Going to Tokyo!

Niklas

Dear H/A

I just bought a trip for me and my girlfriend, as a christmas gift for her (and me). We're going to Tokyo in march, and will be staying for a week. I've aways imagined Tokyo to be like geek heaven, but now I'm afraid that I might get overwhelmed when I get there, and I just wanna make sure I don't miss anything. It's not like you go to Tokyo every now and then, since I live in Sweden.

So, what I'm asking is; as a gamer geek, is there something that is a must see in Tokyo?

My preferences are mainly roleplaying games, wargames and computer games, but I also like comics, movies and other "PA-related" stuff.

Also, if you guys have any general advice about Japan and Tokyo, please let me know.

MagicToaster

Nerd central can definitely be found at Akihabara; it has tons of arcades, manga shops, electronic shops and.... some strange stores that you'll never find elsewhere. There are some fancy shops at Ginza... and the Sony building is right there in Tokyo too.

I suggest also experiencing the non-technology side of Japan. Tokyo Tower is very impressive, and Kaminarimon is beautiful! Also, visit the 100 yen shop for cheap souvenirs for friends and family.

poshniallo

Come out of Akihabara station, the small entrance away from Yodobashi Camera. Near Beckers Burger. On the left is a big building. One of the shops on the ground floor is called Radio Kaikan.

Found a map:

Aki Map

Zoom in and look for Sato Musen left and down from the station. In that building are tons of model figure galleries. It is both awesome and terrifying at the same time.

Near Tsukumo Akihabara, heading left from the station on that map, is Super Potato. This is a retro game shop with a (small) retro game arcade. Now I'm old, and grew up on Space Invaders and Pacman, but my younger friends went all funny when they went in there. Nostalgia abounds.

Any of the big arcades (game center in Japanese) on the main street of Aki (Chuo-Dori) will be really cool.

I'd also recommend a day trip to Yokohama, specifically Sankei-en. It's not so popular with tourists, but it's a real gem, especially on a weekday when you might have it nearly to yourself. There's a restored old house there with all the day-to-day objects laid out as if it was 400 years ago, and a fire going in the firepit. It's also a very big, beautiful garden with lots of traditional design features.

bumblebeetuna

Where are you staying?

Check out this video about buying a Suica (automated train pass + kind of quick debit card you can swipe at convenience stores, vending machines, and lots of other places) combined with a Narita express train ticket for cheap. I totally recommend getting a Suica card even if you don't do this deal because it makes traveling on the trains SO much easier. You don't have to calculate fares by looking at the maps in the stations, just swipe and go.

As for geek stuff, the posted above me already mentioned otaku-heaven: Akiba. If you're into Studio Ghibli anime, you should check out their museum in Kichijyoji. Kichijyoji is also a cool place to walk around and check out, lots of little cafes and restaurants and a nice park (Inogashira-koen) and even a little zoo. Kind of a get-away from the city even though it's only like 15-20 minutes on the Chuo line.

I also want to echo the previous poster who said check out the non-otaku Japan while you're there. If you want an AWESOME view of the city, but don't want to pay for Tokyo Tower (which is pretty crappy IMO), check out the Tocho Building in Shinjuku. Free to go up to the top, awesome views.

Most of all, I definitely recommend just getting off at some random ass train stop and walking around without a map or a plan. I had some of my best days there when I did that :winky:

Edit: Ugh I just typed out this edit and the forum ate it. Here it is again... Learning Katakana before you leave might not be a bad idea. You might know it already, but if not it's pretty useful for reading menus or signs. In case you don't know, it's the phonographic text used for "loan words" such as ハンバーガー ("ha-n-baa-gaa," hamburger), ステキ　("su-te-ki," steak), and so on. It's not difficult and I'm sure you could pick it up in a week or two.

Niklas

Thank you so much for all the great advice guys, I'm very grateful.

I am staying at the Shinjuku New City Hotel, obviously in Shinjuku. I think that is quite central Tokyo, but I wouldn't know for sure. Looks like that on a map, at least

bumblebeetuna

I lived about 15 minutes from Shinjuku.

The hotel you're staying at is near all the government buildings and skyscrapers so that area is kind of dead at night. You can easily walk to Kabukicho (red light district) or take the Oedo line from Tochomae station to Roppongi for some nightlife like everyone else has said, if you're into that. Just make sure to check when your last train is... it's usually around midnight. Miss it, and you're staying out until 5 or 6am, unless you want to fork over 20-30 bucks for a taxi (maybe even more).

Drinking on the street is legal, by the way. You can grab beers from the convenience stores for like 200 yen and go to town. I recommend trying some chu-hi. It's shochu + soda water + fruit flavors. Tastes like sprite and it's pretty strong too. Japanese people don't usually do this, but you can play the dumb gaijin card and no one will care.

There are a bunch of conveyor belt sushi places in Shinjuku. My favorite one is pretty close to your hotel. It's across from the Wendy's and near Yodobashi camera. I forgot the name, though... lots of 100 yen plates. Also definitely try some Yoshinoya or Matsuya, both are chain "beef bowl" fast food restaurants. So good, so cheap, so fast.

Don Quixote is a pretty fun shop to check out. There's one one the big street in Kabukicho. It's like a mix of Wal-Mart and Spencer's gifts. Lots of crazy Japanese shit in there and everything is pretty cheap. Great for souvenirs.

Also, when taking a cab, don't open or close the door. They're automatic. The driver will do it for you. No tips either.

MagicToaster

Niklas wrote: »

Thank you so much for all the great advice guys, I'm very grateful.

I am staying [...] in Shinjuku.

Man, as a kid I saw this movie and it's the first thing I think about when anyone tells me about Shinjuku

Niklas

Great... I booked a hotel in a city of demons.

ED!

Tokyo can definitely be fun, and quite overwhelming. My first time I managed to spend most of my time in Asakusa and surrounding areas, only taking day trips to locales outside of Tokyo - and missed quite a bit. The "nerd" stuff I think will wear pretty thin, pretty quickly - its fun to see (for the first time) the "geek" shops all lined up one after another selling the exact same cards, figurines, games - but it gets old. Quick. Add to that, that MOST shops will not allow you to take photographs inside their stores (if you see something awesome) - of course you can ask (I was allowed to get a shot of a George Lucas dool sitting on an R2-D2 toilet holding a lightsaber). The aforementioned spots are pretty "geek" central, but overall the city is pretty "average" (relatively speaking of course).

Shinjuku is a cool area, and you can probably walk back to your hotel from where you end up, but definitely venture out to the more. . .alive, parts of town. In March foreign travel should be really hopping. I would have recommended staying at a hostel that had private rooms (for you and your gal), this way you could hook up with other foreign travelers and get into foreign traveler hijinks. I thought one of the best things about the travel was meeting other people and experiencing Japan with folks not from our own country.

If you want a relaxing "day" with your girl, try a sidetrip to Hakone. I call it the Lake Tahoe of Tokyo, as it is definitely a "tourist" spot, but when I went there were only a few foreigners. Theres a ton of touristy stuff to do (thats actually cool), and you can cap it off with a stay in a ryokan or just dinner and a dip in an onsen (be sure to catch the proper train back though if you don't want to stay at the ryokan).