Flyin' to Japan

Avoid the soiled panty dispensers.

All Japanese All The Time!!!

What Quarant said.

Business or pleasure?

Hey now, it's not like he's flying to Thailand.

"Pleasure" can mean lots of things. It doesn't have to mean "Jared Melton is an awful pedophile."

Whoops. You just got 'outted'.

Aside: Thailand is where M. Bison is from. If you're traveling to Thailand to have sex with a child, I'm pretty sure you need to speak with M. Bison. I don't know who you would talk to in Japan =(

Sagat is from Thailand.*

Ultraman is a good guy.*





*-Yeah, I know.

You fight Bison in front of the big bell in Thailand. The announcer goes "TIE LAND" and your little plane flies there on the map, and now M. Bison is scissor-kicking you.

Sagat might be from there too, I don't know. But fuck him, he's only got one eye.

I'm only an awful pedophile on the company dollar.

prepare to be fingerprinted!

If you're footing the bill yourself, here are two sites that I've used before. In the past, they've had much better prices than the airlines or any other mainstream on-line travel site (like Orbitz). If you're going to Tokyo and you've never been there before, the airport at Narita is pretty far out of town. Talk to the travel rep about setting something up for you to get into town (the notorious limousine buses are a good bet). Also, if you need a cell phone, you can set that up from this end and pick up a rental at the airport.

https://www.iace-usa.com/index_us.htm

http://his-usa.com/en/top/Top.aspx

Both these sites are reliable, but I'd go ahead and call rather than work it out on line. That way, you can take care of all the other things too.

Hey, what's with the Thailand stereotyping? I have a sister in law who sold her house in Boston, moved to Chiang Mai, and pays about $100/mo rent for a beautiful house in a nice part of town. She's got a Home Depot and a Dairy Queen within a mile of her house, her doctor went to Harvard Med, and there's even a decent Mexican restaurant in town.

I'm tellin' ya, as far as I'm concerned, Thailand is the promised land. If only I could convince my wife.

On to Japan: Vader, I assume you're going to Tokyo? If so, bag a direct flight to Narita and, once there, just hop on the Tokyo train at the airport and it'll take you right into town.

Do yourself a favor before you leave: Google (or go to the Japanese consulate in LA if you can't find one) an English-language map of the Tokyo subway system and JR rail lines. It's color-coded, and pretty easy to read, and it'll get you started.

Buy Fodor's Guide to Japan.

If you're a baseball fan, catch a game at the Tokyo Dome. It's amazing.

Memorize the following: "Sumimasen, eigo go wakari maska?" It means, "Excuse me, do you speak English?" People in their early twenties are mostly likely to say "yes" and help you out. Oh, and bow and smile (but not too much, or people will think you're weird) while you say it.

If you go to Yokohama, you've got to ride the giant ferris wheel Godzilla knocks over in one of the recent movies.

I love Japan, and I've been fortunate enough to spend a fair amount of time there. Unfortunately, almost all of it has been in the Tokyo-Yokohama megalopolitan area. If you're going to the other islands, I'm not much use to you. But if you have more questions about T-Y, I'll be happy to do my best to answer them.

I don't actually have anything against Thailand. My whole line of posting was as a vague reference to the movie Dogma.

I don't even think I got the country right.

Frank's advice is really good. The only reason I'd suggest the limousine buses (which are just buses--I have no idea where the idea of limousine comes in) is that you don't have to schlepp your luggage around with you. There are a couple of counters in the international arrival terminal where you can get tickets. The staff there have some english and can help you pick the best route to get where you're going.

For a real geek experience, save up some yen and go to Gonpachi in Nishi-Azabu (Tokyo). It's the inspiration for the big yakuza battle in Kill Bill I. I've never seen anybody in a Charlie Brown yukata there, but the old PM Koizumi took W there to hang out the last time the president was in town.

Also, if you're going to be there in August, you might want to think about going to the "Summer Sonic" concert in Makuhari. It's actually in Chiba--kind of like going to the Meadowlands from NYC. Anyway, it's a couple day festival with lots of good bands. Last year, you could catch both Modest Mouse and the Arctic Monkeys, plus a legion of other good bands on multiple stages. The local music scene is also very good. Put aside your idea of syrupy, creepy J-pop (unless that's what you're into) and get out to some local live houses. Shimokitazawa is a pretty cool place to look around. Ask the people passing out playbills around the local train station, and they can tell you what's up. Shibuya is also another place with great streetlife.

I'd say to check out Times Square, the big shopping center in Shinjuku too. It's full of upscale shops that sell things that I can't afford, but it has a great branch of Tokyu Hands (another in Shibuya). They sell all kinds of wild things--it's fun to just look around and see what you can find. I bought a box full of tiny, stackable plastic Mexican wrestlers last year--like human dominoes. You can also see the hordes of locals queued up to by donuts at the Tokyo branch of Krispy Kreme.

If you're a museum fan, there are a million of them. Ueno (off the Yamanote line--the main Tokyo train loop) is where you'll find most of them. Yasukuni Jinja--a wartime Shinto shrine--has a fascinating war museum. This place is at the center of controversy over Japanese militarization and war responsibility, so you'll see all kind of demonstrators around too.

Like Frank said, Japanese baseball is a trip. J-League soccer is also lots of fun, and if you're a MMA enthusiast, you can find some good public events. Check sherdog.com for a list of upcoming fights. With the demise of Pride, the field has thinned out a little, but I found a bunch of nice K-1 cards in smaller venues last summer.

Summer is also a great time for local festivals. If you're staying in Tokyo, check with the local gaijin press (I think that Tokyo Journal is still around) or the tourist information centers that you'll find in big stations like Shinjuku. If you can catch something local--a neighborhood matsuri or fireworks over the Sumida River--you'll enjoy it. No need to go all the way to Kyoto for something gigantic. Most festivals are kind of like US carnivals. They'll be vendors selling things at booths around a local shrine, and maybe some booths where you can win prizes or catch goldfish. There's dancing and music, and maybe some kind of special local event. Anyway, they are always interesting and a good way to get the feel of a neighborhood.

Holy shit! I want to go to Tokyo with you, TNH! It sounds like you've got that place wired!

I'll be there sometime in June and July if anybody wants to hang out. Movie night in Tokyo could be pretty cool.

[Adding Vader, Cobretti, and Nid to the 'Jealous of' list]

Bastards.

My only piece of advice.. TAKE ME WITH YOU

Drat. I'll be in Italy during that time frame. I don't expect to go to Japan again until autumn. Ah, well.

Join the Navy. See the world.

I could give it a try, but my bags are pretty small so it won't be in one piece. Not sure what Japanese customs policy on dismemberment is these days.

Italy? I think that I'm going there this fall. It'll be my first trip since flying through Naples many moons ago. Ever been to Salento--the heel of the boot?

I'll just put on my best Sushi impression and we'll be golden.

Wow, Vader in Tokyo. That would be interesting. I'm sure he'll picking up the latest in Japanesse hoodies. Still awesome though.

I bet if Moltisanti were to come with, you two could reenact scenes from Black Rain

The only thing I can compete with that is I'm heading to Sydney in late February. Been planning for that trip a LONG time.

I've flown over it, but never set foot on it. I generally spend all my time in Sicily, home of the best food on Earth.

I think that the airline makes a big difference too. I flew on Air Canada last summer and it was fanastic. United--not so good. In fact, United was pretty awful. It was like they had just pulled the plane out of mothballs before we took off. I almost expected the stewardesses to be wearing retro outfits. The joke was on me--the stewies were the same ones who had been flying the route for the last forty years. A very hard group of elderly ladies.

I'd think Vader-ized would work better. At least you didn't go with Vader-licious.

At least for me, things could get EdHockend!

They're the best. They have cheerleaders and liquor.

Tokyo is an awesome place for sure. Spent a week there last year, and I would go back in a second! If you're staying in and around Tokyo, One thing you NEED to pick up is something called a Suica card. You can get them at the train stations, and put money on it to use for train/subway fare. You can use them at the little stores at the stations as well. Check out Harajuku as well, just a fun place to wander around and people watch.

I can vouch for the Ghibli Museum, thought that depends heavily on how strongly you admire their works. If you love em you'd have a blast.

They have a very small theater that shows short movies that Ghibli made exclusively for it only. You’d never see them anywhere else with the exception of one short that won an award in Europe some years ago. The play list rotates daily so you’d never know what they’d be playing until you turn up on the day. It’s free with your entry as well.

That last pic is representative of the majority of the visitors of that place though you shouldn’t let that put you off as you’d end up with the same sense of wonder as those munchkins when you go thru the museum.

The strongest piece of advice I can give is that if you’re planning to visit it be sure to purchase your ticket for it before you leave for Japan. In Japan there’s a three month waiting list but foreign visitors are given special preference to by-pass the wait. The only down side is that when you buy your ticket you have to specify the day you want to visit ahead of time and you have to attend on the day of your ticket, otherwise it’s voided.

The prices aren't bad, but be warned: if you want to save money, Tokyo is not your town. It has been expensive forever, but the weak dollar makes things even worse.

And the cheerleaders come out between innings. It'd be a little too Miike, otherwise.

Here's something else you'll love: each player has his own theme song, and there are song leaders who help the crowd remember each one.

And every three innings, ushers pass trash bags through the aisles and everyone pitches in, keeping the stadium nice and tidy.

On the down side, the seats are designed for Japanese asses. I'm in good shape, and I could barely squeeze my gaijin frame into one. I guess nothing's truly perfect.

[writing: ..Kabukicho.. red-light.. district..]

I love the Japanese.

If you head to Harajuku, I suggest going on the weekend and after midday. It may be packed but it is also the time when all the garage bands setup their rigs outside the park and play, hoping to catch the eye of some talent scouts.
There's also the Rock-a-billies who rock out and dance just outside the park gates who are an institution. They've been at it there since the 70's.

By the way, from those who knows Tokyo, is it just me or am I the only one that found trying to navigate round Shibuya a little bit confusing?