Planning another trip in 2011
 

Hey guys

I am planning another trip in 2011. And I need some help and suggestions

We will be there from June 12-June 22.

June 12-25 - Hokkaido, will be traveling between Furano, Sapporo and Noboribetsu

June 16-20 - Will be in Tokyo area

June 21-22 - Will be in Osaka

The main objective is to do a lot of shopping and eating, this is a trip for my in laws, and they are not interested in culture and history, just want to shop and eat. So here is my question

1. Is there any shirne festival or street festival during my stay?

2. For the days in Osaka, I plan to book us in around the Namba area as its close to Dotonbori, so food and shopping is covered. While researching Osaka, one thing stood out to me: Shinsekai

I did some research, it appears to be filled with street food, but some site suggest that Shinsekai is the most dangerous place anyone want to set foot in, is this the case? Or is that statement stone aged?

While in Tokyo, we are going to stay at the Tokyo price, I plan to take them to the shinjuku Omoideyokocho for yakitori and izakaya type food. Is there anywhere else with similar setting and food type? Or for Ramen? I wanted to take them to somewhere with Yatai like Naka river in Kyushu, but i don't think such thing is available in Tokyo, so I am going to try anything that is similar to Omoide Yokocho

Thanks in advance
Godwine

Anyone want to help ?:)

Lots of great shopping in Umeda, which is due north of Namba/Shinsaibashi by about four stops on the subway. Good food up there, too.

Shinsekai, or the Tennoji area has been much cleaned up in recent years. It is worth seeing as it is a unique area. I wouldn't spend days there, but is worth checking out for an hour or two during the daylight hours.

Thanks MMM, what about after dark? Is it bad to stay around shinsekai?

I am looking for some form of street festival too for some street food, i notice that there is something happening in hokkaido starting June 18, so we may shift our schedule to match that.

Anything else you guys can suggest for street festivals? My wife and her family would love yakitori, butabara etc etc... so assuming we are there around June 18-july 1?????

June never be better month for festivals in Japan(other than Hokkaido). Rainy season.That's why you couldn't get a reply.

Sapporo ：
2011/6/8～12 Yosakoi soran festival
One of the biggest dance festival.

2011/6/14～16 Sapporo matauri( main festival of Hokkaido Shrine)
HOKKAIDO JINGU / Annual Major Festivals
After that festivals, I think you can't expect in Sapporo while you are visiting.

Ｔokyo,Osaka..hmm..

Nice.. so lots of street food during these time??? it will be great if there are lots and lots of food, thats what my father in law will LOVE to hear

According to the city government's HP, about 500 yatai(not always food yatai) in the shrine and中島公園(Nakajima park )during the Sapporo matsuri.
Events in June 2009

Thanks Fujikuro, i will have to replan the entire thing now :)

I would not hang around Shinsekai after dark. There are still many questionable types in that area. Perfectly fine during the day, though.

That's quite a haul just to go to a festival.

yeah, the wife wants it, so i have to plan it in, of course if you can suggest something else in a different location that fits my original plan, i am willing to listen

I am going to be helpful and unhelpful at the same time in saying EVERY neighborhood does a festival sometime in the summer. I think most of the bigger ones are July and August, but I suppose there might be some in June.

It's just that going all the way to Hokkaido (by plane I assume) is like flying 400 miles to eat a corn-dog.

I know what you mean, but Hokkaido wasn't just for the festival. The mother inlaw wants to spend 2 days in Furano visiting the flower fields and the dairy factory... so I figure, flying to Hokkaido just for Furano is such a waste (As you said, flying 400 miles to eat a corndog) so i might as well drop by Sapporo since I've never been, and we are going to spend a night or two lodging at the Daiichi Takimotokan in Norboribetsu. My wife won't stop nagging me about finding her some street or shrine festival, so I figure, I might as well time everything to coincide with when we are there

They are technically newbies to Japan, my in-laws joined one of those guided tour 10 years ago when they were in Hong Kong, the entire trip was just about sitting in a bus and passing by attraction, my wife went for the second time in her life when we had our honeymoon last year, so they figure, might as well take advantate of my knowledge of their culture and language to be their tour guide

BUT, the thing is, this is a group of people that doesn't like to walk much, they don't care about culture, history or sight, they just want to eat and shop, so I figure, Osaka's dotonbori will be a good place, and so would the Yakitori Omoideyokocho in Shinjuku.

Talking of which, I know I asked this before, do you have any suggestion toward Yatai style food (or something similar to Omoideyokocho or the Ramen street in Susunko) in Osaka and other parts of Tokyo/Yokohama????

Japanese love that kind of tour to Hong kong too!:D Shopping　tours and gourmet tours are very popular.
The places you referred to are famous because they are special.If there were many similar places,they were not special any more.
As you said before,I have never heard of yatai STREET in Tokyo,Osaka,Yokohama.Fukuoka is special.Yatai style food Izakaya is realistic　alternative.As you know,there are too many Izakaya in Tokyo,Osaka,Yokohama to recommend specific one.Internet is useful for this kind of research.
This might help you.
Japan Restaurant Guide by Gourmet Navigator
Tripadvisor might help you too.

Yokohama is famous for Chinatown.Beside that,the largest numbers of them are from Guangdong....which your in-laws familiar with.
There is Ramen museum in Yokohama.Shinyokohama Ramen Museum

Hey Fujikuro and MMM

Need a favor from you 2, as I am now trying to replan to match the festival dates, do you know if these are the final confirmed date for 2011:

Sapporo ：
2011/6/8～12 Yosakoi soran festival
One of the biggest dance festival.

2011/6/14～16 Sapporo matauri( main festival of Hokkaido Shrine)
HOKKAIDO JINGU / Annual Major Festivals


If so i will just plan base on these dates

Thanks!
Godwine

I forgot my password....fujikuro is now fujikuro2:)

They are final confirmed date.

Yosakoi official
YOSAKOIソーラン祭り 公式ホームページ
In Japanese,but you can see on the top of the page.
2011年 第20回YOSAKOIソーラン祭りは6月8日（水）～12日（日）の開催予定です

Sapporo matauri
The page I provided is official. on the same days every year.
Hokkaidō Shrine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"From June 14 to 16 in every year, the Main festival of Hokkaido Shrine, also called "Sapporo Festival" (Sapporo Matsuri), is held, and the line of people bearing Mikoshi parades down the street which leads to the shrine. It also manages a Scouting activities."

They don't like to walk? Uh oh...

The tricky thing is yatai can be great when done by pros. Some of my favorite yatai-mura have been where-ever there is a good nightlife, so people can go eat after a night of drinking. Some of them don't open until after 9:00PM, though. Chinatown in Yokohama is a good recommendation.

Unless godwine's in-laws were not in Hong Kong....
They already know authentic Cantonese tastes!

But if looking for yatai, it's a good place to go.

I don't think CHINESE FOOD yatai in Japan is better than in Hong kong.

I was just seconding a suggestion for a place to get yatai. If he had asked for Chinese food better than what they have in Hong Kong I wouldn't have said a word.

Sorry.I had no intention to recommend Yokohama Chinatown for Japanese food yatai.OP referred to yakitori,butamaki,ramen and izakaya style food.OP obviously wants to know something exotic for his in-laws.I just wanted to say Yokohama china town and the food they can get there is not exotic for them.

His in-laws didn't live in HK, they just took a bus tour there once. The nikuman available in Chinatown was some of the best I have ever had (not that I am any expert).

I seem to remember some stalls near Yurakucho station...maybe under the tracks (?)

I thought he and his wife( and her family) are Chinese(HK) and moved to Canada...
At least his wife has asian appearance.I checked out his Honeymoon pictures.Or the cutest girl on that pictures is not his current wife..

I don't know... this is what I was going from:

Indeed, if they are Chinese from HK, then Chinatown in Yokohama may not be as interesting for them.

Actually, Yes we are Chinese from HK, but I came when i was like 12, and I lived in Yokosuka between 8-10, so technically, I am Chinese that has a stronger bond to either Canadian or Japanese culture

I visit Chinatown everytime I am in Japan, I actually do like the food there... The last time I went back to HK, I got a stomach flu after my first meal, so I can't tell what is authentic.. food that make you sick, or food :)

For sure, I am taking them to Chinatown, if they decide to yell at me, then whatever :)

Thanks for all your suggestions guys, whenever you guys discover the date to Sapporo Matsuri, let me know:)

I have posted already.
http://www.japanforum.com/forum/japa...tml#post830351
June 14 to 16 in every year.

Thanks Fujikuro

But when i went to the site, it was suggesting it to be only for 2010. I am glad that you provided the info of this being every year

Thanks!

Which site do you mean?Only for 2010?

http://www.japanforum.com/forum/japa...tml#post829905
At least ,official page is not suggesting.

Sorry,in Japanese.The shrine official.
http://www.hokkaidojingu.or.jp/festival/index.html
According to this page,
June 15th has been the day on which main festival is held since 1874.
June 14th is the eve.
On June 16th ,the parade.

Official HP of the shrine in Chinese.
神宮活動月曆 : 北海道神宮
六月十五日 「例祭」(定期祭典)