Accommodation review

Andon Ryokan

Type of room : Ryokan for 2 Beds
Rates : 8190 Yen Per Twin/Double Room
Location : Minowa
Nearest train station(s) : Minowa

+ Very modern and nicely designed ryokan
+ Awesome facilities like luggage lift, kitchen and coin operated laundry
+ Very friendly English speaking staffs. Say hi to Kayo-san
+ Very clean and comfortable bathrooms and toilets

Accommodation review

GeraGera Internet and Comic Cafe

Type of room : Internet & Comic Cafe
Rates : 1570 Per 7 hours Package
Location : Shinjuku
Nearest train station(s) : Shinjuku

+ Few types of room/cubicle to choose from
+ Cheapest accommodation options in Tokyo
+ Lots of mangas and some magazines
+ Games and movies available for rental
+ Free refills of drinks, soft drink and coffee
- Shower cost extra 300 Yen
- Could be pretty hot at night, depends whether your cubicle is near to the air conditioner or not

You are welcome guys, without the tips that you guys shared before this, probably my trip won't be as awesome as it was. So, let's keep the sharing attitude up and running.

Done with the formal reviewing, let's talk about it in more casual way.

Out of the all the accomodations, the capsule hotel is one of the not so worth it IMHO. Why, there is no security, not sound proof at all. I would rather give this place a try next time. The worse part for me was to see naked guys walking around at the shower area. lol, I'm very new to public nudity thingy.

Out of the 2 ryokan I've stayed in, I would strongly recommend Ryokan Kangetsu, especially if you have the time to use their facilities. Andon Ryokan is cool to try, but definitely not as authentic as Kangetsu. The feeling of wearing yukata and dozing off into the futon is just amazing. Something like Nodame and her kotatsu.

One of the best part of our experience is for the rabuho, man... it was like mission impossible. We went and ask around 20 rabuho, and was rejected for all of it until Hotel Laurel obaasan who was kind enough to allow us to stay there. Here's how it goes, we know that most rabuho are not meant for group stay, only for couples. To add to the problem, we are all guys. So, everytime we go in and ask, here's how typical dialog would be :
They must have thought, these bunch of gaijins want to do nasty thing at their premise or something. If we are not tight on budget, we would probably have gone to the top ranked rabuho from this link.

If I go there again, surely will go for Khaosan Tokyo, either their new Samurai branch or Smile/Annex or maybe Ninja again, if Eri-san still there.

My personal rank would be :

1. Ryokan Kangetsu (if you can afford it, I would suggest to stay there for a minimum of 2-3 days to really use their facilities)
2. Khaosan Tokyo Ninja (super duper awesome, pretty much the same goes to other Khaosan Tokyo branches, perfect choice for a long stay)
3. Andon Ryokan (cool to try, but I wouldn't go for a long stay here)
4. Hotel Laurel (you definitely will be able to find nicer themed rabuho, if you are a normal couples that is)
5. Hotel Siesta (not recommended, although it is very authentic capsule hotel, to be tried once only)
6. GeraGera Internet & Comic Cafe (only go here if you are broke, or just to try it once only)

Here's a few trivia points :

1. In Tokyo, you can hardly find garbage bin, like seriously. Japanese bring home their garbage home and dispose it there. You can only find garbage bins at some vending machine, most konbini (convenience store) and probably your accommodation place.
2. Do not ask for direction from regular Japanese people, unless you want them to bring you there. Because they will take it as responsibility and a mission to accomplished. It is very hard to say it is ok/nevermind (daijobu), when they can't help it or they want to bring you there. Ask the police officers is a better choice.
3. It is very hard to find Japanese people who speak understandable English, except those who work in tourism industries.
4. Konbini in Tokyo will never run out small change, not like our beloved Malaysia. "No small change is it?"
5. Boxed fruit juice is the only product that I find it cheaper than Malaysia. Around 100 Yen or RM 3.90.
6. Japanese drinks do not have as much sugar as Malaysian drinks, except probably for Coca Cola.
7. The only foreign brand soft drink that is available at konbinis is Coca Cola.
8. There are a lot of school kids outside school area during school days.
9. A lot of shops do not allow you to take pictures in their premise. You need to ninja'em.
10. Japanese people probably have 3 hobbies, standing while queueing, mistook your umbrella as theirs at konbini and dragging trolley bag for their cosplay attire.

lol, I'm very conservative when it comes to public nudity. I would need a very BIG towel to even think of entering public onsen.

Regarding momusu concert, it was AWESOME!!! After been following them for almost 5 years, we get to see them performing right in front of our eyes. Superb experience. You should look at our loots for the concert. Half of my shopping expenditure was for Hello! Project merchandises Oi Oi Oi Oi!!!

You can contact J-Horizons for more details. IIRC, the always have promotion for tickets bought in a group. Or you can wait for their seasonal ticket which could go as low as RM1350. You just need to hope it fits your timing and planning.
Somehow, I prefer backpackers hostel rather than a hotel, because of the environment and the people there are more friendly, I guess.
Thanks for the guide, I'll pass


Ghibli Museum

Don Quijote at Roppongi, where we got our prepaid Softbank keitai.

lol, same opinion here. I am actually surprise that some people claimed that JAL staffs are not as friendly or as courteous as MAS staffs. I rank them very high in my book.





This post has been edited by heterosapiens: Nov 4 2009, 11:57 PM

Tuna auction at Tsukiji


The lovely lady with the ponytail that helped me, to take photos of me with the background of the tunas

It should be closed at 2500 posts.


Hallway towards Nakano Broadway.


Nakano Broadway, the birth place of Mandarake.


Idol prepaid reload cards or something.

@tatsuyachiba
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...post&p=29666394
http://forum.lowyat.net/index.php?showtopi...post&p=29647882
Here's the review for the rabuho that you asked for. Interesting experience, but definitely not the best rabuho we could have gone to. My mistake. Gomen ne.


Notice board full of Maid Cafe advertisement at Akiba


And we have winner. An uncle who get a maid's phone number or something. lol


A simple itasha at Akiba

This post has been edited by heterosapiens: Nov 6 2009, 09:43 AM

Ouch, I must have been mistaken. Really sorry for that.



Nope, we only manage to get in to a 'not so rabuho' - rabuho.

This post has been edited by heterosapiens: Nov 6 2009, 09:48 AM

Yasuda auditorium at Tokyo University (Todai), reminiscing the moments in Love Hina.


Tokyo Dome City


Thunder Dolphin at Tokyo Dome City


*We ride Thunder Dolphin twice and it is freaking awesome. Try to get the front seat if possible, the first 10 seconds of the drop is just mind-blowing.

lol, you need to improve your reading-through skills to plan for a better trip in Japan. I've already said it is at Tokyo Dome City.

http://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e/laqua/attraction.htm
http://www.tokyo-dome.co.jp/e/park/

It is nearby Korakuen and Suidobashi station.

*Btw, you should not quote the pictures in my post, it makes it hard to read through the pages.

I actually feel that knowing little Japanese is much more fun, probably because you can play the "baka gaijin" card without needing to act at all. Although it is always better to know more Japanese than not


Tokyo City View, one of the highest view in Tokyo.


River nearby Asakusabashi. Camera is on Starry Sky mode.


River nearby Asakusabashi. Camera is on Starry Sky mode.


Awesome Ultraman Softdrinks. Rare.

Err, since when there should be no buying and selling here? I don't see anything wrong with somebody asking for some help here.
Baka gaijin is typically what Japanese people call the foreigners as especially when they do things against Japanese culture. So, sometimes I use the baka gaijin as an excuse to do something against Japanese people. For example, taking pictures at no camera allowed place, if you are caught, just make a shocked and puzzled face and say "Sumimasen". lol


The awesome mug from Umai Sushikan at Tsukiji. We bought it as souvenir.


The menu have rōmaji names and brief explanation of the meal.


Unagi don.


Tokujoh Nigiri.

This post has been edited by heterosapiens: Nov 9 2009, 09:58 AM

Oh, if you feel that it is your thread as in the right of the thread is yours. I have nothing to say anymore. Just don't expect me to contribute from now on, because I do it for the community, not for the thread starter.

She is genuinely asking for a help. Note : she is NOT a seller.

And you awesomely plug-in shamelessly of your sales thread instead of pointing her to garage sales or what not. Oh, just how hypocrite a person can be.

Look at the quotes, you actually did that, multiple times. lol

My point stays, she is not a seller, just somebody asking for a help to buy some stuff from Japan. Hey, a lot of us here that did ask one another to bring in some stuff in or out of Japan, and I don't see anything wrong with that. A seller advertising their sales service should be boot out the thread, but not buyers who are asking for help.

I definitely agree that we should keep clear of trading deal posts from this thread, that should go through PMs, just like you said before. But how can someone, proceed with PM before they even ask for help in the first place and that is obviously her first post in this thread.

You should do what you want to do.
I guess both of us are cool with it.
True that, but to get the a complete Japanese experience, it is best to try all seasons. Winter should be next for me, then spring, and then only summer.

Depends on what kind of concert as well, idol singers/groups typically have specific allocation for the fan club. Better seat, better price and mostly depends on the luck. There will be a lot of tickets available at Yahoo Japan auction site. Most concert organizers also sell ticket at konbini like Lawson, but IIRC, my friend said that the seats are random or something.

http://www.xs4all.nl/~bigron/hp/hpticket.html

What concert are you looking for?

I believe this the smallest mirror that I saw during my trip there.