Japan (Tokyo/Kyoto)

Chris Kuan wrote:
Our advice may change slightly based on exactly which days you are
in
Japan. For instance, the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka (not "Minatara") is
closed on Tuesdays! And the cosplayers in Harakjuku only come out on
Sundays (just outside the entrance to the Meiji Shrine).

ah, thank you for the tip. i should have mentioned the days of the
week i'd be there. so, if i went to the Ghibli, it would be on a
Friday... phew! but this means i miss the cosplayers =( (well, i guess
this means I can leave my anime costume at home! LOL!) So... Meiji
Shrine is by Harajuku? Bob M mentioned that above, I might have to
visit that temple instead of one of the others...

will have to get my location names straight... I keep getting them
mixed up! (Askausua and Akasuka... Mitaka and "Minatara!")

The subway + rail system in Tokyo seems overwhelming because there is
so
much choice. Note that the "train" system is run by Japan Railways
("JR") and is separate from the multiple subway lines so you can't
necessarily go to the big "train station" (usually JR) in a suburb
and
expect the subway platforms to be right next to the JR platforms. But
they'll be nearby in the station complex. The convenience of the
subways
is that they serve the smaller suburbs and criss-cross Tokyo in
several
places, saving much time. Just think of it as a big game of Snakes
and
Ladders and the subway map might be a bit easier to follow :-)

Thank you for clarifying that! I was getting really confused! The
maps of the train/subways make it look even more complex, and the maps
don't tell how far everything is from one another!


On a purely selfish note, as you come down
from Toyko Tower, a couple of the floors of the podium are shopping
arcades. Mostly crap souvenirs, but there is a "Donguri Kyowakoku"
store
there, which sells all manner of Ghibli goods - the store's name
means
"Acorn Republic" or some such, which of course is a Totoro reference.
If
you can wheedle 15 minutes in the store from the tour guide, it's got
stuff which even the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka doesn't carry - official
products of course, but the store in the Museum is rather small - and
crowded as heck. You can easily spend 20 minutes in the Museum just
queueing up. Beleive me, I've spent (literally!) far too much time
there
(^_^);

Oh!!! great tip! If the Ghibli tix don't happen, at least I can get
great Ghibli merch! Maybe Tokyo Tower must be done after all... just
for the giftshop... I could always meet up with the group later?


Mmm... if you are going to see the Imperial Palace and the temples in
Kyoto, you *could* skip these. In Toyko, you will only see the East
Garden because the actual Palace area is only open a couple of days
per
year. The gardens are OK and there's one or two small historical
sites.
Same for Asakusa Kannon (the one with the huge iconic lantern at the
entrance). But really, you've paid for the tour already and it's only
taking up one morning. And you can still use the last half of "Day
2"
in Tokyo to do some independent sightseeing

I found out the two days that the Imp. Palace is open... it's Jan 2 and
Dec. 24, LOL! and now that Tokyo Tower is the only one I really really
want to do, and it's first on the itinerary (that gift shop!!) I might
adjust a little bit. Or just take the tour, since it's only the
morning. Or move on to Ginza so I can get to Shinjuku/Akihabara/etc.
one of the other shopping districts and get to see them!

Day 4 Tokyo/Kyoto- transit
will probably have the evening free, thought we'd roam Gion.

Sounds like a good idea :-) If you get there just after lunch, I'd
say
head out to Kiyomizudera straight away, and then Gion (it's pretty
close
by) in the evening.

Oh, great idea! =) I hope we get there soon enough. What's the latest
you'd say we should get in Kyoto and settle into the hotel before
heading to Kiyomizudera?

That is one heck of a trip :-) By the way, where are you travelling
from? That jet lag might hit on the morning of "Day 2" and you might
appreciate being led around by a tour guid while in a semi-dazed
state
rather than having to navigate an unfamiliar city on your own:-)

LOL. I forgot to tell you, I'm actually going to be in Asia for a
while, before getting into Japan. I'll be in the Philippines for 11
days prior, so I am really hoping to be sort of accustomed by then.
But I'm not of the most hearty disposition (if this were anime, I'd be
the girl that always faints and asks, "Is it anemia?") so maybe I
better not get too ambitious! But this is something I've always really
wanted to do, I've always wanted to go to Japan... and since I start
working this year, I don't think I'll be able to go to Asia again for
at least 5 years, and there's just so much I want to cover! I just
wish I had a couple more days... right now I'm only getting tiny bits
of fashion, anime and history!