Posted: 2005-02-01 08:16:00
This is a lot to talk about in a forum, but I'll do my best. I lived there for almost 2 years and visited most of Honshu (the main island).
You can literally spend a month in Tokyo and see something new everyday. To see the major sights, you will probably need about 4 days, depending on what you like. My minimum recommendations would be Meiji Shrine, Tsukuji fish market, and Shinjuku. If you like electronics, make sure you check out Akihabara to get something cool. There are too many museums to mention, but the one at Yasukuni is worth seeing if you are a history buff.
If you are looking to see traditional Japan, you might want to do a side trip to Nikko, NE of Tokyo. If you feel like a soak in an onsen (hot spring) and/or see Mt. Fuji, plan a stop in Hakone in between Tokyo and Osaka.
Any stay in Kyoto needs to be at least 3 days. There are so many temples, shrines, etc that even seeing 10 a day means you only get to see maybe 25%. The must-see temples/shrines (IMO) are Kiyomizu, the Heian shrine, Kinkakuji, Arashiyama, and Nijo Castle. If you plan ahead, you can also arrange a tour of the Imperial Palace in Kyoto.
On the bullet train from Kyoto to Hiroshima, plan to stop and spend the afternoon in Himeji, about 30 minutes from Kobe. There you can see Himeji castle, Japan's best preserved castle. Many of Kurosawa's samurai movies were filmed there.
Japan is super expensive. Buy a JR train pass for your trip. This will let you use the bullet train (the hikari), which is the medium speed train (250 km/h) between Tokyo and Hiroshima. It would also let you use slower, local trains too. But it won't let you use the Kodama, which is the fastest at almost 300 km/h with fewer stops.
Hotels in Tokyo are expensive if you plan on staying in Western style hotels like Hyatt, Westin, etc. If you are looking for more affordable hotels, try staying in ryokans. They are small family-run places and are found even in the big cities like Tokyo. The only disadvantage is that they usually lock their doors at 11pm or so, so it can put a cramp on partying.
As for eating, try the Capriocossa chain, or western style places like the Hub, Denny's or even the 7-11 convenience store chain. You can find affordable food at all of those places and they can be found in all the major cities.
Check out my pictures and travel tips for more info. I've also just uploaded a report on Tokyo. Reply to this with any other questions and I'll be glad to answer what I can.
My own homepage has even more pictures, take a look!
http://www.telusplanet.net/public/jamesf1/Edmonton.html
<p>[ This Message was edited by: bootlegga on 2005-02-01 09:06 ] [ This Message was edited by: bootlegga on 2005-02-03 04:19 ] ---
"Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness." – Mark Twain
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