Tokyo, Japan by Gautam Khattak
Last updated: July 30, 2009
Disclaimer: These are notes I’ve written or gathered from various sources. I have not experienced all things in this document nor is it intended to be a definitive guide.
General Tips
Currency: Japanese Yen (JPY)
Conversion Tool: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=100+jpy+to+usd&meta=&aq=0s&oq=100JPY
(Update for current rates)
1 USD = 95.012 JPY
100 USD = 9501.12 JPY
100 JPY = 1.0525 USD
1 JPY = .010525 USD
Manners: http://www.geocities.com/japanfaq/FAQ-Manners.html
Tipping is not expected and often not even accepted. This is true in hotels, taxi’s and restaurants.
It is a good idea to bring tissues or toilet paper when going out. The public bathrooms are available and generally clean but you have to pay for toilet paper in little vending machines outside them (hopefully)
Don’t point your chopsticks at someone and don’t skewer the food with it either.
Transportation
Tokyo Subway Map – http://www.bento.com/platform3.html
The subway system is great in Japan. Basically you look at a giant board on the wall and see where you want to go, and next to it is the amount it will cost to get there. The Machines have an English option and you put in the amount of fare as the board suggests.
One thing that is cool about Japan is that you don’t have to open any doors, they’re all automatic. This is true even for the taxi cabs, which there are plenty of and is a great means of transportation.
Shopping
Akihabara – Sci-Fi Supermarket
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/asia/japan/tokyo?poi=18623
Denki-gai (Electrical Town): it’s Japanese techno-sales gone haywire. In the maddest Asian market you’ll ever see, sellers hawk computer chips and motherboards over mangoes. Not only that, the sales pitch is all pre-recorded.
Omotesandō Street & Takeshita Street
Upscale shopping street. Very busy but lots and lots of brand name stores on Omotesando. Takeshita has more local shops.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omotesand%C5%8D,_Tokyo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Takeshita_Street
Near Harajuku Station
Common Sites
Tokyo Attractions –
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/worldguide/destinations/asia/japan/tokyo?poi=18344
Asakusa Kannon Temple – http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3001.html
Worth Seeing, On the way to the Temple are great souvenir stands too…on the way back you can find some of the Beer Vending Machines…yea its pretty awesome!
Imperial Palace – http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3017.html
When we went you couldn’t get into the Palace, don’t know if that’s always the case but the grounds are pretty beautiful to walk around and see the large bonsai trees
Sony Building – http://www.sonybuilding.jp
Gizmo City
Sukiyabashi Crossing
Tel: 3573 2371 (info)
Hours: 11:00am-7:00pm
Right on Sukiyabashi Crossing is the Sony building, which attracts gadget hounds in search of gizmos that have yet to be released. Although there’s often a wait, kids love the free video and virtual reality games on the 6th floor. If nothing else, you can put your feet up and relax for a while in one of the building’s two Hi-Vision theatres.
Tsukiji Fish Market
http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm
Fun to go see. Less crowded early morning (like 5 a.m.)
Harajuku Station http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harajuku
Worth getting off at this station on the underground and having a look around. It has the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world! Also a good indoor food market here. Definitely go here on Sunday on your way to Yoyogi Park.
Yoyogi Park – Right next to Harjuku station is Yoyogi Park. On a Sunday this park is full of locals just hanging out and some of them are dressed up and dancing, it’s a pretty amazing place to relax and people watch. Bring a blanket and relax for a few hours, it’s a great place to come for a picnic.
Meiji-jingū Temple is located in this park.
Meiji-jingū Shintastic – http://www.meijijingu.or.jp
Kamizono-chō
Tel: 03 3379 5511 (info)
Located in Yoyogi park – get off at Harajuku Station
Completed in 1920, this is Tokyo’s most splendid Shintō shrine. Built in memory of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shōken, under whose rule Japan ended its long isolation from the outside world, the shrine was destroyed in the bombing at the end of WWII. This shrine may be a reconstruction, but it is altogether authentic and made with Japanese cypress.
Hours: From dawn until dusk. On a Sunday you might even catch a wedding here.
Roppongi hills – business district – quite trendy area. Excellent viewing floor with great views of the city. http://www.roppongihills.com/en/
Shinjuku Square – Tokyo’s skyscraper district & Time Square of Tokyo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinjuku,_Tokyo
There are some good boat trips down the river
And it might be worth trying to see a bullet train, they go pretty fast.
If you have the time a day or overnight to Mt. Fuji is probably worth doing. I wish I could have done it but didn’t have enough time.
Art & Museum’s
Ueno Park – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ueno_Park
Next to Ueno station and is a nice place to walk around and has some temples Museum’s near there.
Tokyo National Museum – http://www.tnm.go.jp/en/servlet/Con?pageId=X00&processId=00
- Adults: 600 (500) yen; University Students: 400 (300) yen
- 9:30 – 17:00 (last admission at 16:30)
- Open until 8:00pm on Fridays during special exhibition periods basically April – December; (March 23 – November 30 for 2007)
- Open until 6:00p on Saturdays, Sundays and National Holidays basically April – December; (March 21 – September 30 for 2007)
- Last admission 30 minutes before closing
National Art Center http://www.nact.jp
Hours: 10am to 6 pm (until 8pm on Fridays) and closed on Tuesdays.
Phone: 03-5777-8600
Dining
One thing good about the restaurants in Japan is that the menu is visual. Outside the restaurant there is often a glass window with all the dishes displayed so you can figure out what you want by look instead of trying to decipher the Japanese menus!
Tokyo Food Guide – http://www.bento.com/tf-rest.html
Akasaka Ninja Restaurant – An excellent experience! It’s a theme restaurant to its fun for any age. Definitely a must! The Food is great, and is a Japanese fusion of sorts. Not cheap, but still worth going to.
Address: 1F Akasaka Tokyu Plaza 2-14-3 Nagata-cho Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo
Access: Tokyo Subway Akasaka-mitsuke Station
Phone: 1-81-3-5157-3936
Sushi/Sashimi – Sushi is in rolls, Sashimi is the fish on top of rice or by itself.
Ramen – noodle soup with meat (very good…not just magi noodles either J)
Shabu Shabu – One of my favorite meals. You cook the food in front of you in boiling water – Its very very very good. There is a great place right outside of Shinagawa Station. When you leave the station, go to the cross walk on the left, and go across the street and the Shabu Shabu place is right on the other side. Normally the meat dish is beef but the vegetables and noodles are filling enough.
Onagiri – These are little triangular sushi snacks bought from any shop such as 7/11. These are rice triangles with some sort of fish filling normally. The tuna ones (had blue wrapping I think) are pretty good. They also have a seaweed wrapper but this is easily removed. You can see these being made in the food market in Harajuku station.
Sukiyaki is a Japanese dish in the Japanese steamboat (nabemono) style.
It consists of meat (usually thinly sliced beef), or a vegetarian version made only with firm tofu, slowly cooked or simmered at the table, alongside vegetables and other ingredients, in a shallow iron pot in a mixture of soy sauce, sugar, and mirin. Before being eaten, the ingredients are usually dipped in a small bowl of raw, beaten eggs.
Teppanyaki (also known as Hibachi) – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teppanyaki
This is the Japanese style of cooking where the chef prepares the food in front of you on a hot griddle. It’s my favorite type of Japanese food (even in USA) and its fun to watch as they do tricks with onions, eggs, and the rest of the food. And the foods all cooked which after a few days in Japan is a wonderful thing to find! J
Yakisoba –http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yakisoba
Roasted noodles like Chow Mein
Nightlife
Shōchū – Drink it J but with sprite not on the rocks like I did! It’s like a vodka/sake
Izakayas – Japnese style pubs, are popular for after work drinks and getting together with friends
The Hub – www.pub-hub.com
Japanese run English style pub with good cheap drinks and a good happy hour
Hobgoblin –www.hobgoblin.jp
British pub and restaurant with a full range of bottled beer and English beers on tap. There are 3 of them I think, one is Akasaka, Roppongi Hills, and Shibuya
Shin-kiba – Large area with a lot of clubs – http://www.ageha.com
Hanezawa Beer Garden – http://www.thehanezawagarden.com
Located in Hiroo, Hanezawa Garden is an oasis in the concrete jungle of Tokyo. Unlike most beer gardens they actually have the garden part. The Japanese garden features a carp pond and Japanese lanterns.
New York Bar – http://www.parkhyatttokyo.com
52nd floor of Park Hyatt swoon over stunning views of Mt Fuji (in the winter) and the city below.
Live jazz playing every night and amazing bird’s-eye views of Tokyo.
Hours: Sun-Wed 5:00pm-12:00am, Thu-Sat 5:00pm-1:00am
Hours: Open Sunday to Wednesday from 5:00 pm to midnight
Thursday to Saturday from 5:00 pm to 1:00 am
Cover charge of 2,000 JPY is applied Monday through Saturday from 8:00 pm, Sunday from 7:00 pm
Language
Hello. How are you
Konnichiwa. Ogenkidesuka
Are you fine? – Ogenkidesuka
Fine – Ogenki
Are you – desu ka
Thank (you). (I) am well. And you?
Arigatou. Genki Desu. Anata {wa}
Fine. My name is Akira (Male)
Genki desu. Bokuno namae{wa} Akira desu.
My – Bokuno
Name – oNamae {wa}
Fine – Genki Desu
Is – Des
Your – Anatana
What is – Nan desu ka
What is your name?
Anatano onamae {wa} Nan desu ka
My name is Yuko (Female)
Watashi no namae wa Yuuko desu
I can use this someday.