Tokyo in 10 days!

Are you only going to Tokyo? It would have been nice to split your time between Tokyo and Kyoto. In Tokyo, I would recommend a visit to the Tsukiji fish market and a day trip to Nikko.

Tokyo's metro network is the best in the world and will get you anywhere you want to go. But it is massive, complex, and very confusing at times. Using an app like this on your mobile device will help you tame it: http://www.zuti.co.uk/Zuti_Maps/Tokyo/Tokyo.aspx For me it was a life saver, I don't know how I would have coped without it. Also most of the stations have something like 20 or so street exits. It's essential that you use the correct exit to get you where you want to go. The guide books will list you which exit numbers to use. The transit passes are very useful, they work like a debit card, you load money into em. You can even use it to make purchases at most all merchants and the many vending machines you will come across. I made almost all my purchases this way, I used very little cash during my stay. Enjoy! I found it a fun place. If you have time be sure to check out Disney Sea. It's the best Disney theme park anywhere in the world, the best thing they've designed...no expense was spared. The separate Disneyland Tokyo park is an exact copy of the park in California.

I will second the fish market, no need to try to hit the tuna auctions, just wander the main hall and wonder at the unbelievable variety of seafood. Even just standing outside the buildings watching the forklift traffic zip around is crazy. Adjacent to the fish market are stalls selling knives, cooking items, etc. plus there are very small restaurants selling the freshest sushi, find a tuna place, order a mixed bowl by number and love it. You can also go down to the Ginza district, lots of shopping, stop into the department stores, then head down to the food halls (you can tell I am a food traveller) again wonderful things to see. I also suggest you walk through a Pachinko parlor, again just a crazy atmosphere. Of course there are museums and temples, see them; the imperial palace of course, even the metro is a sight at rush hour. The Japanese are wonderful hosts, very polite, but at a very basic level resent it if you take advantage of their hospitality. Look at it as if you had a guest in your home, you would offer much, but do not really want them looking in your underwear drawer. Basically be aware of signs that things are not comfortable and you will be fine.

You are likely to get a lot more good advice by posting this on something more appropriate than a "General Europe" board.

I was expecting a smart-*** reply a lot sooner than 4th, so thank you for that. And thank you for assuming I haven't looked elsewhere for advice. To everyone else, I sincerely thank you for your great advice and wonderful tips. Michael, I downloaded that app-looks very helpful!
I can always count on the wise travelers on this board for the best advice!

Hi Emily, I just got back from my first trip to Japan 12 days ago. It was fantastic and I'm sure you will have a great time. The subway can be tricky but once you grasp how it works it can be a breeze. If you're not sure how much to pay just buy the cheapest ticket it will let you in the station. The turnstile will go off if you did not purchase the correct fare amount when you exit. Head to the "fare adjustment machine" put your ticket in and it will tell you how much you owe. The machine will issue a new ticket that will allow you to exit at the turnstile. Also there are 2 different subway companies and the tickets are NOT compatible. I highly recommend the Asakusa area of Tokyo and don't miss the Senso-ji temple. I think you can buy a day pass for the JR Yamonte line. It's a train line that goes in a loop. So eventually you'll end up back where you started and it's an easy way to get to the best spots in Tokyo. It also has links to many Metro stations. There's a video on Youtube about the Yamanote line. It's about 40 minutes long but very informative. Ueno Park is worth half a day and the Akihabra district is very interesting if you like electronics, anime, Manga and video games. Have a good time!

I assume from your second post that you knew ahead of time that this is a web site devoted to questions and answers related to European travel. I, also, would have suggested that you check out TripAdvisor for a better chance of getting more responses. Happy travels wherever you go.

Half of the questions on this helpline, like what to wear and what bag to take, are very generic and have nothing to do with "Europe".

Yes I did. And seeing as there have been many questions posted successfully by others about non-European travel, I felt comfortable in asking. I got some excellent tips from people who have been where I'm going, just as I got when I went to Europe. Thank you all for your helpful advice!

Hello Emily. I was a tourist in Japan. My advice is : Do not go to Tokyo. Go to Kyoto and Nara. Public transportation to those places from Osaka. A very fast railroad train goes from Tokyo to Osaka.

Also there are 2 different subway companies and the tickets are NOT compatible. The individual tickets aren't compatible, but the when you purchase the transit card you can use it for both companies, which is another advantage for the card....you never have to worry about which line is operated by which agency. Both companies have a different name for the card, but they both work the same and will honored anywhere.

Yeah, well......this ain't about that. But in the last couple of months we've done pretty well on China, Thailand, South Africa, Egypt, Argentina, New Zealand, and probably a few more. Apparently it's easier to try to squish questions than to watch and learn. What's the second smallest continent, anyway? What about the second smallest by population?

I recommend the Rick Steves' guide to Japan! And try the Sushi.

I think people post questions like this here because 1) There is no Rick Steves Japan book. Everyone here is (to some degree) familiar and comfortable with the style of travel that he has helped popularize. It's only natural to want a similar resources for places beyond what he covers. 2) There are indeed many other sources for info - TripAdvisor and Lonely Planet are probably the two best known, and are often recommended. In my experience, those venues don't quite do the job as well as Rick's books and online community - at least for my tastes. Maybe the solution to keep the "don't post non-European questions" crowd happy would be a new forum designated for "Beyond Europe". Webmaster - one for the suggestion box, please consider. All that said, I'm just beginning to plan my own first trip to Japan, 2 weeks in late september/early october 2014. The info in this thread have been useful to me already. The question I have been pondering is: is that a good time to go in terms of weather? I know Japan is a big country from north to south and it can be hard to generalize, but as a tourist with 2 weeks, its unlikely we will go to far northern/southern Japan, so I'm looking at Tokyo and places not too far distant. I know it can be very hot & humid in the summer, so hoping to catch more pleasant weather (but before it gets very rainy or cold). Thanks!