Accommodation in Tokyo - Tokyu Stay Hotels

Tokyu Stay has 14 hotels within Tokyo. It is a new style of hotel serving the guests for business and vacations.

1. Hotel Tokyu Stay Ikebukuro - Newly opened this April(nearest to Ikebukuro Station)


2. Tokyu Stay Nishi-Shinjuku


3. Tokyu Stay Aoyama Premier (nearest to Gaien-mae Station)


4. Tokyu Stay Shinjuku Shin-minamiguchi Hotel


5. Tokyu Stay Shibuya Hotel , in a prime location in trend-setting Shibuya.


6. Tokyu Stay Gotanda Hotel (easily access to Shibuya, Shinagawa and Odaiba)


7. Tokyu Stay Yotsuya Hotel

8. Tokyu Stay Suidobashi Hotel (nearest to Suidobashi Station)


9. Tokyu Stay Shimbashi (Near the entrance to the Tokyo Waterfront Area)


10. Tokyu Stay Higashi-Ginza Hotel

11. Tokyu Stay Nihombashi Hotel


12. Tokyu Stay Monzen-Nakacho Hotel


13. Tokyu Stay Yoga Hotel (easily access to Shibuya)


14. Tokyu Stay Meguro-Yutenji Hotel (near to Shibuya and Jiyugaoka)



They offer free daily breakfast in 11hotels, daily linen exchange and periodic room cleaning, 24hours front desk and rental service, like extra bed with charges or free of charge iron & board.

Reservation can be made through online reservation system or telephone. Guestroom fees must be paid in full at time of check-in.


Check-in time: From 4:00pm ( except Tokyu stay Aoyama from 3:00pm )
Check-out time: 10.00am (except Tokyu stay Aoyama, Nishi-Shinjuku & Ikebukuro By 11:00am)





Useful link:
http://www.tokyustay.co.jp/e/

2Days / 1Nights Hakone National Park

If you would like to use your limited time to visit Hakone, here is suggested itinerary for your reference. Otherwise, I highly recommend to stay at least 3Days/2nights to enjoy fantastic natural scenic and experenice Japan culture by visiting museums and shrines and bathing in Japanese-style hot springs (onsens).

Day One in Hakone National Park

Gentle reminder : Make sure to purchase Hakone Freepass before start your journey to Hakone. All transportation I mentioned below are included in this valuable pass.

Shinjuku 新宿 -->(by Odakyu railway) --> Hakone-Yumoto station 湯本 -->(by Hakone Tozan bus) --> Motohakone 元箱根

Check in guesthouse and walk along lakeside to Moto Hakone-Ko 元箱根港.

Take a pirate boat ride(approx. 30mins) on Lake Ashi to Kojiri-Togendai 桃源台, where is the Hakone ropeway terminal. Then take ropeway to Owakudani 大涌谷(approx. 18mins) - the place offers magnificent views of Mount Fuji and hot springs (onsen) in what is still an active volcanic region.

Black eggs are the famous souvenir in Owakudani. These eggs are boiled in the sulfuric springs all around the mountain side. Due to chemical reaction between the egg shell and the sulfur in the water, it causes the shell to turn into black. The funny fact is "Each egg eaten is supposed to give you an additional 7 years of life".

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Take Hakone ropeway to Sounzan 早雲山 and change cable car to Gora 強羅, where Hakone Tozan way terminates at. You can enjoy beautiful seasonal flowers in Gora-Koen Park. If you like to visit museum, you should go to Hakone Museum of Art, which specializes in Japanese ceramics. Here is a craft house where you can try blowing glasses, making pottery, etc.

Take Hakone Tozan bus to direction of Sengokuhara 仙石原

The Museum of Saint-Expupery and Little Prince in Hakone

Admission ticket: 1500yen (1200yen for advance ticket purchased in Lawson Ticket) Please refer to its official website for the updated prices.

Besides museum, there are a largest shop for mechandise in Japan. A French cooking restaurant and a cafe both opens daily.

After met Petit Prince, take Hakone Tozan bus down to Kojiri-Togendai.

Had a tea at terminal before taking boat back to Motohakone-Ko.

Motohakone is a small town. It is recommended to have traditional Japanese-style dinner at your guesthouses. Most of guesthouses serve dinner daily, but advance reservation is required.

Day Two in Hakone National Park

Had a nice breakfast in guesthouse and checked-out.

Had a morning walk along lakeside to Motohakone. Take Hakone Tozan Bus to Kowakidani 小涌谷,

where the Hakone Kowakien Yunessun is located at.

It consist of two zones - Yunessun Spa zone and Miro No Yu Spa zone, shopping mall and restaurant. Please refer to the below web site for details of the admission fee.
Yunessun Spa zone: Wearing swimsuit is required. This zone is more family-oriented. There are
25different kinds of spa and water activities, like japanese Sake Sap, Rodeo mountain (water slides), ...
Miro No Yu Spa zone: No swimsuit is allowed. This zone sections into private areas for female and for male and is based on traditional Japanese style including indoor and outdoor bathing facilities. Like Roten Burooutdoor bathing - you can experience an open-air bathing in Japanese garden. You can also enjoy bathing in a unique Taro (a huge wooden bath cask).


Useful link:
Hakone Travel guide - http://www.hakonenavi.jp/english/index.html

The Museum of Saint-Expupery and Little Prince in Hakone http://www.tbs.co.jp/l-prince/en/

Hakone Kowakien Yunessun - http://www.yunessun.com/english/index.html

Hakone National Park Travel guide

Transportation: Odakyu Railway

Take train from Shinjuku, Tokyo to Hakone-Yumoto station 箱根湯本

By Limited Express "Romancecar"(reserved seats): 1 hour and 25 minutes

By express train (non-reserved seats): 1 hr. and 50 min.

Ticket: Hakone Freepass (by express trains only)

From Odawara 3,900 yen for 2day pass and 4,400 yen for 3 day pass.
From Shinjuku 5,000 yen for 2 day pass and 5,500 yen for 3 day pass.

This pass includes unlimited travel on 7 different transportation within Hakone area, including designated bus service, Sightseeing cruise (Pirate boat ride), Ropeway, cablecar and Tozan trains and one round-trip between your departure station and Odawara Station on the Odakyu Line. Some attraction also offers discount for Hakone freepass holders.

The details you can find it from below link,

http://www.odakyu.jp/english/freepass/hakone_01.html

Accommodation : Lakeside Inn Charlotte in Hakone National Park

http://www.charlotte2.yad.jp/english.html

Direction to reach this inn : Reach at Hakone-Yumoto railway station. Take Hakone Toza bus to Moto-Hakone-Pier 元箱根港direction and get off at Moto-Hakone Bus Stop. Facing to the lake and walk to your right, then pass the Police Box of Moto-Hakone and just 5 houses away from Police Box on your left hand side.

This inn is in a pinkish building with terrace facing to beautiful Lake Ashi. The owner and staff are nice and helpful. The location is very conveinent to reach bus stop or the pier. The room is big enough especially compared to the hotel rooms in Tokyo. They have both Western and Japanese style rooms available. All rooms are with bathrooms and toilets. Free internet access is available in lobby and some rooms.

Twin-bed western-style room with mountian view

They also serve nice western-style breakfast

as well as delicious traditional japanese-style dinner (with Alaskan crab-legs) at their restaurant.

Oi-shi ! (Yummy!)

Day Trip to World Heritage of Nikko, Japan

Nikko is located in Northern Honshu, however, it is an easy day trip from Tokyo.


Transporation: Take Tobu Line from Asakusa to Tobu-nikko, which takes around 2hours and costs 1320yen (with extra for rapid trains).

If you would like to stay more than a day, you can buy this ALL NIKKO PASS, which includes round-trip train ticket between Asakusa and Shimoimaichi + bus pass + other discounts; this pass is valid for 4 days - Adults approx. 4,400 yen , Children approx. 2,210 yen, but SPACIA Special Express fare not included.

Walk along the 1km long avenue from railway station to Tosho-gu area, which is lined with souvenirs shops, restaurants and inns. You can find nice Nikko wood cravings and wooden sandals ("geta" in japanease) there.

Shinkyo Bridge arches over the Daiya River. Just Opposite to this red wooden bridge, there is the way to World Heritage - Shrine and Temple of Tosho-gu.

Walk up the stairs, you can pass-by the 1st temple founded in Nikko, Rinno-ji Temple. There are 3wooden and glit statues of Buddha which are each 8.5m high.

When you see a Japanese-style granite gate ("torii"), there is the entrance of Tosho-gu Shrine. When you step in, a 5-story Pagoda is on your left hand side. Each story represents an element - earth, water, fire, wind and heaven.

The famous sculptures of the 3monkeys: "See no evil", "Hear no evil" and "Speak no evil" can be found in an unpainted wooden building.

Futaran-san Shrine is the main shrine. Chugushi and Okumiya are located at the side of the Lake Chuzenji and at top of Mount. Nantai respectively.

Niomon Gate is the main entrance to Taiyuin-byo Shrine. Walk up plenty of stairs and pass through few gates to reach the sanctuary.

Useful link:

Tobu railway website: http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/tobulineguide/index.html

Tokyo Travel Guide - Transportation and Accommodation

Tokyo is the capital city of Japan.

Transportation

By Air:
Tokyo has 2 airports - the international Narita Airport (NRT) is located 60 km away from city centre, but the domestic Haneda Airport (HND) is located about 30 minutes south of central Tokyo. Recently Japan Airlines (JL) and All Nippon Airways (NH) also operate direct flights from Hong Kong to Haneda Airport.

From/To Narita Airport to city centre

By Railways:

http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/keisei_us/html/o_express.html
Take the Keisei Limited Express from Narita Airport to Nippori Station (about 75 minutes, 1000 yen) and transfer to the JR Yamanote Line or JR Keihin-Tohoku Line to get to Tokyo Station (10 minutes, 150 yen). There are connections every 20 minutes.

By limousine bus: http://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/
Limousine buses to Tokyo Station depart Narita Airport every 15 to 20 minutes. The one way journey takes about 80 to 100 minutes and costs 3000 yen.

From/To Haneda Airport to city centre

By Tokyo Monorail:
Take the Tokyo Monorail to Hamamatsucho Station (20 minutes) and transfer to the JR Yamanote or JR Keihin-Tohoku Line to Tokyo station (5minutes). The one way fare is 620 Yen.

By Keikyu Railways:
Take the Keikyu Airport Line to Shinagawa station (20minutes) and transfer to Jr Yamanote or JR Keihin-Tohoku Line to Tokyo Station.The one way fare is 560 Yen.

By limousine bus:
Limousine buses depart from Haneda Airport to Tokyo Station every 30 to 60 minutes. The one way journey takes about 40 minutes and costs 900 Yen.


Accommodation

For Budget hotel - Sakura Group
Sakura Hotel Jimbocho: http://www.sakura-hotel.co.jp/index.html
Sakura Hotel Hatagaya: http://www.sakura-hotel-hatagaya.com/
Sakura Hotel Ikebukuro: http://www.sakura-hotel-ikebukuro.com/
Sakura Hostel: http://www.sakura-hostel.co.jp/

For Ryokan (traditional Japanese inns, like guesthouses)

House Ikebukuro (metro: Ikebukuro): http://www.housejp.com.tw/
-Internet service and wireless access both are available

Kimi Ryokan - Japanese-style (metro:Ikebukuro): http://www.kimi-ryokan.jp/index.html
-WIFI is available on 1st floor only
-Shared shower rooms are available on each floor

Grand House Chang Yee Hotel: http://changtee.com/indexen.htm
-This guesthouse has two branches - one in Ikebukuro and another one in Komagome
-Internet service and wireless access both are available

Tama Ryokan (metro: Takadanobaba): http://www.tamaryokan.com/#about
-it is located in between Ikebukuro and Shinjuku
-Wireless access is available throughout the hotel


Useful links:
Japan Guide: http://www.japan-guide.com/
Keisei railway: http://www.keisei.co.jp/keisei/tetudou/keisei_us/top.html
Tokyo Metro: http://www.tokyometro.jp/global/en/
Tokyo Ryokan: http://www.tokyoryokan.jp/budgetryokan.htm

2010 Tokyo Marathon

Tokyo Marathon 2010 will be taken place in Tokyo on 28Feb2010. This event will include marathon and 10km race.
The official web site of Tokyo Marathon 2010: http://www.tokyo42195.org/2010/index_en.html

Only 79days to go! Have you planned your trip yet?

Transportation

Origin: Hong Kong
Flight: Hong Kong / Narita, Tokyo / Hong Kong
Airlines : Non stop - Cathay Pacific (CX), All Nippon Airways (NH), Japan Airlines (JL)
Flying time: outbound - approx. 4hrs / inbound - approx. 5.25hrs
Time difference: Japan's time is 1hours ahead of HK local time


Brief details of marathon and 10km race Runners should notice

Late Jan 2010 - Runners will receive the post for Guideline of participation to Tokyo Marathon

25-27Feb 2010 - Runners have to check-in and pick up their Bib numbers in Tokyo Big Sight West Exhibition Hall (東京國際展示場) ( nearest Metro: Kokusai-Tenjijo (Rinkai Line)). The check-in time is tentative from 10.00 to 19.30

By Train: From Ikebukuro/Shinjuku/Shibuya - take JR Yamanote line to interchange at Osaki station to Rinkai Line.

Please browse the following link for access map-http://www.bigsight.jp/english/general/access/index.html

28Feb 2010 (Sunday)

Starting time and area : at 0910am (Elite and Mass Race Start) - Tokyo Metropolitan Government building in Shinjuku (nearest metro: Tochomae)

Finishing time/area :

10km race - 10.50 in Hibiya Park 日比谷(Metro: Hibiya)

Marathon - 16.10 in Tokyo Big Sight

Course: Tokyo Metropolitan Government building -- Iidabashi -- Imperial Palace -- Hibiya -- Shinagawa -- Ginza -- Nihombashi -- Asakusa Kaminari-mon -- Tsukiji -- Ariake (Toyosu) -- Tokyo Big Sight