[burnyraf]

Hi All,
I am currently in Tokyo for a few weeks and was just wondering if there is anything interesting for one to do at the weekends.
Can anyone recommend any good sights\activities\restaurants??

Thanks,
Bernie

[KnowItAll]

Akihabara!

Sorry.. I'm a gadget person...

[discobay]

And if you're not into gadgets you might be interested in what Shinjuku has to offer.

[propdetails]

There's this Sony Building in Ginza where you can check out the latest playstation games and other stuff produced by Sony.

[zatoichi]

Originally Posted by burnyraf

I am currently in Tokyo for a few weeks and was just wondering if there is anything interesting for one to do at the weekends.

Bernie, here is my short list:

1. Party. Party. Party. (Ahmega & Roppongi Hills primarily).
2. Ueno for some Temple visits and traditional food and nice walks.
3. Get a friend (yes friend, no h00ker) and go for Kareeokiii or
one of the many very fun love hotels. (If you are prudent,
go to Daiba instead and have a romantic time).
4. Go and look at the Harajuku girls. Come on Burny, you will like it.
5. Ah, shopping! Akihabara, Harajuku to mention a few. There
is sooo much. Electronics are still much cheaper in HK.
6. Take one of the tours. It's actually worth the time.

Also, please, try to get some local Shabu-Shabu not
just "tokyo sushi". There is much much much more to do. Tokyo is fantastic.

Have a good time Bert! I allways do when I go there.

[sylvesterjay]

Mount Fuji and Lake Ashi are a great day trip. If you have more time, nip over to Kyoto or Hiroshima, both are very worthwhile places to visit.

[discobay]

Bullet train will get you to a lot of places and back in a day.

[hottie]

Yes I agree with this one. Get an all in one ticket for Hakone from Shinjuku station (the base of Mt Fuji where Ashi-ko is). Don't miss the open air museum there, should be lovely at the moment in Autumn.

Tokyo Tower might kill an hour or two, as will a wander around the outside of the Palace.

If you ask at the hotel they might be able to tell you where to have a day at a bathhouse, not a normal washroom place but there are some where you go and have a bath, put your robe on, have a massage, have another bath, have lunch etc spend half a day relaxing there.

Hottie

Originally Posted by sylvesterjay

Mount Fuji and Lake Ashi are a great day trip. If you have more time, nip over to Kyoto or Hiroshima, both are very worthwhile places to visit.

[burnyraf]

Thanks for all the tips will try and get some of the above covered over the weekends.

Zotoichi, might give the girls and the love hotel a miss as I am female myself and that's not really my sort of thing.

[Levi]

Since you have a few weeks, and you are already in Japan, I would highly suggest you have a friend or your family here in HK buy the JR Pass voucher for you and post it to you in Japan. (the reason I'm suggesting this way is because you can't get it once you are IN Japan, for some dumb reason)

It is very cheap, and well worth the cost. It will pay for itself if you even just use it once for a day trip somewhere. E.g. if you head over to Kyoto or Osaka or even maybe Yokohama.

The trains in Japan are extremely expensive, esp. compared to places like HK. So, getting the JR Pass if you can is a good thing. If not, I believe it is worthwhile to check on other passes for tourists and whatnot. I'm sure every major station inside Tokyo has a JNTO or some kind of tourist office. I've always used the ones in Shinjuku and Ueno. Plus they have heaps of free maps and booklets with suggestions on sightseeing, shopping, eating, etc.

Let's see... some big attractions in Tokyo... Meiji Shrine, shopping in Harajuku, Asakusa, shopping in Ginza, drinking and eating in Roppongi, Ueno (a nice park, some very nice museums, including the National Art Museum, a huge open air-type street market), Shinjuku (more shopping, Shinjuku park, the largest mechanical clock in the world inside the New Shinjuku Bldg (if I remember right)), walking in Shibuya (see the famous intersection from Lost in Translation), the Imperial Palace (can't get in, but can take photos of the outside (or you can sneak in like that Australian Olympic swimmer... what was her name?)), Kabuki-cho, Tsukiji Fish Market (a bit outside metro Tokyo and you have to get there at 4-6 am to really see the action)... hmm, and I guess Akihabara if you really love gadgets.

Just a warning though: unless you are really super-enthusiastic about getting the latest and greatest gadget just out only in Japan, I wouldn't suggest buying a whole lot there. Especially if you live in HK, where you can find much of the equivalent stuff for much less. Even for the places that advertise duty-free shopping, it isn't much cheaper than buying from..., say the US. Definitely not cheaper than HK. But, I will have to admit you will find the newest stuff and also the Japanese versions of stuff you find in HK.

I guess this might apply for all sorts of shopping in Japan... things are just generally more expensive. Even going to Uniclo for cool t-shirts isn't novelty anymore, since there is one in HK now.

Ummm... just check out the internet (lonelyplanet.com, virtualtourist.com are 2 of my favorite websites) or a guidebook. You'll find plenty to keep you busy.

Enjoy. It's a wonderful city, and the Japanese are a wonderful people.