A long one with many questions

Hi Everyone, I%26#39;ve been reading this forum for awhile to research information for my own trip to Tokyo for the first time. There%26#39;ll be a group of 6 (adults) traveling, we are arriving in Tokyo (Haneida airport) on March 30 2 7am and leaving on Apr 3 @ 8:45pm. We%26#39;ll be staying at the Shinjuku Vintage hotel. Now I%26#39;m going to ask my questions...so here it goes.

1. What is the most economical way for us to get to our hotel from Haneida airport?

2. Since we%26#39;ll be staying 5 days in Tokyo, we are thinking of going on a day trip to another city in Japan. What are my doable options? TransportationCost? Itineraries?

3. I read a lot of reviews about Shinjuku Vintage and have found that it%26#39;s in the ';red light'; district or around the area. We are 6 girls and am a bit worried about being hassled by crazy people. any other comments/reviews on this hotel?

4. Japan is expensive as everyone knows, we want to find cheap eats....where would those places be? we want to try a variety of everything. so any recommendations or hole in the wall places will be good. Also, we have two vegetarians traveling with us, anywhere we can all eat so we don%26#39;t have to split up with either all vegetarian or all meat.

5. We%26#39;re anticipating to stay in tokyo 4 days (assuming we go to another city for 1 day). Is there a transportation pass we can get for 4 days? Sorry not sure how the transportation system works in Tokyo.

I think that%26#39;s all my questions for now. I%26#39;m sure I%26#39;ll thinking of more later. Thanks in advance!

A long one with many questions

Some links to do some research - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2164.html

Side trips - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3051.html

Day pass for transit in Tokyo is not practical. A Suica card is a good option - http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_002.html

Veggie dining - http://www.bento.com/r-veg.html

Cheap eats in department store food halls. There are tons of noodle shops in Tokyo.

A long one with many questions

3. Don%26#39;t worry about being in Kabukicho. You will not be hassled as long as you behave (don%26#39;t be taking pictures of people, don%26#39;t get too drunk, etc.) and keep to yourselves. It%26#39;s actually a very civilized area.

4. You can find cheap diner-style restaurants and fast food in Kabukicho without any problem. Just walk around for 30-60 seconds and you should encounter one. Convenience stores are also a good place to get delicious, cheap food. Regarding vegetarian, it depends how strict. If it%26#39;s due to religion then it%26#39;s a little more difficult. If it%26#39;s due to lifestyle (less strict) then it%26#39;s a little easier. There are plenty of Indian restaurants around but you have to look a little bit to find them.

2. Tokyo is huge and 4 nights is not that much - you may change your mind once you are there. If you want to go, I suggest Mount Fuji. Your hotel will have tour package information.

3. We stayed in Shinjuku, it was fine. The Red Light district is - like everywhere else in Japan - very safe. You will be approached by some guys trying to sell you something, just say ';no'; and move on. But may I suggest you book The B Roppongi? It is $130/night incl taxes. Better area. More bars and clubs - it%26#39;s near the embassy district. There is not much to do in Shinjuku unless you want to drink with the salarymen.

4. Vegetarian options are easy - noodles! There are noodle bars on every block which are cheap and tasty. You can get them with or without meat. Another favorite is Japanese bbq. Each little stick is $1-2. If you want an authentic experience on a budget, try not to go to places with English menus. They are much more expensive. Instead, go to holes in the wall and tell them ';chicken'; or ';meat'; and you will be pleasantly surprised. The Japanese are the most hospitable people on Earth.

5. We got the $10/day all-inclusive subway/bus pass, but it is definitely expensive. Perhaps there is a better option.

Noodle houses are cheap and have a pretty good variety of options. You can always ask for kitsune udon (Udon topped with fried tofu pockets)for a vegetarian option at any noodle place if you%26#39;re not sure (not everywhere has pictures). Soba is also a good choice. Raman is typically made with meat. However, I think some udon broth is made with bonito so isn%26#39;t strictly veggie.

1. Take Keikyu Line to Shinagawa and transfer to JR Yamanote Line for Shinjuku. Total cost is 590 Yen. On the way to the trains, there is a circular help desk that sells you both the ticket for Keikyu and JR Yamanote Line so you don%26#39;t have to mess with the ticket machines. Note that if you are arriving Haneda on an international flight, go outside and you will need to take the free bus to the domestic terminal for the trains.

Train information:

http://www.hyperdia.com

2. A day trip depends on what your interests are. Nearby choices include Hakone, Fuji Five Lakes, Kamakura and Nikko. Use the Japan Guide website to see what these areas are about. Use Hyperdia for train fares and schedule planning.

http://www.japan-guide.com

3. As mentioned, Kabuki-cho, the red light district, is extremely safe. In fact, they will most likely leave foreign women alone entirely since you are not their targeted customers. It%26#39;s actually a fun area to walk around at night.

4. Cheap eats are everywhere. Finding true vegetarian cuisine could be more of a problem. Noodles are often served in soup that was originally made with fish stock so it%26#39;s not as straightforward as just seeing no meat in the bowl. Still, I am sure you can find something. This topic has been discussed previously so type in ';vegetarian'; in the search box above and read through the threads.

5. If you are not going far, there is really no pass that is worthwhile to save money. The daily passes within Tokyo don%26#39;t offer much savings.

For a $10 all you can eat lunch, try Shakey%26#39;s Pizza in Tokyo--they say it%26#39;s American style but you%26#39;ll find seafood on many of the pizza varieities.

Shakey%26#39;s Harajuku-ten

6-1-10 Jingu-mae, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Shakey%26#39;s Ikebukuro Higashiguchi-ten

1-11-4 Higashi-ikebukuro, Toshima-ku, Tokyo

Shakey%26#39;s Seiseki Sakuragaoka-ten

1-7-1 Sekido, Tama City, Tokyo

Shakey%26#39;s Shibuya Udagawa-ten

32-15 Udagawa-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo

Shakey%26#39;s Shinjukudori-ten

3-30-11 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Shakey%26#39;s Takadanobaba-ten

1-34-8 Takadanobaba, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo

Most Japanese noodles have meat or fish broth. That%26#39;s why I asked if it was a health/lifestyle or religious thing. I know some health/lifestyle vegetarians who just don%26#39;t want meat protein but are OK with broth or byproducts and some even eat fish and eggs. Strict religious vegetarians usually do not consume anything that may have broth from an animal.

%26lt;%26lt;%26lt;4. Vegetarian options are easy - noodles! There are noodle bars on every block which are cheap and tasty. You can get them with or without meat.%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

I tend to disagree with this assessment. If you%26#39;re into shopping then there is plenty of that. If you%26#39;re into people watching then there is an overabundance of that. If you want cheap eats, well, enough has been said here. If you%26#39;re talking about Kabukicho, I can%26#39;t think of a more ';interesting'; place to visit, as long as you%26#39;re open-minded and not too puritanical, if you get my drift. Think about all of the best things about the Castro, North Beach, The Marina, Union Square, South of Market, China Basin and even the Tenderloin have to offer and then add the absolute safety factor and you probably have what Kabukicho is all about. You%26#39;ll see the widest variety of people as anywhere in Tokyo there. Most of the adult entertainment is closed to foreigners, anyway, so you%26#39;re just there to look (don%26#39;t look too closely and make annoyances of yourselves) and it%26#39;s got a great amount of energy and vibrancy to it. You%26#39;ll probably see African touts but they will most likely leave you alone because you are not their target demographic. Enjoy yourselves, you will not forget the place.

%26lt;%26lt;There is not much to do in Shinjuku unless you want to drink with the salarymen.%26gt;%26gt;%26gt;

Sorry, everyone doesn%26#39;t know Japan is expensive. Have you been to Japan Center in SF? If you take away the expensive SF tax %26amp; tips, that is about the price you pay in Japan(usually less for lunch and better quality). Is it expensive?

The quality of food at Japan Center in SF cannot match what you get in Japan for the equivalent amount. You get a much better deal in Japan because the fish is fresher and the quality of the rice is superior.

If you eat like the locals in Japan it is cheaper than eating like locals in SF, that%26#39;s for sure.