Tokyo

What to do in Tokyo, even if you just have a few hours to kill in Narita.

to stay:

New Koyo Hotel - near Asakusa, about 4800yen a night, single rooms 2700yen. There's a noise curfew, but you can come and go anytime. If you like quiet rooms, ask for the third floor when making a reservation.

Love Hotel Hill - an area of hotels in Shibuya. A fun thing if you don't mind the tackiness. Usually spacious and often have karaoke, hot tub, entertainment center, video games, and weird interior decoration. Cheap (around 8,000 to 10,000 yen a night) and you don't/can't make a reservation. NB: You can't check in before nine/ten pm though. http://www.gridskipper.com/travel/tokyo/hotels/index.php

Villa Fontaine - chain all round Tokyo - Ueno one is nice with breakfast included for around 6000 yen.

Olympic Inn - in Azabu Jyuban about 6000ï¿¥ for 2 people. Pretty good business hotel.

Riverside Capsule Hotel - pretty cheap at 3,000 yen a night. Also accepts women and is in downtown Asakusa - pretty nice and really convenient. http://www.asakusa-capsule.jp/english/

Khaosan Guest House - 2,200 yen a night for dormitory style. Located in the middle of downtown Asakusa. The lady that runs the place speaks English. Also has an annex and a Smile house close by. The Smile gives a free drink ticket so you can start making friends! Free Internet but the showers are kind of gross - bring shower shoes. You can book online - http://www.khaosan-tokyo.com/

Asia Center of Japan - only a few subway stops from some of the most popular areas of Tokyo (Roppongi, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Harajuku, etc). The staff speaks English, they have an English website and their breakfast buffet is really good and cheap. The rooms are nice and fairly inexpensive. http://www.asiacenter.or.jp/topeng.htm

Sakura Ho(s)tel - http://www.sakura-hotel.co.jp/sakura-hotel_location.html

K's house - highly recommended for comfort. Cheap, clean, safe and friendly. http://kshouse.jp/tokyo-e/index.html

Backpacker Matsushima Hotel - a very affordable, decent hostel to stay in and has an excellent staff. Though hotel is in the name it is definitely a hostel. Does have private rooms with bunk beds, but the communal rooms are clean and cheap and very safe as well. There is no curfew and it's only about a 5-10 minute walk from the nearest subway. Phone: 03-3875-3264.

Hotel Fukudaya - a ryokan in Shibuya. It's cheap, in a good location and the owners are amazing people. The only drawback is that it's a little hard to find the first time you go, but well worth the effort. There are Japanese and Western-style rooms, with or without a toilet and/or bath, and a communal bath open in the evenings, plus showers and toilets on each floor. www.fukudaya.com

Tokyo Business Hotel - small hotel ten minutes from Shinjuku station. Good rooms and helpful staff. Nice big communal baths. Single rooms with no en suite from 4000yen. Book through rakuten travel. http://travel.rakuten.co.jp/en/

Century Capsule Hotel - recommended. For pictures - Four Seasons Chinzan-so - if money isn't too limited, why not treat yourself. Fabulous rooms and a nice traditional garden behind the hotel.

http://www.tokyohotels.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/home.htm - loads of cheap hotels and ryokans, categorised by price, some really cheap and good for short notice.

http://www.kidethnic.com/article/70/ornery-white-guy-and-the-tokyo-capsule-hotel

http://gojapan.about.com/cs/accommodation/a/tokyocapsule4.htm - list of main capsules in Tokyo

http://www.alt-travel-tips.com/viewtopic.php?t=218 - links to all the capsules

to see:

Koishikawa-kourakuen - traditional garden near Iidabashi Station on the Sobu or Tozai Line.

Asakusa - visit the famous shrine. Take the interesting way there on a river cruise from Hama-Rikyu Garden near Ginza. You get to see a lot of nice bridges. The boat will drop you off in Asakusa close to the JR station.

Harajuku - walk down Takeshita street and look at the shops. Great shopping at good prices and Wolfgang Puck's Express at the end of the street closest to the JR station has really good food. On a Sunday, go in the afternoon and check out all the goth kids hanging out on the bridge between Harajuku and Meiji Shrine.

Shibuya - if you like shopping check it out. Go to the Hachi-ko Exit and go towards Starbucks (across the huge pedestrian crossing), then veer to the left. There are tons of little streets off filled with cool shops and things to see.

Yoyogi Park on a Sunday - there is so much going on! Any hobby or activity you can name: tap dancing, drum circles, solo instrumentalists, frizbee, kite flying, models getting their pics taken, photo classes, hide 'n' seek.... Spending the day in this park can be a cool insight into what regular Tokyoites do on their weekends. It's walking distance from Shibuya or get off at the Harajuku exit and walk two minutes to the park. Plus, it's right next to the Meiji Temple. One last bonus is that there are 4-5 booth vendors selling takoyaki, yakiniku, yakisoba and kakigori!

eating and drinking:

Asakusa - visit the shrine around lunch time. There is a restaurant called Chin-ya close to the shrine that serves a great Shabu Shabu or Sukiyaki lunch for around 2500 yen per person. They serve lunch until 2-3pm. If you want a really great Japanese dining experience this is the place to go. You will have your own private room with a waitress in a kimono and the food is excellent! Just make sure you go during the lunch hour!

Alcatraz ER in Shibuya, up near love hotel hill. You get locked in cells and the waiters are dressed as nurses and doctors. The food is all served in operation dishes... At some time during the meal a werewolf runs through all the cells and the doctors have to catch him. Very strange but worth a try at least once.

the ninja restaurant near Akasaka, but quite expensive.

Arabian Rocks

Tea Ceremony:

Explanations in English at Imperial Hotel, Hotel Okura and Hotel New Otani. You don't have to book in advance, but it may be worth a phone call.

Hotel Okura: phone 3582-0111 (11am-12pm, 1pm-5pm), Hibiya Line to Kamiyacho, exit 3

Imperial Hotel: phone 3504-1111 Monday-Saturday (10am-5pm)

Hotel New Otani: phone 3265 1111 (Thurs-Sat 11am AND 1pm)

Best to phone first to confirm times. Prices of all range ï¿¥1000-1500 per person.

Narita:

If you have time to kill at Narita Airport, consider going into Narita town. It's close and convenient to get to with lots to do. http://www.mgnewman.com/narita/index.html

Activities:

Tokyo Scavenger Hunt - the semi-annual fun event for JETs from all over Japan. Meet fellow JETs form all over Japan and raise money for charity. http://www.tokyoscavengerhunt.com/