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Showing posts with the label tokyo

Tokyo's Tsukiji Market is moving Oct 11th

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The amazing Tsukiji market is one of Tokyo's biggest tourist attractions. We've been hearing for years now that it's going to move because of the Olympics. Then it wasn't. Then it was, but to a totally different place much closer. Well, now that we have an official date less than 3 months away for the move, I'm thinking it's about time to start accepting this as reality.  The new market isn't too far from the old one If you look at the map it's moving to a nearby infill island called Toyosu 40 minutes walk from the existing market. There are quite a few other attractions out in this area, so maybe visit the Miraikan science museum or the giant Gundam while you're there. The two main ways to get there are: Take the Yurakacho line to Toyosu station, then switch to the Yurikamome line for Shijo-Mae station. Take the Saikyo line to Kokusai-Tenjijo and then transfer to the Ariake station on the Yurikamome line to reach Shijo-...

Trip Report: Business Class on EVA Airlines Bad Badtz Maru Sanrio plane Fukuoka – Taipei

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Pros Cuteness Kawaiiiiii-overload! Din Tai Fung onboard Did you read what I just wrote? I said " Din Tai F&#@ing Fung onboard! " Super friendly staff Great lounges with hot food and pour-it-yourself liquor Cons Honestly, none.    How I did it I bought an open-jaw ticket (Taipei - Tokyo Narita, Fukuoka - Taipei) on EVA's website with my Amex card for USD$865 per person, so this half effectively cost $433. It would have been nice to somehow integrate this with our NYC–Taipei reward flight , but it was impossible for me to construct that routing on United.com (where all of my points for this flight were). To be fair, the itinerary we wanted was a bit strange (12 hour layover in Taipei inbound to have lunch with a friend, 3 day layover on the way back to hang out in Taipei), plus I absolutely positively had to be on a Sanrio character plane so I coughed up the cash. I credited the flight to my United account, where this leg earned 1695 miles (≈$33) in...

Great Economy fares to Tokyo this fall ($489 round trip!)

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I was poking around Google Flights for a friend and noticed that there's quite a few dates in Autumn with super cheap economy fares to Tokyo from New York. Normally these would be in the $1000-$1300 range but these are as low as $489! Most of the cheap fares seem to be on Air China via Beijing or ANA/United via Chicago or Los Angeles, and both have reasonable layover times. If it were me, I'd take the ANA itinerary because of ANA's stellar reputation . As far as Business Class fares go, there's a few Air China itineraries for $2100, but from the reviews I've read , the food and service is terrible, so that $2100 is to get you a lie-flat seat and not a whole lot else. Keep in mind that the arrival of Tokyo's fall weather lags New York's by a month, so the weather should be mild and pleasant on a lot of the Oct and Nov dates... $489 via Beijing on Air China Click to enlarge or $627 on ANA/United Click to enlarge My Japan tips are here . ...

Tokyo Food

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(Last update April 2023)   UPDATE April 2023: After our most recent visit, can I just say how happy I am that nearly all of our favorite places survived Covid! We get asked a lot about our favorite places to eat in Tokyo. Back in 2016, we lived in southern Shibuya in a neighborhood called Ebisu . We've been back several times since, and it's actually tough giving recommendations because most folks visiting Tokyo have visions of Michelin-starred, special occasion omakase experiences but we spent most of our time looking for folksy, cheap, down-home neighborhood eats. If you're thinking " Jiro: Dreams of Sushi ", I'd say just hit the Michelin guide for Tokyo and let your hotel or Amex concierge book for you. If you're thinking more " Midnight Diner " then continue on... TIP: Some places you may need to look at the Kanji from the Instagram check-in or the Google Street View to help find the place. Also, I've omitted places where you need to...