Tokyo in October

Because Jebi beat me to Kyoto last month, I've postponed Japan travel plans to Oct 3 - 16.  It will be Tokyo this time, Kyoto can wait.

Hotels that I've researched so far that I would like to list here for future reference:

• Hotel Unizo Ginza-Itchome
• reasons:  
• according to my research, Ginza is one of best district for first time traveler.  Of course, other place would be Shinjuku
• has a lock box in room
• MyCUBE by MYSTAYS Asakusa Kuramae
• reasons:
• looks like fun!
• cheap!
• very close to Kuramae train station
• lock box (by bed) and roomy luggage storage (under bed)
• meet fellow travelers.
• Hotel Mets Komagome - owned by Japan Rail
• reasons:  
• cheap, could be cheaper as a package that also includes JR Pass
• onsite at Komagome train station
• Hotel Villa Fontaine Tokyo-Nihombashi Hakozaki
• reasons:  
• cheap
• quiet location

Transportation ideas:

• JR EAST PASS (Nagano, Niigata area) link
• Flexible five-day pass (any five days within 14 days of issuance, including the day of issuance)
• Tokyo Metro Subway pass link
• 1, 2, 3 day unlimited pass for gaijins

Tour ideas:

• Full-Day Nikko World Heritage Tour link
• Full-Day Mt. Fuji Bus Tour with 4-D Flight Experience link
• Full-Day Kyoto Excursion from Tokyo link
• Mount Fuji, Lake Ashi & Hakone National Park by Bullet Train link
• Sign with Me, a deaf owned restaurant link 
• Asakusa
• Kamakura
• Fusao, deaf owned izakaya link

Typhoon #21 (Jebi)

My original trip to Japan was September 4 - 18, but it has to be cancelled due to Typhoon #21 which passed through Osaka & Kyoto.  The airport we were going to arrive at got damaged and flooded.  So, I postponed my trip to Oct 2 - 16, Tokyo this time.  Anyway, I figured I'd record in this blog all of the info that I had planned or arranged by my friends for future reference:

Flight:

• Air Canada SEA->YVR->KIX->YVR->SEA

Lodging:

• Sept 5 - 18:  Japan Hotels Gojo Muromachi in Kyoto link
• Sept 12 - 14: Hana Hostel in Hiroshima link

Reservations   :

• JR Pass for Hiroshima & Kansai link
• this includes ferry ride to Miyajima
• ICOCA with Haruka round trip link
• Haruka for travels between Kansai airport & Kyoto
• MiFi from Japan Wireless link
• I had it to be shipped to a post office in Kyoto:
• Kyoto Central Post Office　京都中央郵便局
• 843-12 Higashi-shiokouji Shimogyou-ku 
• Kyoto-shi, Kyoto-fu 600-8799 
• Japan

Checklist before trip:

• enroll in SAFE link
• passport up to date
• contact banks on intention to use their card in Japan
• get ¥ in cash