Tokyo Japan Vacations

While planning the perfect vacation in Tokyo, there are some things that one should consider before booking a hotel in Tokyo and packing the perfect outfit.

Weather

To really enjoy one’s Tokyo vacation, one should consider the current weather or climate in the area. The two best seasons to have a vacation in Tokyo is during the Cherry Blossom season or Hanami, which falls around the last week of March to April, and the Foliage season during the months of November to December. It is recommended to have a vacation in Tokyo during these seasons because a lot of festivities are prepared to welcome and celebrate these times of the year.

Language

Nipponggo, or Japanese as other people call it, cannot be learned overnight. Considering that one will have a Tokyo vacation, where commercial establishments are bountiful, one can try to communicate in using the English language. However, one must at least learn simple greetings or expressions so as not to offend locals. Such expressions include: hai – yes; iie – no; Nihongo wakarimasen – I don’t understand Japanese; sumimasen – I’m sorry; kore o kudesai – This, please; and domo arigato or arigato – thank you very much or thank you. These are just some of the most common phrases that one should remember while having a vacation in Tokyo. Trying to converse in the local’s native tongue is like showing them of one’s appreciation of their country and culture.

Accommodation

When planning one’s Tokyo vacation, booking for a hotel in Tokyo or in any of the nearby districts would not be far behind. With today’s technology one can view, choose, book, and pay for one’s Tokyo hotel online. Some of the most popular Tokyo hotels are Imperial Hotel Tokyo, Hilton Tokyo Hotel, and Shibuya Excel Tokyo Hotel. However, one should be aware that accommodation tax is levied when staying at hotels in Tokyo. The amount of tax levied depends on the daily room rate or charge of the hotel.

Transportation

While planning the perfect vacation in Tokyo, one should consider the means of transportation one will use during their course of stay and while touring around the city. Some of the available public means of transportation are buses, trains, and taxis. The most popular is the Tokyo subway which is considered as the most used subway system in the world. The Tokyo subway is very accessible and tourist-friendly to those who are in Tokyo for a vacation. Train stops and ticketing machines have English translation and are color-coded to accommodate English and non-English speaking tourists. To save on time and transportation costs, it is always recommended for tourists to buy a prepaid train card that is accepted in all stations.

Aside from the Tokyo subway, public buses are also a tourist’s best friend while having a Tokyo vacation. Like to that of trains, buses in Tokyo also have prepaid bus cards that can be bought in three denominations, 1,000 yen, 3,000 yen, and 5,000 yen. These means of transportation are budget-friend and very convenient especially if one is having a vacation in Tokyo for a couple of days. There are also public water transportations such as water buses and ships for those who want to visit and tour other islands of Japan.

Food

A Tokyo vacation wouldn’t be complete without having a taste of authentic Japanese food. As Japan’s commercial center, Tokyo offers a wide variety of restaurants and food stalls that one can choose from. Aside from traditional Japanese food, Tokyo also has a variety of restaurants, from Chinese, French, American, to Italian. If one is on a tight budget on their vacation in Tokyo, there are still a lot of relatively cheap and clean food stalls and fast food chains that offer authentic Japanese food.