Final Plan - Japan 2011

[godwine]

Originally Posted by Firebird

I´d second Gonative opinion, if possible rather go to Toyako. The Onsen are natural and the Area is nicer than Noboribetsu. The walk through the ruins are really special if you haven´t seen natural destruction of houses and streets before. When i visited there was a nightly firework at the lake as well. Noboribetsu seemed very artifical to me and it is a bit aged.
Here are my 2 webblog-posts with pictures to Noboribetsu and Toyako.
The pictures from noboribetsu are all inside the Town or in walking distance. In Toyako i haven´t stayed directly in the city but the surrounding Area is great, however i´d recommend to rent a car in Sapporo for this day trip ( the destroyed are is a bit outside).

For shopping in Tokyo: Have you thought of Kichijoji? Its the are mosz of my japanese friends recommend and i did like it alot. There are no real speciality shops like in Harajuku but it still serves a young and hip crowd.

Firebird

Thanks man, i will definitely check out your blog to see the pics

The whole hip thing is only for that 19 years old girl and possibly my 25 years old brother in law, everyone is at least 31, so the hip thing is not really for us

[Firebird]

Your welcome!
Have you ever been to Kichijoji? It has a hip crowd but not as in Harajuku. Im talking of normal people with (in japanese ways) normal style, maybe hip was the wrong word, so lets say its very trendy to visit that area or maybe "in". Also some shops on the small road going towards the park are even kind of alternative.
Its not as expensive to live there than in other areas so close to Tokyo so it draws a younger crowd and people like artist or stuff. Its not as big as this trend is in other big citys (Berlin for example, where Kreuzberg is the place to be for artists and students and people with altenative livestyles) but its there (there´s an artist market there on Sunday)
Also the park is very nice and the Ghibli Museum is close by

Firebird

[godwine]

Originally Posted by Firebird

Your welcome!
Have you ever been to Kichijoji? It has a hip crowd but not as in Harajuku. Im talking of normal people with (in japanese ways) normal style, maybe hip was the wrong word, so lets say its very trendy to visit that area or maybe "in". Also some shops on the small road going towards the park are even kind of alternative.
Its not as expensive to live there than in other areas so close to Tokyo so it draws a younger crowd and people like artist or stuff. Its not as big as this trend is in other big citys (Berlin for example, where Kreuzberg is the place to be for artists and students and people with altenative livestyles) but its there (there´s an artist market there on Sunday)
Also the park is very nice and the Ghibli Museum is close by

Firebird

Hey

thanks for the feedback. Nope, never been, only read up on it a little before, didn't really pay too much attention to Kichijoji... but i will definitely check it out if time permits

Thanks