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Monday, January 23, 2012

Tokyo Subway

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 Ticket
This 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

Quick List:
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.



Tokyo Subway Alternate map

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)

 
Narita Express (called "N'EX") provides rapid, frequent, and comfortable service to passengers traveling between Narita International Airport and Tokyo Metropolitan areasN'EX takes just 53 minutes to cover the distance between Tokyo Station and Narita AirportThe 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.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
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.

NoteIndicated 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
StationOffice 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 
11:30-19:00
6:30-11:30, 19:00-21:50
None
Tokyo
Travel Service Center
Ticket Office
10:00-18:30
5:30-23:00 
None
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 homepageRail 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
National7 days ¥28,30014 days ¥45,10021 days ¥57,700
JR-East4 days flexible ¥20,0005 days ¥20,00010 days ¥32,000
JR-West Kansai Area1 day ¥2,0004 days ¥6,000
JR-West Sanyo Area4 days ¥20,0008 days ¥30,000
Kyushu5 days ¥15,0007 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

Tokyo is in the Kanto prefecture
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)
NotesAddress
Nearness to subway station(s)
Cost/day for double occupancyVISA
Western-Style
BedBath

 
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 110-00017 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.
¥11,200YNN
(private bath is not available)

Food & Restaurants

Tabehodai Sushi Restaurants (Tokyo)

Tabehodai Hinazushi (Ginza*) (Roppongi) (Shibuya) (Daiba*)
AYCE SUSHI LUNCH & DINNER


Ginza: 
Mon-Fri: 11:30am-2:30pm & 5pm-11pm  Sat: 12pm-10:30pm  Sun: 12pm-10pm
Echigaya Building 2F 2-6-5 Ginza, Chuo-ku 3562 0351

Roppongi: 6-1-20 B1, 3403-9112

Shibuya: 81-3 3462-1003

Daiba: Open 11:30am-2:00pm, 5:00pm-10:30pm Closed Mondays
1-3-5 Sunset Beach Restaurant Row 5531-0017

tabehodai: Japanese for "All you can eat" Hinazushi
Okay! So now you're in Japan and you're ready to chow down on huge amounts of sushi. Unfortunately you can't seem to do that without paying through the gills, and the only alternatives are the not so appetizing roll around sushi bars. Help is on the way, with this tabehodai (all you can eat) sushi restaurant located in the heart of Ginza. For ¥4,300 you can knock back all of the toro, maguro, and uni you want. This place does it for quality and variety. You could do much much worse in L.A.
Average cost is $55.00. Nearby Trains: Ginza Station. Making reservations is adviseable.
Tsukiji Tamazushi (Tsukiji*)
AYCE SUSHI DINNER

Chuo-ku Tsukiji 1-9-4
Near the central fish market, Tsukiji Tamazushi restaurant offers all-you-can-eat sushi for $26 for men, $24.50 for women.
Tel: 3541-1917
Tsukaiji Honten (Shibuya)
essentially AYCE Sushi Lunch
24-8 Udagawa-cho
Shibuya-ku, Tokyo
Kaiten (conveyor belt) sushi.  ¥100 for a plate of two pieces of sushi
A sign in English explains the conditions for entry:
1) Eat at least 5 dishes
2) Eat fast if many people are waiting
3) Finish 5 - 6 plates in max. 10 minutes, 10-12 plates in max. 20 minutes.
The sign says eat quickly so that other customers can eat; higher turnover = lower price for customer.

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-ku
Tel: 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: 11:00-21:00
Consists 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-ku
Tel: 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-ku
Tel: 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 B1
Tel: 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.

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