10 Reasons why Tokyo is a great vacation spot

                              A view of Tokyo's Minato-ku district at Dusk

10. Japanese TV: Ok so you just flew in 16 hours, at a large expense, the last thing you want to do is just sit down and watch television. Yes we agree that its silly to travel only to plop down on your bed and watch tv in your hotel room. On the other hand we believe that if you dont you will miss out on a truly great experience. We here at 2lostintokyo believe that Japanese television is a window into the collective soul of Japan. Every culture has different social quirks and sometimes the best way to quickly witness them is through television. All we are saying is to keep your television on whenever you are in your room. You never know what exciting thing you will see. (Full article on Japanese television to come)

9. Hello Kitty Puroland: The ultimate destination for Hello Kitty fans. This family friendly theme park is sure to please all Kitty fans to no end. Even if you are not a small child, or kitty fanatic watching your loved ones fawn over all the cuteness is sure to make your day, if not your trip. The trip through Tokyo's suburb's alone makes this destination a must since you will get to experience how neighborhood's outside urban tokyo are like. (Full article on Puroland to come)

8. Easy transportation: Anyone who thinks that a car is the ultimate way to get around has never been to Tokyo. With cheap transportation options ranging from buses to high speed bullet trains, getting around can be easy and affordable. If you are ever lost you can easily orient yourself by finding the closest public transportation station and riding it back to your hotel.

7. Video Game Arcades: While most video game arcades in America largely died in the late 80's to early 90's, they are still going strong in Japan. The same home consoles which killed their arcade breathren in America, in Japan provide enough competitive encouragement to create some of the greastest arcades we have ever seen. In order to stay competitive with the consoles Arcades have evolved from the old cabinets we know, to almost virtual reality cockpits. A sight to see indeed.

6. Manga and Anime mecca: To true fans this goes without saying, but we should point out how cool Tokyo is when it comes to our preferred form of entertainment. As some may already know cartoons and comics are widely accepted in Japan. This means that merchants can carry more Anime and Manga related products since they have larger market demographic. Even if you don't understand the language it is possible to find English versions if you ask. After looking at 5 floors of pure manga, you will never see the two shelf manga section at your local book store in the same way.

5. Tokyo Fashions: Whether you are looking for traditional Japanese Kimonos or the latest fashions designers from Paris the variety of fashion options in Tokyo is bewildering. More importantly Tokyo has its own fashion style to rival any styles found anywhere else. High Fashionistas and counterculture types will both find themselves at home in Tokyo's many fashion districts.

4. The sweets: You will find a surplus array of mouth-watering, tooth-achingly delectable chocolate treats, baked, and fried goods. The hypnotic aroma within the Shibuya station radius will draw you in like bugs to light. You have not experienced the full throttle effect of your palette until you've tried a couple of slices of what seems to be an endless buffet of sugary sweets. Not only do they provide a rainbow-like variety of the most delicious baked goods you've ever experienced, they make sure that your purchases maintain the same consitency throughout your ride back home. They package your sweets into a nice box along with packets of ice to keep your bundles of joy fresh. Bottom line the sweets are good.


3. Restaurants Galore: With an almost limitless amount of restaurants, you will never find yourself without something to eat. Add the Japanese people's great sense of hospitality and you'll wonder why you ever put up with crappy waiter service elsewhere. Tired of Japanese food? (but why would you be?) Tokyo's status as an international city ensures that you will find food from around the world.

2. Gundam Model/JPOP or JROCK/loli clothes/Japanese Toy Shopping: For some products there are only two options in America. 1. Buy online and pay steep fees and shipping. 2. Buy from a local importer (most likely that one small Anime store in the mall) and pay a VERY steep price to cover the importer's costs. The other option is to take your trip as an opportunity to buy all those cool things you have been wanting, but havent had the money to pay the shipping costs. Nothing beats the feeling of getting to try on/listen to/hold in your hand that real cool product you have been wanting before buying it.

1. There is something for everyone: Ok so I know its kinda cheesy to put this as your number one, but consider the following. Tokyo has 8 to 10 million people in it at any one time this means that there are so many different types of people that there are others out there that like what you like. No matter how small of a niche what you like is, chances are that enough people will like it to devote entire stores to it. Art fan? plenty of galleries some specializing in different styles. Toy train fan? entire buildings devoted to your hobby. 19th century reproduction designer clothing for cats fan? well you get the picture. As long as your are willing to explore and everyone in your group gets to go to the spots they want to go, everyone should have a great time.

Location Review: The Sony Building (Pictures coming soon)

    In the eyes of many travelers to Tokyo nothing gets more iconic than the Sony building.  After all the premiere consumer brand of Japan has world wide recognition and is often equated with being the ultimate state of the art in technology.

   Needless to say we were very excited to find this location in the heart of Ginza.  We arrived at the location roughly an hour early, and already saw a small group of tourists waiting outside the glass doors.  I wouldn't recommend doing this since there is not much to do waiting, and there is plenty of other things you can explore in Ginza.  (To include a wonderful cake shop roughly 1 block away).  

   Roughly 5 minutes before opening time tons of tourists will congregate around the main front door.  Don't worry about rushing in its not like you are going to have to get in line for anything.  There is no entry fee, so feel free to roam around.  The building itself is a series of narrow floors connected by winding stairways, with glass and metal adorning the railings.  As for sightseeing don't expect anything more than a showroom showcasing the latest in electronics from Sony.  Here's the catch, don't expect anything too fancy.  Sure they had the latest in HD tv's, camcorders, and Playstation 3 games, but somehow we feel that there is nothing you wont find at your local Best Buy.  The only item we found interesting was a small cylindrical robot/mp3 that spun around to the music.  Other than that don't expect much.  Every item on display is for sale, but make sure you ask for the overseas version.  If you ask us though, you're better of shopping at home where you can compare prices for similar products.  

   The only redeeming quality this place has is their attempt to make the showroom entertaining by using a common theme to keep the tourists going from floor to floor.  While we were there, they showcased kabuki theater, and used the HD and sound equipment to show kabuki related exhibits.  This is a creative idea, but a poor excuse to keep people in an over-glorified store.

    Bottomline:  The Sony building is not bad to kill roughly an hour or so of time, but don't make it a sole destination.  Instead you may find its location on the corner of Harumi Dori and Sotobori Dori.  This intersection is filmed by many travel shows for its X shaped crossing which allows more people to cross the street at once.  The highlight of our visit to the Sony building was taking pictures of this intersection from the 5th floor.

2 stars out of 5

Transportation part 1: Getting to Your Hotel

Upon arriving to Tokyo for the first time, you may begin to feel overwhelmed by the new environment, and not knowing where anything is or where to go. Additionally chances are that you arrived at Narita International Airport. Just in case you didn't know this airport is two hours away from the city. There are a couple of different ways to get to your hotel from the Airport.

Taxi Cab: If you think cabs are expensive in America, imagine riding a Japanese cab for two hours. Our hotel estimated roughly $300 dollars worth for a one way ride to the airport. Needless to say this is too pricy considering the other cheaper alternatives available.

Trains: Yes this is the cheapest way, prices may vary depending how far you are, but for the most part it will be relatively cheap. The only reason I will not recommend the cheapest option is because for first time travelers riding the rails will probably be a little overwhelming. After a long flight the last thing you want is to try to figure out the rail system, and then be stuck trying to find out how to get to your hotel from the rail station. We have found riding Japanese public transportation to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of the trip, but doing it on from the airport may prove too frustrating for first time travelers.

Airport Limousine Service: This is the best option! Before you say, "you must be nuts" let me explain myself. Contrary to the name the limousine service actually consists of buses which travel on predetermined routes, not stretch limos. The service costs 3000 Yen ($30 dollars) per person meaning this will most likely be your most expensive transportation cost, but trust us it is worth every penny. After crossing the last customs guard gate, turn left (its the only way to go) and begin watching for the airport limousine counter on your right. You will notice that like most American Airports this section of the terminal will have rental booths, taxi booths and others of the type. The airport limousine counter will be conspicuously orange and have "airport limousine" written in English. Step up to the counter, greet the employee, and politely name your hotel. The attendants know enough English to know that you want a ticket to your hotel. After paying for your trip you will be directed to the proper exit where you can wait for your bus. The attendant will tell you what number station to wait by, and if confused you can show your ticket to one of the employees announcing each station's departures, and they will show you where to go. A new bus will arrive at each station every 10 to 20 minutes with a different route. Seeing 25 to 30 buses arrive within an hour all on time, will be your first experience of Japanese efficiency.
Once on the bus take a seat, and relax. This will be a long ride. You can take this opportunity to take a nap, read a book, or whatever you do on a long ride. Our recommendation is to enjoy the scenery. This may be the first time you get to see cars driving on the other side of the road. We took time to compare subtle little things like street signs, and different car designs not available in the states. The highway route will cross through various rural towns, which will give you a general idea of how they do country living. Additionally you might notice a few love hotels on the outskirts of town. (Love hotels are not as bad as it sounds, well kinda) You'll ride through industrial parks, and see some of Tokyo's most notable landmarks. Depending on the time of day, you may be able to take some nice pictures too. Once you arrive at the area where you hotel is located a sounds system will come indicating that you are near your destination. Messages will be both in Japanese and English so don't worry about missing your hotel. Once at your hotel the bellhops can help you from there.

I will once again reiterate, that while not the cheapest option the convenience afforded by this service far outweighs the price.

Finding Loli clothes in Tokyo: Part 1

Finding gothic and lolita clothing in Japan is not too hard with a little effort and walking. Most brands like H. Naoto, Putumayo, Baby, the Stars Shine Bright, and Metamorphose Temps de Fille have multiple storefronts scattered in different districts. Of course the most famous district for alternative youth clothing is hands down Harajuku, but elegant gothic lolita shops can still be found in other districts such as Shinjuku.
Since we are all about saving money, this quick article will be focused on finding iconic Takeshita Dori, and most importantly the resale store Closet Child. This store features used clothes sold at a discount, you never know what you will find in the racks as the selection constantly changes based on what is in or out. More importantly, that particular skirt or blouse you weren't able to buy last season may be waiting for you amongst the many racks available. Each floor is categorized according to different styles. This allows lolis who especialize in certain niches to look through only clothes they may wear.
Service overall is good, but keep in mind that this store gets a lot of browsers so all you might get is an "Irrashaimase" when you walk in. Price varies on the condition of the clothes, but expect decent discounts.

Getting there: With a vigilant eye finding this little bargain hunter's paradise is not hard. Since we always recommend using the JR this is how to get there from Harajuku station:

1. After exiting the main gate, cross the street. (If confused follow the crowd, trust me)
2. Once on the other side make a left roughly half a block.
3. You will then hit Takeshita Dori marked by the iconic metallic arch. (They look like flowers)
4. Enter the street and walk roughly half a block, look for Richard's on your left. Closet Child will be on the third floor.

The key to finding this store will be to carefully look at the signs. The letters will be in romanji (roman characters). Also always look towards your left coming from Harajuku station. For some reason there is a building to the left which is also says Closet Child but it's wrong. In fact, if you climb the stairs in this building you will eventually find a hand written sign telling you in English you are in the wrong place. Go Figure!

Making the most of your travel money Part 1: Exchanging Money

Making the most of your money is very important during your trip. A little saved here and there can make the difference between running out of money prematurely, or getting to bring more cool stuff home than you originally planned. The following set of articles will help you make the most out of your hard earned dollars in Japan.

One of the first steps in saving money towards your trip to Japan is to make a good money exchange from Dollars to Yen. Making your exchange at the right time, and the right place can save you anywhere from a few bucks to hundreds of dollars.

Right Place

While many places both here in the US and in Japan will gladly exchange your money going to the right place is critical. The most visible place for money exchange for many travelers is at the airport. Unfortunately, like most airport businesses the rates you will get here will be ridiculous. Next time you think of exchanging at the airport think about the overpriced sandwich at the shop next door, hopefully this will keep you from exchanging here. If you are tech savvy and still think you can get a decent trade at the airport, try getting online through a free wifi spot, and looking up the current exchange rate for that day.

Another place travelers are often tempted to trade are at their hotel front desk. The rates here will be cheaper, but not cheapest. Keep in mind that they too are out to make money, so the rates won't necessarily be the lowest.

Based on your bank's policy you'll probably get the best rates here. Since we had an account at our bank we only paid a small commission based on the day's rate and amount exchanged.

Regardless price comparison is very important. Try calling different businesses and banks to see which one will get you rates closest to the fair market exchange.

Right Time

This second part is a little trickier, but in some ways just as important. Just like stocks the exchange rate between the dollar can fluctuate depending on different market pressures. Sometimes you might get more, sometimes less. You don't have to become a slave of the ticker to get a good deal, but checking once a day can give you a good idea of how much you want to spend. Head to Yahoo! Finance and check their money exchange section. From here you should check the section that shows you how much Yen one Dollar buys you. (The section is called "1 Dollar is worth"). In the last three months the Yen has fluctuated from 110 Yen per 1 Dollar to 94 per 1 Dollar. A difference of 16 Dollars per 100 exchanged.

As with most stock trading advice only you can tell how much you are willing to trade. My recommendation is to start watching the exchange market as many months in advance as possible. No matter how bad the market is doing there will be some peaks where you can buy in and get a good deal. The longer you have to watch the market the more likely you will hit that lucky peak that is bound to come.

If you feel that a price is good, but you can do better buy a small amount of the quantity you plan to take (20 to 30 percent). If the price goes up then buy more, if the price goes down then at least you got some money at a good price. Generally when the US economy does better than the Japanese economy it is a good time to buy Yen.

In our case we missed the 110 Yen mark, because I got a little too greedy. We made our trade at 106. If I would have bought half at 110 and half at 106 it would have been like I bought it all at 108. Please keep in mind that based on commissions and fees making multiple transactions may cost more in the long run. One to three transactions may be fine anything more may actually lose you money. Confused yet?

Credit Cards

Once on your trip you may decide that you want to save your cash to be used on the trains, soda machines, and vending machine restaurants. Using a credit card is acceptable in many places in Tokyo, just make sure to always keep cash just in case. When at the register when asked for payment just say "kurejitoo kaado" which literally means credit card. The clerk will immediately understand, and know what to do.

There are some considerations when using credit cards in Tokyo. First make sure that your card can be used worldwide, most major credit cards do, but its always a good idea to call and ask. While you have your credit card company on the phone it is also a good idea to let them know about your trip. You don't want to be embarrassed while shopping. The final and most important thing to do while on the phone with your credit card company is to ask if there are any charges for foreign use. We found two of our credit cards would use the daily exchange rate plus 1 percent for one and 3 percent for the other. For the truly thrifty and tech savvy you can check that day's rate plus your card's percentage to find out how much it will cost you. If you find that the rate is better than what you bought your Yen at (even with the percentage) then you may want to buy with your card.

Traveler's Checks

Many like these checks because they provide a certain level of security. Just keep some things in mind: Not all places will take them (or even know what they are), and if they do they will offer you an exchange rate worse than cash. This is because Amex charges a little extra to those who take the checks. We took some, but made every attempt possible to bring them back home. The exchange rate at home is 1 to 1 :)

Exchanging your money back:

The process of exchanging money back is pretty much the same as buying it. Try to fight the urge to trade right away unless prices are really good. In this case you want the Dollar to buy the least Yen possible. Which also means that Yen will buy the most Dollars.

If you bought at 110 and sell at 96 you will actually make money. (It makes sense trust me)

Generally if the Japanese economy is doing better than the US you will make your money on your trade back.

By following all these strategies by the time we exchanged back our money was worth around $100 more. A nice little profit considering how much fun we had.

Website for new Gundam Series online!

Don't know how recent the launch is, but Bandai has now launched a website for "Gundam00," which is currently in its second season in Japan. It will air in mid-November, (although online rumors place it on either Nov 10 or 17). This anime is currently very popular in Japan and airs on Sundays. Among some of the things we saw last week going on in Tokyo was the release of the PS2 Game based on this series, model kits available in major toy stores, and lots of buzz all around. I managed to catch one episode; and while my Japanese is close to non-existent, I could already tell that the battles are very well scripted and choreographed. Also they already hinted at ties between characters on opposing sides. (Of course both of these are to be expected of any Gundam series). Later on I will be making a full post on the general Gundam scene in Tokyo as of mid-October. For now let's just say it was everything I expected and more!

http://gundam00.bandai-ent.com/

Why getting lost is the way to travel

Two or three days into our trip as we came out of Daimon station I noticed something we here at 2lostintokyo hate: the tour leader flag. This flag stands for everything we hate about structured traveling. This particular flag drove the point home. Gathered around this flag was a group of what looked like American tourists (although to be fair they could easily have been Australian or British). Nonetheless they were walking away from a large theater hall in the area, carrying large plastic bags with the logo from Broadway version of the Lion King. The theater itself had a large image of either Simba or Mufasa on the side. It was pretty much safe to assume that these people traveled 8 to 13 hours to Japan to see a BROADWAY production of the Lion King.
That's the problem with pre-packaged tours you get stuck going to go see what your tour guides wants you to see, when they want you to see it, and how they want you to see it. Now maybe, just maybe these people paid to come to a foreign country to see an American show in a foreign language. Maybe they specifically signed up for this tour to see this one show abroad. One thing I am pretty sure of though is that even if this is what they signed up for, at some point they will get stuck doing something they don't want to do.
A couple of days before we left as we headed towards another district to get wonderfully lost, a bus pulled up. In it were all types of people, young, old, men women, children, teenagers. The side of the bus had a sign that named the tour company along with the title: Ancient and Modern Tokyo. Sounds to me like someone at some point will be bored out of their mind.
We here at 2lostintokyo feel it doesn't have to be this way. We are here to empower you and give you enough tools to get rid of the overpaid tour guide, and enable you to go out on your own. Around here getting lost is not a bad thing, its the way you discover the cool things you otherwise would not get to discover. Why eat the same crap designed for tourists, when you can stumble upon a local noodle shop and confidently get what the locals eat.
Why Tokyo is the perfect city for getting lost: Unlike other cities across the world Tokyo is actually a pleasure to get lost in. The public transportation is easy and comprehensive, good food at great prices is always available no matter where you go, and the city is safe enough to feel comfortable walking down a strange alley late at night.
You will also notice a strong emphasis on saving money. After all the more money you save on your trip the more you will have for gundam models/EGL dresses/arcades/or hello kitty paraphernalia.
So dont be afraid of getting lost, you'll be surprised of where you find yourself.