Japan Master Thread

[shwarmabob]

Anything to do or see on a 6hr NRT stopover?

Go to the city of Narita, it's a lot closer than Tokyo and more "authentic" in some ways.

[shwarmabob]

What's the best way to get around Tokyo with metro? I've been looking into options that include the ride from HND to the city and then to NRT. There seem to be multiple day passes that include either the Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, and/or JR. I also read that often it's not worth it to buy a day pass if you're just going to a few places.

It seems to cost 200 yen for a ride, but the airports are a lot more. Also last time I was in Tokyo they had tickets that were only available to foreigners. Do they still exist? Any ideas of best tickets to buy?

How many days are you in Tokyo? I just used the Suica cards that don't give any discount but are more convenient because it calculates how much you ave to pay automatically (the fare is distance and transfer based). The day pass only makes sense if you travel a lot and it doesn't include the transportation to the airport.
a lot depends on how long is your stay

[Yehoshua]

How many days are you in Tokyo? I just used the Suica cards that don't give any discount but are more convenient because it calculates how much you ave to pay automatically (the fare is distance and transfer based). The day pass only makes sense if you travel a lot and it doesn't include the transportation to the airport.
a lot depends on how long is your stay

I'll be in Tokyo from 9p on Sunday (landing HND) through 5:30p on Monday (departing NRT). So in my case the Suica card still makes more sense?

[shwarmabob]

Thanks! After Tokyo I'm going home. What's there to do in the above areas? I know Ahihabara is an electronics area, but what's their to do besides shop?

Ahihabara - it's just a weird place, weird in a Japanese way.
Asakusa is an older Tokyo - there is a famous temple there and a long street leading to the temple with souvenir shops. I hope to post the pics about it soon. We found it more interesting than Ahihabara. It's a good place for a couple of hours and not far from the fish market if that's part of your plan.

[shwarmabob]

I'll be in Tokyo from 9p on Sunday (landing HND) through 5:30p on Monday (departing NRT). So in my case the Suica card still makes more sense?

There is a deposit fee for the Suica and you don't get back the full amount, so for such a short time I am not sure. Make sure you leave enough time to get to NRT, it's far from the city and take the express train (it costs a bit more).

[Yehoshua]

There is a deposit fee for the Suica and you don't get back the full amount, so for such a short time I am not sure. Make sure you leave enough time to get to NRT, it's far from the city and take the express train (it costs a bit more).

Hmmm, if I don't get the Suica card, what's the other option? Pay per trip? I know NRT is far, but why the express train vs one of the nonstop limo buses?

[Yehoshua]

Ahihabara - it's just a weird place, weird in a Japanese way.
Asakusa is an older Tokyo - there is a famous temple there and a long street leading to the temple with souvenir shops. I hope to post the pics about it soon. We found it more interesting than Ahihabara. It's a good place for a couple of hours and not far from the fish market if that's part of your plan.

Just curious, do you have an idea of a one day itinerary that may be good? Would Ahihabara be on the list?

[shwarmabob]

Just curious, do you have an idea of a one day itinerary that may be good? Would Ahihabara be on the list?

No, I would go to the fish market in the morning and Asakusa and maybe something else fits in, but you are kind of short on time. Buses can get into traffic, take the train

[Yehoshua]

Sorry in advance for the question deluge.

No, I would go to the fish market in the morning and Asakusa and maybe something else fits in, but you are kind of short on time. Buses can get into traffic, take the train

Ok, so let's say I get up early (5:30a is being realistic) and go to the fish market (which would probably require a cab?). That should be done by 8ish? What's there to do in Asakusa? I thought/was planning on going to the Skytree. It looks to be near Asakusa. Finally, I plan on just leaving my things at the Andaz instead of schlepping them around with me. Assuming I leave from the Andaz to go to the airport (for a 5:30p flight), does it make sense to leave around 1:30 (to arrive by 3:00p) or 2:30p (to arrive by 4:00p)? I also noticed there's both the Narita Express and the Skyliner. Is one better than the other? They Skyliner appears quicker and more accessible (via subway instead of bus) from the Andaz.

ETA: GIMF. Does this look like a good deal (Skyliner+Metro for visitors)? I'm not sure you can get it at HND though.

[Yehoshua]

Can I assume that taking the train/subway from HND to the Andaz at 10pm is easy and safe? It includes walking about 5 minutes from the subway stop to the hotel.

[Dan]

Tokyo is one of the safest cities in the world and I don't see how a 5 minute walk wouldn't be easy assuming you have working GPS.

[Yehoshua]

Tokyo is one of the safest cities in the world and I don't see how a 5 minute walk wouldn't be easy assuming you have working GPS.

I do have a phone that's supposed to work in Japan. I guess if it doesn't I can always call the hotel, but it looks like a straight shot. Also from what I've read here, it seems like you can't really use US CCs in the metro stations to buy tickets and finding ATMs that accept US DCs is hard also. Does it make sense therefore to take out money at the airport?

[Dan]

I took out money from a Citi ATM in NRT.
Getting directions over the phone in Tokyo is nearly impossible due to the lack of normal addresses. GPS is critical.

[Tom Brady]

I do have a phone that's supposed to work in Japan. I guess if it doesn't I can always call the hotel, but it looks like a straight shot. Also from what I've read here, it seems like you can't really use US CCs in the metro stations to buy tickets and finding ATMs that accept US DCs is hard also. Does it make sense therefore to take out money at the airport?

As a last resort, maybe save a note in your phone with the address or name of the hotel in Japanese (unless of course, you already speak Japanese), so if you can't find the hotel you can just flag a cab. Or if you're not in a rush, you can always stop people on the street for directions, and if they understand you they'll walk you there.

[Yehoshua]

I took out money from a Citi ATM in NRT.
Getting directions over the phone in Tokyo is nearly impossible due to the lack of normal addresses. GPS is critical.

I'll have to save a Tokyo map just in case. I know they don't have street names, rather block names. The GPS feature on the phone will work. So I'll plan on walking then, thanks.

This video explains how their addresses work:

[Yehoshua]

As a last resort, maybe save a note in your phone with the address or name of the hotel in Japanese (unless of course, you already speak Japanese), so if you can't find the hotel you can just flag a cab. Or if you're not in a rush, you can always stop people on the street for directions, and if they understand you they'll walk you there.

I'll have the address saved of course, and no, I don't speak Japanese except for a few sentences.

[Yehoshua]

I was just speaking to the Andaz Tokyo, asking them the best way to get to NRT from their hotel. They said they recommend a limousine bus or the Narita Express over the Keisei Skyliner. They said that if you're not familiar with the station, getting to the Skyliner can be confusing. Has anyone here taken it and did you find it confusing? If I don't take that, is it with it to take a limousine bus (cheaper than the Skyliner) or the Narita Express (more expensive than the Skyliner)?

[Dan]

AJK and I took the Skyliner from NRT to Chabad and back. Nothing confusing about it thanks to GPS.
Saved a bundle over the other options.

[Yehoshua]

AJK and I took the Skyliner from NRT to Chabad and back. Nothing confusing about it thanks to GPS.
Saved a bundle over the other options.

So I'll just plan on taking it then. The hotel was saying they station us confusing, but if you guys figured it out  not worried. Thanks.

[Marco Polo]

There is also wifi in most of the train stations. You may need to download something beforehand, but the wifi helps out.