Job Discussion Forums

[mrjohndub]

With the holiday season and New Year's approaching, I'm sure lots of folks are traveling abroad, returning 'home' or receiving friends from overseas. I fall into the latter category.

I've got a couple of friends coming to visit me from the States for two weeks. I'm male, both are female. One's an ex I'm on fantastic terms with, and planning for her arrival would be a piece of cake. The other is her close friend, who I know somewhat well, but with whom I don't instantly gel, rendering the idea of just letting spontenaity decide when and what to do most activites, sightseeing and going out a faulty plan.

So, I've decided that I need to beef up my planning. I live in the Tokyo area, but only come into the city every other week. I've never gone out for nightlife. Basically, I've been here three months but my work schedule keeps me busy at the wrong times and I've been bent on spending conservatively.

I'd like to get some pointers from anybody who's knowledgable on the following questions:

--Which activities in or near the Tokyo area are the biggest 'hit' with friends that have visited you? I don't want to bumble around like a tourist. A sampling of traditional and modern Japan would be best. (I've heard of a one-act kabuki ticket...anyone tried it?)

--Where is the best place to take Western women who love to shop shopping? I'd prefer to offer shopping for things that you can't find at just any store in the West. Points for ecclectic stores, proximity to other attractions. (I was thinking Ginza or Harajuku?)

--Where is the place where I'd find the highest concentration or the highest diversity of 'ethnic' restaurants? We love cuisine from all around the world and would get bored eating Japanese every day. (Shinjuku?)

--What are the best day trips? (I was thinking Kamakura or Nikko)

--We love to go out drinking. What are the best theme bars? What are the best districts to find lots of cool night spots? Originality is important to them. (I guess we'll hit up Roppongi or Shibuya, I'm not sure where else)

Sorry, I know that's a lot to ask, but I'm just not in the position to explore all of this myself in the month that remains before I need to host them and offer a sampling of all of these things. I'd like to come across as a pro, ha.

[kdynamic]

I think Kamakura AND nikko. It's fall so you gotta take them to nikko. And go to kamakura and eat at a traditonal Japanese retaurant. That'll give em a good dose of the seasonal-temple-pretty food side of Japan.

[bshabu]

If they're coming this winter holiday, then go to Kamakura Nikko is best in fall and best to get there by car. It's a nice drive up Iroyazaka but near impossible in winter. Kamakuru is easy to access by train. As far as food goes, go to Shinjuku and take them to a Yakitori shop. There is also a unique Chinese restaurant near Bic Camera in Shinjuku. It is set up to look like an old prison and you are greeted by a robot warden. He(It) asks you for the password. Its the name of the place by the way(which eludes me at this time). If anyone has more info on this place please post.

[pnksweater]

I always take guests to Harajuku. Sundays are good for gawking at the little bo-peep girls, but a bit crowded for my tastes. In Harajuku there's Meiji shrine- very pretty if it snows and so quiet! Cat street is great for unusual little shops, as is the region of small shopping streets behind the giant GAP. Off of Omotesando is a small private block print museum. If they like Japanese art chances are good they'll enjoy an hour or more here.

All of harajuku is full of foreign food restaurants. There's a fun taco place across from the once Stormy now Chicago shop. An interesting ramen shops just behind the Wendy's and more trendy cafes then you can shake a stick at. However, when I want to wow people but still feed them stuff they will enjoy I head up the street towards Aoyama and take them to the giant Maisen shop located in a renovated bath house. Food's great, prices range from cheep to less so. It's hard to find, but take a left near the subway entrance and follow the Maisen signs on the telephone poles.

After all this you could head back to Shibuya for drinks. There's the 300 coins bar (everything on the menu is 300 yen), a nice thai restaurant, and other fun stuff on centa gai. I really enjoy the Red Room bar under the yamanote tracks, across meiji dori, and left on a side street... but it doesn't open until after the last train.

Once the trains stop you can hole up in a Karaoke box or bed down in a love hotel in Shibuya's love hotel district (not very goofy or kitchy... but it's a bed).. or take a taxi to roppongi (only a bit shy of 1,000 yen) and drink till you go blind.

Other fun places include Asakusa, the Edo Tokyo Museum, and a trip to Akihabara or Ueno's bike town for the techno geeks and/or gear heads. I'd also throw in at least one trip to a large department store. The Takashimaya in Shinjuku is nice and large. Plus there's the attached Tokyu Hands which tends to go over really well with visitors. Make sure you get samples or lunch in the basement grocery.

Although much smaller and lacking the wide streets and tall buildings of more major areas I always love shopping in Shimokitazawa and strolling in Kichijoji's inokashira park (on the inokashira line). There are so many small and unique shops here. Plus it's not an area covered in guidebooks- so a bit off the beaten path.

I don't know if it's still available, but I picked up a bilingual guide book to TOkyo put out by BRUTUS. They certainly had some interesting reccomendations that you don't find in the Lonely Planet or Rough Guide. The cover was Yellow with Hot pink lettering. I found it at Kinokuniya in Shinjuku.

[mrjohndub]

Thank you. That was very informative and extensive. I'll look into the guide, as well.

[azarashi sushi]

Hi John Dub,

I second the suggestion to take them to Kamakura or Nikko. Both of them are really nice and tourists love it. If you have limited time then either one is enough.

When you're in Shibuya, a very uniquely Tokyo thing to do is sit and drink a coffee in the Starbucks, just above the pedestrian crossing in front of Hachiko, and watch the swarms of people crossing the road.

From there you could stroll up Aoyama Dori to Minami Aoyama and take them shopping to the Comme des Garcons store. Even if you only do window shopping, the design of the store itself is very interesting and worth seeing. A few doors down from there is the Prada shop... The building is also a very unique design and worth checking out. Isetan (department store) in Shinjuku is great for shopping... Much nicer and more atmosphere than Takashimaya in my opinion. Depending on your friends size though, finding clothes to fit could be an issue.

From Minami Aoyama you could walk along Omotesando... lots of shops, cafes and small galleries on the side streets. If your friends are looking for typical Japanese souvenirs to take home, there's a really good souvenir shop on Omotesando called "Oriental Bazaar" which has lots of that kind of stuff and reasonably priced.

You mentioned ethnic restaurants... I live in Shinjuku and yes there are a lot of ethnic restaurants in the area. Off the top of my head, within 10 to 15 minutes walk of Shinjuku station you could eat Sri Lankan, Vietnamese, Thai, Chinese, Turkish, Italian, Mexican, Spanish and Indian. I've eaten at most of those, and while they were very nice I wouldn't exactly describe them as "memorable". My feeling is that they're OK if you're living in Japan but for a visitor who's here for a short time, you could do a lot better and go to nicer places if you stick to J-food.

It depends how much you want to pay of course, but a lot of the skyscrapers in Nishi Shinjuku have restaurants on the top floors. Not all the restaurants are great but some are fantastic. There's a restaurant on the 52nd (or maybe 51st - can't remeber exactly) floor of the Sumitomo triangle building called YUI-AN ... The interior is stunning and the windows come all the way down to the floor so the view is incredible... I think it would impress even the most jaded traveller. The food is Japanese although it's quite creative and varied. There is lots of interesting stuff on the menu. You need to book a fixed course in order to reserve a table by the window. Courses range from 3000 to 8000 but worth every yen.

If you like yakiniku, there's a chain of really good yakiniku restaurants in Tokyo called JO JO EN. There's a really nice one on the top floor of the Tokyo Opera City building (just above Hatsudai station) so another nice view... A good meal including drinks will set you back about 10000 yen per person but well worth it especially if you want to impress your guests. Lunchtime is cheaper.

I'm not a big bar goer so I can't recommend too many bars but the New York Bar in the Park Hyatt (the one featured in the film "Lost in Translation") is gorgeous. Cocktails are around the 2000 yen mark and there is a 2000 yen door charge after 8pm, but you get a live jazz singer for that.

If you're in Meiji Jingu (Harajuku) you can easily walk to Nishi Shinjuku and Hatsudai by taking the west gate and following the road. Very few people know about that but it's nice if you want to do a big walking tour of Tokyo. Also while you're in Nishi Shinjuku, check out the Tokyo Metropolitan Govt. Offices.

You should definitely take them to Karaoke... The best one in my opinion is a place called PASELA because they have the largest amount of foreign songs... I know they have a branch in Shinjuku, Roppongi, Ueno, Ikebukuro and probably Shibuya. I think I read somewhere that the Roppongi branch is going in the Guiness Book of Records as being the karaoke place with the most songs.

[azarashi sushi]

Forgot to mention... If you like clubbing, then go to AGEHA in Shin Kiba. I think it's probably the biggest club in Japan (certainly the biggest in Tokyo anyway)

[mrjohndub]

Ageha was definitely a plan, but one thing: I've been told (and I can't vouch for the sources, but I've been told) that there's nothing else to do in Shin-Kiba. ...That there's one big club that's very worth it, but little else to do in the area. We like to club hop, normally. With a club that size, who knows...it could be exactly what we're looking for in terms of the entire late night. Do you have knowledge of anything else worthwhile? Does Ageha have a big cover? Any other tips for the area? Thanks!

[azarashi sushi]

That's right... There is absolutely nothing else to do in Shin Kiba and it's kind of far from everything else. However AGEHA provides a free shuttle service to and from Shibuya and busses run all night. It only takes about 20 or 30 minutes.

AGEHA has a 4000 yen cover charge... I don't know if that varies from night to night but at least that is what I've always paid. But I think that is pretty good value. You'd pay at least 3000 yen anywhere else.

Actually taking the shuttle bus to Shin Kiba is kind of interesting in itself. It goes along the (raised) motorway for most of the trip so get to see a good view of Tokyo. Although it's an unattractive city, just to see the sheer density and extent of it is quite amazing.