1st Trip to The Kodokan in Japan ?

[David43515]

Here`s another email from my friend Katherine down near Tokyo.

Cho, let me know how cheap is cheap. Jiro knows some places all over, from YMCA`s to hostels to others. But the price varies. I can send site links if you prefer. How far away are they willing to stay? (Train travel budget?) He knows some places, but they would be wise not to leave their belongings behind.
Let me know their budget (daily-food,travel, plus eating).
The kodokan is in the Suidobashi area, near Jimbocho (great Eng. bookstore there!). Jiro`s university is around there, and he says there are many nice and cheap places to eat. (Poor uni students

.)

Oh wait, Jiro re-found this place (went as a uni student):
http://gourmet.livedoor.com/restaurant/93/

And he just went nuts about remembering this curry place:
http://gourmet.livedoor.com/restaurant/4145/
http://suidobashi.blog29.fc2.com/blog-entry-164.html
[He says if they`re up to the task, the can jumbo-size their curry. He says, "The jumbo is really jumbo! I`m too old to eat that much now!"

If you can give us an idea of your budget or what kinds of places you want to stay, I`m sure we can find some info for you.

 

[coolmartialartist]

What would be considered reasonable by Japanese standards for American tourists staying at a hotel, reasonable meal prices at restaurants ?

The hotel has to be comfortable with a hot shower, good service and free breakfasts in the morning.

Sharing the bathroom would be uncomfortable since we are men.

The budget would be $100. a day or less for 2 weeks in a hotel if that is realistic.

About $20. a day ( $10.00 each for lunch and dinner )

Tell your friends I said thank you for their help and thank you David for your help too as well making some good posts.

 

[David43515]

I`ve got no idea what prices are like in Tokyo because it`s a two hour flight south of here. But here in Hokkaido you could do the budget you suggested. A small 'pension' hotel would have all that, except free breakfast. That`s really a western thing. Most places will have breakfast available, but not for free.

Prices really depend on the dollar/yen exchange rate when you come.When I arrived 5 years ago a US dollar was worth around 120-125 yen. Last year it fell as low as 83 yen to the dollar. Today it`s 89.24 yen to the dollar. Figure on spending at least 5,000 yen per day on a CHEAP hotel. Probably closer to 7,000-7,500 for comfortable in Tokyo. If you don`t eat extravigantly 1,500-2000 yen per day on food.

Ask your travel agent about 'pension hotels' which are basically bed and breakfast places. Or 'business hotels' which cater to businessmen (big suprise), or maybe a 'weekly mansion', basically a small hotel room you rent for slightly longer stays. They`re comfortable no-frills places.Most places you`d have a private shower and toilet. They may have a public or common bath for you to soak in, but likely they`ll have a small tub in your room.

As for not wanting to share a bathroom `cause you`re all guys.....that would make it easier in my experience. Think back to the locker room at the gym. It not like you`re all going to need to use everything at the same time anyway.

 

[Bruno@MT]

Sharing the bathroom would be uncomfortable since we are men.

Why would this be more uncomfortable because we are men?
If anything, men are generally less likely to have any issues with nudity in front of other men. Most locker rooms for men I know are 1 big room, with 1 big shower area. People usually walk around naked on their way to / from the showers.

Usually it's the women's locker rooms that have provisions for showering / dressing separately.

 

[coolmartialartist]

Because if two hotel rooms are shared by one bathroom. The issue is not nudity but theft.

The things we buy while in Japan could easily get stolen by other people staying at the hotel.

Every man enjoys a long hot shower. Someone may take too long holding us up and we have to follow the kodokan schedule missing a hot shower for that day.

That is not going to be very comfortable in the summer heat of Japan not to mention it is good manners to keep yourself clean and well groomed.

 

[jks9199]

Because if two hotel rooms are shared by one bathroom. The issue is not nudity but theft.

The things we buy while in Japan could easily get stolen by other people staying at the hotel.

Every man enjoys a long hot shower. Someone may take too long holding us up and we have to follow the kodokan schedule missing a hot shower for that day.

That is not going to be very comfortable in the summer heat of Japan not to mention it is good manners to keep yourself clean and well groomed.

I respectfully suggest you may benefit from some time studying Japanese culture before your trip. While your hotel will not be exclusively Japanese... I suspect that the very low crime rate in Japan is likely to carry over. I suspect that a "shared bathroom" won't include shared doorways like in adjoining rooms that can become a suite; it's more likely to be down the hall along the lines of a college dorm.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

I respectfully suggest you may benefit from some time studying Japanese culture before your trip. While your hotel will not be exclusively Japanese... I suspect that the very low crime rate in Japan is likely to carry over. I suspect that a "shared bathroom" won't include shared doorways like in adjoining rooms that can become a suite; it's more likely to be down the hall along the lines of a college dorm.

I think this is more the case. Also just set some ground rules with your friends about showers and you should be okay. I understand the training regimen because when we would travel from Tokyo to Noda and then back some day's it was from the early morning till way late at night that we would get home. So making sure everyone is on the same page is important.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

Theft really was not my major concern when in Japan. More of my concerns were getting to training via the right train lines, timing on getting there. Training in other places and making those times, etc. I understood that everything would cost and came prepared for that eventuality. Also make sure you keep some money back so that when you exit you have enough money to pay all the appropriate fees, plus buses or taxis, etc.

 

[Necro]

i spent last summer - well 3 weeks in tokyo so here's what i learned:

hotelwise there are some expensive ones (i was there with 2 friends so who have stable jobs) so we first stayed in keizo plaza which was relatively cheap considering it was a 4-5 star hotel (we were on the 32nd floor!) at roughly 70 euros a night, after they left after two weeks i went to a cheaper hotel in shinjuku which was around 30e a night but still was good.

i HIGHLY suggest anyone visiting gets one of those travel passes, as they also allow you to use them on most subways cutting travel costs down SEVERELY.

and if your into anime/manga be warned you can be wandering around akihabara for hours on end as a lot of stores are in side alleys.

altho i'm not sure what style it was i saw a dojo at nikko too.

if you don't speak japanese ramen places a godsend as a lot of them have these auotmats where u just put in the money and select your meal.

 

[David43515]

I respectfully suggest you may benefit from some time studying Japanese culture before your trip. While your hotel will not be exclusively Japanese... I suspect that the very low crime rate in Japan is likely to carry over. I suspect that a "shared bathroom" won't include shared doorways like in adjoining rooms that can become a suite; it's more likely to be down the hall along the lines of a college dorm.

Yeah, sharing a common bath usually means there`s one large one that is available for guests who want to soak. Most of the time your room would have it`s own toilet and shower that you won`t be sharing with anyone unless you get lucky with some girl you meet walking around Akihabara.

 

[Brian R. VanCise]

FYI on my trip in 2004 I roughly spent $4,500 and that was including airfare but not a hotel as we stayed with a friend. I imagine you will be spending more.

 

[David43515]

Iasked an author I know who lived in Tokyo for a long time and trained regularly at the Kodokan. Here`s a link to some of his favorite places listed on his website. Many of the resturaunts and hotels are a little pricey, but many are quite reasonable. Some of the names have a link to the site of the hotel or resturaunt as well.



Hi CF, my favs on my website here:

http://www.barryeisler.com/photo_places.php