Japan - Tokyo - Hakone First Timer

[flipfreak]

the shots i took while i was there from nov to dec.

http://www.clubsnap.com/forums/showthread.php?t=808368

 

[mmice]

I'm not sure how long you will be in Japan for, but the Japan Rail pass or JR East passes are definitely worth considering.

I used the JR East rail pass and for 20k Yen for 5 consecutive days, it is a really cheap way to travel by Shikansen. You will need to plan ahead as some require reservations.

My personal "must go" places -
Hakone including Gotenba for shopping;
Nagano for the scenery and snow monkeys- you can do this in day but it is a very early start, or stay a night
Sendai - Again, it can be done in a day. Not advised but I went there and back in a day
Kamakura/ Endoshima - Temples and scenery.

Within Tokyo area
Askakusa, Shinbashi, Ueno, Akihabara .. pretty much as the others have described.

One tip.. if you can, fly into Haneda rather than Narita. It saves a lot of time getting into the Tokyo area and its much smaller airport and generally more pleasant.

Enjoy your honeymoon

 

[Golgotha]

Thanks a lot for the info, any recommendations for hotels? I'm looking for budget type.

 

[Golgotha]

Guys, thank so much for the info, I've been reading up and i think here's what i will be prob doing.

Places to visit:

Tokyo Tower,
DisneyLand
Camera Shops,
Mt. Fuji, is it possible to go there from Tokyo? (I'm very bad at geography)
Hakone,

 

[ortega]

you can see Fuji-san from Hakone, if the day is clear

if you intend to go on the hakone round course, my feeling is that you should go clockwise instead of anti clockwise.
the anti clockwise route is more convenient and thus more crowded
for clockwise route you will need to leave the train station and take a bus to moto-hakone, walk to the temple and visit the tori gate, walk back to noto-hakone and have lunch there, then take the pirate ship across lake ashi.

book a ryokan along the route, so that you do not need to rush, the next day you can go to gotemba for shopping. i believe there is a nikon shop there as well.

and then back to tokyo.

 

[Golgotha]

you can see Fuji-san from Hakone, if the day is clear

if you intend to go on the hakone round course, my feeling is that you should go clockwise instead of anti clockwise.
the anti clockwise route is more convenient and thus more crowded
for clockwise route you will need to leave the train station and take a bus to moto-hakone, walk to the temple and visit the tori gate, walk back to noto-hakone and have lunch there, then take the pirate ship across lake ashi.

book a ryokan along the route, so that you do not need to rush, the next day you can go to gotemba for shopping. i believe there is a nikon shop there as well.

and then back to tokyo.

Great info, will find out more. Did you stay in a ryokan yourself? Any recommendations?
Are those with private bath more expensive?

For those who are fans of One Piece, any idea where I can find the Going Merry?

 

[shierwin]

Thanks a lot for the info, any recommendations for hotels? I'm looking for budget type.

Please see post #160 above

 

[ortega]

Great info, will find out more. Did you stay in a ryokan yourself? Any recommendations?
Are those with private bath more expensive?

For those who are fans of One Piece, any idea where I can find the Going Merry?

yes i did stay in a ryokan,

i stayed here
http://english.ichinoyu.co.jp/honkan/index.html

they are currently closed for renovation, it has a small private onsen in the room.
there is also a onsen that everyone can use (separated by gender) and a private one that you can book at no extra cost.

private baths in your room is more expensive.

you need to agar agar your time and plan where you want to end your day, then look for a ryokan around there.

 

[Alpina]

oh, when you are at hakone do try the black egg.(onsen tomago)
it is said to extend your lifespan.