Subway
Tokyo Subway Map (FLASH Format)There are two companies that run the Tokyo subway lines, Teito & Toei. Transfers between the two companies' lines must be acquired at the time that we receive our tickets.
TEITO RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY
Tokyo Metro All-Line Pass
The bearer of the pass has unlimited access to ride all Tokyo Metro lines within the period of validity.
One month: ¥16,820
Tokyo Metro All-Line Passes are sold at Pass Offices throughout Tokyo Metro's lines
We were unable to find out if the tickets are good for 30 days from date of purchase, or if they are only good during the calendar month when they are purchased.
One-Day Open TicketThis ticket is good for unlimited use for one day, on Eidan (TRTA) lines only. It can be purchased on the day of use or in advance. Tickets purchased in advance look nicer.
One Day: ¥710
Tokyo Station Guide(The TRTA Pass Office in Tokyo Station is located at the RED Dot)
Standard ticket prices:
| 1-6km ¥160 | 7-11km ¥190 | 12-19km ¥230 | 20-27km ¥270 | 28-40km ¥3000 |
Toei Transportation 
T-Card The T-card is a common fare card that can be used not only on Toei and Eidan subway lines, but also on any private railway line that is associated with the Passnet system. There are three types of T-cards(Pass net) : ¥1,000, ¥3,000 and ¥5,000 cards
If you board a train with your T-card(Pass net),you must put the same card into the automatic ticket gate at your final destination.If the station where you last got off is not recorded, you cannot use the card for the next ride. If there is not enough money left in your T-card(Pass net) for one ride, you can buy a ticket putting the card into the vending ticket machine and then paying the shortage.
| Lines operated by TRTA (Teito): Chiyoda [Ayase~Yoyogi-uehara] [Ayase~Kita-ayase] Ginza [Asakusa~Shibuya] Hanzomon [Shibuya~Suitengumae] Hibiya [Kita-senju~Nakameguro] Marunouchi [Ikebukuro~Ogikubo] [Nakano-sakaue~Honancho] Namboku [Akabane-iwabuchi~Meguro] Tozai [Nakano~Nishi-funabashi] Yurakucho [Wakoshi~Shin-kiba] | Lines operated by Toei: Asakusa line Mita line Shinjuku line Oedo line |
Directions listed in black are Teito subway lines/walking directions
Directions listed in royal blue are Japan Rail lines
Directions listed in purple are privately run lines
Directions listed in green are Toei subway lines
Prices listed are one-way, per person.
Quick list: Tokyo Subway map http://www.japan.co.jp/~pbw/tokyosub.htm
Alternate map http://www.jtbusa.com/enhome/map/tokyosubway.htm
Tokyo Subway Map (FLASH Format)
Tokyo Metro English page
Alternate map http://www.jtbusa.com/enhome/map/tokyosubway.htm
Tokyo Subway Map (FLASH Format)
Tokyo Metro English page
Japan Rail
Japan Train & Subway Route Planner/Fare Calculator
Trains routes that we will be using:
JR Narita Express a.k.a. N'EX (Goes from Narita airport to Tokyo Station)
JR Keiyo line (Goes from Tokyo Station to Kisarazu Station)
JR Keiyo line (Goes from Tokyo Station to Maihama Station)
JR Chuo line (Goes from Shinjuku Station to Mitaka Station)
JR Keihin-Tohoku line (Goes from Tokyo Station to Kawasaki Station)
N.B.: Bold faced N'EX trains will separate at Tokyo Station. The first cars will go to Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and/or Omiya, and the last cars will go to Yokohama and/or Ofuna
SUICA - Super Urban Intelligent Card
It's small, it's green, it's the same size and dimension as your credit card and once you buy it you'll never need to take it out of your wallet or train pass holder again. With the release of JR's (Japan Railway) Suica smart card earlier this year traveling on the train and entering and exiting train stations in Japan just became even easier. Commuters now need only scan the card along the top of a special card reader that is located on the top of the ticket gate or turnstile. Suica requires a ¥500 deposit.
Suica is not accepted for Shinkansen travel.
Additional information
Japan Rail Pass
"Temporary visitor" entry status, according to Japanese Immigration Law, allows a stay in Japan of 15 days or 90 days for "sight-seeing, etc.". If you apply for a "stay for sight-seeing" when you enter Japan, entry personnel will stamp your passport as "temporary visitor." Only persons who have a passport bearing this stamp can use a JR EAST PASS.
We should attempt to reserve seats when purchasing tickets.
Japan Rail & Eidan Subway Train names in Japanese & their sounds, too:
http://hisaai-hp.hp.infoseek.co.jp/JREast/Yamanote/Yt_s_eg.html
JR East English homepage, Rail Pass Homepage
(English Homepage only lists fares for Shinkansen trains going out of Tokyo Station, not local trains)
American dealer that vends Rail Passes: JTB USA
Trains routes that we will be using:
JR Narita Express a.k.a. N'EX (Goes from Narita airport to Tokyo Station)
JR Keiyo line (Goes from Tokyo Station to Kisarazu Station)
JR Keiyo line (Goes from Tokyo Station to Maihama Station)
JR Chuo line (Goes from Shinjuku Station to Mitaka Station)
JR Keihin-Tohoku line (Goes from Tokyo Station to Kawasaki Station)
Narita Express (called "N'EX") provides rapid, frequent, and comfortable service to passengers traveling between Narita International Airport and Tokyo Metropolitan areas
N'EX takes just 53 minutes to cover the distance between Tokyo Station and Narita Airport
The N'EX line runs once every hour, and every 30 minutes at peak hours.
Tickets for the Narita Express are available from ticket machines at Floor B1, at both Narita station and Airport Terminal 2.N'EX takes just 53 minutes to cover the distance between Tokyo Station and Narita Airport
The N'EX line runs once every hour, and every 30 minutes at peak hours.
N.B.: Bold faced N'EX trains will separate at Tokyo Station. The first cars will go to Shinjuku, Ikebukuro and/or Omiya, and the last cars will go to Yokohama and/or Ofuna
SUICA - Super Urban Intelligent Card It's small, it's green, it's the same size and dimension as your credit card and once you buy it you'll never need to take it out of your wallet or train pass holder again. With the release of JR's (Japan Railway) Suica smart card earlier this year traveling on the train and entering and exiting train stations in Japan just became even easier. Commuters now need only scan the card along the top of a special card reader that is located on the top of the ticket gate or turnstile. Suica requires a ¥500 deposit.
Suica is not accepted for Shinkansen travel.
Japan Rail Pass
Requirement to use Japan Rail Pass: A foreign tourist visiting Japan from abroad, under the entry status of "temporary visitor (
)".
)". "Temporary visitor" entry status, according to Japanese Immigration Law, allows a stay in Japan of 15 days or 90 days for "sight-seeing, etc.". If you apply for a "stay for sight-seeing" when you enter Japan, entry personnel will stamp your passport as "temporary visitor." Only persons who have a passport bearing this stamp can use a JR EAST PASS.Note: Indicated office hours are for weekdays. Hours vary among offices on weekends and holidays. Some Travel Service Centers are closed during the New Year holiday period. Offices and office hours are subject to change or discontinuation without notice.
Stations with JAPAN RAIL PASS exchange offices
Stations with JAPAN RAIL PASS exchange offices
| Station | Office | Office Hours | Days Closed |
| Narita Airport Terminal 1 | Travel Service Center Ticket Office | 11:30-19:00 6:30-11:30, 19:00-21:45 | None |
| Narita Airport Terminal 2 | Travel Service Center Ticket Office | 6:30-11:30, 19:00-21:50 | |
| Tokyo | Ticket Office | 5:30-23:00 | |
Japan Rail & Eidan Subway Train names in Japanese & their sounds, too:
http://hisaai-hp.hp.infoseek.co.jp/JREast/Yamanote/Yt_s_eg.html
JR East English homepage, Rail Pass Homepage
(English Homepage only lists fares for Shinkansen trains going out of Tokyo Station, not local trains)
American dealer that vends Rail Passes: JTB USA
| Japan Rail Pass Adult coach fares | |||
| National | 7 days ¥28,300 | 14 days ¥45,100 | 21 days ¥57,700 |
| JR-East | 4 days flexible ¥20,000 | 5 days ¥20,000 | 10 days ¥32,000 |
| JR-West Kansai Area | 1 day ¥2,000 | 4 days ¥6,000 | |
| JR-West Sanyo Area | 4 days ¥20,000 | 8 days ¥30,000 | |
| Kyushu | 5 days ¥15,000 | 7 days ¥20,000 | |
Useful words in Japanese
| Reservation Yoyaku | Travel Service Center Ryoko Center | Reservation office Tokkyu | Express Kyuko | Rapid train Kaisoku | Local train Kakuekiteisha |
| Ordinary Car Futsusha | Green car (superior accommodations) Green-sha | Dining car Shokudosha | Reserved seat Shiteiseki | Non-reserved seat Jiyuseki |
Narita Tokyo Airport
http://www.narita-airport.or.jp/airport_e/access/Do not take a taxi from Narita, under any circumstances, since it will cost us more than ¥20,000.
Lodging
Needs: We want a hotel that is either inside the Asakusa circle, or part of the Asakusa circle, and is a very short walking distance to the subway.
We will be bringing a queen sized, inflatable mattress with us to sleep on at night.
| Reserved: Sawanoya Ryokan (Ueno) Address: 2-3-11, Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0001 Telephone: (03) 3822-2251 Cost: ¥11,200 double occupancy w/o bath Check In: 3:00PM Check Out: 10:00AM 7 min. walk from No. 1 exit of Nezu Sta. on the subway chiyoda Line(inside circle) or 10 min. by taxi from JR and Keisei Ueno Sta. |  |
| Name (City) | Notes | Address Nearness to subway station(s) | Cost/day for double occupancy | VISA | Western-Style | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bed | Bath | |||||
| Sawanoya Ryokan (Ueno) | Medium distance from nearest subway station Map is on website Coin operated laundry Free Internet access in hotel lobby Has a shared communal refrigerator | 2-3-11, Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-0001 7 min. walk from No. 1 exit of Nezu Sta. on the subway chiyoda Line(inside circle) or 10 min. by taxi from JR and Keisei Ueno Sta. and 30 min. by walk from JR or Keisei Ueno Sta. | ¥11,200 | Y | N | N (private bath is not available) |
Food & Restaurants
Tabehodai Sushi Restaurants (Tokyo)
AYCE SUSHI LUNCH & DINNER
AYCE SUSHI DINNER
Tabehodai Restaurants (Tokyo)
| Mo Mo Paradise (Shibuya)(Ikebukuro*) (Jiyugaoka) AYCE LUNCH & DINNER How's this for nirvana: For ¥1,000 (during lunchtime -- PG) have all the sukiyaki or shabu shabu you can eat. Stuff yourself with meat, veggies, tofu and rice and they'll keep it coming until you give up (provided it's within 90 minutes, that is). Though not by a long shot the best representation of Japan's haute cuisine, the quality is more than adequate for the price. Moo moo.  Shibuya: Lunch 11:30am-2pm Mon-Fri.31-2 Shibuya Beam 6F, Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku (03-3461-2941) Alternate Review: This is a very good shabu shabu and suki yaki restaurant. It is tabehodai for ¥1,500 (for dinner -- PG) +tx in 90 minutes and nomihodai on beer and fruit drinks (with sake?) for an additional ¥980. It's open every day until 23h00. There usually is an advertisement for the restaurant on ground level.  Ikebukuro: Lunch 11:30am-2pm Mon-Fri.1-21-2 Minami Ikebukuro, Humax Pavilion 8F, Toshima-ku (03-5950-4129) Jiyugaoka: Lunch 11:30am-2pm daily. Jiyugaoka 1-13-11, Humax Pavilion Jiyugaoka 2F, Meguro-ku (03-5701-4129) Alternate Review: At Mo Mo Paradise, guests are treated to choice cuts of Black Angus beef imported from the United States in an upscale atmosphere that features stylized paintings of bulls. Before eating shabu shabu, turn on the hot plate in the center of the table and boil the water in a steel bowl. Using your chopsticks, quickly swish the meat in the water (some folks believe that it tastes better if you sing 'shabu shabu' as you do this) until it's cooked. Then dip the meat in a choice of two sauces, either gomadare, a slightly sweet sesame sauce, or ponzu, a soy and vinegar combination. Only after eating the meat should you then cook your tofu, carrot, hakusai cabbage, maitake mushrooms, and negi green onions. Sukiyaki, the slightly tougher and sweeter meat dish eaten with raw egg, is also a house specialty. |
| Hiroba - Crayon House (Shibuya*) AYCE LUNCH  3-8-15 Kita-Aoyama, Shibuya-kuTel: 3406-6409 Lunch ¥1,200. This organic restaurant in the basement of Keiko Ochiai's bookshop (behind the Hanae Mori building) offers an excellent lunch buffet. Help yourself to unlimited plates of a choice of salads, and main dishes usually centered around fish, pumpkin, and tofu. Fill up on genmai or white rice and miso soup. Alternate Review:  Opening hours: 11:00-21:00Consists of two separate restaurants, Hiroba which serves Japanese food and Home which serves French food. A buffet lunch for ¥1,200 is available at the former. Organic food is used and an organic vegetable shop can also be found there. Both the bookshop and the restaurant are run by a well known Japanese Feminist -- PG From Subway Omotesando Junction Exit B1, head north (toward Harajuku and Meiji Jingu), turn left at corner of Mori-Hanae Bldg. About 3 minutes from station. Large Map (in Japanese) |
| Sea Carnival (Shibuya) AYCE Dinner May have gone out of business..  13-16 Kokusai Bldg 4F Udagawacho, Shibuya-kuTel: 3770-7385 Available 5:30PM until 11:00PM everyday. Seafood shabu-shabu dinner course for ¥2,350 (90-minute limit). Buffet-style restaurant offers all-you-can-eat shabu-shabu menu with shrimp, hairy crab, scallops, beef, tofu, noodles, eggs, rice and vegetables. Dessert includes cake and ice cream. Sea Carnival is inside of building A on the map to the right. |
| Sasaki (Nihonbashi) AYCE DINNER  4-2-3 Nihonbashi, Chiyoda-kuTel: 3241-5296 Available weekdays from 4:00PM until 10:00PM Shabu shabu dinner course ¥2,800 (2-hour time limit). Course includes unlimited shabu shabu and sukiyaki meat, vegetables and sauces. All you can drink course (excludes wine and sake) for extra ¥1,500. |
| Pink Cow (Shibuya*) AYCE FRIDAY & SATURDAY DINNER  Shibuya-ku 1-3-18 Villa Moderuna B1Tel: 3406-5597 Friday and Saturday night buffet party 7:00PM - 10:00PM Nice wines, "fresh herb cuisine", and fresh art in a very relaxed and homey setting. Wander around and explore the many rooms. There's a ¥2,500 buffet dinner party Friday and Saturday nights (7-10pm). Call ahead for reservations Nearest Station: 5 min. from Omotesando sta. exit B2. |
| Hong Kong Shokudo (Shibuya*) AYCE LUNCH & DINNER  1-4-4 Ebisu S2 Bldg 2F Nishi-Ebisu, Shibuya-kuTel: 5489-3638 Lunch ¥850. A funky little Hong Kong canteen with a Canton pop sensibility to make Wong Kar-wai happy. Lunch time specials from ¥850 to ¥1,000 include a choice of several delicious main courses (including chicken rice, fried noodles, shrimp chahan, dim sum) and all the rice, gruel, dessert you can eat. Dinner ¥2,500 (90-minute limit). The dinner menu at this funky HK canteen includes shrimp gyoza, Hong Kong style shumai, deep-fried daikon, spring rolls, noodles and five other dim sum varieties. The nomihoudai (all-you-can-drink) course is an extra ¥1,500 and includes nonstop beer, five types of Chinese sake or oolong tea. Leslie Cheung provides the BGM. Nearest station: Ebisu Hong Kong Shokudo is represented by letter "K" on the map to the right. |
| Suiryu (Shibuya*) AYCE Dinner 13-6 Chitose Kaikan 2F Udagawacho, Shibuya-kuTel: 3461-2555 Chinese dinner course for ¥1,980 (minimum 2 people, 2-hour limit). Choose from over 100 dishes including staples such as prawns in chili sauce, cucumber and chicken salad, fried rice, gomoku soba, spring rolls, beef and tofu stirfry, etc. Available everyday. Also does lunch for ¥1,000. Branch in Yokohama too. |
| Kinka Hanten (Gaienmae) AYCE LUNCH? & DINNER?  3-1-30 Sumitomo Seimei Bldg. B1F, Minami-AoyamaTel: 3479-4967 Open 11am-10pm daily. A wide selection of freshly made dim sum is available all day long; there's also a big a la carte menu plus assorted dinners and all-you-can-eat specials. The room won't win any interior decorating awards, but the cooking is solid, the service pleasant and professional. |
| Carne Station (Ginza*) AYCE LUNCH & DINNER  Ginza Nine Building #3 8-5 Ginza, Chiyoda-ku (Shimbashi subway exit #1)Tel: 5568-6167 Lunch buffet 11am-4pm; Dinner buffet 4pm-11:30pm Yakiniku (Korean barbecue) Buffet for both lunch & dinner Lunch ¥970, Dinner w/ crab & superior quality beef ¥4,900. Reservations are a good idea. One hour time limit. Call ahead to find out the time limit on tabehoudai during dinnertime. Review in English  Alternate Review: If Yakiniku (Korean-style barbecue) suits your taste buds, keep walking down those same stairs to the basement of the Farm Grill building and you will find one of the few all-you-can-eat yakiniku buffets in all of Tokyo, Karune Station (03-5568-6167). You can make repeated trips to several vegetable trays and more than ten different trays of meats, each a different type of pork, beef or chicken sauteed in a variety of mouthwatering flavors and spices. Then taking your bounty back to your table, which has a grill in the center, you cook your own food and eat it right from the grill after dipping it in one of several sauces. There are also drinks, soups, fruits, rice and desserts. At ¥970, unbelievable! This lunch menu is from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. when the dinner menu begins. This is still an all-you-can-eat buffet, but at a more rational price of ¥2,900. |
| Dezaru (Shinjuku) AYCE Dinner Shinjuku-ku, Nishi Shinjuku 6-8-4May have gone out of business.. Tel: 3340-5882 Available weekdays from 5 until 10pm. Yakiniku dinner course for ¥3,000 (90-minute time limit). Buffet-style yakiniku restaurant offers unlimited Korean barbecue meats (kalbi, hormon, harami, etc.) as well as vegetables, seafood, kimchee, and rice. Also includes a full salad bar. |
| Siam (Ginza*, 2 locations?) (Shibuya) AYCE LUNCH  5-8-17 World Town Building 8F Ginza, Chuo-kuTel: 03-3572-4101 Hours: 11:00AM - 3:00PM (Last Order 2:00 PM) and 5:30PM - 10:30PM (Last Order 9:30 PM) The restaurant is open every day except late December and early January. Thai cuisine -- PG  The Siam (May be a different restaurant.. -- PG)Ginza Inz 1-2F 3-1 Ginza-Nishi Chuo-ku Tokyo 104 Tel: 03-3563-3106 Weekday Daytime 11:30-15:00(order stop 14:00) Weekday Night time17:00-22:30(Order stop 21:30) Weekends and the national holidays Lunch time11:30-15:00 (last order 14:00) Weekends and the national holidays Night time17:00-22:30 (last order 21:30) Shibuya-ku, Jinnan 1-15-8 B1, 3770-0550 Lunch ¥1,000. This chain of Thai restaurants (branches in Shibuya, Ginza) offers a wide variety of authentic Thai food. Fourteen different dishes, mild and spicy, including green curry, tom yam, and other specialties. (Menu changes monthly.) |
| Erawan (Shinjuku) (Harumi) AYCE LUNCH  ShinjukuHumax Pavilion 2F (Back of Shinjuku Mitsukoshi) 3-28-10 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-0022 Tel: 3341-5127 Open 11:30am-3, 5-10:15pm (LO; -5am Fri/Sat) daily. Inexpensive Thai curry buffet lunch. Someone complained about the quality of the lunch buffet -- PG Harumi May have gone out of business in January of 2003 1-8-16 Harumi, Triton Square 3FTel: 5144-8251 Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily Nearest station: Chuo-ku (4 min walk from Kachidoki Stn. -Oedo line) Buffet lunch is ¥1,000 per person. |
| Fan (Shibuya) (Shinjuku) AYCE LUNCH ShibuyaKokusai Bldg. A 2F, Udagawacho 13-16, just down the hill from Parco. Tel: 3770-9520 Open 11:30-2, 5-10pm (LO) daily. The mixed-curry buffet lunch is ¥950; filling dinners start at ¥2,300, with a la carte items from ¥400. Southeast Asian styled cuisine -- PG Shinjuku Shinjuku 3-34-1 Tel: 3341-6820 Open 11:30-2, 5-10pm (LO) daily. Inexpensive and spicy Asian-styled dishes in a lively, student-dominated atmosphere. The Asian buffet lunch is ¥950; filling dinners start at ¥2,300, with a la carte items from ¥400. |
| Kumbira (Ebisu) AYCE LUNCH  1-9-14 Ebisu-MinamiTel: 3719-6115 Open 11:30AM-2:00PM, 5:00PM-10:30PM (LO) daily Nepalese and Tibetan curries, noodles and Tandoori-style dishes. The restaurant is tucked into a back alley a few blocks from Ebisu station, and is divided into several small, cozy rooms spread out over several levels. At lunchtime there's an all-you-can eat buffet for ¥1,200. |
| Phothai Down Under (Roppongi*) AYCE LUNCH 5-18-21 Five Plaza Bldg. 2F, RoppongiTel: 3505-1504 Open 11:30AM-2:30PM, 5-10pm (LO; 11pm Fri/Sat) daily "Australian-style" Thai barbecue and standard Thai curries. There's a ¥900 all-you-can-eat buffet at lunchtime  |
| Kumkum Maharaja (Ikebukuro*) (Shinjuku, 4 locations) AYCE LUNCH & MULTI-COURSE DINNER  Ikebukuro: Kum Kum Maharaja1-22-2 FLC Bldg. 8F Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku Tel: 5992-7421 Lunch buffet ¥950. All you can eat at this established Indian restaurant chain. Weekdays: 11:00AM - 3:00PM Weekends & Holidays: 11:00AM - 4:00PM Indian dinner course for ¥5,000. Course includes fish, chicken, and vegetable curry, pakora, kebab, 8 types of naan bread, saffron rice. Drink menu includes lassi and 15 others. Available everyday from 3:00PM until 11:00PM. Ikebukuro location is in the FLC Bldg. opposite SEIBU Many locations around Tokyo (link)  Shinjuku: 03-5325-6797 Spice Heaven Shinjuku3-7-1 Shinjuku Park Tower B1F, Nishi-Shinjuku Tel: 03-5325-6797 Open 11am-10pm (LO) daily. There's an Indian curry buffet at lunchtime.  Shinjuku: 3352-9455 Shinjuku Kazana3-30-11 Shinjuku B1 (Across from Isetan, on Shinjuku-dori near shakey's & Mitsukoshi department store) Tel: 3352-9455 Open 11am-9:30pm (LO) daily. Indian lunch buffet for ¥980. Great curries but best is their saffron rice. Shinjuku (map): Shinjuku Maharaja Tel: 5352-7858/9 Nishi Shinjuku: Kum Kum Maharaja Tel: 5323-4215 |
| Stockholm (Akasaka*) AYCE DINNER  2-14-3 Tokyu Plaza 1F Akasaka, NagatachoOpen daily from 11:30AM-2:30PM, 5:00PM-11:00PM (Last Order 9:30-10) Tel: 3509-1677 Pickled herring and much more - their awe-inspiring smorgasbord is a real adventure in dining, so come with a hearty appetite. They also have an impressive selection of eight distinctive aquavits. Lunch ¥3,000, dinner ¥6,500; there's also an a la carte menu. They are right outside Akasaka subway station. -- PG |
| Marble Lounge (Shinjuku*) SUNDAY BRUNCH  6-6-2, Hilton Hotel Nishi-ShinjukuTel: 3344-5111 Open Sunday 11am-2pm The sumptuous Sunday brunch buffet in the Hilton Hotel lobby includes plenty of breakfast dishes, Japanese breakfast items, a special children's menu and roving clowns. ¥3,500 for adults, ¥1,750 for children. 10-minute walk from Shinjuku Station. The complimentary shuttle bus leaves for the hotel regularly between 08:00 to 21:30 from Shinjuku Station (West Exit), Bus Stop #21 in front of Keio Department Store. |
| Oslo (Shibuya) AYCE LUNCH  Toho Seimei Bldg 31F 2-15-1 ShibuyaTel: 3406-6360 Lunch ¥1,250. One of Shibuya's best kept secrets, this restaurant buffet features 10 cold salads and a variety of starters, main dishes, and desserts. The food is classic Western food for the Japanese palate, but it's wholesome filling stuff. Nearest Station: Shibuya |
| Barbacoa Grill (Shibuya*) AYCE LUNCH & DINNER  Shibuya-ku, Jingumae 4-3-24 B1FTel: 3796-0571 Lunch ¥1,200. This Brazilian barbecue joint has a raw meaty smell but an excellent salad buffet, choice of bottomless soft drinks, and a good choice of desserts. Main courses are limited to deep fried seafood and chicken, but meat eaters will love the rare beef roast. Off Omotesando dori. Alternate Review: For steak hungers, there is a Brazilian restaurant that offers a niku tabehodai, no time limit. It includes a very descent salad bar (about 20 varieties), chicken, sausage, and of course, beef, steak, sparerib, etc. The quality is very high, not mentioning the quantity. And leave some stomach for the fruits and dessert as well, just when I thought I couldn't stuff anymore, I ended up taking three plates of them. The price is around ¥3,200. The restaurant is called Barbacoa Grill. It's about 5 min walk from Omotesando station (hanzomon/ginza subway line). Take exit A2, walk towards Harajuku direction (If you see a police box on your left after 1min, then you are heading the wrong direction, turn back), turn right at the first street, walk straight and the restaurant is on your left. |
| Shamaim (Sakaecho*) AYCE LUNCH & DINNER  4-11 Art Bldg 2F, Sakaecho Nerima-kuTel: 3948-5333 Open 5-11pm (LO). Closed Mondays. Open noon-midnight Saturdays and Sundays. An Israeli restaurant and pub, one minute from Ekoda south exit. They serve falafel, humus, salads, stuffed pastries and soups, plus shish kebab and one or two other meat dishes. 50 seats; reservations recommended. The all-you-can-eat special is ¥2,000. Call ahead to see what times the all you can eat special is available. |
| Zapata (Harajuku*) AYCE DINNER  6-18-10 Ebina Bldg. B1F, JingumaeOpen 6-11pm (LO) daily. Tel: 3499-5888 Beautiful decor and excellent service. Most of the food is tasty enough, although not extremely authentic. (It's Tex-Mex with a Japanese twist) They offer a ¥2,500 all-you-can-eat buffet at dinnertime. Directions: Get out of Harajuku station, go towards Omotesando, turn right on Meiji Dori and walk on the left side of the street towards Shibuya. Walk a good 700 m and you will find Zapata next to the Crocodile Alternate review: We went back at dinner another day to try the highly-touted all-you-can-eat Tacos Bar (¥2,500). The "tacos bar" part is a bit of a misnomer, though it certainly doesn't skimp on volume. Rather than a bar (belly up and eat yourself silly), the approach leans toward kaiseki: small courses follow one after the other. First comes a large serving of creamy, garlicky guacamole with home-made tortilla chips, two kinds of salsa and finger bowls to wash away the oil. This was quickly followed by two plates (each!) of mixed appetizers, such as marinated squid, Mexican salad, grilled shrimp and escabeche, then chicken and cheese quesadillas. What followed next was the most interesting: four different tortillas (spinach, herb, paprika and regular) with shredded chicken, chili con carne, sour cream, cheese and more guacamole. While we were divvying these up, chicken enchiladas arrived, the first truly fiery event of the evening (ask for extra jalapeños or salsa if you like heat). At this point I assumed we were done; we'd certainly had enough to eat. But an ominously large trolley was wheeled to our table, laden with fresh seafood (swordfish, shrimp, scallops), cuts of beef and chicken. If we'd been able to eat any more, we could have had some of everything, in a choice of sauces. I opted for scallops seasoned with a bold garlic butter sauce with fresh herbs and vegetables. In truth, it was all a bit too much at this point. All-you-can't-eat is a better tag for this place. |
| Schinken Haus (Hiroo) AYCE Dinner 5-22-1 Hiroo, Shibuya-kuTel: 3444-4623 German dinner course for ¥2,600. Choose from an unlimited supply of various types of ham, herb sausages, and cheese. Also includes salad, sauerkraut, German potato, dark bread and soup. Available Monday to Saturday from 5 until 11 pm, Sundays and holidays from 5 until 9pm. |
| Polynesian Terrace Restaurant (Disneyland*) AYCE Disney Lunch Tokyo Disney: Adventureland, Disneyland"A South Sea island-inspired buffet, which includes desserts" only for lunch |
| Sailing Day Buffet (Disney Sea*) AYCE Disney Dinner Tokyo Disney: American Waterfront, Disney SeaBuffet-style restaurant, cuisine unknown |
| Marble Lounge - Shinjuku Hilton Hotel (Shinjuku) AYCE Afternoon Tea & Cake 6-6-2 Hilton Hotel Nishi-ShinjukuCake buffet, 2:30 until 7pm, ¥1,700. A full spread of delicious cakes and fruit, with a smattering of sandwiches. Tea and coffee refills. Skip lunch and pig out. |
| Sienna (Ginza) AYCE Afternoon Tea & Cake 5-7-2 Sanai Dream Center Bldg 8/9F Ginza Chuo-kuTel: 3289-2313 Open everyday from 3 until 5:30pm. Italian dessert course for ¥1,800. Simply order from a menu of 17 items--this is an all-you-can-eat deal with waiter service. All your favorite Italian cakes and puddings, including chestnut charlotte, shortcake, cheese souffle, hazelnut chocolate cake, tiramisu, apple tart. Drinks include coffee, tea, guava and blood orange juice. |
| Yurakucho Lipton Corner (Yurakucho) AYCE Afternoon Tea & Cake  1-10-1 Yurakucho Bldg. 1F Yurakucho, Chuo-kuTel: 3213-8484 Open from 5 until 9:30pm weekdays, and from 11:30am until 7pm Saturdays. Afternoon tea set for ¥1,360 (60-minute limit). Eight kinds of cake (caramel custard, bread pudding, chocolate mousse, Royal Milk Tea jelly, etc.), roast beef and club-house sandwiches, and 3 kinds of spaghetti. |
| Ciel Blue (Tea Lounge & Pub) (Aoyama) AYCE Afternoon Tea & Cake  CI Plaza 2F Kita-Aoyama 2-3-1, Minato-kuTel: 3470-5673 Open everyday from 2 until 4pm. Afternoon tea course for ¥1,200. Buffet-style service of between 20 to 25 cakes (including chocolate crepe, rare cheese cake, chestnut torte, cheese souffle, several kinds of mousse, rumbaba). Unlimited tea and coffee. |
| Yumekaido (Shinjuku*) Kaiten Sushi (Sushi go round) Exit B7/8 Metro Promenade Shinjuku Station These places are great if you aren't sure you like sushi, or what sushi you do like. Simply choose a plate as they move by on the conveyor belt. At the end you are charged per plate. |
| Tokyo Food Page lunch and dinner buffets Listings updated monthly |
| Tokyo Food Page Weekend Brunch listings ( Not necessarily Tabehoudai ) Listings updated monthly |
Traditional Restaurants (Tokyo)
Ginza Rangetsu (Ginza*) B1F, 3-5-8 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061Tel: 3567-1021 Mon-Sa. 11:30 a.m. - 11 p.m., Sun and holidays 11:30 a.m. - 9 p.m. Another good Japanese outlet is Rangetsu, on Chuo-dori of Ginza. It has a variety of Japanese menus, including sukiyaki, shabu-shabu and kaiseki dishes. Compartmentalized rooms are available for no additional cost; Nearest station: Ginza, various subway lines. Menu in English   | ||
 Restaurant Hokusai*Tokyo Disney: World Bazaar, Disneyland Traditional Japanese cuisine From what I've read, it offers a very conservative menu; bento box, tempura, etc. Also, please note, that cute Japanese girls are not part of the meal -- PG | ||
 Restaurant Sakura*Tokyo Disney: American Waterfront, Disney Sea Japanese Fusion Cuisine? (Menu in English) | ||
 Doremi of Tokyo (Ginza*)Okonomiyaki restaurant Location: 7-5-4 B1 Ginza, Chuo-Ku Tel: 03-3573-6554  | ||
 Ginza Again (Ginza*)Pressed grilled sandwiches 5-2-1 Ginza Palmy Bldg. B1 Ginza Chuo-Ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3572-5096 It may be in the Toshiba Ginza-Palmy Building? -- PG Lunchtime set, which includes sandwich, salad, drink, & a gratin, ¥980
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| Shisen Hanten (Hirawacho*) Iron Chef Chen Kenichi's restaurants  Primary Location: Zenkoku Ryokan Kaiken F5-6, 2-5-5 Hiragacho, Chiyoda-kuTel: 03-3263-9371 3rd party review: http://www.ironchef.com/ironchinrest.shtml Review w/ map (Babelfish translation) Shisen Hanten: Akasaka Spicy Szechuan-style cuisine. Shisen Hanten costs ¥6,800/person, not including drinks. The a la carte menu is in English, and the waiters may speak English. Nearest subway station: Nagatacho The restaurant is in Hirakawa 2-chome down the street from the Akasaka Prince Hotel. If you take station exit four from the Nagatacho station, then turn left, make the first right, then the first left, the restaurant will be in front of you on the right side of the street. There is no JR (Japan Rail) access, however the purple line, the Nagatacho Eki which serves the Yurakucho-sen and the Hanzomon-sen, will take you about five minutes away (walking) from the restaurant. Second Location: Tobu Ikebukuro F14, 1-1-25 Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tel 03-3981-2350 Third Location: Uni Roppongi Bldg. F4, 7-15-17 Roppongi, Minato-ku, Tel 03-3402-3465 | ||
 Rokusan-tei (Ginza)Daisan Sowaredo Ginza Bldg. 8th and 9th floors 8-8-7 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Opening hours: 17:00-20:30 Tel: 03 3571-1763 You can dine on Michiba's food at Rokusan-tei in Ginza and Brasserie Rokusaburo. He also has a restaurant in Akasaka named Poisson Roksuboro. The Ginza restaurant is Michiba's main restaurant. Homepage (Babelfish Translation) Prices: Rokusan course ¥12,000, Special course (only during globefish season) ¥15,000 | ||
| Hyotan (Asakusa*) Monjya-yaki Restaurant  1-37-4 Asakusa, Taito-kuTel: 3845-5010 Try various monjya-yaki at Hyotan Monjya-yaki: It's similar to okonomiyaki (Japanese-style pancake), but monjya-yaki is softer than okonomiyaki. People directly eat monjya-yaki from a teppan (iron table). Hours: 11:00 - 22:30 every day Hyotan is on the western edge of the map to the right, it's the red balloon with a white square inside it. | ||
| Daikoku-ya (Asakusa*) Tempura Shrimp  1-38-10 Asakusa, Taito-kuTel: 3844-1111 In this long-established restaurant, a bowl of rice topped with deep-fried fish is served. There is always a long line of customers waiting in front of the restaurant, brought by the good smell of sesame oil. The popular Prawn tendon (1,800 yen) contains four prawns, bigger than the bowl. Open everyday 11:30AM - 8:30PM - 9:00PM on Saturdays and Sundays Daikoku-ya is represented by #17 on the map to the right -- PG | ||
| Tokyo Daihanten (Shinjuku) Weekend? Dim Sum  5-17-13 ShinjukuOpen 11:30am-9:30pm (LO) daily. Tel: 3202-0121 Real Hong Kong-style dim sum, with steaming trolleys rolling through the aisles and lots of Chinese-speaking patrons. | ||
| Xenlon (Shinjuku*) Prixe Fixe Dim Sum Lunch  Hotel Century Southern Tower 19F 2-2-1 Yoyogi, Nishi-ShinjukuOpen 11:30am-10pm (LO) daily. Tel: 3374-2080 Worth knowing about for their large ¥2,500 dim sum lunch, served till 4pm. It is a three-minute walk from Shinjuku station south exit Review Lunch Menu in English The Dim Sum lunch is available everyday -- PG | ||
| Hong Kong Garden (Shinjuku) Weekend Dim Sum Nishi-Azabu 4-5-2Open 11:30am-2, 5:30-9:30pm daily. Tel: 3486-3711 The weekend dim sum brunch is ¥3,000, and is served from 11:30am to 3pm (restaurant open until 4:30). | ||
| Daisaku (Ginza) Traditional Kanto-style Eel Restaurant #1 2-11-2 GinzaTel: 3541-4668 Opened in 1894. Old and friendly place for eating eels. Very good. Unagi-nakaire-don is a double sized una-don with kimo-sui, pickles and fruits are: ¥3,500. Simple una-jus are ¥1,600, ¥2,000, ¥2,500. Lunch and dinner. | ||
| Hirai (Ginza*) Traditional Kanto-style Eel Restaurant #2  3-4-18 GinzaTel: 3567-7001 Small and familiar place for frequenters. An una-ju ¥1,400 is good, but try to have UNA-TORO-DON ¥1,300. Roasted eel in grated yam with wasabi-spice on rice. Extraordinarily tasty, but if you have an allergy to grated yam,avoid it. Open 11:30am-1:45pm and 5:30pm-8:45pm Mon-Fri, 11:30am-7pm Sat, closed Sun and holidays. Review in Japanese | ||
| Kandagawa (Ginza*) Traditional Kanto-style Eel Restaurant #3 8-14-5 Ginza B1FTel: 3541-5401 Lunch time una-ju is ¥1,600. A large bowl una-don is ¥2,600. An eel-cook does his job at each time after orders come in. So take time. Lunch 11:00 - 14:00 Dinner 17:00 - 21:30 | ||
| Nabeya Izuei (Aoyama*) Traditional Kanto-style Eel Restaurant #4  No.2 Miyachu Bldg. B1, 3-8-37 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-kuTel: 3408-2889 Review in English Hours: Weekdays: 11:30 - 22:00 Closed between lunch & dinner from 14:30 - 17:00 on weekdays Closed Saturday Sundays & National Holidays: 11:30 - 21:00 Lunch is served between 11:30 - 14:30 Nearest subway station: Gaienmae Station (Ginza line) 5 min. walk | ||
| Chanko Kita-no-Fuji (Nakano*) Chanko Nabe Restaurant  Nisshin Bldg B1, 1-50-4 Higashi Nakano, Nakano-kuTel: 3362-1261 Named after the great yokozuna Kita-no-Fuji, this restaurant boasts seven different types of chanko. Kujui chanko is a must-try: 19 different ingredients such as salmon, oysters, chicken, crab, meatballs, Chinese cabbage, carrots and radish in one huge pot. The stock is made fresh every day by simmering suppon (snapping turtle or soft-shelled turtle) for more than five hours and adding nine different spices for just the right taste. Open 5-11pm daily. | ||
| Chanko Tomoji (Ryogoku*) Chanko Nabe Restaurant  3-24-4 Ryogoku, Sumida-kuTel: 3631-4889 The soup made from miso and sesame oil makes this chanko really special. Some regular customers finish off the whole pot of soup before they finish eating the food! ちゃんこ 友路Open 5-10pm Mon-Sat, closed Sun and national holidays. Nearest stn: JR Ryogoku, east exit. | ||
| HYOTAN-YA (Ginza) Traditional Kanto-style Eel Restaurant 1-5-13 GinzaTel: 03-3561-5615 The authentic eel restaurant of old time. Small and familiar place. Lunch time una-ju is ¥1,200 and ¥1,500 by size of eel. | ||
| MIYAGAWA-HONTEN (Ginza) Traditional Kanto-style Eel Restaurant 3-6-1 Ginza, on 7th FL of Matsuya Department store in Ginza.Easy to eat solo. | ||
| Shinjuku UN Japanese/Korean/French fusion food  Recommended by ChoekiMisuzu Bldg 1F, 7-8-3 Nishi-Shinjuku Nearest stn: Shinjuku Open: 11:30am-2pm (last orders 1:30pm) Mon-Fri, 5-11pm (last orders 10pm) Mon-Wed, 5pm-12am (last orders 11pm) Thur-Sat, closed Sun Menu: Japanese Tel: 03-5338-2922 Formal Review Choeki's Review: Ah, I have a restuarant you may want to go to when you're around Shinjuku It's Japanese/Korean/French fusion food. Portions are a little small though. Not a formal place, but you should probably dress nice Price ranges from ¥900 to ¥2,500 per dish, ¥600 to ¥900 yen for hors de ouvres, & ¥500 yen cocktails Pretty reasonable for a "fancy" restuarant in Tokyo. You should make reservations for a table | ||
| Zagat Website (includes Tokyo listings) | ||
| Snacks @ Tokyo Disney Resort - see Disney Resort listing in the Attractions section |
Markets, Supermarkets, Breweries, Food Museums, etc. (Tokyo)
| Tsukiji Fish Market* Tsukiji market may close at around 11:00AM We should try to arrive there at around 8:00AM -- PG | ||||||||||||||||||
Sawanoi Brewery*
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 Ikebukuro Gyoza Stadium*Namco Namja Town, 2F, World Import Mart 1F- 3F Sunshine City, 3 Higashi-Ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo Hours: 10:00am - 10:00pm Admission to Namja Town: Adults ¥300 Menu (Babelfish translation) Alternate write up | ||||||||||||||||||
 Yokohama Curry Museum*Come here for an education in all aspects of curry, both Japanese and international. Key areas of knowledge include history, culture, and spices. Open: 11:00 - 21:30 Close: Open year-round  Contact: 045-250-0833 (Japanese) Address: 1-2-3 Isezaki-cho, Naka-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken Access: About 2 min. walk from JR Kannai Sta. Approximately 50 minutes by JR Keihin-Tohoku Line from Tokyo Station to Kan'nai Station Possible travel route: 1) Nezu station --> Nishi-nippori station via Chiyoda line 2) Nishi-nippori Station --> Kannai Station via JR KeihinTohokuNegi line ¥620 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Suzuhiro Kamaboko (Fishcake) Museum*Address: 245 Kazamatsuri, Odawara-shi, Kanagawa-ken Contact: 0465-24-6262 (Japanese/English) Open: 10:00 - 17:00 Close: Late Dec. - early Jan. Description: Find out more about various types of fishcake and fishpaste through exhibits and panel displays. Watch the masters make kamaboko using a traditional method. Access: Approximately 40 minutes by JR Tokaido Shinkansen Line from Tokyo Station to Odawara Station About 7 min. by Hakone Tozan Tetsudo from Odawara Sta. to Kazamatsuri Sta. then about 1 min. walk We can make our own fishcake if we pay for classroom instruction! Classes aren't run on Wednesdays. I think that the earlier we arrive there, the better chance we'll have of getting into one of the classes -- PG
Boiled fish paste museum (Babelfish Translation) Fishcake museum map & directions (Babelfish Translation) | ||||||||||||||||||
| Kirin Yokohama Beer Village Kirin Beer Yokohama Factory, 1-17-1, Namamugi, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama-shi, Kanagawa-ken Learn more about the history and production of beer in a relaxed atmosphere. Open: 10:00 - 17:00 Close: Every Monday (Oct.-May.), Late Dec.- early Jan. Tel: 045-503-8250 (Japanese/English) Access: About 8 min. walk from Namamugi Sta. on Keikyu Line Map in Japanese      | ||||||||||||||||||
 Shinyokohama Ramen Museum*Located in Shin-Yokohama Open: 11:00a.m.~11:00p.m.(Mon~Sat) Open: 10:30a.m.~11:00p.m.(Sun and Public holiday) Last admission 10:00pm. Closed: No holiday Admission Adults (13-year-olds and up): ¥300 Travel time approx 45 minutes 1) Nezu station --> Otemachi station via Chiyoda line 2) Otemachi station --> Tokyo station via Marunouchi line 3) Tokyo Station --> Shin-Yokohama Station via JR Hikari Line ¥2,190 | ||||||||||||||||||
 Rice Gallery Ginza* Address: 1 & 2F, Ginza Gas Hall Bldg., 7-9-15 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Access: About 3 min. walk from Subway Ginza Sta.Open: 11:00-19:00 Close: Every Monday Contact: 03-3289-7300 (Japanese) Come here to get a clear idea of the rice-production process. Feel free to take home and try out the rice recipes provided. Possible purchases include cosmetics, ice cream and tableware--all made using rice. | ||||||||||||||||||
 Suzuki Mikawaya liquor store*Address: 2-18-5 Akasaka, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan 107-0052 Open Hours: Weekdays:10am-7pm Saturday:1pm-4pm We are Japanese rice wine sake specialty shop. We have been looking for nice sake. We have many kinds of sake, and good taste sake. We searched small sake breweries. We would like you to enjoy the sake world!! Brands of Sake: Maruyama Brewery Secchuubai is recognized as “amakuchi”, sweet type.  Sweet sake:甘い為 Sweet sake, taste of fruit: 甘い為すなわちフルーツの好み | ||||||||||||||||||
Tokyo Convenience stores
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 Gotanda Convenience store Near the entrance of the Toko hotel in Gotanda is a large 24 hour convenience store. The hotel is right outside the Train & subway station (As of 4/4/2003) I couldn't identify any exciting restaurants in Gotanda, so let's consider eating out of a convenience store for lunch, or going somplace else for food? -- PGPossible travel route: 1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station 2) At Nezu station, pick up the Chiyoda line (heading towards Yushima) and go to Otemachi station 3) At Otemachi station, pick up the Toei Mita line (heading towards Hibiya) and go to Mita station 4) At Mita station, transfer to the Toei Asakusa Line (heading towards Sengakuji) to Sengakuji station 5) At Sengakuji station, continue (towards Takanawadai station, NOT Shinigawa station) to Gotanda station ¥210 | ||||||||||||||||||
Tokyo Supermarket Chains
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Tabehoudai Restaurants (Outside of Tokyo)
| Nankoku hotel AYCE? Chiba prefecture Awa Gun Shirahama Cho Shirahama 2544Tel: 0470-38-3721 (reservation direct communication) Homepage (Babelfish Translation) |
| Cottage of the Tochigi prefecture AYCE Nasu plateauLogo of girl playing flute Location: Far outside Tokyo Tel 0287-78-3266 |
| Yama Gun Kita Shiobara village Goshiki swamp hot spring AYCE? Fukushima prefectureBeef shabu-shabu and some other stuff Tel 0241-32-3166 |
| Kotobuki Chiba prefecture Awa Gun Chikura Cho Tairadate AYCE SUSHI Menu (translated)AYCE sushi for ¥11,980 for two people 90 minute time limit Tabehodai sushi: Tel 0470-44-2527 |
Attractions
Ghibli Museum*
http://www.beochan.com/guides/tokyo/stores/ghibli_museum.html
Tickets must be purchased in advance and tend to be sold out a month or so in advance. This is especially true if you want to visit on a weekend. The only way (currently) to get tickets is to buy them in person at a Lawson store, using the Loppi ticket purchasing terminal. Lawson convenience stores are located throughout Japan, which isn't very helpful unless you also happen to be currently located in Japan. As of this writing (December 2001), there is no mechanism set up for buying tickets outside of Japan (although they claim to be working on such a system). Your best bet is to find someone in Japan who will buy the tickets for you and mail them to you (this is what I had to do).
To determine which dates still have tickets available, you can visit the Ghibli Museum Ticket Calendar on the Lawson website. The museum is closed every Tuesday (火 曜 日), and the yellow circles on the calendar mean that the day is already sold out. Note that the calendar starts each week with Monday (月 曜 日).
Note that the tickets that you get are all timed, which means that you need to arrive at the museum at the time indicated on your ticket. Tickets are sold for 10:00, 12:00, 2:00 and 4:00. Once you get in the museum you don't have to leave until it closes (at 6:00), which means that the earlier tickets are much better than the later tickets since you have more time to browse through the museum. However, you must arrive within 1/2 hour of time indicated on the ticket, so for a 10:00 ticket you must arrive between 10:00 and 10:30.
Tickets are ¥1000 for adults, ¥700 for high school and middle school students, ¥400 for elementary school students, and Ñ100 for children over 4 (but not yet in school). Children under 4 are free.
You can get up-to-date ticket info from the ticket page on the Ghibli Museum website.
So, what can you do if you don't have tickets? Not much. The entire place is fenced off and the cafe and gift shop are not accessible unless you have tickets for the museum.
How to get to the Ghibli Museum
To determine which dates still have tickets available, you can visit the Ghibli Museum Ticket Calendar on the Lawson website. The museum is closed every Tuesday (火 曜 日), and the yellow circles on the calendar mean that the day is already sold out. Note that the calendar starts each week with Monday (月 曜 日).
Note that the tickets that you get are all timed, which means that you need to arrive at the museum at the time indicated on your ticket. Tickets are sold for 10:00, 12:00, 2:00 and 4:00. Once you get in the museum you don't have to leave until it closes (at 6:00), which means that the earlier tickets are much better than the later tickets since you have more time to browse through the museum. However, you must arrive within 1/2 hour of time indicated on the ticket, so for a 10:00 ticket you must arrive between 10:00 and 10:30.
Tickets are ¥1000 for adults, ¥700 for high school and middle school students, ¥400 for elementary school students, and Ñ100 for children over 4 (but not yet in school). Children under 4 are free.
You can get up-to-date ticket info from the ticket page on the Ghibli Museum website.
So, what can you do if you don't have tickets? Not much. The entire place is fenced off and the cafe and gift shop are not accessible unless you have tickets for the museum.
How to get to the Ghibli Museum
Take the JR to Mitaka... From Mitaka Station
When you exit Mitaka station to the south, you will find yourself on an expansive walkway one story above street-level. Immediately below you is a bus terminal and a little bit off to your left (on the ground floor) is where the Mitaka City Bus stop is located. If you go over to this bus stop, you should see little signs for the bus to the Ghibli Museum. Tickets are ¥300 (round-trip)/¥200(one-way) for adults, and ¥150/¥100 for children.
Another way to get there from Mitaka station is to walk the 1.1km to the museum. When you leave the train station, go down to the ground floor and head over to your left. You'll need to find a narrow road that squeezes between the train tracks (on your left) and the buildings (on your right). If you're not sure, just watch the City Busses and see which way they go. After the road squeezes through the opening, it splits into two separate roads (one for each direction) with a small wooded stream in the middle. If you stick on the right side, there will be a brick path that runs alongside the road. Follow this until the road ends, cross the street ahead of you and continue down the road to your right (there will be a sign to point you the correct direction). The museum will be on your left.
The advantage of walking is that you get to see the special Ghibli Museum bus stop and direction signs along the way. There aren't that many of them (I believe that I counted 3), but they're kinda cute. The funny thing about the Totoro decorated bus stop sign (shown on the left) is that if you got on the bus at that point, the bus would be taking you away from the museum.
This bus information is given in the How To Go page on the Ghibli Museum website. On this webpage, you can see one of the Mitaka City Busses painted with special designs for the Ghibli Museum. There is, indeed, a bus that is painted like that, but the majority of the busses are rather drab looking.When you exit Mitaka station to the south, you will find yourself on an expansive walkway one story above street-level. Immediately below you is a bus terminal and a little bit off to your left (on the ground floor) is where the Mitaka City Bus stop is located. If you go over to this bus stop, you should see little signs for the bus to the Ghibli Museum. Tickets are ¥300 (round-trip)/¥200(one-way) for adults, and ¥150/¥100 for children.
Another way to get there from Mitaka station is to walk the 1.1km to the museum. When you leave the train station, go down to the ground floor and head over to your left. You'll need to find a narrow road that squeezes between the train tracks (on your left) and the buildings (on your right). If you're not sure, just watch the City Busses and see which way they go. After the road squeezes through the opening, it splits into two separate roads (one for each direction) with a small wooded stream in the middle. If you stick on the right side, there will be a brick path that runs alongside the road. Follow this until the road ends, cross the street ahead of you and continue down the road to your right (there will be a sign to point you the correct direction). The museum will be on your left. The advantage of walking is that you get to see the special Ghibli Museum bus stop and direction signs along the way. There aren't that many of them (I believe that I counted 3), but they're kinda cute. The funny thing about the Totoro decorated bus stop sign (shown on the left) is that if you got on the bus at that point, the bus would be taking you away from the museum.
Aquariums & Zoos
 Shinagawa Aquarium10:00-17:00, closed Tuesdays ¥1100 for adults Address: Shinagawa Kumin Park, 3-2-1 Katsushima, Shinagawa-ku Telephone 03-3762-3431 5 min. from Omori Kaigan Stn. on the Keihin Kyuko Line. About 15 min. from Omori Stn. of the JR Keihin Tohoku Line. |
| Sunshine City Aquarium World Import Mart Building 10F in Sunshine City (Namja Town & Gyoza Stadium are also in this building) Telephone: 03-3989-3466 Hours: 10:00 - 18:00 Sundays and Holidays: 10:00 - 18:30 July 20 - August 31: 10:00 - 20:30 Tickets are sold until 30 minutes before closing. Entrance fees: (Adults ages 16 and up, Children ages 4-15, children under 4 are free)
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| Tokyo Sea Life Park Aquarium* If they look tasty, you've been in Japan too long Open: 9:30-16:00 (doors close at 17:00) Closed: Monday Admission: ¥700 (adult), ¥250 (middle school), free (senior & child) Access: 5 min on foot from Kasai Rinkai Koen Station (JR Keiyo Line); also accessible by water bus from Hinode near Hamamatsucho Station (JR Yamanote Line) Typical Tokyoite visitors: School groups, families Best time: A clear day, for views over the Bay What to bring: Binoculars |   |
| Itabashi Ward Children's Zoo/Children's Zoo & River-water Aquarium* (within Higashi-Itabashi Park) 3-50-1 Itabashi, Itabashi-ku Tel: 3763-8003 The park which we like near to our home is the Higashi-Itabashi Park consists of Children's Zoo & River-water Aquarium which is open free to the public. We have been there almost every week. Emiri likes animals very much. The nearest train is from Itabashi-kukyakushomae which on Toei Mita Line. About 10 minutes walking distance from the station. Children's Zoo(within Higashi-Itabashi) Open: March to November: 10:00A.M. to 4:00P.M., December to February: 10:00A.M. to 4:00P.M. Closed from December 28 to January 4. This zoo has animals like ponies, goats, sheep, etc. which children are allowed to touch them, but not to feed them. There is a small pond where fishes like carps, turtles and ducks. Next to this pond there is a hamster's corner. Children are allowed to carry, stroke & play with them. They are open during these hours 10:45 to 11:15, 1:30 to 2:00 P.M. and 2:30 to 3:00 P.M. Higashi-Itabashi Park: Itabashi-ku, Tokyo Toei Mita subway line, Itabashikuyakushomae station. (10 min. walk) / 7 minute walk from Itabashi Kuyakushomae Station on the TOEI Mita line (crosses the JR Yamanote line at Sugamo station.) Higashi-Itabashi Park - Three outdoor pools for children of varying ages an sizes open from about July 21 to about August 28. CLOSED FOR ALL OR PART OF OBAN HOLIDAYS so call and check! 10:00 - 16:00. Entrance is FREE. 3-50-1 Itabashi, Itabashi-ku Tel: 03-3962-8419 (Japanese only) |  |
Museums
| Japanese Sword Museum 9:00-16:00, closed Mondays Admission: ¥525 Telephone 03-3379-1386 Address 4-25-10 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku Pamphlets are available: "Manual of how to handle and take care of swords" and "Manual for appreciating the Japanese sword" 10 min. from Sangubashi Stn. on the Odakyu Line. 10 min. from Hatsu-dai Stn. on the Keio New Line. Possible travel route: 1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station 2) Nezu to Otemachi via Chiyoda line 3) Otemachi to Aoyama-itchome via Hanzomon line 4) Aoyama-itchome to Yoyogi via Toei Oedo line |  |
 Sumo MuseumSumo Hakubutsukan 1-3-28 Yokoami, Sumida-Ku Tokyo Phone: (81) 3622 0366 10:00AM - 4:30PM Monday through Friday RYOGOKU sta.: JR 1-min. walk Possible travel route: 1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station 2) At Nezu station, pick up the Chiyoda line (heading towards Yushima) and go to Otemachi station 3) At Otemachi station, pick up the Tozai line (heading towards Nihombashi) to Monzen-nakacho station 4) At Monzen-nakachoe station, transfer to the Toei Oedo Line (heading towards Kiyosumi-shirakawa) to Ryogoku station ¥170 |
  Drum Museum Taikokan*2-1-1 Nishi Asakusa, Taito-ku Admission: ¥300 adults. Tel: 3842-5622 Drum Museum Taikokan presents a hands-on exhibit of drums from around the world. Very small but interesting personal collection, housed upstairs in a traditional festival costume-and-instrument store in an old district of Asakusa. It is on the fourth floor. Hours: Wednesday-Sunday 10 am-5 pm Nearest Subway station: Tawaramachi station (shown at map on right), Ginza subway line You can see not only drums from Japan, including a really big taiko drum but drums from all over the world. And best, of all, kids can try them out. It's on the fourth floor of the store -- CG It's looks like it's opposite the ROX department store in Asakusa -- PG |
| Eisei Bunko Foundation Address: 1-1-1 Mejirodai Bunkyo-ku Tokyo 112-0015 Tel: +81 (0)3 3491 0850 The Hosokawa family collection is excellent. It features all the major Japanese arts including family armor, tea-ceremony paraphernalia, screens attributed to Sesshu, tsuba (sword guards), and sculpture. One renowned piece is an early bronze Chinese mirror inlaid with silver and gold. Hours: 10:00am-4:30pm Mon-Fri Mejirodai Map (Japanese) Possible travel route: 1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station 2) At Nezu station, pick up the Chiyoda line (heading towards Yushima) and go to Kasumigaseki 3) At Kasumigaseki station, pick up the Marumouchi line (heading towards Kokkai-gijidomae) and go to Shinjuku station 4) At Shinjuku Station, transfer to the privately run Keio Line Semi Special Exp to Mejirodai ¥350 |
 Aoi ArtSword and armor store in Tokyo It might be located next to a sword ("ken") museum -- PG 4-22-11 Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 151-0053 TEL 011-81-3-3375-5553 FAX 011-81-3-3375-5459 -- Kazushige Tsuruta |
 NEZU INSTITUTE OF FINE ARTS*6-5-1, Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku Tokyo 107-0062, JAPAN TEL: 81-3-3400-2536 FAX: 81-3-3400-2436 General Information Temporary exhibitions are held in the Heisei Gallery. For some of these a special admission charge is made. Permanent collections are exhibited in the Showa Gallery and are changed on a regular basis. Opening hours Tuesday to Sunday : 9:30-16:30. Closed on Mondays(except National Holidays),days following National Holidays, and during the Year-end and New Year's period. Nearest Subway station: Omotesando station (Chiyoda line)
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Amusement Parks | |||||||||||||||
| Asakusa Hanayashiki* 2-28-1 Asakusa, Taito-ku, Tokyo (03-3842-8780) This is one of the oldest amusement parks in Tokyo, but is still popular and fun. It's not so large and is less expensive compared to other amusement parks. Although the attractions are relatively compact, the atmosphere is cheerful and fun. Stop by if you are visiting the nearby Asakusa Senso-Ji temple with your kids.
 | Korakuen* 1-3-61 Korakuen, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8575 03-3817-6098 03-3817-6185(fax) Korakuen is located in the center of Tokyo and is easy to access. It's part of Tokyo Dome City, where professional baseball games and many other exhibitions/shows are held. There are many thrilling attractions.
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| Sanrio Puroland Tama-city, Tokyo 042-339-1111 This is an all-indoor theme park by Sanrio. Sanrio characters such as Hello Kitty take you to the dream world! Little children should enjoy this amusement park.
| Sega Joy Polis Takashimaya Times Square 10F-11F Sendagaya, 5-24-2, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 03-5361-3040/ 03-5361-3044(fax) This amusement park is suitable for older children, especially for teenagers who love video games. There are many virtual reality attractions such as Sega Rally (auto race), Aqua Nova (3D motion ride), and Virtualon Special (robot shooting game). Stop by after shopping or dinner at Shinjuku.
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| Tokyo Yomiuri Land Yanoguchi 3294 Inagi-shi, Tokyo (044-966-1111 ) This is located the suburban area in Tokyo, so it takes about one hour from the center of Tokyo. Along with many exciting attractions, it is known for the giant gondola-like ferris wheel ride. If the weather is good, you can see Mt. Fuji!. During the summer, the Yomiuri land opens their Water Amusement Island with 6 swimming pools. It's a fun place to visit during summer, although it's very crowded.
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Amusement Parks (outside of Tokyo) |
 Wild Blue Indoor Water Park, Yokohama*Tsurumi-Ku, Heian-Cho 2-28-2 Open: 10:00AM - 9:00PM Closed: Fridays Review Alternate Review Take the JR Keihin-Tohoku line to Kawasaki station. Go to the east exit. There you will find bus stop #2 on platform #14. Wait for the Wild Blue Yokohama Express bus, or if your Japanese language skills are up to snuff, and you don't feel like waiting for the express, you could also take any one of the other buses that come to bus stop #2 and listen carefully for the instructions on where to transfer. Tel: (Defunct phone number?): 045-506-5527Tel (English?): 045-511-2323 ¥6,000 - ¥10,000 / person, depending on what equipment we rent |
| Seagaia Ocean Dome http://www.seagaia.co.jp/amusement_e.htm |
| Miyazaki Prefecture Ocean Dome - Review http://www.gluckman.com/IndoorBeach.html |
| Miyazaki Prefecture Ocean Dome - Review http://home.netvigator.com/~pchk/Miyazaki.html |
Pachinko in Shinjuku* | ||
| Shinjuku is doubtless the world headquarters for pachinko. There are pachinko parlors, it seems, on every corner! Harajuku has zero, but Shinjuku and Shibuya are awash in them. Ten minutes after the workday is finished, these parlors are overflowing. |  |  |
Tsukiji Fish Market - see Food
Shopping
| Comic Toranoana* Comic Toranoana (Tiger's Den) has four different stores in Akihabara and one in Ikebukuro ( all parts of Tokyo). They sell manga, doujinshi, telephone cards, garage kits and models, hobby supplies, doujin-soft and other related merchandise. They have new and used products. Japanese site: http://www.toranoana.co.jp |  |
| Store #1 (Hobby) | 101-0021 Tokyo-to Chiyoda-ku, Soto-Kanda 1-8-7 Kamibayashi Building 3F 03-3256-2102 | M-F S-S Closed | 11:00-20:00 10:00-20:00 unknown | North ==> ++ | | | | | | | ++ | 2 | 1| A| | | | ++ |-------+-------+----+--+-----+------------+----- ++ | | | | | | ++ | | | | 4 | | ++ | | | +-----+------------+----- ++ | | | | | |Ryoubi ++ |Sega | | |B |SofMap | -++--+-------+------------+--+-----+--+---------+-+--- Chuo-douri ++ | |C D | 3 E| ++ | | | | ++ \ | | | ++ |\ | | | ++ | \ | | | ---++--+--+-----------------+-----------+-----------+--- -- | --| |--- | Keihin-Touhoku Line |+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ --| |--- | | |Akihabara | 1-4 = Toranoana |__| Station | ++ A = Laox ++ B = Yamagiwa ++ C = Yamagiwa Hon-ya Soubu D = T-Zone Minami Line E = Liberty |
| Store #2 (Manga) | 101-0021 Tokyo-to Chiyoda-ku, Soto-Kanda 1-9-8 Kimura Building 2F, 3F, 4F 03-5256-2055 | M-F S-S Closed | 12:00-21:00 10:00-20:00 unknown | |
| Store #3 (Doujinshi) | 101-0021 Tokyo-to Chiyoda-ku, Soto-Kanda 4-4-2 [JIS(3626)(3157)] Soto-Kanda Building 7F 03-5256-2838 | M-F S-S Closed | 12:00-21:00 10:00-20:00 unknown | |
| Store #4 (Used Manga) | 101-0021 Tokyo-to Chiyoda-ku, Soto-Kanda 3-11-2 Rokku 2 7F 03-5256-2019 | M-F S-S Closed | 12:00-21:00 10:00-20:00 unknown |
| Tokyo Dome City* 1-3-61 Koraku, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8562 Tokyo Dome City shelters more than 10 restaurants and souvenir shops inside and outside of the main building. 1 min. walk from any of the following: JR Chuo line Suidobashi station/Tokyo Subway/Marunouchi line or Nanboku line Korakuen Station/Tokyo Subway Mita line Suidobashi station Korakuen Amusement Park La Qua Amusement Park w/ Shops Shops & Restaurants in English |     |
 Daiso 100 Yen Plaza*Udagawacho 27-4, Shibuya-ku 03-5459-3601 Open daily 11am-11pm. Walk up Dogenzaka from Shibuya station, turn right at 109 and walk toward Tokyu Honten. 100 Yen Plaza is on your right. Shibuya Savvy tourists and long-time residents are heading to 100 Yen Plaza in Shibuya for all their souvenirs. On the 3rd floor of this ultra-cheap department store you can find wabi-sabi ceramics, ramen bowls, lacquerware miso-soup bowls, fancy chopsticks, traditional toys, good-luck cat figures, paper lanterns, even fake cherry blossoms. All the exotic things you need to buy for those obscure relatives or unexpected friends you run into on a trip home. Any day of the week, the store is full of Russian and Taiwanese tourists stocking up on the good stuff because it's so cheap. The 100 Yen Plaza is a bargain department store. There are five floors of goods, arranged like a classy Ginza department store: plastics on the 4th floor, gardening goods (flowerpots, lattice frames, even bags of soil!) on the 3rd, kitchenware on the 2nd, etc. And just like Isetan, the food floor is in the basement. The "plastic" floor has stationery and kitchenware in a rainbow of pastel shades and clear plastic. The huge stationery section has ring binders, folders, and multi-sleeve photo holders in all sizes from postcard to A4 - stuff that retails for 5 times the price in regular stores. They also have plastic kitchen containers and bento boxes in a range of acid colors. Other floors are similarly well stocked. The first floor carries party goods and games, accessories and cosmetics. Here's your chance to pick up party masks of disgraced presidents and horror film characters. Local teenage girls load up their shopping baskets with essential makeup products like fake tear drops, tattoo transfers and stick-on eyelashes in Yves Klein blue. Why pay many times the price for the same stuff in trendy stores - when you can find the real generic no-brand version at 100 Yen Plaza? |
| Animate* 3-2-1 Ikebukuro, Toshima-Ku Animate is located in Ikebukuro near the Sunshine 60 building Anime events @ Animate (Babelfish translation) Web Store: http://www.animate-shopping.co.jp/ |  |
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| Tokyo Oroshuri Center* http://www.toc.co.jp/map/images/mapenglish.gif Located in Gotanda Tel: 03-3494-2200 8 MIN walk from Gotanda (JR Yamanote Line OR Subway Asakusa Line) 6 MIN walk from Fudo-Mae (Tokyu Meguro Line) 5 MIN walk from Osaki-Hirokouji (Tokyu Ikegami Line) Listing of Shops (translation) They both retail and wholesale TOC may have a market or a depaato on weekends, selling retail space to individual retailers: "it's well known and 120,000 people visit it every four days." Event schedule: Excite.co.jp translation A season is not asked but large-scale selling meetings including a department store are mainly held at the weekend. There is 120,000 or more people's ... actual result in four days, and it has become a general consumer with the hall where the degree of cognition is very high. You can use various selling meetings for uses various a maximum of 2,000 tsubos from a minimum of 40 tsubos by demand of a visitor. |  |
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 Mandarake Their main store appears to be in Nakano Nakano Store* 5-52-15 Nakano, Nakano-ku, Tokyo Tel: 03-3228-0007 Akihabara Store* Rock2 Bldg 5F, 3-11-2 Sotokanda, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo Shibuya Store* Shibuya Beam B2, 31-2 Udagawacho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo   |
| LAOX Hobby in Akihabara Store #22 on the linked map above |
| Hakuhinkan Toy Park* 8-8-11 Ginza, Chuo-ku. Tel: 03-3571-8008. Nearest station: Shimbashi (TRTA Ginza line), across from Ginza 9. Open 11am-8pm daily. A nine-floor tower of toys in the heart of the city, Hakuhinkan Toy Park is a black hole that sucks up pocket money and generous grown-ups' hard-earned yen. The fun starts in the basement with the Club 67 boutique, where Licca-chan and Jenny doll enthusiasts can pick up the trendy Pregnant Licca-chan, which includes a card you send to the manufacturer in return for a baby and a key to deflate the doll's stomach. Also on the underground level are a Ticket Pia and Ticket Park, selling seats for the Japanese shows performed at the in-store theater on the top floor. Four other capacious floors are stacked high with toys, with the store's selection of video games and jigsaw puzzles on the third floor and Japanese dolls and teddy bears on the second floor being among the best in the capital. Before taking home your bundles of joy, refuel at the fifth- and sixth-floor tempura, Italian, sumiyaki, sushi or steak restaurants. Map (in Japanese) |
| Kiddy Land* 6-1-9 Jingumae, Shibuya-ku. Tel: 03-3409-3431. Nearest station: Meijijingumae (TRTA Chiyoda line), exit 4. Open 10am-6pm daily. With the highest profile of any toy store in the city, Kiddy Land is a Tokyo institution. Everything from Hello Kitty stamps and stationery in the basement to air guns and radio-controlled car on the fifth floor are sure to keep kids of all ages drooling with delight. On weekends, a crowd of strollers converges at the street-level stand dedicated to the hot character of the moment and devours promotional giveaways being doled out by cute girls in cute uniforms. Inside, toy lovers and tourists fill the six floors-claustrophobic customers should beware of the scrums at the Barbie Boutique and American Hero sections on the third floor during peak kiddie-shopping hours (after school and on weekends). But brave souls should find some comfort in the fact that Kiddy Land is also an authorized moneychanger and offers domestic and overseas shipping services. |
  Yuzawaya* 8-23-5 Nishi-Kamata, Ota-ku. Tel: 3738-4141 or 3734-0010. Nearest station: Kamata, south exit. JR Keihin Tohoku, Tokyu Meguro or Ikegami lines. Open 10am-7pm daily. If you're a progressive parent, and like to give your kids something constructive to do, making the trip to Kamata is a must. Yuzawaya doesn't fit into the standard category of a toy store; it's more a craft-supply complex with more than ten multistory outlets selling art, needlework, hobby supplies, stationery and knickknacks. Myriad displays of everything from paper, brushes, beads and fabric to noren panels and silk flowers-the list is never-ending-are sure to get your offspring's gray matter churning with activity. Adults are also sure to be spellbound and might even be inspired to take up collage, batik or watercolor-be warned! For ¥500, you can get a Yuzawaya members' card entitling you to discounts at any store in the complex. But be sure to bring cash, as credit cards are not accepted, and remember to pay for items on the floor on which they are displayed. Sounds like Pearl Paint & Supply in Woodbridge -- PG Possible travel route: 1) Walk to Nezu station 2) Nezu station --> Nishi-nippori station via Chiyoda line 3) Nishi-Nippori Station --> Kamata station via JR Keihin Tohoku-Negishi Line ¥380 4) Yuzawaya is within walking distance of JR Kamata Station |
 Yamashiroya*  Tel: 3831-2320 Address ends with 6-14-6 Nearest station: Ueno (TRTA Hibiya line) If you don’t want your significant other watching what you buy at Yamashiroya, let them wander around the Ameya Yokocho shopping district. Ameya Yokocho has everything from dried fish to expensive wallets. |
| Toys "R" Us Shop listings (in English) There are few foreign residents of Tokyo unfamiliar with the format of the world's most famous toy store chain. Its irresistible formula of all imaginable playthings under one roof at hard-to-beat prices has established Toys "R" Us as a firm favorite of Joe Public on this side of the Pacific, too. Recently the chain has been making a big push into the collectors' market, but it took striking exclusive deals with domestic toy manufacturers and importers and collaborating on special models to finally make the grade with toy nerds in Japan. With 42 stores in the Kanto region there's sure to be one these massive warehouses within easy access. The Isogo and Minato Mirai branches also contain Studio Alice photo studios where you can get all that sweetness and light dolled up (traditional Japanese costumes are available) and captured on celluloid. Toys "R" Us, Sunshine City Ikebukuro* 3-1, Higashiikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo 170-0013 Tel: 03-3983-5400  Toys "R" Us, Odaiba* 1-7-1, Daiba, Minato-ku, Tokyo 135-8707 Tel: 03-5564-5011  |
CuSO4's Tokyo Anime/Manga Shopping Guide
| Shops by location | Map | Open Hours / Rest Days | Journal | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akihabara(ab) | Akihabara | 11-19 | 11:00-19:00 | Sa | Saturday | ab | Anime Books | fg | Figure |
| Ikebukuro(ib) | Ikebukuro | 103-203 | 10:30-20:30 | Su | Sunday | ac | Anime Cels | gk | Garage Kit |
| Nakano (nn) | Nakano | M | Monday | TFS | Th, F, and Sa | as | Anime Soft (CD/DVD/LD/etc) | ic | Internet Cafe |
| Shinjuku(sj) | Shinjuku (East) | Tu | Tuesday | FS | F and Sa | cc | Cosplay Cafe | ko | Karaoke |
| Shinjuku (West) | W | Wednesday | SH | Su and Holiday | cg | Character Goods | mg | Manga | |
| Shibuya(sy) | Shibuya | Th | Thursday | SSH | Sa, Su and Holiday | cp | Cosplay | ||
| F | Friday | 3rd W | Third W of the month | ds | Doujinshi | ||||
Cutlery stores
Research: Knife stores Shuko Cutlery3-4-2, Nishi-Kasai, Edogawa-ku, Tokyo, 134-0088 Tel: 03-3869-4687 Business hours 9:30AM - 5:30PM Closed on Tuesday and a public holidays Excite.co.jp translation  T[s]ukiji Masamoto4-9-9, Tsukiji, Chuo-ku, Tokyo, 104-0045 market bridge case Tel: (03) 3541-6880 (03) 3541-8000 Central market yard store Tel: (03) 3541-7155 Closed: Sunday, celebration national holiday Business hours 6:00AM - 3:00PM Knife style synopsis Excite.co.jp translation Map:  |
Antique Markets held in Tokyo
| Aoyama Oval Plaza* Possible travel route: 1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station 2) At Nezu station, pick up the Chiyoda line (heading towards Yushima) and go to Omotesando station 3) Aoyama Oval Plaza is within walking distance of Omotesando station
| Arai Yakushi-ji Antique Market* Possible travel route: 1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station 2) At Nezu station, pick up the Chiyoda line (heading towards Yushima) and go to Otemachi station 3) At Otemachi station, pick up the Tozai line (heading towards ?) and go to Takadanobaba station 4) At Takadanobaba Station, transfer to the privately run Seibu Shinjuku Line (heading towards ?) and go to Araiyakushimae Station ¥140 5) Arai Yakushi Temple is within walking distance of Arai-Yakushi-Mae Station 
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Iidabashi Ramura*
| Ueno Park Possible travel route: 1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station 2) At Nezu station, pick up the Chiyoda line (heading towards Sendagi) and go to Kita-senju station 3) At Kita-senju station, pick up the Hibiya line (heading towards Minami-senju) and go to Ueno station 4) Ueno Park is within walking distance of Ueno station
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| Roppongi Antique Fair* Travel route from Arai Yakushimai Station: 1) Walk to Arai-Yakushi-Mae Station 2) At Arai-Yakushi-Mae station, pick up the privately run Seibu Shinjuku Line (heading towards ? ) and go to Nakai Station 3) At Nakai station, transfer to the Toei Oedo line (heading towards Higashi-nakano) and go to Roppongi station ¥260 4) Roi Roppongi Building is within walking distance of Roppongi station
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Department Stores
Kyoko strongly recommends that we check out their food courts. =)
Daimaru http://www.daimaru.co.jp/english/tokyo.html http://www.daimaru.co.jp/english/ Located adjacent to Tokyo Station To Get Consumption Tax Exemption On the day of your purchase, please take the receipt for the goods purchased at Daimaru Tokyo store on the same day and your passport to the Tax Exemption Counter on the 7th floor. Please note that consumption tax cannot be refunded on consumable goods such as foods, cigarettes, cosmetics, films, dry batteries and medicines and goods totaling 10,000 yen or less, tax excluded. For diplomats, a Tax Free Card is required.  | Mitsukoshi http://www.mitsukoshi.co.jp/ Locations in Ginza near Kabuki-ZA, Ikebukuro, Nihombashi/Kyobashi (adjacent to Mitsukoshimae subway station) Visit the food department in the basement of Japanese department store, Kyobashi Mitsukoshi. The whole floor showcases cooking ingredients, prepared foods, baked goods and sweets to beverages, all of which are popular daily items in Japan. Among these food items, you will find Chinese, Italian, French, Indian, and Southeast Asian, as well as a huge variety of Japanese dishes.  |
| ROX http://www.rox.co.jp Located in Asakusa Open from 10:30AM - 9:00PM everyday | SOGO http://www.sogo-gogo.com/ Located in Ginza, near Yurakucho station (see mini-map) |
Tobu http://www.tobu.co.jp/depart/ Locations in Ikebukuro (see map) | |
Takashimaya http://www.takashimaya.co.jp/ Located in Nihombashi (see subway book) | |
Hankyu http://www.hankyu-dept.co.jp/ Locationed in Ginza near Yurakucho station (see mini-map) | |
Seibu http://www.seibu.co.jp/ Locations in Ikebukuro, Shibuya (see maps), & Ginza near Yurakucho station (see mini-map) | Loft http://www.loft.co.jp/ Located in Shibuya |
Odakyu http://www.odakyu-dept.co.jp/ Located in Shinjuku (see Map) | Keio Department Store http://www.keionet.com/ Locations unknown |
Matsuya http://www.matsuya.com/ Located in Ginza near Kabuki-ZA | ISETAN http://www.isetan.co.jp/ Located in Shinjuku (see Map) |
Wako http://www.wako.co.jp/ Located in Ginza near Kabuki-ZA | Matsuzakaya http://www.matsuzakaya.co.jp/ Located in Ginza near Kabuki-ZA |
Open Air Markets
 Nakamise*Between the famous red lantern at Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate) and the main hall of Senso-Ji Temple is a path lined with colorful shops selling souvenirs that include such specialty treats and sweets as Kaminari-okoshi and Ningyo-yaki. Ningyo-yaki are small Japanese cakes with sweet beans filling. Try a fresh made ningyo-yaki at Nakamise street. Possible travel route: 1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station 2) At Nezu station, pick up the Chiyoda line (heading towards Sendagi) and go to Kita-senju station 3) At Kita-senju station, pick up the Hibiya line (heading towards Minami-senju) and go to Ueno station 4) At Ueno station, pick up the Ginza line (heading towards Inaricho) and go to Asakusa station 5) Senso-Ji temple is within walking distance of Asakusa station |
| Ueno Ameya Yokocho* This is a shopping street that runs from Ueno's Chuo-dori down to Okachimachi by the side of the railway line. The dense array of shops along the street is truly amazing: they sell everything from fresh food produce to famous designer brand products at bargain prices. This lively street constantly echoes with the lively calls of the shopkeepers, doing their utmost to attract customers with low prices and offers of further mark-downs. Possible travel route: 1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station 2) At Nezu station, pick up the Chiyoda line (heading towards Sendagi) and go to Kita-senju station 3) At Kita-senju station, pick up the Hibiya line (heading towards Minami-senju) and go to Ueno station 4) Ueno Ameya Yokocho is right outside Ueno station |
 International Arcade*If you are looking for one-stop shopping for happi coats, kimonos, imitation swords, pearls and other items, visit the many shops at the International Arcade. Most are open by 11 am, and some stay open as late as 9 pm. The arcade is located underneath the JR train tracks, right next to the Imperial Hotel in Yurakucho. Prices are reasonable, and most major credit cards are accepted. Many of the merchants speak some English. Possible travel route: 1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station 2) At Nezu station, pick up the Chiyoda line (heading towards Yushima) and go to Hibiya station 3) Hibiya station is within walking distance of the International Arcade |
 Kappabashi* (Kitchen Town)When you go into a Japanese restaurant, the menu is displayed as plastic food in the window. Go to Kappabashi street in Asakusa where you can see store after store with displays of fake food (and buy some to take home as a souvenir). Kappabashi (or Kitchen Town as some people call it) is a place in Tokyo near Asakusa that is about 8 city blocks of nothing but restaurant supply stores. Basically if you are running a restaurant then you can find everything you need in Kappabashi. |
Events occuring during the current month
Tokyo Journal - Events in Tokyo (during the current month)Tokyo Qool (Attractions and stuff., Site requires registration)
UserID: (my Hebrew name, transliterated, in lowercase) Password: (the type of animal that we like to own us =^.~=)
Japan Times listing of festivals in Tokyo (based on the current date)
City of Minato: Autumn Festivals List in English
City of Minato: festivals around the year in English
Cruises
Hatobus Tokyo Bay Lunch cruise*Cost: ¥8,000/person
Tour departs from Hamamatsucho Bus Terminal at 11:20a.m, arrives back at 5:20p.m.
Board the "Symphony", the modern and luxurious ship, for a buffet lunch and a two-hour cruise passing by Rainbow Bridge, Odaiba fortifications, Fuji TV station, Maritime Museum, Tokyo Disneyland, Tokyo DisneySea, Haneda Airport, wharves, piers, etc.
Daimon Subway station is on the Toei Asakusa line
Possible travel route:
1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station
2) At Nezu station, pick up the Chiyoda line (heading towards Yushima) and go to Otemachi station
3) At Otemachi station, transfer to the Toei Mita line (heading towards Hibiya) and go to Mita station
4) At Mita station, transfer to the Toei Asakusa Line (heading towards Daimon) to Daimon station
5) Walk from Daimon station to Hamamatsucho Bus Terminal
Sumo Wrestling
| Tokitsukaze-beya* Ryogoku 3-15-4, Sumida-ku, Tokyo 130-0026 Tel: 03-5600-2561 Have someone who speaks Japanese call them before we go, to check if they will accept visitors. About 5 mins on foot from Ryogoku Station on the JR Sobu line. Admission is free. ONLY time of day: 7:00 to 10:00. Sumo-beya are off-limits at other times. Worst time of year:They're out of Tokyo in March, July, and November. What to wear: comfortable clothes for sitting decently on the floor. Who to go with: Someone who knows the ropes. Center of gravity: The dohyo (training ring) itself; all eyes and thoughts are concentrated on it, for this is the foundation of sumo. Etiquette: Just sit and watch. A 300-lb. coach may ask you to leave if you do anything to disturb the concentration of the wrestlers. Within a 10-minute walk Any number of restaurants serving chanko-nabe, the same stew that the sumo people eat; also good sushi places. Sumo Stables (Sumo beya) Where the big men live and train. The sumo-beya, or just 'heya,' is the basic unit of the world of sumo. It's like a boarding school but without vacations. It is home, family and training-place to anything from two to forty-plus young men. There are now 54 of them, all in or near Tokyo. At dawn almost every morning of the year the training ring is swept and the beginners train for an hour under the watchful gaze of their elders (and maybe a rain of blows and kicks for the lazy). The ring is swept again and a slightly older group starts training. Around 8:00 the senior men arrive -- they wear white cotton belts -- and start warming up. They will train from 9:00 to around 10:30, and that is what most people want to see. In moshiai-geiko training, they all stand around the ring watching a bout. The winner chooses his next opponent. When the crowd surges forward calling "Watashi! watashi! (me! me!)" people unfamiliar with the ways of sumo wonder if a riot is breaking out. Sometimes two well-matched men will have a series of bouts together, each honing his skills on the other. A visiting star will take on a whole line of men in succession. Around 10:30 they go off to take a hot bath, have their oiled hair dressed, and eat their first meal of the day (in descending order of rank). NOTE: Watching training. Some sumo-beya do not accept visitors; some are nervous of visitors who do not understand Japanese and want you to have a knowledgeable escort. We will suggest just one heya, which is visitor-friendly. It even has a notice on the wall in English telling first-timers how to behave. But ask at your hotel, or ask a friend in Tokyo for advice. In any case, always have someone ring in advance. Sumo training | Kokugikan http://www.tcvb.or.jp/en/infomation/7recom/ec01.html Since January 1985 this imposing green-roofed building has staged professional sumo tournaments (hon-basho) in January, May and September, for 15 days, from the second to the fourth Sundays. The action starts around 8:30 a.m. with the beginners, and ends at 6:00 p.m. with the highlight bout of the day. Don't miss the colorful ring-entering ceremonies, at about 2:50 for the Juryo (second division) and around 4:00 for Makuuchi, the top division, and the solo rituals performed by the Yokozuna (Grand Champions). Some people watch all day; get there by 2:30 if you want to see the full range, from low-rankers in canvas belts and barefoot referees in cotton outfits, right up to the Grand Champions in bright silk and referees in costly brocade. At the gate, ask for the free English-language explanatory booklet, and the blue sheet giving the day's bouts in Roman letters. Get advance tickets from Japanese ticket and travel agencies, Lawson convenience stores (you'll need help working the online computer) or from the gatehouse at the Kokugikan itself (tel 3622-1100, open 10:00-16:00, English speakers available). Most weekdays you can go along on the day and buy a 2,100 yen tojitsu-ken (same-day ticket), for the unreserved seats in the uppermost row. They start selling at 8:00. Take in with you everything you'll need - you can't slip out for a burger. Access: Two minutes on foot from Ryogoku station on the JR Sobu Line and subway Oedo Line. Look for the green roof. What to buy: The calligraphed banzuke ranking list, a bargain at 50 yen, and various other sumo souvenirs. Also buy drinks, boxed meals and snacks (try the Kokugikan special: yakitori - succulent chicken chunks grilled on wooden skewers) What to tell the taxi driver: Ryogoku Kokugikan Website: http://www.sumo.or.jp/index_e.html Who to go with: Go on your own, or with a gang of friends, or with someone knowledgeable. Within a 10-min walk Sumo stables : Or sumo-beya. - the places where the wrestlers live and train. Many of them are very near the Kokugikan. Edo-Tokyo Museum : Immediately behind the Kokugikan. Well worth a visit, but don't try to combine it with sumo as there is just too much to do. |
Kabuki Theatre
| Kabuki-ZA Theatre* Tickets http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater/ticket-ordering.html Reservations : 81-3-5565-6000 4-12-5 GINZA, CHUO-KU TOKYO Admission: ¥16,800(1st floor box seat) ¥ 14,700. ¥10,500. ¥4,200. ¥2,520 Tickets can be ordered by telephone or at the theater box office. (Box office is open 10:00a.m.-6:00p.m. everyday) The credit card is available at the Box Office Window. Matinees 11:00AM - 3:45PM Evening shows 4:30PM - 9:00PM Notice:The times are subject to change month by month according to the length of the performances.Please see our Monthly Info. Notice: The special new year performance and summer performance are subject to change in admission prices. |  |
| "English Earphone Guide" provides comment and explanations relating to the plot, music, actors, properties and other features of Kabuki which are available for a small rental fee. Language is no problem at Kabukiza. To help non-Japanese speaking audience appreciate the plays, the theater provides an excellent Kabuki guide, who through earphones, explains in English the threads of the dramas and conventions unique to Kabuki. The earphone rent is ¥650, plus ¥1,000 security deposit. Discount coupons (two) are available for ¥1,100. The security deposit is refunded when the earphone kit is returned. English-language program costs ¥1,000. |  |
The Kabuki-Za theater is very close to the Higashi Ginza Station on the TRTA Hibiya and Toei Asakusa subway lines.
|  |
http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/index.html
http://www.kabuki-za.co.jp/
http://www.kabuki-za.co.jp/english/guide.html
http://www.kabuki-za.co.jp/english/history.html
http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater/index.html
http://www.shochiku.co.jp/shinsangokushi/
http://www.shochiku.co.jp/play/kabukiza/theater/ear-phone-guide.html
Imperial Palace, Shrines, Tourist attractions
 Imperial Palace* in Chiyoda-kuThe Imperial Palace itself is closed all but two days of the year. The garden and grounds are open to the public year-round. The palace is within walking distance of Tokyo Station (accessible by both Subway and Japan Rail trains). |
| Senso-Ji Temple* in Asakusa 2-3-1 Asakusa Taito-ku Tokyo Phone: 3842-0181 Admission: Free Open: Always open Possible travel route: 1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station 2) At Nezu station, pick up the Chiyoda line (heading towards Sendagi) and go to Kita-senju station 3) At Kita-senju station, pick up the Hibiya line (heading towards Minami-senju) and go to Ueno station 4) At Ueno station, pick up the Ginza line (heading towards Inaricho) and go to Asakusa station 5) Senso-Ji temple is within walking distance of Asakusa station |
 Meiji Shrine* in Shibuya1-1 Kamizono-cho, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku Shrine Hours: Daily, dawn to dusk Jingu Naien Garden: Daily, 09:00-16:30 One of Japan's finest examples of Shinto architecture, the atmospheric Meiji Shrine is tucked away in the centre of a dark, cool forest, an unexpected oasis in the centre of the city. Passing through a vast wooden torii gate, the visitor follows the wide gravel path through the forest and into the shrine precincts. Completed in 1920, the shrine honours the memory of Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken, under whose reign Japan rapidly modernised and reopened to the outside world. On weekends, it is often possible to see a traditional wedding procession and the precincts are one of the best places to witness the finery and festivities of New Year, Coming of Age Day (January 15) and the children's festival Shichi-Go-San (weekends around November 15). The Jingu Naien Garden in the shrine grounds is well worth visiting in June for the spectacular displays of irises. Meiji-jingu shrine is within walking distance of Gaiemmae station (TRTA Ginza line). The National Noh theatre may also be near the shrine. -- PG |
 Gokokuji TempleBuddhist Temple in Tokyo Possible travel route: 1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station 2) At Nezu station, pick up the Chiyoda line (heading towards Yushima) and go to Otemachi station 3) At Otemachi station, pick up the Tozai line (heading towards Takebashi) to Iidabashi station 4) At Iidabashi station, pick up the Yurakucho line (heading towards Edogawabashi) to Gokokuji station 5) Gokokuji Temple is within walking distance of Gokokuji station |
Tokyo Tower*
Tokyo tower has two observation galleries - a "main" one at 150 meters and a "special" one at 250 meters. As attractions go, it's not the world's best value. However, as one of Japan's most famous, and also one of the tackiest, it's undoubtedly worth a look. Adults: "main" gallery ¥820, "special" gallery ¥600. Buying your tickets can be confusing - tickets for the "main" gallery are bought from the ticket booths on the first floor. Tickets for the "special" gallery are bought from the booths located in the "main" gallery. In other words you have to buy a "main" gallery ticket in order to go up to the "special" gallery.
Having negotiated your ticket, you'll find the stiff, smartly dressed lift operators make the lift ride up to the "main" gallery all the more entertaining. Once out, a loud musical accompaniment will get you in the mood, or even a mood - it's quite likely to be the Carpenters. However the view is spectacular - Mount Fuji, Ginza, Tokyo Bay and Yokohama. Inside the tower, there are also a number of amusements and attractions. On the first floor there's an aquariumcontaining 50,000 fish! However, before entering assess value for money. The fish are very small, and the ticket price not so - adults ¥800!
The Mysterious Walking Zone of Hologram Technology and the Wax Works Museum are perhaps better value. These are on the third floor. The museum costs ¥870 for adults and ¥460 for children. The Mysterious Walking Zone is ¥410 for adults and ¥300 for children. Finally, on the fourth floor there's the Trick Art Gallery full of strange, funny and curious 3D images. This is ¥400 for adults and ¥300 for children.
A shopping arcade and restaurants are on the first and second floors
OPENING TIMES
Observation galleries: 9:00 am to 8:00pm from March 16th to July 30th
9:00 am to 9:00pm from August 1st to August 31st
9:00 am to 8:00pm from September 1st to November 15th
9:00 am to 7:00pm from November 16th to March 15th
The attractions open one hour later at 10:00.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Address: 4-2 Shiba Koen, Minato-Ku, Tokyo
Tel: 03 3433-5111
How to get to Tokyo Tower
By train: (there are 4 alternative ways) 1. Take the Hibiya Subway Line to Kamiyacho Station and then follow the signs - about a 7 minute walk.
2. Take the JR Yamanote Line or the JR Keihin Tohoku Line to JR Hamamatsucho Station. From here, it's a 900m walk.
3. Take the Asakusa Subway Line to Daimon Station. From here, an 800 m walk.
4. Take the TOEI Mita Subway Line to Onarimon Station. From here, a 490 m walk
By bus:
Number 88 from Shibuya Station.
Odaiba*
Odaiba was a vacant stretch of reclaimed land until just a few years ago, but now an amazing selection of entertainment and exhibition facilities have made Odaiba the most popular leisure destination in Tokyo. Serving Odaiba is the Yurikamome Line, a fully computerized unmanned train service taking in Rainbow Bridge, which offers superb views of waterfront Tokyo and its ultramodern architectureOn the Yurikamome monorail from Shimbashi, try beating the old trainspotters to a seat at the front or the very back for a prime vantage point
We should plan on going to Odaiba for at least two days
Train route from Nezu station to Odaiba station
1) Walk from hotel to Nezu station
2) At Nezu station, pick up the Chiyoda line (heading towards Yushima) and go to Hibiya station
3) At Hibiya station, pick up the Hibiya line (heading towards Ginza) and go to Ginza station
4) At Ginza station, pick up the Ginza line (heading towards Shimbashi) to Shimbashi station
5) At Shimbashi Station, transfer to the privately run Yurikamome monorail (heading towards Shibaura Futo) to Odaiba Station ¥900 (for a 1 day pass)
Decks Tokyo Beach
A shopping and entertainment complex in Odaiba. The whole area offers a pleasant seaside environment with great views of waterfront Tokyo, while creating a convincing illusion of being miles from big city streets and stress. In Decks Tokyo Beach you can simulate skydiving, enjoy the thrills of a haunted house, and sample many other entertaining experiences.
A famous large game center called JOYPOLIS is located on the 3rd, 4th, and 5th floors. Opening hours: 10:00am-11:00pm. Entrance Fee to JOYPOLIS: ¥500
Tokyo Restaurant Guide: Restaurants in Odaiba
Hinazushi (Daiba)
Hina Restaurant in Daiba has an all you can eat sushi deal for ¥4,300. They're in Sunset Beach Restaurant Row.
Tenten Tsunetsune Kaitenbou (Daiba)
Tenten Tsunetsune Kaitenbou in the Tokyo Beach "Daiba Little Hong Kong" amusement area, this one stands out for the novelty value of their conveyer-belt dim sum service.
Daiba 1-3-5, Decks Tokyo Beach 7F. Open 11am-10pm daily
Hanashibe (Daiba)
Locally brewed sake (very sweet) and simple Japanese dishes like udon.
Daiba 1-7-1, Mediage 3F (Aquacity Odaiba). Open 11am-11pm daily
Palette Town
Perhaps the most striking of all the landmarks in this area of Tokyo is Palette Town's massive Perris wheel, which at 115m is one of the largest in the world. At night the wheel is brilliantly illuminated with a stunning variety of lighting patterns. A ride takes about 16 min. Fee : ¥900 (adult). Hours: 10:00-22:00 (but this may vary depending on various factors including the weather).
West Mall (inside Palette Town)
The first floor is devoted to Sun Walk, featuring numerous stores for furniture, sporting goods, children's goods and much more, including the biggest bed shop in Tokyo. Among the more experimental ideas here is a bookstore where you are invited to play. There are plenty of shops with a unique merchandise line-up, and look out for a very specious powder room for women.
On the second and third floors of West Mall is the extraordinary Venus Fort, which simulates the experience of walking around an 18th century town in southern Europe. Level 2 is the Floor of the Sky. Level 3 is the Floor of Alleys. Your stroll on Level 2 will take you past a large fountain and on to a plaza in front of a large church. Watch as the sky is transformed by the "setting sun" from blue to pink, before ultimately being replaced by a starlit firmament. Then stroll back through streets lined with shops designed to appeal to the woman, including fashion emporia, cosmetics specialists, and numerous accessory stores.
West Mall (inside Palette Town)
The first floor is devoted to Sun Walk, featuring numerous stores for furniture, sporting goods, children's goods and much more, including the biggest bed shop in Tokyo. Among the more experimental ideas here is a bookstore where you are invited to play. There are plenty of shops with a unique merchandise line-up, and look out for a very specious powder room for women.
On the second and third floors of West Mall is the extraordinary Venus Fort, which simulates the experience of walking around an 18th century town in southern Europe. Level 2 is the Floor of the Sky. Level 3 is the Floor of Alleys. Your stroll on Level 2 will take you past a large fountain and on to a plaza in front of a large church. Watch as the sky is transformed by the "setting sun" from blue to pink, before ultimately being replaced by a starlit firmament. Then stroll back through streets lined with shops designed to appeal to the woman, including fashion emporia, cosmetics specialists, and numerous accessory stores.
Aquacity
An entertainment and shopping paradise with a major mall, movie theaters, games, diverse services, and unbeatable views of Rainbow Bridge and Tokyo Harbor. With its seventy or so restaurants, this single location offers one of Japan's most comprehensive selections for the gourmet.
Mediage
Created by the Sony Group, Mediage is a sophisticated entertainment complex adjoining Aqua City Odaiba. A multiplex cinema complex features thirteen screens. Elsewhere in Mediage you can enjoy a range of highly original attractions. Fun for all the family.
GETTING TO ODAIBA
By monorail: from Shimbashi catch the Yurikamome monorail. Best value is the day pass for ¥800, but ¥900 buys you unlimited monorail and ferry rides too. You can catch the ferry part of the way and then finish on the monorail. One way to Odaiba is ¥370.
By ferry from Asakusa: 55 min, ¥1600.
By ferry from Hinode: 20 min, ¥400 or included in the ¥900 monorail day pass.
Getting around Odaiba:
The Free Bay Shuttle Bus stops at all the big attractions on the island and the round trip takes 37min. Or just use your day pass to get on and off the monorail.
Suijo Water Bus lines (goes between Kasai Sea Life aquarium & Palette town)
http://www.suijobus.co.jp/english/cruise_e/line/k&b_line.html
¥560/person from Kasai Sealife Park to Palette Town by waterbus
Jewish stuff in Tokyo
Tokyo Synagogue* The Jewish Community of Japan in Tokyo was established forty five years ago primarily by refugees from Russia and Europe, most of whom had been in Shanghai during the last years of World War II. Nearly all of the founding members have either moved elsewhere or died. A majority of the members today are from the United States with a large group from Israel. A full synagogue program is offered with social and cultural activities, adult education and a religious school with forty flve students. An Israel Culture Center, sponsored by the Israel Embassy, is housed at the Jewish Community Center.
Beth David Synagogue/Jewish Community Center Is located at 3-8-8 Hiroo, Shibuya ku, Tokyo. The phone is 81 3-3400 2559; Fax is 81 3 3400 1827. Rabbi James Lebeau has been Rabbi since June 1993. A mikveh is located within the JCC. Shabbat services are at 6:30 p.m. on Friday (7:00 pm. during the sumrner) with Shabbat dinner served for those with advance reservations. There is no daylight savings time in Japan so candle lighting is earlier than most other locations. Shabbat morning services are at 9:30 a.m. with a kiddush lunch served. Shabbat Minchah follows Kiddush. The synagogue uses the Orthodox Birnbaum Siddur and the services are strictly traditional. Because this is the only synagogue in Tokyo there is a mechitza section for men, a mechitza section for women with another section of the synagogue for mixed seating.
The kitchen is a strictly Kosher fleishig kitchen with Glatt Kosher meat imported from the United States. Empire Chickens are used. The kitchen is under the supervision of Rabbi Lebeau who is a graduate of The Jewish Theological Seminary of America (conservatlve). Take out meals can be ordered in advance. Details are available through the JCC office. The Board or the JCC is eager to welcome guests. Visitors should contact the JCC office to learn of hotels within walking distance and to receive a map to the JCC. list of Kosher fish is also available in Japanese and English.
A Sephardie Orthodox synagogue is located in Kobe, Japan and offers Shabbat morning services. For more information, contact the President Simon Elmaleh at phone 078 593 9391 and Fax 078 261 9464.
Beth David Synagogue/Jewish Community Center Is located at 3-8-8 Hiroo, Shibuya ku, Tokyo. The phone is 81 3-3400 2559; Fax is 81 3 3400 1827. Rabbi James Lebeau has been Rabbi since June 1993. A mikveh is located within the JCC. Shabbat services are at 6:30 p.m. on Friday (7:00 pm. during the sumrner) with Shabbat dinner served for those with advance reservations. There is no daylight savings time in Japan so candle lighting is earlier than most other locations. Shabbat morning services are at 9:30 a.m. with a kiddush lunch served. Shabbat Minchah follows Kiddush. The synagogue uses the Orthodox Birnbaum Siddur and the services are strictly traditional. Because this is the only synagogue in Tokyo there is a mechitza section for men, a mechitza section for women with another section of the synagogue for mixed seating.
The kitchen is a strictly Kosher fleishig kitchen with Glatt Kosher meat imported from the United States. Empire Chickens are used. The kitchen is under the supervision of Rabbi Lebeau who is a graduate of The Jewish Theological Seminary of America (conservatlve). Take out meals can be ordered in advance. Details are available through the JCC office. The Board or the JCC is eager to welcome guests. Visitors should contact the JCC office to learn of hotels within walking distance and to receive a map to the JCC. list of Kosher fish is also available in Japanese and English. A Sephardie Orthodox synagogue is located in Kobe, Japan and offers Shabbat morning services. For more information, contact the President Simon Elmaleh at phone 078 593 9391 and Fax 078 261 9464.
Kosher eating
There are a few supermarkets in Tokyo where they stock US foods with hechsher (cereal, pasta, canned sardines, condiments, 750ml bottle of Gamla white/red, etc). One is National Azabu and the other Meidi-ya, both located in Hiroo area near JCC. JCC also carries frozen kosher meat (Mt. Sinai) and poultry (Empire Chicken). Local milk sometimes can be fortified/adulterated with Vitamin-D, which may be derived from whale or other non-kosher marine products in Japan. Whole milk is OK, but the difference is hard to tell unless you can read labels. (If the box on the side of a carton has an alphabet D, skip it!)
Yogurts in small cups very often contains gelatine (though unsweetened ones in large tubs seem ok, of course not cholov yisroel).
Phillies cream cheese come in two versions: US with O-K, and Australian one without hechsher. Ditto for Haagen-Datz ice cream: a pint-size and individual bars made/packaged in US with O-U, individual cups packed locally without hechsher. Some packaged tofu may use styrene-based stabilizer, while one sold at health stores mostly seem OK. Many US brand products are licensed to Japanese manufacturers.
Westin Tokyo is the closest hotel to JCC (luxury, about 15 min. walk) from JCC
Jews of Japan http://www.jcpa.org/jl/jl425.htm There are a few supermarkets in Tokyo where they stock US foods with hechsher (cereal, pasta, canned sardines, condiments, 750ml bottle of Gamla white/red, etc). One is National Azabu and the other Meidi-ya, both located in Hiroo area near JCC. JCC also carries frozen kosher meat (Mt. Sinai) and poultry (Empire Chicken). Local milk sometimes can be fortified/adulterated with Vitamin-D, which may be derived from whale or other non-kosher marine products in Japan. Whole milk is OK, but the difference is hard to tell unless you can read labels. (If the box on the side of a carton has an alphabet D, skip it!)
Yogurts in small cups very often contains gelatine (though unsweetened ones in large tubs seem ok, of course not cholov yisroel).
Phillies cream cheese come in two versions: US with O-K, and Australian one without hechsher. Ditto for Haagen-Datz ice cream: a pint-size and individual bars made/packaged in US with O-U, individual cups packed locally without hechsher. Some packaged tofu may use styrene-based stabilizer, while one sold at health stores mostly seem OK. Many US brand products are licensed to Japanese manufacturers.
Westin Tokyo is the closest hotel to JCC (luxury, about 15 min. walk) from JCC
Tokyo Festivals & Cultural Attractions
Nerima Matsuri in Tokyo* Sunday October 17th, 2004 (date confirmed on 7/30/2004)2003 Festival link Parade, interactive events, and lots of vendors Nerima Festival URLs: http://www.city.nerima.tokyo.jp/festival/index.html Babelfish translation Warning: Horrible Western-style drawing of vegetable-people awaits. (shudder) Map of Nerima & surrounding locales (Warning, lots of images -- PG): http://www.stormbringer.org/pers/siaru/ref/nerimamap.html |
Minato Citizen's Festival* Oct. 9 & 10 2004 (Sat. & Sun) (dates confirmed 10/4/2004) Sunday 10/10/2004 hours: 10 A.M. to 4 P.M. |
| Autumn Hitotsugi Fair The fair does not appear to be going on in 2004 Akasaka Hitotsugi-dori Avenue Shopping District Promotion Association This fair is also known as the "Autumn Harvest Festival." There will be "trolley sales" and sales of fresh vegetables from farms in Akasaka-cho in Okayama Prefecture. Oct. 27?, 28? & 29? 2004 (Wed., Thur. & Fri.), 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. All around Akasaka Hitotsugi Street (short walk from Akasakamitsuke Station or Akasaka Station) Check date listings on this website before going |
| Culture Day* November 3 During the Meiji Era, people celebrated the November 3 birthday of Emperor Meiji (1852-1912) by designating it as the nation's Culture Day. This tradition continues to live in modern Japan, with the grand annual celebration centering on Meiji Jingu, the shrine dedicated to him. Of everybody's interest would be the demonstration of traditional Japanese archery near the shrine's Treasure Museum and the Yabusame archery on horseback Show in the vicinity of the Shibaike along the shrine's western approach. Admission: Free Address Meiji Jingu Shrine 1-1 Kaminozonocho, Yoyogi, Shibuya-ku Tokyo Phone +81 (0)3 3379 5511 Hours November 3, 5:40AM - 5:20PM |
| People Watching in Harajuku* Cosplayers hang out around the Harajuku train station on Sundays -- PG Choeki: Hm, you guys set some time aside to gawk at the loli-goths on sunday in Hara-juku, right? |
Japanese Fall Festival Calendar in English
Japan is in the most beautiful season, autumn, which is the time for the regional autumn festivals (matsuri). Most of the autumn festivals in Japan are related to the harvest, but there are many different types of festivals held throughout the country. The following are festivals held in October and November. I hope you can visit some of them while you are in Japan.
Minato-ku Autumn Festivals List in English
Minato-ku festivals around the year in English
Tokyo Disney Resort (English) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tokyo Disneyland (3rd party review) World Bazaar (3rd party reviews: Area Attractions Food Shopping) Restaurant Hokusai (traditional Japanese meals) Confectionary (sells chocolates, nuts, & candies) Candy Wagon (sells candy and other sweets) Grand Emporium (sells gifts, keepsakes, & plush) The Toy Kingdom (sells BDSM equipment, all the princesses shop there) just kidding! Mickey's Moderne Memories (sells collectibles "from around the world") Magic Shop (sells magic tricks, puzzles, games, & props) Victoria's Jewelry Box (sells jewelry) The Disney Gallery (sells "a special collection of merchandise) Disney & Co. (sells gifts) Tomorrowland (3rd party reviews: Area Attractions Food Shopping) Space Mountain [FastPass] (rollercoaster) Microadventure! [FastPass] (3D show) Starcade (video game arcade) StarJets (flying ride) Grand Circuit Raceway (Slot cars) Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blasters (Just opened April 2004 - shoot lasers at the Bad Guys!) Soft Landing (has Earl Grey [!] soft serve ice cream) Stellar Sweets (sells candy and other sweets) Solar Ray's Light Supplies (sells event related good & other stuff) Toontown (3rd party reviews: Area Attractions Food Shopping) Gadget's Go Coaster (shortest ride in all Disney!) Roger Rabbit's Car Toon Spin Chip 'n Dale's Treehouse Goofy's Bounce House (Assuming we're not too big to go in) Mickey's Trailer (has spring rolls) Toontown Delivery Company (sells Toontown gift items & novelties) Gag Factory/Toontown Five & Dime ("Hilarious gifts and Disney merchandise) Fantasyland (3rd party reviews: Area Attractions Food Shopping) Peter Pan's Flight Dumbo The Flying Elephant (flying ride) Haunted Mansion Alice's Tea Party Pooh's Hunny Hunt [FastPass] Village Pastry (has Tipo Torta, sauce-filled stick pastry. Sauce fillings change seasonally) Fantasy Gifts (sells Disney character toys, books, & gifts) The AristoCats (sells Disney character toys, books, & gifts) The Glass Slipper (sells blown glass) The Mad Hatter (sells hats) Pleasure Island Candies (sells chocolates, nuts, & candies) Stromboli's Wagon (sells Disney character gifts & novelties) Pooh Corner (sells Winnie the Pooh merchandise) Critter Country (3rd party reviews: AreaAttractions Food Shopping) Splash Mountain [FastPass] Beaver Brothers Explorer Canoes (closes at Dusk) Hoot & Holler Hideout (sells woodcrafts & apparel) Westernland (3rd party reviews: AreaAttractions Food Shoppin) Westernland Shootin' Gallery Big Thunder Mountain (rollercoaster) Plaza Pavillion Restaurant (Buffeteria w/ pork, chicken, & seafood entrees) The Canteen (has milkshakes) General Store (sells candy, coffee, snacks, & imported sweets) Country Bear Bandwagon (sells gifts, plush, & novelties) Adventureland (3rd party reviews: Area Attractions Food Shopping) Jungle Cruise Swiss Family Treehouse The Enchanted Tiki Room Crystal Palace Restaurant (Buffeteria with "a selection of entrees, side dishes and desserts") Polynesian Terrace Restaurant ("A South Sea island-inspired buffet, which includes desserts") The Golden Galleon (sells novelties) Cristal Arts (sells glasswork) La Petite Parfumerie (sells perfumes & soaps) Le Gourmet (sells teas) Chiba Traders (sells crafts from Chiba prefecture and the rest of Japan) Tiki Tropic Shop (sells Polynesian-style clothing, folkcrafts, & gifts) Safari Trading Company (sells African crafts) Candy Wagon (sells candy, chocolates, & cookies) | ||||||||
| Tokyo Disney Sea Mediterranean Harbor Fortress Explorations (interactive play area) Cafe Portofino (Italian Buffeteria) Valentina's Sweets (sells candies, chocolates, & sweets) Emporio(sells toys & household goods) Galleria Disney (sells character merchandise & toys) Il Postino Stationery (gifts) Nicolo's Workshop (sells glassworks) Merchant of Venice Confections (sells cookies, chocolate, gifts, & souvenirs) Venetian Carnival Market (drygoods, Italian specialty items) Juliet's Collections & Treasures (jewelry) Miramare (sells character merchandise) Piccolo Mercato (sells entertainment show merchandise, toys, & gifts) Splendido (sells hats) Regalini (sells candies, cookies, & chocolates) Mysterious Island Journey to the Center of the Earth [FastPass] 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea [FastPass] Vulcania Restaurant (Chinese buffeteria) Refreshment Station (has gyoza sausage buns) Nautilus Gifts (sells Mysterious Island themed & general character merchandise) Mermaid Lagoon Flounders Flying Fish Coaster Scuttle's Scooters Mermaid Lagoon Theatre [FastPass] Blowfist Balloon Race The Whirlpool The Sleepy Whale Shop (sells character merchandise) Mermaid Treasures (sells Jewelry) Arabian Coast Sinbad's Seven Voyages The Magic Lamp Theater [FastPass] Open Sesame (has Kheema curry bread) Agrabah Marketplace (sells character merchandise) Abu's Sweets's (sells "just desserts" & "heavenly rewards") Lost River Delta Mystic Rhythms Indiana Jones Adventure [FastPass] Expedition Eats (has Yucatan sausage rolls) Tropic Al's (has banana calzones) Lost River Outfitters (sells character merchandise & apparel) Port Discovery StormRider [FastPass] Aquatopia Horizon Bay Restaurant (Buffeteria w/ open grill, seafood, soup, salads, & desserts) Seaside Snacks (has gyoza sausage buns) Discovery Gifts (sells gifts & character merchandise) American Waterfront Restaurant Sakura (Japanese fusion cuisine) Sailing Day Buffet (buffet-style restaurant, cuisine not detailed) McDuck's Department Store (sells character goods, confections, apparel, souvenirs, & stuffed toys) Steamboat Mickey's (sells souvenirs & gifts) Aunt Peg's Village Store (sells sweets & sundries) | ||||||||
| Ikspiari (Mall inside of Tokyo Disneyland, accessible via the Disney Resort Monorail) | ||||||||
| Bon Voyage (Store w/ Disney merchandise right by Maihama station) | ||||||||
| Take Out Food Wagons (In both Disney Resort & Disney Sea) | ||||||||
 Disney Resort Line Monorail (English)
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| How to get there from the greater Tokyo Metropolitan Area | ||
| Routes via train: |  Rail Line Map | |
| Tokyo Station JR Keiyo Line or JR Musashino Line (about 15 minutes) get off at JR Maihama Station (South Exit) ¥210 | ||
| Shinjuku Station (New South Exit) direct bus (about 60 min.) | Map & Schedule | |
| Yokohama Station (East Exit) direct bus (about 60 min.) | Map & Schedule | |
| Urayasu Station (Tozai Line) direct bus(about 18 minutes) | Map & Schedule | |
| Urayasu Station (Tozai Line) city bus (about 25 minutes) | ||
Tickets for Tokyo Disneyland can be purchased at Disney Stores as well as at JR Station Traveling desks
Pricing - Consecutive days - One day / evening
| 1-Day Passport - Disneyland or DisneySea | ¥5,500 |
| Starlight Passport - Disneyland after 3 PM weekdays | ¥4,500 |
| After 6 Passport - Disneyland after 6 PM weeknights | ¥2,500 |
| 2-Day Passport - Disneyland or DisneySea | ¥9,800 |
| 3-Day Passport - Disneyland and DisneySea | ¥13,700 |
| 4-Day Passport - Disneyland and DisneySea Enjoy one Park each on Day 1 and Day 2 Then enjoy either or both Parks on Day 3 and Day 4 | ¥17,200 |
Tour Guides
Hiring a Geisha (Very, very expensive)http://glennh.tripod.com/wa_jpn_gei.htm
Fishing in Japan
Sport Fishing in Niigata City and Japan http://www.japan-fishing.comA sportsfisher's webpage http://www.rise3.com/english
A second sportsfisher's webpage http://www.page.sannet.ne.jp/mruchida/indexe.html
A third sportsfisher's webpage http://www.amago.jp.lv/index2.html
Supplies for sport fishing http://www.fishing-japan.com [sic]
Writeups
(Asakusa map, Ginza map, Tokyo/Imperial Palace map, & West Shinjuku map)
| Asakusa map | Ginza map |
| Tokyo & Imperial Palace map | Shinjuku map |
English Map of Tokyo Proper
(including Tokyo Station, Yurakucho station, Hanzomon station, Otemachi station, Toranomon station & others)
Pictures of Japanese currency http://www.geocities.com/ropponmatsu/japanfaq1b.html
Note that you can not use 1 or 5 yen coins in vending machines and phones.
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