The tokyo thing

So here's stuff to do in tokyo:

fish markets: 5am - whenever we get back home and sleep again.

disneyland (all day for some, just the night for others?)

ghibli museum (a couple of hours, do stuff in the vicinity)

one day's going to be church stuff

allow a day or 2 for being stuffed

allow a day or 2 for wandering around shopping and stuff

stuff includes: gardens, palace, harajuku, stuff that looks good when we get there.... lol i'm so out of it tonight

Miyoko chan: Student by weekday, Tourguide by weekend

Miyoko (some might remember her from 1st semester) is happy to be our guide on Sunday 14 December. We are busy in Saitama up to and including lunch, but is there somewhere you'd like to go on Sunday afternoon that would need a Tokyo local? 

Clothing summary

Hey guys, here's what we've discovered so far in the clothing department:

1. In Osaka we can wear jeans and the weather is likely to be "jeans and jumper" kind of weather

2. In Tokyo we're tourists so we can do whatever, but it might be a bit colder than Osaka.

3. In Kinomoto (the village near Biwako) you'll need that same jeans and jumper but with thermals and a jacket standing by!

4. Two of the three churches we're visiting are a little more formal, so slightly better than jeans and jumpers would be appropriate there.

Summer of Youth on the Night Train

So, Japan Rail passes have fallen in price (highest was $555 from Student Flights Wednesday 2 weeks ago) to $436.

Here's a novel way to save some more money...

Seishun Juhachi Kippu: 5 x 1 calendar day per person unlimited travel for Y11,500. That's Y2,300 per person.

I'd known about these for a while - we did a 17 hour trip on it once! Limited to local trains (no shinkansen) so not great for travelling between Osaka and Tokyo - think 12 transfers with luggage - yuck!

BUT, bring on the Moonlight Nagara. It travels from Tokyo to Ogaki, which is just short of Osaka, but close to Biwako. And, not being a Shinkansen you can use the Seishun Juhachi Kippu!

Due to it being an overnight, non-sleeper equipped train, it's no good for Rachel and the boys. So they'll take the Shinkansen regardless (just under Y14,000 one way). Anyone else would be welcome to join them.

For anyone on a tight budget, we can buy one or two Seishuns - 5 or 10 person vouchers - and take the overnight train - it takes 2 vouchers per person in the Osaka to Tokyo direction. This means Y4,600 for the trip to Tokyo. Back to Biwako we could all take the Moonlight Nagara, catching it after midnight and thus using only one set of 5 travel vouchers (Rachel will stay in Tokyo).

To put this in perspective, a few comparative prices:

Japan 7 day rail pass...............Y 28,300

Minor trips not covered by pass.....Y  2,500

Shinkansen (Osaka-Tokyo)............Y 13,470

Moonlighting as Seishun (Osa-Tok)...Y  4,600

Shinkansen (Tokyo-Biwako)...........Y 11,760

Moonlighting (Tokyo-Biwako).........Y  2,300

5 days train in Tokyo (no JR Pass)..Y  4,000

So my estimate is, with the pass we'd pay around 32,000.

No pass and using Shinkansen: around 30,000. 

Shinkansen up, Seishun down: around 20,000. 

Seishun up and down: around 11,000 

The main problem taking the moonlight train is the loss of half a day to sleep. If we went up to Tokyo this way I'd suggest going a half day early and checking into our tokyo apartment and sleep, waiting for Rachel and whoever else to arrive. This wastes a night's accomm in Osaka (Y2,600). Back to Biwako we can use our accommodation as booked but we'll be tired on our first day in Biwako (but we'll get there 9 hours earlier than otherwise planned, so hopefully can sleep). Is the sleep deprivation worth Y21,000 ($320) to you?

6 nights in Tokyo

Here's where we've booked in Tokyo. Comes to Y2800 per person per night...

http://www.monthlychintai.com/en/room/D017-201/

So then, accommodation cost...

In today's money (Y65 to $1AUD) Osaka + Tokyo accommodation will cost $580 - that's about $40 a night for 14 nights. Just so you know, the best price we saw for a dodgy backpackers was $34 - so we're paying an extra $6 per night for the freedom to come and go, added security for our stuff, the luxury of our own space, the ability to cook up a storm, and for Jono to sleep during the day ;)

For both Otemae and Shibaura, these were two of the first places Rachel ever found, but the 40 hours of combing websites and asking Japanese friends for help yielded nothing better - we're confident that if the exchange rate stays roughly where it is, that we've got a pretty good deal for both. Of course judgement should be reserved til we get there... but what can i say, we're excited!

Thanks Rachel for sweating on this!

What we want to do in Tokyo

Hayao Miyazaki
Jono does not want to go to Disneyland
Tokyo fish market
- Ueno zoo, temple, market, station, stuff!! WOO!
Ginza and Palace
Shinjuku
- Harajuku, Shibuya
- Temples in Nikko
- Galleries, gardens
- Teahouse!!!! Tea ceremony +++ (can we do this at a guest house?)\
!! Catch up with FOCUS pples that are in Japan!