Stug

In the coming months I'm looking to research and book a trip to Japan (for myself and my girlfriend), we'll be setting off from the UK. What I'm interested in is other people's experiences of 'must-see' attractions/events/places in Japan and what experiences can't be missed out there..? Obviously technology shopping in Tokyo is a good plan but does anyone have any more detailed suggestions about specific shops/restaurants or general insider knowledge on travelling within Japan that they could share with me in preparartion for this trip..?

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Craven Morehead

I went to Tokyo about five years ago and loved every minute of it.

Before you go acquaint yourself with Tokyo's massive rail system. It can be quite confusing at the onset. Don't wait until you get there before you study the lines and the different ticketing options.

Here's a few places I recall in no particular order
Ueno Park

Sensoji Temple

Tsukiji Fish Market - a must see - go very early in the morning

Tokyo Tower - to fully appreciate how massive Tokyo is

Mount Fuji - we took a Gray Line all day English speaking tour. Transported there by bus. Had a great time with Brits, Aussies, Canadians and a few more Americans. On the way back we toured the Hakone hot springs area. Then we returned to Tokyo via the Shinkansen. Was a great day, highly recommended.

Imperial Palace - not much access but very placid as you would expect, this area is surrounded by other government buildings and embassies.

Ginza district - high end shopping and entertainment - make sure you visit the Sony flagship store

Shinjuku in the evening for dining. Generally found that the evening hours all the areas around train stations were overflowing with people hitting bars and restaurants. There are literally hundreds of restaurants within Shinjuku serving every type of cuisine imaginable. We were eating at a Chinese restaurant when a 6.2 earthquake struck about 20 miles out in Tokyo Bay. That will get your attention!

Akihabara - hundreds of electronics and technology shops

Roppongi - kind of a funky area, very diverse and fun, lots of restaurants and entertainment choices.

I really want to go back. I was extremely impressed with the culture and how civilized it was.

Charlatan

I've read that Tsukiji Fish Market is now closed to tourists. They have work to do and couldn't do with all the tourists underfoot.

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Craven Morehead

I found the official site and it does not mention being closed however the hours are restricted

Randerolf

Good luck on your trip. I loved it in Tokyo. TFP members were really helpful with their advice on my trip. It was so much fun!

Craven did a great job, but I will add a couple more.
I stayed at Grand Takanawa Prince . It's a 5 minute walk to the subway/ shinkansen. Also, there is a great Indian restaurant (Devi) near the base of the hill where I ate my first night in Toyoko. My roommate was Indian and said that it was just like being home. The hotel has a good reputation on the Flyertalk forums. The gardens in the hotel are serene.
Toyko Imperial Gardens : Seeing seas of people in white manicuring the landscape by hand was cool.
I never made it to the Yasukuni Shrine, but wish I had especially since I've spent so much time in China. It houses the souls of Japanese solderers including war criminals and features some revisionist history. Visits by Japanese politicians always piss off Asian nations.

Many restaurants will have pictures or models of what there is to eat. Also, check out the basement of the department stores to load up on Japanese food at a fair price. There will be delis/ bakeries and such.

Craven Morehead

I stayed at the Crowne Plaza at Ikebukuro (traded in hotel points for free nights!), just a block from the second busiest train station in all of Tokyo. This is a very busy transit hub surrounded by plenty of restaurants and shopping. Could see two McDonalds restaurants from the hotel McDonalds is huge in Japan, nothing like a double cheeseburger with a fried egg on it! Several other American chains are there also, which was disappointing, in a way The influence of America on Japan was quite noticeable, however that's not all bad. All signage and announcements in trains and subways were in Japanese and English. All street signs and signage in most stores and restaurants were also in English.

BTW - Japanese vending machines are awesome

Randerolf

Another idea: Checkout a pachinko parlor. It's kind of like gambling using a pinball machine. These places are common and the commotion pouring out of the place is a dead giveaway. I doubt that you will be permitted to take pictures, but it is a quick visit to something that you won't find elsewhere.

Craven Morehead

I took this picture in a pachinko parlor in Shinjuku. The sound inside was nearly deafening!

Stug

Brilliant advice, just what I was looking for thanks very much guys!

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and so ends the thought process for another day...

Gabbyness

Stug,

If you get a chance, Kyoto (the "spiritual capital") of Japan is an absolute must-see. I've lived in Japan for about two years now and if I ever get the opportunity, I will not hesitate to jump the "Shinkansen" (Bullet train) to Kyoto. If you're planning on making Tokyo your main stop, you're only about three hours by train to Kyoto and I *strongly* recommend it. It is a great chance to see the old-school side of Japan.

There are literally thousands of temples in Kyoto but I'll lay what I think (again -- I am not the authority) are the best ones.

Sanjusangendo
Sanj?sangen-d? - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This temple is my personal favorite and is only a couple minutes taxi from the main Kyoto train station (where you'd head in on the bullet train). It's a massive temple filled with over a thousand Buddha statues where they used to have archery tournaments down the length of the temple. Also, they have 20 or so large wooden statues dedicated to Buddhist Gods that are of incredible detail (God of Wind is my fav -- he's a bad dude).

Kiyomizu-dera
Kiyomizu-dera - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Giant temple on the side of a large hill on the outskirts of Kyoto with tremendous views. The temple is constructed entirely of wood and has a great walking tour. Don't forget to sample the sacred water!

Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion)
Kinkaku-ji - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Depending on the time of year, this might be the prettiest temple of them all in Japan. The rock gardens, ponds, and gold leaf-plated temple are really cool and the scenery is impeccable. Also, due to the walking area you never feel overwhelmed with people (a nice change of pace in Japan). Highly recommended.

Stug, these *barely* scratch the surface, I could probably go on for pages and pages concerning the cool places to see in Japan. Nara, Himegi, the Peace Park in Hiroshima, etc, etc. I really recommend doing the Tokyo thing (it is a great place) but also getting outside the mega-megalopolis. Osaka is another tremendous big city, very underrated by tourists, and, to me, it feels more "Japanese-y" than Tokyo does at times.

Don't shy away from anything though, and feel free to ask questions. I haven't done everything, but I've run the gamut from Tokyo Disneyland (hilarious) to traditional shows/plays.

Hope that helps!

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