Visit Tokyo Dec 2013

Dec 8 (Sun) Arriving from SIN-TPE via Scoot. Buy N’EX+SUICA at 5500 Yen and check in Shin Okubo Hotel Empire. After a late lunch, Buy Kanto Area Pass (8000Yen) from JR Travel Office for tomorrow &  buy Odakyu Hakone Freepass for Dec 16 at Shinjuku. Hanging out and recce Shinjuku and go to Tokyo Metro Gov Building to have night view of Tokyo.

https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/index.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3011_tocho.html

Shin-Okubo:Korea Town

http://www.thebackstreetguides.com/places-to-see-in-tokyo/a-bit-of-korea-in-tokyo/

Dec 9 (Mon) Go to Kamakura-Enoshima with the Kanto Area Pass. Alight at Ofuna and buy the Kamakura-Enoshima Pass (680Yen) for Enoden & Shonan Monorail commune between Kamakura and Enoshima.  Aim to catch some Koyo where Kamakura is said to be one of the few places with some late Koyo (Autumn Leaves) possible in early Dec. If still time, we can travel further with the Kanto Area Pass to Atami in Izu. But this could be too tiring and the sky could be dark. KIV.

http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/kamakura_enoshima.html

http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/feature/7780/Visiting-Kamakura

Dec 10 (Tue)  Go to Nikko with Kanto Area Pass. Aim to cover the 3 World Heritage sites. This place could be colder than Tokyo.

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3800.html

Dec 11 (Wed) Go to Karuizawa via Shinkansen. Fully covered by Kanto Area Pass. Aim to have a relaxing ride around town with the rented bicycles. Hope to see and play a bit with snow. We will shop at Prince Outlet when the sun sets at 4.30.

http://kanko.town.karuizawa.nagano.jp/sightseeing/

Dec 12 (Thu) Go to Takaosan.

Buy the Keio Takaosan return tickets at Shinjuku for 1320 Yen. It gives a 20% discount to the cable cars rides in Takaosan too.

http://www.keio.co.jp/english/riding/discount/takao_roundtrip_keio.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3029.html

Dec 13 (Fri) Go to Kawagoe and Iruma Outlets. Ladies may stay on at Iruma for shopping. I will leave the group for Arakawa Toden line stations hop and rejoin with them at Ikebukuro or Iruma.

http://www.koedo.or.jp/foreign/english/sightseeing/highlight/

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3038.html

http://www.31op.com/iruma/index.html

http://tokyocheapo.com/travel/tokyo-from-the-inside-out-on-160-yen/

Dec 14 (Sat) Tokyo city tour. Southern Tokyo: Sengakuji(47Ronin Festival)->Zojoji Temple->Tokyo Tower->Odaiba->Roppongi

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164_shinagawa.html

Dec 15 (Sun) Tokyo city tour. Central Tokyo:Imperial Palace->Yasukuni Jinja->Ginza/Ricoh/Kabukiza->Akihabara

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164_tokyo.html

Lunch at Nihonbashi:

http://lohas.pixnet.net/blog/post/31862961-%5B2013%E6%9D%B1%E4%BA%AC%5D-%E6%97%A5%E6%9C%AC%E6%A9%8B-%E9%87%91%E5%AD%90%E5%8D%8A%E4%B9%8B%E5%8A%A9-@-cp%E5%80%BC%E7%88%86%E7%82%B8%E3%80%81%E7%88%86

Dec 16 (Mon) Hakone-Gotenba. Use Odakyu Hakone Freepass 5000Yen. Pay 900Yen for using the non Freepass pass top up to return to Shinjuku from Gotemba.

http://www.odakyu.jp/english/deels/freepass/hakone/

Dec 17 (Tue) Tokyo city tour. Northern Tokyo:Nippori(Yanaka)->Ueno(Ameyoko)->Asakusa(Sensoji)->Skytree->Ryogoku(Sumo Museum). KIV Shibamata

http://www.thebackstreetguides.com/places-to-see-in-tokyo/showa-time-in-shibamata-part-1/

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164_ueno.html

Dec 18 (Wed) Yokohama city tour. From Shibuya buy the Toyoko line Minatomirai return discount tickets for 840Yen

http://www.tokyu.co.jp/railway/railway_global/english/otoku/mm_ticket.html

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2156.html

Dec 19 (Thu) Tokyo city tour. Western Tokyo: Shinjuku->Meiji Jingu->Harajuku->Omotesando->Shibuya

http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164_shinjuku.html

Must try: Mannenyu near Shin-Okubo

http://www.sentoguide.info/bath/242-mannenyu

Dec 20 (Fri) Flying back to SIN

Special Note: Must try Ichi Ran Ramen.  Shinjuku East Exit has one 24Hrs outlet

http://lohas.pixnet.net/blog/post/30133452

Must try tempura: Shinjuku Tsunahachi

http://www.tunahachi.co.jp/store/index.html#1

Good Cheapo Guide

This guide provides lots of interesting tips:
http://tokyocheapo.com/living/101-free-and-cheap-things-to-do-in-tokyo/#history

Important Things to Note

Cash withdrawal only works on VISA/PLUS and at 7-11 and Post Offices only. The ATM don't operate 24 hrs.

Always bring along passports for tax rebate, and free passes purchase

No talking on the phone when you are in the public transports

Destinations & Transportation Costs

Dec 8 (Sun) Narita - Shin Okubo Yen 1160
Dec 8 (Sun) Shin-Okubo - Odaiba Yen 500
Dec 8 (Sun) Odaiba - Shin Okubo Yen 500

Shin-Okubo - Takaosanguchi - Shin-Okubo Yen 130x2+1056 Keio Takaosan Return Tickets(incl cable cars)

Shin-Okubo - Enoshima-Kamakura Yen 130x2 + 1430
http://www.odakyu.jp/english/deels/freepass/enoshima_kamakura/

Shin-Okubo - Hakone - Gotemba - Shin-Okubo Yen 130x2 + 7200 + 900(top up for Odakyu bus return)
http://www.odakyu.jp/english/deels/freepass/fujihakone/
http://life-bite.blogspot.com/search/label/Japan?updated-max=2011-06-15T23:27:00%2B08:00&max-results=20&start=4&by-date=false

Shin-Okubo - Izu (Must take JR only) Yen 8000 (Kanto Area Pass)
https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/kantoareapass/index.html#category04

Shin-Okubo - Nikko (Must take JR only) Kanto Area Pass

Shin-Okubo(Seibu Stn) - Kawagoe Yen 600- Yokohama (Must take JR only) Yen 450 Kanto Area Pass. Dinner at Ippudo ramen at Yokohama Stn

Standby:
Shin-Okubo - Mt Tanigawa Yen 130x2 + Kanto Area Pass + 2000 Ropeway + 650x2 local bus
https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/destinations/gunma/course/d_course.html

Nogokiri at Chiba
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jV0hWl6qlF0
http://www.tokyowanferry.com/service/charge.html
http://www.keikyu-bus.co.jp/img/line/map/kurihama.pdf





4 days Tokyo City tours:
http://www.gotokyo.org/en/index.html

Using the Keisei Skyliner & Metro Pass (2 days return) at Y 4880
http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/skyliner/us/value_ticket/pass.html

1) Yanaka Ginza/Ueno, Asakusa/Skytree
http://www.gotokyo.org/en/tourists/areas/areamap/yanaka.html

Onsen Etiquette

Good read on onsen do and don't.

http://www.onsenjapan.net/onsenbasics.php

Will surely try at least once when in Japan.

JNTO Tokyo Walk should be a good starting point

http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/rtg/pdf/pg-305.pdf

Shortlisting day trips from Tokyo

We will be arriving in Tokyo on 8 Dec. Returning on 20 Dec. This means we will have 11 full days in Japan. So far I have shortlisted this as our preliminary Day Trips itinerary. Due to distance from Tokyo, each destinations requires one full day. And we need to start off really early. As in winter, the sun sets at 4.30pm average:

1) Hakone via Odakyu
2) Enoshima-Kamakura via Odakyu
3) Nikko via Kanto Pass http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3805.html
4) Kusatsu Onsen Karuizawa via Kanto Pass
5) Yokohama via Kanto Pass. take Sea Bass right outside Yokohama Stn.
6) Takaosan via Keio http://www.keio.co.jp/english/riding/discount.html Yen 1056 return
7) Gotenba via express bus(only the ladies going)

The above will takes up 7 days. That will leave 4 days for Tokyo city tour. Quite a tight schedule actually.

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