= Subpages =

<<PageList(r:^furinkan/Japan2014/)>>


= Preparedness checklist =

 * (./) Think of some stuff to do and/or an event to centre the trip around
  * Spring and valentine's day, I guess?
 * (./) Negotiate a suitable set of dates with your comrades
 * Check prices for airfares and jiggle the dates until optimal
 * (./) Work has given approval for leave in advance
 * Apply for leave from work
 * Confirm leave approval
 * Book airfares
 * Thrash out a rough timeline of where to be on which days
 * Figure out where you'll be and book accommodation
 * How much is accommodation going to cost?
 * How about travel?
  * JR pass?
  * Car hire? http://rent.toyota.co.jp/en/index.html
 
 * How many yens will you need? Buy some yens


= Airflight price comparison =


Air Asia - Departure on the 8th and return flight on the 17th

 * Total days spent in Japan is about 8/9
 * Total cost would be $998
 * Based on 20kg luggage to Japan, and 25kg for the return flights
 * Includes: Air Air insurance, 2 meals ($16) and seats chosen
 * This is the cheaper alternative, but we would need to shinkansen from Osaka to Tokyo, which may only give us 8 days tentatively

Jetstar - Departure on the 5th and return flight on the 17th

 * Total days spent in Japan is about 10/11
 * Total cost would be $1431.17
 * Based on 15kg luggage to Japan, and 25kg for the return flights
 * Includes: 1 meal at no cost (trip from Narita to Sydney), otherwise it is $28 for the meal from GC to Narita, standard seats and travel insurance
 * This is more pricey, however you get a flight that goes to Tokyo and have flexibility in how long you can stay for

Singapore Airlines - Departure on the 7th and return flight on the 17th
 
 * Total days spent in Japan is about 9/10
 * Total cost would be 1,275.96
 * According to the website, they have a 30kg allowance for baggage 
 * There were no options for meals, therefore I assume this includes meals. Also include travel insurance
 * This seems best value with the best dates for travel if we are staying in Tokyo only

= Ideas =

What stuff do we want to do?

 * Enoshima: http://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Enoshima

 * Shimane, out Nagoya/Gifu way, for that [[http://jisho.org/words?jap=%E7%94%B0%E8%88%8E&eng=&dict=edict| inaka]] experience

 * The K-On school is out near Nagoya, Blitz would be happy to guide

 * All the fashion places for Kat:
  * Nagoya
  * Harajuku
  * Shibuya
  * etc.

 * Sundays == Go out and be seen

 * Butler cafe

 * Maid cafe

 * Dem ruins! http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/ruins-gallery/

 * Gyoza if we visit Sendai: http://tabelog.com/miyagi/A0401/A040101/4002355/dtlrvwlst/3607143/

 * http://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/101-things-to-do-in-tokyo

 * That [[http://newtype.ms/| New Type]] bar in the same building as Cos-Cha and Little BSD

 * http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shinjuku_Gyoen
  * The setting for [[WP:The_Garden_of_Words| Shinkai's newest thing]]

 * Sakanaya (さかăȘや), a sake place in Ikebukuro.  Billboard has the name on in hiragana
  * Nishi-Ikebukuro 1-35-8, http://goo.gl/maps/1oDz
  * Alex: "it is my absolute favourite place but their english is about as good as that of a kitten. The boss man knows my name so if you say Mr. Sayle (or Mr. Alex  for that matter) sent you, you may get away with murder."
  * This book has a [[http://books.google.com.au/books?id=fnwVnGviFk8C&pg=PA153&lpg=PA153&dq=Sakanaya+ikebukuro&source=bl&ots=xoykbmtuA0&sig=cIKDwDt-Bvc3AWr1AG2RjXY6HcE&hl=en&sa=X&ei=J-2YUPnBBamXiAfX5YGoDQ&ved=0CEwQ6AEwBg#v=onepage&q=Sakanaya%20ikebukuro&f=false| glowing review]]

 * HUB in Shinjuku, a chain, the Japanese version of an Irish pub
  * http://goo.gl/maps/PKcn
  * Alex: "the ones in Shinjyuku tend to speak english. They'll seat you like a japanese place and have bar maids which are friendly"
  * Here's one, nominally the JR Shinjuku Minamiguchi branch: http://www.pub-hub.com/shop/minamiguchi/

 * [[http://www.heavensdoortokyo.com/| Heaven's Door Bar]] in Shimokitazawa, run by a British expat, location [[http://www.timeout.jp/en/tokyo/venue/399/Heavens-Door| here]], closes at 26:00 every day

 * [[http://craftheads.jp/craftheads/Welcome.html| Craftheads]] in Shibuya, looks like a beer and bourbon bar, closed on Mondays