fun tourist ish to do in Japan
Nobody likes the tuna here
iTrader: (51)
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,779
From: Somewhere San Mateo County, Inside A 911 Ambulance
Car Info: 03 SRP WRX Street Class Prepped, 17 Chevy Duramax
Registered User
iTrader: (12)
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 7,225
From: SF Bay Area - Peninsula
Car Info: 04 psm wrx sedan
At night in tokyo go up to the top of roppongi hills or the taller skytower (I think its called)
Its so cool to see the whole city and all the lights at night
Heedz basically got most of it haha (I've been there 20+ times, its hard to do everything in a few weeks)
Its so cool to see the whole city and all the lights at night
Heedz basically got most of it haha (I've been there 20+ times, its hard to do everything in a few weeks)
Nobody likes the tuna here
iTrader: (51)
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,779
From: Somewhere San Mateo County, Inside A 911 Ambulance
Car Info: 03 SRP WRX Street Class Prepped, 17 Chevy Duramax
I spent 3 days in Akihabara.... Still couldn't find used panties, first day. Erik found them.
Registered User
iTrader: (12)
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 7,225
From: SF Bay Area - Peninsula
Car Info: 04 psm wrx sedan
Oh and I tell everyone that goes to japan to get mos burger...my favorite burger (yeah I know eating hamburgers in japan sounds stupid but its awesome)
Registered User
iTrader: (12)
Joined: Apr 2008
Posts: 7,225
From: SF Bay Area - Peninsula
Car Info: 04 psm wrx sedan
Oh and there's an underground place in roppongi that has a lot of restaurants and there is a tonkatsu place that breeds their own pigs specifically for katsu...so good its served medium/rare and it melts in your mouth...like kobe beef of pork haha...don't remember the name, my mom is the one who knows it all she lives there now
Nobody likes the tuna here
iTrader: (51)
Joined: Feb 2010
Posts: 19,779
From: Somewhere San Mateo County, Inside A 911 Ambulance
Car Info: 03 SRP WRX Street Class Prepped, 17 Chevy Duramax
Oh and there's an underground place in roppongi that has a lot of restaurants and there is a tonkatsu place that breeds their own pigs specifically for katsu...so good its served medium/rare and it melts in your mouth...like kobe beef of pork haha...don't remember the name, my mom is the one who knows it all she lives there now
Yeah...
VIP Member
iTrader: (2)
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 15,425
From: Under your bed, in your closet, and in your head
Car Info: Corvette Z51
I wouldn't go to Jiro's restaurant. Just because it's famous and how he's done it doesn't mean it's the freshest. Know for fact it's not because Tsukiji is a straight up tourist attraction and the fish there could be a half day to a day old. You really don't catch much in Tokyo harbor if you know what I mean.
The scary thing... They are literally there the same I was last year except I was there longer. Just like Matt's stay basically.
I can give you a business card to a restaurant in Tokyo, he will hook it up he loves getting State side people there, he used to work in San Mateo at Sushi Sam's for about 5years and opened his own back in Japan. Ask Erik or Matt or Matt (Outbackdream) about this place. It's amazing. Just remind me to bring the card out.
Kyoto, you can spend a good 3 days there. Definitely check out the Golden and the Silver Pavillion and also Kiyomizu Temple. Those are a definite. It's gonna be spring break at that time so catching a bus to get somewhere is ALMOST impossible, Matt and I cabbed it around for 8 hours spent about.... 8000 yen total? Better than waiting in line for a couple hours to catch public transport. Busses go directly to the place, trains will require a hefty walk sometimes.
If they're taking the bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo, get the Oshi Sushi its mackerel pushed with sweet seaweed on rice. It's a famous bento you can get only on that ride.
Day trip from Kyoto, hit up Osaka and get food there, its one of the best I say, you can get kushikatsu (just enter a sketchy restaurant with people in it its fried anything on a stick, dip it in the katsu sauce ONLY i say ONLY ONCE, or you will get kicked out or yelled at) near the Tsuutenkaku in Tennouji. Also Shinsaibashi is a strange mix they have an americamura which is literally america town in the middle of the city. Kinda funny there's even a damn krispy kreme now. Visit the Osakajou too history there.
Now Tokyo.......... Definitely Asakusa, old history huge temple a lot of things to look at. Also if the Cherry Blossoms bloom walk by the Arakawa and you can see the skytree from there. Then visit the skytree since its open now (tallest building in the world atm)
Akihabara is literally the tech/anime/pervs of Japan. 5th floor up is usually ****, etc. It's like wow only in Japan... Those moments will definitely be found there. Have them visit a maid cafe too, definitely worth the experience. Just wander around everywhere literally side streets included.
Ikebukuro, visit the Sunshine mall it's like an american fashioned mall but with different types of businesses in there. Namco Nanjatown is here too, Enjoyable for adults even my friends teaching there go every so often its a small entertainment park. Also check out the electronics stores here.
Shinjuku avoid the Kabukicho everywhere else is okay, if you don't know Japanese and are foreign you might get ****ed with here.
Shibuya 10-9 store, the huge intersection, Hachikou dog statue, and a lot of the young population hangs out here and shops.
Roppongi, drinking till the suncomes up, americanized clubs walk around and find out what's in store. Don't have much suggestions here since I didn't go last time I was back.
Tokyo station, it's getting remodeled I don't know how much of it is done but.... check it out anyways, its restoring an ancient piece of work there.
This is out of the Tokyo area but Kamakura, visit the giant buddha statue there, get a rickshaw tour(Although most do not speak english a couple do, the one we got didn't and he was stoked to have a translator for the first time ever), there's a pathway filled with cherry blossoms and it was made just for the wife of the "king" there. It's beautiful, also the large palace/temple there has weddings outside. It's really cool.
Ill chime in more as I remember.
The scary thing... They are literally there the same I was last year except I was there longer. Just like Matt's stay basically.
I can give you a business card to a restaurant in Tokyo, he will hook it up he loves getting State side people there, he used to work in San Mateo at Sushi Sam's for about 5years and opened his own back in Japan. Ask Erik or Matt or Matt (Outbackdream) about this place. It's amazing. Just remind me to bring the card out.
Kyoto, you can spend a good 3 days there. Definitely check out the Golden and the Silver Pavillion and also Kiyomizu Temple. Those are a definite. It's gonna be spring break at that time so catching a bus to get somewhere is ALMOST impossible, Matt and I cabbed it around for 8 hours spent about.... 8000 yen total? Better than waiting in line for a couple hours to catch public transport. Busses go directly to the place, trains will require a hefty walk sometimes.
If they're taking the bullet train from Kyoto to Tokyo, get the Oshi Sushi its mackerel pushed with sweet seaweed on rice. It's a famous bento you can get only on that ride.
Day trip from Kyoto, hit up Osaka and get food there, its one of the best I say, you can get kushikatsu (just enter a sketchy restaurant with people in it its fried anything on a stick, dip it in the katsu sauce ONLY i say ONLY ONCE, or you will get kicked out or yelled at) near the Tsuutenkaku in Tennouji. Also Shinsaibashi is a strange mix they have an americamura which is literally america town in the middle of the city. Kinda funny there's even a damn krispy kreme now. Visit the Osakajou too history there.
Now Tokyo.......... Definitely Asakusa, old history huge temple a lot of things to look at. Also if the Cherry Blossoms bloom walk by the Arakawa and you can see the skytree from there. Then visit the skytree since its open now (tallest building in the world atm)
Akihabara is literally the tech/anime/pervs of Japan. 5th floor up is usually ****, etc. It's like wow only in Japan... Those moments will definitely be found there. Have them visit a maid cafe too, definitely worth the experience. Just wander around everywhere literally side streets included.
Ikebukuro, visit the Sunshine mall it's like an american fashioned mall but with different types of businesses in there. Namco Nanjatown is here too, Enjoyable for adults even my friends teaching there go every so often its a small entertainment park. Also check out the electronics stores here.
Shinjuku avoid the Kabukicho everywhere else is okay, if you don't know Japanese and are foreign you might get ****ed with here.
Shibuya 10-9 store, the huge intersection, Hachikou dog statue, and a lot of the young population hangs out here and shops.
Roppongi, drinking till the suncomes up, americanized clubs walk around and find out what's in store. Don't have much suggestions here since I didn't go last time I was back.
Tokyo station, it's getting remodeled I don't know how much of it is done but.... check it out anyways, its restoring an ancient piece of work there.
This is out of the Tokyo area but Kamakura, visit the giant buddha statue there, get a rickshaw tour(Although most do not speak english a couple do, the one we got didn't and he was stoked to have a translator for the first time ever), there's a pathway filled with cherry blossoms and it was made just for the wife of the "king" there. It's beautiful, also the large palace/temple there has weddings outside. It's really cool.
Ill chime in more as I remember.
I'll add the following (though some of it is probably outdated):
-Hang out in Odaiba/the Tokyo Bay Area. Check out Decks shopping center and the Sega Joypolis.
- Go to Yokohama and explore. Ride the ferris wheel for a great view. Have some Chinese food in Chinatown -- tastes different than anywhere else in the world!
- Visit Yoyogi Park on a Sunday to check out the cosplayers and visual rockers, b-boys, gothic lolitas, etc. Stop by Meiji Shrine too, it's in the park.
- Roppongi Hills has a nice shopping center on its lower floors.
- Marunouchi has high-end shopping.
- Visit some shrines and temples if you like; I suggest Asakusa Kanon Temple and its Nakamise shopping arcade over all the others.
- Go to the Imperial Palace on the Sumida River and take a cruise if you like, otherwise, you can just explore the outer grounds and take photos, etc.
- Check out the view from the top of Tokyo Tower or the Toyko Skytree, or, if they want to save a few bucks, go to the observation deck in the Tokyo metropolitan government building in Shinjuku instead; their cafe serves reasonably-priced food for lunch and is a bar by night.
- If you wanna shop for electronics, forget buying in Akihabara since things are either over-priced rarities or second-hand goods there. Find any branch of Bic Camera or Yodobashi Camera and do your shopping there instead for unused and reasonably priced electronics.
- Akihabara is otherwise not a bad place if they're into otaku stuff though haha!
- Go shopping in Shinjuku. Go on a weekend, lots of street performers and crowds that liven up the mood.
- Go window-shopping in Ginza. Don't buy anything unless it's really cheap, b/c you're prolly getting ripped off. There's also Hakuhinkan there, a multi-level toy store that's been around for over 100 years and has some pretty damn coo, only-in-Japan kindal stuff.
- Go to Hakone for an onsen (hot spring) session. It feels goooooooooooood! They can also take a cruise on Lake Hakone and check out the small shops on the shore.
- Kamakura's is worth a day trip. Lots of temples and historical sites there, being the ancient capital, including Kotoku-in, home of the largest bronze Buddha statue in Japan. Enoshima Island is nearby too, and it's a nice little natural escape.
- Check out the cherry blossoms this time of year, maybe at Ueno park!


