Living in Tokyo for one year: Ideas for a Sunday (or in general)

[cteno4]

Grand central terminal! It’s a really awesome old main hall with a dome. One of the few of these left with that feeling of grandeur.
 

Old Penn station is a pit and the expansion Amtrak hall is very uninspired architecture and huge video screens all around the hall that periodically play ads, really painful on the eyes and ruins what little architectural design in the building.

 

jeff

[Kingmeow]

I grew up in Manhattan.  Just be aware of your surroundings if you take the subways.  It has been terrible lately safety wise.  Other than Grand Central that Jeff mentioned above, there's not much train related that is worth your while.  Just do your typical tourist things; Empire State Building, Statue of Liberty (I think now you need reservations), Freedom Tower, Chinatown, Times Square, Rockerfeller Center, etc.

Edited March 16 by Kingmeow

[Kamome]

6 hours ago, NXCALE said:

Also, Hiroshima was an option but some colleagues mentioned that there is not much to see for three days

I'd suggest researching yourself as really depends on what you're interested in and how much touristy stuff you wanted to do.

 

Day 1 - City:  The A-bomb memorial museum is very poignant, I think every human being should visit and reflect. It's not preachy or finger pointing. Hiroshima Castle is not the biggest but quite a nice looking example.

Day 2 - Itsukushima at Miyajima would take up a good part of a day if you're interested in shrines. 

Day 3 - Hobby stores, of course!!

 

Just riding the trams and exploring the real city, going to see a Hiroshima Carp game, eating okonomiyaki with the locals. I would say you could easily fill 3 days. There is the Mazda museum if you have interest in cars, I believe you have to book to visit, not just turn up.  Even a trip down to Iwakuni, Yamaguchi pref.  to see the famous Kintai bridge or watch some of the fisherman demonstrating using cormorant.

[katoftw]

Sights in the Hiroshima region...

 

Kure

Mazda museum

Bunny island

Takehara

Iwakuni

Miyajima

 

I think you need new advisors.

 

Edited March 15 by katoftw

[JR East]

4 hours ago, Kamome said:

Day 2 - Itsukushima at Miyajima would take up a good part of a day if you're interested in shrines. 

 

Hi

 

I recommend to sleep on Miyajima island esp. because after 9 PM, the island is nearly desert and at night it's really calm and there are lots of great things to see. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I do recommend to stay at Miyajima Hotel Makoto, they have a great combo : night / diner / breakfeast. Diner at the hotel is nearly mandatory as there are only a couple of isakaya on the island for drinking and eating. Everytime I'm going there, I'm staying at this hotel. Book it far in advance ... 

 

Enjoy !

[NXCALE]

Thank you all for the info!

 

I will keep checking Hiroshima's info and plan about Kyoto or Osaka (not during high season). However, I have a winner (Yokohama) as the gundam will be gone by the end of March so last chance. I will check in my list what other things I can do around/in Tokyo on my other two days off.

 

About NY, my US colleagues already mentioned that the city may be rough so I am mentally prepare for whatever (and a bit of low expectations). I will check the station/s and touristic places (including a broadway show).

 

Note: I have been in the US for 5 days and I already miss Tokyo so much... hahaha...

 

[Gunzel]

And you can even make it out and back on the Geibi line to Bingo-Ochiai for the daily gathering of the KiHa 120's. If you left early enough you should have time to stop over in Miyoshi and visit the Yokai Museum.

[cteno4]

Even with manhattan’s increase in crime it’s much much better than it was a couple of decades ago and probably on par with a lot of big cities now. But just be aware of your surroundings like kingmeow says, don’t look like a total tourist staring up and oblivious to all that’s right around you. Look at the maps to pre-plan your walks and subway rides so you are not holding a map on the street all the time. You can always use voice map directions with one earbud in. One trick if you do get turned around, slip over to the side of the sidewalk and use your phone map and look like you are just texting. On the subway again just be aware of what’s around you and carry a bit of news paper you will look more like a general rider. Dont stand right at the edge of the platform waiting for a train.

 

dont mean to scare you its just the same everywhere the folks that look the most oblivious tend to the the biggest targets. New Yorkers have the reputation of not being helpful, but that’s not true at all in my experience, the may be blunt at times but I’ve found them very helpful in a pinch.

 

grand central is fun just to take a half hour or hour and watch the pulse of people. The way it’s set up folks come in from all directions and head for the myriad of platforms in different directions so interesting to watch the changes of patterns. Sort of like blood flowing and meandering through capillaries.  Just a great place to people watch.there are a few stone benches built in here and there and looking around you can find one with a good view, but best view is up on one of the upper tiers looking down into the center.the other fun thing to listen for is the muted babble. The huge dome bounces some places back down to you and you just hear a few words now muted and quite that came from someone quite far away. But the focus is narrow and complex so with people moving around you only pick up a word or two at a time that the muted babble of background sounds is also pretty unique, don’t think I’ve experienced quite the same in other large stations and spaces. It has a decent international food court.

 

myc is a super interesting place to visit, it’s now a pretty clean city and not bad crime, just mainly in subways lately it’s up with a number of things, but given the number of people that use it everyday your chances of something happening are super low. I’ve probably visited it 100 times over the last 50 years and have not even come close to plumbing its depths and never run into trouble (even in the very dark days of nyc). A true evolving melting pot, never the same, each time I visit the pot has been stirred some. Getting outside manahattan to the other Burroughs is also great but not on your first trip. Times Square is sort of a big tourist event now, it’s lost its seedy side mostly which was its old charm (well polite word for it).

 

On non train stuff, Empire State building is fun just for the history of it and nice views of midtown. Statue of Liberty is fun, like kingmeow says I think need a reservation now, but if you are into the immigrant experience it’s done well and good interpretive exhibits and nice views of downtown. Ferry ride is also fun. Find one near you and just ride across and back (I try to do this in cities that have water and ferries, gives a very different view of the city and just a very relaxing break from dense big cities’ streets). Havnt been up the freedom tower yet. Tons of museums. The Met if course is one of those grand museums of the world you can loose yourself in for a few days, always worth a visit if you enjoy museums. Natural history is ok, the series of makeovers the last couple of decades have kind of sterilized it and it’s lost a lot of its old charm sadly.

 

Anything else besides trains that interests you? Whatever it is you can probably find something interesting about it in nyc!

 

cheers,

 

jeff

[chadbag]

15 hours ago, Kamome said:

It's not preachy or finger pointing.

Until the last bit before you leave.  That gets preachy

 

[chadbag]

The Yamato museum in Kure (near Hiroshima) is very interesting.

[Grant_T]

On 3/15/2024 at 7:13 PM, katoftw said:

Miyajima

 

Walk to the top but watch for danger noodles.

[Kingmeow]

Danger noodles???  What are those?

[NXCALE]

NYC was quite interesting, I hope things get fix there eventually. What people say about the NYC subways is correct.

Btw, New Haven (CT) was also interesting as only some areas of the city are recommended for walking alone.

 

Back in Tokyo, my day trip to Yokohama was great.

Probably, I could only have day trips on Saturdays for the next two months. 

So, I am thinking about hiking in Kamakura or any similar places.

I will keep adding items to my list so feel free to recommend more places!

[cteno4]

Yeah homelessness issue has hit the nyc subway with problems from many angles unfortunately. Hope you got to enjoy nyc a bit. Glad you got to visit it is a very interesting place to visit.
 

yes New Haven has gotten rougher unfortunately. Again it’s a bit blown out of proportion from politics and media, but a growing issue there. Friends at Yale are not happy with it but not freaked out except by some of the political crap that ends in shouting and not getting anything useful done.

 

jeff

[Grant_T]

On 3/17/2024 at 2:50 PM, Kingmeow said:

Danger noodles???  What are those?

 

Snek. (Gloydius blomhoffii.)

[NXCALE]

Does anyone know an operating train, in Tokyo, that still has the original GTO-VVVF?

 

Keikyu replaced them in all their units (I think). I am searching this but maybe someone knows the answer straight away. Thanks!

[NXCALE]

Maybe the previous question was a too technical.

Summary: I think there are not trains with GTO-VVF in Tokyo anymore.

 

Something interesting that happened, I was able to attend to a AKB48 concert.

It was a bit troublesome as you have to get the ticket via lottery and bla bla bla...

 

Btw, I know that this group is not what it used to be and also, I am not a fan. However, it was quite a good show.

Very very luckily, I have a front seat. So, it was a quite unique experience (i.e. idols performing just 2 or 3 meters away... hahaha).

 

On travelling, I went to Osaka and Tokyo via shinkansen. That was pretty good.

Also, I have visited more places around Tokyo but there is plenty to see...

Now, planning a trip to Okinawa soon.

 

I keep checking the list (of places) I have (from this forum) and other sources like youtube videos.

This because I noticed my colleagues' advice (on travelling within JPN) is just so so... hahaha...

I do not blame them as they are business people (i.e. no otakus).

 

 Quick notes:

• going to onsen with your colleagues (for the 1st time), a mixed experience... hahaha...
• someone recommend a famous ramen... you have to be in line since 7:30am to get a spot... which I did... the ramen was nice but it is nuts the demand for it.
• went to see "Los Ingobernables de Japon" (i.e. wrestling). that was also a good experience... recommended if you like that stuff or if you just want to try something quite different.

Just few months more in Tokyo...

Today 22 degrees and raining... but it feels a bit hot due to the humidity.

 

 

p.s. any advice on places or activities are welcome!

[NXCALE]

My adventure ended!

Living in Japan for one year (being a 1st timer in JPN and with zero Japanese) was a full on experience.

 

Many memories, many experiences, many lessons learned and many friends left behind.

 

I am so glad I decided to spend one year there. Now thinking about it, the whole has been a life changing experience.

 

Thank you Japan!

[cteno4]

Wow! That went very fast! So glad to hear it was such a wonderful experience! Please post some of your experiences, we love to live them vicariously! I would so love to live a period like that in Japan or even a month or two somewhere interesting.

 

congrats!

 

jeff