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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C Alafriz	31 December 2004
Stayed at Kyoto Royal Hotel - Kyoto, Japan.
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.
E Kastanja	24 December 2004
Stayed at Phoenician Plaza Hotel - Sapporo, Japan.
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!!!
Z Yoshida	23 December 2004
Stayed at Park Hotel Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan.
Good shopping at Ginza and Roppongi. There is a great German bar on the main stretch of Ginza.
H Chung	11 December 2004
Stayed at New Hankyu Kyoto, Hotel - Kyoto, Japan.
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.
C Chung	10 December 2004
Stayed at Mansions at Roppongi, The - Tokyo, Japan.
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.
P Levitan	30 November 2004
Stayed at Mansions at Roppongi, The - Tokyo, Japan.
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.
P Den duyn	29 November 2004
Stayed at Park Hotel Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan.
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".
L Black	28 November 2004
Stayed at New Yokosuka, Hotel - Yokosuka, Japan.
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. 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.
M Tiemann	23 November 2004
Stayed at Mercure Hotel Ginza Tokyo - Tokyo, Japan.
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).
E Dyckhoff	14 November 2004
Stayed at Osaka Airport Hotel - Osaka, Japan.
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!