*** HELP !!! 1 WEEK TOKYO TRIP : Shopping, Food, Sight-seeing Guides Needed ***

[Lethia]

Hi everyone,

I'll be going to Tokyo for 1 week with my hubby next month. We'll be going without tour guides around Akihabara-Shibuya-Shinjuku-Harajuku areas.

We will be spending more time on window-shopping from shops-to-shops / malls-to-malls (with some shopping too). But we're not sure if we should see other tourist attraction places like Tokyo Tower, Disneyland, etc

Any advice/recommendation like where to visit/go?

Oh, uuuuummm....... I have A LOT OF QUESTIONS to ask, I hope any of u dun get sick answering it... so sorry, cuz It's our 1st trip to Tokyo.


SIGHT-SEEING Questions

1. Does Love Hotel worth to check out ? how much per night ?
2. Is it safe to travel at evening / night time ? any place to avoid ?
3. Anyone know anyplace must visit for CAT LOVER ? I heard there are a lot of cat cafes / neko kissaten going on in Tokyo but it's quite expensive right ?
4. Should I really go to Tokyo Disneyland ?
5. Any pet shop specialist selling Cats / Hamsters in Tokyo ?


FOOD Questions

1. Is it possible to find proper foods / meals below 1000 Yen other than Ramen stalls/shops & fast food around those areas?

2.What kind of japanese fast food restaurant (not western) that's available around there? how much it cost per meals ?

3. Is there a FoodCourt in every mall at Tokyo ? how much usually per meal costs ?


SHOPPING Questions

1. Kawaii Lolita Japanese Lingeries/Bra/Undies with laces
2. Gothic Lolita & Anime Cosplay
3. Kawaii Pink Electronic / Gadgets accessories for Girls (pouch, casing, skins, keyboard, mouse, speakers, etc)
4. Thigh-high socks / stockings (in pink/stripes/patterns, etc)
5. Other Kawaii Cute things (dolls, stickers, etc)
6. Beads to stick on HP/PSP/NDS to make it Bling-bling with diamonds & suchs ?
7. Fancy Cute Kawaii Long-sleeve T-shirts for Females ?
8. Cats-related stuffs (doesnt have to be real cat products) like cat figures, cat t-shirts, etc ?


Umm..., I'm so sorry if I ask too much... it's our 1st time coming to Tokyo & have no clue where to get all this things !!!

So any kind soul want to help me?

A LOT LOT LOT OF THANKSSSSSS !!!

[MMM]

I think checking out a love hotel could be a fun "off the beaten path" event for a couple. Prices vary...but probably 80-180 a night. It might be worth going high-end for the most outrageous room.

It is safe to travel at night. The only place I would avoid day or night is Kabuki-cho.

I wouldn't waste my time/money at Tokyo Disneyland unless you are a real Disney fan.

Don't buy a pet in Japan unless you plan on living there.

Every kind of food in the world is available in Tokyo at every price range. I am not sure why people want to fly to Tokyo for a week to eat cheap food.

There are food courts in malls (like in Odaiba). You'll pay less than 1000 yen for most meals.

For shopping, try MANDARAKE at Akihabara. I think some of those items can be found there.

[uktokyoite]

Blimey - where to start!

Love hotels - definitely go! There's an area in Shibuya known as 'love hotel hill'. Just walk around there - there are loads of hotels to choose from and they all display their prices outside. If you don't want to stay overnight you can choose to stay (usually 2/3 hours) which costs less.

Cat stuff - definitely go to Odaiba. Head to somewhere called Tokyo Decks - there are signs for this in English - there's all kinds of shopping there - cute/high fashion/quirky - just explore the different floors. But also go down to ground level - next to the road and walk round. You'll find an absolutely fab shop for cats. You can't miss it because it has a huge pink cat outside the main entrance - it is the entrance! I have a picture of it at the bottom of this page http://www.tokyotopia.com/odaiba-shopping.html Isn't it great Inside they sell everything you could possibly want for your cat as well as providing you with some great awwww moments as there are always some cats on sale in here and they have their own play areas.

Next on the list has to be Harajuku - goths and lolitas heaven - best to visit on a weekend - Friday night/Saturday/Sunday. Head down Takeshita shopping street for all the pink stockings/socks/accessories you could want. It's a great place to just wander round.

Food courts are usually in the basement of big department stores or on the top floors - check the sign boards to be sure. All the biggies that I go in have one - I can't think of any that don't.

Fast food would be kaitenzushi - the conveyor belt style sushi places - just pop in, grab a seat and choose your sushi as it goes round. Remember that the price of each bowl is indicated by the plate it is on. Yoshinoya is another option (most popular dish is beef and rice bowl) but they have many more to choose from. Just walk down any main high street and there are loads of options - take your pick. Many places do bargain lunch sets for between 600 to 1000 yen.

Akihabara is your electronic shopping heaven - and also any adult toys you may want to buy! Check out the maids outside the station - very cute.

Safety - no worries. Keep your common sense about you. I agree with MMM though - Kabukicho in Shinjuku would be the only place I would say be careful. Shibuya at night has also developed a small reputation for stealing so just be careful of your bag and you'll be fine. I'm from the UK and Tokyo is way way safer than there. I can happily walk home at night without looking over my shoulder every 2 seconds.

Again, same as MMM, unless you absolutely 'have' to visit Disneyland I wouldn't bother. There are far better things to do

[Lethia]

Originally Posted by MMM

I think checking out a love hotel could be a fun "off the beaten path" event for a couple. Prices vary...but probably 80-180 a night. It might be worth going high-end for the most outrageous room.

It is safe to travel at night. The only place I would avoid day or night is Kabuki-cho.

I wouldn't waste my time/money at Tokyo Disneyland unless you are a real Disney fan.

Don't buy a pet in Japan unless you plan on living there.

Every kind of food in the world is available in Tokyo at every price range. I am not sure why people want to fly to Tokyo for a week to eat cheap food.

There are food courts in malls (like in Odaiba). You'll pay less than 1000 yen for most meals.

For shopping, try MANDARAKE at Akihabara. I think some of those items can be found there.

Thanks alot for ur reply !!!

Oh I'm not gonna buy pet in japan, just want to do a visit to japanese pet shops, I wonder if they let customer touch the pet without buying them ?

Well, the reason I wanna eat cheap food in tokyo cuz there's already sooo many good japanese foods available in Singapore (where I live). But I dont mind paying more for something I cant find here like Okonomiyaki shop (where u can cook it on ur own).

Any clue how much & where is Okonomiyaki shop/restaurant in Tokyo ?

[Lethia]

Originally Posted by uktokyoite

Blimey - where to start!

Love hotels - definitely go! There's an area in Shibuya known as 'love hotel hill'. Just walk around there - there are loads of hotels to choose from and they all display their prices outside. If you don't want to stay overnight you can choose to stay (usually 2/3 hours) which costs less.

Cat stuff - definitely go to Odaiba. Head to somewhere called Tokyo Decks - there are signs for this in English - there's all kinds of shopping there - cute/high fashion/quirky - just explore the different floors. But also go down to ground level - next to the road and walk round. You'll find an absolutely fab shop for cats. You can't miss it because it has a huge pink cat outside the main entrance - it is the entrance! I have a picture of it at the bottom of this page Odaiba Shopping | TokyoTopia | Fashion in Tokyo at Venus Fort, Aqua City and Tokyo Decks. Isn't it great Inside they sell everything you could possibly want for your cat as well as providing you with some great awwww moments as there are always some cats on sale in here and they have their own play areas.

Next on the list has to be Harajuku - goths and lolitas heaven - best to visit on a weekend - Friday night/Saturday/Sunday. Head down Takeshita shopping street for all the pink stockings/socks/accessories you could want. It's a great place to just wander round.

Food courts are usually in the basement of big department stores or on the top floors - check the sign boards to be sure. All the biggies that I go in have one - I can't think of any that don't.

Fast food would be kaitenzushi - the conveyor belt style sushi places - just pop in, grab a seat and choose your sushi as it goes round. Remember that the price of each bowl is indicated by the plate it is on. Yoshinoya is another option (most popular dish is beef and rice bowl) but they have many more to choose from. Just walk down any main high street and there are loads of options - take your pick. Many places do bargain lunch sets for between 600 to 1000 yen.

Akihabara is your electronic shopping heaven - and also any adult toys you may want to buy! Check out the maids outside the station - very cute.

Safety - no worries. Keep your common sense about you. I agree with MMM though - Kabukicho in Shinjuku would be the only place I would say be careful. Shibuya at night has also developed a small reputation for stealing so just be careful of your bag and you'll be fine. I'm from the UK and Tokyo is way way safer than there. I can happily walk home at night without looking over my shoulder every 2 seconds.

Again, same as MMM, unless you absolutely 'have' to visit Disneyland I wouldn't bother. There are far better things to do

OMG, thanks alot !!! that's alot of information I will write down the places / shops I wanna go in Tokyo so I wont waste my time wonder around aimlessly.

Hmm, I guess I wont be visiting Disneyland unless I really have enough time to visit. We're planning to go Tokyo Game Show 2008 though (I heard its near Disneyland ?), anyone goin there too?

Oh, I would love to visit Odaiba !!!

Is odaiba outside Tokyo subway ? I cant seem to find the Odaiba station in Tokyo Subway map. And how long do u think it takes from Odaiba to Chiba ? are they both nearby ?

Thanks again!

[uktokyoite]

Odaiba is a little confusing - actually the train line you need is the Rinkai Line (a subway line). If you look at the Yamanote line - the circle line around the center of Tokyo, on the bottom end is a station called Osaki. You can catch the Rinkai line there. The station you need is actually called Tokyo Teleport (great name hey) - and it's about a 5/10 minute walk to Decks depending how fast you walk - it is signposted so don't worry.

The other way to get to Odaiba is by taking the Yurikamome line - see this link for details - scroll down and you'll see the map Tokyo Travel: Odaiba (Daiba)


Odaiba is actually built on a man-made island near Rainbow Bridge.

Yes you are right - Tokyo Game Show is near Disneyland so maybe you can combine the 2 if you want to

[godwine]

Originally Posted by uktokyoite

Odaiba is a little confusing - actually the train line you need is the Rinkai Line (a subway line). If you look at the Yamanote line - the circle line around the center of Tokyo, on the bottom end is a station called Osaki. You can catch the Rinkai line there. The station you need is actually called Tokyo Teleport (great name hey) - and it's about a 5/10 minute walk to Decks depending how fast you walk - it is signposted so don't worry.

The other way to get to Odaiba is by taking the Yurikamome line - see this link for details - scroll down and you'll see the map Tokyo Travel: Odaiba (Daiba)


Odaiba is actually built on a man-made island near Rainbow Bridge.

Yes you are right - Tokyo Game Show is near Disneyland so maybe you can combine the 2 if you want to

he can also walk across on the rainbow bridge, the view is better than Tokyo Tower

[uktokyoite]

Godwine is absolutely right! Yes you can walk across - and it's a beautiful view. Nice one

[dmach12001]

That's a tall order. You'll have a great time I'm sure.
I just recenlty worked for a Japanese company here in the states and would have to hear about all the wonderful adventures the engineers and software specialists would have on thier visits.
Here is an informational site that you may be able to gather some added information from.

The Japan Zone

Have fun