March 2017 Tokyo trip.

[gavino200]

I'm going to be in Tokyo in early March. So far these are my plans. Would love to hear ideas for train related (and non train related) things to do. 

 

So far here it is:

 

Train related -

SCmaglev and train park - (daytrip??). Hope to take a Shinkansen there and back.

Hara model train museum

Railway museum, Onari, Saitama city.

Kato Hobby Center.

 

 

Non train related -

Studio Ghibli Museum (already have tickets)

Trip to Matsumoto - castle and wasabi factory (hope to ride a shinkansen)

National Museum or Science and Technology

Maybe go to a "cat island" (Not sure about this one)

Leaning against "The Robot Dinner" (seems cheesy and I hear food is bad)

Lots of random strolls and aimless subway rides. (My 8 year old son loves subways)

 

Anyone recommend anything else? Diamonds in the rough welcome. Artsy neighbourhoods. Amazing restaurants. Hole-in-the-wall ramen shops. Excellent hobby stores. Anything Naruto or Evangelion related. Off the beaten track 'authentic' Tokyo experiences, etc. 

 

Any information or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Khaul]

A few ideas:

 

-it is hard to go wrong with food. Medium and big railway stations always have a variety of very nice restaurants. An eki bento is a must do for a lunch time ride in a long distance train.

 

-a lot of private train lines run though the subways so aimless metro rides are fun and highly recommended. Avoiding the rush hour is a good idea, though.

 

-Akihabara is full of whole in the wall noodle restaurants, otaku shops, cat cafes... In Akihabara and other areas there are quite a few dodgy areas with love hotels, hostess bars and the like but they are no dangerous. Try Shibuya and Ginza for a change.

 

-depending where you come from Tokyo may look extremely ugly most of the time. It is also very much fun most of the time. Kyoto is a lot nicer.

 

-have a coffee from the vending machines... get some onigiri, meiji chocolate almonds and Hokkaido toffees from the convenience stores.

 

-go hiking, by train of course.

 

-if you travel with big luggage go to the convenience store so it will be send to another convenience store near your destination, for a reasonable fee.

 

-they do now take credit cards almost everywhere, but they are very good with cash at the shops. You'll see what I mean.

 

-most people are courteous. Some old ladies may be a bit rude, though.

 

-the Yamanote line takes you almost everywhere... the Chuo line goes to the Studio Ghibli museum.

 

-you do need roaming in your phone for Google Maps. Most of the streets are nameless lanes so addresses are hard to find even for the locals. Asking for directions does not work very well unless you indicate very clear landmarks. Young women may just not answer at all.

 

-go to the post office building rooftop next to Tokyo station for continuous views of trains coming and going.

 

Enjoy!

[railsquid]

Trip to Matsumoto - castle and wasabi factory (hope to ride a shinkansen)

 

 

No Shinkansen direct to Matsumoto, unless you go via Nagano and get a train from there.

 

The ride out on the Chuo Line from Tokyo is however very pleasant, with views of Mt Fuji part of the way (should be easy to see in early March). You could always come back via Nagano (the line between Matsumoto and Nagano is quite nice, with a few switchbacks, though the Shinkansen runs mainly in tunnels or through the tedious urban landscape north of Tokyo).

 

Railway museum, Onari, Saitama city.

 

 

If going to the railway museum, you could also check out theTomix store in Omiya, a short walk from the station.

[Sascha]

How did you get the Gibli tickets? Just do the Robot show. Your son gonna love it. I really liked it too.There are plenty of restaurants around it, for lots cheaper. A fun thing is to take a tour with 'Akibaland' (just google them)trough Akihabara. Like Khaul said,you need either roaming,or get a pocket wifi at the airport, depending on how long you are staying, it's the cheaper option. Get a Suica pass if you don't plan on using the subway too much, or get a day ticket, if you get to a lot of places in one day.

[Khaul]

Suica works on everything in the Kanto area, and also in most of the other metropolitan areas. I think it is definitely the way to go. You'll need one for your kid, which I think needs to be personal. You'll get your kid's name written in katakana in the card. Also, navigation within the railways is surprisingly easy. Everything is very well signalled. No need to worry about that.

[Yavianice]

SCmaglev and train park - (daytrip??). Hope to take a Shinkansen there and back.

I have been to quite a few train museums, SCMaglev is my favorite, the Kyoto railway museum being second. Note that the last part requires you to take a private railway.

 

 

Maybe go to a "cat island" (Not sure about this one)

I would not recommend it. As far as I know, the closest cat island is next to Sendai (Tashirojima). I have been there this year, and it takes a lot of planning to get there due to the irregular ferries and long travel time. If you stay in Sendai, then go for it, but if you plan to stay in Tokyo, it's better to do something else in that neighborhood.

 

 

Lots of random strolls and aimless subway rides. (My 8 year old son loves subways)

In this case, I would recommend the Subway museum in Tokyo. Also, don't forget you as a foreigner with a tourist visa can buy multi-day passes for the subway from certain BIC stores which are valid on both the Tokyo Metro and Toei lines for cheap. Do not buy day passes in the subway station itself, it generally is not worth it. Also, if you come in through Narita airport, the Keisei Skyliner airport pass + multi day subway pass is terrific value for money, if you do not use a JR pass to get into Tokyo. see for more info here: http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/value/travel/

 

 

Anyone recommend anything else? Diamonds in the rough welcome. Artsy neighbourhoods. Amazing restaurants. Hole-in-the-wall ramen shops. Excellent hobby stores. Anything Naruto or Evangelion related. Off the beaten track 'authentic' Tokyo experiences, etc. 

 

Any information or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

- If you are looking for 'Artsy Neighborhoods', I can recommend the 2k540 shopping mall, which is a collection of arts and crafts shops built underneath the Yamanote and Shinkansen line (the name is a reference to the columns that support the bridge). This shopping mall is next to the Okachimachi train station (between Akihabara and Ueno).

- For an 'authentic' Tokyo experience, I would recommend checking out the small Shitamachi museum (next to Ueno station), which is a 'diorama' museum where they rebuild a small section of 'edo' Japan where you can walk through. It also has traditional games, which might be interesting for your son. English guides are available for this museum (and recommended). The old town of Kawagoe (just outside Tokyo) also has a bit of an 'edo' feel to it, but it can be a bit crowded sometimes.

- Another thing I would recommend, if this is your first time in Japan, is going to Nikko. The Temple complex is incredible. But it's also a bit extensive to walk through (as in general with temple grounds), which might be a bit tough on your son.

- If you and your son are a train fanatic, I can also recommend the suspension monorail. Ueno zoo, Chiba, and Ofuna all have suspension monorails. If you go to Ofuna, a trip to Enoshima (a cute island) and Kamakura (if you are into big buddhas) are recommended.

 

Kato Hobby Center.

Also check out the Tomix store next to Omiya. Furthermore, if you want to buy something, I have found that Yodobashi also sells trains at a sometimes more appealing price. The Yodobashi in Akihabara and Shinjuku have big collections. The Yodobashi near Ueno does not have model trains.

 

Finally one more recommendation for you and your 8 year old son:

Get a blank stamp/note book and go on a stamp rally through Japan. It's a free memento, fun to do, beautiful to look at, and a good way for your son (and yourself) to practice some easy Japanese. Virtually every JR station, airport, tourist sight, museum, and Toei subway line station has a station stamp which is a cool free memento of your trip. The stamps can sometimes be a bit hidden, in which case feel free to ask the station staff where it is. Sometimes they keep the stamp behind the counter. See this page for more info https://denshadejapan.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/the-eki-stamp/. Be sure to get a stamp book which is minimum A5 size, and get some blotting paper to avoid the stamps from smudging.

[Guest keio6000]

I'm going to be in Tokyo in early March. So far these are my plans. Would love to hear ideas for train related (and non train related) things to do. 

 

So far here it is:

 

Train related -

SCmaglev and train park - (daytrip??). Hope to take a Shinkansen there and back.

Hara model train museum

Railway museum, Onari, Saitama city.

Kato Hobby Center.

 

 

Non train related -

Studio Ghibli Museum (already have tickets)

Trip to Matsumoto - castle and wasabi factory (hope to ride a shinkansen)

National Museum or Science and Technology

Maybe go to a "cat island" (Not sure about this one)

Leaning against "The Robot Dinner" (seems cheesy and I hear food is bad)

Lots of random strolls and aimless subway rides. (My 8 year old son loves subways)

 

Anyone recommend anything else? Diamonds in the rough welcome. Artsy neighbourhoods. Amazing restaurants. Hole-in-the-wall ramen shops. Excellent hobby stores. Anything Naruto or Evangelion related. Off the beaten track 'authentic' Tokyo experiences, etc. 

 

Any information or suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

 

 

if you want to go to matsumoto (a lovely laid back place) and have a japan rail pass, i suggest you take a super azusa from shinjuku - if i were in your shoes i'd find a 351-based service (assuming they still exist - they are on their way out but i assume they are still around).  one of my favourite train rides ever.  then, spend some time in matsumoto including seeing the castle (there is not much else to do in matsumoto unless you want to venture out into the mountains) and then you can easily be in the nagano by late afternoon.  have a dinner in nagano (there is an absolutely gorgeous gourmet/foodie ramen place there but i dont remember exactly where and i wasnt able to find it via google earth) and then take the shinkansen back.  a nice day trip.

 

in march it will still be a bit chilly.  this will limit your activities.     the good news is that there is always something to do in and around tokyo. 

 

the following is very biased and may not work for you:  i am a fan of the keio rail system (a private rail line that basically starts at shinjuku and goes west into the mountains).  keio has a little rail museum called keio rail land.  if yuo just want to get a feel for commmuter operations and then go out to a small museum aimed at 8 year olds, then that's a pretty good trip.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keio_Rail-Land

 

a good day trip from shinjuku that is not too hard is like this:

 

1. start at shinjuku - take a keio train to takahatafudou.  this is a major station and all expresses stop there (other than trains going to hashimoto) so take the fastest ones you can. change there to the local doubutsu-en train (also keio).  this is a very short line - only 2km.  keio rail land is there at the doubutsu-en station.  you can then maybe go to to the zoo, though it's just ok but maybe worth an hour.

 

2. backtrack your steps to takahatafudou and get on a train for takaosanguchi (same basic direction you were going from shinjuku).  you may want to take a train to kitano and switch there (you'll see what i mean if you look at the map).   there, you can take a cablecar or a skilift thing up to near the top of the 'mountain' or you can walk (40 minutes to 3 hours depending on our speed).  on a good day you can see fuji very clearly.

 

3. there's also (last time i checked - it may be gone) an incredibly tacky museum of illusions near taakosanguchi station.  maybe interesting for an 8 year old boy :)

 

all in all, this is a busy but fun day for an 8 year old i think and gives you a fair bit of railway stuff too.

 

for the journey back, you may wish to take the train from takaosanguchi one stop to takao and then walk to the jr platforms and take jr back to shinjuku. there's no huge speed gain in this, but it gives you more interesting train stuff to look at.

 

have a good trip!

Edited December 25, 2016 by keio6000

[Claude_Dreyfus]

I did the trip from Shinjuku to Matsumoto back in May 2014. I would echo the comments about seeking out a 'Super Azusa' service to Matsumoto (currently in the hands of the E351 units). The castle is about a 15 minute walk from the station, and is well worth the visit. If available, try the English language tour guide (free, provided by the local history society).

 

Matsumoto station is worth spending a few minutes with the camera. There are stabling sidings in full view of the platform.

 

Matsumoto to Nagano was on a JR Central 383, although if you have the time, a slower service which stops at some of the aforementioned switch-back stations - particularly Obasute (amazing views) - would make a pleasant journey.

 

We took the Bullet back to Tokyo. It was getting dark by then, so the lack of views didn't really matter. We travelled on an E2, but there were a few E7s knocking around.

[railsquid]

if you want to go to matsumoto (a lovely laid back place) and have a japan rail pass, i suggest you take a super azusa from shinjuku - if i were in your shoes i'd find a 351-based service (assuming they still exist - they are on their way out but i assume they are still aroun

 

Very much still around, the replacement E353 prototype is out there but I'd guess (without researching) the E351s will still be running next March.

[Khaul]

By the way, it is much easier to buy tickets for the Studio Ghibli museum once in Japan. Lawson sells them. Same for tickets to visit any of the Imperial household palaces.

[gavino200]

No Shinkansen direct to Matsumoto, unless you go via Nagano and get a train from there.

 

The ride out on the Chuo Line from Tokyo is however very pleasant, with views of Mt Fuji part of the way (should be easy to see in early March). You could always come back via Nagano (the line between Matsumoto and Nagano is quite nice, with a few switchbacks, though the Shinkansen runs mainly in tunnels or through the tedious urban landscape north of Tokyo).

 

 

If going to the railway museum, you could also check out theTomix store in Omiya, a short walk from the station.

 

Thanks. Good to know. I think well go there by Chuo line. The Mt. Fuji view sounds great. We can return by Shinkansen. Or not - we'll be taking a Shinkansen to Aichi anyway.

 

Tomix store added to list :)

[gavino200]

By the way, it is much easier to buy tickets for the Studio Ghibli museum once in Japan. Lawson sells them. Same for tickets to visit any of the Imperial household palaces.

 

Thanks. I hadn't though of palace tickets. I'll look into it. I didn't want to take any chances with the Ghibli tickets. I'm happy we have them already.

[gavino200]

A few ideas:

 

-it is hard to go wrong with food. Medium and big railway stations always have a variety of very nice restaurants. An eki bento is a must do for a lunch time ride in a long distance train.

 

-a lot of private train lines run though the subways so aimless metro rides are fun and highly recommended. Avoiding the rush hour is a good idea, though.

 

-Akihabara is full of whole in the wall noodle restaurants, otaku shops, cat cafes... In Akihabara and other areas there are quite a few dodgy areas with love hotels, hostess bars and the like but they are no dangerous. Try Shibuya and Ginza for a change.

 

-depending where you come from Tokyo may look extremely ugly most of the time. It is also very much fun most of the time. Kyoto is a lot nicer.

 

-have a coffee from the vending machines... get some onigiri, meiji chocolate almonds and Hokkaido toffees from the convenience stores.

 

-go hiking, by train of course.

 

-if you travel with big luggage go to the convenience store so it will be send to another convenience store near your destination, for a reasonable fee.

 

-they do now take credit cards almost everywhere, but they are very good with cash at the shops. You'll see what I mean.

 

-most people are courteous. Some old ladies may be a bit rude, though.

 

-the Yamanote line takes you almost everywhere... the Chuo line goes to the Studio Ghibli museum.

 

-you do need roaming in your phone for Google Maps. Most of the streets are nameless lanes so addresses are hard to find even for the locals. Asking for directions does not work very well unless you indicate very clear landmarks. Young women may just not answer at all.

 

-go to the post office building rooftop next to Tokyo station for continuous views of trains coming and going.

 

Enjoy!

 

Ha. Yes, the Ekiben is already on my list. I learned about them from Japanese Pod.

 

I love giant chaotic cities. I think I'll like Tokyo. I was originally going to go to Kyoto as well. But it seems like shrine and temple overload, and there are zillions of awesome things to do in Tokyo. So I'm sticking with Tokyo and a few small excursions.

 

Lots of great tips. Thanks. I added them to my Evernote.

[gavino200]

How did you get the Gibli tickets? Just do the Robot show. Your son gonna love it. I really liked it too.There are plenty of restaurants around it, for lots cheaper. A fun thing is to take a tour with 'Akibaland' (just google them)trough Akihabara. Like Khaul said,you need either roaming,or get a pocket wifi at the airport, depending on how long you are staying, it's the cheaper option. Get a Suica pass if you don't plan on using the subway too much, or get a day ticket, if you get to a lot of places in one day.

 

I used this link (below) and clicked on USA. It led me to an agency that retails the tickets.

 

http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/ticket-information/

 

The agency told me to their website and fill in a from with my details. Then I called back and bout the tickets. Tickets arrived in a few days. This was about two weeks ago and March tickets were already selling out.

 

Ok, you've convinced me. Robot dinner is on. :)

 

We're planning on using pocket wifi. 

 

We plan on using the subway as much as possible. My son is a subway fiend. So probably not a Suica pass then....

[railsquid]

We plan on using the subway as much as possible. My son is a subway fiend. So probably not a Suica pass then....

 

See this thread: http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/12275-cheap-tickets-regular/ for cheap day tickets. Do try the Toei Asakusa line for sheer variety of trains, and don't forget once you're in the system, nothing stops you taking trips on non-subway lines provided you don't try and exit outside the area valid for your ticket.

 

 

I love giant chaotic cities. I think I'll like Tokyo. I was originally going to go to Kyoto as well. But it seems like shrine and temple overload, and there are zillions of awesome things to do in Tokyo. So I'm sticking with Tokyo and a few small excursions.

 

I always recommend Nara as a more compact alternative to Kyoto. From Tokyo you could always try Kamakura or Nikko as shrine/temple-orientated day-trips.

[gavino200]

I have been to quite a few train museums, SCMaglev is my favorite, the Kyoto railway museum being second. Note that the last part requires you to take a private railway.

 

 

I would not recommend it. As far as I know, the closest cat island is next to Sendai (Tashirojima). I have been there this year, and it takes a lot of planning to get there due to the irregular ferries and long travel time. If you stay in Sendai, then go for it, but if you plan to stay in Tokyo, it's better to do something else in that neighborhood.

 

 

In this case, I would recommend the Subway museum in Tokyo. Also, don't forget you as a foreigner with a tourist visa can buy multi-day passes for the subway from certain BIC stores which are valid on both the Tokyo Metro and Toei lines for cheap. Do not buy day passes in the subway station itself, it generally is not worth it. Also, if you come in through Narita airport, the Keisei Skyliner airport pass + multi day subway pass is terrific value for money, if you do not use a JR pass to get into Tokyo. see for more info here: http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/value/travel/

 

 

- If you are looking for 'Artsy Neighborhoods', I can recommend the 2k540 shopping mall, which is a collection of arts and crafts shops built underneath the Yamanote and Shinkansen line (the name is a reference to the columns that support the bridge). This shopping mall is next to the Okachimachi train station (between Akihabara and Ueno).

- For an 'authentic' Tokyo experience, I would recommend checking out the small Shitamachi museum (next to Ueno station), which is a 'diorama' museum where they rebuild a small section of 'edo' Japan where you can walk through. It also has traditional games, which might be interesting for your son. English guides are available for this museum (and recommended). The old town of Kawagoe (just outside Tokyo) also has a bit of an 'edo' feel to it, but it can be a bit crowded sometimes.

- Another thing I would recommend, if this is your first time in Japan, is going to Nikko. The Temple complex is incredible. But it's also a bit extensive to walk through (as in general with temple grounds), which might be a bit tough on your son.

- If you and your son are a train fanatic, I can also recommend the suspension monorail. Ueno zoo, Chiba, and Ofuna all have suspension monorails. If you go to Ofuna, a trip to Enoshima (a cute island) and Kamakura (if you are into big buddhas) are recommended.

 

Also check out the Tomix store next to Omiya. Furthermore, if you want to buy something, I have found that Yodobashi also sells trains at a sometimes more appealing price. The Yodobashi in Akihabara and Shinjuku have big collections. The Yodobashi near Ueno does not have model trains.

 

Finally one more recommendation for you and your 8 year old son:

Get a blank stamp/note book and go on a stamp rally through Japan. It's a free memento, fun to do, beautiful to look at, and a good way for your son (and yourself) to practice some easy Japanese. Virtually every JR station, airport, tourist sight, museum, and Toei subway line station has a station stamp which is a cool free memento of your trip. The stamps can sometimes be a bit hidden, in which case feel free to ask the station staff where it is. Sometimes they keep the stamp behind the counter. See this page for more info https://denshadejapan.wordpress.com/2011/05/22/the-eki-stamp/. Be sure to get a stamp book which is minimum A5 size, and get some blotting paper to avoid the stamps from smudging.

 

Thanks. There's a ton of great information here. I've cut'pasted it all into my various Evernote files. We're definately doing the stamp book. The boy loves the idea.

 

Shitamachi sounds interesting. What I mean by 'authentic' isn't so much historical stuff. I mean more like things that Japanese natives or longtime expats would do. Rather than exclusively tourist things. I want to get a good feel of what Tokyo is like.

 

We're still thinking about whether to get a JR pass. I might have some questions for you after I do the math.

[gavino200]

if you want to go to matsumoto (a lovely laid back place) and have a japan rail pass, i suggest you take a super azusa from shinjuku - if i were in your shoes i'd find a 351-based service (assuming they still exist - they are on their way out but i assume they are still around).  one of my favourite train rides ever.  then, spend some time in matsumoto including seeing the castle (there is not much else to do in matsumoto unless you want to venture out into the mountains) and then you can easily be in the nagano by late afternoon.  have a dinner in nagano (there is an absolutely gorgeous gourmet/foodie ramen place there but i dont remember exactly where and i wasnt able to find it via google earth) and then take the shinkansen back.  a nice day trip.

 

in march it will still be a bit chilly.  this will limit your activities.     the good news is that there is always something to do in and around tokyo. 

 

the following is very biased and may not work for you:  i am a fan of the keio rail system (a private rail line that basically starts at shinjuku and goes west into the mountains).  keio has a little rail museum called keio rail land.  if yuo just want to get a feel for commmuter operations and then go out to a small museum aimed at 8 year olds, then that's a pretty good trip.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keio_Rail-Land

 

a good day trip from shinjuku that is not too hard is like this:

 

1. start at shinjuku - take a keio train to takahatafudou.  this is a major station and all expresses stop there (other than trains going to hashimoto) so take the fastest ones you can. change there to the local doubutsu-en train (also keio).  this is a very short line - only 2km.  keio rail land is there at the doubutsu-en station.  you can then maybe go to to the zoo, though it's just ok but maybe worth an hour.

 

2. backtrack your steps to takahatafudou and get on a train for takaosanguchi (same basic direction you were going from shinjuku).  you may want to take a train to kitano and switch there (you'll see what i mean if you look at the map).   there, you can take a cablecar or a skilift thing up to near the top of the 'mountain' or you can walk (40 minutes to 3 hours depending on our speed).  on a good day you can see fuji very clearly.

 

3. there's also (last time i checked - it may be gone) an incredibly tacky museum of illusions near taakosanguchi station.  maybe interesting for an 8 year old boy :)

 

all in all, this is a busy but fun day for an 8 year old i think and gives you a fair bit of railway stuff too.

 

for the journey back, you may wish to take the train from takaosanguchi one stop to takao and then walk to the jr platforms and take jr back to shinjuku. there's no huge speed gain in this, but it gives you more interesting train stuff to look at.

 

have a good trip!

 

 

Thanks. I love the Keio daytrip plan. My so would love it. 

 

Regarding weather, I quite like the cold. Also, I always try to visit places in the off season, so it's a worthwhile trade off, for me.

[gavino200]

I did the trip from Shinjuku to Matsumoto back in May 2014. I would echo the comments about seeking out a 'Super Azusa' service to Matsumoto (currently in the hands of the E351 units). The castle is about a 15 minute walk from the station, and is well worth the visit. If available, try the English language tour guide (free, provided by the local history society).

 

Matsumoto station is worth spending a few minutes with the camera. There are stabling sidings in full view of the platform.

 

Matsumoto to Nagano was on a JR Central 383, although if you have the time, a slower service which stops at some of the aforementioned switch-back stations - particularly Obasute (amazing views) - would make a pleasant journey.

 

We took the Bullet back to Tokyo. It was getting dark by then, so the lack of views didn't really matter. We travelled on an E2, but there were a few E7s knocking around.

 

Thanks. We were originally thinking of staying there overnight. You think it's reasonable to do it in one day? We're planning on going to the wasabi farm and the castle. Though it might by nice to stay in a Ryokan. Also, I hear there's an amazing ramen shop in Matsumoto. I don't want to be in too much of a hurry.

[gavino200]

See this thread: http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/12275-cheap-tickets-regular/ for cheap day tickets. Do try the Toei Asakusa line for sheer variety of trains, and don't forget once you're in the system, nothing stops you taking trips on non-subway lines provided you don't try and exit outside the area valid for your ticket.

 

 

I always recommend Nara as a more compact alternative to Kyoto. From Tokyo you could always try Kamakura or Nikko as shrine/temple-orientated day-trips.

Thanks. I'll check these out.

[Claude_Dreyfus]

Thanks. We were originally thinking of staying there overnight. You think it's reasonable to do it in one day? We're planning on going to the wasabi farm and the castle. Though it might by nice to stay in a Ryokan. Also, I hear there's an amazing ramen shop in Matsumoto. I don't want to be in too much of a hurry.

We did it in a day, but it was a long and hard day. I would have loved to have spent more time, especially en route; a couple of hours at Obasute would have been nice. If you can do it over two days, then even better. Matsumoto has a lot to offer, so certainly worth spending time at.

[Khaul]

See this thread: http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/12275-cheap-tickets-regular/ for cheap day tickets. Do try the Toei Asakusa line for sheer variety of trains, and don't forget once you're in the system, nothing stops you taking trips on non-subway lines provided you don't try and exit outside the area valid for your ticket.

 

 

I always recommend Nara as a more compact alternative to Kyoto. From Tokyo you could always try Kamakura or Nikko as shrine/temple-orientated day-trips.

 

Oh, both Kyoto and Nara are great on their own right. In my humble opinion it is best to do one-trip-one-area. For instance, Tokyo (Kanto area) in one trip, Kyoto-Osaka-Nara (Kinki) next time and so on.

 

We travelled to Japan last year for the second time. We met quite a lot of Americans with a Shinkansen pass doing one city per day, crazy! 

[gavino200]

Ok, this is coming up real soon. I need to get back to planning. I've been doing Pimsleur and Japanese Pod in my car for two months now. Just for fun - I know I don't really need to do that. But I figure it's polite and maybe useful to know a few simple phrases. 

 

I have a question: can anyone recommend some great hobby shops (with n scale trains) in Tokyo that are worth visiting?

 

I'll work on my itinerary and post it in the next couple of days. Would love to get input and/or suggestions.

Edited February 8, 2017 by gavino200

[jasona2z]

 

I have a question: can anyone recommend some great hobby shops (with n scale trains) in Tokyo that are worth visiting?

 

 

I went to Kato in Tokyo, which was really good, and to TamTam in Akihabara, which had lots of stock, of various brands. I purchased items from both, from very friendly staff. 

[JR 500系]

Check out this thread: http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/2282-train-shop-map-a-hobby-map-for-us/

 

There are tons of hooby shops around Tokyo to visit~ But the map above hasn't been updated for sometime so some shops might have been closed, and some new ones springing up.

 

Like Model Train Plus (MTP) very close to Nishi-Kawaguchi station on the Keihin tohoku line, which is opened by one of our member here who speaks very good English and many here on the forums have very good opinions of MTP. They now even have a rental layout for you to run your newly bought trains!

[gavino200]

Check out this thread: http://www.jnsforum.com/community/topic/2282-train-shop-map-a-hobby-map-for-us/

 

There are tons of hooby shops around Tokyo to visit~ But the map above hasn't been updated for sometime so some shops might have been closed, and some new ones springing up.

 

Like Model Train Plus (MTP) very close to Nishi-Kawaguchi station on the Keihin tohoku line, which is opened by one of our member here who speaks very good English and many here on the forums have very good opinions of MTP. They now even have a rental layout for you to run your newly bought trains!

 

Thanks JR. That thread is great. I'll try to update it/ add to it based on my experience. One more thing taken care of :)

 

MTP is a great store. I've bought a few things there. Great service, no problems. Actually, I just got a package from them today. One small part of the order was the wrong part (my fault, not theirs). I ordered the wrong pantograph for a train. I wonder if I can exchange it when I'm there. 

 

The rental track sounds great. We plan on buying a few trains in Japan.