Help us plan our honeymoon in Japan.
March 8, 2010 4:40 PM Subscribe
Help us plan our honeymoon in Japan.
My fiance and I have been planning to honeymoon in Japan since we met. We've read books, studied websites and AskMiFi, but there is so much out there we are having a hard time deciding where to go.
We are planning to go for about a week and a half, with half of the honeymoon being in a rural, historical part of Japan and the other half in the city. Since we won't be there long, we'd like to stay in two or three hotels max.
1. I am a fashion nerd, so I'm really wanting to see the famous street fashion of Japan and shop for clothes/cute things.
2. We both are into music, we actually met in the band we play in together. We'd like to see a cool Japanese rock show while we are in the city, even hip hop or punk, something fun we will remember forever.
3. We both love sushi rolls, but not huge fans of the individual pieces of raw sushi. Any sushi bar recommendations?
4. As for the country, we'd like something relaxing and visually appealing. What would be the best time of the year to travel?
All ideas are welcome, but we are hoping to narrow this down quite a bit. About how much can we expect to spend on the hotels, food, and entertainment while there? Anything we shouldn't miss?
My fiance and I have been planning to honeymoon in Japan since we met. We've read books, studied websites and AskMiFi, but there is so much out there we are having a hard time deciding where to go.
We are planning to go for about a week and a half, with half of the honeymoon being in a rural, historical part of Japan and the other half in the city. Since we won't be there long, we'd like to stay in two or three hotels max.
1. I am a fashion nerd, so I'm really wanting to see the famous street fashion of Japan and shop for clothes/cute things.
2. We both are into music, we actually met in the band we play in together. We'd like to see a cool Japanese rock show while we are in the city, even hip hop or punk, something fun we will remember forever.
3. We both love sushi rolls, but not huge fans of the individual pieces of raw sushi. Any sushi bar recommendations?
4. As for the country, we'd like something relaxing and visually appealing. What would be the best time of the year to travel?
All ideas are welcome, but we are hoping to narrow this down quite a bit. About how much can we expect to spend on the hotels, food, and entertainment while there? Anything we shouldn't miss?
The highlight of our trip to Japan was hiking the Nakasendo Road in Gifu--the old road the nobles had to travel when the capitol was moved in the Edo period. We did a day hike between Magome and Tsumago, and really got to see the countryside. You can stay a night in Magome and have your bags sent on ahead to the next post-town, Tsumago.
We stayed in minshukus (guest house hotels) in both places and both were outstanding. The hosts in both were surprised to see foreigners staying, and super-helpful and friendly.
Here's someone's write-up of a similar trip.
posted by Kafkaesque at 5:53 PM on March 8, 2010
We stayed in minshukus (guest house hotels) in both places and both were outstanding. The hosts in both were surprised to see foreigners staying, and super-helpful and friendly.
Here's someone's write-up of a similar trip.
posted by Kafkaesque at 5:53 PM on March 8, 2010
Also, I recommend at least visiting Kabuki-cho in Shinjuku--the inspiration for much of Blade Runner's city vibe. And if you make it to Kyoto, see at least one zen temple and garden.
*sigh* I wish I was in Japan.
posted by Kafkaesque at 5:57 PM on March 8, 2010
*sigh* I wish I was in Japan.
posted by Kafkaesque at 5:57 PM on March 8, 2010
1. I am a fashion nerd, so I'm really wanting to see the famous street fashion of Japan and shop for clothes/cute things.
As wondermouse says, get thee to Harajuku. In particular, wander around the "Cat Street" area that runs parallel to and east of Meiji Dori. The areas north and south of Omotesando are also full of interesting select shops.
2. We both are into music, we actually met in the band we play in together. We'd like to see a cool Japanese rock show while we are in the city, even hip hop or punk, something fun we will remember forever.
I don't know much about shows in Tokyo, but this link might be of use.
3. We both love sushi rolls, but not huge fans of the individual pieces of raw sushi. Any sushi bar recommendations?
Since most sushi places serve primarily nigiri (raw fish over rice), I suggest you try Rainbow Roll Sushi in Azabu-Juban, southeast of Roppongi. It's an area where many foreign expats live, so there are many restaurants that cater to Western tastes.
4. As for the country, we'd like something relaxing and visually appealing. What would be the best time of the year to travel?
For the rural part, I recommend something relative accessible from Tokyo. I think you might enjoy Obuse in Nagano. The best time would be in October when the leaves are turning. It's relatively small but has a great atmosphere; Hokusai, the woodblock artist, had a studio in Obuse 160 years ago. I've heard Masuichi Kyakuden is a good place to stay.
posted by armage at 6:28 PM on March 8, 2010
As wondermouse says, get thee to Harajuku. In particular, wander around the "Cat Street" area that runs parallel to and east of Meiji Dori. The areas north and south of Omotesando are also full of interesting select shops.
2. We both are into music, we actually met in the band we play in together. We'd like to see a cool Japanese rock show while we are in the city, even hip hop or punk, something fun we will remember forever.
I don't know much about shows in Tokyo, but this link might be of use.
3. We both love sushi rolls, but not huge fans of the individual pieces of raw sushi. Any sushi bar recommendations?
Since most sushi places serve primarily nigiri (raw fish over rice), I suggest you try Rainbow Roll Sushi in Azabu-Juban, southeast of Roppongi. It's an area where many foreign expats live, so there are many restaurants that cater to Western tastes.
4. As for the country, we'd like something relaxing and visually appealing. What would be the best time of the year to travel?
For the rural part, I recommend something relative accessible from Tokyo. I think you might enjoy Obuse in Nagano. The best time would be in October when the leaves are turning. It's relatively small but has a great atmosphere; Hokusai, the woodblock artist, had a studio in Obuse 160 years ago. I've heard Masuichi Kyakuden is a good place to stay.
posted by armage at 6:28 PM on March 8, 2010
For #1 you can go to Harajuku, like wondermouse suggested above, for the casual stuff and for your overload of cuteness. The bonus is that Harajuku is adjacent to Omotesando, which has a selection of classier brands. If you go up Omotesando, you'll end up in Aoyama, which is also fun to walk around if you like art and artsy designer fashion. Closer to Harajuku, there's also the Meiji Dori Ave. leading into Shibuya, which is also lined with neat stores, one of which is a Uniqlo store specializing in just t-shirts, which would make great gifts, too. And when you get to Shibuya, there's always the 109 building, a must-see if you're a fashion nerd.
For #3 there's a place called Rainbow Roll Sushi in Azabujuban that was pretty good the last time I went. Azabujuban is a nice little shotengai (shopping district) to walk through on your way to Roppongi and/or Roppongi Hills. You can get rice crackers and taiyaki (fish-shaped pancakes) to munch on during your walk along the way (though you might have to wait in line for the taiyaki depending on when you go because it's a pretty famous place.)
posted by misozaki at 6:43 PM on March 8, 2010
For #3 there's a place called Rainbow Roll Sushi in Azabujuban that was pretty good the last time I went. Azabujuban is a nice little shotengai (shopping district) to walk through on your way to Roppongi and/or Roppongi Hills. You can get rice crackers and taiyaki (fish-shaped pancakes) to munch on during your walk along the way (though you might have to wait in line for the taiyaki depending on when you go because it's a pretty famous place.)
posted by misozaki at 6:43 PM on March 8, 2010
Well, I'm glad armage and I agree about rolled sushi... : )
posted by misozaki at 6:45 PM on March 8, 2010
posted by misozaki at 6:45 PM on March 8, 2010
For the rural leg of the trip, I can recommend Takayama, a nice little historic town in the mountains. About 3-4 hrs by train outside Tokyo, I believe.
posted by sapere aude at 8:46 PM on March 8, 2010
posted by sapere aude at 8:46 PM on March 8, 2010
Well, I'm glad armage and I agree about rolled sushi... : )
Great minds think alike!
Here's that taiyaki place that misozaki recommends: Naniwaya
Oh, and Takayama is indeed a wonderful place, but it takes four hours to get there by train from Tokyo, and it may not be as rural as you want. Think of it as a small Kyoto.
posted by armage at 9:13 PM on March 8, 2010
Great minds think alike!
Here's that taiyaki place that misozaki recommends: Naniwaya
Oh, and Takayama is indeed a wonderful place, but it takes four hours to get there by train from Tokyo, and it may not be as rural as you want. Think of it as a small Kyoto.
posted by armage at 9:13 PM on March 8, 2010
Should be worth mentioning there is a ridiculously famous beef restaurant in Takayama, that serves real kobe beef. Which absolutely melts in your mouth.. oh and the town was nice too :)
We took the sleeper train (Sunrise Seto) to Chikoku to be a bit rural, both for the adventure to do the sleep train, and be somewhere rural. The onsen that Spirited Away was based on is down there.
We did the same setup on Cassiopeia train to Hokkaido.
posted by lundman at 10:20 PM on March 8, 2010
We took the sleeper train (Sunrise Seto) to Chikoku to be a bit rural, both for the adventure to do the sleep train, and be somewhere rural. The onsen that Spirited Away was based on is down there.
We did the same setup on Cassiopeia train to Hokkaido.
posted by lundman at 10:20 PM on March 8, 2010
For maximum effect, try to hit Harajuku on a Sunday, when you'll see lots of people in full costume.
For live music, try the live houses in Koenji, a bohemian neighborhood a couple of stops outside Shinjuku on the Sobu line. More here.
For something visually appealing and eerily quiet after the roar of Tokyo, try Hakone.
posted by quidividi at 5:06 AM on March 9, 2010
For live music, try the live houses in Koenji, a bohemian neighborhood a couple of stops outside Shinjuku on the Sobu line. More here.
For something visually appealing and eerily quiet after the roar of Tokyo, try Hakone.
posted by quidividi at 5:06 AM on March 9, 2010
If you're fortunate enough to be in Harajuku on a Sunday (which seriously, you should arrange your trip around if you like Japanese fashion), after you're done seeing the fashion show on the bridge, take a walk along the southern edge of Yoyogi Park. Every Sunday, local bands bring generators and amplifiers and play live in the park - it's a pretty amazing experience walking along the path and seeing a new band literally every 10 feet.
Another cool place to check out is Shimokitazawa - sort of an East Village-type area full of hip clothing and record stores and some of the best small music clubs. Check the Tokyo Gig Guide for the dates you'll be there to see what bands are playing.
Besides the famous street in Harajuku, there are also several malls full of clothing stores in the immediate area, like La Foret and OIOI. And if you like cute things, check out Swimmer - it's my wife's favourite place to buy cute stuff. I just join the line of boyfriends/husbands waiting outside holding the shopping bags.
posted by Gortuk at 12:00 PM on March 9, 2010
Another cool place to check out is Shimokitazawa - sort of an East Village-type area full of hip clothing and record stores and some of the best small music clubs. Check the Tokyo Gig Guide for the dates you'll be there to see what bands are playing.
Besides the famous street in Harajuku, there are also several malls full of clothing stores in the immediate area, like La Foret and OIOI. And if you like cute things, check out Swimmer - it's my wife's favourite place to buy cute stuff. I just join the line of boyfriends/husbands waiting outside holding the shopping bags.
posted by Gortuk at 12:00 PM on March 9, 2010
You might want to stay one or two nights at a nice hot spring hotel in Hakone, about an hour outside of Tokyo, close to Mount Fuji. It's very accessible, and is a popular spot for both Japanese folks and foreign visitors.
For me, the ultimate romantic trip in Japan is taking the train from Niigata City up along the coast of the Japan Sea towards the Shonai region of Yamagata.
The rail line travels right along the coast, and is often squeezed between the mountains and the sea. If you aim to arrive at Atsumi Onsen by about 6pm at night, you'll be treated to a beautiful sunset over the Sea of Japan. Because it's such a small town, Atsumi Onsen is pretty magical (but a lot of the smaller onsen in the rural Japan can be magical), and it's really romantic, especially if there is a full moon.
Before we had kids, my wife and I went to Atsumi Onsen a couple of times, and then visited the Dewa Sanzan, Kurikoma National Park, and Chusonji, followed by another stay at a hotspring in rural Miyagi.
For your purposes, if you wanted to do something more exotic and out of the way than Hakone, you could land in Tokyo and do the Tokyo things, and then take the bullet train up to Niigata, switch to a train for Atsumi Onsen, and stay there the next night. You could explore Tsuruoka and the Dewa Sanzan the next day, and catch another train for Ichinoseki in Iwate, where there is a nice onsen at the Genbikei Gorge.
You could check out Hirazumi the next day and then go back to Tokyo on the bullet train.
I like Niigata, Yamagata, Iwate and the Tohoku region because it is relatively undeveloped compared to the rest of Japan, and there are fewer tourists - it's a bit of a different atmosphere, and can be quite romantic. I found the train ride from Niigata to Atsumi to be quite lyrical, especially in early evening in summer.
Some friends of mine stayed with us on the way back from an India trip, and they asked me for a travel itinerary. I sent them to Atsumi Onsen and Tsuruoka, as well a further north to Kakunodate. On the return leg of the trip they bypassed Tokyo and stayed close to Hakone at Shuzenji, an onsen cluster on the Ito Peninsula.
They like Atsumi and Kakunodate so much that they returned to live there for a year on the JET Program.
The best times to visit Japan would have to be April (it's still chilly) to early July, and late September to late November.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:13 PM on March 10, 2010 [5 favorites]
For me, the ultimate romantic trip in Japan is taking the train from Niigata City up along the coast of the Japan Sea towards the Shonai region of Yamagata.
The rail line travels right along the coast, and is often squeezed between the mountains and the sea. If you aim to arrive at Atsumi Onsen by about 6pm at night, you'll be treated to a beautiful sunset over the Sea of Japan. Because it's such a small town, Atsumi Onsen is pretty magical (but a lot of the smaller onsen in the rural Japan can be magical), and it's really romantic, especially if there is a full moon.
Before we had kids, my wife and I went to Atsumi Onsen a couple of times, and then visited the Dewa Sanzan, Kurikoma National Park, and Chusonji, followed by another stay at a hotspring in rural Miyagi.
For your purposes, if you wanted to do something more exotic and out of the way than Hakone, you could land in Tokyo and do the Tokyo things, and then take the bullet train up to Niigata, switch to a train for Atsumi Onsen, and stay there the next night. You could explore Tsuruoka and the Dewa Sanzan the next day, and catch another train for Ichinoseki in Iwate, where there is a nice onsen at the Genbikei Gorge.
You could check out Hirazumi the next day and then go back to Tokyo on the bullet train.
I like Niigata, Yamagata, Iwate and the Tohoku region because it is relatively undeveloped compared to the rest of Japan, and there are fewer tourists - it's a bit of a different atmosphere, and can be quite romantic. I found the train ride from Niigata to Atsumi to be quite lyrical, especially in early evening in summer.
Some friends of mine stayed with us on the way back from an India trip, and they asked me for a travel itinerary. I sent them to Atsumi Onsen and Tsuruoka, as well a further north to Kakunodate. On the return leg of the trip they bypassed Tokyo and stayed close to Hakone at Shuzenji, an onsen cluster on the Ito Peninsula.
They like Atsumi and Kakunodate so much that they returned to live there for a year on the JET Program.
The best times to visit Japan would have to be April (it's still chilly) to early July, and late September to late November.
posted by KokuRyu at 11:13 PM on March 10, 2010 [5 favorites]
Response by poster: I love all of these answers, so it's hard to mark the best. Thank you so much for all the help and ideas!
posted by jaynedanger at 5:56 PM on March 24, 2010
posted by jaynedanger at 5:56 PM on March 24, 2010
This thread is closed to new comments.
Anyway, for #1, go to Harajuku. You will love it.
posted by wondermouse at 5:20 PM on March 8, 2010