Tokyo (1 Viewer)

[PinkydaPimp]

Timely bump, my wife and I never made it there. However, looks like I am going to Japan for work for about a week. What's the best way to get around Osaka and Tokyo? Can I just do taxis from my hotel to my meetings and back? Do taxis take AmEx or do I need to get Yen?

How about travelling from Tokyo to Osaka... bullet train or fly?

The subway is very easy to navigate and definitely the best way around. Taxi's work as well but will obviously be more expensive. You may also have a language barrier so you may need to have your hotel write where you are going on a business card for you so you can give that to the driver. We did that a few times. If i recall some cabs will take credit card and some will not. So you will want to have cash handy. I cant recall whether Amex was a problem.

And when going from Tokyo to Osaka, definitely take the bullet train. Its very easy and will be much cheaper.

 

[PinkydaPimp]

Timely bump, my wife and I never made it there. However, looks like I am going to Japan for work for about a week. What's the best way to get around Osaka and Tokyo? Can I just do taxis from my hotel to my meetings and back? Do taxis take AmEx or do I need to get Yen?

How about travelling from Tokyo to Osaka... bullet train or fly?

I would get JR's weeks pass. That would give you access to bullet train to Osaka plus all JR's local network of trains and buses which is quite extensive. JR is the most English friendly of the train companies. Taxi's will be expensive.

 

[Fennis]

Timely bump, my wife and I never made it there. However, looks like I am going to Japan for work for about a week. What's the best way to get around Osaka and Tokyo? Can I just do taxis from my hotel to my meetings and back? Do taxis take AmEx or do I need to get Yen?

How about travelling from Tokyo to Osaka... bullet train or fly?

I would get JR's weeks pass. That would give you access to bullet train to Osaka plus all JR's local network of trains and buses which is quite extensive. JR is the most English friendly of the train companies. Taxi's will be expensive.

thanks Ill check it out.

 

[ren hoek]

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[Otis]

It is a long way to travel for that short of a time, but my wife is suggesting we go to Tokyo from Seattle, for what will amount to 4 full days and 4 nights. Can you "do" Tokyo in that short of time?

For those that have been, what would be on the list of things to do for a quick trip like that? Neither of us have been to Japan.

A few options:

Go see all the wacky anime people in that one part of town (Hirajuku?), and go shopping in the outside fair there; grab a beer and relax in the park just across the way. 

Spend one day taking the bullet train (Shinkansen) to Kyoto to go temple hopping one day. A must do tourist item. 

Wake up before dawn one morning and walk down to the fish market.  Quite a scene.

Go to a jazz and cigar bar at one of the swanky hotels one night.  My favorite these days is Maduro, in the Grand Hyatt hotel in Roppongi Hills. 

Have sushi pretty much anywhere.  

 

[Otis]

The subway is very easy to navigate and definitely the best way around. Taxi's work as well but will obviously be more expensive. You may also have a language barrier so you may need to have your hotel write where you are going on a business card for you so you can give that to the driver. We did that a few times. If i recall some cabs will take credit card and some will not. So you will want to have cash handy. I cant recall whether Amex was a problem.

And when going from Tokyo to Osaka, definitely take the bullet train. Its very easy and will be much cheaper.

I disagree with the bolded. Not the most intuitive public transportation system especially for a non JP speaker. I’ve gotten lost there a few times. And lots of the ticket agents still don’t speak any English.  So build in plenty of extra travel time. 

 

[Otis]

I also wouldn’t waste any time in Osaka out of four days. 3 days in tokyo and one day trip to Kyoto. 

 

[Otis]

Thanks. GOod info. We are debating about doing a bus tour or going at it ourselves. THere is a package where you can get the limo bus from the airport to your hotel and you get 2 unlimited subway day passes which would be helpful when touring. Just we would have to do some serious planning prior to it, where the bus tour would already be done. Which tour did you use?

I would take the package with the airport ride and subway passes. Getting to your hotel from the airport with your luggage can be a major headache, so door-to-door service is great. And the subway system is reasonably priced and easy to get around on - all of the stops are announced in English and you should be able to find an English map. The one caveat is that you need to verify that the subway pass is good for all of the subway lines (or at least the ones you want). Tokyo has multiple subway lines that are run independently. You can still transfer lines at various stations, but they'll charge separate fares.

This is where it gets super confusing. And sometimes you need multiple different kinds of tickets for a single train ride. 

 

[PIK95]

Is radiation still a concern?

 

[PinkydaPimp]

I disagree with the bolded. Not the most intuitive public transportation system especially for a non JP speaker. I’ve gotten lost there a few times. And lots of the ticket agents still don’t speak any English.  So build in plenty of extra travel time. 

i would agree build in extra time.  But we found it easy once we figured it out.  Our hotel was also helpful in giving us directions and we generally found people that spoke english and were willing to help(younger people).  But If you arent used to riding a subway system i could see how it would be challenging.  And yes the two lines thing was confusing but i tried my best to understand that prior to my trip.