Tokyo on a Tight A$$ Budget...

This two-star hotel by Tokyo standards is pretty cheap. Rates start at $65 a night. What I like best about this hotel is that is within the vicinity of some of the city best attractions (well, my best attractions). All rooms are done in a Western style, and the single room is big enough for one person, crowded for two. No closets are available, but you do get a couple of hangers. They also have a small capsule hotel within the hotel, which is pretty neat.

The hotel is located on the east side of Tokyo, the Asakusabashi area. This area is well-known as an old cloth-wholesaler town. It provides an easy way to get to places such as Asakusa, Akihabara (Electric Town), and Nihonbashi, all within 5 minutes by subway. Also, Ginza, Shimbashi, and Ueno are located within a 10-minute train ride, Bakurocho Station on the JR Sobu Kaiso Line is just a 1-minute walk, and Asakusabashi Station on the Subway Asakusa Line and the JR Soubu Line is also a 4-minute walk. One minor detail is that none of the employees speak a word of English, but they will try and help in any way they can. I recommend using http://www.octopustravel-us.com to make your room reservations. They were very helpful in every way.

P.S. Notice that nowhere on the front of the hotel is the name Nihonbashi. It's all in Japanese, so it took me a while to figure out the name.

Hidden in the distric of Shibuya streets, in between Shibuya Center-gai and Bunkamura-dori street, it may just be Japan's cheapest conveyor-belt sushi (zushi) restaurant. Any plate with two pieces of sushi is about ¥100, however, it is by no means a place to eat and relax--it's a fast-paced Olympic event. Basically, you have 10 minutes to finish 7 plates, and if you have more than 7 plates, you have 30 minutes. It's great experience. I found it every hard to find any sushi restaurant in Tokyo, believe it or not. The best way to find it is to print out the picture I took and take it with you; just like many Tokyo places, the English version of the name is inside the restaurant. Enjoy!

What makes this the ideal tour is that basically everything is taken care for you. You get on the tour bus at about 9am, and the bus arrives at the first stop, the Mt. Fuji visitors center, at about 11am. The view from this point (on a clear day) is breathtaking - they give about 20 minutes to look around and take pictures, buy gifts, etc. The next stop is the 5th station or 4th, depending on the weather (too much snow and you only get to the 4th station), but either way is a great view into Hakone. The next stop is the Highland Hotel, where lunch is served (included in the price) Western-style. I would have preferred Japanese, but that's just me. The views of Mt. Fuji from the hotel are really nice postcard material!

Next stop is a cruise on Lake Ashi (that's not the Japanese name), and it's a 30-minute ride on the lake which takes you to next stop. The lake itself is okay, but nothing to see, really, I thought. Next stop was Mt. Konagatake aerial cableway, a ride to the top of Mt. Konagatake, and from this point of view you can see Mt. Fuji (on your left) and get a simply amazing view of the valley. You get to spend about an hour and a half on the top of the mountain. The next and last stop is Odawara train station, where you'll have reserved seats back to Tokyo on the super-fast Shinkansen train.

I think this is an ideal day tour for anyone that wants to see Mt. Fuji and the surrounding areas for $150, food and transportation included; I think it was a great deal.

For more info, visit their website: http://www.jtb.co.jp/sunrisetour/agent/.

Tour Highlights:

Departure
Daily (except Jan 1-4, Feb 20, Apr 29-30, May 3&7, Jul 16, Aug 13-14, Sep 17&23, Oct 8, and Dec 31)

Tour Fare (per person)
15,000 yen (adult)
13,000 yen (child 6-11 years)

Deluxe motorcoach drive along the expressway to Mt. Fuji
Leave Tokyo for a drive aboard a deluxe motorcoach to Mt.Fuji (3,776m or 12,388 feet)

Fuji Visitor Center
Nature, culture, and artwork concerning Mt. Fuji are on display at the information center.

When the center is closed (Monday and certain other days), Peace Pagoda, located on the way to Hakone, will be visited instead.

Drive up Mt. Fuji 5th station
A drive halfway up Mt. Fuji to the Fifth Station (altitude 2,305m), enjoying the natural scenery en route.

Lunch at Hotel Highland Resort
Enjoy Western-style lunch at a restaurant. Vegetarian food is available on request.

A cruise on Lake Ashi
A delightful cruise on Lake Ashi aboard a large sightseeing boat--let the crisp air and surrounding verdure refresh you.

Mt.Komagatake Aerial Cableway
Ride an aerial cableway up and down Mt. Komagatake for a sweeping view of celebrated Hakone National Park.

Proceed to Odawara to board a Shinkansen train for Tokyo.

Brief stop(s) for 2-day tour participants
Drive to Odawara Station and board a world-famous Shinkansen super-express. Arrive in Tokyo around 8pm.