Travel: Japan - General

[jas3angels]

thanks lwm99.


we will be staying at Sheraton Grande at Disney. ok, will buy 3 day pass then(disneyland, disneysea,disneyland).

flight is in the afternoon (13.30pm). cannot go far.

[lwm99]

jas3angels:

thanks lwm99.


we will be staying at Sheraton Grande at Disney. ok, will buy 3 day pass then(disneyland, disneysea,disneyland).

flight is in the afternoon (13.30pm). cannot go far.

Sheraton is good. Ask for park facing room if you want to see the park from your room.

As Disneyland is usually more crowded than DisneySea, I suggest you choose DisneySea on the first day, and go early to Disneyland on the second day. Third day you can do park hopping to both parks and do what you have missed or redo your favorites rides again.

[schellen]

To get to Nakano: Get onto the Chuo Line (中央線) and alight at the 3rd stop (IIRC) after Shinjuku when taking the normal (普通) train, NOT the rapid or express ones. If you take the rapid or express ones, you'll have to watch/listen for the Nakano stop. I don't know which line the Ginza station is on so I can't give instructions on how to get onto the Chuo Line. Sorry.


Sorry (again!) that I can't put up my pics here since my maps are not to scale and very crudely drawn. I think they are also not very accurate since I drew them before I even visited Nakano in 2006.

I only know that you get out at the North Exit (北口) at Nakano station and cross the road. There is a shopping mall/lane right in front of you. Just enter and follow it. You should pass by a small bakery that sells very yummy bread at affordable prices. I never fail to buy lots here since the variety is so interesting and stocks disappear fast. I can't remember the bakery's name but there should only be one. There's also a Mc's there that I always drop by to have lunch when I visit Nakano. I only eat the Prawn Filet Burger in Japan since they don't have it in S'pore. I'll also try whatever special items they have at the moment. For example, sashimi and I tried the Strawberry Shortcake McFlurry when it was available for a limited time. When we got back to S'pore, we couldn't find it at all and whatever limited edition McFlurry they have here so far fails to meet up to that Strawberry Shortcake one.

When you reach the end of this \"street\", you'll enter a building called Broadway. I'm sorry I can't give you the exact locations of the Mandarake branches here but they are easy to find and there should be English signs. There will be directories on every floor at the staircase. Once you stand outside a branch, you can see very clearly what that branch specialises in.

Sorry for the vague instructions. The Broadway website provides a Google map but it is in Japanese.
http://www.bwy.jp/map.html

P.S. To confirm that you are really in Braodway, and you can't find the building name or can't read it, you can check that the other end of Broadway has a Daiso.

[schellen]

For directions to Otome Road (opposite Sunshine City):

1. Get to Ikebukuro Station on the JR Yamanote (山の手線) Line.
2. I can't remember the exit. Sorry! However, I remember that once you exit the gantry, you should turn right. (If you turn left, you will reach a bakery, which is the OPPOSITE of where you should be.)
3. Keep walking until you get out of the station.
4. There is a BIG junction. Cross it.
http://www.sunshinecity.co.jp/sunshine/info/images/infoAccess_map01.gif\">
(Map taken from http://www.sunshinecity.co.jp/sunshine/info/access_train.html)
5. Once you reach Point No. 2 on the map, you should see a bakery called Takase on your left.
6. Continue walking down this open-air mall.
7. You will eventually reach Point No. 5, which is opposite Tokyu Hands.
8. Don't follow the dotted line on the map from then on unless you want to go to Sunshine City first (via an escalator and a long underpass).
9. Near Tokyu Hands is a pedestrian crossing under a highway.
10. Cross this wide road and you will see Toyota Amlux showroom.
11. Turn right and walk until you see Family Mart convenience store on your left.
12. Turn left (and squeeze past lots of parked bicycles) and you'll see Animate facing you.
13. Animate is the start of Otome Road.
14. Sunshine City is just across the road.
15. To get back to the Ikebukuro JR station, just retrace your steps.

Time your shopping cos the shops at Otome Road can open at 10, 11, 12 or even 1. There are no public toilets and no eating facilities except at Sunshine City. I always aim for lunch and a toilet trip after I visit Animate since it opens the earliest. After recharging, I cross the road again to continue down Otome Road.

In Sunshine City, I always visit 2 stores when I'm alone:
1. Soup Stock Tokyo: It offers yummy soups and a lunch set meal reasonably priced at about 1000yen (about SGD15?). Yes, this price is reasonable in Tokyo. Only go there if you are not in a big group and not carrying lots of stuff as the store is very small. It is popular among young working women.
2. Dipper Dan: It's a crepe shop that sells my favourite, Blueberry Cheesecake. I can't find this flavour in S'pore. I think it's about 500yen but they have a huge variety and daily special offers.

[schellen]

insider:

Hi Schellen,


Thanks for the detailed instructions.

My daughter can't make it to join my friend for this coming trip afterall (date clashes). Maybe end of the year I will bring her there (and then youngest son to visit Disney briefly and she goes and wonders around herself. Think the instructions are sufficient for us to figure it out esp my daughter who is very good in figuring out directions).

Thanks again!

No problem.

If you're going at the end of the year, maybe your daughter will be interested in Comiket? It's held twice a year; in summer and winter. The winter one will be after Christmas and before New Year. For the past few years, it has been held at Tokyo Big Sight at Odaiba. Here's more on Comiket: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comiket

[MMM]

Dear All,


If I have 3-4 free days in Tokyo in end october, what are the places to go and see.

This is our 1st visit to Japan. Are things very very expensive? How about shopping. Think probably staying around Shinjuku area.

[MMM]

Anyone done the gotemba outlet??? Is it worth the visit in terms of price? Getting really excited if we should plan a one day trip there. Hope the drive there is also scenic so we can enjoy the journey.

[lwm99]

MMM:

Anyone done the gotemba outlet??? Is it worth the visit in terms of price? Getting really excited if we should plan a one day trip there. Hope the drive there is also scenic so we can enjoy the journey.

If you like to shop, then likely you will like it there.

Beside Gotemba, you can also go Sano. See the link here.
http://www.premiumoutlets.co.jp/

[MMM]

Hi,


Yes… I love shopping. Unfortunately everytime I am in US, I can’t hit the outlet as I don’t drive and the place I am at don’t have local tour to outlet (as it is not a touristy area). In addition, it’s so expensive just to get transport to the outlet eg. US$100 - US$200 return. I might as well spend this $ shopping in nearby malls. Worst, not all outlet stores in US carry all the brands. Eg. Near NJ area, the outlet stores does not carry coach.

So I am thrilled to learn that there is outlet at Japan… BTW, where is SONA??? We will be staying at Tokyo (near imperial palace), will Sona or Gotemba be nearer for us??? Sorry our 1st visit to Japan so I am alittle lost directionally.

[MMM]

Hi… which is better Sano or Gotemba???


Also for Sano, i realised that we might need to take the bullet train (might be interesting to try it). But wonder how much it cost.

There are coaches going to Gotemba and it’s JPY 2800 for return. Wonder if the train alternative would be alot more costly.

Also, anyone tried the coaches before??? Must we buy tickets in advance?