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Hello TL, I'm leaving for vacation on Japan soon this is my rough plan for the trip:
Day 1 (31st July)
Morning: Arrive at Narita Narita Express to Shinjiku Afternoon: Bus to Kawaguchiko (Mt.Fuji lakes) Sightseeing around the lakes
Day 2 (1st August)
Morning: Wrap-up around the lakes Noon: Bus back to Tokyo (staying around Ikebukuro area)
Day 3&4 (2nd, 3rd August)
Sightseeing/Shopping around Tokyo area: - Senso-ji temple - Meiji Shrine - Go up one of the towers - Tsukiji fish market - Pokémon Lab special exhibition at Miraikan (I'll never be too old for something like this). - ...and more?
Day 5 (4th August)
Morning: Train to Yokohama - Ramen Factory Museum - Sightseeing around Yokohama area Evening: Kanagawa Shimbun Fireworks Festival
Day 6 (5th August)
Early Morning:Train back to Narita, and leave.
This will be my first time in Japan, with the main objective not mentioned above: eat, eat, eat! (Mid-budget restaurants recommendations would be particularly helpful) Any Comments? Suggestions?
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sounds like tons of fun. i know nothing about JP, but maybe hit up mani7 while you're in town? also take lots of pictures to post a post-trip blog with!
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If you can get out to Enoshima Island, do it. It's amazing. I can't remember if the JR line takes you all the way out there or if you have to transfer to a local line once you get closer.
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Some meal suggestions:
There's a great kaiseki restaurant in Ginza (Ginza Maru, 2F Ichigo Ginza 612 Bldg., 6-12-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo; 03-5537-7420; www.maru-mayfont.jp/ginza). It's mid-priced but they serve uniquely Japanese meals that won't break the bank. Try to get a seat near the window to get a nice view of Tokyo, but perhaps not outside since it is VERY hot and humid these days.
Near Kawaguchiko, there's a music box museum where you can rent bicycles to ride and the restaurant there is good. There's a bakery called Lake Bake that is great and you can get filled up for relatively cheap.
I think you should try to splurge on at least one meal and offset it with a super cheap meal somewhere. One of Japan's special charms is that it has fantastic range and all the food, whether cheap or expensive, tastes great. You could try just a generic cafeteria to see that Japanese people have really mastered the art of cooking lots of food for lots of people at low cost and it all tastes pretty good. And contrast it with a luxury restaurant where a Japanese guy dedicated his life to perfecting a singular form of cooking and nailed it.
If you find yourself in the mood for a burger, try Blacows in Ebisu. It's not life-changing good, but it's pretty damn good. Same goes for barbecue at the Smokehouse on Cat Street in Harajuku, which you'll find is either foreigners or Japanese so sharply dressed that you'll feel like a hobo.
As for tourist spots, I'd throw in a visit to the Ghibli Museum if you've got time. If you care about fashion or shopping, you should walk through a place like Cat Street or down the main street next to Harajuku (near Meiji shrine) to get a feeling for Japanese shopping and how it also has a lot of range. The yen is still quite weak so everything is at basically a 30% discount to the American equivalent, although note that Japanese sizes are smaller and assume a slender frame.
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Canada16217 Posts
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