[galleygirl]

yep, we don't go on vacation very often, but TC wanted to cash in all his frequent flyer miles before they're totally worthless...So, we fly into Tokyo on Sept. 25, and leave Oct.5...In between are a 5 day stay in Tokyo, and most of the rest in Kyoto. We'll be doing day trips from both locations, and anywhere in between, probably triangulating somewhere up north, between the two....
Help, help, help!!! Places to go, places to stay, places to eat...The cheaper the better, because we really cant afford it, but SO WHAT!!!!

[GG Mora]

Careful with that “GG” stuff.

[omnivorette]

galleygirl has been GG on these food boards for a very long time.

[galleygirl]

galleygirl has been GG on these food boards for a very long time.

I shoulda used the small gg..oops!

[Abbylovi]

I'll write up more later but here's the first thing you must do. On the day you arrive while you're really jetlagged, you need to go to the Tsukiji fish market - I mean like seriously early - 2,3,4am or something. I'm sure there are tons of posts about it on CH. After that, you need to eat at one of the sushi joints near the market.

There are a few Japan and Tokyo threads on MF, have you looked yet? Flushingboing has written up some great posts.

You also need to stay at a ryokan in Kyoto for at least one night. This is essentially a B&B except the good ones serve dinner too, and amazing ones at that. Book it NOW.

How are you getting to and from Tokyo and Kyoto? It would most likely be worth it to get a Japan Rail pass, which you can get at a tourist discount but you have to buy it before you get to Japan. You can also use the pass to get to and from the airport, which is like an hour away from Tokyo.

Oh - you'll love this - there's a flea market in Tokyo that is off the hook amazing. I got a beautiful kimono for $35 (should have bought more) and and antique milk box for $20. Let me find out when the flea market is, I think it is like the first Sunday of the month or something. There might be others too.

Oh! I'll bring my guidebooks when I see you in a couple weeks.

[galleygirl]

I'll write up more later but here's the first thing you must do. On the day you arrive while you're really jetlagged, you need to go to the Tsukiji fish market - I mean like seriously early - 2,3,4am or something. I'm sure there are tons of posts about it on CH. After that, you need to eat at one of the sushi joints near the market.

There are a few Japan and Tokyo threads on MF, have you looked yet? Flushingboing has written up some great posts.

You also need to stay at a ryokan in Kyoto for at least one night. This is essentially a B&B except the good ones serve dinner too, and amazing ones at that. Book it NOW.

How are you getting to and from Tokyo and Kyoto? It would most likely be worth it to get a Japan Rail pass, which you can get at a tourist discount but you have to buy it before you get to Japan. You can also use the pass to get to and from the airport, which is like an hour away from Tokyo.

Oh - you'll love this - there's a flea market in Tokyo that is off the hook amazing. I got a beautiful kimono for $35 (should have bought more) and and antique milk box for $20. Let me find out when the flea market is, I think it is like the first Sunday of the month or something. There might be others too.

Oh! I'll bring my guidebooks when I see you in a couple weeks.

That will be fab!
I actually read about one of the flea markets in a detective novel set in Tokyo....We'll be there two sundays, so Im ready to go! Little does TC know I agreed to all that time in Tokyo for all the markets, and izakayas...I thought Tsukiji wasn't open to the public anymore, becasue they interfered with the tuna auctions?

[galleygirl]

Do you have a ryokan rec?

[Abbylovi]

Really? I wonder if that's a new development.

I just thought of another thing you need to do. In Kyoto you need to go to Nishiki Market, which is a big block-long market where all the top restaurants get their goods. I went there nearly every day for breakfast bento boxes and just to get lots of stuff (artisinal bonito flakes, tea, etc etc.) But at one end of the market there's a stall where you can eat grilled oysters and drink beer or sake. Do that.

TC can go browse cuban cigars while you shop for Japanese knives.

[Abbylovi]

Do you have a ryokan rec?

I didn't book in time so I had to stay at a hotel. Boo hoo. The two top ones are Tawaraya and Hiragiya but I suspect they are crazy expensive. Akiko wrote up her stay at one and it sounds like a once in a lifetime type of thing that would be totally worth the $$.

Email Eric Eto - I"m sure he will know of some good and perhaps lower priced options too.

[Abbylovi]

If Tsukiji is still open, it would be worth it to track down this magazine article: Guide to Tsukiji. Peter Cuce from CH lent me a bunch of these magazines and they are beautiful. If you have a Japanese book store, they will most likely have back issues.

[flushboing]

Here are some sites that you should look at for planning your trip.

Rakuten Travel is like the Japanese version of a Hotels.com, a hotels discounter, including ryokans.
Japan Guest Houses is a service that lists ryokans and will make a reservation for you. I've never used them, but it seems like a good idea.
Here's the homepage for the Japan Ryokan Association, which provides a lot of information on ryokans around Japan.
And another ryokan and onsen guide (not much content on this one).
And here's a page from the Japanese National Tourism Organization (JNTO) with a list of PDF files of useful local travel guides.
And another useful site from Web Japan.
Here's a comprehensive page on Kansai Food.

And if you have someone who can navigate in Japanese, here are some good sites:
Jalan for a more comprehensive listing of discount hotels.
Gurunavi for lots of restaurant information. Restaurants pay this service to be listed with menus, and offer discount coupons and such. The English section of Gurunavi has only a fraction of the listings.

[little ms foodie]

oh yeah!! we are going to Tokyo, Hakone, Hiroshima and Kyoto in December so not to hijack or anything but I'll be following along too!

I have been using the Japan Guest House site for our ryokan/ onsen in Hakone. We are also looking into renting apartments in Tokyo and Kyoto using vrbo.com

[galleygirl]

Update, so far...
5 days in Tokyo, we are staying in Akasaka..
1 day in Takayama, wher we stay in Yokichi, a thatched-roof Gassho Zukuri style of building in Shirakawa-go.... (very primitive)
Yokichi
1 day in Kanazawa, Murataya Ryokan......
1 day in Mt.Koya, where we stay in Shojoshin-in Buddhist Temple: (may get changd to another day in Kyoto)
3 days in Kyoto, where we stay in Heianbo, a ryokan in the center of Kyoto....

After obsessively searching, and reading the tripadvisor board on Japan, whih are very good, I found Japane Guest Houses, and started reading user reveiws of their site and various ryokan. We had to settle for shared baths nd toilets in all of them, but I didn't want to stay at Quality Inns. The ones out in the ciuntry include meals, the one in Kyoto doesn't which is just fine with me, becasue I'd like to get out and eat there...

[galleygirl]

Really? I wonder if that's a new development.

I just thought of another thing you need to do. In Kyoto you need to go to Nishiki Market, which is a big block-long market where all the top restaurants get their goods. I went there nearly every day for breakfast bento boxes and just to get lots of stuff (artisinal bonito flakes, tea, etc etc.) But at one end of the market there's a stall where you can eat grilled oysters and drink beer or sake. Do that.

TC can go browse cuban cigars while you shop for Japanese knives.

found some excellent pointers on Nishiki Market on this site.
Bento.com
Kyoto market Nishiki Market
http://www.bento.com/phgal-kyotomarket.html

[flushboing]

Update, so far...
5 days in Tokyo, we are staying in Akasaka..
1 day in Takayama, wher we stay in Yokichi, a thatched-roof Gassho Zukuri style of building in Shirakawa-go.... (very primitive)
Yokichi
1 day in Kanazawa, Murataya Ryokan......
1 day in Mt.Koya, where we stay in Shojoshin-in Buddhist Temple: (may get changd to another day in Kyoto)
3 days in Kyoto, where we stay in Heianbo, a ryokan in the center of Kyoto....

After obsessively searching, and reading the tripadvisor board on Japan, whih are very good, I found Japane Guest Houses, and started reading user reveiws of their site and various ryokan. We had to settle for shared baths nd toilets in all of them, but I didn't want to stay at Quality Inns. The ones out in the ciuntry include meals, the one in Kyoto doesn't which is just fine with me, becasue I'd like to get out and eat there...

That's kind of an ambitious itinerary. If I were you, I'd shave a day off Tokyo and/or Kyoto and add a couple more days in the Takayama/Kanazawa area. Getting to Shirakawago from Tokyo will take over 6 hours (probably closer to 8) considering train transfers, and bus/taxi transportation (I'm assuming you'll rely on a JR pass for the travel). That means you probably won't have much time in the daylight hours to see the old Shirakawago village. And you'll be doing the same travel bit to get to Kanazawa the next day. I think you'll really like the coastal area of Kanazawa or if you go to some of the coastal villages in Ishikawa or Fukui prefectures. I've always wanted to check out the Noto peninsula, just north of Kanazawa. You might even stop by Obama city. I think they must be getting excited about the elections in the US.