Fun things to see/do in Tokyo?

[Ala. blacksnake]

My friend and I are going to Tokyo some time in the next 3 weeks and we were wondering if you guys knew of any cool things to do/see in the city? We're both 19, straight, like video games, airsoft, eating, clubs etc. So we'd like to see some of the major arcades (i heard there is a massive 5 story arcade somewhere in tokyo), some night clubs, maybe some weird sex/fetish stores (something interestin gto check out) and of course good restaurants. I appreciate any help you can give!

[WarriorBuddha]

Being that I live in Tokyo I might be able to help you out a bit. If you like games, Akihabara is the place to go. There are lots of video arcades and game shops, as well as a 5 story sex shop, all near the train station. If you have the money, Roppongi is the place to go for clubs, but if your budget is a little smaller Shibuya has a large selection to choose from. Shinjuku is also a very happening place that I would recommend. Lots of night life there. Restaurants...take your pick...there are tons of them and I couldn't begin to recommend just one or even a few. If you like Japanese food and are brave like I was my first few years here, walk into a Japanes restaurant where the menues are all written in kanji and pick your food by the "point and pray" method. I've rarely been disappointed. Hope that helps a little.

[ultra_agent9]

You're both 19 right? So I would definitely recommend Harajuku during the day on the weekends (check out Yoyogi park for the skaters, bands, punks, goths, rockabillies etc) and Shibuya on a Fri/Saturday night. Check out Club Pure (if you like Hip Hop & R&B etc), it's a one fee (2500 or 3000yen) all you can drink night and there are heaps of young hotties. Roppongi has a lot of clubs (some dodgy) in a small area so you can easily go club-hopping. Like WarriorBuddha said, Akihabara is electronics and gaming central.

Here's an idea: go to www.gaijinfinder.com and register (it's free) and say that you are looking for some cool friends (or chicks) to show you and your friend around the funky places in Tokyo. Definitely put up a photo (you get more hits). Chances are you might meet people with similar interests who would be more than willing to show you the sights. Better to know a local than to follow a guide book. Let me know how you go.

[Ala. blacksnake]

thanks for the advice both of you guys...you gave me a good starting point

My friend and i are from nyc and we basically want to do/see things that we can't here or in the united states. do you guys think tokyo is a fun vacation spot for a week? and is not knowing a word of japanese a major problem?

[ultra_agent9]

Two 19yo guys on a one week vacation in Tokyo in summer? Hell yeah! You can have a grand 'ol time. Don't worry about the lingo, people will know that you can't speak Japanese and so the ones who can speak English will be more than willing to help/talk to you. Just learn a few polite phrases in Japanese like please, thank you, hello and goodbye etc and you'll be fine.

Also, don't forget to tell a nice looking girl that you meet that she is cute: kawaii ne! (ka-wa-ii means cute, "ne" is often used at the end of a statement)

[xepherys]

Japanese chicks!!!

They're fun to see AND do (well, I kow they're fun to see... I'm jus assuming the other) ^^

[echo5delta]

Wow. Talk about flashbacks.

Listen to WarriorBhudda, for he is wise.

I spent about a week in Tokyo for my 24th birthday, every night in Rappongi, and it kicked ass. Shinjuku was also a very happenin' place, and either district is friendly to foreigners. I'd tend to be a bit more careful with Rappongi, since it's just a wee bit wilder.

If you go to a strip club, it's usually worth the high cover charge - the Japanese men in there will sit at tables holding discussions amongst themselves, and the dancers will ADORE you if you just pay them any sort of attention whatsoever. I chalk that up to either a weird one-time experience on my part, or (more likely) just an odd Japanese gender culture thing.

I highly recommend eating at MOS Burger (the Teriyaki Rice Burger KICKS ASS!) and/or A&W root beer stands while there. Also, give Mickey D's a shot, too - the menu is different, but not radically so.

If you're the kind of person who (like me) enjoys drinking a beer here and there, try your best to find Orion. My very favorite among any brewed in Japan, hands down. I was more an Awamori/sake guy when I was there, though. Good, good stuff with ice & water on a hot summer night.

I also <b>emphatically</b> suggest you find a tourist guide or some other source of an ENGLISH LANGUAGE Tokyo subway map before you even get on the plane. The subway is your friend, but not if you wind up stuck at the wrong end of the line with 300 Yen in your pocket.

J-League basbeall was one of my favorite things while I lived there. Tokyo has the Yoimuri (sp?) Giants, and I know Yokohama (right next door) has a team as well, though their name escapes me a the moment. It would be well worth a little research (or help from a local?) to go see a game in person, I think. It remains one mf my great regrets that I didn't do that myself.

Best advice I can give for ANY foreign travel: Don't be the Ugly American, *especially* when there's a language barrier involved. 95% of the time on mainland Japan, the people will do their best to make things easy for you so long as you're polite.

At the other end of the spectrum, if you find yourself face to face with two or more Japanese cops at a barroom (or other) brawl, your first punch is thrown at the one carrying a gun. Chances are he's the least skilled in martial arts.

That's what I've heard from *other* people, anyway. Heh.

[bundy]

buddy, its easy...

if you stick to places on the Yamanote Line (thats the light green one), you'll have fun and you won't get lost.

Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya, Akihabara, etc... (read WarriorBuddhas post)
and at night, check out Roppongi (not on the Yamanote line from memory, but DEFINITELY worth it)... and the 'love hill in Shibuya' (lots of themed short stay hotels) if things take a turn for the better... haha...

have fun.
its the greatest place on earth.

[WarriorBuddha]

Oh yeah. I forgot about the subway and train maps. You'll need those. A lot of the big stations (and some of them are BIG) have wall maps in english as well as japanese, but not all of them. And as stated earlier, it always helps to pick up a few polite and sometimes handy phrases. With a little preparation a week in Tokyo will be a week to be remembered for a lifetime. Having been here for four years, the novelty's worn off, but I still remember my first few months. It was a great time. Enjoy yourselves.