Japan queries, wonder u gals can share
1) if package tour, anyone has experience to share, i dun like those that have a lot of chinese food
2) if free & easy, will i die with only this info ?
If u juz going tokyo, call northwest airlines. JAL n ANA usu more ex unless got promo with lodging n internal flights.
For lodging in tokyo, I recommend ikebukuro - plenty of shopping (sunshine city) n food available in the area. (usu i take d limousine bus to metropolitan hotel n take 10mins walk to d guesthouse)
1)
http://www.housejp.com.tw/englishindex.htm (first choice, cheaper, stayed with lee ying)
2)
http://changtee.com/indexen.htm (stayed with xiuli)
For shopping (just take JR train to these places) -
1) It's a shame if u go tokyo n not step in SHIBUYA & SHINJUKU (plenty of shopping)
2) On sunday, take pics of gothic, wierd japanese hanging outside HARAJUKU JR station, lots of cutesy stuff to see, teenagers hangout pl.
(U can spend a day or more walking from Shibuya ----> Harajuku ---> Shinjuku till legs n back break)
3) Can spend a day @ ODAIBA, waterfront city on reclaimed to take pics of rainbow bridge, tv station, theme shopping centres, multicoloured ferris wheel.
4) AKIHABARA for discount electronics stuff n games (good for techsavy guys)
For sightsighting
1) UENO koen (park) if famous for hanami (blossom viewing) n also great pl to buy luggages of snacks n dried scallops home (xiuli can testify)
2) Tokyo Disneyland (if u keen)
3) Go ASAKUSA to see Sensoji temple, pagoda n u be greatly entertained by the traditional Nakamise shopping arcade.
4) If wanna see Eiffel Tower lookalike, go see Tokyo Tower. (xiuli n i went to see d structure at night, din pay money to go up)
http://www.tokyotower.co.jp/333/foreign/eng/index.html
5) Outside Tokyo town, can take a day tour to Mt Fuji area, see d five lakes (fuji goko) - d last time xiuli n i bot bus package from can't remember which major JR station to get there - can check with your guesthouse reception. Highly recommended to see mt fuji from far, sit cablecar, take cruise.
6) if time permits, can go HAKONE (also outside tokyo town) to stay for a night at hotsprings ryokan.
http://www.japaneseguesthouses.com/hotspring.htm to check out the ryokans.
Food -
I'm a diehard fan of sashimi n sushi so I brought Xiuli to Tsukiji fish mkt (if wanna see fish auction, go b4 7am o/w juz go ard 9am.
Attempt to eat conveyor-belt sushi (cheaper there n more variety), curry rice, udon/soba, okonomiyaki (restaurants tt u can make tis pancake urself) etc etc
Basically these r d places i went, check wif d rest of d gals if i left out any impt plcs.
For F&E, u need to do lots of research, surf d net n borrow lonely planets (Japan or Tokyo).
Once u reach, get english JR trainmap from d reception (Sumimasen, eigo no chizu ga arimasu ka?)