August 11th, 2005 + del.icio.us +digg
Antoinette and I are heading to Japan for four weeks over September for a well-earned (ha!) holiday.
I am keen to know if any of gravestmor’s hardcore readership has any suggestions on places to visit. Not so much the guidebook, Tadao Ando chapels, Matsushima Bay gear but rather the more obscure stuff. Cool bars, archi-bookshops, hidden temples, stores specialising in robot toys etc.
Oh. And if anyone can tell me where to find that little Bolles Wilson House in Tokyo, I will be your best friend.
Leave any sugggestions in the comments field below.
August 11th, 2005 at 11:52 pm
I have a few architecture guidebooks at home for Tokyo and Japan. I’ll look tonite to see if the Bolles Wilson House is included (wish I knew about that house when I went last autumn). I’ll also post some suggestions for ya. I’d do it now, but I’d probably type all morning and not get any work done!
One question may help me: are you going to rent a car at all, or just ride the rails? When I was over there we rented a car, enabling us to see things that would have been too difficult without one.
August 12th, 2005 at 9:28 am
We have a Japan Rail pass for 21 days and had not planned on driving, but if there is something out of the way that can only be reached by car we could definitely give it a go…
What side of the road do they drive on in Japan? We drive on the left in Australia.
August 12th, 2005 at 2:02 pm
they drive on the same side as us - a very forward thinking people ;-)
August 13th, 2005 at 3:29 am
Got home late last nite, so didn’t have a chance to do the stuff as promised. I’ll comment Sunday.
I’m from a place where they drive on the right, so I was a bit nervous about driving on the left. But it didn’t take too long before I got the hang of it. And they are much more polite on the road than over here in the states. If you have a rail pass I would probably say don’t bother with renting a car. Gas and tolls are very expensive, so that money might be better used on other things. And I think if you REALLY want to see something, there’ll be a way to get there.
‘Til Sunday.
August 16th, 2005 at 12:43 pm
easy.
superfuture.com
August 17th, 2005 at 12:34 am
If you’re going to hit temples, pick up a stamp book (Shuin-chou). You can get them at temples, so each book is unique. Wherever you buy it, they will write your name on the cover, and then each time you visit a temple, pay about 500-1000 yen and a monk will stamp and calligraphy a page in the accordion-fold book. I think they were originally used by pilgirms. There’s some info here:
http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/pilgrimages-pilgrims-japan.html#stamps
August 17th, 2005 at 2:37 am
Just saw this thing that looks pretty cool.
August 17th, 2005 at 9:01 am
Thanks for the suggestions everyone.
I’m also looking forward to checking out Super Deluxe, another Klien Dytham enterprise.
August 19th, 2005 at 5:24 pm
Get off at Harajuku station, cross road, descend into the basement of building on corner, marvel at all the guns that fire small plastic pellets, truly bizzarre.’borrow’ a bicycle from any railway station bike graveyard, pump up flat tires, and ride through the metropolis, dont stop for the cops though, cause your registration wont be valid and difficult questions will be asked. Go to all you can eat places and watch out for time limits. Have your drink in a Roppongi bar but dont finish it or they’ll make you buy another or leave, hang out in graveyards to escape the jungle and recharge, dont eat the oranges on the street trees, they are inedible, have a cool time guys!!!