartney for bringing in some weed.

Well, on edit, it looks like he was busted for 9 days in 1980, and then deported.

My mistake.

[UdoKier]

9. I was not a club crawler when I lived there, but I believe...

"Gas Panic" in Roppongi was popular. People are not as big into discos there as here, it's more going out to drink, carouse, talk shit, then go to a karaoke box and wail and get even more drunk...


I have no idea about Absinthe.

The Japanese generally love Americans (with some exceptions) and are inexplicably enamored of caucasian features ( I personally find Japanese people of both genders to be much more attractive than Americans...)

They are not generally ideological people, and the ideological divides between the various parties there are not as pronounced. But in general, most people dislike Bush, and disapprove of the war and Koizumi's sycophancy towards Bush. It is a more socialized society with great mass transit, and much less of an income disparity between rich and poor.

Tokyo, however is exceptional. It's much more expensive than other cities, and it's not uncommon for people to live in apartments that are smaller than a typical McMansion's master closet. Tokyoites are much more accustomed to foreigners than Japanese in other cities, and will probably ignore you for the most part. If you visit other cities, they will go out of their way to help you find your way, or they may get all flustered upon seeing you and exclaim "No English, No English".

Tell them how much you love Japan, the food, etc., and you will get a very positive reaction.

As for lodging, I would also advise against a western-style hotel. They are expensive and you do not experience the country. I would stay in a Japanese-style ryokan, where you usually get an excellent Japanese breakfast and dinner included with lodging for about $80~120/night.

[Art_from_Ark]

11. Most ryokan are actually pretty damned expensive

I doubt that you can find any for $80/night, especially ones with single rooms. And you have to pay the full price for each person staying in the room.

I think you are actually thinking of minshuku, which are in the price range you mentioned, or even cheaper. Minshuku are usually run by a family, who often grow (or even catch) the food they put on your table. A minshuku I stayed at on the Sanriku Coast (NE Honshu) was run by a woman whose husband would bring in the sashimi-- and kelp and shellfish-- fresh out of the sea

And for the young (and young at heart), there are always the youth hostels, which provide basic accommodation for a very reasonable price, and allow you to meet people not only from Japan, but all over the world.

[Lydia Leftcoast]

13. The minshuku are great, but I don't think there are any in Tokyo

since they are found mostly in rural areas or cities that have a strong traditional atmosphere, like Kyoto or Kanazawa. I love them, though. On some occasions, I've been invited into the family's private quarters to have tea with them, and unlike a ryokan, everyone has dinner together, so you meet interesting people from all over Japan.

As for cheap ryokan, yes, they exist, but since the Japanese themselves think of ryokan as luxurious and prefer to stay in business hotels when they're traveling on a low budget, those that still exist cater mostly to foreign budget travelers. (However, one that I stayed at in Nagoya also served as a boarding house for single workers.) I've stayed in a couple of them, and they're fine, but they're not the REAL ryokan experience, which includes having a maid on call for every one or two rooms and gourmet meals served in your room.

The foreign-tourist-oriented ryokan usually do not include meals in the price of the room. You may get a futon on a tatami mat, but that's it for the traditional aspects.

The inn that I've stayed at in Tokyo is called the Shigetsu Ryokan, and you can't beat its location: literally next door to the Asakusa Kannon Temple (Sensoji). It has both Japanese and Western rooms. If you want to believe that you're really in Tokyo and not in Los Angeles, stay in the northeastern part of the central city, not in Shinjuku or Shibuya.

Here are some websites for inexpensive, tourist-oriented ryokan.

http://www.jpinn.com

http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com

According to the websites, the Shigetsu would be 15,000 yen for two.

Otherwise, there's a chain of business hotels called the Toyoko Inns, which are Western-style, as basic as a dorm room, but perfectly clean and safe. I stayed in one called the Toyoko Inn Otsuka-eki Kitaguchi ("Otsuka Station North Entrance"), located in a normal neighborhood. There was a broadband Internet outlet in the room, a washer-dryer available for customer use, and coffee and rolls in the lobby in the morning. A double is about 8700 yen, including tax.

http://www.toyoko-inn.com/eng/

I've also spent time in two facilities of the Tokyu Stay chain of apartment hotels. These have kitchenettes, Internet connections, and washer-dryers in the rooms. Depending on which hotel you stay at and how long you stay (discounts for longer stays), they run about $100-120 a night for a double.

http://www.tokyustay.co.jp/e/index_flash.html

Note that if you're looking for hotels, "Kanto" refers to the Tokyo-Yokohama area, and "Kansai" or "Kinki" refers to the Kyoto-Osaka-Kobe area.

Have fun planning!

[UdoKier]

14. I lived in Kyushu - and that was the price range.

Tokyo may be higher...

[Lydia Leftcoast]

15. Kyushu is definitely cheaper than Tokyo

and a great place to visit. I haven't been there since 1978, but I enjoyed it a lot, especially Nagasaki, Mount Aso, and Kumamoto Castle at the height of cherry blossom season.

[Art_from_Ark]

17. Thanks for the additional information

The numerous ryokan I looked at here in Honshu-East were always at least 100 bucks/night per adult (junior high age and older), plus, you had to pay another $40 or $50 a day for meals. And you had to make reservations. And they wouldn't accept reservations for one person.

[baron j]

10. You can order absinthe from eabsinthe.com

A friend gave my girlfriend a bottle as a gift. I don't drink, but I did taste it--you'll have to like the flavor of anise (which is like black licorice).

They changed the rules here in the USA a few years ago.

<snip>
USA

The regulations regarding shipping from the UK are complicated to say the least. We currently believe that it is legal to possess, drink and import absinthe for personal consumption.

</snip>

you can order it as long as you only get one or two bottles for personal reasons; they don't allow more than that, because they think that one is trying to sell it.

[noise626]

16. THANKS!!!!!

I really appreciate all of the comments! We are planning on leaving in mid May, and will be there for a week, if we are lucky. We were looking to purchase our airline tickets and hotel reservations through expedia.com, but if there is a way to go cheaper, then I'm for it. So far, we were looking at staying at a business hotel in either Roppongi or Ikebukuro and I plan to have s much fun as humanly possible.

I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to this!!

Thanks again

pax
ant

(oh...and thanks for the Absinthe heads up :)

[Art_from_Ark]

18. You might want to check out Olympic Inn Mafu

in Akasaka/Roppongi. Prices seem reasonable ($35/single and up) and they have Japanese style rooms.

Weekly Mansion which Lydia talked about is also pretty cheap.