Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
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Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
I was able to parlay my trip to Guam, into a trip to Japan since I was going to be "in the area" already.
I will be in Tokyo for one week with nothing to do (50/50 chance my wife joins me). Then I will go to Yokosuka to work for one week.
Anyone ever been to Tokyo? Any tips on places to go or avoid?
This will be my first time in a country where I do not speak the language. I also do not know how to eat using chopsticks. Should I be worried?
I will be in Tokyo for one week with nothing to do (50/50 chance my wife joins me). Then I will go to Yokosuka to work for one week.
Anyone ever been to Tokyo? Any tips on places to go or avoid?
This will be my first time in a country where I do not speak the language. I also do not know how to eat using chopsticks. Should I be worried?
My only fear of death is coming back to this b1tch reincarnated
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Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Chopsticks are pretty easy to get the hang of over the course of one meal, IMO.
I have never been to Japan.
I have never been to Japan.
Hold on, I'm trying to see if Jack London ever gets this fire built or not.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
THERE’S NOWT WRONG WITH GALA LUNCHEONS, LAD!
- DaveInSeattle
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Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
And don't do the "rub chopsticks together" thing before eating. Its insulting...implying that you've been given a pair of cheap, splintery chopsticks.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
I wish I remembered more about Tokyo when I was there.
To quote both Bruce Prichard and Tony Schiavone, "Fuck Duff Meltzer."
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
I wish I could be of help, but unless I get stationed at Yokota AB, I got nothing.
Also, use a spoon to eat your rice. That's how it's done, btw.
Also, use a spoon to eat your rice. That's how it's done, btw.
mister d wrote:Couldn't have pegged me better.
EnochRoot wrote:I mean, whatever. Johnnie's all hot cuz I ride him.
- degenerasian
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Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
I'll never get Japanese and Korean cuisine. Who eats dry rice with chopsticks, that's stupid.
Either eat dry rice with a spoon/fork, or have rice in soup and drink it. That's the SE Asian way.
Either eat dry rice with a spoon/fork, or have rice in soup and drink it. That's the SE Asian way.
Kung Fu movies are like porn. There's 1 on 1, then 2 on 1, then a group scene..
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
I've always understood Asian rices are much starchier than the long grain varieties we mostly eat in the US, so it's more likely to clump in the bowl. That makes it easier to eat.degenerasian wrote:I'll never get Japanese and Korean cuisine. Who eats dry rice with chopsticks, that's stupid.
Either eat dry rice with a spoon/fork, or have rice in soup and drink it. That's the SE Asian way.
Yes, I got this from a Good Eats episode. Sue me.
THERE’S NOWT WRONG WITH GALA LUNCHEONS, LAD!
- A_B
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Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Alton Brown is a god.
Hold on, I'm trying to see if Jack London ever gets this fire built or not.
- degenerasian
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Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Yup but I still eat it with a spoon.Sabo wrote:I've always understood Asian rices are much starchier than the long grain varieties we mostly eat in the US, so it's more likely to clump in the bowl. That makes it easier to eat.degenerasian wrote:I'll never get Japanese and Korean cuisine. Who eats dry rice with chopsticks, that's stupid.
Either eat dry rice with a spoon/fork, or have rice in soup and drink it. That's the SE Asian way.
Yes, I got this from a Good Eats episode. Sue me.
Kung Fu movies are like porn. There's 1 on 1, then 2 on 1, then a group scene..
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
All the Chinese I saw eating rice shoveled it into their mouths with chopsticks. At an amazing rate of speed also.
Japanese eating rice, don't remember. We spent most of the trip in China.
Japanese eating rice, don't remember. We spent most of the trip in China.
To quote both Bruce Prichard and Tony Schiavone, "Fuck Duff Meltzer."
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Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Watch Lost in Translation. It stars Bill Murray, so you know it is a lighthearted goofball comedy.
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Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
I spent a month travelling through Japan a few years back and I'll be happy to give a few tips, but I'm off to bed now. I'll post something tomorrow. But don't worry too much about not speaking japanese, we didn't either and it went fine !
That depends. They eat Japanese beef curry with a spoon because there's so much sauce, the grains don't stick together as much. Otherwise, rice is almost always served in a small bowl and eaten with chopsticks.Johnnie wrote:Also, use a spoon to eat your rice. That's how it's done, btw.
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Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
- Go watch a baseball game at the Tokyo dome. It's really great. People cheer and sing for the team during the whole game.
- Harajuku : to see cosplayers or people dressed like your worst nightmare of emo rockers
- Akihabara : place to buy electronics stuff or go to manga cafes (there's also Ikebukuro, where there is an Earthquake simulator). Or cats/rabbits/maid... cafes
- Tsukiji fish market
- Shinjuku Park. Most parks actually, if the cherry trees are still in bloom.
- Tokyo tower : red/white Eiffel tower
- National/Art museums in Ueno are really great, you could probably spend (half) a day there
- Lots of temples/ shrines (Asakusa is a great one)
- Ryogoku has sumo matches in september
- If your wife is there and you're into it, you could try a love hotel (it's not as seedy as it sounds, it's more a park/movies-themed-hourly-hotel room). I didn't try a capsule hotel because one of the girls was a bit claustrophobic but I wish I had.
- The artificial island has a bunch of museums or sightseeing points.
- I didn't go to disneyland or try to see a kabuki play, but you can check it out. There's also the Ghibli museum in the suburbs but I think it's often fully booked ahead.
That's what I remember. All that said, it's not much more than you could get from a guide book, I'm afraid.
Japan is quite safe (people book seats at McDonalds with their laptops or cells, while they're off to the counter). I don't remember any neighbourhoods that were to stay away from, so don't hesitate wandering aroud.
Don't bother following restaraunts recommandations. They're so many, you'll be better off on your own in the streets. Some have shelves with plastic meals near the entrance, so you could see if it looks good to you. Try the Okonomiyaki ! (or one of the hundred flavors of KitKat). We didn't go to clubs, but we did end up in a bar where we were the only foreigners and they had us drink from a jar filled with transparent tiny fishes/larvas who were still alive and you had to crush them under you teeth (or maybe you're supposed to swallow them up alive but I didn't dare). Which is always a nice anecdote to tell.
And don't worry about not speaking Japanese. Everything is written in letters in trains/subways, most placecs have an English menu. And while few people speak English (or well enough to have a conversation) they're usually quite nice. We were asking one guy for the city tower (have a drink at the top and enjoy the view), who didn't speak a word, we showed him the Japanese name and he started running, gesturing to follow him.
Enjoy your trip !
- Harajuku : to see cosplayers or people dressed like your worst nightmare of emo rockers
- Akihabara : place to buy electronics stuff or go to manga cafes (there's also Ikebukuro, where there is an Earthquake simulator). Or cats/rabbits/maid... cafes
- Tsukiji fish market
- Shinjuku Park. Most parks actually, if the cherry trees are still in bloom.
- Tokyo tower : red/white Eiffel tower
- National/Art museums in Ueno are really great, you could probably spend (half) a day there
- Lots of temples/ shrines (Asakusa is a great one)
- Ryogoku has sumo matches in september
- If your wife is there and you're into it, you could try a love hotel (it's not as seedy as it sounds, it's more a park/movies-themed-hourly-hotel room). I didn't try a capsule hotel because one of the girls was a bit claustrophobic but I wish I had.
- The artificial island has a bunch of museums or sightseeing points.
- I didn't go to disneyland or try to see a kabuki play, but you can check it out. There's also the Ghibli museum in the suburbs but I think it's often fully booked ahead.
That's what I remember. All that said, it's not much more than you could get from a guide book, I'm afraid.
Japan is quite safe (people book seats at McDonalds with their laptops or cells, while they're off to the counter). I don't remember any neighbourhoods that were to stay away from, so don't hesitate wandering aroud.
Don't bother following restaraunts recommandations. They're so many, you'll be better off on your own in the streets. Some have shelves with plastic meals near the entrance, so you could see if it looks good to you. Try the Okonomiyaki ! (or one of the hundred flavors of KitKat). We didn't go to clubs, but we did end up in a bar where we were the only foreigners and they had us drink from a jar filled with transparent tiny fishes/larvas who were still alive and you had to crush them under you teeth (or maybe you're supposed to swallow them up alive but I didn't dare). Which is always a nice anecdote to tell.
And don't worry about not speaking Japanese. Everything is written in letters in trains/subways, most placecs have an English menu. And while few people speak English (or well enough to have a conversation) they're usually quite nice. We were asking one guy for the city tower (have a drink at the top and enjoy the view), who didn't speak a word, we showed him the Japanese name and he started running, gesturing to follow him.
Enjoy your trip !
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
http://www.quora.com/Why-do-Chinese-peo ... -is-easier" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;degenerasian wrote:Yup but I still eat it with a spoon.Sabo wrote:I've always understood Asian rices are much starchier than the long grain varieties we mostly eat in the US, so it's more likely to clump in the bowl. That makes it easier to eat.degenerasian wrote:I'll never get Japanese and Korean cuisine. Who eats dry rice with chopsticks, that's stupid.
Either eat dry rice with a spoon/fork, or have rice in soup and drink it. That's the SE Asian way.
Yes, I got this from a Good Eats episode. Sue me.
Totally Kafkaesque
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
This is amazing advice. Thank you, TFG. Sumo wrestling and baseball are at the top of my list (my wife wasnt able to make it out).That French Guy wrote:- Go watch a baseball game at the Tokyo dome. It's really great. People cheer and sing for the team during the whole game.
- Harajuku : to see cosplayers or people dressed like your worst nightmare of emo rockers
- Akihabara : place to buy electronics stuff or go to manga cafes (there's also Ikebukuro, where there is an Earthquake simulator). Or cats/rabbits/maid... cafes
- Tsukiji fish market
- Shinjuku Park. Most parks actually, if the cherry trees are still in bloom.
- Tokyo tower : red/white Eiffel tower
- National/Art museums in Ueno are really great, you could probably spend (half) a day there
- Lots of temples/ shrines (Asakusa is a great one)
- Ryogoku has sumo matches in september
- If your wife is there and you're into it, you could try a love hotel (it's not as seedy as it sounds, it's more a park/movies-themed-hourly-hotel room). I didn't try a capsule hotel because one of the girls was a bit claustrophobic but I wish I had.
- The artificial island has a bunch of museums or sightseeing points.
- I didn't go to disneyland or try to see a kabuki play, but you can check it out. There's also the Ghibli museum in the suburbs but I think it's often fully booked ahead.
That's what I remember. All that said, it's not much more than you could get from a guide book, I'm afraid.
Japan is quite safe (people book seats at McDonalds with their laptops or cells, while they're off to the counter). I don't remember any neighbourhoods that were to stay away from, so don't hesitate wandering aroud.
Don't bother following restaraunts recommandations. They're so many, you'll be better off on your own in the streets. Some have shelves with plastic meals near the entrance, so you could see if it looks good to you. Try the Okonomiyaki ! (or one of the hundred flavors of KitKat). We didn't go to clubs, but we did end up in a bar where we were the only foreigners and they had us drink from a jar filled with transparent tiny fishes/larvas who were still alive and you had to crush them under you teeth (or maybe you're supposed to swallow them up alive but I didn't dare). Which is always a nice anecdote to tell.
And don't worry about not speaking Japanese. Everything is written in letters in trains/subways, most placecs have an English menu. And while few people speak English (or well enough to have a conversation) they're usually quite nice. We were asking one guy for the city tower (have a drink at the top and enjoy the view), who didn't speak a word, we showed him the Japanese name and he started running, gesturing to follow him.
Enjoy your trip !
My only fear of death is coming back to this b1tch reincarnated
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Looks like I'll be visiting Tokyo some time next year.
I have an assignment to Kadena AB on the island of Okinawa.
I have an assignment to Kadena AB on the island of Okinawa.
mister d wrote:Couldn't have pegged me better.
EnochRoot wrote:I mean, whatever. Johnnie's all hot cuz I ride him.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Congrats big guy. I shall continue to live vicariously through your travels.Johnnie wrote:Looks like I'll be visiting Tokyo some time next year.
I have an assignment to Kadena AB on the island of Okinawa.
Dances with Wolves (1) - BSF
"This place was rockin'," said BSF21.
"There is nothing ever uncommon about BSF21."
"This place was rockin'," said BSF21.
"There is nothing ever uncommon about BSF21."
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Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Thanks for being the man who will fight for our honor.
Until everything is less insane, I'm mixing weed with wine.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Do I need to post in the Weird Swamp-related dreams thread about how Johnnie is a hero in mine?govmentchedda wrote:Thanks for being the man who will fight for our honor.
well this is gonna be someone's new signature - bronto
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Please tell me I'm just as awesome as Ralph Macchio.Giff wrote:Do I need to post in the Weird Swamp-related dreams thread about how Johnnie is a hero in mine?govmentchedda wrote:Thanks for being the man who will fight for our honor.
Anyhoo, it just dawned on me that I'll have to drive a stick shift in a right hand drive vehicle to get around. Gulp.
mister d wrote:Couldn't have pegged me better.
EnochRoot wrote:I mean, whatever. Johnnie's all hot cuz I ride him.
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Awesome. This was one of your top three choices, right?Johnnie wrote:Looks like I'll be visiting Tokyo some time next year.
I have an assignment to Kadena AB on the island of Okinawa.
Your jeep would stand out like a sore thumb out here...I have not seen any large vehicles other than passenger vans/shuttles.
I went to the Asakusa temple last weekend and am planning on hitting up the Tokyo Dome this weekend. Will also try to squeeze in the Tokyo Sky Tree. I havent had as much free time as I had hoped (I left some unfinished business on the ship I went underway in on Guam - I met the ship here in port to finish up). I really wanted to go to a sumo tournament, but they don't begin till next month. My buddy from work is going to Disney on Monday, but I am passing on that. I don't have the patience for amusement parks. I live near enough Disneyland to hear the firework show every night, but haven't been there in 17 years.
My only fear of death is coming back to this b1tch reincarnated
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
My top choices are "Anything not CONUS stateside." So by default it was a top three along with Hawaii or Yokota.
I cannot bring my Jeep. I'll have to basically give it to my cousin for the next three years. I'll power of attorney it over to him once I ship it out.
One cool thing about the new gig is that I'll get a top secret clearance. I'm going to some secret squirrel unit on the island. I'm psyched. I cannot wait to leave the current unit I'm in behind. I've had fun here, but it's time to go.
I cannot bring my Jeep. I'll have to basically give it to my cousin for the next three years. I'll power of attorney it over to him once I ship it out.
One cool thing about the new gig is that I'll get a top secret clearance. I'm going to some secret squirrel unit on the island. I'm psyched. I cannot wait to leave the current unit I'm in behind. I've had fun here, but it's time to go.
mister d wrote:Couldn't have pegged me better.
EnochRoot wrote:I mean, whatever. Johnnie's all hot cuz I ride him.
- degenerasian
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Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Johnnie wrote:My top choices are "Anything not CONUS stateside." So by default it was a top three along with Hawaii or Yokota.
I cannot bring my Jeep. I'll have to basically give it to my cousin for the next three years. I'll power of attorney it over to him once I ship it out.
One cool thing about the new gig is that I'll get a top secret clearance. I'm going to some secret squirrel unit on the island. I'm psyched. I cannot wait to leave the current unit I'm in behind. I've had fun here, but it's time to go.
Don't go on Ashley Madison.
Kung Fu movies are like porn. There's 1 on 1, then 2 on 1, then a group scene..
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Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
A sentence I never thought I'd be typing: I am currently trying to get onto the Sumo Association's ticket site.
Tickets went on sale 20 minutes ago for the tournament that's on when my wife and I are in Tokyo next month.
Tickets went on sale 20 minutes ago for the tournament that's on when my wife and I are in Tokyo next month.
"beautiful, with an exotic-yet-familiar facial structure and an arresting gaze."
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
That is awesome...hope you get in.
My only fear of death is coming back to this b1tch reincarnated
- Pruitt
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Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Got them - looks like good seats too.
What a way to spend the afternoon of our 20th anniversary!
What a way to spend the afternoon of our 20th anniversary!
"beautiful, with an exotic-yet-familiar facial structure and an arresting gaze."
Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Now she can't complain about those extra few pounds if you opt for dessert later.Pruitt wrote:Got them - looks like good seats too.
What a way to spend the afternoon of our 20th anniversary!
Did you see that ludicrous display last night?
- Pruitt
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Re: Swamp Travel Guide: Tokyo
Sayonara Swampers!
I'll check in with my Preakness picks - off to the land of the rising sun, cat cafes and sumo wrasslin'!
I'll check in with my Preakness picks - off to the land of the rising sun, cat cafes and sumo wrasslin'!
"beautiful, with an exotic-yet-familiar facial structure and an arresting gaze."