GRcade Japan Trip 2009 - 01/06/09 - JUST DO IT

PostRe: GRcade Japan Trip 2009 - 01/06/09 *updated*

I'd possibly be interested.

I went two summer ago, at the end of June (think it was a week after Alpha had gone) and loved it.

Went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Climbed Mt Fuji.

Off the top of my head the hostels I stayed in, Tokyo = Khaosan Smile, Kyoto = Bakpak? Maybe? Mt Fuji = Bakpak, a really great hostel there. Don't have time for links at the moment sorry!

PostRe: GRcade Japan Trip 2009 - 01/06/09 *updated*

Thanks anyway!. We need to hammer out a date. Hmmmm

PostRe: GRcade Japan Trip 2009 - 01/06/09 *updated*

John Galt wrote:
Fatal Exception wrote:
Alpha eX wrote:June? you'll miss the cherry blossom! Still, I went a few years ago in June and it was lovely, really nice weather so don't you dare miss Kyoto, you can get there from Tokyo (or vise versa) for between 4000 and 6000 yen by bus.

Well it may need to be earlier, although I have no idea when the easter break is!

Mine is from Monday 23rd March to Friday 17th April. Are you at Uni yourself? If you are then your Uni might have different dates, although they should be similar.

My only problem with that is it seems very early in the year. It would make saving and preparing a lot harder.

The 1st to the 14th of April keep the flights the same cost (About £570) We'd have to go with what the group wanted, but no one seems bothered about picking a date

PostRe: GRcade Japan Trip 2009 - 01/06/09 *updated*

Fatal Exception wrote:My only problem with that is it seems very early in the year. It would make saving and preparing a lot harder.

The 1st to the 14th of April keep the flights the same cost (About £570) We'd have to go with what the group wanted, but no one seems bothered about picking a date

I'm really keen on April time, not purely because of it being round my birthday (though this is a factor, admittedly a pretty selfish one). I'm leaning towards an earlier holiday for various reasons, partially because I've not had a holiday in 7 years and I'm getting pretty excited about the whole trip, partially because I've been talking to a friend who just got back and it's made me determined to go ASAP. That said, I realise money is a big factor here so am happy to go with the majority if a summer date is decided.

PostRe: GRcade Japan Trip 2009 - 01/06/09 *updated*

Outrunner wrote:
Fatal Exception wrote:My only problem with that is it seems very early in the year. It would make saving and preparing a lot harder.

The 1st to the 14th of April keep the flights the same cost (About £570) We'd have to go with what the group wanted, but no one seems bothered about picking a date

I'm really keen on April time, not purely because of it being round my birthday (though this is a factor, admittedly a pretty selfish one). I'm leaning towards an earlier holiday for various reasons, partially because I've not had a holiday in 7 years and I'm getting pretty excited about the whole trip, partially because I've been talking to a friend who just got back and it's made me determined to go ASAP. That said, I realise money is a big factor here so am happy to go with the majority if a summer date is decided.

strawberry float yeah, spring time it is then if it means 2 more people more likely to go.

I just looked at what's on in Japan in April:

Kanamara Festival
Wakamiya Hachiman-gu Shrine, Kawasaki, Kanagawa Prefecture
Late March or early April
The Kanamara Matsuri or "Festival of the Iron Phallus" features a parade of a 2m tall pink penis through the streets to offer prayers for conception, safe child-birth and marital happiness. The festival dates from the Edo Period when prostitutes prayed for protection from sexually transmitted disease.

Not Tokyo I think but it sounds fantastic.

When I get a job, the first big thing I'll be saving up for is trip to Japan, I know it's a cliché for a gamer but it's a place I really want to go.

Depending on time/money/how brave I'm feeling going with some people off here is a consideration I'll see what you guys are planning and see if it's what I'm interested in. I'd want to see the Cherry Blossoms, go up in to the mountains (if possible) spend a fair amount of time in Kyoto and see the religious side. Obviously I'd want to spend a lot of time in Tokyo as well.

I've no idea if this is even close to what other people on here are planning but thought I'd just throw my coin into the hat.

Herbi wrote:When I get a job, the first big thing I'll be saving up for is trip to Japan, I know it's a cliché for a gamer but it's a place I really want to go.

Depending on time/money/how brave I'm feeling going with some people off here is a consideration I'll see what you guys are planning and see if it's what I'm interested in. I'd want to see the Cherry Blossoms, go up in to the mountains (if possible) spend a fair amount of time in Kyoto and see the religious side. Obviously I'd want to spend a lot of time in Tokyo as well.

I've no idea if this is even close to what other people on here are planning but thought I'd just throw my coin into the hat.

Pretty much exactly what I was thinking.

City Districts and Shopping Areas :
Shibuya (2) Popular district among younger generations.
Shinjuku (1) District around Japan's busiest station.
Asakusa (6) District with an atmosphere of old Tokyo.
Harajuku (5) Center of teenage fashion and cosplay culture.
Odaiba (13) Futuristic architecture on a man made island.
Akihabara (4) District for electronic and otaku goods.
Ginza (3) Japan's premier shopping district.
Roppongi (9) Site of Tokyo Midtown and Roppongi Hills.
Kappabashi Street (29) Shopping street for restaurant owners.
Ameyoko (22) Colorful market street in Ueno.
Ikebukuro (10) Commercial district around busy train station.
Yebisu Garden Place (23) Commercial complex with beer museum.
Shiodome (25) Recently redeveloped commercial district.
Akasaka Sacas (32) City within the city around TBS headquarter.
Nihonbashi (18) Commercial district in central Tokyo.
Marunouchi (20) Business district in front of Tokyo Station

Looks interesting

Yebisu Garden Place has a Beer museum!

Hachiko Statue (Shibuya)
A statue of a loyal dog named Hachiko. According to a famous story, the dog waited for his master every day in front of Shibuya Station, and continued to do so for years even after his master had passed away. It is one of Tokyo's most popular meeting points.

I waited for you fry!

I want to go everywhere that was featured in The World Ends With You. So Shibuya then.

My ex recommends April but she said that cherry blossom time is so busy there are ques on the streets in some places in Kyoto. It's so busy and difficult to get around, if you're going to be in Kyoto for the cherry blossom, try stay somewhere near where you want to go otherwise it might be difficult.

5 months to plan and save might not be enough.

I'd recommend beggining of June, that's when I went and the weather was great apart from the odd few days. Kyoto was lovely in June, when I first went, I arrived in Tokyo and went straight to Osaka on the Shinkansen, stayed in a nice hotel in the middle of the city for a few days, during that time, visited Kyoto. After a few days, went back on the Shinkansen to Tokyo and stayed in the Tokyo Hostel in Minowa.

strawberry floats sake. This calls for a poll, or a private one via PM.

Get everyone interested to say what time they can/want to go in and take it from there. I'm guessing the students would prefer June/July, others April/March.

Alpha eX wrote:Get everyone interested to say what time they can/want to go in and take it from there. I'm guessing the students would prefer June/July, others April/March.

The one person who's a student wants April March :lol:

When I was a student I finished for the year late April! / Early May. I'll try and sort this out this evening. Got some gooseberry fool do do before then.

For me it's a case of only being able to go in March April, unless people want to pay stupid money for flights in late June.

Anyway if we're going to go, this is sort of what I'd want to do:

First Week: Tokyo

Do all the usual Tokyo stuff - Shibuya, Shinjuku, Akihabara - and whatever else we can. I'd really like to go to the Ghibli museum too but I'm not sure where it is. Also, Mt Fuji would be really good, or some kind of mountain shrine/temple or even that massive Buddha statue they went to on Top Gear.

Next Few Days: Kyoto or Osaka

I wouldn't mind going to a different city to see what it's like. Kyoto and Osaka both have a lot of history and should be easy to get to on train or bus and there'll be loads to do. Osaka is further south too so the weather should be better than Tokyo in March/April.

Last Days: Back to Tokyo (Possibly)

It's quite likely that the cheapest flights will be to and from Tokyo so if we do go somewhere else we'd have to come back to Tokyo. If it was only 2 or 3 days then I'd probably spend whatever money I had left, and maybe stay in a nicer hotel nearer to the tourist places.

Sounds good. I'm going to get around to PMing all interested people when I'm back at my own place.

Corazon de Leon

Can't do March/April - exams and essay deadlines loom at that time

I don't intend to be on this trip so far be it from me to intrude in the thread

But if there's a largeish group of people wanting to go and some can only go in april/march and some can only go in june/july... why not split the group in 2 and have 2 trips?
One in april one in june. You can have one person in charge of organising flights etc for each trip... Just a thought I thought I'd throw into the ring

That sounds good. It does seem a no win situation no matter what the date.

PM sent. *bump*

If it was a bit later, I'd be interested too.

GRcade Japan Trip 2009 - 01/06/09 - JUST DO IT

Who is online

Affiliates