Going to Japan

[Juice]

Well, I have decided to take a trip to Japan the beginning of December. I have 2 weeks to get into as much trouble as possible. I know that some of you have visited Japan before so I am curious. Is there anything that I MUST see or do. Something along the lines of a track event, car show, NSX specific event. Or even something that someone believes I should see while I'm there. I'll have a 7 day Bullet pass so hopefully I can cover some distance. No real plans. I'm going alone and winging it for the most part. Any info or connections are greatly appreciated!

 

[FuryNSX]

How much can you stuff into your luggage? I've got a grip load of JDM things I want to get from Japan. J/K

Have a fun time! I'm envious!!

------------------
1995 NSX-T
1999 3.2TL
2001 Odyssey
1992 SC400



[This message has been edited by FuryNSX (edited 11 November 2001).]

 

[Juice]

My friend is telling me to bring a backpack and the will to get lost! While he is free and fun seeking, I am capitalistic and materialistic so this will be new for me. I have little to no ability to speak the language and am about as American as they come. I just hope that I don't offend anyone with naivety.

 

[hejo]

You really might want to get a translation book and study on the flight over. If not I don't think you're going to enjoy the train stations very much and might end up spending a lot of time in them.I look forward to hearing about your trip.

 

[Jim]

I went last November and had a great time. As far as car shows, they usually have big shows in Tokyo and Osaka. You can look for ads in Japanese car magazines to see where and when they are held. I think they have shows that are just aftermarket products, similar to like a SEMA show. I can check my Japanese magazines to see when the shows were held last year.

My car observations while I was there:

I was there for 9 days and I only saw one NSX (of course, I had to take a picture of it - it had a body kit on it and aftermarket rims, etc). I couldn't believe I saw 2 silver BMW Z8s within the first hour I had arrived in Tokyo. I saw a couple of Ferraris, and most noticeably a 360 Modena with an exhaust they could be heard blocks away! If you are a fan of the Nissan Skyline you will be in heaven because I saw hundreds of them. There is a Nissan showroom only (no sales) on the Ginza and also Nissan has a big corporate office building a couple of blocks away that had all of their current cars on display on the first floor. I was disappointed as a owner and fan they didn't have the 300ZX on display since they still sell them in Japan. I spent most of the time checking out and sitting inside a blue Skyline R34 GTR.

I bought all the NSX toys I could find at the toy stores and even bought the Hyper Rev NSX book at a book store.

 

[erobbins]

I've been to Tokyo a number of times... don't worry about navigating the subway system. Many stations and ticket machines have English, and even when they don't it's not hard to figure out. Just be aware that there is more than one underground train network with separate ticketing systems.

Get a "map of tokyo" from a hotel. I usually stay at the Hotel Okura (near Toranomon station), but like the maps that the Prince hotels provide. There is a Prince hotel (the "Tokyo Prince") right near Tokyo Tower. There are also three of them (the Takanawa Prince, New Takanawa Prince, and Takanawa Prince Hotel Sakura) just north of Shinagawa station, about a half mile up the hill across from the station). Get thee a map!

Taxis are expensive. If you want to take one, don't open or close the rear door to get in/out. You will offend the driver and show your ignorance. He can open and close it from the front seat. My suggestion: subways. Crowded at times, but cheap and quick.

Also... the Akihabara area is fun, but you really won't get much of a bargain on anything usable in the States. Just the facts. If you are considering purchasing something like a digital camera or camcorder, do ALL your homework here... get model numbers and prices. Then, shop for it in Tokyo. You might find a better price, but you probably won't.

One last fun culture note: Kindly accept the little packs of tissue people may offer you on the street. No, you can't read the advertising on them, but their utility/purpose will become clear when you discover that public toilets typically do not have paper.

EDR


[This message has been edited by erobbins (edited 12 November 2001).]

 

[Juice]

Thanks for the info guys. Can't wait to find some NSX toys! More necessary clutter for the office.

 

[SouthFlaNSX]

Have fun! I cant even begin on all that you should do over there! I had a blast. The sony building is really neat! Also the tokyo tower has an awsome view. I even went inddor snowboarding

 

[Larry]

I've been to japan a number of times on business. It's great there and the people are very polite and accomodating. There's so much to see I can't even begin to tell you where to start. Tokyo is a beautiful city and CROWDED !! Stay away from Shinjuku train station during rush hour ! Hit the "Ginza" which is the largest upsacle shopping area. If you have the time, take the Bullet train to Kyoto, the original capital. It's beautiful and you'll get a look at Mount Fuji. Most of all I think you'll be impressed with all the gadgetry.....vending machines at train stations, talking robots in front of stores...etc. Also there is the electronic district called "Asakusa". It's like the Whiz, Circuit City, Best Buy all rolled up into one with stuff you'll never see here. The weather is cooler there now and the rainy season is over. Bring a light jacket. The Japanese pride themselves on being polite (except when they travelduring rush hour......it's acceptable to push and shove but not to extreme). They will bend over backward to please you if you show respect.
Here are some phrases that I found useful. I'll write then phoenetically:

"KO-NEE-CHEE-WAH" = Good Day or Hello
"OHIO-GA-ZAI-MAS" = Good Morning
"SAI-O-NA-RA" = Goodbye
"DO-ZO" = Please
"DO-MO ARE-EE-GA-TOE" = Thank you
"DOE-EE-TASH-EE-MAHS-TAY" = You're welcome
"GEN-KEE-DAY-SUE-KA" = Hopw are you ?

Hope this helps some. Enjoy the trip !!

Larry

 

[Jay]

..or how about: http://www.engrish.com/

maybe this will help: http://www.emit.com/jurgen/japan/

[This message has been edited by Jay (edited 15 November 2001).]