 Text
and photos by Justin Palmer.
“Theres an old Earth saying: a hundred travel books aren’t worth
one real trip.”
- Isamu Dyson, Macross Plus.
Its probably become something of a cliché that, sooner or later,
a gaijin anime fan will express a desire to visit the country responsible
for giving us Urusei Yatsura, Kikis Delivery Service, and Lynn Minmei (if
only in order to strangle the people responsible).
Some of us are fortunate enough to make it.
This is a series of tips based on a two week trip to Japan me and my
Dad made in March/April of 2000. It is not intended to be an exhaustive
or authoritative account or guide; instead, I hope it will help fellow
travellers avoid some of the occasional troubles that we encountered. My
apologies if I come across fairly irrelevant, I can’t seem to help it.
^_^
We spent a week in Tokyo and a week in Kyoto. We took day trips to Nikko,
Hakone National Park, Nara, Takarazuka (home of the Osamu Tezuka museum)
and Hiroshima. Really, we probably tried to fit too much into too short
a time. If you're planning to stay in Tokyo, its probably best to regard
it as a permanent base to explore from. Fascinating as it is, however,
you'll probably want to get out into slightly less crowded environs at
least a couple of times. Three weeks, if one can afford it, is probably
a good amount of time to absorb Tokyo and do some exploring.
 We
went at the end of March and stayed over into April, an attractive time
to go, because the famous cherry blossoms are coming into bloom. The Peace
Park in Hiroshima, for example, might have seemed rather desolate without
them. For brevity's sake, I’ve left out details of some of the tourist
attractions we visited; any guidebook will be able to help you much better
than I can!
Booking:
“How do you spell Tokyo again?” Yep, thats an actual quote from one of
the travel agents I went to. The major operators do the odd guided tour
to Japan, but if you want a bit more freedom, it will require a little
bit more effort.
We went through a travel agent we know well, who was able to act as
a kind of middleman, and arrange our hotels and rail passes. So, thanks
to Dave Potter at the Sidmouth, Devon, branch of Lunn Poly, who didn’t
even blink when I told him where I wanted to go!
Alternatively, try contacting Creative Tours, who (I think) are Japan
Air Lines own travel agents.
Guidebooks:
We took the latest Lonely Planet guide and a second hand copy of Fodors,
dating from 1992. The LP guide was obviously more up to date, but the Fodors
was still useful, especially for planning on what to see and do. LP likes
to gives you the basics and lets you get on with it, while Fodors is more
hand-holding (think of LP as a young bungee jumping Australian backpacker
and Fodors as a silver haired Panama wearing expatriate).
Theres also a Rough Guide to Japan, whichis probably more up to date
than the LP Guide, and I believe a second edition is due soon. I also recently
browsed through the Time Out guide to Tokyo, which seems to be a pretty
good and compact guide to the city. It even has a picture of Mandarake
(see below) in the Shibuya section...!
If you can, it might be worth getting hold of a small compass, preferably
digital, as it makes orientating yourself by guide maps much easier - especially
if you possess my Ryoga like directional abilities. ^_^
Other travel advice:
I'd recommend contacting the Japanese National Tourist Organisation (0171
734-9638, http://www.jnto.go.jp/), if you haven't done so already, who
can provide basic guides, and very useful maps, and a handy train timetable.
Luggage:
Pack light! Japan has an awesome public transport network, but luggage
space is rather limited, even on the bullet trains. The Japanese tend to
travel light themselves, and I'd try and restrict things to one suitcase,
one normal sized backpack, and a smaller backpack for everyday use. A lightweight
umbrella is a good idea. Also, if you can, try and get a hotel as close
to a train station as possible
Japan Rail Pass:
If you're planning to take the famous bullet trains, you will definitely
want to get one of these. They give between 7 - 21 days unlimited travel
on almost all Japan Rail services (bear in mind not all rail services in
Japan are Japan Rail). If you're taking the bullet train more than once,
the pass will pretty much pay for itself. If you're just staying in Tokyo,
you might not want to invest in one, but as it covers the local trains
that go right round Tokyo, you might still want to consider it They cost
between £200 - £350 approx. depending on the validity.
What you get is a voucher you exchange once you arrive in Japan, which
you can do at the airport or at any major JR station. It takes a few minutes
to do so, depending on language skill and use of gestures.
Communication:
Learn Japanese! This is not, absolutely essential (we got by more or less
fine by a combination of pointing and, er, English), but it can make things
much easier.
A guide, pen friend, or resident, if you can arrange it, would be an
invaluable resource. You can generally get by fine without one, but it
helps. It might also be worth considering an arranged tour to some of the
more famous sights, as a guide can fill you in with a lot of background
information
Locals will also be invaluable for seeking out bars...!
The flight:
Unless you have a serious snow fetish ("Whats out the window?" "Snow."
Three hours later: "Whats out the window now?" "Snow. Oh, hang on, that
could be... oh. Thought I saw some ice, but its just snow."), bring a distraction
that will last a while. A couple of fair sized books, for example.
 Big
City:
Tokyo is huge, on a scale thats hard to appreciate without having been
there. Despite its size, though, its fairly easy to navigate (like London,
the train network makes it feel like a series of connected villages). The
major areas that we visited were Ikebukuro, Ginza, Akihabara, and Shibuya.
(more on these later).
Crowded today, isn’t it?:
If you have any kind of hang up about being around people, do not go to
Japan. I have never, ever seen so many people in my life. In the cities,
especially, its near impossible to get away from people. Every train station
and every street crossing is an exercise in people avoidance.
The rush hour local trains in Tokyo are especially bad. "Rush Hour"
is actually usually between 7:00 - 9:00am in the morning and 4:00pm - 7:00pm
in the evening (weekends, could be up to midnight!). During these times,
everything you may have seen or heard about congestion in Japan comes true
- you will find yourself squeezed into the smallest possible space. Its
best to keep personal baggage to a minimum.
Outside of these times, its can be rather quiet and quite pleasant to
travel around; at least no worse than any other large city. Sundays, however
are also pretty busy, as this is the main "off" day in Japan. We visited
Shibuya, a major shopping area in Tokyo, on a Sunday, and got to look down
on all the shoppers from a couple of floors up. Ever seen a column of army
ants? ^_^
Train stations can also be incredibly busy. Get caught by a crowd coming
off a train at the wrong time and you may well find yourself taking an
unexpected detour to the suburbs. ^_^
Dress smart:
I am by no means a major follower of fashion, but I've never felt more
like a tramp than I did in Tokyo. Everyone is immaculately dressed, even
the girls with dyed blonde hair and 6 inch platform shoes. Dressing neatly
is not essential, but it does avoid developing an inferiority complex.
^_^
Money, money, money:
Bring lots. Japan is on the expensive side. Even visiting a shrine can
burn quite a hole in your pocket, as many charge admission. Bear in mind
that not all places will accept credit cards, but this shouldn't be a problem
in major shops. We exchanged our travellers cheques at our hotel, which
is probably best if you don't want to go hunting for a bank prepared to
do money exchanges.
By the way, because the Japanese have a tradition of considering the
direct exchange of money as "dirty", many businesses have small plastic
trays to put your cash (and change) into. Again, you don't have to, but
when in Tokyo... ^_^
Yomping:
Despite the benefits of a well developed travel system, prepare to do a
lot of walking. We ended up doing a great deal of foot travel. Part
of the reason is that train stations are huge and very spread out, which
can make getting from one side of a station to the other a minor expedition
in itself, and the bullet trains lines tend to
be on a different level.
The same applies to the underground shopping malls, which would do any
James Bond villain proud as a backup headquarters, and the main Department
Stores, which are not only big but tall Larger temples and shrines can
also be rather spread out.
The real killer, though, is stairs. Although every multi-floor building
we came across had some sort of escalator or elevator, waiting for these
can be a minor annoyance. Also, at stations, the stairs might be nearer
to where you get off than the escalator.
Getting lost also doesn't help. ^_^
 Trains,
trains, and trains:
Generally, catching a train, particularly a bullet train, is fairly straightforward.
If you have a rail pass, you don't need to bother getting a ticket. However,
making a
reservation is advisable, especially during peak times (look for ticket
windows with a green reclining seat sticker). We never had any trouble
doing this, as most reservation staff seemed to speak sufficient English.
Knowing a couple of common train terms can help. Rail passes aren't valid
on the new Nozumi super-express service (the train equivalent of the YF-19...!),
but that probably won't worry you too much.
All ticket barriers at main stations are automatic. If you're using
a train pass, use the channel which has a manned window and present the
pass to the attendant. Because we used a pass, we didn't have to buy tickets
from the machines, but if you get completely stuck, try asking a member
of station staff.
When you make a reservation, you will be given a small reservation ticket.
From what I can remember, this will have the train time, coach number,
and seat letter and number on it. Bullet train platforms are marked
along their length with the numbers where the coaches will stop.
Signs are... variable. In the most part, theres generally enough English
signage around to get by, and all main stations have dual language signs
on the platforms, and the lines and trains are colour coded. However, direction
signs in English always seemed to disappear just before we reached the
gate/platform we wanted. Also, on the Yamanote loop line (pale green code),
probably the line you'll use most in Tokyo, we never did work out how you
could tell which direction a
train was going in, other than by boarding it, which can be important
- you don't want to reach the next station by taking the long way round.
Having said that, with a train every couple of minutes at peak times,
its fairly easy to get off at the next stop. Also, although announcements
are not generally in English (except on the bullet trains, which also have
dual language indicator boards), its fairly easy to make out the name of
the next station being announced.
More care should be taken when catching a local or non-bullet train,
especially when checking which platform it goes from. Also, not all trains
in Japan are run by JR. In Nikko, we couldn't work out why the station
we walked back to seemed to have completely changed its layout until they
refused to accept our passes. Of course, we'd gone to the non-JR private
run station, not the JR station just round the corner. We'll plead jet
lag on that one. ^_^
Finally, Tokyo also has a subway system. As far as I'm aware, the JR
passes don't cover this, which means using the ticket machines. We were
helped out by a friendly attendant, but they're fairly easy to operate
once you get used to them. Working out the subway maps is rather harder,
unless you can read Japanese. Another point is, if you do end up getting
the wrong fare, simply adjust it at the fare adjustment office at the other
end.
A Quick Note on Buses:
We did not do much travel by bus, but a couple of experiences with them
did point out a couple of things. First, its best to regard any journey
times given in guidebooks, etc, as estimates. A bus we caught coming back
from Mt. Fuji took nearly twice as long as the guidebook suggested, due
mainly to traffic.
Second, in Kyoto, some buses can get even more crowded than the trains
in Tokyo. English announcements also tend to be variable.
And while we’re mentioning Mt. Fuji:
Pick a clear day to go. It helps. ^_^
Food:
I'm ashamed to say that we spent most of our stay eating KFC and McDonalds.
This was more for convenience - after several hours wondering around various
attractions, we were just too beat to make difficult decisions. However,
if you have a liking for Japanese food, you'll be in Heaven. Most restaurants
have windows full of disturbingly accurate plastic food, which you can
always point to if unsure.
Although I can't quote traditional Japanese food prices, its best to
be prepared for financial hurt when it comes to eating out. We had a meal
in an Irish bar consisting of some chicken pieces, salmon with salad, and
four drinks between us. That came to £35. Hotel and high class restaurants
may well require the mortgaging of various internal organs. Sticking to
fast food has one advantage, its comparatively cheap. If you're staying
at a large hotel, it might be worth trying to get breakfast included in
the price. We didn't, and breakfast on our first day (grapefruit and corn
flakes) cost £25. We stuck to cheaper bread rolls after that.
Shopping malls often seemed to have food/restaurant areas, and going
by prices displayed in the windows, these would appear to be a less expensive
option for eating out.
One delight of Japan, though, is coffee shops. Found everywhere (even
on top of game stores!), these are great places to stop to refresh. Generally,
choices will be displayed with pictures or English, and you can normally
get by with pointing. Also, you often get a glass of ice water or even,
in one case, cups of green tea (an acquired taste) thrown in.
 Anime
shopping:
First advice - do some research. Although its quite possible to stumble
across a shop selling anime related merchandise anyway (we did several
times), if you're after a particular item, its best to try and find out
where you're likely to get it.
Obvious ways of doing this are to ask someone who has been before. If
this isn't possible, it might be worth (I didn't think to try this before
I went) getting hold of a Japanese anime magazine (NewType or Hobby Japan,
for example) and getting someone who can read Japanese to decipher the
many small ads. Second hand toy shops and the like tend to be relatively
out of the way.
Having said that, there are some things that are fairly easy to find.
Akihabara has a couple of gaming and anime shops that you can practically
stumble into, and I'm told theres actually quite a few in the vicinity.
If you like Japanese Laser Discs, Japanese console games, anime soundtracks,
or model kits, welcome to Heaven. Those who like their manga raw will also
be well treated.
Most shops also have little machines stocking capsule toys and items
that are nice, easily portable souvenirs. Also, try popping in a general
store. Several Japanese sweet brands give away toys.
Possibly the easiest large anime retailers to find in Tokyo is the legendary
Mandarake. The branch I visited is in Shibuya in Tokyo. Standing in front
of the station is the famous statue of Hachiko, a little dog. From this
point, cross over the road and walk up a street called Jingu-dori. you
should come to the Seibu department store (like all Japanese department
stores, it is huge). the building is in two parts. Walk between the two
parts, and eventually, the road will angle off sharply up to the
right (if you have the LP guide, its easier to see what I mean using its
Shibuya map). Walk up here, and Mandarake is on your left.
The entrance looks like something out of H.R. Gigers design book. If
you miss it, keep walking, and you'll arrive at the Tokyu Hands Department
Store. Simply turn round and walk back, you should find it eventually.
You'll need to descend down several stairs, and leave any bags you're carrying
in the lockers. Then you can walk into the anime fan equivalent of the
warehouse at the end of Raiders of the Lost Ark. They sell manga by the
shelf, CDs, videos, LDs, cels, artwork, toys, models, etc. (And, oh, bring
cash. We saw what I think was a signed Yoshitaka Amano Final Fantasy piece
- a snip at 150,000 yen. However, they have a big selection of cels at
relatively inexpensive prices)
A knowledge of Japanese might be handy if you wish to buy something
out of the ordinary, or locked in a cabinet (like the lovely Lum cel that
now brightens my wall. ^_^). I got by with the assistance of an English
speaking member of staff, though.
Final tip when looking out for anime stores: look up. Because many multi-floor
buildings in Japan sometimes have a business on each level, you might miss
a shop if you're looking ahead all the time, even if it does increase your
chances of survival. ^_^ In general, I found the large toy shops fairly
disappointing, mainly because they were stuffed full of Star Wars toys.
Good on model kits, though.
Tokyo major areas (that we visited):
Ikebukuro: Not much here to recommend it. It was where our hotel was. Its
a bit out the way and probably not worth it unless you have a reason to
go there.
| (Addition to Ikebukuro comments: I've since been
contacted by Stephen Moore, who informs me that I might be doing Ikebukuro
a bit of a disservice. He tells me that there are a number of places there
which would interest an anime fan; his directions are linked here:)
Getting to Animate / K-Books / HMV
You have to be on the Seibu side of Ikebukuro to do this, so for anyone
on Tobu side, go into the station and WALK... Keep on walking till you
reach the far end (it's a hell of a walk, but there will eventually be
signs for Seibu, then you're getting there). Now surface on the flipside
(and better side) of Ikebukuro. Directly in front of Seibu is a large street
which my Rough Guide calls "Green Dori", head down this and it will fork,
one straight ahead, one slightly left. Head down the left branch (Rokujukkai
Dori) and keep on walking. After a while you'll end up down at Sunshine
City sort of direction, with a Tokyu Hands and the MASSIVE Amlux car showroom..
Around the corner from Tokyu Hands there's a 4 storey HMV which has a load
of J-POP and a small mountain of Anime DVDs. They're retail price sadly,
but they have a good selection and when I was there there were a few specialoffers
to be had..
Head down past Tokyu Hands until you see Amlux rearing ahead of you.
Cross the road towards it, then stroll through a bike path and turn left.
Now walk to the next block and you'll see....
Animate. The number one space for your pleasure and dream..
Go in..
Take money..
The staff in Animate are ultra helpful. And remember to head upstairs.
First time I went I missed the stairs and thought it was one floor of novelty
stuff. Next time I went I spotted them. It's 7 floors, including a novelty
floor, a popular manga floor, a Shoujo floor, a Hentai floor (not my thing,
your mileage may vary) and a very cool video games floor..
Just past Animate is K-BOOKS a 2nd hand book store that has a bit of
everything. Well worth a look in..
OK. Virgin Ikebukuro here we come..
The Virgin Megastore was opposite my Hotel ^_^ (The Hotel Clarion, Tobu
side) down a flight of stairs in the basement of a Department store whose
name I forget. Not much anime stuff here, but it was a good source for
J-POP. The Department store has one hell of a videogames section,
and had most of the Special Edition versions the Japanese get (eg the Special
Sakura Taisen 2, the HUGE 8800 Yen Love Hina Dreamcast box set). If I'd
known I'd not have imported my plain boring copies..
Liberty is in a fairly plain shop down around the Metropolitan Plaza/Ikebukuro
station. Sadly I didn't get into it..
There is a fantastic book shop just on Seibu side, near a McDonalds,
I forget the name, but it's painted green. The top floor is all manga,
and the guy who worked there spoke remarkable English. He even understood
some of my mangled accent. It's on the right as you look down Green Dori
from Seibu..
|
Ginza: Worth seeing, but strangely difficult to find things of interest.
The Sony building is here, but Akihabara is better overall for gadgets.
Apparently a good area for shopping.
Shibuya: Very youth orientated shopping area. Lots of clothes and accessory
shops, plus the all important Mandarake (see below)
Akihabara: The infamous Electric Town. Tottenham Court Road on steroids.
Definitely worth experiencing. However, bear in mind that most goods sold
here are for the domestic market and the export sections of many stores
are rather lame in comparison. We made an error in only going by day -
try visiting in the early evening/night, when neon sign upon neon sign
will definitely create that Blade Runner feel.
 A
few brief words on Kyoto:
Kyoto is smaller than Tokyo, but only in the same way that Birmingham is
smaller than London. Its not quite so easy to get round, transport being
by a combination of subway and buses, which can be confusing.
However, theres a lot of history in Kyoto (such as Kiyomizudera temple,
familiar to any Urusei Yatsura fan), the near unmissable Nara is nearby
(Todai-ji Temple is simply awesome), and Osaka is nearby for urban junkies.
In fact, Osaka might make a better base for exploration of the middle of
Japan. We stopped there briefly, though, and be aware its pretty much wall
to wall concrete. Kyoto is not exactly attractive, but it is probably more
so than Osaka.
Miscellaneous Oddness:
1: Japan is the last refuge of the platform shoe. Most ridiculous we saw:
wooden six inchers with a heart carved in the middle.
2: Vending machines provide welcome refreshment everywhere. And I do
mean everywhere, we even saw one in a lay-by next to a main road. A few
words of caution. a) Pocari Sweat was named for a reason. b) Be sure to
pick hot coffee in a can. Cold coffee in a can is no fun. c) Live lobsters
are very hard to get through customs. (and you think I'm kidding... )
3: Hope you like mobile phones. Everyone has one. For some reason, they're
almost all silver.
4: Some Japanese girls really do laugh like Hikaru from Kimagure Orange
Road.
5: There is almost no litter. I don't know what they do with it, because
any item you buy will be neatly tucked up and wrapped and bins are fairly
rare, but its certainly not dropped on the streets.
 6:
Beware, especially in Kyoto, of the stealth cyclist. Proof that the Kamikaze
spirit is not quite dead yet, your first warning of an approach will be
the ting of a cycle bell. Move fast, or you'll end your life as a novelty
cycle rack.
7: Pedestrian crossings in Japan are all automatic; there are no buttons
to press. You must wait for the light to turn green. Impatient people who
don't may well find themselves becoming seriously hurt impatient people.
^_^
8: Also beware of the UFO Catcher machines. While a great potential
source of very attractive items, you can burn large amounts of cash trying
to do so. At least, if you haven't the reflexes of Amuro Rei and logical
reasoning of Sylia Stingray.
9: Everything you have heard about live action Japanese TV is absolutely
true. In fact, its more insane than you can might imagine, and that includes
Childs Toy.
10: The Japanese are, by and large, extremely helpful. Communicating
with a stranger can be difficult but they will do their best to help, at
least in my limited experience. Ganbatte!
On-line advice:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/ - The Japanese
National Tourist Organisation
http://www.japantravel.co.uk/
- The Japan Travel Centre
http://www.creativetours.co.uk/contact/contact.html
- Creative Tours
http://travel.roughguides.com/content/10071/index.htm
- The Rough Guide to Japan
http://www.jal-europe.com/
- Japan Air Lines Europe
http://www.utravel.co.uk/ -
on-line travel website.
http://webjapanese.com/column/english/index.html
- Tom Baker - Living in Japan. And, no, its not that Tom Baker. ^_^
Books that might be of interest:
Angry White Pyjamas by Robert Twigger: an English poet living in Japan
decides to get fit the hard way - by taking the Tokyo Riot Polices martial
arts course, the toughest in the World. More about the rigours of the course
and the various characters on it, but theres some insights into life in
Tokyo as well.
A Ride in the Neon Sun by Josie Dew. Britains most adventurous
cyclist takes on the challenge of Japans congested highways, armed only
with two wheels and a tent. Her description of getting into a Japanese
bath is priceless.
You Gotta Have Wa! by Robert Whiting: a book about two very different
games - Japanese and American baseball - and the fates that befall the
various gaijin who brave such oriental mysteries as the sacrifice bunt
and winter training camps. Funny, enlightening, and occasionally downright
scary. Knowledge of baseball beyond the basics not really required, as
its more about Japanese culture and outlook.
Contact me at: justin@briareos.demon.co.uk
Dedicated to my family, who put up with me talking about one subject
for months on end, and especially to my Dad, who spent two weeks in a completely
alien environment without trying to throttle me once. Thanks also to Stephen
for putting this guide on his site!
|
