Japan trip itinerary (advice needed)

[yukiya]

Hello Hyde !! I'm glad to read your plan, coz it's very similar to mine
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I was intending to get JR pass, but I think I could save a lot of money with seishuun 18 kippu (and also considering that I'll be using city pass). For Hakone, there is also 2 day pass, so practically the only thing not covered is my return trip from tokyo to kyoto.

Will you be attending Anime Fair on 30th march? We can go together ! I'm hoping one of my fave seiyuu's gonna be in this event

I'm also at lost when it comes to food, probably I will do a random pick =_=
This is what i use to find accomodation :
Hostels & Youth Hostels Worldwide - Online Bookings

[samurai007]

Yeah, there are tons of places to eat in Japan, and many have plastic replicas of the food with the prices in a window out front, so you know what you'll be getting and how much it costs before you enter. I always just chose a place at random (or that looked popular with the locals) and I was very seldom disappointed.

[yukiya]

Thanks for the re-assurance Samurai

What is left now is whether the flowers will bloom by the end of march I'm counting on the global warming to make that happen ^^

PS: I'm still considering to replace Nara with Osaka Kaiyukan

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by yukiya

Thanks for the re-assurance Samurai

What is left now is whether the flowers will bloom by the end of march I'm counting on the global warming to make that happen ^^

PS: I'm still considering to replace Nara with Osaka Kaiyukan

Well, I've been to both places, so I can describe them for you, post photos, etc. Basically, the Aquarium takes you up a long escalator to the top of the building, and then you walk down a spiraling path to the exit. The central part of the spiral is a huge tank filled with a whale shark and tons of other creatures, while the outside of the spiral has individual tanks with everything from penguins to crabs. It's a very nice aquarium, the nicest I've been to, though I haven't been to all that many because looking at fish isn't hugely interesting to me. But it was a fun experience. It doesn't take all that long to go through the aquarium, though how long you stare at each tank is up to you...

Nara has a beautiful park filled with voracious deer that you can feed. Some of them will even do tricks, such as bow to you, if you will feed them. It has the largest wooden building in the world, the tallest Nio statues in Japan, and the largest bronze statue in the world, as well as other temples and pagodas. I had a great time there, and the Daibutsu, building, and other statues were really impressive. But if deer, parks, and more temples aren't of interest, and you're burned out on historical things, it may not be as fun for you.

Youtube has some videos of Nara that you may want to watch, to get a feel for the place.

[MMM]

The Daibutsu (Great Buddha) in Nara is hard to miss, and is unlike anything you will see anywhere else. I'd keep that on the agenda if I were you.

[yukiya]

hm.....seems like a lot of people are in favour of Nara ^^
I could make that a one day trip then =)

Thanks guys for all the help and info! I'm so glad I found this forum

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by yukiya

hm.....seems like a lot of people are in favour of Nara ^^
I could make that a one day trip then =)

Thanks guys for all the help and info! I'm so glad I found this forum

Well, if 2 is "a lot"...

Seriously though, it depends upon your interests. Someone who is really into fish would love the aquarium. The whale shark is impressive, as are the large number of other species. But it didn't scream "Uniquely Japanese!" to me the way Nara did, and many of the statues and buildings in Nara are literally the largest of their kind in the entire world! They are very impressive, IMO, but if big old wooden buildings and bronze statues (and hordes of very friendly deer that will come right to you) don't interest you, then Nara may not be your thing.

Japan has a wide variety to see, from the newest gadgets and high-tech items to ancient temples to natural beauty like waterfalls and mountains. I think visitors should choose a sampling of each, focused on the things that interest them the most.

[yukiya]

Originally Posted by samurai007

Well, if 2 is "a lot"...

haha, it's you , 3M and 3 more friends I have here
Thanks again !! I'm sure I'll have more question when the date gets nearer =_=

[Housetek]

pretty solid... i recommend more days to explore tokyo. a few days isnt enough.

Get plenty of rest and wake up early.

Drink redbull and try to see as much as possible.

Remember Japan has a lot more to offer then just anime=)

good luck

id show you around but i think i return to Tokyo a week after you leave =P

[samurai007]

Originally Posted by Housetek

pretty solid... i recommend more days to explore tokyo. a few days isnt enough.

Get plenty of rest and wake up early.

Drink redbull and try to see as much as possible.

Remember Japan has a lot more to offer then just anime=)

good luck

id show you around but i think i return to Tokyo a week after you leave =P

I saw what I wanted to see in Tokyo in a day and a half. (The Imperial Palace and gardens, one of the tallest observation areas to take pictures of the city, visited some manga shops, Hachiko's statue and Shibuya, and Harajuku.)