nights out in japan

Hi Guys,

I've been looking at booking 10 nights at the monterey hanzomon chiyoda Tokyo with my brother we are 25 and 29 and we like to go out and stay out late have a few drinks etc some nights, not all nights. does anyone know where would be good to go at night?, I believe shibuya is good and it's only 3.6miles away which leads me onto my next question, is walking around Tokyo safe late at night? or does anyone know how much taxis cost and whether they run 24/7?

Thanks in advance!

is walking around Tokyo safe late at night?

Yes, it is.

or does anyone know how much taxis cost

It is explained here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2021.html

and whether they run 24/7?

Yes, they run 24/7.

I would advise being cautious in the Roppongi area at night.

Enjoy your trip!

The last subway train for Hanzomon leaves Shibuya at 23:50. If you can afford to drink later than that, you can probably afford a taxi, IMO. Depending on what you are looking for, you should also take a look at Shinjuku, Omotesando, and Nihonbashi/Marunouchi. Try looking at Bento.com for some ideas. Note that a lot of drinking goes on at izakayas, many of which serve a lot of food too.

Thanks for the replies guys gives us a few places to check out at night we would rather not sit in the hotel room drinking :) I could afford a taxi 3.6 miles isnt far to walk either, what do people recommend taking money wise? We are going for 9 nights will be earing out etc every day

Take taxis after midnight; otherwise save your money for the food and drink. Btw, try the izakayas. They can be a lot of fun, but avoid the budget kind (bad food).

If you're staying Hanzomon, try Akasakamitsuke and Akasaka area, it's not very far, and there are many restaurants and drinking places.

Also convenient to Hanzomon is the Yotsuya area, which has a lot of nice restaurants and bars.

Thanks guys great help! I appreciate it! is there anywhere in Chiyoda or is it a really quiet neighbourhood?

does anyone have any ideas also how easy it is to get from Narita to chiyoda i'm guessing a taxi is out of the question?

Thanks

anywhere in Chiyoda or is it a really quiet neighbourhood?

Chiyoda isn't a neighborhood, it's a "ku", which is an administrative unit. Neighborhoods are generally based around train or subway stations.

Your hotel is located in a fashionable and centrally located, but relatively quiet, area. If you walk to Ichigaya station (about 12 minutes) you'll find lots of restaurants and izakaya. Yotsuya station (about 17 minutes) has even more. Or you could get on the subway and go three stops to Omotesando, which is filled with very fashionable shops and world-class dining options. Generally speaking you'll find hundreds, if not thousands, of dining options within a 15-minute walk of your hotel.

As for transport from Narita I would recommend taking the Narita Express train to Tokyo station and then a taxi. Or if there is a limousine bus direct to your hotel that might be more convenient.

Fyi, chiyoda is a huge area. Best to refer to the station name. The hotel website says this:

Narita Airport: Take the Limousine Bus from Narita Airport to Tokyo Station (80 mins). The hotel is 10 mins from Tokyo Station by taxi.
Narita Airport: Take the JR Narita Express train to Tokyo Station (80 mins). The hotel is 10 mins from Tokyo Station by taxi.

You could also take the bus to the Hotel New Otani, which should save you a few yen on the taxi ride from there.

Take the bus if you have lots of luggage or have mobility issues; otherwise take the train.

On second thought the area just east of Yotsuya station is probably your best bet for interesting bars, izakaya and restaurants within an easy walk of your hotel. There are several square blocks filled with hundreds of bars and restaurants.

For clubs though you have to go to Omotesando or Shibuya.

Here are some options
http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/nightlife
http://tokyocheapo.com/category/food-and-drink/drinking/
http://straytravel.wordpress.com/category/tokyo-2/tokyo-drinking/
And just for a bit of Tokyo weirdness http://gaijintonic.com/2007/10/04/tokyos-top-ten-weird-watering-holes/

halfnhalf that last link was really funny! thanks for the other links as well, i think it's going to take me the next 4 months just to plan which are the best places to go in just 9 nights! :D

A few more then:

Clubs in Tokyo: http://www.whereintokyo.com/dbinx/club.html

Restaurants and izakaya near your hotel: http://www.bento.com/ra-yotsu.html

all of this leads onto my next question, are we going to be ok not knowing any Japanese? or does anyone recommend any books or a list of phrases we need to know?

Thanks

You can survive without any Japanese, but if you learn just a few phrases it will be helpful and will be appreciated. Having a dictionary, perhaps an online one, would be helpful too.