daftada Posted February 6, 2013 Posted February 6, 2013 Ok, so after years of procrastination a friend and I are finally getting our backsides into gear and arranging a pilgrimage to Tokyo in September, taking in the sights and particularly TGS. Neither of us have been to Tokyo before so we have no idea what to expect, or where the best gaming/anime hot spots can be found (outside akihabara). So if anyone has any advice on where to go, where to eat and any dos or don'ts I'd really appreciate it! Also, if anyone is going to be in Tokyo around that time and want to meet for 3ds or general gaming malarkey it'd be cool to hear from you. Cheers!
Debug Mode Posted February 7, 2013 Posted February 7, 2013 Just typed a whole fucking message and it got deleted by accident, MOTHER FUCKER. I'm living in Japan, but I have no experience with Tokyo but I do have some recommendations! Look out for the magical kanji 放題. This is the "all you can (whatever)" golden ticket. The food buffet's here are in a league of their own in my opinion, so if you want to eat all you want, look for 食べ放題(tabehoudai). However, if you like yourself some booze, definitely try out the magic that is 飲み放題(nomihoudai). All you can drink booze and the selection is usually pretty good! Both places are generally billed by the hour. As for eating in general and experiences, you may want to have a go at 焼肉(yakiniku). You get sat at a table with a grill in the middle of it and you can grill your own meat to your own liking etc. Most places also do this in conjunction with all you can eat, and this might also be your best shot if you can't confirm whether or not the places you're thinking of going to have an English menu available. As for other tips, make sure you have enough money on you at all times. ATM's are rarely operating for 24 hours a day in Japan and most of them are inside banks or convenience stores. Also try and confirm whether or not your bank charges you for any foreign transaction fees and then decide for yourself whether it's best or not to get the bulk of your money out here from an ATM with only little from an exchange buraeu or to just exchange it before you come. As far as I can tell, it's probably best withdrawing most of your money out here as it gets exchanged at pretty much the actual going exchange rate rather than the big mark up places sell you currency at. But of course, that could be a risky proposition, especially if you lose your card. Final tip, do not ride the front carriage of subway trains here during peak/busy hours. The front carriage is usually reserved for children and women, because a lot of Japanese men can be fucking idiots on public transport.
daftada Posted February 7, 2013 Author Posted February 7, 2013 Thanks for the advice! I'm a big fan of all you can eat buffets By the way, does Japan use US-style mains plugs?
Debug Mode Posted February 9, 2013 Posted February 9, 2013 Thanks for the advice! I'm a big fan of all you can eat buffets By the way, does Japan use US-style mains plugs? Pretty much the same, I'm using a US power plug converter for my stuff. They are a little bit different though, so I can't say for sure if everything with a US socket will work
Will Posted February 9, 2013 Posted February 9, 2013 I was in Tokyo for a few months at the end of last year, and went to Tokyo Games Show during that time. It's becoming very mobile heavy, but I would imagine that this year could be quite interesting. It's rammed on the public days, so get there early and try to work out exactly what you want to try and see and head to those things as soon as you can. This year I'm only going to go on the business days I think. The merchandise hall has a lot of stuff you can't buy anywhere else, and the good stuff sells out early, well worth taking a look as soon as you can if you're looking to pick stuff up. As for Tokyo, stay somewhere close to a Yamanote line station. It's the best connected for getting around easily and to a maximum number of places. It also has a good service late in to the night compared to other smaller lines. On the whole hotel rooms are pretty small, so travel light. You can spend a lot of money very quickly. If you go to the English style bars (Hub and others) you're going to be paying 15 quid a pint or so. Personally I prefer the standing bars and more real Japanese experience, which can be cheaper but the staff are less likely to speak English and food may be a little more on the strange side compared to food at home. My main tip... try to learn a little Japanese. Around Tokyo most people speak at least a little English, but they often won't use it unless you use Japanese first. Work colleagues I've been out with who don't speak anything quite often find things hard when they're on their own. But I've found if you drop even a little Japanese in then they will start trying a bit of English and quite quickly you find you can get by together. Oh... It will be hot at that time of year, be prepared to suffer if you don't like the heat.
Debug Mode Posted February 9, 2013 Posted February 9, 2013 Oh fuck, that last point is incredibly true. I was at Tokyo for just under 3 hours in September and the humidity almost killed me before I could make my transfer flight
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