So we’re taking an extended layover on our way to Thailand and have a full day in Tokyo. In doing my planning, I have some questions:
(1) Will I be able to read the street signs? I have borrowed some guidebooks and maps, but they aren’t going to do me any good if the street signs are in the Japanese characters. Are they? I also understand the metro is color-coded, but will I be able to tell which direction to go or what stop I’m at?
(2) I’ve found plenty of information on the Metro, but have found a separate line referred to as the JR train(?) that has different routes, stations, ticketing system, etc. I’ve also found it very difficult finding additional information on this system–everything seems to route back to the other metro. Am I missing something?
Now, for an IMHO:
It turns out, the one day we’ll have there is a Monday, when virtually all museums are closed, as well as a good number of the admission-based gardens. What recommendations do Tokyo-familiar dopers have if you only had one day and those attractions are out? Some things I’ve been looking at are:
Taking a boat up the Sumida to Asakusa
Visiting the Tsukiji fish market
Visiting the Meiji Jingu Shrine and Gardens
Taking in one of the shopping locations (Akihabara, Ginza, Mitsukoshi, Aqua City Odaiba)
…among other possibilities. So, any ideas from those who know their way around?
I’ve made a couple of trips to Tokyo on business and haven’t had that much problem finding my way around. There aren’t a whole lot of street signs, btw; I have always navigated by landmarks.
JR is Japan Rail. It’s an intercity rail line and is what you would use travelling from the outer suburbs into the center of town (or what you would use go go from one city to the other). Think “train” vs “subway”.
Hope you’ve factored in transportation time to/from Narita (which is very long esp. w/traffic – can be 2.5 hrs. at a really bad time; and expensive).
Tokyo sprawls a bit. As noted, most street signs aren’t much help (main Sts. may have romanized names on signs). Locals are helpful (esp. if you carry a map and point to where you want to go, as many locals have limited spoken English). Always get a map from your hotel concierge, and/or have him write out the directions/name of where you’re going in Japanese; especially helpful for giving to a cab driver (again, some (most?) have difficulty with English, and the streets are all jumbled anyhow).
Subway is manageable, I think. Maps are clear, a fair number of English signs, and the station announcements give you an extra clue as you can usually catch the station name being announced before the train gets in.
Imperial Palace grounds are neat (as is adjoining Hibiya park). Ginza is high end shopping, and much the same (IMHO) as a high end stretch of NYC or Paris (or the Shops At The Venetian in Vegas) – which is not necessarily a bad thing, I’m just not sure there’s much local flavor to it. Tsukiji is also worth a visit (and very easy to get to from city center).
Again IMHO, especially if you don’t have time to branch out into suburbs, make a side trip to Kyoto, etc., the best short exposure to Tokyo might be checking out a couple of good local restaurants and bars – dining (and drinking!) is very important in the culture, the Japanese are excellent at hospitality, and the Kobe beef and sushi and kaiseki and other specialities are actually pretty affordable (relatively speaking) these days given their economic slump. While this suggestion will be of lesser or greater value to you depending on how much interest you take in dining out, I think it’s a good quick “in” to the city and to getting a feel for the (relatively reticent, but friendly, population). Also, as a practical matter, Tokyo does not have a huge number of obvious “must see” tourist locations (e.g., no central cathedral, etc. or whatever you’d latch onto if you had a single day in some random European city), partly because it’s only been the capital for a relatively short time, and partly because it was so heavily bombed).
You will likely need to take the Tokyo subway. If you avoid rush hours, it’s very easy. And even at rush hour, it’s still not that bad.
If you take it anywhere, ask someone to tell you exactly which exit to take out of the subway. Some have up to 60 different exits and if you take the wrong one, you are pretty much screwed.
The exits are always well-marked “A1” “B2”, etc and there are usually English signs telling you what the major landmarks are at that exit, such as “Seibu Department Store” or “Imperial Gardens”.
Another thing to remember is that the Japanese people are extraordinarily polite and if you hold up, look perplexed, and don’t look to be Japanese, you will likely find someone who will come to your aid.
Good tip: carry a street map and a train map with you at all times to help with asking directions. Also, there are policemen stationed at little streetside kiosks every couple of blocks who spend most of their day giving directions. Don’t hesitate to ask them.
BTW, note that there are technically two subway networks, and you will not be able to change between the two without buying a new ticket (or by buying a ‘transfer kippu’ that lets you do everything with one ticket, but still at the full price). It can make a difference when you plan your route.
The Eidan network is made up of the
Marunouchi Line
Ginza Line
Hibiya Line
Tozai Line
Chiyoda Line
Yurakucho Line
Hanzomon Line
Namboku Line
The Toei Network is the
Asakusa Line
Mita Line
Shinjuku Line
Oedo Line
The two networks frequently stop at the same stations, but have separate gates and ticket machines. If you make a mistake and get the wrong one, the station staff will typically refund your money if you let them know.
You’ll also need to buy a separate ticket if you want to ride any of the JR lines.
Here’s a good searchable map, although it doesn’t differentiate between the two networks: http://www.tokyometro.go.jp/network/map_english.html
As for the IMHO, Tsukiji could be interesting (I work a couple of blocks from there), but you have to get there pretty early to see the auctions. Like 5am early. The food and fish arrive around 3-4am, and most of the stuff is being shipped out by 7. The Sumida river cruise is kind of nice, but there’s not a whole lot to see. A few weeks ago I took one of the Hato Bus tours in English (I was scouting stuff to do for when my parents come) which was interesting. Leaving from the observation deck about 40 floors above Hamamatsucho station, we then went to the Imperial Palace and Asakusa Kanon Temple before taking the river cruise back to Hamamatsucho. Altogether, it was 5000 yen/person.
Just an aside, you might be real tired and jet lagging. Going to and from Tokyo is a pain for a day trip or 24 hours. You might consider just hanging out in Narita city. There is a really nice temple in the city, you can go check out the wierd stuff in the dept store and see a sleepy town.
My other suggestion, based purely on ease of travel, is to take the Narita Skyliner to Ueno station, and hang out in Ueno for a while.
If you’re going to overnight, check with the Japan tourist bureau at Narita Airport, and they have all sorts of info and will help you make the reservations. A free service. Go there no matter what when you arrive. All sorts of brochures and free maps, subway maps etc. Also there is a toll free number 24/7 that you can call and someone will translate english/japanese on the phone.
