Got back yesterday afternoon after spending 6 days in Tokyo for our one year wedding anniversary. We took the money that we got from out tax return and used it for the trip. I must say that anyone who loves anime, electronics, toys, video games, etc absolutely must try to make a trip out there at least once in their lifetime if time/money affords them. It was just simply jaw dropping. Surprisingly, my wife and I were about $500 under budget. The most expensive thing out of the trip was the hotel and airfare. Food was surprisingly cheap if you avoid the upscale restaurants. The language barrier was a bit of a problem but we got by with pretty much no knowledge of the Japanese language. A Japanese-English dictionary is always helpful but I barely even used mine. It did help that I knew a bit of Kanji with it being Chinese in origin. Here's a bit of an itinerary of our trip: Day 1: 1. Flew from DC to Detroit then to Narita. It was one of the worst flights ever. Advice: avoid Northwest Airlines. 2. Arrived in Narita and took the Narita Express to Shinjuku and checked in our hotel at the Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku. Walked around Shinjuku for a bit. Day 2 (White Day!): 1. Hopped on the JR to Ginza and walked to the Imperial Palace. The only place accessible was the Imperial Palace plaza. We couldn't go into the actual palace grounds. But it was beautiful nonetheless. 2. Walked back to Ginza and checked out the Yurokucho shopping area and the Sony Building. Lots of people with it being White Day (basically another Valentine's Day.) 3. Went Ueno to check out the park and the market alleys. They had a kick ass toy store right next to the JR station too. Day 3: 1. Went to Asakusa Kannon Temple. The place is just bustling with culture and cool stuff to see. Awesome Buddhist temple to visit. A definite stop for tourists. 2. Went to Kappabashi which is the restaurant supply area for Tokyo. My wife wanted some knives and other kitchen stuff. The place is awesome if you want laquerware and knives. Also they had awesome plastic food stores. 3. Stopped at Akihabara. Powershopped like there was no tomorrow. I did plenty of weight lifting from the heavy bags I had to carry. Would've taken more pics but the stores don't allow pictures to be taken because of price competition, I think. Day 4 (St. Patrick's Day!): 1. Went to Meiji Jingu shrine. Definitely the most beautiful shrine I've ever been to. I believe it's a Shinto shrine and happens to be one of the bigger ones. We were lucky enough to see a wedding procession that day. The shrine is a must see. 2. Walked to the Harajuku area and checked out Takeshita street. 3. Checked out Kiddyland nearby which is a nice but expensive toy store. 4. Hopped on a train to Ikebukuro to check out the TRU there. Not much different than TRUs in the States. Just friendlier staff and cooler stuff. 5. Trained down to Hatsudai station and visited the Square Enix store. A definite must see if you're a fan of the Final Fantasy, Dragonquest, and Kingdom Hearts games. Day 5: 1. Went back to Akihabara to shop some more. 2. Took the train down to Sengakuji Temple where the famous 47 Ronin were laid to rest. A Zen Buddhist temple, I believe, that is worth visiting if you know the story of the 47 Ronin. 3. Went to Roppongi Hills and checked out the Mori Tower observatory for the Tokyo city skyline. Definitely worth a stop for the pictures. Day 6: 1. Hopped on the airport limousine and bussed it back to Narita. Along the way were Tokyo Bay and Tokyo Disney. 2. Flew to Detroit then to DC. Again, avoid Northwest Airlines. Again, as a toy collector and overall popculture afficionado, Tokyo was definitely a must see place that I am so glad that I was fortunate enough to visit. If you ever have the time and money to go, don't hesitate for one second. It's a pilgrimage that must be done. Here are the links to the photo albums! Sightseeing pics and short videos: http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d110/razerwire/Miscellaneous/Tokyo 2008/ Toy related pics: http://s34.photobucket.com/albums/d110/razerwire/Miscellaneous/TF Related/Tokyo 2008/
That's awesome that you had a good time. My gf is in Japan right now for a travel course she's taking at school. I look forward to hearing how she enjoyed it, that and see what she got for me.
You mean you didn't sneak any hot Japanese babes back for me? Laaaaaaaaaaaaaame! Sounds like a nice trip, and yeah someday if i got the cash and such i'd go myself.
Wow, it's ridiculous seeing tons of encores, MP3 soundwaves, and MP Starscreams on the shelves...not that soundwave's rare or anything, but right there on a shelf? No glass? Consider me jealous. My fiance and I have already talked about going for our 1st anniversary next summer, so I'm glad you and your wife had a good time.
Glad you had a good trip, man, and you made it back safely... Also, congrats on the first year of marriage!!!
Looks like you & your wife had a great time. Great pix btw. What was wrong w/ NW? (I've never flown them; want to know why I should keep it that way).
Amongst all the airlines I've ever flown; United, JAL, ANA, China Airlines, Air China, Cathay Pacific, Dragonair, Continental, Southwest, AirTran, Delta; they were by far the worst in terms of service in both the air crew and ground crew. The only good thing about NWA is that they're cheap. But you really get what you pay for and then some. They are really that bad.
Being from Minnesota, I know all about NWA unfortunately. Nice pictures! I would love to go there sometime. PS. Your wife is hot. Just an obligatory reminder.