Travel: Japan - General

[radiantmum]

MMM, confirmed - just found the websites for you below


http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3021.html
http://www.tsukiji-market.or.jp/tukiji_e.htm

[MMM]

Hi,


Thanks for the info… We will probably do a swop then. BTW, the Imperial palace (east garden) is closed on friday and monday.

So we will now do the imperial palace (walking distance from our hotel) on sunday am. Then probably do tsukiji on monday before going back to hotel to checkout at 11am.

[radiantmum]

Yeah and save you from waking up in the wee morning hours


Aren't you checking out Nakamise near Tsjuki - heard interesting bargain shopping street not to be missed? I very \"swallow\" - will sacrifice imperial palace for that :lol:

[MMM]

Hi,


Our hotel is overlooking the imperial palace so I suppose we will just go and have a look. Seems like too much shopping in our itinerary already and wonder if we will get to buy anything eg. will things be so expensive that I will not want to buy :lol:

Sharing our draft plan.

Thurs : Arrive hotel by noon
Asakusa, Nakamise
Ueno, Ameyoko (another place with lots of shops)
Tokyo station (to buy outlet bus tkt)
Ginza

Fri : I am going to work while hubby is planning to go to Odaiba by
himself.
Akihabara in the evening

Sat : Gotemba outlet

Sunday : Imperial palace
Harajuku (aim by late morning)
Shibuya area
Meiji shrine
Omotesand and Takeshita Street, Daiso 100 JPY shop
Shinjuku

Monday : Tsukiji market
Airport transfer at noon.

We are thinking of swopping the activities between sunday and saturday depending on weather forecast.

[mckenzy]

just realised that there's a timetable for the airport limo to tokyo central...


last bus to Shinagawa (where we're staying) is 9:05pm... our arrival is 8:30pm... which all seems okay if we rush right?

nope...

looks like the airport limo counter closes by 7pm(?),. there's an option to purchase the tickets in Singapore but they still need to be presented at the Airport counter...

*haiz*

http://www.tokyometro.jp/global/en/ticket/limousine_metropass.html

[sashimi]

MMM:

Hi,


Thurs : Arrive hotel by noon
Asakusa, Nakamise
Ueno, Ameyoko (another place with lots of shops)
Tokyo station (to buy outlet bus tkt)
Ginza

Fri : I am going to work while hubby is planning to go to Odaiba by
himself.
Akihabara in the evening



Sunday : Imperial palace
Harajuku (aim by late morning)
Shibuya area
Meiji shrine
Omotesand and Takeshita Street, Daiso 100 JPY shop
Shinjuku



We are thinking of swopping the activities between sunday and saturday depending on weather forecast.

Thurs and Sunday - very ambitious leh! These are all major tourist areas... meaning to say there are lots of things to do and see, and also distances to walk. Unless you intend to brisk-walk through everything (and almost certainly regret it?), I doubt you will be able to see half of what you intend to. This is my exprience.

One thing I like to point out to people is that Tokyo has a population of 11 million - the city itself is also massive. Singapore pales in comparison, and cannot be compared. Orchard Road is -nothing- once you have seen Tokyo's shopping offerings for example.


Just a thought... your husband's not going to Odaiba to look for the full-size Gundam is it? Cos it's dismantled already. just in case.....

[schellen]

MMM:

Hi,

So we will now do the imperial palace (walking distance from our hotel) on sunday am.

If you're just going to the palace garden, then I guess it'll be okay within your time frame planned, well, if you aren't the type who will savour gardens slowly and take lots of pictures.

If you intend to visit the palace itself (only those areas open to the public), you do know that you need to \"book\" in advance and follow a \"tour\"? I know that the Japanese themselves need to \"queue up\" months ahead to \"book\" a place but I have read at some online bulletin boards/forums that foreigners/tourists may have more luck in \"jumping queue\"; I think maybe you use your passport to \"register\". Tours conducted in English are few so you'll have to check their schedule. Also, tours have fixed times so you can't be late (you'll have to report some time beforehand) and you can't rush through.

Here's a link: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3017.html

[radiantmum]

Questions - Need to transfer to different hotel. Hotel allows check-in only in the afternoon. Planning to go direct Tsukiji Fish Market and only check-in later in the evening so as not to waste the morning.


1. Can I use takuhaibin for transferring luggage from 1 hotel to another hotel (even though I have yet to check in the hotel?)

2. If (1) cannot, luggages can go into station coin lockers?

[MMM]

schellen:

If you're just going to the palace garden, then I guess it'll be okay within your time frame planned, well, if you aren't the type who will savour gardens slowly and take lots of pictures.


If you intend to visit the palace itself (only those areas open to the public), you do know that you need to \"book\" in advance and follow a \"tour\"?

Hi Schellen,

I read about this. But it appears that there is no palace tour on weekends so it is not possible to book at all. If we only want to visit the garden, I suppose we don't need to register and we can just walk in ???

[MMM]

sashimi:

Thurs and Sunday - very ambitious leh!

Hi,

Thanks for the feedback. Frankly, we don't know what to expect so we are assuming that we will cover those area. So far, we are those travellers who touch and go type. We will stay longer if something interest us otherwise we just keep on moving.

I saw some friend's tokyo shops pictures on FB and I was really impressed. Eg. for the same product, they come in many different range of colors. I believe this would be an eye opener for us.