Trip to Japan 2007
Thursday, June 26th, 2008In March/April 2007 my friend and I travelled around Japan for two weeks. This page contains my opinions on the places visited during this trip.
Tokyo
Tokyo does not give a good first impression. On the way in on the bus from the airport I described it as the ugliest city that I’d ever seen. Fortunately this is only a first impression. Although Tokyo in daylight can not really be described as beautiful there are certainly some interesting areas and at night the city hides behind a dazzling amount of neon.
We started and finished our trip in Tokyo. On arrival we stayed in the Shinjuku business district, which I’d recommend as it is easily accessible, cheap and has few tourists. On the second occasion we stayed in Asakusa, which is more touristy and less accessible.
Key highlights of Tokyo for me were:
- The “Lost in Translation” bar at the Hyatt Park Hotel. It has great views of the Shinjuku district and is very relaxed.
- Akihabara. The “techy” district. I particularly enjoyed the smaller shops around the side streets where second hand items and older models are sold. Bargains on new items can be had, though in general we found the very large stores to be more expensive. Maid Cafés are numerous and are definately worth a visit. The best one we visited was underneath “The Computer” store - I forget the name.
- Omotesanda and Shibuya. The side streets off Omotesanda are full of small clothes shops covering all tastes and budgets. It is a good place to wander around and people watch.
Shibuya at night is a thousand times better than Roppongi (do not go there it is horrible!) The large pedestrian crossing lit up with video screens and neon is how I’d imagined Tokyo before going and it is also how I’ll remember it.
Kanazawa
A small, wealthy city that was difficult to get to by rail (5 hours in total from Tokyo.) The main attraction is the gardens. There is also a castle but this was recently rebuilt and could easily be made out of Lego! As a first point of call from Tokyo it was interesting, but you realise afterwards that it has very little to offer compared with Kyoto and Nara.
Kyoto
Kyoto has its fair share of temples. Though it doesn’t beat Nara, the area called Daitoku-Ji was very impressive. It is a very pleasant city that feels very roomy and well planned. It offers interesting side streets, riverside walks, cherry blossom and good (if expensive) Kyoto cuisine.
Osaka
Osaka is a vibrant, modern city. The Castle is the main attraction and is certainly worth a visit. Osaka also has plenty of cherry blossom trees.
We spent the rest of the day in the computer shops near the station - turned out to be a good place to pick up cheap second hand laptops (don’t forget that you’ll need to factor in the price of installing an English version of Windows. Japanese versions can not be changed to English).
Nara
If temples are your thing then this is the place to visit. The main attraction is Todai-ji and rightly so. For me this was the most impressive temple that we visited while in Japan. We visited Nara on a day trip by train from Kyoto.
Hiroshima
A must visit. The A-Dome, memorial park and museum really hit home. These can easily be done in a day. Although the city is agreeable there is little else to do afterwards.
Miyajima Island
A small island off the coast near Hiroshima. From Hiroshima you take a local train (25 minutes) and then a boat (10 minutes). The island positions itself as a calm haven that is off the beaten track. This isn’t the case. During the day there is a constant stream of tourists. They come to see the Tori gate and the associated shrine. The island is worth a half day visit. I wouldn’t suggest staying overnight as it is fairly expensive and you need to be back before 22h00 to catch the last ferry, which limits your options for the evening.
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Where we stayed:
New City Hotel (Tokyo)
A good business hotel in the Shinjuku district. €95 for a twin room.
Toyoko Inn (Kanazawa)
A good, well positioned business hotel with helpful staff and free internet access. €45 for a twin room with breakfast.
Kyoto Garden Hotel (Kyoto)
A good quality business hotel. Well located near the Castle and the Imperial Palace. €86 for a twin room.
Momijiso Ryokan (Miyajima Island)
Very friendly people. Excellent accomodation and food. Unfortunately it is on one of the main tourist trails up to the cable car. €200 for a twin room with dinner and breakfast.
Ryokan Asakusa Shigetsu (Tokyo)
A nice Ryokan located in a very touristy area. Staff was very friendly. Separate public baths for men and women. These are clean and pleasant though they are only available for 2 hours in the morning and 5 hours in the evening. €95 for a twin room.
Other Links
Unfortunately we didn’t manage to see a match. This English language sumo wrestling site lists forthcoming tournaments.
Japan National Tourist Organisation
Official tourist board web site. Includes information on the Japan Rail Pass.
English language train timetables.
This web site explains which phones will work and why you can not buy a mobile phone in Japan for use in Europe.
Some handy maps of Tokyo and the surrounding area.
Buying a second hand laptop in Japan.
