Originally Posted By davewasbaloo This is great stuff everyone, thank you. I am trying to see if this could be next year or hopefully 2011 at the latest. Hmmm hard call, as Kyoto looks really exciting (we are more into history and culture than modern urbanism to be honest). It's all so hard. How bad is the weather in summer? That way we could perhaps do longer (I know I am going to get a whole heap of grief from my extended family on both sides when we book).
Originally Posted By Mr X For history and culture aspects of Tokyo, focus on Asakusa, Ginza, and Ueno. Also there's a shrine in Harajuku but I've never been there. If you time it right, you could also take in a Sumo tournament. That's steeped in history right there!
Originally Posted By Mr X Found a pretty cool interactive map...a few good tips for what to see and do at a few of the stations anyway. <a href="http://www.tokyotopia.com/yamanote-line-map.html" target="_blank">http://www.tokyotopia.com/yama...map.html</a>
Originally Posted By grlweatswchpstx I'm going to copy everything from this topic for whenever I can save enough money to get to Japan... Someday...
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I would definately reccomend going to a baseball game if you have the chance, especially with the kids. We traveled to Japan when I was younger (I think I was around 10 at the time), and went to many baseball games. On top of being something that they can understand pretty easily (though I'm not sure if they're very familiar with baseball in general), it's just really fun to see how into it the fans are. And there's just something endlessly entertaining to me about going to the concession stand and finding out that they don't have hot dogs or nachos, but you can get a bowl to noodles. It's just a really fun east-meets-west experience that I think they will really enjoy.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Well baseball will be pretty new to them, except for playing it on the Wii. Here in the UK, baseball is pretty non existant. But I thought it would be fun to see the difference. I remember loving the Tom Selleck movie Mr Baseball, where he goes to play in Japan as a MLB player on his way down. If that was representative at all, we thought that would be a blast.
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo Ok guys, while I was at the Hospital for 3 hours yesterday morning, and then while waiting for the novocaine to kick in my dental surgery yesterday afternoon, I have been able to read some more. I have a question about Universal Studios. We have enjoyed our time at the original in California, and also the one in Orlando, but is the one in Japan really worth it for non Japanese speakers. With so much to see and do elsewhere, I am really wondering? What are your thoughts?
Originally Posted By Mr X If you're in Osaka anyway, it's a fun diversion. There is, however, nothing unique about the place save for the outstanding employees (I'd say that's pretty unique for Universal lol), Tokyo Disney level cleanliness and reasonably impressive shows. Oh, and the view of a big bridge which kills the theming in many areas, but I thought was cool because I was constantly reminded that I wasn't in Universal Orlando (hard to tell otherwise). In short, with all the unique and wonderful things to see and do in Japan, I'd save this one til near last if I were you (having said that, I really enjoyed the park and was happy to have had a chance to visit, but then again I live here and wouldn't go to any extreme time or expense to visit again...something I couldn't say if I were an Osaka resident contemplating a TDR trip). That's my 2 cents, anyway.
Originally Posted By Mr X Full disclosure...I worked a summer at Universal Studios Orlando in my youth, and part of that involved pretty much hanging around in the park every day and riding rides and getting to know the place intimately. I think that's part of the reason I was fairly ho-hum about USJ, the layout is very similar and the rides are pretty much carbon copies as well (Spiderman in Japan is, as in Orlando, freakin awesome though). I think that summer I was working there I experienced Terminator about 30 times at least (we not only got to ride rides, but we were backdoored in as well so we never had to wait more than 5 minutes for anything). Universal does get old after so much exposure. So, I guess what I'm saying is that if you've only visited the one in Orlando a few times or so the Japan experience will still be fresh and new and fun, PLUS the added advantage of great shows, friendly employees, and a well kept park.
Originally Posted By Mr X ***I was constantly reminded that I wasn't in Universal Orlando (hard to tell otherwise)*** To add a bit of contrast here, when you're in TDL you KNOW you're in TDL despite some similarities to other Magic Kingdoms (the castle, small world, etc..), just like you know you're in Orlando/Anaheim/Hong Kong (Paris assumedly though I've never been) even though the parks share common elements. Not so with USJ. The layout, the buildings, the walkways and everything else just totally felt like Universal Studios Orlando in every way, shape and form (there were slight differences, the little Wizard of Oz land and a few other things). Except for that bridge. It set the place in an entirely unique light (and now I guess the big jet coaster does much the same thing, until they build one in Orlando lol). By the way Dave, hope you are feeling better after your dental ordeal!?
Originally Posted By davewasbaloo I am really unsure about this one. Strangely I much prefer USH to USO. I like that it is a real movie Studio and has a history. At Orlando, I have been once, but I have not been compelled to go back. It's ok, but nothing really special, especially now they have removed some of my favorite attractions there. However, USJ seems to have an amalgam of our favs. It's tough. We are thinking because this is so different a trip, we might see if the school are happy to let us pull the kids out before and after Easter, maybe giving us 3 or 4 weeks. On the airfairs, it seems Cathay works out the best deal at the mo, and that would allow for stop overs in Hong Kong (which is really tempting - then we can belong to the elite group who have been to evewry Disney park). I can't decide on a long trip where we do HK for a few days, Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Hakone, Tokyo and TDL/TDS or whether we come for a shorter trip for Tokyo/TDS and maybe Kyoto. I wonder if there would be a chance in rule tight Japan for my children to visit a Japanese school? If so, it may be easier to swing this one.
Originally Posted By FerretAfros I don't know if you could get into a school (or what they would learn there, unless they know Japanese), but I think there are plenty of places on that list that are pretty educational. Nara and Kyoto both have a lot of opportunities to learn first hand things that a text book could only try to approximate. I don't know how lenient their school is on missing for a vacation, but there are plenty of cultural educational experiences all over the place that shouldn't be too hard to pass off. When my family went, I had to miss the first 2 weeks of the year, since I was on a year-round schedule and my brother was on a traditional calendar (as were my parents who teach at the college level). My teacher had me do a presentation on the random stuff that I learned when I got back, and that counted for being educational. I also had to make up all the busy work she had been handing out, but that's to be expected. And since they will have the teacher ahead of time, if your kids can get some of the work to take with them, then that will make that easier too.
Originally Posted By SuperDry I've been to USJ once (for one day), and it was okay. I'm glad I went to see what it was about, but I wouldn't make it a point to go back, even if I was in Osaka. Obviously, TDR is in a totally different category. Having said that, perhaps you could fit it in as a partial day and go on an afternoon/evening, and do something else in town in the morning.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< We really want a mix of the old and Edo culture, >>> Then you DEFINITELY want to make sure to include a visit to the Edo Tokyo Museum. It covers the history of the city, from its very beginnings hundreds (thousands?) of years ago all the way through today. I only spent 3 hours there on my first visit (then had to leave to catch a baseball game ), only got about half-way through the exhibits, and was so fascinated that I made it a point to go back on a future visit to finish the tour. There's enough signage in English that you can tell what all the exhibits are about, and it shows all aspects of the history of the city, including some things I had never really thought about before but found interesting (such as how did they provide municipal services such as police, water, sewer, and garbage to a city with hundreds of thousands of people prior to the industrial age). <<< Mitsukoshi is the draw for Ginza >>> Definitely be sure to have a large department store on your "must do" list, whether it be that one or another. Get to the main entrance before opening. If you get there 30 minutes or so before, you can see one of the "information girls" come out with the daily flier and read off the specials of the day, and you probably will be served hot tea as a courtesy. Then, about 5 minutes prior to opening, you'll notice a great amount of hustle and bustle, and then at the stroke of opening hour down to the second, there will be a lot of bowing, the doors will swing open, and you'll be welcomed in and have the feeling of a valued customer like nowhere else. In addition to the shopping you've already mentioned, don't miss the prepared food and the grocery sections, usually each on their own basement floors.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< Kyoto seems a must - Toji Temple, Nijo castle, Gion district, the Philosopher's Walk,Gold and Silver Pavillions, Ryoan-ji Temple, >>> In addition, be sure not to miss the Fushimi Inari shrine. They have tunnels of huge torii gates that go on literally for miles up into the hills. I recommend getting there in late afternoon so that you can be at the top by the time it gets dark. There's a great view of the city, and the feeling of being up in the forest in the middle of the night, and stopping at the various worship stations along the way, that's very surreal and hard to explain. Even though you're in the forest, the paths are well-lit and it's open 24/7.
Originally Posted By SuperDry <<< At TDL, I am tempted to do a few nights harbour view in the Mira Costa and a few nights in the DLH. But another part of me is considering the cheaper options to go sooner. >>> That's a hard one. I can't imagine a more special lodging experience for a Disney fan than a harbor-view room at the MiraCosta. But both the MC and the TDLH seem to (regardless of season) be consistently about 2.5 the price of the on-site Sheraton and Hilton hotels, which are also on the monorail loop and also offer a resort experience. Especially for a first and perhaps only trip, I'd say that it is worth the extra money if you have it to spend, but if it ends up delaying your trip for a year or shortening it by a week, then maybe not so much. You've brought up so many tradeoffs and decisions that you need to make for this trip, haven't you?
Originally Posted By MagicalNezumi ^^Fushimi Inari Shrine... the one place I have visited each of the six times I've been to Kyoto. Good recommendation SD. -- MagicalNezumi
Originally Posted By Mr X ***I wonder if there would be a chance in rule tight Japan for my children to visit a Japanese school? If so, it may be easier to swing this one.*** I would inquire at one of the international schools, that would be your best bet I think. I'm familiar with the public schools (both through Little X and I also do some part time work in the schools now and then) and they are conducted almost entirely in Japanese and, more importantly, highly regimented. Like, to the minute regimented (it's quite a system, but as an old drum corps guy I dig it ). So I'm afraid any school administrator would consider foreign visitors a frightening unknown in terms of the rigid routine (not saying that your kids *would* be, just that it would be the concern that would cross their minds). International schools are much more westernized and conduct classes mostly in English afaik.
Originally Posted By Mr X I'd also be concerned for your kids in a public school as well, since the routines are so highly rehearsed from as early as Pre-School (now we enter THIS room, remove our shoes, wash our hands, tidy up our space, bow to the teacher, and sit in a semi-circle...that kind of stuff) that it might lead to confusion or embarrassment over faux pas if a child were to visit for just a day or a week. On the other hand, I'm stressing the negatives here but I'm sure it could be a wonderful experience if you can work it out with a clear understanding on both sides (the people I've worked with are super friendly and love the kids dearly, and the kids are a joy to teach except for that one with ADHD cause he's such a handful but you get used to it).
