Zorlee
Member
From: Oslo / Kyoto
Registered: 2009-04-22
Posts: 526
That's right, in two weeks I'm visiting Japan! 
I've been to Tokyo once before, and I absolutely loved it.
That being said, I would like to see something different this time, since I checked out all the tourist attractions last time.
I know that a lot of you guys have been there, lived there or are currently in Tokyo, so please recommend me places and stuff to check out.
AND recommend me stores etc. where I can buy cheap learning-material (i.e. books, games, DVDs etc) 
Another question - I have a friend in 京都 (Kyouto in romaji? Maaan, 漢字>everything), and would like to visit her. BUT I just checked out the 新幹線 fares, and they're a real budget buster. I'm arriving at the 20th of January, and would like to go directly to 京都, and return to Tokyo by the 22nd, to meet up with my sister. We'll be spending a week or so in Tokyo, before we go home (I'm there a couple of days alone, since my sister has a son-of-a-98urfbHH boss, that wouldn't let her take a day off... Sigh)
Are there any reasonable priced ways to get back and forth? I'm thinking by bus, since that's probably cheaper, but probably 7+ hours right? I'm arriving at 成田 10am by the way, so if I could get to 京都 fast, and then take a night-bus back to Tokyo, I could possibly get an evening + one whole day in 京都。That would be sweet!
If I could get a round-trip for 10k yen give or take then that would be great.
Thank you guys!
Luv
Z..
Grinkers
Member
From: Tokyo
Registered: 2009-10-22
Posts: 298
I recommend BookOff. I feel like a little kid in a toy store each time I go! They can be a little hard to find sometimes (not next to stations), but they're all over Tokyo. Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Akihabara...
I have friends in the US that literally bring an empty suitcase to fill it with books/manga/games when they come to Japan!
Another tip you might want to do is order stuff online (Used Amazon, for example) and have it shipped to a friend's house, then pick it up when you're here. The used stores here are absolutely great for Japanese material, but sometimes they just don't have what you're specifically looking for.
pm215
Member
From: UK
Registered: 2008-01-26
Posts: 1354
The other approach would be to consider a Japan rail pass, which is unlimited travel for a week, if you think you could then use it for enough other travel to justify the extra cost. (NB: you have to buy it outside Japan!) You can't use it on 'Nozomi' shinkansen, but 'Hikari' and 'Kodama' (slower because they stop more often) are fine.
Edit: to be clear, 'Nozomi', 'Hikari' and 'Kodama' are all shinkansen.
Last edited by pm215 (2010 January 05, 5:54 pm)
kainzero
Member
From: Los Angeles
Registered: 2009-08-31
Posts: 945
pm215 wrote:
The other approach would be to consider a Japan rail pass, which is unlimited travel for a week, if you think you could then use it for enough other travel to justify the extra cost. (NB: you have to buy it outside Japan!) You can't use it on 'Nozomi' shinkansen, but 'Hikari' and 'Kodama' (slower because they stop more often) are fine.
A 7-day JR pass is about 28300 Yen, but it also covers the Shinkansen. A Shinkansen ticket is around 8000 Yen, so two of them makes 16000 and then it'll cover the NEX train from Narita for 2800... yeah. It's great if you want to JR everywhere but you'd have to make up 10000 yen in JR trips in a week and I don't think you can unless you ride indiscriminately.
I think from Narita to Tokyo using NEX it's an hour, then it's two and a half hours to Kyoto by using the Hikari, that's as fast as it gets unless you fly into Kansai Airport instead, one way to Tokyo, and then fly out of Narita.
shneen
Member
From: Yamanashi-ken
Registered: 2006-02-12
Posts: 113
Website
If time is an issue - go for the JR Pass. It's good on all JR trains anywhere in the country.
But if you want to save money and don't have the need for the JR pass, then bus is the way to go. I've done a couple of trips by over night bus (one to Okayama, one to Kyoto) and a few others during the day (Nagano, Sendai, etc). And really have never had a bad experience. The more comfortable buses are more expensive, but usually Tokyo to Kansai will run you 4000 - 5000 yen one way. Last time I went to Kyoto, I took this bus: http://kakuyasubus.jp/kanto_kansai/yout … index.html , which is one of the cheaper JR buses that runs from Shinjuku Station to Kyoto Station (there's one that leaves from Tokyo Station as well). It was just a standard coach bus that you ride all night, but it wasn't terrible. And if you book early and online, you usually get a discount of some sort. With JR buses, the long haul daytime routes tend to stop every couple of hours for bathroom breaks/time to stretch. The night routes typically stop once before lights out.
Last edited by shneen (2010 January 05, 6:28 pm)
