It’s hard to believe we’re at Episode 17 already – 17 weeks of the Japan Discovered Tweetchat!! A big thanks to everyone who comes and joins us every week. We really appreciate all your support and hope we are able to start your weekends with a big round of Japanese cheer.

Onto this weeks chat then. As usual there was some great info sharing and lots of sweet tips to keep us all busy for a while:

Koyo – Autumn Leaves And All Things Golden

If you’re visiting Japan in October and November, depending where you are you’ll catch some fantastic fall foliage. Suggestions this week were:

• If you’re traveling to Nikko just north of Tokyo the best time of year is between mid October to beginning of November – depending on the year of course. When the leaves change is controlled by the weather and the climate and with things changing as they are across the world at the moment it’s a little hard to predict! Here’s one calendar with a guide of when to visit the different parts of Japan for Autumn leaf viewing.
• Another area that @DenisEvents recommended is Mount Kasagi near Nara (close if you’re in Osaka or Kyoto too). Here’s a picture of the fall leaves he took while he was there.
• Toyaku was recommended by @nikiru for its beautiful mountains, lake and sea views. There’s also Toyako Sculpture Park with 58 sculptures in total and Noboribetsu hot spring as well as the area of Noboribetsu to keep you occupied.
• Karuizawa was also suggested as a place not too far from Tokyo to visit. Go to Komoro (the next station past Karuizawa) and from the station walk up Mount Asama.

Other October Events

In Hokkaido in October there are lots of harvest festival events going on with free food to be had and enjoyed. A great chance to try see some truly local produce that’s as delicious as it looks!

In October it’s also Sports Day as well as the month we’ll find out if Tokyo has the Olympic games. We’ll find out on October 2.

On October 24-25 there’s a huge open air food festival in Hiroshima worth visiting and a big sake matsuri in Higashi-Hiroshima on October 11 and 12.

There’s a weekly open air farmers food market on at Ark Hills every Saturday in October for you foodies out there. If you like oysters and are in Hokkaido check out the famous Akkeshi oysters free or incredibly cheap at Akkeshi Oyster Festival 10/3-10/12.

Thunderbirds Are Go Go Go!

If you like planes, especially the formation flying kind, @hakujin let us know that Thunderbirds will be visiting Chitose, Hamamatsu, and Misawa on October 15, 17, and 18 respectively.

Bikes In Japan

We were asked whether there are bike lines in Japan and whether students usually commute this way on their way to university by @karendjuanda. There are only a few special bike lanes – most of Tokyo doesn’t have any special areas for bikes.

A good guy who knows a lot about bikes its @atsnaka. You can read an interview about his group Cycle Tokyo! here. It’s worth noting that many people ride on the sidewalks here – even though it’s not actually legal – and you do end up having to dodge people quite a lot.

That’s it for this week. Hope you all have a great time wherever you are. Safe travels.

Silver Week was about to start and we decided that fun & free would be a great topic for the upcoming holidays!  We definitely got a lot of great suggestions so here goes:

Silver Week

For those that have not heard of Silver Week – it is a grouping of holidays in Japan that includes Respect for the Aged Day and the Autumn Equinox which heralds in the lovely fall colors of Autumn in Japan.

Fun & Free in Japan

Visit shrines, temples parks and gardens! Many are gorgeous, can be found in almost every neighborhood, and are FREE!

For airplane lovers, the Narita airport ’spotting guide’ is a great resource.

From Narita, head to the Boso area in Chiba and take a stroll around the countryside.

Stroll around the lesser explored areas of Kagurazaka and Nippori 

Head out for a day trip from Tokyo to Kamakura & Enoshima, Nikko, Yokohama or Kawagoe.

Head out to a new neighborhood to explore with your camera for cheap entertainment – the resulting pictures make the best souvenirs!

In Tokyo you can grab a sky high view for free from the Shinjuku Government Building or Ebisu Garden Place.

Festivals are always free and many galleries are too! Check out the Japan Event Calendar for listings.

Why not take a stroll through Ginza in the evening – a bit passe but still enjoyable?

What about heading to the beach? Enoshima, Chiba and other places are near Tokyo are very scenic.

A good beach near Enoshima is the middle stop on Eno-den – Shichirigahama. Two great cafes between train station and beach too!

If you like horses, bows and arrows and tradition then you will love Yabusame – Check out this year round schedule to find a convenient event.

Lastly, a number of people recommended the book Tokyo for Free as a good resource.

Browsing is Free

Spend some of you hard earned vacation dollars or just browse about…

The department stores here do have some enjoyable exhibits and just browsing is a fun way to spend an afternoon…the house wares, and kitchen departments also make for some fun browsing.

Other FUn stores for browse of shop:

• Sekaido in Shinjuku or Ito-ya in Ginza for stationery and art supplies.
• Yuzawaya is a great craft and art supply store.
• The Loft (link in Japanese but hover of links for locations in English)
• Tokyu Hands (link in Japanese but hover of map for location)
• Don Quixote – mega-bling gone beserk!
• Daiso is also great for fun and practical stuff at great prices.

Budgeting in Japan

Cash is still king in Japan. But more shops are accepting credit cards than in the past.  

Budgeting on your trip includes both your money and time!  Budget your time in Japan – travel time can really eat up a day and be very tiring so plan accordingly.

Sumo

Information and links to upcoming Sumo tournaments in Japan – ticketing can be tough as events are often sold out!  A small number of same day tickets are available at box office (1/person) starting at 8 am each day.

TokyoTopia thinks that Sumo at Tokyo’s Kokugikan is awesome!  She suggests spending some time in the Edo-Tokyo Museum or  Yokoamichi Park after you pick up your tickets as the main events of the day don’t start until mid-afternoon.

It’s that time of year again when the weather starts to cool down and the leaves, at least way up in the north in Hokkaido, start to show their first shades of Autumn.

This week we had some great discussion and information sharing about accommodation and the various kinds of places available to you when you travel to Japan. Here’s what you all had to say!

General Recommendations And Tips

If you want to stay near Tsukiji Market @ShaneSakata recommends Tokyu Stay. They have 12 hotels in Tokyo and she also stayed at The Hotel Metropolitan when she visited Sendai – it was right next to Sendai Station so really convenient. The Hotel Metroplitan is right next too Sendai Station and was also very nice.

If you want to stay in the Kansai area @nikimurata has some great suggestions. If you’re going to Yamaguchi she recommends a gorgeous place called Yuda Sansuien – the website is only in Japanese but if you can understand then it’s worth checking out. We all agreed that relaxing in a yukata in this kind of place is a romantic and fun thing to do.

Another good place is Glover Garden in Nagasaki. A stay in the ANA hotel was recommended with the “million dollar” night view!

Other places mentioned were:

• Rihga Royal Hotel in Kyoto. Was marvelous and well located!
• Ryokan are another good accommodation option. Search by prefecture for a nice one!
• The Hilton in Osaka is recommended because the staff were extremely helpful. There’s also an underground tunnel that connects to Osaka Station which makes it convenient for getting around.
• The Marriott in Ginza is just a 10 minute walk to 2 main stations in Tokyo and give you easy access to yakitori alley and Tsukiji Fish Market.
• Claska Hotel in Meguro in Tokyo is a neat boutique kind of hotel. They also publish an interesting book “Tokyo By Tokyo” which is written by locals wanting to share their knowledge of what to see and do in the city.
• In Tokyo Disneyland the Disney Ambassador and Miracosta Hotel Disneysea are good hotels

Budget Accommodation

If you really need extreme budget lodging, this website reviews sleeping experiences in airports!

K’s House Kyoto was voted the No.1 Hostel in Asia in 2004. It’s still an excellent option near Kyoto Station. There’s also a number of Ks House locations around Japan which are great budget options. http://kshouse.jp/index_e.html

If you want to search for different accommodation options and prices there are a number of good sites to try. @tokyotopia said she uses HotelsCombined as they bring you back the different prices that around 30 different vendors are offereing – you get to pick the best price available. She has partnered with them on her own site as she likes what they do. If you book through her site she does get a small commission for which she’s very grateful!

@ShaneSakata also recommends Rakuten Travel and Ikyu booking engines as good starting points. We like them all so it’s a case of finding your preference : )

We also found this one on Planet Tokyo that looks great for budget travelers.

The Khaosan Group’s Annex in Asakusa is a good budget choice in Tokyo.

Izu Coastline Tips From @Darrell_Nelson

Rather than staying in a generic hotel in Japan, pensions here can be amazing. There are very cool places along the Izu coastline. Ryokans and Minshkus also offer the traditional japanese feel.

He has camped on Kozushima, Shinken Jima, Miyake Jima, Hachio JIma, Oshima Dolphin swimming on Mikura JIma is AMAZING. See here for info on camping on Hachijo Island and here for a campsite in Oshima – in Japanese only.

Narita Airport Hotels and Central Tokyo Locations

Staying in Ueno was a great tip shared by @Gwenster if you’re planning on spending time in Tokyo. Why? No need to lug around your suitcases through more stations than you have to from Narita. Just a 10 minute walk from Ueno station is Oak Hotel a 3 star, free internet location with friendly English speaking staff. If you don’t want the walk then just 1 minute from Ueno JR station is a great 4 star hotel that is a reasonable price with free Wifi, breakfast and lovely rooms. Check out Sutton Place Hotel for more information.

If you are traveling further than Ueno but want to stay in the Tokyo area you can also have your luggage shipped from the airport if you are organized with carry on. Check out the baggage delivery services from Narita.

Also remember you can stay in Narita Town if you are arriving late or leaving early. It’s also a lovely place to have a wander round in its own right. The Garden Hotel is a good budget option and it has a convenience store right outside so you can buy drinks etc. there.
If you happen to be there in April, Naritasan Shinshoji Temple has a fantastic taiko drum festival!

The Asakusa Area Shopping Street

In Asakusa, the road leading from the Kaminarimon to the Sensoji Temple is lined with shops offering all kinds of Japanese goodies. The street name is Nakamisedori and it has its own website so you see what kind of shops are there.

Be aware, Nakamisedori has some nice shops but a lot of sketchy ones too…and it’s always busy!

Another week, another great Japan travel tweetchat!  Once again we covered a lot of great info so we’ll get right to the summary:

Best University for Studying Japanese

Todai, Waseda or Keio? Some suggested the multi-lingual universities like Sophia & ICU would be better than places like Todai or Waseda but if you attend Todai or Keio you may meet many of tomorrow’s Japanese movers and shakers.  Other suggestions:

• Nanzan University CJS program
• Ryukoku University in Kyoto
• If you know some Japanese already also check out IUC

Foodie Japan

Check out the Kimono Wine Bar in Tokyo’s trendy Nishi Azabu neighborhood

Kit Kat goes veggie in Japan. they do come up w/some crazy flavors for this market – Uni, natto, beer, tofu, ika sumi ice-cream (all seen in a store Otaru).

Where can someone new to Japan find an English speaker to give them a Nihonshu or sake experience? Check out Tokyofoodcast and read an interview with Etsuko on Tokyotopia

If you go to Hiroshima and have time to eat, be sure to go to Okonomimura for Okonomiyaki

Tsukishima is the place to go for Okonomiyaki in Tokyo but it is also specialty & one of the regional foods of Chugoku.

Weekly Natural Food Farmers Market In Hiroo

Organic food delivery in Tokyo by MyFood

What’s the weather like in Tokyo at the end of October? Is it cold yet or still warm?

Check out this Tokyo Climate resource but most agree that it’s a great time to travel – not too hot or cold!

If you want to see some autumn leaf action combined with an onsen Hakone is a good spot – try the Yumoto Fujiya Hotel.

Nikko is just beautiful in the fall! It’s one of Japan’s World Heritage sites – try Nikko Park Lodge where Ken, the owner, is said to be a great host.

Where are good places to shop for pottery/ceramics in Tokyo?

Kappabashi, Sensoji in Asakusa, is a great place to find ceramics, pottery, lacquer ware, plastic food samples and even knives.  Lots of kitchen accecories as well.  Check out this photo tour of Kappabashi from bento.com

Ceramic Galleries in Tokyo

PingMag here – Top 10 places for pottery in Tokyo

The annual Setomono Ichi Ceramic Fair is held each August.

Shops around Tsukuji carry some ceramics & pottery.  Stroll about after your visit to the fish market -  Photo tour of the Tsukiji Morning Market.

Visit the housewares floor of most major department stores in Tokyo for a selection of ceramis & pottery.

Outside of Tokyo

Kamakura has many antique shops with ceramics.

The Gion hill area has great ceramics and don’t forget the Noritake Garden Craft Center “Noritake no mori” in Nagoya

How would you spend your time in Roppongi – favorite place to relax, restaurant or drinking establishment?

Mori Tower – a museum, a great view of the city and great shopping at Roppongi Hills

Roti’s restaurant – nice place to chill with friends and eat good food

Mexican food at La Fiesta Cantina!

Tokyo Midtown and the view from The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo

Upcoming Events

Visit the Egypt’s Sunken Treasures exhibit in Yokohama – ends September 23rd

Good information from this weeks Japan Travel chat starts here:

Meeting Points At Narita Airport

We were asked by @DenisEvents to describe a good meeting place to someone getting off the plane for the first time. This is something that can be particularly confusing for an older or less traveled person so we’ve tried to find the best answers to help you out in this situation.

Perhaps one of the simplest things to do is to tell someone to wait right where you come out from picking your bags. You go through customs and then you go straight through into the arrivals hall. It’s usually pretty easy to see someone who is waiting for you here. There are also ticket agents in Terminal 2 for the Narita Express and Skyliner train service on the wall at the back where you walk in the entrance hall. The signs are in English so they’re easy to see and telling someone to meet you here does mean that you don’t have to fight the crowds so much.

Narita airport also has some specific meeting points organized which you can find on their meeting points page.

“What’s The Best Skyscraper Location To Get A Panoramic View Of Tokyo?” was another great question this week. It’s certainly something worth doing if you’re visiting Tokyo. It may not be a ‘beautiful’ city by conventional standards but the panorama, especially at night, has a certain magic to it.

Suggestions included Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku – it’s free so great if you’re on a budget and we also love Ebisu Garden Tower in Ebisu Garden Place. Great views from floors 38 and 39 with restaurants on both floors if you fancy an evening meal looking out over the city. Restaurants in Shinjuku Sumitomo Building also give great views or check out this list of venues with revolving restaurants on Wikipedia.

See this Tokyo Sky City page for some more great ideas.

Can I Use Travelers Checks In Tokyo?

Money is definitely something that needs to be organized when you plan to visit Japan so this was a good question from @tokyofan. Travelers checks can be used although many banks do not accept them so you need to know where to go. The World Currency Shop is a good places for this. See the bottom of this Tokyo Banks page for more information.

Other tips this week included:

• For information on Gothic/Lolita styles in Tokyo, see this interview with LaCarmina
• If you’re flying into Kansai airport there’s also a limousine bus service available.
• For trains and buses in the Kansai region try the Kansai Thru Pass

Next Week’s Challenge!

If you know of any good parties coming up somewhere in Japan, please share it with us during the next chat.

Highlights from this weeks Japan Travel chat on twitter:

Sporting Events

There is still time to catch a Baseball Game in Japan before the season ends – check out the Japan Times Ball Park Guide to find a location near you.

Japan for Foodies

Fast food lunch picks in Japan for under ¥400

Cheap Eats in Japan

English language Ramen Review site – Ramen Tokyo

Ippudo Ramen

Beat The Summer Heat in Japan

Head to cooler environs with a trip to Hokkaido.

Public swimming pools in Tokyo

Traditional Crafts

Try your had at some traditional Japanese crafts at the Kyoto Handicraft Center & the Maramasu Nishimuraa Yuzen Kobo workshop.

Japan Travel Planning

TokyoTopia’s Closer Look At Tokyo

Use a variety of sources for your Japan Travel Planning – don’t be limited by just one!

Find Tokyo Events via TokyoTopia or peruse the Japan Event Calendar & Resources from The Nihon Sun.

Japan Discovered on Social Media

Follow @japandiscovered  on Twitter

Japan Discovered! on Facebook 

Japan Discovered! on Friendfeed

Summary of the Japan Travel chat on Twitter:

Rent a bike in Tokyo and take a ride from Daikanyama to Shibuya

Exploring Chiba

Kamogawa is home to Sea World

Hike near the Yoro gorges on the Boso Peninsula

Dealing with Earthquakes & Other Emergencies in Japan

Make sure you are prepared for an earthquake in Tokyo and a quote from Shane on Galavanting about the recent spate of quakes.

Learn some earthquake safety tips and where you can experience an earthquake simulation in Japan.

Before you visit read up on how to deal with a variety emergencies in Tokyo from TokyoTopia.

Foodie Fun in Japan

Chill out in Tokyo’s Yakitori Alley.

Try out Manna, a new raw food restaurant in Tokyo.

Fall in Japan

Autumn in Japan offers visitors lots of lovely color and fun festivals.

In honor of Halloween, why not take a Yokai (ghost) tour in Chugoku.

Consider some of these day trips from Tokyo or a visit to Tokyo Disneyland year round – a night passport will save you some yen!

Explore Kamakura with this quick list of tips and don’t miss the Zeniarai Bentzaiten Ugafuku Jinja (shrine) – it’s a bit off the beaten path and best reached by renting a bicycle but they say you can double your money there…

This weeks Japan travel chat was a little bit quiet due some technical Twitter issues so the transcript will be a bit shorter than usual.

Climbing Mt. Fuji

Do you think it is better to climb all night or stay at a mountain hut for a few hours?

You can catch some sleep in a mountain hut about halfway up and be at the summit of Fuji-san for sunrise – here is a listing of huts & amenities at each station on Mt. Fuji.  Some offer meals as well as a place to nap.

Beaches in Chiba

• Check out the All at Sea article at Metropolis
• Surfing in Chiba
• Chiba Tourism Website – Chiba-Tour

Yen & Credit Cards in Japan

Avoid changing your yen at the airport and makes sure to bring some with you as credit cards are not accepted everywhere and not all ATM’s take foreign cards or operate 24 hours a day.  Keep this list of International ATM services at Post Offices in Japan handy in case you run low on cash…

Also read through this information on Tokyo Banking before you visit.

Festivals & Upcoming Events

The Asakusa Samba Festival is going in in Tokyo at the end of the month.

Outside of Tokyo, head to Chichibu in Saitama for the Funadama Matsuri Festival on August 15th.

Be sure to check The Japan Times festival listings to see what will be happening when you are visiting.  Head out to a festival or other cultural event to create some unique and special memories.

Join us this week on Twitter for the next episode of the Japan Travel tweetchat!

There was some great discussion this week about food and where to go for some good eats as well as foot etiquette when you’re in Japan. Check below for the links and the other Japan travel tips that were shared.

1. “What’s a great place to stop for lunch while in Odaiba?”

• Try Gompachi in Aqua City

- and here is the Gonpachi official site in English with other locations.

• Chere here for a full list of Aqua City restaurants – Aqua City is one of the huge shopping malls you’ll find at Odaiba.
• Tokyo Decks is fun too! The 3rd or 4th floor is themed like old Japan. Decks is a shopping mall that sits next to Aqua City.
• Inexpensive tempura can be had with Udon at Hanamaru.
• Another option available is Ramen Kokugikan in Aqua City. You can’t go too wrong with ramen in Japan.
• Finally we suggested wandering about the restaurant floors and see what strikes you that day. You really can’t go wrong with the number of options available

2. @jepaco asked, “Which would you pick for a couple of days in November: Takayama & Shirakawa-go or Matsushima Bay? Or somewhere else?”

There was some debate about this one as each place is stunning in its own right!

Takayama and Shirakawa were recommended because of their centuries-old gassho-zukuri houses which are found there.

Others said, tough choice! Matsushima and it’s beautiful! One of the three most beautiful places in Japan in fact! If you go in November you also get to see the changing leaves, spectacular.

3. Foot Etiquette – @ErinSmiley asked: “If I wear shoes with no socks should I travel with socks to put on for when I remove my shoes?”

• Many Japanese wear sandals with no socks on a day-to-day basis and slippers are often available
• Re the sock/sandals question – most of my friends and I usually take a pair of foot socks in our handbags when going out to slip on
• Good piece of advice – get a pedicure and make sure your socks don’t have holes! Or you can carry a pair of foldup slippers. Some come in cute little mobile bags so they’re easy to pop in your bag

4. @benlimisella asked, “What time do Sensoji Temple, Asakusa Kannon and Nakamise Dori close?

This one is easy to answer because the Temple is open 24 hours and it looks like the shops are open until 8pm.

5. What if we want to find a great yakitori joint and tempura restaurant in Tokyo? Will we come across them easily? Which suburb?

• Try Yakitori Alley near Ginza!
• One concern expressed about Yakitori Alley was: “Is it safe & tourist friendly?”
• The resounding cry was, “Yes!” : ) with a good tip: “Very safe, as is almost everywhere in Tokyo. Foreigner friendly, but body language trumps English.”
• For tempura we suggested Tempura Tsunahachi in Shinjuku. An English menu at affordable prices. Just what you’re looking for when you’re visiting.

Final Tips And Other Good Stuff

@leffi suggested if you can read Japanese, try Hotpepper for coupons and great deals!

Another great food site you can use for searching either by food type or restaurant area is Bento.com. Their reviews are reliable and you also get access to good directions in English to help you on your way.

Finally @pacificIT asked about outside private onsens in Japan. Where can you get information about this for couples? Check out his audio tweet version here.

We suggested the Japan Ryokan Association as a good place to search. We also posted this link in Episode 2 to a similar question.

Well that’s it for this episode. We hope you’ll join us this Friday at 12:00 JST for more Japan travel questions and discussion. Have a great week!

Japan bore witness to the longest solar eclipse of the century this past week and although clouds covered most of the archipelago some great shots of this cosmic event can be found on Flickr.  2009 Japan Solar Eclipse Photos

The Japanpodshow team hiked Mt. Fuji for the 2009 Eclipse.  They share some great eclipse images from the mountain on their site and will dedicate their next show to the event.

How to Deal with the Heat in Japan?

With summer humidity and high temperatures we all need a little respite from tht heat and on this weeks chat we got some great tips!

• Carry a folding fan (sensu) and a washcloth from the 100 Yen store. Both come in handy when trying to stay cool.
• Visit museum, gallery, shopping mall or buy an air conditioned shirt (link in Japanese w/images) to stay cool.
• A small wet washcloth in plastic bag makes big difference too!
• Get a funky little battery powered fan to stick inside your hat
• Carry an uchiwa (broad fan) in you handbag or tucked in the waistband at the small of your back for men.
• Make like the old folks and get up super early – lovely time of day in summer.
• Hiroshima Heat: Hang out under trees below castle walls next to moat or jump in the city center Family Chuo Park Pool
• Head to the country side and places like Chiba’s Boso Peninsula – they tend to be much cooler.

The best advice though was of the common sense variety:  drink plenty of fluids to stay well hydrated in important.

To that end, why not try out some great cooling summer foods in Japan like GariGari-kun ice candy or Lemon-lime Coolish?

Upcoming Summer Events & Bargains in Japan

50% summer discounts to be had on an evening of Geisha Entertainment in Tokyo in August.

Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6th in Hiroshima (video of last years ceremony).

What’s on in Sapporo? – lot’s apparently…and some of it is free!

Enter to win great prizes in the Tokyo Video Contest sponsored by TokyoTopia – just a few days left to get your entry in!

Hands on Experiences & Exhibitions

Many community centers & city offices have special events on cultural topics :

For traditional craft exhibitions in Tokyo visit the Japanese Traditional Craft Center in Ikebukuro.

Experience Zen Buddhism First Hand in Japan

Opportunities to try your hand at Ikebana, the tea ceremony and wearing a Kimono are just a few highlighted by the Tokyo Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Hotels in Japan

The following hotels and resources were discussed and recommended:

• Prince Hotel Shinagawa Tokyo
• One More Time Heart in Nikko gets a good recommendation (site in Japanese).
• Look into business hotels for cheaper accommodations throughout Japan. Tokyu Stay has a good reputation in Tokyo.
• Japan Cheap Travel is one internet resource, another is TokyoTopia’s Tokyo Hotel page.

Tokyo City Views

SkyDeck at Roppongi Hills

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku (this one is free).

If you can’t make it to Tokyo or Japan, why not check out Japan’s newest photo blog:  the view from japan.

Tip of the Week – Baggage Delivery

Take advantage of the baggage delivery services to & from Narita Airport. Other airports in Japan offer similar services.

That’s it for this week.  We’ll look forward to chatting with you about Japan Travel again next week on Twitter.  We’ll look forward to tweeting with you Friday, July 31st at Noon Japan Standard Time.

Have a great week and take some time to get out and explore Japan even if it’s only virtually!

Shane & Honor