Tokyo: fast, cheap, and out of control!

[Kasper]

ebisu is 2 subway stations away, around 1500 yen by taxi. to go to shibuya, you have to go through ebisu and then it's the next station on the yamanote line, by taxi, i usually payed around 1100-1200 yen depending on the trafic on roppongi-dori. some taxi drivers have a bad habit of 'getting lost' and unless you know tokyo pretty well, there's no way you'll realise and i'll end up costing 2-3 times what it should have costed .

as for clubs, on top of the one mentioned, i'd recommend Air and Unit (awesome Drum & Bass events) in Daikonyama and if you feel like making the trek, Ageha in Odaiba. it's a little far, about 30 min by subway, but the club is amazing (biggest in Tokyo) and the sunrise view of tokyo bay on the terrace is pretty awesome. as an added bonus, it's the only place i know that is non -smoking (the main room only, but still, it's very appreciated compare to all the other smoke-filled clubs).

check out this thread for other website with clubs info

http://www.superfuture.com/supertalk/showthread.php?t=15914

it's a good idea to check the listing as many clubs have special events all the time

there are some decent places in Roppongi, but as for a party area, i like Shibuya much more. we'd often end up just buying beer at the convinience store and drinking on the streets and had loads of fun. as lively as Roppongi, but without the drunk american sailors, fake asian gansters and the nigerian touts. anyway, you'll have an idea if Roppongi is for you in the first 5 min you'll be there at nights...

[poly800rock]

Thanks for all of the advice. My wife and I are big party animals and can have a good time anywhere there is good music. From what I've read abput Roppongi it seems very touristy, compltete with shitty American chain restaurants. We will check out the places mentioned. We have been looking at http://www.higher-frequency.com/ and http://metropolis.co.jp/default.asp for ideas as well. One problem is that we have no idea about the scale of things over there. Like how far are Shibuya and Ebisu from Roppongi?

Also, does Zongamin (Susumu Mukai) have a residency anywhere?

i'll tell you what, besides the ramen, what i miss most are those shrimp burgers from lottoro, wendy's and mcdonalds. i AVOID at all costs fast food when traveling, but a shrimp burger is my kryptonite

[Kasper]

i'll tell you what, besides the ramen, what i miss most are those shrimp burgers from lottoro, wendy's and mcdonalds. i AVOID at all costs fast food when traveling, but a shrimp burger is my kryptonite

i know what you mean, i waited so long to try one of those, even though everyone kept telling me how good they were, cause i thought they looked so discusting. i realized what i had missed shortly before leaving tokyo, definetly a big regret...

[poly800rock]

i know what you mean, i waited so long to try one of those, even though everyone kept telling me how good they were, cause i thought they looked so discusting. i realized what i had missed shortly before leaving tokyo, definetly a big regret...

people look at me all crazy when i tell them i like them. love them.

[mizanation]

as lively as Roppongi, but without the drunk american sailors, fake asian gansters and the nigerian touts. anyway, you'll have an idea if Roppongi is for you in the first 5 min you'll be there at nights...

lol, what would roppongi be without japanese thugs, drunken frat boys and hustling nigerians?

[xcoldricex]

dammit i never tried one of those. mickey d's has one now too.

[poly800rock]

yup, tried the wendy's and mcdonalds ones on the same day, mcdonalds one is much better

[englandmj7]

fast-food in Japan? mmmm........Mos Burger

[mizanation]

hells yeah. mos burger, lotteria, hanamaru, and yoshinoya.

[poly800rock]

hells yeah. mos burger, lotteria, hanamaru, and yoshinoya.

i actually looked into opening a lotteria burger in the states

[DaBestSpoona]

lol, what would roppongi be without japanese thugs, drunken frat boys and hustling nigerians?

Dont forget the mainland chinese hookers and Israelis selling fake Luis V

[mizanation]

Dont forget the mainland chinese hookers and Israelis selling fake Luis V

hmm. didn't see any of that, but maybe you saw a different side of the city....

[Chicken]

fast-food in Japan? mmmm........Mos Burger

teriyaki chicken burger is divine.

[snugglepony]

teriyaki chicken burger is divine.

fucking cannibal.

have you no shame?

<cluck cluck -- bu-CAWWW!>

[Chicken]

[xcoldricex]

Mos Burgggerrrrrrrrr drooooooooooooool

[Ahlvahroe]

both my brother and i thought that mos burger was disgusting, dont know if we got a bad one but it was not something that was enjoyed.

[Kasper]

both my brother and i thought that mos burger was disgusting, dont know if we got a bad one but it was not something that was enjoyed.

i'm speechless,i've seriously never known anyone who didn't love MOS Burger. Even my mom who probably had fast food like 10 times in her life loved it. i'd agree that the portions are ridiculously small, but otherwise, MOS Burger is the shit.

[Chicken]

both my brother and i thought that mos burger was disgusting, dont know if we got a bad one but it was not something that was enjoyed.

[Ahlvahroe]

im not going back to japan for a couple of years so it will be a while before i try again. i had a chicken and a regular burger and they were both disapointing. also the day we had to get back to the airport we were running late and we had mcdonalds and that was the worst burger ive ever had, so maybe its just something i have against japanese fast food.

[poly800rock]

im not going back to japan for a couple of years so it will be a while before i try again. i had a chicken and a regular burger and they were both disapointing. also the day we had to get back to the airport we were running late and we had mcdonalds and that was the worst burger ive ever had, so maybe its just something i have against japanese fast food.

you should have had the shrimp burger

[xcoldricex]

you can get em in shanghai and singapore (mos burger)

[Ahlvahroe]

you should have had the shrimp burger

dont like seafood, so no.

[dismalfuture]

For alternative yet also cheap lodging, there's this place:

http://newkoyo.com/

It's not convenient to the Shibuya/Roppongi side of things as it's near Ueno, but it's cheap and good. I picked this link up off the GR forums and then directed a friend to go there last year, he came back and said it was a good stay. He couldn't get the cheapest room but still only paid 2700Y/night. For a clean, lockable room, that's an incredible price for a stay in Tokyo.

Seconding on the Mos Burger too.

Eating-wise, since I always have tons of time in Tokyo, I like to fill up on good lunches and take dinners lightly. You could complete a Iron Chef trifecta in the Shibuya area for a little bit of a twist, with Chen Kenichi's restaurant, Sakai's place, and the Japanese guy's place, all within reasonable distance of each other, and all have affordable, decent lunch sets.

[xcoldricex]

yeah i stayed at newkoyo for a night. didn't end up actually sleeping there though. so actually my bags stayed there for a night.

[poly800rock]

For alternative yet also cheap lodging, there's this place:

http://newkoyo.com/

It's not convenient to the Shibuya/Roppongi side of things as it's near Ueno, but it's cheap and good. I picked this link up off the GR forums and then directed a friend to go there last year, he came back and said it was a good stay. He couldn't get the cheapest room but still only paid 2700Y/night. For a clean, lockable room, that's an incredible price for a stay in Tokyo.

Seconding on the Mos Burger too.

Eating-wise, since I always have tons of time in Tokyo, I like to fill up on good lunches and take dinners lightly. You could complete a Iron Chef trifecta in the Shibuya area for a little bit of a twist, with Chen Kenichi's restaurant, Sakai's place, and the Japanese guy's place, all within reasonable distance of each other, and all have affordable, decent lunch sets.

i'd opt for the guess t house which is in abazu juban, its so close to everything and its about the same price. i stayed out in ueno the first time i went, but decided that any price break really wouldn;t be the hassle of where i wanted to be.

[xcoldricex]

i agree. ueno is far. unless all you're going to do in tokyo is shop for denim

[mizanation]

yeah, there are some great places to stay in azabu-juban for around 3000 yen a night. a short train ride away from roppongi. i like ueno, even though it is far. cheap food, lots of denim.

[poly800rock]

yeah, there are some great places to stay in azabu-juban for around 3000 yen a night. a short train ride away from roppongi. i like ueno, even though it is far. cheap food, lots of denim.

agreed, i like ueno too, great fucking food for way cheaper....but again, unless you spend all your time buying denim, go elsewhere where its more happenning

[dismalfuture]

I kinda agree with you guys on the Ueno thing too, I've never really been and kinda want to go next time though.

I once stayed at this seedy business hotel in Shin-Okubo for like 4000Y a night where I had to use a pay phone once but apparently the Chinese hooker from the massage place next door was making an hr-long phone call home and I waited in the cold. She was as polite once off, though, then subsequently offered her services, haha.

I also once stayed cheaply (forgot how much) at a business hotel in Ikejiri-Ohashi, which is pretty much next to Shibuya off the Denencyoufu-sen.

I also got an okay sleep at a karaoke in Nishi-Shinjuku close to Studio Alta for like 2000Y and a couple drinks too.

I'm now out of college so I hope I don't have to stay in those kinda places again when I go back to Tokyo...