Top Japan Hotels

We went to the Tsukiji fish market two days in a row (my boyfriend is a chef). The place is fascinating, and has the best sushi in the world (if you like sushi, this is the place to go). That was one of our highlights. We visited friends in Kagurazaka, which is in NE Shinjuku. This is a little known, but wonderful section, full of fantastic restaurants, bakeries, and great shopping areas, but with very few tourists and crowds. It is an ex-pat area with a lot of French and German people living amongst the locals. They all speak Japanese fluently as well. I highly recommend it.

I made Kyoto my base and was easily able to take day trips to Hiroshima, Hemiji and Miajyma. From there you can easily access other places especially with the JR Bullet Train. As trains are expensive in Japan I made the most of the JR Travel Pass which is available to tourists. With it you don''t have to worry about buying individual tickets and you can reserve your seats at all JR trains for free. It also entitles you to unlimited travel on JR Trains (except the Nozomi Super Express) JR Buses and JR Ferries. You get a voucher from your travel agent which you exchange at a JR office (one is available at the airports). Check out www.japanrailpass.net. for further info.

We visited Kyoto during the last week of July. Enjoyed visiting the Temples, Shrines, and the Emperor''s Palace, but the place is very hot during summer. We found Taxi to be the most convenient way to see the sites in a relatively short time. Don''t miss the evening show of watching fishermen using diving birds to catch fish. Tokyo was tolerable in heat, but humidity was not very comfortable. Metro system is truly outstanding and one doesn''t need to know Japanese to quickly figure it out. Get the 1000 Yen Passnet which almost serves all Metros and makes life a lot easier. It is like having a Metro debit card, thus one does not need to buy tickets every time. During our one week stay, we experienced a 6.1 earthquake, a typhoon, and another 4.7 earthquake, but that is nothing unusual in Japan. Visiting Japan is an amazing cultural experience.

Good location. Just 5 walking minutes from Roppongi Station. Japanese restaurants and international cusine are within walking distance ( 5 - 10 minutes ). For those who look for the Hard Rock Café, it''s 10 Minutes from the Mansion. The only thing is: Have the phone number ready when you come with a taxi. Even though they have GPS they couldn''t find it. They had to call. Take the "Friendly Limousine" Bus Service from Narita Airport to ANA Hotel Tokyo and then take a cap. It''s 3000 Yen for an adult and 1500 for a child (Airport transfer) and the taxi from ANA Hotel Tokyo to the Mansions is about 740 Yen (depends on how quick he finds the hotel - lol). Tokyo Tower one of Tokyo''s attractions is within walking distance. But when you come there, I would recommend that you do one of these day tours to see the highlights. For all families: Disneyland and Disney Sea are very easy to reach from the Mansions. It just takes 30 Minutes. The waterpark "Summerland - Water Adventure" is two hrs. away. But in the summertime a blast for kids. And the train ride is fun anyway.

We visited the A-Bomb Dome and spent several hours at the visitor center at the Peace Park. We went to a Hiroshima Carp baseball game, a movie, and ate at a Chinese Restaurant on Peace Avenue. There were always taxis waiting outside the door.

When in Tokyo, at least visit Tokyo National Museum, Asakusa temple, Meji shrine and Ginza. And always try and visit the beautiful and much smaller cities of Kamakura and Nikko.

Took JTB Sunrise one day tour to Kyoto. You have to get into the hotel nearest Osaka Station, which is the Granvia. Probably easier to take the airport limousine bus to Shin-Osaka station (only about 440 yen.)

I visited the World Expo in Nagoya. It was a fascinating experience. However, I felt that the whole experience was very commercialized and the organizers could have been better organized. At times the Expo seemed a little bit chaotic. If you are going to the Expo, I would recommend that you go for more than a day. The waiting lines for the various exhibits are tremendously long. Wait times greater than 30 minutes are the norm and they give out reserved tickets for exhibits at designated times which you must obtain if you want to visit them. Nagoya Castle is a destination you must visit if you are in Nagoya. It''s an impressive destination and there''s a lot to see and experience. Nighlife in Nagoya is pretty quiet. Don''t expect late night drinking sessions and much frenzied action like you would find in Tokyo. Compared to Tokyo, Westerners and foreigners are not that many and visible in Nagoya. I''m not sure if this is a benefit to you or not, but I found it refreshing not having so many Westerners and foreigners around.

This hotel has one of the best locations in kyoto!! You can walk to all of the shoppong, Gion, and Nijo Castle. The other shrines are all close by with taxi, bus, or subway. The rooms are small, but this is to be expected in Japan. The rooms are a tad run down but clean. The staff are friendly, many of them speak excellent English. The service is great in the conceriege. Many eateries around the hotel and again you can walk to all the shopping and Gion. I would stay here again if in Kyoto. Also the Kyoto train station is about 15 min from the hotel by taxi.

Many things to do and see. I recommend Sam''s by the Sea for great steak and seafood. There are also many Sushi places and the hotel staff is very good about recommending good ones and directions to them.

Hiroshima is a place that any traveler to Japan should visit. Experiencing the tragic history of Hiroshima is an important experience, and one the Peace Memorial Park with its chilling Atomic Bomb Dome and sobering Peace Museum will make sure you never forget. The city itself is very affordable and easy to get around. It is an easy walk from Hiroshima Station to anywhere in the city you would like to go, and if you don''t feel like walking the tram system will take you anywhere you want to go for a flat rate of 150 yen: a steal if you are familiar with the costs of traveling in Japan.<br> <br> Hiroshima is also a day-trip away from several must-see sights in Japan. One of the more popular destinations is Miyajima Island where Itsukushima Shrine and its famous floating torii can be found. The boat ride out and back to the island is amazing. Also, a Shinkansen stop down, is Iwakuni: a town that to me captures the old-time essence of Japan. Kintai Bridge, the oldest standing of its kind in Japan, leads the way to Iwakuni Castle which is well worth the hike. A few more stops down on the Shinkansen line is Shimonoseki. Little known to the guidebooks, Shimonoseki is home to one of Japan''s most famous, and reportedly haunted, shrines: Akama Shine. The view of Dan no Ura, the Inland Sea, and even Kyushu are breathtaking, and the fresh fish from the market on the beach are well worth the wait in line. The best thing to remember about visiting Hiroshima and Southern Honshu is to pace yourself. There is a lot to see, even if most guidebooks only devote a few pages to the area. Try to devote a day to each major sight, and it might be wise to plan a second stop to places like the Peace Museum, which can be hard to take the first time through.

We stayed at this hotel on completion of a cruise that ended in Osaka. The cruise line provided transfers only to Kansia International Airport (KIX) and not to Itami (ITM) so we took a cab. It costs approximately US$70 (7,000 yen) and took about 35 minutes from the pier. You can also get there by train, but we had too much luggage to use that option. The airport opens at 6am and we were told to be there at that time in order to check-in for our 8 am flight. In practice there were only short lines and we could have waited at least until 6.30 am.

Just stayed one night after attending the Aichi/Nagoya Expo 2005. I was intrigued by the nearby Hawaiian restaurant in the new mall adjacent to the station. But the music was painfully loud, so we left. Found a little gem of a place, also in the mall: the Soya Cafe - a real hoot. Miniature complex combo dinners with soy in almost everything. Delicious, fun and at a good price.

To find food near the hotel, take the lift that serves directly to B2, walk a short distance to nearby buildings such as Shiodome City Center or Caretta Shiodome and be spoit for choice by the extensive range of restaurants and cafes. At lunch time, you can easily find a great set meal for about US$10. There are many shops, cafes, restaurants located along the linkway between the hotel and Shimbashi Station. For a nice day trip, visit Yokohama and see the reputed world''s biggest Chinatown. The place is really buzzing with activities. Take the subway from Shimbashi to Shibuya (Ginza Line) and transfer directly to Yokohama line. It takes about 40 minutes on the express train.

Visited Osaka Castle, the Osaka Aquarium (fantastic), Kyoto (about 25 minutes by train), went to Gion district and saw a Geisha show, tea ceremony, there are over 1,500 temples to see in Kyoto. The cherry blossoms in April are something you should not miss. Nara is a remarkable city, bring food to feed the deer that walk around free. Plenty of museums, shopping. Wear your walking shoes as you do plenty of walking. In Kyoto, get an all day bus pass so you can get on and off the bus at different locations for one price. Trains and subways are pretty easy to learn. Food is great almost everywhere. Don''t miss the shopping underneath the Hanshin Dept store. The pastries made each day are beautiful. Fun to see all the different food.

Tokyo is exciting and fun. there is a lot to see and do. Try to take a water bus down the Sumida River for an interesting way to see Tokyo.

We didn''t have a lot of time in Hiroshima so decided to visit Miyajima on the afternoon we arrived and save the Memorial Park and museum for the following morning. Would definitely recommend Miyajima, so quite and peaceful after the hustle and bustle of many of the cities we visited...the tame deer, the temples, the wooden buildings and the atmosphere. Unfortunately we didn''t have time to take the forest walk as well. The following morning we visited the Hiroshima Memorial Park, Hall of Rememberance and the A-bomb Museum. Also, consider using a JR railpass if you intend to travel around. Our children had a great couple of hours at ''Edo Movie Land'' in Kyoto, 10mins by JR from Kyoto main railway station. It is a smaller japanese version of Universal Studios, with lots of traditional houses and sets used in japanese costume dramas, soap operas, films etc. The children really enjoyed the stunt show featuring the samuri and the ninja. You can also dress up as a geisha or a samurai warrior and have your photo taken (for a fee!). Could be an excellent bribe if the younger ones are all ''templed out''!<br> <br> Universal Studios Osaka is wonderful but the queues are long, you need a full day or try to go on a weekday which is not a school holiday and remember to check the information boards in the park for attraction queue times...Also I would recommend Himeji Castle...we were lucky and had an english speaking guide who explained the history of the castle including all the secret defense mechanisms much to the delight of our sons who couldn''t wait to discover the whereabouts of the next ''booby trap! For me, strolling around Kyoto''s Gion district at dusk and catching a glimpse of the Geishas/Meikos on their way to their engagements was definately one of the highlights of my stay. I was reading *Memoirs of a Geisha* at the time and it was literally as though the novel was brought to life in front of me. Oh and don''t forget Nara, full of history,culture and easy to walk around.

I would recommend Hotel Senkyoro in Hakone. Great onsen, very courteous staff and best of all, there is a studio for guests to make their own Japanese ceramics. (There is an instructor there to show you how of course.) My plate is sure to win many design awards! :)

Awesome place for lunch - Danto, about a couple blocks from Ginza station - located in the basement of an office building. Cute, traditional style lunch establishment with very friendly staff. One of the waitresses was especially amused at the size of my gaijin Born loafers ("Oki-desu!") which failed to fit in the shoe cabinets. Food is great, and you cannot beat the set courses for value and taste. Check out Frommer''s Tokyo Guidebook for more details. We also loved a Koren BBQ place in the mall ourside of the Disney Resort - a bit on the expensive side (naturally, given its location), but DELICIOUS. Take a Japanese friend, as (surprisingly, again given its location) there are no English menus.<br> <br> Freshness Burger - not so much. Avoid this place unless you need something to soak up the booze after a night in Roppongi/Shinjuku/etc. Getting around: incredibly easy. Public transport in Tokyo is a completely hassle-free experience. Read the maps carefully (if possible, plan out your trip beforehand using a site like zone81.com''s subway planner) and check out the Romanji translations in all stations, and you are set! We loved Tokyo (and our one day in Kyoto). We hope to come back very soon to experience more of the city - eight days and we only scratched the surface!

People watching takes a lot of beating in Tokyo. Go to Harajuku station to see the bizarre clothes of the ''Harajuku girls''. We thought that ''Electric Town'' was disappointing, but really enjoyed the Sunday markets.

Take advantage of the 100 yen city bus located across at the train station. You must go to the bus stop to catch this bus. The city is promoting its bus, it goes around the sights of Kyoto, from Sanju-sangen-do to Museums, to the Silver Shrine to Kiyomizu, etc. This is our third trip to Kyoto and we would come back again to enjoy the cherry blossoms, cultural and artistic venues.

Try nearby Spago for a bargain lunch (2500 yen) at a Wolfgang Puck top line restaurant which would cost triple in the evening.

Hiroshima should be a MUST see for anyone going to Japan - if only so that what happened in Aug 1945 will never happen again. The city has done an amazing job with the Peace Memorial and the museum is a fascinating and vivid walk through history and is quite fair in its write up on the events. The park itself is beautifully laid out with lots of things to see and contemplate. One night - two day stay would be sufficient - also worth seeing is the Miyajima Island with its floating torii shrine which is about 25 minutes by train (and a further 10 minutes by ferry) from Hiroshima main JR station.

We were all over Tokyo visiting tourist sites and general shopping. We used the subway and JR trains which provide very efficient transportation. We liked the Shabu-shabu restaurant in the hotel for a Japanese treat and several of the restaurants by the Akasaka-Mitsuke subway stop were very good.

Roppongi is quite a newly developed city. Just a 10min. walk will get you to TV Asahi where I enjoyed shopping for Doraemon''s goods. The view around that area is a lot better at night. So if you plan for a nice stroll, go during the late evening.

I did the tourist thing all over Tokyo for a week. I was a little dissapointed with the Sega Joypolis in Odaiba. I did the skydiving ride but it wasn''t what I had hoped for. The Edo-Tokyo museum was interesting. I saw a Sumo match which I highly recommend at least once if they''re going on when you''re there. Shibuya and Shinjuku are interesting areas as is Asakusa. I did a Sumida Gawa river cruise down to Hinode pier and it was very relaxing and informative. If you''re around Shibuya or Harajuku on a Sunday, definately go see the costume play kids on the bridge over Harajuku station in the afternoon. It''s like Halloween only better.<br> <br> Akihabara has tons of electronics of course but what I didn''t realize was this is the place to go for DVD''s as well. They have huge selections of every genre including the naughty ones. Meiji Shrine in Harajuku is a definite must, especially if there are some weddings going on. Tokyo Tower was a mediocre experience for me, I didn''t go all the way to the top since I had previously gone to the top of the Tokyo Metro Gov''t Building for free and got almost the same view.<br> <br> Palette town with the Venus Fort and Toyota Mega web were worth visiting but my favorite on Odaiba was the Oedo Onsen. Definately go there if you get a chance. It''s a traditional Japanese hot spring public bath. You change into a yukata (like a bathrobe sort of) and walk around a public area with food and gifts. The hot spring areas though are separate for males & females, each with indoor and outdoor sections. I found the hot tubs outside to be a wonderful contrast to the cold temperatures, plus you get the added benefit of walking around without clothes on along with lots of other people. Great experience though and I felt rejuvenated afterwards. I also did a day trip to Kamakura which I highly recommend if you get the time. There''s a ton of shrines and temples and a big buddha too. The day I went to the shrine there was a big ceremony going on with hundreds of people and imitation samurai swords. Very exciting stuff.

Went to Daitokuji temple complex. There aren''t too many people there during the week, so I pretty much had the tour guide to myself, which was nice. Note: most things in Japan are cash-oriented, and it''s even harder to find an English ATM in Kyoto than in Tokyo-- and the one I found wasn''t on Cirrus or Plus, so my ATM card didn''t work anyway. But at least the streets have names and signs in English, which helps.

Kyoto is a nice city mixing modernity and traditions. We enjoyed the many temples (especially the Golden Temple) and Potocho Street, full of restaurants. City buses are very efficient and I would recommend their use. Transfer from Kyoto train station to Kansai airport takes 1h15.

Ate at the Kintetsu food floor. Similar to other department store food floors. Seattle''s Best Coffee located adjacent to hotel. Took the subway one stop from Ue-Hommachi stop (hotel) to Nipponbashi (Den-Den Town electronics area). The large Kuromon food market is also in the area.

If you only have 1 day, like we did, walk around the immediate vicinity of the hotel and you will get a good feel of Kyoto. Don''t miss Pontocho Street by the river (line of traditional restaurants), the streets of Gion (the old Geisha district) and Higashiyama Area where there are many temples to boast of. If you have more time, then do the temples off the city center... I think the Kinkakuji and Ryoanji area is the next best.

If you take AirBus to ANA hotel, after you get off the bus, go inside ANA hotel and take escalator one floor upwards and you will see taxi stand at the front door. Make sure you download the Hotel map and present it to taxi driver. Watch out the hotel lightbox on your left.

When visiting Sapporo take shoes with rubber soles in stead of leather soles, weather in December is very slippery, this is what I experienced. To go around in the city by Taxi was very easy, plenty of taxi''s around, and the price was acceptable. E.g. for a 5 km drive from hotel to JR Sapporo Station cost us about 1100 Yen. If one would like to buy electronics, I recommend the BIC Building which is next to the JR Sapporo Central Station. They have got EVERYTHING there stored on somewhat 7 floors!!!

Good shopping at Ginza and Roppongi. There is a great German bar on the main stretch of Ginza.

There are so many temples and gardens to see in Kyoto! I''ll definitely be going back to this wonderful city to catch all the things I missed. If you''re interested in sake, be sure to seek out a little bar named Yorum (Yorumu in Japanese). Dozens of fine are rare sakes are available. You can order a sampler and Mr. Yorum personally will guide you through the tasting.

The Metro is the easiest way to get around Tokyo. If there is a day you know you are going to ride the Metro a good amount I would recommend the 1-Day Fun Pass for 1000 Yen (about $10) for the TOIE and Tokyo Metro Line so you don''t have to think about the cost. If you''re not sure about how much to buy your ticket, buy the cheapest then pay the fare difference when you arrive at your destination station at the Far Adjustment Machine before you go through the turnstiles. Roppongi Hills just opened up and at night it''s a lovely area to walk around; it has museums/gallery, restaurants, shops, movie theatre, and views! If you''re thinking about getting electronics in Tokyo you might want to think twice. With all the globalization, the electronics in Tokyo are not as far from what we have in the States. I bought a digital camera and came home and found it being sold at Best Buy. Good thing the price is about the same. And if you buy it at home, you''re guaranteed to get instructions in English! I would recommend buying snacks and Japanese souvenirs to bring home instead.

Tokyo is a bit expensive (understatement) right now. That said, I am a foodie, do not miss the food halls in the department stores, sushi breakfast at the Tsujiki fish market and a dinner at Atelier Joel Robuchon at Roppongi Hills which is a mind blowing destination in itself.

Tokyo is a great city to visit, yes it is one of the more expensive cities in the world. It is a first world city and puts most to shame when it comes to cleanliness and thoughtfulness of other people. That said it still has its own funny idiosyncrasies. For a western lady, watch out going to a public toilet, the tradeoff for that is more shopping than you could possible imagine. It seemed every train stop on the JR line had multiple malls 10 stories high. The subway and railway is a little confusing, bring along a subway map in English (found at all hotels) and then it is much easier to work out where to come and go. Not much is in English and the JR railway line and Tokyo subway line are run sort of independant of each other yet appear to be seamless. The parks and shrines are amazing and well worth a visit to any that you come across, make sure you visit any before 4:00pm as they generally shut around then and you will need some time to absorb it all. There are plenty of places to let your hair down once the sun goes down, Shibuya and Shinjuku are 2 areas that we found however there are plenty more. All sorts of cuisines exist, however the more japanese you go the harder it is to order, but not impossible as they will try to help you as much as possible. Overall, Tokyo is well worth a visit, just a little difficult to understand some things, but sometimes we have to get "lost in translation".

My story - appreciation of the Japanese Travel Bureau and Agency: My son and I took a tour of Mount Fuji via the Japanese Travel Agency. The tour guide (Harry) was especially delightful. His wit kept us entertained. We appreciated, above all else, that he made sure we bought the correct train tickets for our return trip from Tokyo to Yokosuka, and that we had platform numbers for our trains. <br> <br> Also I would like to share a tale of appreciation to a fellow traveler. When I first arrived in Japan from the U.S., I asked a young man (Robert) who had flown with me to help me buy the right train ticket from Tokyo-Narita to Yokosuka. Robert not only did that but also he accompanied me from Tokyo-Narita to Shingawa, where he put me on the right train for Yokosuka. Having arrived in Japan at approximately 4:30, I was eager to find and check into Hotel Yokosuka. Because of Robert(from U.S. but lives in Tokyo) who helped me, I was able to move smoothly from the airport and from one train to the other with no problem. By 8:00 I had checked into Hotel Yokosuka. I shall forever be grateful to Robert for making my arrival into Japan a smooth, easy one. Japan''s train system is incredibly wonderful (I learned), but when you first arrive (very tired) --- it is quite intimidating to small-town folks, who do not know train systems. I was in a number of countries during the past year, and I found that the Japanese people were among the most willing to help me, when I asked them to do so. Japan is a joy to visit.

Though I stayed in Ginza, I spent most of my time in Shinjuku (having lunch at the excellent Teppanyaki restaurant in the Park Hyatt) and Shibuya (visiting the incomparable Tokyo Hands). I also always visit the SONY showroom in Ginza to see a glimpse of the future. This time, it''s the Qualia 005 HDTV (not available for demo in the US).

Reaching the destination from Kyoto with the Japan Rail West pass was a little adventure! But being there we discovered that the city bus to Itami gave good connection with JR, so our wives could fly from Itami, while we (the boys) needed just two hours to catch our plain at Kansai, seeing each other again after safe flying in Amsterdam!

The Aeon Shopping Mall at Narita is very modern and has lots of interesting shops - and some at very affordable prices. The ANA Narita hotel provides free shuttle service to this mall. Our son loves Tokyo Disneyland and wants to go back again next year. Food and entrance fees are prohibitive but the experience was rich. My wife has to move around with a crutch and was pleasantly surprised to meet with lots of assistance and concern. Overall, our visit to Tokyo this time confirms the impression from a previous visit 7 years ago - Japan is clean, rich in culture, things move like clockwork, the Japanese people are polite and customer service is first-rate - even though we cannot understand what they are saying - the smiles and friendly gestures speak for themselves.

If you have the chance, visit the VENUSFORT shopping mall in Tokyo Bay Ariake and be surprised (on the Yurikamome line)!

There is a very good yakitori place just around the corner from The Mansions and Roppongi Hills is another attraction nearby. Be prepared this is a very busy area, but the hotel is very quite. Unfortunately no possibilities for breakfast in the hotel.

Osaka''s sights are well-documented but one attraction relatively close to the airport is worth noting (especially if you have a lazy day to spend watching planes). Skyland Harada is a park where you get great views of planes landing at Itami Airport, great place to people-watch or enjoy a practice game of softball.

Kyoto is the cultural capital of Japan and a wonderful place to experience the soul of Japan. It is small and very easy to get around on the local bus system. Be sure to get an english map from the central bus station at Kyoto Rail Station.

Took the JTB Sunrise tour of Kyoto, highly recommended to get background on the temples and shrines, especially since the sites are distant from the train station. Used the Haruka Express train to Kansai Airport which is very convenient (drops you right off at the terminal).

We selected a JTB Sunrise morning tour as an orientation to Kyoto. We visited the Golden Pavillion, The Imperial Palace and the Nijo Castle. The tour was rushed and should have gone for at least another hour. The two Tokyo JTB morning tours (Edo Tokyo and the Tokyo Bay Lunch Cruise) we went on by comparison were enjoyable, well-paced and relaxing.<br> <br> The transport system in Kyoto is so easy to navigate that we spent the rest of our week stay travelling on our own. We recommend the following places as must-sees -- Kyoto station''s rooftop observatory, Takashiyama and Hankyu Department stores, the 400 year old Nishiki market and the covered shopping arcades around Teramachi. If you are going to see temples you must limit yourself as there are so many. We went to the Silver Pavillion which has a beautiful garden, Nanzenji, which is huge and has a fantastic Zen dry stone garden for contemplation and the beautiful Kiyomizu. One of the more impressive temples and the most accessible as far as photography was concerned is the atmospheric Chion-in. Also you must visit the very unusual Sanjusangendo Hall.<br> <br> We went to the Gion corner and found the traditional entertainment to be virtually incomprehensible. Wait until you witness the Ikebana demonstration!! Most visitors were bemused. This entertainment is rather expensive so think twice before you go. At dusk the Pontoncho and Gion offer a number of restaurants available to foreigners, just look for the English menus outside. We dined at two Pontoncho restaurants Kaiyoutei (French style, located directly on the river) and Ka-Shin-tei (Japanese style - reasonably priced and marvellous food). At dusk it is possible to witness geisha or maiko walking around in Gion and the Pontoncho. It is not necessary to book yourself onto a tour to see this. You should be neatly and smartly dressed to eat here.<br> <br> If you have children we would recommend a day trip to Osaka from Kyoto. Time wise we took in three sites - the Umeda Sky Building, the Osaka Aquarium - which houses a whale shark, the nearby ferris wheel and the Osaka Castle. Again, transporation in Osaka is OK and we even met some very kind locals who went out of their way to assist us.<br> <br> If you wish to buy souvenirs you must visit the Kyoto Craft Centre near Gion. Do not confuse this place with the Kyoto Handicraft Centre, which sells tacky stuff by comparison. The Kyoto Craft Centre is the best place to buy quality handicrafts. In fact we found no better place to shop for traditional wares even in Tokyo, and that includes the Oriental Bazaar. We recommend that you stay for at least one week in Kyoto. We ran out of time and would have loved to have gone on other day trips.

Rented car just outside airiport. Note that the major familiar rental car companies seem to have pickup transportation at airport, but HERTZ is administered under Toyoto Rental car, so dont stand around waiting for a bus labeled Hertz. Very impressive Prefectural Peace Museum in Naha overlooking ocean with sculpture garden dedicated to those who lost their lives in the WWII Battle of Okinawa. Well appointed displays in the museum.

Stayed at Mansions at Roppongi on the first part of a week-long visit to Japan in late September. This was definitely the best accomodation we had on the whole trip compared to the Westin Miyako in Kyoto and the Shinagawa Prince in Tokyo. Mansions is on a small side street - very quiet w/o street noise - a block or two off Roppongi Dori, on the right heading away from Roppongi Crossing (intersection of Roppongi Dori and Gaien-Higashi Dori - lots of taxis here) and the Almond Coffee Shop (if you hit Roppongi Hills, go the other way) - looks like an alley, but you can see the big white Mansions sign down the alley. Despite the great location, we ended up spending very little time in Roppongi itself. We had a great curry udon at Roppongi Hills, a large outdoor mall complex that is also connected to Roppongi Metro station. We had foot massages at an upstairs salon on Gaien-Higashi and dessert at the Almond. We actually spent one night browsing an all-night department store on Gaien-Higashi that had anything you could possibly need from costumes and socks to electronics and manicures. Walking at night is safe, but you will be eagerly invited into bars and night clubs by non-Japanese guys just doing a job. Overall, this would be our first choice to stay in Tokyo. Although you could find cheaper hotels, in my limited experience, it would be difficult to get a better value than this.

Tokyo is still an expensive city despite years of struggling under a deflationary economy. The best way to move around is by subway, and taxi is a no-no (use it as a last resort) as it''s ridiculously expensive. For foreign tourists, best to buy a JR Pass (Japan Railway Pass) before leaving home as it''s not for sale anywhere in Japan. This pass will cover most if not all trains going to different cities in Japan, plus the JR lines running within Tokyo. Japanese food is generally good but the best could only be found by chance or recommended by locals as most speak Japanese only. Also, set lunches are better value for money vs a-la-carte menu at dinners. Akasaka temple is a good place to visit and Disneyland is definitely enjoyable for family. Other than that, there are more interesting venues in cities outside Tokyo.

Experienced my 1st earthquake in Kyoto at midnight! Quite frightening as it lasted a few minutes and I had no clue how to react other than holding on to my pillow and kept looking out the window to see if anyone else was running. Otherwise, the 2-day stay was very pleasant visiting various temples and shrines, all pretty much accessible by bus that charged a flat fee. Would be advisable to buy a day-pass from the bus station and both Walking and City Maps are available free of charge from the tourist office at Kyoto Station.

Roppongi Hills is a "must-see", just across Roppongi intersection and a block further along Roppongi Dori on the left. Also worth noting that the Hibiya subway from Roppongi gives you very easy access to Ebisu and the Yamanote Line, or to Ginza and a number of other central city locations.

We definitely had some "Lost in Translation" moments but overall we had a great time, The subway system is safe, easy and clean. Top 5 best things we did in Tokyo was eat freshest sushi in tsukiji market, play pachinko "arcades" in shinjuku, rickshawed around asakusa temple, nightclub hopping in roppongi from 10 pm to 10 am, and shopping in ginza.

Tokyo definitely gets more accessible to foreigners with each passing year. If you have ever enjoyed a leisurely coffee in the French-sytle cafes of Omotesando however, don''t go back. They are all gone, every single one, replaced with shiny, soul-less international boutiques. International coffee chains are everywhere however and many offer a pleasant environment to both sit and enjoy a "coffee break" and also people-watch as the clientele is far more locals than visitors.

When bathing or taking a sauna, the areas are designated Ladies and Gentlemen and no swimwear or any garments are to be worn in baths and sauna which took me a while to become accustomed to being very modest, yet when I went to have a massage I reluctantly stripped off. The masseuse yelped ''pompom'' (naked) and rushed out and got me a tracksuit and massaged me through it and towels. Best massage ever, very therapeutic. My first visit to Tokyo and was only there for 4 days and 3 nights, too much to do and must return.

For a vacation probably two days in enough in Nagoya, the castle is worth visiting as you can go inside. The port area is also worth visiting even just for a walk around. The shopping in mainly located in the Sakae district, as Nagoya is a relatively small city it is very easy to get around by subway and I would recommend buying a one-day subway pass it cost around 800yen but was well worth it, I think the additional bus pass would not be worth it. The most famous shrine in Nagoya was a bit of a let down. It was a nice relief to escape from the crowds of Tokyo!

Comprehensive Park is right down the road...it has tennis courts, large grass fields, a pond with fish and ducks, and also a small water park. Then the Shoppers mall is almost right across the street with a Toys-R-us.

The Aeon Jusco shopping centre which is located 10 minutes away from the hotel is a great place to be if you have half a day to spend on shopping. A bus which runs hourly or so will bring you from the hotel to the mall, very convenient.

We undertook a great day tour to Mount Fuji & Hakone. It was conducted by Sunrise tours. The tour & the tour guide were excellent. However, the City tour conducted by the same firm is not worth the money. The only good thing about the city tour was the fantastic tour guide.

We went to Japan with our youngest son, a young adult for our oldest son''s wedding in Kyoto. Roppongi was great for him and his friend. A lot of fun night spots, etc. For us we found many great restaurants, like Inakaya and Moti. Inakaya was fantastic and recommend it highly. Moti is an Indian Restaurant and also excellent. There is a relatively new subway line in Roppongi now which makes getting around Tokyo very easy. We love Tokyo and look forward to returning soon.

We found it convenient to take a taxi to the hotel from the main Hiroshima station: about 1,000 yen. We had a fascinating dinner at the Okonomiyaki-mura (within walking distance; the hotel staff can explain how to get there), where there are several floors of small restaurants serving okonomiyaki, a pancake-like meal -- with layers of batter, cabbage, noodles and whatever other toppings you want -- that''s prepared to order on the grill built into the counter.<br> <br> After our night in Hiroshima, we went to the nearby island of Miyajima, a must-see spot with a tori and shrine built onto the tidal flats, so they seem to float in the water at high tide. It''s definitely worth staying the night (we chose a hotel-ryokan). We also climbed Mt. Misen, a fairly long and steep trail that offers a great view. There''s normally a ropeway part way up the mountain, but it was out of service when we were there.

My first recommendation (being a map freak) is to buy Kodanshas "Tokyo city Atlas a bilingual guide". I bought mine online for around $25 which seem like a lot for a short visit but it is worth twice as much for how much it empowers you. You will always know where you are! You will even know which subway exit to take eg Roppongi has 5or 6 and Sinjuku has around 30(maybe more). The address system is strange but the guide makes sense of it. Most of the smaller streets don''t have names! I also carry a small $3 compass (no I''m not completely neurotic I just like to know where I''m going) because sometimes you find you''re heading in the complete opposite direction.<br> <br> The subways were fantastic - don''t be intimidated learn how to use them immediately ask the attendant for a Tokyo subway guide in English. Sometimes, especially for 3-4 people and short trips cabs are more efficient but you never know what traffic is like and subways are pretty predictable and the come every 3-5 minutes.<br> <br> Coming from Narita we took the Keisei Skyliner to Ueno then walked for 3 minutes underground to the Hibiya (gray)Subway Line and took it to Roppongi and then it was a 5 minute walk to the Mansions. We each had a small wheeled suitcase and a day backpack - anything more and the subway method might prove a little awkward and arduous. There are space considerations on the subway plus although there are escalators you do have to walk up and down some stairs. Make sure when you get your ticket at Keisei to get a schedule for your return trip to Narita. I neglected to do this but went on line to get the times - the trains leave every 40 minutes and the on line scheduled departure time was 12 minutes later than the actual- don''t worry we didn''t miss our train but it was close.<br> <br> A more civilized way (there is still the unpedictability of traffic) is to take the ANA Hotel Airport Shuttle to the ANA Hotel which is a brief cab ride ( 10 minutes on foot) from the Mansions. We were going to use this method of getting to the airport but my wife preferred the predictability of the subway train. I recommend a walk to the ANA hotel which is next to Suntory Hall and near the US Embassy-while there you can check-out the shuttle and times etc Good Luck and Have a safe and enjoyable trip.<br> <br> And another thing - bring cash or an ATM card as many places do not take plastic. There is a 24 hour Citibank on th 2nd floor near Almond - not the same building- that accepted my Visa Plus and Visa Cirrus cards. ATMs are easier than going to a bank waiting in line filling out forms and twiddling your ears while the tedious and officious process crawls along - obviously you can see that I''ve filed my Japanese Bank experience under "I won''t do that again"

It was very easy to get around in Tokyo by subway. In fact, the prices of subway in Tokyo, are way cheaper than in other cities of Japan. However, you can always connect between subway station to final destination by taxi...anywhere between 700 to 1100 Yens for a short ride of about 10 - 25 mins.

Best way to get to the centre of Osaka is by the airport express bus from the airport.

We has a great trip to Japn over 8 days in early May 2004. We pre-booked Hotels in Tokyo, Harkone and Kyoto. We also prebooked one day tours in Tokyo and Kyoto and Japan Rail Pass before travelling which saved us approx 50% on the bullet trains. We found all the people we meet very friendly and helpful, the food and accommodation was great and the trains excellent.<br> <br> We stayed at the Fujiya Hotel at Miyonshita during our stay at Hakone which is the oldest resort hotel in Japan - no wonder royalty and John Lennon stayed there. We also used the 7 day Hakone Free Pass to use the trains, buses, boats, cablecars and ropecars all on the one ticket - excellent value and easy to use.

We flew in to Narita in the pm and the next day took the express to Tokoyo station where we booked on the Nozomi bullet train for Fukuoka. Fantastic experience on the train and Fukuoka a must as it is a most cosmopolitan city and the residents very helpful. Travelled to Yamaga a small town where our son married a lovely Japanese girl and the whole experience with the Shinto wedding and reception and staying in a traditional Onsen and meeting all her family was fabulous. Travelled by car to Kumamoto, then by air to Osaka, then bus to Kyoto which is another must city to visit. Two days there then bus to Osaka, then air to Tokyo for 2 days. Not enough time to take all of it in and will definitely return.

Great location for restaurants and shopping.

Osaka is a lively city - but it''s edginess might wear you down a bit after a while. At night, wander around the overhead bridges or train stations and listen to passionate Japanese musicians performing ''live''. From Osaka, take day trips to beautiful Kobe (try Kobe beef - it ain''t that expensive if you scout around - about $10,000 Yen for truly scrumptious teppanyaki steak meal at "SteakLand"). Or venture out to Kyoto, just 30 minutes away - in Spring and Summer, you can easily spot geishas and maikos trotting about the lovely streets of Gion.

One word about Kyoto, visitors may find less of an opportunity for late night dining compared with other cities. Do not bother venturing out from the hotel much past 9PM and expect to discover or stumble across a new dining location in the midst of Kyoto - many establishments will be closed by the time you arrive at your newly found oasis. This is where the Rihga Royal can come into its own again because of its varied internal selection of restaurants most of which take a seatings up until 10PM. If you are running late or unsure of where you will be going, it would be better to stay in & take advantage of the facilities. It''s not worth missing out an evening meal through deliberation or paranoia.

Some travel directions is needed for this hotel. I was tired, this being my last night for the 3 week vacation I had (solo). I jumped into a cab and he was unable to find it, so asked another driver then went into a Police Station for advice. If you at the Osaka JR station walk north or south (unsure) when you come out, go left pass the tourist info centre and a Burberry Shop, you see an overbridge for the pedestrian walk - walk on it (there are escalators and staircase), once on top go left. You would walk straight and walk past the other rail station (not JR) and maybe some homeless selling wares on the pavement, you would also walk past KFC fast food restaurant.<br> <br> A half minute or less walk, you come to a corner at the traffic lights. Across the road there is a mall and in front of that, an adult shop with color posters on its walls etc .. walk towards that, then turn left and walk straight keeping an eye on the left side which is an enclosed mall with restaurants, pachinko parlors, etc etc. The hotel is in there if unable to get map. Get the map from info tourist centre and there is a KFC centre south east of the JR station, then follow the instructions above - makes following my directions a lot easier. Hope this helps. Reason I wrote so much is the info here on this site was insufficient and hence I went to those troubles with the cab driver et al..

I highly recommend visiting one of the restaurants on the 52nd floor of the Sumitomo Building (near to the Hilton) - the views are amazing!

Roppongi is great as a base to see Tokyo. Though as a busy nightspot you can be hassled by some club touts. Nevertheless it is a safe place to get around at whatever time. A must is Tokyo CityDeck where you do get great views of Tokyo. Tip: if you don''t have much luggage travel by subway to Roppongi and if you do go by Airport limo bus to ANA hotel then taxi (5 mins) to the mansions.

Miyajima is amazing and a must see!! Also The Shack or Kembys are great pub style restaurants owned by an American guy!! Great food and fun!!

Hiroshima is definitely worth a visit. One day should do it. The Peace Museum is a very sobering experience and something everyone should see. Miyajima Island is less than an hour from Hiroshima and I highly recommend staying there for a night in a ryokan. We stayed at the Momiji-so, in the middle of a forest. The island is beautiful and there are deer roaming around all over the place. They are very tame & friendly and not afraid of people since they are protected and not hunted.

Tokyo is a wonderful city, very vibrant with much to see. A day trip to Nikko is recommended, as is getting up early and going to the fish market and having a breakfast of sushi at one of the many sushi places in the area. I love sushi and sashimi and eat it all the time at home, but in Japan it is outstanding. The fact that it is so fresh makes a big difference.

Tennoji is an older part of Osaka. There isn''t a whole lot to do in the immediate vicinity (although Tennoji park is supposed to be quite nice). However, it is a very easy train ride to Nara or Kyoto from the Kintetsu station directly under the hotel. Great site seeing at both (I prefer Nara, but Kyoto is the more popular choice). And only two subway stops away (at Shinsaibashi) are the bright lights and youth culture of Osaka. Again, the subway is located just below the hotel. Get directions from the staff. The Miyako staff can also make excellent recommendations for food. You have to eat okonomiyaki when in Osaka. There is an up-scale okonomiyaki restaurnant underneath the hotel in restaurant row that is excellent. Also some good "dives" in the nearby neighborhood. If you are a bit more adventurous, get takoyaki, another famous Osaka dish. Access to the airport was easy via "limousine", which is really just a charter bus. The stop is directly outside the hoel.

Osaka is a nice city, very quick to go to Kyoto by using SHINKANSEN express trains.

We went to the Mo-Mo-Paradise restaurant in Shinjuku for Shabu Shabu which was great value for money. We had the all you can eat for 90 minutes set (including one drink) for around 2000 yen.

Okinawa is a special place, be sure to eat the local healthy food; tofu, goya, and pork. You might live to 120 like the Okinawans do.

I stayed here Dec. 31 - Jan. 2. It was perfect. The Sensoji Temple is a nearby attraction and on New Year''s Eve the place is jumping! Lots of traditional Japanese food stalls which remained open that night until well past 4:00 am!! Jan. 1,2 and 3 are also good days to visit but the food stalls close much earlier. The Temple itself is well worth the visit and is more than 400 years old. Rickshaw rides are available and many gift shops with traditional Japanese artifacts. Well worth the visit.

Kyoto is an excellent place to visit, the golden temple at Kinkakujini was rated quite cool, but no presents (we visited 25 Dec with a 14 year old) and the free food samples from the station food court were rated wow by his twin brother. The family walk along the skywalk disturbed other romantic couples on the 11th floor walkway. Superb views. We had to video the dinner we ordered in Takagaki with fluttering fish flakes on the vegetarian omelette. It loked like something you would see on a coral reef.

Tokyo is one of my favorite cities and this was my first time to actually live in Roppongi. I felt safe walking around the entire neighborhood, including into Roppongi Hills, and discovered lots of cozy restaurants and bars along the way. Don''t be shy about going down the little side streets and alleys, they always reveal some new little treasure.

If you''re going to travel around Japan to any extent, get a JR railpass.

I mostly used a taxi to get around as I was on business, but both the train lines and subway lines are within a 7 minute walk of the hotel. There are several restaurants in the area and if you walk across the street, you can visit a big shopping mall that has stores such as GAP, Disney, Starbucks, etc. There is an English friendly bar called ''Bar Isn''t it'' within 3 minutes walk of the hotel. And walking through this district at night (9:00 PM - 3:00 AM) is very entertaining. You will be approached by several girls and guys solicitating you to come into their club (if you are a male).

I did not enjoy Osaka very much. We went to the main tourist attractions and I was sorely disappointed with the art museum beside the aquarium. It was basically only an exhibit of one artist, which I found fairly boring. Since my daughter had spent the last year teaching english in Japan, she felt fairly comfortable taking the various trains which completely confused me. The were not exactly tourist-friendly.<BR> <BR> We went to Kyoto and saw some beautiful temples and gardens, but I was underwhelmed by Kyoto. The train ride to Kyoto from Osaka was not a pleasing view of the local terrain. We did not take guided tours because my daughter felt we could explore on our own. I think we wasted too much time trying to find places by doing it on our own as we only had four days in Japan.<BR> <BR> I do not have any memorable meals to relate, but I do recommend going to the department store next to the hotel and peruse the variety of tasty snacks and quick meals offered. It was also interesting to see how very expensive fruit is--a small melon was enshrined in a very fancy box and offered up at an outrageous price. I am from Toronto, Canada and simply cannot relate to these prices. Anyway, it was fun to look at how the Japanese package and present food so beautifully.<BR> <BR> P.S. - I did not have one bad cup of coffee at the hotel or elsewhere while in Japan. Careful, check the price of a cup of coffee before you order because it could be eight dollars! I paid that in a cafe in Kyoto.

Stekiya, the steak restaurant in Dotonbori, gets you the best teppanyaki steak in Japan.

We took a Hatobus tour to Mt. Fuji and enjoyed it although it was all in Japanese. The tour guide was very kind and helpful. The subway system is quite complex we were glad to have family to explain it to us. Also getting to central Tokyo from the airport takes at least 90 minutes.

Gompachi - Great restaurant to enjoy sushi and other traditional japanese dishes. locased in Roppongi. (''G. Bush'' visited this restaurant.)

I did a myriad of things while in Osaka and staying at Hotel Kinki. It''s located right in what seems the heart of Osaka, so everywhere you look, something fun abounds especially small restaurants (DO check these places out, they may be small and family owned, but by god, the food is incredible!). I''m one for electronics, games and gadgets, so Yodobashi Umeda should be a stop that anyone with similar interests should make. A HUGE shopping mall of technology and gadgetry, much much fun! Also, not too far from Hotel Kinki is the Umeda Sky Building, I would have to say there isn''t much in the world more romantic than blue fog, slow music and the complete view of Osaka at night lit up by buildings and the moon seen from the top of that building. If you take a significant other to Japan, you owe it to yourself to witness this marvel.<BR> <BR> Also, Kyoto isn''t too far by train, So I would HIGHLY recommend a trip to Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto. Very beautiful! I would force anyone I take to Japan to visit there. Lastly I would have to say Himeji Castle is a great place to visit if you want to see someting truly impressive. Kind of far compared to the other places I went to, but very worth the trip. Truly remarkable!

The better access to this hotel is subway higashi umeda. From this location you can easily visit nara with kintetsu line, kyoto and kobe with hankyu line. Very peaceful place in Kansai.

When in Osaka visit the aquarium and Floating Garden Observatory. For night amusement I recomend Club Quattro. Also, for dining check out Italian restaurant Pomadro. It''s below the hotel, very cheap prices, and lots of food. Try the eggplant spaghetti. Oh, and before you leave get a massage.

I know an excellent Yakitori restaurant near Ginza. If interested e-mail me and I will send you a pdf file of its name card with map. Exit A2 from Hibiya station.

Several of Kyoto''s underpublicized gems, such as the temple Nanzenji and its two separately maintained formal gardens, and the Shoren-in temple, are within a 5-minute walk of the Westin Miyako, giving access to tranquility unparalleled at the more heavily visited sites. The Miyako staff recommended kaiseki, "Japanese haute cuisine," at a restaurant called Sakura near the intersection of Oike-dori avenue and Kiyamachi-dori streets. This was indeed spectacular, and was several cuts above any other kaiseki we encountered and for a considerably lower price (around 5500 yen per person). The local subway from Keage station was easily understood and navigated by a non-Japanese speaker and made getting around much easier and less expensive than it would have been otherwise.

Visited son, daughter-in-law and grandson. Roppongi is an exciting area of Tokyo and the new Roppongi Hills development is definitely worth a visit. If interested in shopping and architecture, visit Prada and Louis Vuitton stores.

This time we wanted to be free from all the organized tours since we have an 8 months old baby with us. The schedules of tours are usually very rigid and that would have not suited us well.<BR> <BR> We took it easy and made up our own plans with our own schedule. It worked out fine. There are many things to do around the hotel area and it is next to the JR Lines to go anywhere. We went to Ueno Ameyoko shopping area (like night market) and the park in that area. Very good experience. Also taking a train to Akihabara to take a look at the GIANT electronics shopping area, especially at night was a great experience.

The first thing you''ll notice about Osaka is how helpful the local people are. We had only just arrived at the train station and two strangers asked if we required help. This happened several times throughout our stay in Osaka. We only stayed a couple of nights, but I can recommend visiting Osaka Castle. I think it''s the most visited place by tourists in Japan. It''s a cheap day out explaining some of Japan''s history. Well worth a visit.

If you enjoy Japan and know what to expect there generally, Osaka is a nice place. Fun to walk around the gigantic shopping arcades of Shinsaibashi and take in the frentic commercial overkill that epitomizes modern Japan. The proximity to Kyoto is great too.

While in Tokyo we recommend a meal at a chain called "Asian Kitchen". The food is Asian fusion. The Vietnamese Pizza, in particular, is delicious. They will provide a menu in English. English (or romanized Japanese) is prevalent on the subways and many bus routes though not as evident in restaurants in the Ueno area. The Roponggi seems to have more menus in English. A trip to the fish market is not for the faint of heart. We were uncomfortable trying to maneuver our way though a working area--filled with trucks and forklifts. We did not like feeling like we were in the way of those working. Tokyo Disney Seas is much more affordable than expected--well worth the trip and an easy train ride from downtown.

Shinjuku is a vibrant place, full of life and colour. Definitely a must see place in Tokyo! Great shopping at Keio, Odakyu, My City and Tokyu Hands.

Hiroshima was well worth a visit, but visitors should also try to find time to go to Miyajima, which is easy to get to by tram or train.

If you are tired of shopping in Osaka, take a one-day trip to Nara. It is an old city with a lot of ancient temples. Besides, it is less crowded than Osaka. You''ll feel more relaxed.

Osaka is probably best placed for travellers taking a general interest in travelling in the Kansai area in Japan, because while on its own it is a modern city without too many scenic spots, it is conveniently linked by an efficient transportation system to Kobe, Kyoto, Nara etc and getting around is relatively easy and safe. However,I must say that the public transportation system within neighbouring city(ies), especially Kyoto, leaves much room for improvement because of seriously inadequate service for tourists (tourist coaches in Kyoto usually pack like Sardines) and for people wanting to travel with some comfort, you can forget using the 500-Yen bus pass sold at the main train station and settle for taxis.

Osaka is a very recommendable destination. Before traveling there people told as that it was not so interesting if compared with Kyoto for instance. Osaka is the Chicago of Japan. Its architecture is impressive and the many rivers which cross the city gives a lot of character to the city. We found Osaka more sophisticated than Tokyo. The looks of the people, the rock bands playing live underneath the freeways in Umeda, the Tadao Ando buildings... It contrasts so well with Tokyo because of its obvious differences.

I was in Tokyo for a weekend. I enjoyed a foot massage and also breakfast in the shopping center next to the hotel. Getting to any part of Tokyo was convenient using the JR train line. The confusing thing about the subway system is keeping track of the different subway companies and where each line goes. If I would have stayed longer, I would have bought a subway guide.

Located in the heart of Roppongi, this hotel is close to restaurants, shopping, and the best nightlife in Tokyo. Centrally located for easy travel around the city.

JR Pass is a wonderful tool. Trains are very easy to use. The subway however, takes a little getting used to as far as understanding which way you need to take it. Shinjuku station is intimidatingly busy, but don''t let it scare you away..it''s worth it.

Sunroute Hiroshima hotel is ideally situated for visitors to the Peace Memorial Park. We checked in around 4:30 and immediately walked over to the Peace museum (5 minute walk). We had enough time until the closing time of 6pm. The next morning we took a look at the monuments in the park which is open at all times. If you want to save a few yens and don''t have much luggage, I recommend taking street car #1 from Hiroshima train station to the hotel intersection. Costs only 150 yen compared to taxi fare of 1500 yen.

Hiroshima A-bomb Museum in Peace National Park is a must!

Osaka is a good base for trips around the Kansai area, plus there''s quite a lot to do in the city itself, there''s a cool Aquarium (with a whale shark!) and a recreation of an Edo village. There are plenty of resturants around, especially in the underground shopping complex!

Osaka area is an interesting destination. It is worth to take a tour of Kyoto, otherwise you will need at least three days.

First time in Tokyo, it was very nice. We wandered around Tokyo on foot, the best to do when the weather is good. Interesting areas includes Arajaku, Shinjuka, Shibuya, Ginza. The food was great but no idea of the restaurant''s name as I don''t speak Japanese.

Hiroshima is fascinating--especially the Peace museum, and castle, the unusual pancakes are amazing.

Osaka is a big, busy city with countless restaurants, bars and shops, if you want cheap electronics I recommend Nihonbashi south of central which has many shops where you can ask for discounts on marked prices. I saved 100 pounds on a digital camera compared with the UK price. Go to 3 or 4 shops to compare prices first. Osaka castle is worth a visit too.

Went to Minakami hot springs in Gunma prefecture, It was relaxing! It was only 2 hours from Ueno station.

A paradise in Okinawa. As you drive up the west coast of Okinawa from Naha City, the scenery gets more spectacular, wonderful sea views, beaches, cliffs and the most amazing variety of colours of blue seen in the sea. Busena Terrace appears in front of you laid out on a spit of land pushing into the sea. You don''t need to go any further but the highway is just 2km away and taxis are easy and plentiful, all metered and organised by the hotel staff if necessary, if you want to explore a little further.

I''ve been to Japan a number of times but had never visited Hiroshima. The Peace Museum is a must. Then a short train and ferry ride takes you to the island of Miyashima and the often-photographed Torii in the bay.

We bought a 2000 yen day pass on the subway with free tickets to some places and discounts for some places. It was very worth it even though it would be impossible to cover all the places with free entry. We covered Osaka Castle, Kaiyukan, WTC Tower and Floating Garden, all are highly recommended. The small shops around the above hotel sell delicious food at reasonable prices especially the ramen near the subway outside the mall.

The subway/trains make traveling easy. However, many of the maps are only in Japanese which can be difficult to figure out. Recommended destinations include Kyoto and Nara both of which are easy to get by train. These are full of temples. Nipponbashi is the electronics centre of Osaka where you can buy the latest gadgets. My favourite restaurant in Osaka is Torimiya which is in Juso (Hankyu line). It is down a little laneway off the main entertainment street.

It takes about 20-30 minutes to get to Fukuoka Airport (walk + subway).

If you''re in the mood for Western, The Mansions are conveniently located near a TGI Friday''s, Hard Rock Cafe, etc. I went for Japanese at a restaurant called "Inakaya" in Roppongi, which is frequented by celebrities. "The Matrix: Reloaded" was recently released in Tokyo, so Laurence Fishburn ate at Inakaya a couple days before my visit.

I did not have time to visit the many areas in and around Osaka but there are many shops and restaurants available in the AeroPlaza attached to the hotel for quick, last minute shopping. <BR><BR> If you have time to venture to Kyoto for sightseeing, the train station is conveniently located between the hotel and airport.

We highly recommend visiting the Peace Memorial Museum and the Peace Memorial Park and related sites. A side trip to Miyajima Island, about 45 minutes away by train and then boat, is also recommended. Hike, if you have the time and energy, or take the ropeway, to Mt. Misen for some great views, not to mention monkeys and deer at the top. Also see Itsukushima Shrine, with the famous red torii near the water''s edge, at both low tide and high tide.

Mr Donut near by.

Is quite convenient but very difficult to locate as the area in Osaka is rather complicated. Clear map direction would be appreciated.

Osaka and Umeda stations are very near the hotel and the best way to tour Osaka and the surrounding areas. In Kyoto the city bus system took us everywhere we needed to go.

The location is convenient for those who have business in the Port of Kobe or who just want to be away from the busiest of downtown. The restaurants within the hotel are great. Lots of variety and beautiful settings.

The restaurants all close early, take note! There are some "hot foods" in a vending machine in the hallway, but we did not partake of these. There''s also a Hagden Daz vending machine for late night dessert! Our best tip - the shops on the lower level of the airport are great - don''t miss them for last minute gifts and things. There''s even a Belgian Waffle stand!! :)

We travelled to Tokyo station daily by train - althought scenic, it became a sore point considering it took 2hrs one way for a daily travel of 4 hrs! Once in Tokyo I loved it! The people were friendly, polite and the city soooo clean and exciting. We visited the Tower, electric city, temples and a huge market! Five days is too short to include Mt Fuji and such wonders!

Osaka castle a must, even though it is a modern replica. Also Anns Cafe is a delight (don`t know the name of the street).

Great location. Convenient to work in town, getting taxis and access to taxis.

We were visiting Japan, the Tokyo area and stayed at Ana Narita as a first night after a long international flight. We traveled with our 3 year old and this stay made it very convenient. Tokyo and the area was great. We visited Mitake-san, Nikko area shrines, old friends and lots of shopping in Shibuya. A great stay and we are planning to go back regularly.

Location was good.

Tokyo is a great sightseeing city. You have to spend time just wandering the various neighborhoods - Shinjuku, Shibuya and Roppongi. Visited temples and spent an afternoon in the Tokyo Musuem of Art. Don''t miss the Sony store in Ginza or the boutiques in a Haruku.

The hotel is close to Umeda, so it is easy to take the train to Kyoto, or the Shinkansen to Tokyo. We went to both, and to Nara. Getting around is very easy.

Great city, trendy people, wonderful food!

Japan is fabulous. We travelled to Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, Hiroshima & Osaka. I particularly enjoyed Hiroshima & the atomic bomb dome & peace memorial park/museum are a must visit. Very moving & bargain admission at just 50 yen!!!! <BR><BR> I advise anyone travelling to Japan to invest in good comfortable shoes or trainers as you walk for miles around the major cities. <BR><BR> Indulged in hot spring baths whilst in the Hakone mountains which is perfect relaxation for tired aching feet after hectic sightseeing in Tokyo.

It is very easy to get around Japan by train and subway. One good recomendation is to get a Rail Pass before going to Japan.

Your location is excellent. We visited Nikko and had a really friendly and professional guidance given by your personnel. It''s a nice walking between your hotel and the Tokyo station via the garden of the Imperial Palace, and so all sightseeings of Tokyo are easily accessible.

There''s a convenience store just round the corner near the hotel. You can also find cheap and good breakfast at a cafe just opposite the hotel. Departmental stores and main shopping areas in Shinjuku are within walking distance.

Hotel was right by a subway station which was helpful because the Osaka subway system is good and easy to use. Must see is the Osaka Castle.

We went to Osaka Castle and the Umeda Sky building but we didn''t go on any tours. They were well worth the visit.

The destination was convenient. We walked for a few km and found many shops, restaurants and services. There is a Harley Davidson restaurant nearby which was interesting. Also a small dry cleaner/refreshment shop that had friendly accommodating staff.

If arriving by air, check with the hotel location and time for their shuttle bus - it is 1/3 price of a taxi and takes the best route!

Osaka castle on a Sunday afternoon is a must, if only to people watch as you walk down the road towards the castle.

Keep in mind that English is not widely spoken, even at Haneda Airport!

Heading to the hotel for the first day was a difficult one. The name of the hotel is not visible at all because it was block my the next building. It actually took us 1.5 hrs to search for the hotel alone. Location of the hotel is good. Easy access to train. It is good to stay.

Shinjuku is an excellent part of Tokyo to stay it is very central and convenient for getting around the rest of Tokyo. We only stayed 2 days but I would recommend Shibuya as a place to visit for shopping, it''s much easier to find your way around than Shinjuku, which is very big and spaced out. Also my favourite place was Harajuku. Excellent shops, wonderful restaurants, fantastic atmosphere. Visit the Meiji shrine there, very peaceful. <BR><BR> I recommend a restaurant in Harajuku, just near ''Gap'' clothes shop. An italian called ''Venie, Venie'' We spent our last night there. There is a terrace, decorated with fairy lights, overlooking the skyscrapers of Tokyo City. Food was excellent, settings amazing.

The hotel shuttle to Shinjuku station makes access to all of Tokyo easy.

Beautiful country! Hiroshima Peace Park and the Himeiji Castle are a must see.

Japan is a superb place to visit. Pity such an expensive destination...

Let''s try TAKOYAKY (Octopus), a Osaka famous dish. Hard Rock cafe if you like music is a nice place to eat something or have some drink.

Shinjuku, Tokyo is a good place to stay, it''s close to everything, shopping, food, nightlife. The train station is a block away from the hotel so you can get anywhere in Tokyo in no more than 20 minutes. Tokyo subway and train station is a little confusing but I was able to figure it out in a day.

Osaka is a highly organised city with a very efficient railway and subway network. Be aware though that most signs are in Japanese! The country''s shrines, culture and gardens are fascinating. Do go !

Pick 5 places that look interesting to visit per day and go for it. My favorites: Asakusa temple shopping eating and drum museum, Ueno museums park and zoo, Shinjuku shopping (evening lights!), Tsukiji fish market (early morning!).

I flew from Osaka Itami airport to Miyazaki and had a great time touring around the city and surrounding countryside. I visited a fair number of shrines and casltles, Udo, Miyazaki, Aoshima Island shrines and Obi castle as well as the Aya castle. A group of us visited the winery in Aya and sampled a variety of wines and saki. An excellent trip.

Usually there for business, Shinjuku station is quite close, so the hotel''s location is convenient.

It was centrally located and we found it easy to get around the city with the metro system. There is a metro stop close to the hotel.

Visited the Tokyo (old Edo) Museum which was very interesting. I would recommend this to anyone. We even had an English speaking guide!!

Stayed in hotel. Breakfast was very generous

I found the basement supermarket of the adjoining department store a good place to buy low-priced meals. I also recommend the chiliburgers at Mos Burger!

Tokyo is a nice place, this is my first time been there. Anyway, I shall go there more and then I can tell more about Tokyo.

We mainly walked and used the bus/train system. It was terrific.

An excellent restaurant nearby is Agatha''s, a skewer restaurant. Starbucks is only two blocks away. Also, the Pontoncho district is within walking distance, and includes hundreds of restaurants in a very "Japanese" setting.

Enjoyed one of my favourite Japanese meals close by in the Narita village - smoked eel - osihi - delicious. The free bus service into town {and the airport} is just sooooooooooo conveinent.

Shinjuku is a great part of the city: dense with restaurants, late night clubs, bright city lights, people, stores, etc. Taxis are plentiful. With a just a little study, it is possible for users of metro systems at home to take advantage of JR''s Yamanote line at Shinjuku Station, as it circles the city in one big loop, allowing you to to get very close to other parts of the city you may want to visit without the fear of getting hopelessly lost.

The Miyako Hotel is conveniently located to much of Osaka, but is quite far from the Airport. there is fortunately an airport bus that stops right outside of the hotel (it only has maybe 3 stops in Osaka), but it stops running after 10pm at night. This proved to be a hassle, because our plane was delayed and we arrived in the evening. A taxi was quoted to be over $200US by the meter. <BR><BR> The hotel is within walking distance of Osaka castle and many shrines and museums and fortunately, the hotel itself is a well known landmark.

We stayed mostly in Mie and Nara. Good onsen and great temples and shrines. Good for New Years Hatsumoude season.

The hotel has excellent restaurants but Shibuya also has restaurants all around the hotel. I can''t recommend any specific one because I never had a bad meal. I like Japanese food so I am not a good choice for recommendation. I just remembered that I was disappointed in the hotel restaurant Oli, a Meditarranean restaurant that did not live up to it''s wonderful environment. <BR><BR> I used the subways to get around and always like to visit Shinjuku and Ginza to shop and I like going to Asakusa to bathe in the healing smoke and get my fortune. The little shops there are interesting too. A good tourist thing to do. The next time I go I think I will take a tour bus for a morning just to get a view of the different places.

Beautiful.

The transfer in bus are very good between the airports or Osaka Center. The restaurant SSabatini is very nice but not expensive.

Kyoto subways and buses are easy to navigate in English.

Sushi is good in Japan...no suprise.

Convenient free shuttle to/from airport.

Shinjuku is now THE hot spot in Tokyo. Massive station with several department stores either built right in or adjacent. Shinjuku Gyoen is a lovely traditional garden amid the offices and trendy avenues.

Location is for Makuhari Messe exibition halls otherwise no reason to stay there, better options and cheaper in downtown Tokyo. Only would stay here every three years when IPF exibition is held. Possibly good location for Tokyo Disneyland.

Convenient restaurants.

Tokyo is a great city with wonderful food and friendly people. If possible, use the train to get around because a Tokyo taxi can become very expensive, especially during a rush hour.

We visited Osaka to take the kids to Universal Studios and the aquarium, both of which were excellent and well worth visiting. (We did both in one day.) Because it was a holiday weekend in Japan, we could not get a hotel room in Kyoto, so we commuted from Osaka to Kyoto each day - the bullet trains take 15 minutes and could not be faulted - directions are easy and English signage is abundant, trains are punctual and clean. Kyoto has a wealth of things to see - they are hidden so you need to prepare your itinerary in advance and know where you are going.

We did a whirlwind tour of Tokyo in only one and a half days, and I almost feel that we had enough time. If we had another day, we would have taken a trip to Osaka or Kyoto.

Hiroshima was a very nice place to visit. The Peace Park and museum were very interesting and moving. Hiroshima has a great covered shopping road. Visit Miyama, an island of the coast of Hiroshima which is only a short distance by boat.

Excellent location, easy access to metro, shopping and parks.

The hotel''s situated in a great and easily accessible area. As well, its great that the hotel has a airport limousine service.

Visited castle, shrines, orchid garden, zoo, Little World of Man. Recommend Royal Host restaurant for air conditioning and kind attention to children. One day subway pass was convenient.

Take the 206 bus south to Sanjusangen-do and back to Kiyomizu-dera, then it is a nice long sightseeing walk northward to Ginkaku-ji. Good kaiseki lunch at Nakamura-ro on the southern edge of Yakusa shrine is pricey but worth it for the experience. Day trip to Hiei-zan from Kyoto station was also worthwhile.

Nagoya is a great city! It''s not the most exciting or most beautiful city in Japan, but it is clean, the people are nice, the weather is good, and it has some of the best food in the country.

Itami is the ''old'' airport in Osaka. The area is mostly light industrial, so it''s really just a business site. Most internal flights tend to land in Itami rather than the new Kansai International airport. To get to Umeda station you can take the monorail from the airport to Hotarugaike, then change to the Hankyu line to get to Umeda. From there you can take the Subway to Shin Osaka if you want to take a Shinkansen (bullet train) somewhere else.

I really enjoyed seeing old buddies in Nagoya.

Nagashima park is one of the best THEME PARK in the world.

went to Nagashima Spaland to ride the highest and longest roller coaster.

We enjoyed Tokyo once we got over jet lag, the overall drabness of the place - it''s a big city after all, and the lack of English signs or help. We took the Sunrise Tokyo Dynamic Tour which enabled us to see a lot places in the town in one day. We also took the Nikko shrine tour which was lovely. The lunches served in both tours were excellent. We used the subway to get around the city. Very little English so it was difficult at first but with a little work, you can figure it out. To be fair, every subway stop had at least one map with the English names on it - you just had to find it! People did stop to help us when I pulled out the map and looked lost. We enjoyed the shopping at the Oriental Bazaar and other big name stores. We enjoyed Japan and want to go back.

Shinegawa''s good because it''s on the Yamanote line and you can get there to/from Narita without changing trains. But other than that, it''s a little removed from things in Tokyo that average visitors will want to do.

We were able to get around using both the Narita city bus and the Tokyo highway bus. But travelers should be warned that neither are set up for English-only speakers. Be ready to ask for help -- many people, including bus drivers do not speak English. However, when you catch the correct bus -- the service is excellent.

If you''re coming to Japan you must go to Kyoto - it really gives you a flavour of Japan.

I was in Nagoya on business and used to live there, so there wasn''t much touring going on. However for the tourist staying at the Nagoya Kanko Hotel... The hotel is across the street from the Nagoya Hard Rock Cafe. The nearest subway station (Fushimi station) is only a couple short blocks away and provides access to the rest of the city. From Fushimi station, one can travel a single stop to Nagoya, Sakae or Osu Kannon. <br><br> At Nagoya station, there are the newly completed JR Central Towers. The Towers are the tallest thing around in Nagoya with a beautiful 51st floor observation deck. Additionally, there is a great deal of shopping to do without leaving the building.<br><br> Osu Kannon is a favorite place to find almost everything. Bargins abound for the savvy shopper. Sakae is the shopping center of the city and there is so much to do and see there. Additional places to see in Nagoya include the Nagoya Castle, Tokugawa Art Museum, Higashiyama Park, and Nagoya Port.

In the description, need to be much more explicit about the two Osaka airport locations and at which airport where this particular hotel is located. Found information on web sight confusing to the point that I had to bus over to the other airport location and then back to the Kansai airport for departure- a round trip of some 2.5 hours.

First visit to Tokyo and short -- done on the spur of the moment, so I mainly just walked around the neighborhood between spates of working. The hotel is about a fifteen-minute cab ride from central Tokyo. My walks gave me a sense of this neighborhood part of Tokyo -- crowded, efficient (if you don''t count the horrible surface traffic), clean in an urban sort of way, and polite. I plan a more organized trip to Japan as soon as I can make it, so I get a larger context and see a few of the important sights.

NaritaSan temple in Narita city was excellent, also access to JR was very convenient, Hotel bus shuttle stop jus in front of it. In the station there is a very good information center in which you could get information in english..

Japan is a wonderful country to visit, but there were times that I wondered if it was worth the aggravation. Most of the aggravation came from the tiny amount of English either spoken or written on signs, subway maps, etc.<br><br> I did this trip on my way home from a year''s living in China. I am accustomed to making do in a country with minimal English, and I had been to Japan for a month many years ago, and still, I found it unbearably frustrating from time to time.<br><br> People were very nice and as helpful as they could be, and many things were fascinating.<br><br> Two places I particularly recommend are north of Tokyo--Haizumi and Kakunodate. These are small towns, once populated by samurais. Many of the homes and temples of these people are still intact and open to visitors.

Two words: Peace Park. If you do anything in Hiroshima, go there. That''s why Hiroshima is so popular.

We were on our way out of Japan, and had done much touring before our stay. Great location though! Had a nice last night walking around Fushimi. Plenty to do!

The subway system is clean, safe and efficient -- a very cost effective way of getting around town. For leisure travellers, plan to spend quite a bit of time walking about the Dotomburi/Shinsaibashi-suji areas for shopping, dining and entertainment.

Central Location near Gion for restaurants etc.

The Kansai airport was relatively easy to get around for Japanese and non-Japanese speakers alike. However, I would recommend giving yourself 1.5-2 hours upon departure to get through security and passport control because the lines are long.

We ate dinner at the Avion restaurant right next to the hotel in the airport. The food was fine.

Buy a JR pass or JR East pass if you plan to travel by Shikansen in the area. Train has most signs in English, though a pass will allow you to take the JR trains around Tokyo without trying to figure out how much you need for a ticket. Try to avoid the trains (especially with luggage) during rush hour.

There are lots of fine restaurants around hotel. And some of them open 24 hours. The perfect place to do shopping but not sightseeing.

The sushi is great. Two restaurants within 5 minute walk.

Quite centre and well conntecd, mostly all the shoping facilities are around. Good part is two big shopping Centres are on 5 mins walking distance.

I was there for business, so I (unfortunately) didn''t really have much time to visit. However, Ginza @ night is impressive. Omote-Sando on Sunday is very nice with its cafes & teraces.

Travelled to Hakone and Kamakura on our own. Needed help making reservations as no one spoke English at most of the hotels. Once there it was OK with language.

Good restaraunts and shops nearby.

Kyoto is a great town to visit and don''t forget a side trip to Nara to visit the park and see the deer.

Kyoto is a great destination, much nicer than Tokyo. I think one should spend at least 2 nights in the place. Walking through Pontocho is wonderful, as is the Gion, where we managed to see maikos and geikos wandering from one place to another. Walking is great, but be ready for considerable distances between sights. Make an effort to speak to the locals, many of them actually understand English and are very happy to help.

Very good restaurants available in the terminals, but they all close early (7pm)

Hotel is located with walking distance to Yokosuka Naval Base so very convienent.

Central Osaka has excellent shopping; 3 top department stores - Hanshin, Haikyu and Daimaru, plus a SUPERB store on 5 stories, called Yodabashi, which has everything from computers to watches and cameras. Well worth a visit, even just for browsing.

Main thing to remember about Sapporo: the x-jou, x-chome addresses refer to what _block_ something''s on, not what _street_. Apart from that, get a Rough Guide or Lonely Planet guide.

Japan''s subway system is extensive, easy to use, and very foreigner-friendly (as most signs are in Japanese as well as English). Becoming familiar with Japan''s Yamanote line (and other local lines) is a must for a traveler wishing to explore Tokyo. High on my list of places to visit include Meiji Shrine in Harajuku, Shinjuku for its urban landscape and nice park, Ueno for its museums, Akahibara for its electronic goods, Asakusa for its "traditional" (and perhaps stereotypical) Japanese culture, and Tsukiji for the experience of what a world-class fish market is like. A sushi breakfast/lunch in Tsukiji, while expensive, is a great way to experience Japanese fare. Odaiba, a newly built-up piece of reclaimed land in Tokyo bay, is also a nice place to visit, if only to see what one of the newest parts of Tokyo looks like. All of the buildings there are brand new, the urban planning is excellent, and places like the "Decks" mall and Maritime Museum make this area a worthwhile place to see. As all of the places I saw in Tokyo were accessible via the subway system, it is nearly unneseccary to use any other form of transportation.

By all means, if you''re going to Japan as a tourist, purchase a Japan Rail Pass before you go. It is very convenient, and saves you a great deal of money if you are traveling anywhere in the country and will be there at least a week.

Because I was on business, I did not take any tours. I walked to the local places (station, etc) I wanted to visit and took the metro to the university (Kyushu) that I visited. A taxi to the airport.

Several taxi drivers were unfamiliar with this hotel. Even with a map provided in native Japanese, two different drivers got lost finding the site. We travelled mainly by subway and taxi. Visited too many places to name.

destination- Tokyo<br><br> i took the subway system to get around in different parts of Tokyo such as Ueno, Asukuba and Imperial Palace. If you get lost, find a taxi and show the driver where you would like to go on a map.<br><br> Places i visited were wonderful- beautiful shrines..... Tokyo National Museum, Asukuba, So much Japanese culture and history is preserved in Tokyo.

There are at present 2 Starbucks in the general location of the Sofitel - skip the hotel breakfast. Talk a walk down to Akihabara area - about 15 minute walk from hotel. There is a 24 hr. ATM at Citibank that accepts many kinds of credit cards on the main road in Akihabara area.

One cannot expect a lot of open space in Tokyo, but by chosing the right hotel, it can change your percepetion. Tokyo has a number of great parks, but you need to look hard to find them.

We recommend visiting the Golden Pavilion and Rhe rock garden at Ryoanji Temple. We also found Sanjusangendo, and Kiyomizu well worth the time to see. We felt fortunate to have seen Kyoto while the leaves still displayed their fall colors.

There is a Bus from the Airport to the Hotel for 3000 Yen - pay at the Shuttle Bus counter at the airport.

Excellant cab service from hotel, Kinkos about one block away for Email, some other good restauant close by. Recommend, as every travel book does, the Fish market early morning. Can fare is only about $10 US and experience worth it. Sugggest Japan Rail pass as good value.

Tokyo was awesome! The subway system is easy, cheap and fun. The sushi is incredible. There''s too much to do!!!

Our visits to Kinkakuji, Ginkakuji, Ohara areas were very impressive. And generally, all the visit in Japan was very-very interesting.

Tokyo is a wonderful city - for a great night out, let rip in Shinjuku.

Late night Osaka - great bars, great restaurants - really exciting.

Hakone and Mt Fugi are really not worth the time or the money unless you are really intent on climbing to the top. The hotels in Hakone are elegant but most tours get you there very late in the afternoon or evening and leave the crack of dawn the next day. That kind of a schedule really doesn''t justify the expence and the time. Chances of seeing Mt. Fuji are slim at best. (we saw it twice for about 5 minutes each time -- big deal.) The city tours in Tokyo, Nara, and Kyoto were good but terribly overpriced.

We selected this hotel because of (we thought) its close location to Osaka Kansai Airport because of our 9 pm arrival. We continued our trip the following day so didn''t take advantage of any of these things.

City site seings were easily carried out by one day metro ticket. Metro station is just on the next corner. A train excursion to Toba (Pearl Island) was unforgettable.

All important sightseeings easily available by bus, train station is in 10 minute walking distance. Many good restaurants in the neighbourhood.

Ueno park has several nice musuems and zoos. There is also a nice sento (public bath) nearby--ask the hotel staff for directions. Ueno has several train stations (JR, Keisei, and subway) so it is a convenient place to stay. It is also quieter and less chaotic than Shibuya or Shinjuku.

The Moore City mall has some excellent resturants on the 9 floor.

The hotel had helpful info on the local trains to Narita Airport and the hotel shuttle would take you to the train station after making the morning Naval Base runs (after 10:00 a.m.).

Roppongi and Tsukgi (spelling) for nightlife and early morning hours should be visited. Visit to Ueno park and museums let you understand Japanese history and how they currently live their day-to-day life.

A good way to kill time is to hop on the monorail and go to the 70's expo amusement park. Make sure you their hours before going. For instance, it closes at 5PM on Sundays.

Japan is a marvellous country: everything is working perfect !

This trip was more work than play. However, the train ride from Yokosuka to Narita was very enjoyable. I used first class (green car) for my trip. Thanks to the help of some other passengers, I was directed to the correct train, and car. Their English was much much better than my Japanese. I thank them again for their assistance.

Eat in the resaurants in the hotel or across the road in the Staion/Shopping complex.

nice with the park

Dined at the French restaurant (Escoffier) for our Thanksgiving splurge. Elegant, good food beautifully served, but pricey. Music has got to change - Disney tunes no less! Had to ask to turn down the volume.

Nice walking to the Imperial Palace.

Ueno Park is nice, there are cultural things there and a chance to see a more "relaxed" Tokyo lifestyle.

This hotel made using Osaka airport for an early departure very convenient.

Kamakura, ancient capital, and Hachimangu shrine well worth seeing; Daibutsu Buddha (Great Buddha) outside of Kamakura good tourist sight; round trip travel (bus/train) cost about $8.00 and about 1 hr 30 min total travel time.

Local area is very clean. Employees in various stores/restaurants very friendly and professional, and are immediately ready to help patrons; fast, efficient service. Taxis' and their drivers' are immaculate; a little pricey, just like in the states. Found Japan economy, for the most part, to be more expensive than stateside.