Four Days in Tokyo

[Andore]

Konnichiwa, minnasan!

I lived in Japan for a year in Toyama-ken. I visited Kyoto 3 times and Tokyo twice. I feel like I got a good sense of what was in Kyoto, but I am still pretty clueless about good things to do in Tokyo.

This September, I'm visiting Japan with two friends, neither of whom have ever been to Japan. We'll only have six days, due to time and money limitations. We're going to Kyoto first. We'll take care of the main points in Kyoto first, then see Arashiyama.

Our first day in Tokyo, we're going to see a sumo match! We've got a box, masu-C. (In fact, there's room for one more, if you want to split the cost with us. No chairs, though, it's seiza-style.)

The other three days aren't planned. I've put out the idea of going to Hakone, which my friends seem somewhat interested in, but I don't have enough info on Hakone to get them really excited. Anybody been to Hakone?

I'm looking for suggestions on what to do. Of course we'll go to Roppongi, at least twice, for karaoke and general craziness. But what else? What's a can't-miss thing to do?

(I've already been to Kamakura, Yokohama, Tsukiji fish market, Ueno park & zoo--twice. I'm looking for locals' ideas.)

Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

Andorei

[Bueller_007]

Pictures of Hakone should be enough to get anyone excited about going there:
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=Hakone&s=int
http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=%E7%AE% ... 0%B9&s=int

I highly, highly recommend Nikko. Pretty far outside Tokyo, so you have to wake up early, but you can do it in a day if you have to. That's probably my only "don't miss" in the whole Tokyo area.

That, and sleeping in a capsule hotel.

[Andore]

I wonder if one day will be enough in Hakone.

I've heard about Nikko. Your recommendation is so strong that I'm thinking about it. I hope my friends aren't "shrined out" by the time we can make it up there. But that would be another trip out of Tokyo. I'm more looking for things in Tokyo.

[Alan]

I did the 'Hakone circuit' in a day. You have to keep moving though, so it's a bit of a 'train's planes & automobiles' type day (except that it's buses, ferries, cable cars, funinculars & mountain railways). The scenery was good in parts, but I've seen better. The hot spring at the top of the cable run is interesting though. The ferry is ... well you just have to see it. If the day's fine you can see Mount Fuji, if it's a wet day, then you see the inside of the bus. Check the forecast Buy the Hakone-Freepass (not actually free) as it covers most public transport in the area.

My next trip will include Nikko. I think it deserves more than a day trip from Tokyo. Not 'til next year though. Have to save up first. I'd like to revisit Kyoto too.

[Andore]

Moshi tenki wa kumori datara, Hakone ni ikimasen.

I guess I can reevaluate plans depending on the weather. Is Nikko good rain or shine?

[ANDS!]

Hakone is nice, and we were able to see Fuji-san when we went in October last year. Hakone to me feels like Tokyo's version of Lake Tahoe - a total tourist town. But, it really is a nice town. Its not going to wow you, but for your friends who havent been to Japan, it will be fun for them to experience the non hustle-and-bustle of Japan.

The Ferry boat is - in a word - hilarious.