On July 26 2009 02:52 DJEtterStyle wrote: Don't take any taxis, by the way. It cost me $50 to go less than five miles. You sit. In traffic. For. Ever. The subway is cheaper and probably faster.
They can't be worse than NYC taxis.... blah.... but yes, subway is always better in most places... I would say buses but buses are hard to figure out in terms of route so stick with subways or walking for most parts....
As for expenses goes, you should plan to get some extras just in case.... Japan is mad hella expensive.... at least WAY WAY more than Korea......
On July 26 2009 02:52 DJEtterStyle wrote: Don't take any taxis, by the way. It cost me $50 to go less than five miles. You sit. In traffic. For. Ever. The subway is cheaper and probably faster.
They can't be worse than NYC taxis.... blah.... but yes, subway is always better in most places... I would say buses but buses are hard to figure out in terms of route so stick with subways or walking for most parts....
As for expenses goes, you should plan to get some extras just in case.... Japan is mad hella expensive.... at least WAY WAY more than Korea......
I go to school in NYC hehe Didn't realize Tokyo is as expensive as NYC, guess I gotta pack some serious shit
And Kona hehe, I was happy because Haji is japanese and DJEtterstyle made awesome blogs about his time in Japan so no worries lol I thank you too along with everyone
On July 26 2009 02:52 DJEtterStyle wrote: Don't take any taxis, by the way. It cost me $50 to go less than five miles. You sit. In traffic. For. Ever. The subway is cheaper and probably faster.
They can't be worse than NYC taxis.... blah.... but yes, subway is always better in most places... I would say buses but buses are hard to figure out in terms of route so stick with subways or walking for most parts....
As for expenses goes, you should plan to get some extras just in case.... Japan is mad hella expensive.... at least WAY WAY more than Korea......
I go to school in NYC hehe Didn't realize Tokyo is as expensive as NYC, guess I gotta pack some serious shit
And Kona hehe, I was happy because Haji is japanese and DJEtterstyle made awesome blogs about his time in Japan so no worries lol I thank you too along with everyone
Omg really??? Where?!?!?! WHERE?!?!?!?!?!
... ... ... ...
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b/c I'm from NYC ^_^
*edit* and yes, Tokyo is as expensive or even more than NYC possibly... especially the currency exchange rate gives you less yens than dollars.... which is an implication that Japan's economy beats NYC + USA economy in terms of money values...
I am actually going to finish my blog. I have all but two posts 100% done and ready to go, but I don't want to start posting again until I'm finished with the whole thing. My "massive fan base" has been disappointed enough.
On July 26 2009 03:09 thedeadhaji wrote: only time I take a cab is when I have to get to the hotel from Tokyo station with MASS suitcases and subway just isn't an option X_X
Lol, there are services that will take your luggage to where ever you are going so you don't have to drag it all the way from the airport.
1) How does the Japanese Subway system work? A friend of mine said Transfering to other trains makes you pay alot more.
The subway system in Japan is a little strange. You have to make very clear distinctions between "subways" and "trains". Subway is called Tokyo Metro, and you can switch between lines without paying extra. However, there is also the Yamanote, which is not subway and arguably the most useful line in centre tokyo region and runs in a loop, and this is run by JR. Yamanote will take you to major stops (like Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ueno, Tokyo, etc...) where you can switch to Subway, and this switch will cost you extra. There are also private trains going outside of central Tokyo, but I doubt you care about those.
The starting rate is 130 yen, regardless which line you take, and your specific fare is based on distance. The increment is rather linear. If you think of the cost formula as y = mx + b, switch companies simply means you have to pay for "b" all over again (which is probably ~100 yen).
2) Japanese Cuisine? I love Sushi and the Japanese noodles but are there other things I should try out?
Tokyo prides itself in its restaurants -- not only traditional Japanese, but also French and Italian fusion. Good sushi costs A LOT of money in Japan; it is not unusual to run close to 10,000 Yen per meal if you dine around Ginza area. For relative cheap and quality sushi, you have to go to Tsukiji (where the fish market is). A good place is called Daiwa sushi. It's very hard to find, and you'd probably need to ask around for a bit. Other good traditional Japanese cuisine include tsukiyaki, fugu (I know this awesome restaurant in Ginza), whale, tonkatsu, tempura, chanko, unagi. The thing in Japan is, they have a lot of store specializing in making one and only one thing, and you should go to these specific stores for specific dishes. Let me know if you are interested in any of these, and I'll point you the right way
3) Do taxi drivers rip you off in Japan? I know for a fact all Asian Taxi drivers try to rip you off in everyway possible.
No.
4) How useful is English in Japan?
Not as useful as you would think. Essential Japanese phrases would help you go a long way. If you mostly cluster around touristy areas, you should be okay. The subway and train stations, however, are fully labelled in both English and Japanese.
5) Places I should visit?
Asakusa, Shibuya, Meiji Shrine, Harajuku, Imperial Palace, Tokyo Tower, Tsukiji, Akihabara, O-Daiba... there's literally too much stuff to do in four days
6) Is 400 USD enough over a 4day period (excluding hotel)?
Is this for one person or two people? It largely depends on what you want to do and how frugal you are. My budget was around ~100USD/day whenever I travelled within Japan, but I always ended up spending ~150 on average. Tokyo is probably slightly more expensive, so I would budget ~150/p/day at least if you want to enjoy it fully.
On July 26 2009 03:09 thedeadhaji wrote: only time I take a cab is when I have to get to the hotel from Tokyo station with MASS suitcases and subway just isn't an option X_X
Lol, there are services that will take your luggage to where ever you are going so you don't have to drag it all the way from the airport.
on the subway just know where you want to go and buy a ticket though to that station. keep it simple and you will be fine. just be aware of when the stations close if you are out late.
food... i'm all about sushi when i'm in japan because sushi in the usa sucks for the price. if you're coming from korea then i dunno... eat stuff that you don't recognize i guess.
don't bother with taxis. they will kill your budget and there are tons of good things to do within walking distance of the train stations if you are only there for 4 days.
english will get you by fine. don't waste your time on some memorized japanese 101 phrases if you aren't going to understand the answers. if speaking english try college-age women first, they will be your best bet for admitting they understand you.
i recommend meiji shrine and yoyogi park in harajuku, the tokyo city government building in shinjuku, shibuya in general, the museums in ueno.
bring as much money as you can afford, but be smart. with food especially the places right next to the station will be more expensive and not that great in quality. walk a few blocks and look for places that are busy inside but not flashy outside.
if no one mentioned this yet, if you're with your girlfriend you guys should go to Odaiba. there's this really nice onsen and it's theme is feudal japan. it's super nice.
aside from that, shibuya is really good to go bar/club hopping and harajuku is really nice to buy cheap alt. clothing. aoyama and roppongi are super nice places to go to too.
On July 26 2009 02:49 DJEtterStyle wrote: If you can, go to Tsukiji in the early morning and try to make yourself scarce, lest the fishmongers yell at you.
On July 26 2009 03:06 DJEtterStyle wrote: I am actually going to finish my blog. I have all but two posts 100% done and ready to go, but I don't want to start posting again until I'm finished with the whole thing. My "massive fan base" has been disappointed enough.
some people are going to think you've been in japan for almost a year now
On July 26 2009 05:02 chaoser wrote: if no one mentioned this yet, if you're with your girlfriend you guys should go to Odaiba. there's this really nice onsen and it's theme is feudal japan. it's super nice.
aside from that, shibuya is really good to go bar/club hopping and harajuku is really nice to buy cheap alt. clothing. aoyama and roppongi are super nice places to go to too.
For trains/Subways in Osaka you can buy a "rainbow card" which basically works like a debit card for most of the trainlines in the city (other than JR). Check to see if they have something like that and buy one each (usually they can be bought in 1000 yen increments). That will save you digging for change everytime.
Don't take a taxi. The guy who said it was as expensive as NY is wrong. It is 5x as expensive as New York. The only time you take a taxi is when you stayed out past the last train, and usually you are too drunk to care about price until the next day.
You can do 100 USD per day unless you buy souvenirs. Budgeting 100 per day for transportation, admittance to 1-2 places, and food will leave you ok. Alcohol can be expensive depending on what and where you drink. Any gifts you want to take home budget on top of that.
edit:
bring as much money as you can afford, but be smart. with food especially the places right next to the station will be more expensive and not that great in quality. walk a few blocks and look for places that are busy inside but not flashy outside.
Very good advice. Walk away from the neon a little bit, find a restaurant with a wooden sign, off the main roads. The chances of having an amazing meal go up 100% if you are a bit adventurous.
EPT
