mckenzy wrote:schellen, sashimi's pics on FB are very useful... esp about the trains... quick question about the coin lockers: if i don't want to bring all my luggage around, especially when we take an overnight at a Hakone Ryokan, will the coin lockers be able to fit huge suitcases? and are they conveniently located and safe (people won't break-in)...? or can i leave them at the hotel concierge for a day or two? when in Oz or UK the hotels are pretty okay with this but not sure about Japan though...
thanks for the offer on the itinery... no worries... will be quite different... i must say that i am on my 3rd revision of our itinery already... change here change there... very messy... priorities keep changing... and ideas keep coming-in... so the more we know the more we change... sigh...
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Currently the 3rd revision includes:
- home base in Tokyo
- day trip to Mt Fuji
- day trip to Gotemba Premium outlet
- 1 night at Hakone near the Little Prince Museum/Venetian Glass Museum
- 2 nights at Disney area (not Disney hotel) to settle both Disney attractions
in between are the smatterings of Tsukiji market, Ueno, Harajuku (for the Bugis feel), Akhihabara for the Otakus...
Would like to have more daytrips out of Tokyo to get out of the 'shopping' area...
i think we would have covered the Autumn foliage by going to Hakone region so no real need to take another side trip for that...
what else have i missed?
..
You're welcome.
Coin lockers availability vary from station to station but they are generally secure. Just make sure you have lots of coins (preferably the 500-yen, 100-yen and 50-yen ones). My friend went to Japan on her own and she used the lockers too but usually, there is a 24-hr limit so if your stuff is still in there after 24 hrs, the station staff will take them out and you'll have to go look for them to retrieve your stuff. It's best to check first. My friend didn't have huge suitcases; she stayed in hostels and inns and moved around quite a lot so I don't think the lockers can take the size and weight of such suitcases. Plus, you might have to lift them up quite high off the ground for lockers at higher heights.
Dunno about hotel concierge keeping luggage for you too. They may not indicate in their list of services provided but you can ask. They may charge a fee for it though. I only deposit luggage in front of the reception/front desk when we arrive before check-in time or check-out way before flight time and wish to go elsewhere first before returning to claim our stuff a few hours later.
Yup, I think our itineraries are very different. Have you gone free and easy in Tokyo/Japan before? If yes, I think you'd have figured out the ways to get to-and-from the airport and the train system.
As for the weather, should be no problem with a good coat. My DD complained of the cold at first but gradually got used to it. I think cos in Kyoto, we were closer to the mountains and countryside, and it got colder on the last day we were there cos it rained. But in Tokyo, it was warmer since it was a city. My PILs went on their own with DD most of the time in Tokyo to sightsee and shop so that sashimi and I could shop too, separately as well.
If you're heading to Tsukiji, do check ahead if the market will be open. It closes at least one day of the week so check to avoid disappointment. Of course, don;t need to tell you to go really early if you want to watch the proceedings and eat the freshly caught fish.
We also went to Odaiba but there isn't really much there since it is an expensive touristy area. There's also a "Little Hong Kong" in one of the many malls there but it didn't interest us so we didn't check it out. Your wife may be interested in chilling out at Venus Fort, a mall specially catered to women. I think there is also a hot spring "resort" at Odaiba though I doubt that it's cheap. The highlights of Odaiba for us were:
1. Crossing the Rainbow Bridge
2. Riding on the unmanned trains on the Yurikamome Line
3. Miraikan (Museum of the Future), you can spend hours here
About Disneyland and DisneySea, my impression is that the latter will interest older kids/teens more so my family has never been there. We always chose to go to the former everytime.