I thought its already confirmed that no visa is required so why is it still "Waiting for the official announcement:" on the first page?

Should I visit Tokyo in late September or early November?
Some say September is one of the best time to visit because of autumn and you can see the leaves change colors but some say to stay away because its the typhoon season and it will be raining a lot.
My original plan is to go in early November but the thing now is AirAsia is having some really good ticket prices for trips before 30 September. Should I go ahead with September or should I try my luck and skip and hope that they will have another promo for November trips soon (I would if its really worth it to visit in early November)?
I'm planning to visit parks and just walk around the streets (Shinjuku, Harujuku, Ginza, etc) to experience what everyday Japan is like. No such thing as temples, museums or Disney land for me.

This post has been edited by masterelr: Jan 8 2014, 11:21 PM

"Photos are permitted, but flashes are not allowed, as the fishmongers are using knives."
I lol-ed at this. Its either a warning so you don't make them cut themselves or they won't cut you because of you disturbing them.

Oh thats what the auction is like? I was actually expecting hundreds of sellers in a huge space raising their hands and bidding and stuff like that and the next auction coming right after the previous one ended.
Based on the video it looked pretty simple and wasn't as crowded as expected. If that's what the auction is like then I guess I've already seen it eh?

I'm planning to go Tokyo solo in November. I feel less worried now that I can hire these people. At least they can show me around for the first one or two days. Especially on how to use the train system which I'm still trying to get.

Planning to do the same thing in November. Do let us know how it goes.

The World's First Kit Kat Store Opens in Tokyo
http://kotaku.com/the-worlds-first-kit-kat...dium=Socialflow

Yay something new to visit!

This post has been edited by masterelr: Jan 17 2014, 10:37 AM

Looking at the price of a box of Kit Kat displayed in the picture...its 840yen/RM27 for one box. Was planning to buy 10 boxes until I saw the price.

I've never had stopovers before. Do you get to like sight see around the place for a few hours or will you be stuck in the airport?

Hi guys,
below is my itinerary for my trip to Tokyo in November. I'll be there for about four days and each day I will focus on one area of Tokyo (Central, Western, Northern, Southern. I'm guessing it will be easier to get from one place to another if you just focus on one area?). It's still in the very early stages of planning and I just simply list down the places that I'm interested to visit in each area. I haven't checked whether its possible to visit all of them in a day or how easy it is to get from one place to another. I'll be going solo and I plan to just walk around and take pics. I won't hang around in one place for long (unless stated below) and I also won't be doing any shopping. It's my first time there and I also expect to get lost a bit. I might also consider extending my trip one more day if needed.

What do you guys think and is it possible to visit those places in a day?

Friday (Central Tokyo)
- Akihabara
- Koishikawa Korakuen Garden (plan to walk around for an hour)
- Tokyo Dome City (plan to walk around for an hour)
- Ginza
- Hama Rikyu Landscape Garden (plan to walk around for an hour)

Saturday (Northern Tokyo)
- Tokyo Skytree (go up to 1st and 2nd observatory deck)
- Ueno Park (plan to walk around for 1 or 2 hours)
- Rikugien Garden (plan to walk around for 1 or 2 hours)
- Yanaka
- Ikebukuro (go to Sunshine 60 observation deck, Namja Town, J-World Tokyo)

Sunday (Western Tokyo)
- Shibuya (plan to have a drink at Starbucks which might take an hour)
- Shinjuku
- Haruku
- Yoyogi Park
- Government Building (go up to the floors to view Tokyo)
- Shinjuku Gyoem

Monday (Southern Tokyo) - flight back is around 11pm so have just have a little more than half a day
- Roppongi Hills (Mori tower, Tokyo City View, Mori Garden)
- Tokyo Tower
- Institute For Nature or Kyu Shiba Rikyu Garden (if there's time)

Thanks for the suggestion.
I'm actually not that interested in temples or shrines (which is why they're not in my itinerary) but I will still visit them if I happen to pass by them or they're near by.

It's actually the first place that I'll be going on that day and I plan to go there early. Maybe 8am or 9am depends when is it open. Want to sit at the top floor to get the best view of Shibuya Crossing. That will probably be one of the main highlights of my trip.


Oh ya the market! It used to be part of my Central Tokyo trip together with Tsukishima but I had to take it out from the list because that day is too packed. Unless I can squeeze it in.

This post has been edited by masterelr: Jan 19 2014, 09:14 PM

Hi guys, I'm planning to stay with a Japanese family (rent a room there) and maybe even hire a free tour guide.
I thinking of giving them a gift from Malaysia when I see them as a thank you/Hello or something. Is that ok or not encouraged (like tipping)?
If its ok, what kind of gifts from here that I should give them? The only special thing that I can think of thats from Malaysia is durian and orang utan which don't seem to be good gifts. Maybe souvenirs like key chain or something?

This post has been edited by masterelr: Feb 5 2014, 09:58 PM

May I know which is the most suitable pass if I'm travelling in Tokyo (Shinjuku, Harujuku, Akihabara, Shibuya, Ginza, Ueno, etc) for 5 - 7 days?
I was told to buy this:
http://www.japan-rail-pass.com/jr-pass

But that pass looks like its for nationwide when I'll only be in Tokyo.
The below looks more like the suitable one:
http://www.japan-rail-pass.com/pass-region...st/jr-east-pass

Anyone can confirm?

Thanks. I checked and seems like its the Special One or Two Day Open Ticket (For Customers from Abroad) that looks like value for money.
http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/value/t...ndex.html#anc02

So if I'm going for six days, does that mean I buy 3 Special 2-Day Open Tickets to get the best deal?

There's also the Suica card but seems like I have to keep topping it up which is a hassle.

Sounds like a good idea. One shot top up 6000yen and use for the next 6 days.

Is there any way I can buy the suica card and top up in advance so I can use it once I reach Tokyo? I mean if its possible then might as well get it settled earlier.

This post has been edited by masterelr: Feb 22 2014, 09:40 PM

Damn that's dirt cheap. Waiting for it to go down to that price for my November trip.

Thanks. Still good enough. Will use suica card for the rest of the trip then.

I also just found out that you can have your own personalized suica card with your name on it but you also have to provide a phone number. Do I have to have a phone number from Japan or can I just randomly key in any number?

Thanks Regent.

Will it be weird if you eat a bowl of rice using a spoon instead of chopsticks? I can eat noodles with chopsticks but I always have a hard time with rice. Most of the time I have to put my mouth close to the bowl and use the chopstick to push the rice into my mouth. Or is it supposed to be done that way?
Also, is it true that its normal to use your hand to eat sushi? If you do that here people will definitely stare and laugh at you.