Japan in January

[mmhollis]

Hi guys, looking for guidance on building my trip out in Japan. I'll be going for 14 days, 5 in Tokyo, 5 in Kyoto and haven't figured out the other four days yet. Are there any reasonably priced stores that I must go to both for clothes or other cool things (e.g. pens, bags, shoes, cookware, home goods, etc.). It would also be cool to hear if there are any cheap restaurants, places to get street food or any other cool things I haven't mentioned but should be doing...

Thanks

 

[dexterhaven]

Just got back from my third trip there. You're in for a treat.

If you want to load up on stationary, I would recommend Itoya in Ginza. It can be a little pricey but it's a mecca for Japanese stationary.

If you want something a little cheaper, I would check out the 100 yen stores. They aren't like the dollar stores we have in America. Most of the things in there are decent quality.

For good, cheap food, it's really hard to go wrong. Ramen shops abound as do izakaya, where you can get all sorts of grilled seaford and skewered meat. Japan in general, and Tokyo in particular, have a reputation for being expensive. But you can eat really well in the above places for less than 1000 yen. And most of these places offer outstanding food, even the ones that cater to foreigners.

I would also recommend trying yakinku (japanese bbq) and some of their breakfast foods (tamago-kake-gohan, which is a raw egg over warm rice, was unexpectedly good). For more food recs, I would read this food blog. Lots of great recs there.

As for overall agenda, I personally would try to spend more time in Tokyo. The place is mind-boggling dense with so many amazing things tucked into every little alleyway. I would do maybe 7 days in Tokyo, 3 in Kyoto, then try Osaka or someplace else for the remaining time you have. One suggestion would be to check out Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island. They just opened the shinkansen (bullet train) route all the way to Hokkaido a few months ago. There will be great skiing / snowboarding plus lots of cool snow festivals in January. I visited on my most recent trip and had a blast. Super friendly people and GREAT food (soup curry, jengi-sukan, shio ramen, world-class sea urchin and squid).

 

[circumspice]

Kyoto in Jan may be a bit rough - you may be spending a lot of time outdoors, and it may be cold. In Kyoto, you generally will pick an area, and hit a bunch of temples in the area. Think of Kyoto as a bagel - almost all the attractions are poppy seeds ringing it.

Nara is a good day trip from Kyoto, but again, the stuff you'd be doing there is almost all outdoors.

Nishiki market in Kyoto, and the streets around it would be a good idea - street food, a density of offbeat shops you can duck into to get out of the cold.

Kyoto doesn't have extensive subways, so you may really want to plot out where you stay versus what you plan to do.

I am a 42 jacket and a 10uk shoe, so I don't really seek out clothing in Japan, but you need to see Isetan's flagship in Shinjuku

 

[mmhollis]

Thank you both for your contributions. Kyoto has me most nervous, given that mostly everything is outdoors. I'm going to play it by ear but perhaps the best tact is to only spend a day or two and come back in the spring.

 

[Alter]

Hmmm, if you are from New York then I don't think you will find Kyoto in January to be so cold that you can't enjoy yourself. Kyoto is a fantastic city and worth the trip. You could also check out Osaka if you have interest in more modern things...Universal Studios is fun for a day and there is plenty of shopping around the Osaka station or Namba areas. Osaka castle is not so exciting but there is a projection mapping event on there at the moment. As mentioned above, Nara is a great day-trip from Kyoto and Himeji Castle is fantastic but not easy to access unless you have a bullet train pass.
From your list of shopping items (pens, clothes, etc,) you will find that the range of goods available is huge so consider your budget for each. I usually recommend that visitors here visit Tokyu Hands to look around. It is basically a department store of good quality stuff.

 

[chobochobo]

Hokkaido or Fukuoka?