To Japan: Part 1 (of 2)!

So Paradoxdruid and I are going to Japan for our honeymoon, exploring a new country as a newly wedded couple, and while we’ve come up with a list of “must-see” places, we were wondering if any Paradoxdruid’s Rants’ readers have recommendations. Part 1: Tokyo.

Here’s our list of places we’d really like to see in Tokyo:

Museums:

• Meguro Parasitological Museum
• National Museum of Modern Art
• Tokyo National Museum
• National Museum of Emerging Sciences
• Edo-Tokyo museum

Parks, gardens, and shrines:

• Imperial Palace (lots of beautiful gardens!)
• Yoyogi Kouen (a beautiful park)
• Hama Rikyu (garden of a feudal lord)
• Meiji Jungu Shrine

Anime-related:

• Akihabara
• Ghibli Museum
• Kinokuniya bookshop (large, famous book store)
• Jingu Bashi Park (cosplay park)

Entertainment and shopping (we’re really not big shoppers though):

• Roppongi (cultural center with an active nightlife)
• Odaiba, Minato (Tokyo bay — lots of attractions)
• Kabukicho (large red light district…)
• Shinjuku (a very popular shopping/entertainment district — #1 most visited place in Tokyo)
• Shibuya (another popular shopping/entertainment district)
• Aoyama (another shopping/entertainment district)

Other attractions:

• Sony Building
• Tsukiji Fish Market (sushi breakfast!)
• Tokyo Tower (taller than the Eiffel Tower!)
• Ooedo Onsen Monogatari Hot Springs(only co-ed hot springs we found)
• Tokyo International Forum (big business district)

We also have looked into hotels quite a bit, mostly traditional Japanese Ryokans and maybe a “love hotel” for fun, but if anyone has recommendations we’d love to hear them.

Next up I’ll be posting Part 2: Kyoto (as soon as we get around to figuring all that out)! Again, if you have any suggestions for Kyoto, feel free to voice them before the next post! Thanks for reading! 🙂

4 Responses to “To Japan: Part 1 (of 2)!”

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[…] honeymoon — specifically, we’re going to Tokyo and Kyoto for about a week each in May. Earlier we posted our list of “must-see” places in Tokyo and now we thought we’d post our list for Kyoto. We’d love recommendations from people! […]

Paradoxdruid’s Rants » Blog Archive » To Japan: Part 2 (of 2) - March 15th, 2009 at 10:58 am

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There is so much to do and see that picking your priorities will be really important. The sheer fact that there are so many people that you are going to have to work through all the time, makes it exhausting and time consuming. Since you already have a good list going, I’m hesitant to add more, but you really need to consider proxemics and accessibility from where you are staying (something may be across town but a single subway ride, or something may be closer but require a difficult change of trains). Do you have a subway map? You should print one off the web and start to get a little familiar with it. Anyway, here are some more ideas:

ANIME: You can find some other anime places in Tokyo at: http://www.japantravelinfo.com/anime/

Tokyo Internatioal Anime Fair 2009
Japanese Anime Links
About.com Anime Guide

KABUKI: You might also want to see Kabuki as some of the deep cultural source of anime and you will probably want to go to the Ginza anyway.
http://www.awn.com/mag/issue1.5/articles/goslingcult1.5.html. Kabukiza in the Ginza http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater/
For people who don’t have the time or money to see a whole program, you can buy a same day ticket very reasonably (which is actually the only way you can see it unless you buy tickets way in advance). I can’t remember whether we stood or sat, but it is very high up and some small opera binoculars would be very nice. But still, it is an excellent way to taste the rich art form of kabuki which is a foundational entertainment form in Japan. (BOX OFFICE FOR ONE ACT).

ACCOMODATIONS: Last time we stayed at a ryokan in Tokyo called Ryumeikan, mostly because it was reasonable and centrally located. http://www.ryumeikan.co.jp/honten_eng.htm

You can also do a traditional gesuku home stay in Japan. Cheaper and a taste of Japan but wouldn’t have your own bathroom, etc. http://www.homestayinjapan.com/

A love hotel is worth the experience – especially on a honeymoon. Remember you can pay by the hour if you want to have a short but exotic experience. Pick your theme and you’ll find one that has it.

Asakusa is a famous temple in Tokyo and you can take a boat ride from it to Odaiba (or the other way around) on the Sumida River Cruise. You do not need a reservation, and while sometimes in the summer it can get pretty crowded, there are usually a couple of boats per hour.

On the other hand, since you are going to Kyoto, the land of temples and shrines, you might want to just wait and focus on anime and modern Japan in Tokyo (except for Kabuki which you can’t see in Kyoto).

If you rent a cell phone, – http://www.Myjapanphone.com – you can call for free information in English at: 0570 000 911. Travel information: 3502-1461. From Kyoto (075)-71-5649
http://www.jhelp.com/en/jhlp.html

Important: YOU WALK A LOT MORE IN JAPAN than in California. When you’re not used to it, your feet will really let you know. I recommend that you get some good pairs of walking socks and back up shoes. Remember that you may be taking your shoes on and off a lot (need clean socks – no holes). And, of course, it does rain in Japan. You should take light weight umbrellas.

General information you probably already have:
http://gojapan.about.com/

Love, Diana. P.S. I’ll post something about Kyoto soon.

Diana Rowland - March 15th, 2009 at 3:18 pm

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We picked out our first Tokyo hotel!

New Izu Hotel

It’s nice to know where we’re going. 🙂

Paradoxdruid - March 21st, 2009 at 3:25 pm

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Don’t miss Harajuku on a Sunday afternoon. The crazy kids in their costumes are fascinating and they don’t mind if you take their picture!

Anna - March 24th, 2009 at 5:35 pm

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