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[hwalker84]

Well not everywhere is LGBT friendly is it? I wanted to be sure and respectful before booking a room for us to share

From my understanding Japan is one of the most LGBT countries there is.

 

[Worthintendo]

Hm...

>.< missed that, would be interested in a meet up ^_^

 

[EuricaeriS]

Well not everywhere is LGBT friendly is it? I wanted to be sure and respectful before booking a room for us to share

I have heard of a few cases of hotel staff assuming that a double bed has been reserved by mistake instead of two singles, but honestly I don't think you've got anything to worry about.

 

[kIdMuScLe]

Hey guys, me and my boyfriend are starting to plan a trip to Japan (not been for 4 years and i miss it)

SO my question is - would we be ok booking a room for 2 adults and arriving and staying as a gay couple? I am unsure if that would be frowned upon or not.

Why do you have to state if you are in a relationship or not? 2 adult men or women cannot book the same room if not married?

 

[MikeHattsu]

>.< missed that, would be interested in a meet up ^_^

Cool. Looking at your schedule, it seems the 8th or 9th of October would be the best.

Anybody else here want to join?

Edit: For a meetup in Tokyo.

 

[Worthintendo]

Cool. Looking at your schedule, it seems the 8th or 9th of October would be the best.

Anybody else here want to join?

Edit: For a meetup in Tokyo.

Should be, good for those days, hopefully tomorrow I'll find out what day I can get for the Studio Ghibli Museum and rearrange everything else around that if I need to.

 

[Gromph]

Should be, good for those days, hopefully tomorrow I'll find out what day I can get for the Studio Ghibli Museum and rearrange everything else around that if I need to.

If you need help, i can get you tickets here.

 

[dani_dc]

Cool. Looking at your schedule, it seems the 8th or 9th of October would be the best.

Anybody else here want to join?

Edit: For a meetup in Tokyo.

I still have no idea if I'll manage to stick around Tokyo or not, but if I'm here I'd be up for it.

 

[Worthintendo]

If you need help, i can get you tickets here.

Oooo, I may get you to look into that for me, will let you know

Cool. Looking at your schedule, it seems the 8th or 9th of October would be the best.

Anybody else here want to join?

Edit: For a meetup in Tokyo.

Maybe closer to October could be worth posting a thread in Off Topic saying that some non Japan Gaffers will be in Tokyo and would be cool to do a Gaffer Meet Up there or something, just an idea.

Also finally under 3 months, feels more and more real ^_^

I better get off my arse and relearn some Japanese so I'm not totally lost over there.

 

[StMeph]

What's the normal/expected timetable for restaurant reservations in Tokyo? Like in NYC it tends to be a month or 30-days out, etc. Are they available a month in advance, is that too late, do they not open until much closer to the date(s)?

 

[hwalker84]

My trip summary. Trip was 5/28 - 6/6

Kyoto

Day 1 -
Himeji Castle - Pretty cool, but the weakest part of my Kyoto area trip. I'm glad we did it first because the other places outshine it. For indoors, they make you take your shoes off to protect the floors. Was quite comfy, walking around felt like a foot massage. The actual interior of the castle doesn't have much to show, it's pretty much "get to the top!" and then that's it. Floors 1 and 2, plus the West Wing which is separate from the main castle, had some exhibits etc to look at



Kiyomizu Dera - This is the temple in the treetops and is AWESOME. It was so cool to just be there and realize that you're looking down on the trees. It's an uphill walk to get there and there's a bunch of shops along the way, I wish we had allocated more time to visit the shops



Day 2 -
Nara Park - The deer here are so cute! They can be grabby if you have cookies for them though. It's not like aggressive biting, more like get your attention, but can be a little scary when 3 or more crowd you. Mind any papers you have in your back pocket, one took my wife's JR Pass! Also go to the temple here, it is incredibly badass.



Osaka Aquarium - Whale shark, yo! Also they have one of those tunnel tanks, where you walk under it. I didn't know that was there and always wanted to see one. Pictures at any aquarium are tricky due to the lighting and glass. I recommend video

Day 3-
Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) - Pretty cool. a TON of people. Was also very hot the day we went. There's not much to do there besides take photos



Nishiki Market - Lame. It's mostly local produce and fish, so nothing good for tourists. I was hoping for like pastry shops, meat buns, ramen counter, but I didn't find it here.

Ninja Restaurant Kyoto - Went here for lunch, it was right next to the Nishiki Market. I'd been to Ninja NY before, pretty much the same deal but the prices were not NY prices, lol. Our waitress was the cutest girl ever, she won my vote for favorite Japanese person on the trip. The magician that came by comes in at a close 2nd.

Fushimi Inari Shrine (Red torii gates) - Awesome. Be prepared to hike, even if you stay on the pavement, it's ALL steps up and down. You can go as far as you want but we went to the top, of course. We also went at dusk, it's open 24 hours and is lit at night, so it was much cooler than it was in the day. Also:



this cat is alive and well! and so lovey!


Tokyo

Day 4 - Travel day, so nothing until evening (stayed in Shinjuku, literally across the street from Capcom Bar)

Capcom Bar - was just OK. The game reenactments from the staff were great but mostly lost on me since my Japanese is minimal. I got a DMC drink and Resident Evil ribs. waiter had to "kill" the ribs with a flamethrower, brought out like a handheld torch and did this whole skit

Robot Restaurant - THE GOAT. If you've been following this thread, surely you've heard this 1000x. It's true, believe the hype. The best way to describe it is music/dance/drama/theater. Also for people who complain that there's not enough actual robots, there are. All the floats are actually controlled by stagehands off to the side. this shit is RC!

Day 5 - This should have been a day of rest. We both crashed in the middle of the day and had to take a nap. Don't forget to schedule a rest day!

Akihabara - I didn't plan what stores to go to, it was "we're here! oh shit, now what?" We started just walking around going into any store that caught our eyes. Too many to do with this method. Also a lot of the stores are very narrow. You can only fit 1 person per aisle and it made it difficult to browse. We left after 4-5 stores. Also STAIRS. God damn, my legs were aching from Fushimi Inari still

Shibuya - Came for the Hachiko statue (it was getting pretty dusty there...) and also to see Shibuya crossing. After that, it was a "now what?" kind of thing so we went clothes shopping nearby then left.

*NAP*

Alice in the Labyrinth restaurant - Dinner. Best food I had the entire trip, most expensive too. This was one of the main things we wanted to do so money was not a concern, we both got everything we wanted. All 10 of the items we got were amazing. Ended up spending 8000 yen for 2 people. Unfortunately we originally wanted to do other themed restaurants like this but nixed it due to the price. Next time...



Day 6 -
Ghibili Museum - Was great, but not too much to see. A lot of the stuff to read (plaques, art book descriptions) were in Japanese and no English. Went a little crazy in the gift shop

Harajuku attempt 1 - We got here at like 7pm with the Q-Pot cafe in mind, they closed by the time we got there at 7:30 on the dot. A lot of the shops were closing, got Crepes and left

Random sushi joint for dinner - Amazing! I made the mistake of getting rolls which were nothing special. My wife got regular sushi though and it was awesome. we went back the next day. I don't even know if this place is considered good, it was a random pick and I was looking for authenticity



Day 7 -
"Artnia " Square Enix Cafe - Was cool. Got Cappucinos and unfortunately I could not eat the pancakes (nut allergy, apparently had nuts in it)



Harajuku round 2 - Went in the afternoon this time. Holy shit, Harajuku was probably the best district for me. Went to the DAISO dollar store here. 4 floors of surprisingly good quality stuff. We honestly spent like $40 there.

Q-Pot Cafe - Amazing! A Prof Layton-esque tea and macaroons shop. Modeled after jewelry that was modeled after candy and snacks.



Calbee - Potato chip makers. You can buy fresh chips at the store, seriously they were like 2 min out of the frying pan when I was eating them. So good I immediately got back in line for a 2nd order. This is an absolute must do



Sushi attempt 2 - Same place as before, I got proper sushi this time. Out of habit I dip mine into soy sauce but didn't need it. Different, simpler, than Americanized sushi, but there's room in this world (and in my belly) for both!

Day 8 - Final half day. Flight departed at 5:35pm so we had time for just 1 thing
Gashapon Kaikan - The entire trip I was fiending for Gashapon and would stop at every machine we passed. The night before I found out about this place and wanted to take a 2nd stab at Akihabara, our first time there was a bit of a mess. Some vendors set up an outdoor market and I found a random window selling Onigiri, damn I should have been eating these the entire time! I got Korean BBQ and my wife got Salmon with Salmon Roe.



Thus ends my Japan trip. Things I missed or found out about afterwards:

Nakano Broadway. This was on my list the entire time but we just did not have a chance to get there. I'm wondering if I should have gone here instead of the 2nd day at Akihabara, they have gashapon there too.

Kit Kat Chocolatory - I was looking for unique Kit Kats the entire time, didn't see any besides Macha. Turns out there's a whole damn shop!

Other Alice restaurants, Vampire restaurant

The thread title could not be any truer. We are already dreaming of revisiting Japan. Thanks to everyone in this thread for helping me make this first trip happen.

Bonus picture!


My new favorite mug, I got it from the Kiddie Land toy store in Harajuku (also should not be missed). I use this mug every day, I'm a bit paranoid it'll break one day :*(

Do you have a album you want to share? I'll add it to the OP.

 

[UpperCaseN]

Do you have a album you want to share? I'll add it to the OP.

no album, thank you.

 

[EuricaeriS]

Booked flights and accommodation last night, wake up to find the accommodation has 'declined' my request Been spending the past few hours looking around for another place to fit five of us, haha.

Hotel would be far easier but also much more boring

 

[MikeHattsu]

Wait, how can you do this?

Just curious. Is there something special you know about, or something that only people living in Japan can do?

People in Japan can get tickets for 1000 JPY each. If you live outside of Japan then you can only get tickets from JTB and a handful of other travel agencies (+ resellers from Japan) that costs much more. JTB doesn't operate in all countries either.

 

[StMeph]

Wait, how can you do this?

Just curious. Is there something special you know about, or something that only people living in Japan can do?

Once in Japan, Ghibli Museum tickets can only be bought at terminals in Lawsons convenience stores. It seems like they're only in Japanese and can be difficult to navigate. These tickets are also time-slotted reservations for entry.

Outside of Japan, there are tourist passes available that aren't restricted by time (but are still bound by date). For the US, JTB sells these, but they tend to go really really quickly. All of July, August, and most of September's allotment is already sold out.

 

[hwalker84]

Booked flights and accommodation last night, wake up to find the accommodation has 'declined' my request Been spending the past few hours looking around for another place to fit five of us, haha.

Hotel would be far easier but also much more boring

Which area was canceled. Maybe we can offer other suggestions?

 

[UpperCaseN]

I ordered Ghibli tickets from JTB. Tickets were only $9 each for adults but the shipping killed it, other than local pickup at the JTB NY or LA offices, the cheapest option was $14 via FedEx.

 

[Cagey]

Hi all, I had a few questions.

1) Has anyone booked a Tokyo-Seoul (or Tokyo + Other Country) trip before, and if so, was there significant savings in booking each leg separately instead of using one of those customize-your-trip websites?

2) Could I get some recommendations on where to go in Tokyo with the wifey that aren't nerd-based? UpperCaseN's post gave me a Christmas List's worth of places to hit up for myself (Artnia will bankrupt me, I swear to god) but we're not spending 4 days in Tokyo catering to only my whims. She's Korean-American, likes museums, likes diving into local spots and foods and activities and experiencing the native culture when we go abroad, and she's not big on luxury shopping.

 

[StMeph]

What's the normal/expected timetable for restaurant reservations in Tokyo? Like in NYC it tends to be a month or 30-days out, etc. Are they available a month in advance, is that too late, do they not open until much closer to the date(s)?

This was buried a bit back, but I still wanted to see if anyone knows the protocol. Is it easier to ask a hotel to do it instead? Are deposits standard? Do hotels cover those too?

 

[MikeHattsu]

I ordered Ghibli tickets from JTB. Tickets were only $9 each for adults but the shipping killed it, other than local pickup at the JTB NY or LA offices, the cheapest option was $14 via FedEx.

Dang. They charge a handling fee for each ticket here in Europe in addition to the ticket price.

Hi all, I had a few questions.

1) Has anyone booked a Tokyo-Seoul (or Tokyo + Other Country) trip before, and if so, was there significant savings in booking each leg separately instead of using one of those customize-your-trip websites?

2) Could I get some recommendations on where to go in Tokyo with the wifey that aren't nerd-based? UpperCaseN's post gave me a Christmas List's worth of places to hit up for myself (Artnia will bankrupt me, I swear to god) but we're not spending 4 days in Tokyo catering to only my whims. She's Korean-American, likes museums, likes diving into local spots and foods and activities and experiencing the native culture when we go abroad, and she's not big on luxury shopping.

Check out the Ueno Park area. They have the Tokyo National Museum, National Science Museum, Metropolitan Art Museum and a Western Art Museum. If you want to see modern art, then check out Mori Art Museum in Roppongi, then you can check out the view from the open air observation deck at the top of Mori Tower at the same time, and there's 2 other art museums in Roppongi as well. Could also check out the Edo-Tokyo museum if you're interested in the Edo period.

This was buried a bit back, but I still wanted to see if anyone knows the protocol. Is it easier to ask a hotel to do it instead? Are deposits standard? Do hotels cover those too?

If you're staying at a hotel, it's probably easiest to get them to help you book it.

 

[EuricaeriS]

Which area was canceled. Maybe we can offer other suggestions?

We were going to be staying in an apartment in Akihabara, but it seems like most places there are pretty expensive. Currently talking to the owner of a place in Ikebukuro, so hopefully we'll be sorted soon We're basically looking anywhere but Shinjuku, as we've stayed there the past three times we've been.

Thanks though

 

[MikeHattsu]

Maybe closer to October could be worth posting a thread in Off Topic saying that some non Japan Gaffers will be in Tokyo and would be cool to do a Gaffer Meet Up there or something, just an idea.

Also finally under 3 months, feels more and more real ^_^

Sure. Maybe figure out what to do first though

We could do the Robot Restaurant of course:
http://www.shinjuku-robot.com/pc/

Or go to the Ninja restaurant:
http://www.ninjaakasaka.com/

Or the prison one:
http://www.lock-up.jp/

Or the catch your own fish and eat it restaurant:
http://www.zauo.com/en/

Let me know what you think.

 

[inafking]

I'd go to the Robot Restaurant for the freakiness and "maybe" Ninja Akasaka because it's somewhat expensive. The dishes there are not as big for their price, aren't they? (I know that restaurant fame is more about the show than the food though)

EDIT
I saw the video of the lock-up restaurant, but there isn't any inside shots, just artificial footage. That would be intersting too for it freakishness...

I'm happy that I'm improving my kanji reading skills, I guessed the name was "kangoku restaurant" based on the second Kanji which I know from "Datsugoku" (Escape from prison) and the first kanji for the radicals (I think I've seen in in Kancolle)

I can offer my litte help in case there's something that we can't read, but I'm at a very basic level. It'd be great to have more people with reading skills in the group!

 

[MikeHattsu]

I'd go to the Robot Restaurant for the freakiness and "maybe" Ninja Akasaka because it's somewhat expensive. The dishes there are not as big for their price, aren't they? (I know that restaurant fame is more about the show than the food though)

The Robot 'Restaurant' isn't about the food at all. Ninja Akasaka is expensive, but there's supposed to be a decent meal at least. They got the menu and the prices on the website.

 

[ThreePiMatt]

I'd be most interested in the Robot Restaurant and/or the fish catching one.

 

[inafking]

The wedding between 2 robots that I saw on the news today was at Robot restaurant? (At least in the news they said it was in Japan)

 

[inafking]

I don't mind going to the fish catching one either, but IDK if the difficulty curve is to steep for western dudes. What if I end catching just a tiny fish? (like those in Kingyo Sukui, LOL ^_^)

Sorry, I didn't mean to double post. I was sure someone replied after me (^_^

 

[MikeHattsu]

The wedding between 2 robots that I saw on the news today was at Robot restaurant? (At least in the news they said it was in Japan)

Nah. That happened in this place:
http://www.spiral.co.jp/shop_restaurant/cay/

I don't mind going to the fish catching one either, but IDK if the difficulty curve is to steep for western dudes. What if I end catching just a tiny fish? (like those in Kingyo Sukui, LOL ^_^)

Sorry, I didn't mean to double post. I was sure someone replied after me (^_^

If you don't catch a fish, you can get some help or you can just buy a normal fish dish ;P

 

[Worthintendo]

I'll put my vote in for Robot Restaurant, place looks insane ^_^

 

[Gromph]

Wait, how can you do this?

Just curious. Is there something special you know about, or something that only people living in Japan can do?

I live in Japan.

I have access to the lawson vending machines

 

[Gromph]

Haha, okay, just checking. I knew you could get them from the vending machines in corner stores, but the way I read your post made me think maybe there was something more... like you knew someone that worked there and could hook you up

hahaha

Nah, i'm available to pick tickets for the people who is coming to Japan if they need it.

 

[Gromph]

If you're still there in early August, I might take you up on your offer ^_^.

The tickets windows open like 2 months before.

Example. For October tickets you can start buying on August 1st.

And yes i dont plan to leave japan soon

 

[MikeHattsu]

I'll put my vote in for Robot Restaurant, place looks insane ^_^

Ok. Looks like we're going to Robot Restaurant then. Maybe best to do Friday 9th?

 

[geniusbits]

Just got back from Japan, it was great. If I could recommend something it would be to stay a couple of days at a ryokan with an onsen. In particular the one I stayed at was Korakukan Jigokudani which is next to a monkey park in the mountains of Nagano. It's kind of hard to get to but hanging out soaking in a hot spring outside, watching monkeys run around was very relaxing. Highly recommended.

 

[SKINNER!]

Forgot to post back in the this thread after I arrived back from Japan almost a month ago. Girlfriend and I thoroughly enjoyed it 3rd time going and I'll be planning my 4th visit next year

We're planning on sorting out our photographs tonight to show to friends so I'll post some in here.

EDIT: I just remembered that I got randomly interviewd by Japanese TV in Asakusa. There was an american translator and 1 Japanese female spokesperson and a male camera man. They handed us Japanese kitchen utensils and wanted us to guess what they were used for. It was fun and I was able to correctly identify some items but the American translator was a bit of a weird douche towards his colleague. He'd be discussing with me in English the product with me in a sarcastic/mean manner (Oh, can you guess what this is? They claim that it's the most durable utensil but I don't think it is. They ALWAYS say that you know what I mean?) and then proceed to translate what I'd respond back to them in Japanese. Felt it was a bit mean. GF was nervously frozen the second she got told she would be on TV lolol. We never got round to watching it/finding the footage. Also found it strange that they asked us to sign a waiver after we completed shooting. In fact, we were never told what channel it'll be on. Still, Japan!!

 

[Worthintendo]

Ok. Looks like we're going to Robot Restaurant then. Maybe best to do Friday 9th?

Would it be possible to do it on Thursday the 8th? The 9th is my last day in Tokyo and want to make sure I get an early night so I'm not running late for checkout and have everything sorted.

 

[Zoe]

Starting to price out flights...

How difficult or how much trouble would we get in if on the return flight, rather than continuing through the layover in LAX, we leave to spend a couple of days there?

 

[ThreePiMatt]

Starting to price out flights...

How difficult or how much trouble would we get in if on the return flight, rather than continuing through the layover in LAX, we leave to spend a couple of days there?

Well, you'd then have to find a new flight from LAX to wherever home is.

 

[Siphorus]

Hi, I'm leaving on the 7th for Japan, I'll be there approximately ~12 days. The place, plane tickets, and JR rail passes are all paid for. So the only thing left is really food and any other activities that we will do along the way.

I'm thinking roughly 50,000yen will be enough, any thoughts?

 

[Zoe]

Well, you'd then have to find a new flight from LAX to wherever home is.

That's fine. Just wondering if there would be anything to stop us from walking away from that last leg with all our luggage in tact.

A Southwest flight back to Austin will only cost about $100 each a couple of days later as opposed to near doubling the round-trip ticket in order to make it a multi-stop trip.

 

[MikeHattsu]

Would it be possible to do it on Thursday the 8th? The 9th is my last day in Tokyo and want to make sure I get an early night so I'm not running late for checkout and have everything sorted.

Ok. We can do Thursday.

Hi, I'm leaving on the 7th for Japan, I'll be there approximately ~12 days. The place, plane tickets, and JR rail passes are all paid for. So the only thing left is really food and any other activities that we will do along the way.

I'm thinking roughly 50,000yen will be enough, any thoughts?

Depends on what kind of activities you've planned. Should be enough for meals at least.

That's fine. Just wondering if there would be anything to stop us from walking away from that last leg with all our luggage in tact.

A Southwest flight back to Austin will only cost about $100 each a couple of days later as opposed to near doubling the round-trip ticket in order to make it a multi-stop trip.

It should be fine AFAIK:
https://help.cbp.gov/app/answers/de...eler-clear-u.s.-customs-and-border-protection

 

[inafking]

Because of a human error in typing my credit card number when I wrote it in the google docs form to apply for the Magical Mirai 2015 presale lottery they offered me to buy 2 tickets for the september 4th performance:

So that's one of my ToDo tasks while in Tokyo, so please spare my life for being too lucky! (^_^

(I actually went to the Magical Mirai 2014 in Osaka, daytime performance too) (^_^

 

[EuricaeriS]

Because of a human error in typing my credit card number when I wrote it in the google docs form to apply for the Magical Mirai 2015 presale lottery they offered me to buy 2 tickets for the september 4th performance

I should make a point of typing in my credit card number wrong every once in a while Lucky!

That's fine. Just wondering if there would be anything to stop us from walking away from that last leg with all our luggage in tact.

If you've booked it as one journey, they'll more than likely take your luggage from one plane to the next. In all of my stopovers when travelling to Japan, we didn't see our luggage. Maybe consider buying two tickets for the return?

 

[MikeHattsu]

If you've booked it as one journey, they'll more than likely take your luggage from one plane to the next. In all of my stopovers when travelling to Japan, we didn't see our luggage. Maybe consider buying two tickets for the return?

Did you layover in the US? They have different customs rules.

 

[EuricaeriS]

Did you layover in the US? They have different customs rules.

Fair point, I haven't Finland and Russia are the places I've been en-route to Japan. I suppose it's best just to ask the airport.

 

[Zoe]

At LAX you get your luggage back and then can drop it off at a pick-up at customs or bring it to the airline counter.

So AA wouldn't fine us or anything, right? I know all the airlines try to shut down those sites that encourage you to skip legs--just wasn't sure if they actually do anything towards the people who do it.

 

[MikeHattsu]

Fair point, I haven't Finland and Russia are the places I've been en-route to Japan. I suppose it's best just to ask the airport.

Hehe. I usually go through Finland as well.

At LAX you get your luggage back and then can drop it off at a pick-up at customs or bring it to the airline counter.

So AA wouldn't fine us or anything, right? I know all the airlines try to shut down those sites that encourage you to skip legs--just wasn't sure if they actually do anything towards the people who do it.

They could ban you or take away your miles if you do it lots if times. If you just do it once then they don't really know if you just got lost in the airport, got sick, took a nap and woke up too late or whatever.

 

[Worthintendo]

Yay JTB finally has tickets up for October ^_^



I think at this point the Ghibli museum may be the thing I'm most excited to see when I get there ^_^

Ticket booked for the 5th like I wanted, also got my 7 day rail pass for the outside of Tokyo part of the trip

89 days, 23 hours, 54 minutes to go

^_^

 

[ThreePiMatt]

At LAX you get your luggage back and then can drop it off at a pick-up at customs or bring it to the airline counter.

So AA wouldn't fine us or anything, right? I know all the airlines try to shut down those sites that encourage you to skip legs--just wasn't sure if they actually do anything towards the people who do it.

When I flew back from Japan I had a layover in LAX (en route to O'Hare) and it'd be very easy to just say you got lost. You arrive at the international terminal, then get on a bus to the main terminal where you pick up your luggage and go through Customs then back through security for your last leg. At the very least, I'd suggest booking your flight home on a different airline just so they don't realize you're purposefully skipping out on your ticket.

 

[inafking]

I should make a point of typing in my credit card number wrong every once in a while Lucky!

In fact, it was them who mistyped the credit number. I'm sure as hell that I did type my credit card number correctly. Given that I wasn't eligible for the presale lottery because of their fault.

Now I might not be lucky if I don't get a seat that the camera pans over the audience. Or worst yet, that performance doesn't get a BD release. (It's in Friday, Sept 4th at 5:30 PM)

I plan to bring there a little flag of my country (Chile) to show it when the camera pans over the audience. Could they kick me out of the concert if I do that?