Try raw horsemeat! Very soft and sweet... Part of a famous Nagasaki spcialty meal representing three cultures, Japanese Chinese Portuguese. Can't remember the name.

One reason why many ramen taste so good ---- pork bone soup. Try an imported non-halal cup noodle.

BTW if you look around carefully you can get excellently cooked very filling set meals including ramen and tonkatsu for 700-1000 yen. I found some near Ueno Keisei station. The small ramen shops are not really bargains.

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If you're interested in the pass for JR including Shinkansen, remember to get it before you enter Japan. Be sure to understand how it works and coordinate with your travel plans otherwise it may not be worth doing.

The one day pass for Tokyo Metro is 750 yen at any machine (may be easier if you press button for English!) It does not include the JR lines (mostly those above the street) nor some of the subway lines, but easily covers most of the city.

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Osaka has a sister-city arrangement with Chicago USA. The Midosuji subway converted two passageways into art galleries with huge reproductions of famous European paintings from the Chicago Art Institute. They looked really good (I saw the originals in Chicago!)

Don't know if they're still there, but my point is, some of the subway stations are beautiful (and free to look at). In mid-winter it's life-savingly warm and got miles of eating and shopping down there with connections to the basement floors of many department stores.

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There is a huge 100 yen shop a short walk to the right of the main Asakusa Sensoji temple compound entrance, where all the rickshaw boys hang around.

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Sorry, my last post was ambiguous. The 100 yen shop is to the LEFT of this view. TQ Firedauz!

Also, there is a traditional looking station sign in Japanese right over the stairs inside one of the subway entrances around there, maybe the one on the right. Worth a souvenir photo.

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@bonzaimy

So glad you wrote such a happy report. Sometimes people don't understand why I remember visiting Japan is so great, never mind some expense.

More so, you are Muslim and managed to survive, maybe not so easy, but..... My Malay frenz, some students for 4 years, also said they had wonderful experience. For most Chinese, sometimes easier cuz can read signs, but then JP ppl expect more from them!

Hope next time, you go "free & easy" wander around, take local trains, rent a room for a month?
Lots to learn; valuable experience, hey?

BTW, there ARE some big dance clubs, coupla years ago "Liquid" in Kabukicho and of course HUGE "Ageha" at Shinkiba (4,000 yen, no drink!). Search internet before you go next time. Most of the other places are very very small, and the crowd really young (teens). The KL club scene is actually pretty good in comparison.


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You TOUGH?!?! If you're motivated, you'll survive in any country. People live in cardboard boxes on the streets in Japan in winter.

Do your research so you can do it on your own budget. Nobody knows what you expect. Lodging is the biggest expense, temples usually charge... (however, even airfare can be FREE, look around!)

Gambare, you can do it!

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Has anyone ever done Haneda directly to Kamakura? EZ or not?

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Combined fare from KL not attractive. Not sure about timing also.
Air Asia not always good for other parts of JPN when added with local transport costs.

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Better think twice.

Just to get from the station to the street there may be several flights of stairs. If you're lucky there might be a lift but can you find it or ask in Japanese? The station itself is huge (and very interesting) but that means everything else around it is far away. Nearest lodgings are not cheap -- meant for business travellers passing through the city centre.

Instead of all the taxi fares on the trip can you buy/reuse some of that stuff in your luggage?

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Ueno area and northward is a good bet. End of the airport train lines. Good connections by tunnels to the subways. It's older, less expensive and not so youth-oriented but that's what makes it a more interesting experience. Lots of culture within walking distance.

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Some very narrow 2 way lanes in high hilly areas even in cities. Left turns come up abruptly. Lots of rules, drivers habits different from here, e.g. police may stop you if changing lanes too much or driving irregular speed, thinking you are drunk. Street pavement markings different, funny signs such as serial degrees along curvature. Many signs in Japanese only. Must obey strict laws!

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Please note JR is a big nation-wide company and mostly runs the older above ground lines that in Tokyo, go underground and come up again like the Putra LRT. Most of the underground system is a local company and you must buy separate tickets. You can get short-term passes that include both JR and Metro, daily passes for only Metro subways, or the expensive JR Rail Pass that gets you Shinkansen, JR intercity buses and ferries up and down from Hokkaido to Kyushu. None of these passes are worth it unless you plan to move around constantly.

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Some packed with crowds and really really huge stations that go for miles, get lost and difficult to find lifts. You may end up on an unknown street. No easy solution, just make sure you have plenty of time to recover from mistakes and keep it light weight for stairs.

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One problem is different companies, different tickets. Using a day/week pass or touch card is easier.

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Don't be a wuss. Get a good thick down parka with a hood. Put your hands in your pockets. I did Tokyo winter for months with that and only T-shirt underneath. KEEP MOVING, stay out of the wind. Want to experience Japan like Japanese? Learn to be tough! otherwise go to America or Europe.

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This post has been edited by oneeleven: Jan 29 2012, 05:45 AM

Depending on where you start, may be simpler to just go to tourist/ticket office next to the main station at Asakusa and leave from there. Also beware there are different class services depending on comfort, speed, facilities (eg TV) and some you must be in the right car or train will be split to the wrong destination. Some departures need to change trains. Direct trains leave 7:30 am and return in afternoon, most times only one trip per day.

Whatever, it is well worth the trip. One of the most cultural places in Japan. Try the Yubadofu at the little restaurant near the entrance.

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