[iammako3]

Oh wow, this topic really threw me off since I'm doing almost exactly the same thing! ^_^ I'll be staying in Nakano (in Tokyo) from May 31 to July 2 with no concrete plans, though I do have a few ideas on what I want to do. I have a Mitsuwa (Japanese marketplace with a travel agency inside) near me so I actually got pretty cheap tickets. $940 round trip direct flight from Chicago! However, I'm splurging on the rental apartment, which costs almost $3,000. -.- And then there's the 1 week JR rail pass for when I go to Kyoto or wherever else. . . lots of $$, but it'll be worth it!

I'm so excited about this trip! Originally I was supposed to go over as a Nova teacher, but, uh, they folded. :-( So this is going to be my best vacation ever!!!!!

My tentative plans so far are:
*Over night trip to Kyoto
*Kabuki at the Kabuki-za Theatre
*Sanno Matsuri
*Dontsuku Matsuri (because who can resist a fertility festival where geisha carry around penis statues?)
*self-guided Shibuya tour based on the DS game The World Ends With You
*meeting up with a guide to show me Akihabara
*meeting up with a guide to show me either Yokohama or Kamakura
*going to the Metal Gear Solid 4 release party, if there is one

Sound like fun? Any other stuff you guys can suggest? Anyone want to meet in Japan? That'd be fun! (Can you tell I'm a bit keyed up about this trip?)