Japan travel tales

Our customers share their travelling experiences in Japan. Read about first hand stories on travel tips and guides, events, entertainment,shopping, food, business and transportation. Also, you might want to read our city guide.

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S Louie	01 September 2005
Stayed at Mansions at Roppongi, The - Tokyo, Japan.
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.
P Akhtar	01 September 2005
Stayed at Alpha Hotel - Kyoto, Japan.
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.
Guest has requested to remain anonymous	31 July 2005
Stayed at New Otani Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan.
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.
A Gers	15 June 2005
Stayed at Mansions at Roppongi, The - Tokyo, Japan.
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.
M Sussman	26 May 2005
Stayed at Sunroute Hiroshima, Hotel - Hiroshima, Japan.
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.
M Mulder	18 May 2005
Stayed at Park Hotel Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan.
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.
G Gascon	16 May 2005
Stayed at Osaka Airport Hotel - Osaka, Japan.
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.)
H Suh	10 May 2005
Stayed at Nagoya Marunouchi Tokyu Inn - Nagoya, Japan.
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.
A Shrinivas	06 May 2005
Stayed at Kyoto Royal Hotel - Kyoto, Japan.
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.
M Chalkley	05 May 2005
Stayed at Hiroshima Hotel Central - Hiroshima, Japan.
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. 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.