45 Responses for "Soon to be lost in translation"

1. Tatsuhiko Miyagawa September 3rd, 2007 at 9:52 am 1

   There should be more, but a couple of obvious places:

   Tsukiji Fish Market: Best Sushi breakfast
   Akihabara: Gadget shopping and some funny Anime/Game culture thing
   Ginza: Apple Store and pedestrian street (only in the weekend), brand shops

   Coincidentally I’m coming back to Tokyo the end of Septemember till early October, both for vacation and work

2. Dave Miller September 3rd, 2007 at 10:14 am 2

   For learning Japanese, don’t forget to check out http://www.japanesepod101.com/

   Lots of free podcast-based lessons, if you’re in a hurry, check the Survival Phrases series.

3. Jason DeFillippo September 3rd, 2007 at 10:16 am 3

   Check out JapanesePod101.com.

4. Joe in Maryland September 3rd, 2007 at 10:17 am 4

   Go to Tokyo Station and get a ticket on the Shinkansen to Kyoto. Its not that long of a trip, 2 or 3 hours, but its an entirely different world. I used to live in Osaka and when I needed to get away from the city I would go out to Kyoto for the day. The Kyoto National Museum is top notch. Inari Fushimi Shrine is also one of my favorites.

5. Elisa September 3rd, 2007 at 10:19 am 5

   Having spend a number of summers there visiting my relatives, I can definitely concur, Akihabara for sure! And Tokyo Tower is pretty cool as well. It’s like the Eiffel Tower… except taller. One of my biggest regrets is that I never got to see Mt. Fuji, so that might be something to be seen. Definitely try to find a good ramen soup restaurant, they are to die for (fresh ramen noodles are the bomb!).

   If you wanna do something outdoorsy, you might wanna consider like checking out some cool mountain hot springs. We went to one back when I was a kid and they were awesome! The nature is Japan is super pretty.

6. Starman September 3rd, 2007 at 10:20 am 6

   I’ve never been there, but I did study Japanese for a while. This is a decent podcast, although they tend to get a little overexcited sometimes.

   http://www.japanesepod101.com/

   You can find them on iTunes.

   Sayonara!

7. Elisa September 3rd, 2007 at 10:25 am 7

   Also, you might like this T-shirt… Take me to Tokyo (http://www.threadless.com/product/851/Take_Me_To_Tokyo) , just right for the occasion

8. Gary September 3rd, 2007 at 11:44 am 8

   Akihabara to see all the latest gadgets is a must. Kyoto via train is a must daytrip and a nice contrast to Tokyo. If you can take a train anywhere into the countryside on a daytrip, you should do it to see life outside of Tokyo. Eat at the train stations or within a block or so– great little bars and yakitori shops right around the train stations). Some of the train station food places are legendary. Even in the city, get a good quick bite in places like Shijuku Station. People watching in places like Harajuku just outside of Shinjuku Station. Night life is incredible– jpop, jindie, all kinds of clubs– get some suggestions from others.

9. Mike Z September 3rd, 2007 at 11:53 am 9

   I just spent the last two years in Japan. There is definitely a lot to do and see both in Tokyo and other parts of the country. The great thing is you can get just about anywhere by train.

   In Tokyo, Akihabara for the electronics (Be sure to hit up Yodobashi Camera…8 stories of electronics), Shibuya has some good shops and restaurants, Harajuku has a great shrine (plus thats where a lot of the interestingly dressed teenagers hang out.) Outside of Tokyo, there is Yokohoma, Kyoto, Kamakura, and many other places.

   Have fun…I really enjoyed my time there!

10. Googleman81 September 3rd, 2007 at 12:19 pm 10

    like everybody else says definitely akihabara. i have never been there or in japan, but i have seen a few documentaries about it, and if your looking for any electronic item your probably gonna find it there. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihabara as for learning japanese i would recommend watching a subbed anime series to get a feel for the language. very popular are bleach, naruto, devil may cry and death note. figuring out japanese signs will probably not be very easy and if you get past identifying street signs in less than a month your probably really good. also bringing a pda with a digital edition of “japanese for tourists” would be good and take care what kind of fish your ordering in a sushi restaurant since people have been dying after enjoying the very delicate pufferfish. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pufferfish

11. Googleman81 September 3rd, 2007 at 12:33 pm 11

    like everyone else i would recommend akihabara after watching several documentaries about it (never been there myself) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihabara
    as for learning the language i would recommend you watch some subbed animes to get a feeling of the language and to catch some simple phrases. very popular are bleach, naruto, death note and devil may cry. with the signs i really wouldnt bother much, but i would bring a pda/electronic something with a digital edition of “japanese for tourists”. also take care of what kind of fish your eating in the sushi restaurants since the very delicate pufferfish has been a fatal pleasure for several customers already. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pufferfish

12. Scott Greiff September 3rd, 2007 at 12:45 pm 12

    Used to live in Japan. You probably should hit Ropongi or Shibuya after hours, for sure. If you’re down Yokohama-way, then visit Apakabar. Great “local” place to hang out with some of the best food & drinks after hours. Even YouTube coverage of their 10th anniversary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-I7l9WLZlQ & http://www.flickr.com/photos/hdysato/285574218/ Tell Nabe-san that “Sukotto-san” sent you!

13. slayerboy September 3rd, 2007 at 2:12 pm 13

    w……t…….f….??????

    have fun! my buddy is leaving in October for Japan. He’s spending at least a year teaching there!

14. ssmith September 3rd, 2007 at 2:44 pm 14

    I went to Japan for 9 days last July and loved it. I would recommend Tokyo Tower, I found it good to visit the Tower before it gets dark then go up the tower, see darkness fall and enjoy all the lights of the city. Also the views from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government building in Shinjuku are good and the observation decks are free. (The building is pretty cool too). Ginza for the Apple store, a look at the department stores and the Sony building. Just around the corner from Ginza is the Imperial Palace which is worth a visit. Akihabara of course. Depending on what you find interesting the Tokyo Stock Exchange could be worth a visit. I found it very informative and they do offer a English tour (bear in mind you do need to book this in advance). If Museums are more your thing go to Tokyo National Musuem or the Communications Museum. The Rainbow Bridge is also pretty amazing. Shibuya crossing is impressive and while there check out Takashimaya Times Square. Also when you are out and about look out for the 100 yen shops where you can stock up on essentials. In terms of accomodation business hotels can be more cost effective. I hope that helps and you have a great time!

15. Gary September 3rd, 2007 at 2:56 pm 15

    Tr to stay at least one night at a traditional Inn- tatami mat sleeping, etc. And try a furo ther- public or private- chk out the customs on lin before the public one. Great to do w a group of freinds- not at all like nude beach.

16. Fats Vernon September 3rd, 2007 at 4:15 pm 16

    Hi V,

    A very good friend of mine took his family to Japan for 6 months. Take a look at his very well written blog (complete with beautiful photography) for a great cross section of life in Japan:

    http://downingsinjapan.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2006-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&updated-max=2007-01-01T00%3A00%3A00-08%3A00&max-results=23

17. jccalhoun September 3rd, 2007 at 5:19 pm 17

    Sweet, I’m going to be there for the last day of the Tokyo Game Show as well as conference for videogame scholars held at the U of Tokyo http://www.digra2007.jp/

    I’ve taken about 5 japanese lessons from a native speaker but honestly I don’t know how much has sunk in. I’ve got recordings of him saying all the vocab and sentences so if I get around to it I might just chop that up into separate files, but it on my Dell Axim and play the files for people!

    Luckily, I did learn that “check-in” at the hotel is “check-u-eeen” and “check out” is “check out.”

    Mainly, I plan on just pointing a lot and grabbing any white people I see!

    (not looking forward to the plane ride though! tall people aren’t meant to fly coach for 15 hours!)

18. NeuroMan42 September 3rd, 2007 at 7:38 pm 18

    Try to rile up Gozilla or at least Mothra will ya?

19. jared September 3rd, 2007 at 8:06 pm 19

    Ropongi for a good time after dark. Try and stay somewhere with
    traditional baths, mmmm… And while out of the way, Hiroshima was prob one of the most emotional places i’ve ever been. I had a lot of fun at a fugu dinner place, and it makes for a great story. Akihabara was kinda overated to me, but it may be more your style. Honestly, if you’re going all the way to japan you can prob find better things to do then just look at electronics. I never found it that much more impressive then over here.

20. Parrotheader September 3rd, 2007 at 9:27 pm 20

    Since you mentioned No Reservations, might I suggest you also check out Anthony Bourdain’s most famous book, Kitchen Confidential. It’s a relatively quick read and the last chapter in particular talks about his eye-opening trip to Tokyo. He’s always more food-oriented but since you like the show you’ll probably like the book (and that chapter in particular.)

21. Veronica September 3rd, 2007 at 10:07 pm 21

    @Parrot – Yes, I’ve read the book! Loved it.

22. Keith September 3rd, 2007 at 11:41 pm 22

    The ‘Of Rice and Zen’ podcast and blog at http://memoirs-of-a-gaijin.blogspot.com – it’s an account of an English teacher who travelled to Kyoto to work at a language school. It’s a good account of the Japanese psyche. And lol funny a lot of the time.

23. Kae September 4th, 2007 at 5:40 am 23

    • Akihabara (???, via JR) is not even a question. Gadgets galore, down to the most bizarre, and anime in all shapes and sizes. Interesting buildings with floor levels that hold different merchandise (in different levels of, er, peculiar interests) that should make for an adventure. Go to a maid cafe for the kicks.

    • Chill at Shimokitazawa (???, on Keio-Inokashira line from Shibuya), which is enroute to Kichijouji. It’s a rather artsy neighborhood with tight little shops and musicians as well as painters just taking a break from the craziness of Tokyo. One of my most favorite places.

    • Shinjuku (??), which is the hub of all things. Go on a walk from Kabuki-cho to Nii-chome, and end along the San-chome park area on a darkening afternoon.

    • Ikebukuro (??) is fun too, especially the area along the East Exit, but it’s more along the Otaku thing. There’s a butler cafe here (Swallowtail), but it’s a bit tricky to get reservations.

    • Harajuku (??) on a Sunday. You won’t be disappointed. Walk to Shibuya via the NHK-Yoyogi Park, and if you’re lucky, you’ll come across many yosakoi dancers (it’s yosakoi season). Shibuya itself is pretty cosmopolitan, but unless you mean to do some expensive shopping, other places will suffice.

    • Outside Tokyo, there’s Kyoto and the Kansai region you can explore thoroughly. Kyoto’s more doable since it’s nearer, and smaller too. And I daresay more picturesque.

24. Horse N. buggy September 4th, 2007 at 5:41 am 24

    I went to Tokyo back in the spring. (I called in to BOL about it because I was flying across the international dateline the day after we adjusted our time forward and y’all kept joking about planes falling out of the sky.) First, Tokyo is the cleanest city I’ve ever seen, so enjoy that part. Second, heated toilet seats – a unique experience.

    My group enjoyed walking from Akihabara to Ueno (pronounced Way-no). There is a cool street market just outside the Ueno train station that stretches for several blocks. You can buy everything from electronics to squid. I never made it to Shinjuku, but really wish that I had – the sites are supposed to be really cool. Mt Fuji takes up a whole day, but is definitely a once in a lifetime trip.

    If you go to Kyoto, definitely check out the area of town called Gion. That’s where you will find the most “traditional” Japanese things like tea houses and Geishas.

    My favorite eating experience in Tokyo was at an automated diner. (I don’t know what they call them.) All the meals they offer are represented on a big jukebox (with photos). You drop your money in the jukebox and push the button for the meal you want. Then you sit down at the counter (a counter very similar to the one in Mel’s Diner from the tv show “Alice”). You hand your ticket to the guy running the counter. He brings you whatever drink you want and soup. 5 minutes later, your meal is ready and he delivers it to you. It’s efficient, technological AND tasty! (No bacon, though.)

    Here’s a link to the photos I took while in Tokyo. Most of the good ones were taken from Tokyo Tower:
    http://flickr.com/photos/missroon/sets/72157600051106397/

25. 6-3-2 September 4th, 2007 at 6:19 am 25

    I hate to sound like a grouch, but from what I’ve heard, Roppongi is very touristy and is full of westerners and expatriates. That’s something to consider.

26. joits September 4th, 2007 at 7:46 am 26

    go to harajuku station on a sunday to check out all the crazy costumes and make up that teens and older folk dress up as… should make for an interesting afternoon.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harajuku

27. DonW September 4th, 2007 at 9:13 am 27

    My wife and I were in Tokyo earlier this year. As others have said, it’s amazingly clean, the trains get you everywhere easily, and for the most part, everyone was very polite. You can still stay in Tokyo and get out of the urban sprawl by taking a 40-minute train ride out to Mount Takao. Very pretty shrines and a Monkey Park.

    See pics from our trip at http://photography.donwhitlow.com/galleries/album/5

    Btw, as mentioned during the whole “Steve Jobs Hates Buttons” thing that everyone was talking about a few weeks back, the elevators in the Apple Store in Ginza really don’t have buttons. They just stop on each floor automatically. Not sure how that fits in the whole Apple HIG scheme of things.

28. Clee September 4th, 2007 at 9:59 am 28

    Veronica -

    Wow, Japan and the TGS… Very nice, I hope you enjoy your stay in Japan, Veronica. I have not been there yet, but other members of my family have traveled there multiple times.

    Here is a URL to a blog for a Brit who is living in Japan, He updates the website daily. Most of the stuff has to do with Anime and GunPla, but there is a lot of useful information about his experiences and travels in Japan.

    Check it out
    http://www.dannychoo.com/

    BTW – I enjoyed listening to your two visits to BOL a few weeks back.

29. KC September 4th, 2007 at 10:35 am 29

    For things to do in Tokyo I’d check out the Metropolis podcast http://metropolis.co.jp/ they also publish a weekly magazine.

    Have fun in Japan

30. Sean September 4th, 2007 at 10:41 am 30

    I had to go to Tokyo for business about 9 years ago. I had a whole day available to do what ever I wanted to do while I was waiting for my plane to leave later that night. I decided to take a quick trip to Tokyo Disneyland. It was really fun hearing all the Disney characters speaking Japanese. It was most similar to the one in Anaheim, CA.

31. jccalhoun September 4th, 2007 at 2:46 pm 31

    All I know is that if I don’t get a welcome like the one Johnny Depp got I will be pissed! http://www.japanprobe.com/?p=1947

32. Hummy September 5th, 2007 at 1:35 am 32

    I would highly recommending going to the Observation Deck of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku it offers an amazing panorama of Tokyo!

33. Danielle September 5th, 2007 at 10:19 am 33

    I lived near Tokyo for a summer, in a small town called Kamakura. You can get there by train in about half an hour from Tokyo. Kamakura has incredible temples and shrines, in addition to being on the ocean and a key surfers beach! It used to be the seat of the original Japanese government in samarai era times. Very interesting and a good contrast to the bustle of Tokyo.

34. CatalepsicFox September 5th, 2007 at 9:20 pm 34

    Super cute & funny video about the ass biting bug. I have a buddy from Japan studying art (commercial art). Enjoy your trip!

35. naga September 6th, 2007 at 12:29 am 35

    You have to go to Shibuya Station Hachiko exit, right around sunset. The world’s busiest pedestrian crossing has some incredible electronic billboards that look stunning in the twilight. Plus the area has lots of shopping, entertainment, & food places. If you still buy CD’s, the huge Tower Japan & HMV stores are there.

    Harajuku is nearby. All the goth kids & fashion freaks hang out here on Sundays. Lots of new fashions for sale as well.

    Akihabara for the electronics of course. See all the new “toys” coming out of Japan.

    A popular place for Japanese Tourists is the Senso-ji temple in the Asakusa area. There’s a long street & shopping area leading up to the temple where you can pick up knicknacks like zoological zodaic charms, rice crackers, etc.

    Ameyoko-cho is a street market area that started off as a black market after WWII. Lots of local goods & foods.

    The Tsukiju Fish Market has auctions at like 6 a.m. tuesday-saturday(?) wet & hard to get to though. Afterwards, a sushi brunch in the Tsukiji external market is great.

    If you plan to go out of tokyo, get a JR rail pass BEFORE you leave. You can get unlimited JR line for 1 week with a pass and it’s good for the Yamanote train line which is the circuit for travel within Tokyo. There’s also IO debit cards that allow you travel around in Tokyo on the JR line if you stay only in the city. Cabs are expensive & distance & traffic are always an issue in Tokyo.

    Atami is an onsen (hot springs) area near Tokyo good for a day trip. You could also do the overnight climb of Mt. Fuji if you’re ambitious.

    Here’s good link to get started from.
    http://www.tourism.metro.tokyo.jp/english/access/index.html

    Lonely planet publishes a good book on tokyo.

    I like to stay in Shinagawa. The Shinagawa Prince is a stop on the limosine bus circuit from Narita Airport & across from the JR Station. It’s less crowded than Shinjuku but right on the Yamanote line making it usually easy to get around. Sony’s headquarters is in the area.(They also have a new product store in the Ginza area) The opposite side of the tracks has a new shopping mall. There’s alot of new places to eat as well. Tsu-na-hachi is a great tempura chain that has fresh quality food made to order. Check out the food courts in the basements of the major department stores. Everything from Japanese sushi to french pastries & beyond. Check out the grocery sections with a melon in a giftbox for $50!!!!)

    If you have an expense account on the trip try a “Kaiseki” meal (a prix fixe based on what the chef thinks is the best). Very pricey $100-300 per person.

    Finally check out Odaiba. It’s a man made island in Tokyo Bay. (Don’t go on a weekend when it’s too crowded with locals) There’s some great views of Tokyo Bay, the huge Fuji(?) TV studios, & Toyota/Lexus world show room that has a “drive simulator”.

    BTW, loved your work at CNET & look forward to seeing your work on Mahalo.

36. Darren Valen September 6th, 2007 at 8:48 pm 36

    Went there this spring. Most beautiful place to visit. Tokyo has everything but if you can get to Kyoto, it’s a must. These little side streets that lead up to the buddest temples lined with shops galore. It’s a much more laid back cultural experience than the fast paced city of Tokyo. All the previous posts are right on. As far as Roppongi, we went during the day and enjoyed the view from the top. You can check out my blog with pics at http://www.darrenvalen.blogspot.com

    The one thing is that we visited my best friend and his family (they’re Japanese) so I had a personal tranlator, travel guide, and place to stay. I really don’t know how we would have made it without them to speak the language. Everyone is so polite. The city is so clean. And some of the technology that is common like every car there has a GPS, makes L.A. feel like we’re playing catch up.

    Enjoy and don’t miss Akihabara. We spent two whole days shopping.

37. Misty September 6th, 2007 at 10:13 pm 37

    I have been to Tokyo many times for work. Always love visiting – not so much the trip there Looks like everyone has really covered all of my favorite areas of Tokyo. And, Kyoto is great too.

    Here are some off the beaten path suggestions for some fun dinning or drinks…

    Gonpachi – Very cool restaurant that looks exactly like a scene out of Kill Bill. The story is that Quentin Tarantino was there and this is where the layout for the scene in Kill Bill scene where Lucy Lu and Uma Thurman go head to head. Check out the pics of the restaurant here – http://www.gonpachi.jp/en/casual/home/index

    XEX Atago Green Hills – 42nd floor of virtually a 360 view of Toyko. Its awesome! Its also a Relaxing bar (and restaurant..thou we never made it to that). http://www.ystable.co.jp/restaurant/xexatago/index.html

    Seiryumon Restaurant in Shinjuku – This is an interesting experience…enjoy. http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~kirstin/photos/japan/

    Also – I prefer to Narita Express train into Tokyo over the Limousine Bus. The bus is a bit easier, but if you come in at rush out the bus has taken me 3 to 4 hrs!!! (after a very long plane right- its cruel). When you get out of customs, directly ahead is the place to buy tickets for buses and trains. You want a ticket for the Narita Express (Express ensures you don’t stop at every stop! – important). Then take the escalator down and follow signs through the subway to the Narita Express platform. (leave your self enough time thou

    Hope you have a good trip!

38. Ben September 10th, 2007 at 3:01 am 38

    A word of warning Veronica, your cell phone will not work in Japan because of a different phone system. So no mobile twittering!

    As for places, Akihabara has lots of tech shops. They are all called “… Camera” for some reason.

    Have fun!

39. MissM September 10th, 2007 at 5:02 am 39

    I subscribed to an anime podcast for my oldest son, and the first podcast we got was a 3 part podcast, about the hosts trip to Japan.
    Part 1: http://www.weeklyanimereview.com/index.php?post_id=219767

    highlights I’d want to know
    Everybody carries their own hand towel, which means no paper towels in the bathrooms, and carry an umbrella
    I found all 3 parts fascinating though,and they hit akihara(sp?) and the woman learned several Japanese phrases, which might minimize the amount of Japanese you might want to know.
    Have a great time!
    Jane
    I look forward to the Mahalo ___cast

40. Veronica Belmont September 10th, 2007 at 12:39 pm 40

    [...] Maybe I can find a Japanese SIM for my trip next week. [...]

41. Daniel September 10th, 2007 at 3:32 pm 41

    Have a great time!

42. mitch September 11th, 2007 at 12:37 am 42

    Are you a fan of i.e. Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away? I hear the Studio Ghibli museum is quite nice:

    http://gojapan.about.com/cs/tokyosightseeing/a/ghiblimuseum.htm

43. tonti September 12th, 2007 at 9:32 pm 43

    something to look forward to :p

    http://youtube.com/watch?v=84_QL1kEmH4

44. Kathryn Daugherty September 13th, 2007 at 12:31 am 44

    We just got back from two weeks in Japan, mainly Tokyo, Yokohama, and Kamakura. I can’t tell you where to stay cheaply as we stayed at the Mandarin Oriental (as in Lost in Translation) and it was simply fabulous (and fabulously expensive). But I can echo a few other commenters.

    1. It is hot. It will be hotter than Florida or Southern California. It will be humid. You will sweat buckets. That is why the Japanese carry washclothes. They wipe the sweat off their faces at every opportunity. Japanese airconditioning will not be able to cope. Sometimes it is cooler, but never as cool as San Francisco is naturally.
    2. We spoke no Japanese. We could get around in the stores by pointing and in the train and subways by reading the Katakana (Roman) characters on the stations. You will not be able to read Kanji. It is very complex. The hardest thing for us was food. You might think you like Japanese food, but when you get to Japan you will eat food that you can only guess whether it is animal, vegetable or mineral. Some of it is very good (I loved the Tonkatsu), but breaded, fried things can contain anything. I got a Yakitori I thought was beef, but it was liver. I did love buying food in the department stores as sometimes I had samples and sometimes I could tell I what I was buying (eel!)
    3. YES! Get a Japan East Rail Pass. You should be able to buy one here before you go. It was well worth it for us, although we also rode a lot of subways. At Narita go to the JR (lower) level and get a Narita Express RESERVATION (they can get you one for the next train out). Be sure and get a JR East Rail Map (I printed one out from the JR website). Also get a Tokyo Metro Subway map (also printed from the web). But be aware — THERE IS MORE THAN ONE SUBWAY SYSTEM IN TOKYO and your day/trip pass may not let you transfer from one to the other. We found this out the hard way. But even if you need to buy another ticket, it is not too expensive (170 yen, about $1.50). Going back to Narita you can also go to any main station (like Yokohama or Toyko) and make a reservation in advance on the NEX for your return trip.
    4. Yodabashi Camera in Akihabara is definitely a trip to visit, but I don’t recommend buying electronics there. I bought a tiny portable mouse for my MacBook Pro and IT DID NOT WORK. Luckily I got the concierge to call the company and tell me how to return it. She even wrote me a letter to take to them. No one in the store speaks English. What I did buy there that I love is tiny, tiny Japanese plastic food. It comes in sets of boxes like Cracker Jack toys. The box tells you which set this is for, but not which exact food items are in it. We bought three boxes and luckily for us, all of them were different. I guess it is like collecting game trading cards. The eighth floor there is full of restaurants. We went to the sushi boat one and it was good.
    4. For something completely different than Tokyo, I suggest Kamakura. It is a little less than an hour from Tokyo and full of temples. We got off the train at Kita-Kamakura and walked around two temples, then caught a taxi at the train station and took it to the large Buddha. I love cats and found a cat store (many of the stores in Japan are very small and very specialized) just a block or so from the Buddha and bought a bunch of fabric cats holding one paw up. We were going to take a taxi to the main Kamakura station, but the locals (speaking no English, us holding our JR Rail Passes out) told us to get a bus. Get a ticket when you get on the bus and pay when you get off. It was only 160 yen to take us down the hill over a mile. And they give change.
    5. Speaking of change. You might want to bring a change purse. The smallest yen bill is 1000 (less than $10). You will end up with a LOT of coins (500, 100, 50, 10, 5, and 1).
    6. We spent most of our time in museums — Contempary Art, Modern Art, Crafts, and Photography — and shopping. Brought back sake cups and chopsticks and handmade books. Lovely.

    Have a good time. It is clean, safe, and lots of fun.

45. Mark September 14th, 2007 at 11:28 am 45

    Veronica, this software looks useful — Japanese flash cards. (with pronunications).

    http://www.declan-software.com/japanese/learn_japanese_words_gg.htm?referrer=GOOGLE_IG_JAPANESE