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16 Days in Tokyo 2010/6/16 01:11
I'm a tag along on my husband's business trip. He won't have a ton of free time but I will. We are traveling the middle of July leaving on the 8th or 9th. He's buying the tickets today.

I doubt I'll be doing many trips out of the city. We have maybe 4 days that will be completely free for him that we are sure of. It depends on how quickly and smoothly their work goes. He might have as much as a week free or he might work to the wire.

I'm making museum lists and shines/gardens/attractions to go see. I really plan to do a lot of wandering and sight seeing and soak up the city. Try foods and look for interesting buys.

My research list has led me to:

I'm planning on using rentaphonehjapan to have a phone delivered to the hotel.

Take the airport limo bus to the hotel so I don't have to worry about luggage.

Exchanging currency at the airport seems to be the best bet so far and carrying cash.

The 7 day rail pass will let me get on most of the railways around the city from what I understand?

If I go to a small or local restaurant for lunch, I pay at the counter? I don't expect servers to take money for the bill unless they say so.

I read about chopstick etiquette.

I've learned some basic Japanese but I understand better then I speak. I don't understand much but a few basics are there. I have a pocket sized phrase book and some good apps on my phone for translation that store to the phone.

I don't drink. When they are doing their social drinking stuff will it be super awkward with my not drinking alcohol? I don't mind paying for the glass and leaving it to sit. We're a group of Americans hanging out with Americans fro the most part. Will it be better to have these evenings at a restaurant vs trying to find a bar?

I'm a jeans and t-shirt type of girl most of the time. I have a few nicer tops for the evenings when/if I hang out with the husband.

All in all I'm fortunate. Hotel and most meals are covered by him. I just pay for what I buy and my wanderings and my tickets.

He isn't a business/sales type, hes an IT type and his company is an international one that has a work site in Tokyo. Its a trip to a job from the US so all of his co-workers on the trip are also traveling over.

He travels internationally all of the time. This is the first of his trips I've been able to take off of work so that I can go with him. I'm rather excited.
by IcyHound  

What exactly is your question? 2010/6/16 12:59
I think the Japan Rail Pass is pretty expensive and probably not worth it if you are not going to be leaving the Tokyo area. It is also only valid on JR trains and buses. Instead you could get a Suica card when you get here and put money on that to use every day. It saves messing about with trying to buy a ticket each time you want to use the train or subway.
by funkychicken rate this post as useful

Trains 2010/6/16 13:24
Ahh... Thank you. Something simple and easy for us will be good. He'll need to take the train to his work site which is right beside the Royal Park which, I read, has a station under it.
by IcyHound rate this post as useful

Tokyo Day Trips/etc 2010/6/16 14:07
How exciting! :D You can do a lot in Tokyo itself, but for a change of scenery you should at the least go to Kamakura. Kamakura is an easy day-trip from Tokyo, and so close that you could go several days, especially if you like it and want to see some of the lesser known things, or can only sneak away for half days at a time! It has so many shrines and temples that it makes me dizzy, and some nice nature too.

You might also think about slightly tougher day trips to Hakone (Mt. Fuji, other nature stuff), and/or Nikko (A few very famous shrines, such as the original Hear no evil/speak no evil/see no evil monkeys, some hot springs and nature nearby). I did an overnight in Nikko but I think it's doable from Tokyo for the day... :S A long day though perhaps. Nikko is kind of cloudy and wet, so if Tokyo is getting too hot it might be a nice escape! Hakone I've heard is a day-trip if you want it to be, too.

Within Tokyo it sounds like you're doing your research - as for myself I liked going to Yokohama, and eating ice cream crepes in Shibuya. ^^
by Elindomiel rate this post as useful

Day Trips 2010/6/17 00:00
I discussed day trips with him and he said go forth and have fun. Now I'm going to look into a few of them for myself.

He is worried that I'll be board or expecting to do everything with him. I'm trying to be nice and not do everything without him :)
by IcyHound rate this post as useful

Day trips around Tokyo 2010/6/17 04:10
Many things that you can do on dauy trips:
- Kamakura and Enoshima
- Jogashima: a little out of the way but beautiful
- Nikko: temples and up the top of the mountain
- Kawagoe
- Toshigi: old merchant town
- Mashiko: if you like poteries
- Mito garden: one of the top three garden in Japan
- Sankei-in garden in Yokohama
... and so many other places
enjoy your trip
by iwander rate this post as useful

A Few Ideas 2010/6/17 09:32
Get a museum ("Grutt") pass. Some of the best museums in Tokyo are unfortunately not on the free list, but there are plenty of excellent ones that are, including Bridgestone and Edo-Tokyo.

http://www.museum.or.jp/grutto/english.html

There is also a deal where you can get two 1-day Metro passes for only 800 yen more than the cost of the Grutt pass.

Another thing you might consider is buying a 4-day flex JR East Pass. The Tohoku Shinkansen is a fantastic ride, and very scenic. And you can also get good value using the pass for day trips to Mito or Nikko. The price is 20,000 yen so you have to weigh cost versus use, but it's awfully easy to get your money's worth out of it. This is one of the regional passes that you can buy inside Japan, so you don't have to decide before you get there.

It is really hot in Tokyo in July, so air-conditioned buildings (such as museums) and nice comfortable trains (i.e., mainly the Shinkansen) are good places to spend time. Just one thing to watch out for on the Tohoku Shinkansen is the double-decker yamabiko trains. Make sure you don't get a seat in the lower level (can't see anything).

A different place to go on a hot or rainy day is the huge Aeon Laketown Mall out in Saitama prefecture (JR Koshigaya Laketown Station). It's basically an American style mall, but there are quite a few interesting stores (along with a zillion run of the mill ones). It's a minor nuisance to get there, but I personally find it more efficient and less tiring to make a day of it there than to schlepp around shopping in central Tokyo (not that you should skip Ginza). It has two large supermarkets plus many interesting variety shops (toys and other children's goods, household items, stationery, odds and ends) and a medium-size Daiso 100-yen shop. The climate control is good, there are lots of places to sit down, free lockers are everywhere, and there are many decent places to eat. And they even have excellent bathrooms.
http://www.aeon-laketown.jp/

By the way, nonalcoholic beer is becoming more and more popular and it is starting to show up frequently on the drink menu in pubs and restaurants. Other standard nonalcoholic drinks in restaurants and bars are bottled oolong tea and juice. You definitely do not have to order alcohol.
by Uma (guest) rate this post as useful

One More Suggestion 2010/6/17 10:25
Depending on your tastes, there is an enticing post-Impressionist exhibit at the National Art Center Tokyo during your stay. I had this bookmarked for my last trip, but there were too many competing priorities. Tokyo is amazing.

http://www.nact.jp/english/index.html
http://www.nact.jp/english/exhibitions/2010/orsay.html

By the way, try to plan your trips to popular places on weekdays if you can (and always check closing days in advance--for a great many museums it's Monday). Of course, if the weekend is the only time you can go someplace with your hubby, it will have to do, but the crowds can be truly oppressive.
by Uma (guest) rate this post as useful

thank you 2010/6/17 13:32
The resourses are great. I want to see mt fugi so ill figure that one out.

I havent worried about the wea ther. From what I read they are seasonal like we are on the east and july temps see similar if not a touch cooler then the washington DC area.

Im very excited. Well be staying at the marriott in
ginza.
by IcyHound rate this post as useful

Humidity and Heat 2010/6/17 13:58
I've read in a few places that the weather is comparable to that of the American Midwest, but a bit wetter especially in the winter months. Having grown up in the St. Louis area, where the heat and humidity are, no joke, not incomparable to that of the Costa Rican rainforest, I found Tokyo not terrible in July. Luckily I was able to dress very practically in t-shirts and jeans, I didn't have to wear anything formal, but I was very comfortable even if I did enjoy the outings to cooler spots like Nikko. ^^ Only the bike-ride in Takayama seemed unbearably hot...
by Elindomiel rate this post as useful

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