Tokyo, Never Enough Time!

I absolutely adore Japan. For decades, I've dreamed of making this trip and I was not disappointed. Of all my memories, the people I met are the most important to me. Kindness and hospitality at almost every turn. I could hardly take out a map without someone stopping to ask if I needed help.

Clean! A traveler's delight! Entirely tidy and fresh. You can eat anywhere and about anything you like with confidence that you will be just fine. Generally food is expensive, but it is of very high quality. Everything is fresh. If you want to eat cheaply you can. There are always the noodle shops, the convenience stores and the vending machines. You can eat expensively also, to the extent of the cash in your wallet. Remember that in Japan, most of the time, cash is king and credit cards are hard to use. Forget using traveler's checks. You can't. My sincere thanks to all the IGOUGO.com guides who helped me organize this trip. It would not have been the same without you.

Quick Tips:

Travel with as little baggage as possible especially if you are going to be jumping on and off trains. You can send heavy bags ahead by truck. Your hotel can arrange that for you. Although much quick food is for sale, you won't see people eating and drinking while walking around. Open your eyes and heart to all that is around you and enjoy this wonderful country. Watch for discount prices on airfares and train and subway tickets at special prices for visitors. There is no tipping in Japan. Something that really becomes a pleasure!

Best Way To Get Around:

I walked, took buses and trains. Those bullet trains are completely wonderful. I paid for all of my tickets and hotels prior to leaving for Japan. That gave me a very good handle on my expenses for the trip. The cost of most of my hotels included a buffet breakfast, often costing US if you were to pay for it on your own. I depended on my feet to get around even in Tokyo (up to a point).

Japan is a wonderful country to visit. Dreams do come true.

I had been advised to expect a tiny hotel room in Tokyo. Prices in Tokyo are sky high and land is extremely valuable. The Keio Plaza defied this advice. My room, #2711, was large, with two huge picture windows, a sitting area with mini-fridge, table, floor lamps, chairs as well as two beds, large closet, television, full bath and an entry area that was large enough to serve as a sleeping area for a child. The entry area also housed a dressing table with hair dryer, make-up mirror and extra lighting. The bathroom lights came on slowly when turned on so not to be a shock in the night. A very generous room!

This is a full-service hotel for either vacationing or business. The vast lobby area and welcome foyer are stunning, with marble floors, high ceilings and fresh flowers. This is not the crowded Tokyo hotel I'd expected. Very comfortable and relaxing in the midst of one of the largest cities in the world. The room service is the fastest I've ever experienced.

As typical with large Japanese hotels, there is a long list of restaurant choices, from Italian and French to the cuisines of Asia. There is a take-away bakery and a large buffet restaurant that is used for breakfasts. There are also several bars, places to have coffee and tea, a swimming pool with food service, and a very quiet atmosphere.

All very nice, very comforting, but the best of it all is the kind and helpful staff who always had a smile for us and were ever helpful.

The quality of the bath products is outstanding, with the usual Japanese habit of providing just about everything you need, from kimono and slippers to toothbrush, paste, comb, brush, razor (and soap) and a terrycloth robe. A special treat for me was the essential hot water machine, the Zojirushi, with cups, tea and instant coffee. The mini-fridge was well stocked with sodas, beer, wine, liquor and still had room for a few of your own purchases. At about $100 US per star, you can roughly calculate what it will cost you to stay in this four-star hotel. Well worth it in a city where you can spend more money and get much less in service and accommodation. I really enjoyed this hotel.

When you check in, you will be given three essential items. Your key, a map with the hotel location clearly marked, and a card with the name and address of the hotel in English and Japanese. You will need this for taxi drivers. The map has little drawings of neighboring buildings, so that you can find your way around by recognizing the shapes of the buildings. The city hall is across the street and other buildings and shopping areas are indicated by activity. The electronics district for example. You will need these, as the street names will be of little use.

This is the oldest Western-influenced hotel in Japan. The slogan is 'history with luxury'. The setting in Nikko is beautiful beyond words. The building, its various fittings and gardens, the works of art and the antiques are priceless. We found the dining room a bit too formal, a bit too slow paced and over furnished; but we had the sights and shrines on our minds and wanted to get back out the door. One of the oldest wooden hotels in the world, the building has been substantially updated to meet modern safety standards. In addition, full, modern bathrooms are now part of every bedroom. The atmosphere brings to mind the private home of a very wealthy older person. The furnishings more like you might find in Scotland than in Japan. That is to say, all the beds are Western-style and the toilets familiar in appearance for Westerners.

The main building includes a museum that shows the furnishings, chinaware, menus and photos of the hotel about 100 years ago. Don't fret, that chamber pot isn't for you to use these days!

A lovely place to sojourn for a few days while you are wearing yourself out trekking around the shrines and national parks. Limited on-site parking, and although the staff is very friendly, little English is spoken here. Not to worry! You won't go hungry. You will be cared for.

Every Japanese hotel I stayed in provided a set of essentials: a mini-fridge, coffee and tea service, a hot water machine (usually a Zojirushi brand), cups, spoons and an ice bucket. At the Keio Plaza, it took me a few minutes to realize that I needed to telephone "In Room Dining" to get ice. Well, as long as we were having ice, might as well order a cheeseburger and something sweet. The ice came within 2 minutes of my call, the cheeseburger a few minutes longer. Yes, the person who took my order spoke excellent English. With my own Zojirushi machine, I made my own tea and with little effort, I could have made instant noodles, oatmeal or many other things. This is all very handy for the travelers. The mini-fridge, a computerized gizmo, had slots for the various beverages. Remove one and the charge was instantly on your bill.

Even though the buffet breakfast on the second floor restaurant was included in our room charge, I preferred to order room service. The cheerful woman who delivered our order was always a pleasant way to start the day. A full breakfast cost about US$30 and a cheeseburger about US$12. The ice was free. No charge for the coffee and tea service unless you used the French drip coffee, which was about $4. All in all, it was a very pleasant experience and a part of enjoying a really fine hotel.

The Keio Plaza hotel has a vast variety of restaurants from the take-away sort to fine dining. Jurin is a nice compromise for the weary traveler. Better than the typical hotel coffee shop, it features tasty food served very nicely. The large windows feature a garden view, a real luxury in the heart of Tokyo. The menu featured 3 methods of communication: English, Japanese and beautiful photos. I had a California style lightly cooked arrangement of very fresh vegetables with pasta and green tea. My husband had a very nice glass of a French red wine and deep-fried giant prawns. Our waiter served his tables with a skill level in languages that suited those who wished to speak English, Japanese, French and German. No misunderstandings, no rush and, typical of Japan, no tipping.

My mother loved the word 'civil' as in 'he is a very civil person.’ The Japanese are very civil, very kind and very hospitable. There is a degree of kindness that one usually doesn't find in a big city hotel. A real concern that you have the food you wish to eat, that it is prepared as you like and that you enjoy eating it. Even with people waiting for tables, you aren't rushed. The table is yours as long as you want it.

This restaurant is open from 5am to 11:30pm with 24 hour 'In Room Dining' filling in the closed hours.

This beautiful restaurant on the second floor of this fine, ancient hotel is a wonderful experience if you have both time and money. We were a bit too eager to get out to the shrines to sit through an over 2-hour long lunch. Well, sit we did as course after course arrived. We started with classic Japanese corn chowder soup, then had a whole fish, a main course of chicken under a red sauce, a vegetable/ salad course and finally tea and dessert.

A fixed price, fixed menu meal is not uncommon in small hotels. Most of it was very good, if a little closer to realistic in ingredients than I prefer. The whole fish, recently quite alive, was too much for me and I passed it over to a friend.

Very elegant service with an expensive and extensive wine and beer list. It would be very easy to spend more for wine and beer than you did for the meal if you didn't keep track of how much you were drinking.

This restaurant's motto is "Character, Courtesy, Calmness, Comfort and Cuisine". A real classic hotel and restaurant. History on your plate, on the walls and out the windows.

I've traveled to Asia before, so Asian-style plumbing was no surprise to me. I remain astonished at the number of western women who either avoid going to Asia altogether out of fear of the toilets, or hide out in western-style hotels and shopping centers. Listen to me, ladies! Using Asian-style toilets is not that big a deal.

In Japan, all toilets are very clean, with proper arrangements for your privacy and washing up after. That said, the item in question, the slit toilet, takes a bit of getting used to. In Japan, all toilets are made of china or some manmade material. Every one I saw or used had a flushing device. Nearly every 'restroom' had toilet paper in each stall. More on that later. So you need to settle yourself to the idea that you aren't going to spend all your touring time waiting in line for the few western-style toilets, which are usually in the major tourist areas, roadside rest areas, hotels and shopping centers. Face the Japanese fixture head on, so to speak, and get used to using it. The only possible excuse for not doing so is being physically impaired so that you can't, just can't. One Japanese woman gave me the advice that it's 'bad luck to fall in'.

Guidebooks give you a little idea on how to approach this act of nature. Here are the basics. Make sure you have a package of tissue in purse or pocket in case there is none available. You must rely on your own supply for drying your hands in most situations. After you locate the women's facility, which is very easy to do these days with generally understood international signs, either find one that is open for use or wait in front of one that is busy. Don't line up at the door. That's not how it is done in Japan.

If you see several women in the room, you are in the correct place! Don't be surprised if there is a lot of talking between stalls. Japanese women aren't embarrassed about these matters. Open the door to the stall and seek out the hook or shelf for your purse and etc. Face the flusher. Repeat, face the flusher. Adjust your clothing so that your bottom is bare and squat down over the fixture. Sometimes there is something to hang on to. On trains, there are handles. Bend your knees and squat as low as you can. Past experience in ballet or gymnastics is helpful, but nearly anyone can manage the task. More than once, a Japanese woman gave me a kind smile for using 'her' type of toilet. If you can manage this on the bullet train, you are a champion!

When finished, dry yourself off with either provided toilet tissue or your own supply. Put the used tissue into the basket at hand. Do not attempt to flush it down the toilet!!! No! Step away from the fixture, adjust your clothing and then flush. Gather all your belongings and go to the area where you wash hands. Wash your hands very well. It is a tradition in Japan to do so. You would be amazed how many western women skip this step and cause discomfort for the Japanese women. Use your own tissue to dry your hands and put it either in a wastebasket (very hard to find in these days of terror worries) or into your pocket or purse for later disposal. Do not be surprised if an attendant is continually cleaning the toilets.

Gentlemen. Obviously you have a much easier time for most matters, but you will need to carry your own tissue for hand drying. Also, you will have to get used to having women cleaning the toilets while you are in the area. This caused my husband much embarrassment until one cleaning lady told him in English to 'just go ahead and pee'. After he got over the shock of that comment, he did.

Many Japanese advertisers hand out packets of tissue on shopping streets (sometimes with sexy pictures), so make sure you have some in pocket. Sooner or later you will need it. It's not just for your nose.

Most of the time you can find western-style toilets, usually of the TOTO brand. Very fancy, but you need to be able to use what you encounter.

Now, about Japanese bathtubs - and this is hardcore data. Japanese people are extremely picky about the use and care of bathtubs, even in your own hotel room. In most of our hotels, we had a familiar-looking bathtub and shower combination; so I felt free to wash my hair in the shower. However, in situations where we only had a bathtub, you absolutely do not put any sort of soap, bath oil, shampoo, etc. into the tub.

You will find a drain in the floor, a tiny stool to sit on, and a handheld shower device. You are expected to wash and rinse yourself (hair and all) while sitting on the little stool. Remember: do NOT put any sort of soap into the deep Japanese bathtub. It will take the person who cleans your room a great deal of time and effort to remove the residue.

My first attempt at washing myself while sitting on the little stool (bamboo at that) was in Singapore. I ended up sprawled on the floor. Practice has perfected my technique, but not to the point where I enjoy the process. Once entirely clean and rinsed of all soap, you ease yourself into the bath, which is full of hot, sometimes extremely hot, water.

In public bathhouses, you go through the washing, soaping, rinsing process entirely before going in to the public bathing area. Men and woman are usually separated and are naked. Yes, folks, entirely naked. Naked with strangers. Flab, scars and all exposed and no one worries about it. Women with long hair are expected to put it up with a rubber band, usually provided. You can wear a shower cap.

When in a public bathing facility, you will find shoes outside the toilet area that say in English TOILET SHOES. You put these on when going into the toilet and exchange them for your own bathing shoes when leaving the area. Do not wear your toilet shoes elsewhere in the facility. You will be scorned for doing so. Do not walk around barefoot. The Japanese are sensitive to the idea that only clean feet should go into the bathtub.

Every hotel I stayed in provided bathing shoes and kimono and some, few towels. Small towels. Big bath sheets are not the fancy in Japan. You won't have enough towels, so try to put them where they will dry.

Hot water for bathing in Japan is very hot. Be very careful! Fill your tub carefully, as you don't want to get burned. Japanese people bathe at 110 degrees F. Very hot to us!

Please don't be afraid of the toilets!