Touring Japan

Author Message   Doyle L. McGaha Jr Member Username: Dlmcgaha Post Number: 15 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 64.12.116.208 Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 11:12 am:    Thanks Mike   mike~p Senior Member Username: In_japan Post Number: 517 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 67.119.12.41 Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 03:53 am:    I talked to Hardy Barracks a week ago and they are still alive and well. The rooms are excellant but very limited on Friday and Saturday nights. Cost is $34./night single plus $5./night for each extra person. There is a Navy Exchange where you can buy food for micro-waving. Each room is a suite with a bedroom and a sitting room where you can put up another 2 people. Hardy Barracks is within walking distance of Roppongi Hills and the Roppongi district and there is a city bus that will take you to the New Sanno for Y200 or you can walk it. Emails don't seem to work to army .mil addresses but you can telephone them by Skype for 2 cents a minute plus and nickel connection fee.   Doyle L. McGaha Jr Member Username: Dlmcgaha Post Number: 14 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 205.188.116.208 Posted on Wednesday, May 12, 2010 - 01:19 am:    No luck Ed but thanks anyway   ed williamson Advanced Member Username: Regnav Post Number: 190 Registered: 07-2009 Posted From: 76.114.109.206 Posted on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - 01:54 pm:    This is very old info and I don't know if the service is still available, or at what cost, but might be worth checking on. While stationed in Yokosuka, 1970, my parents visited. The Chief's Club in Yokosuka provided a vehicle and driver for a very small (at that time) daily cost. We used the service for five days and visited Nara and Kyoto as well as several other points. Overnight stays required providing the driver with a room of course. Compared to other means of transportation is was very economical. My parents also got to see much of the countryside, and small villages, they would not have otherwise seen. Great experience. Also, and a very big plus, no hauling of baggage. As I said, old info but it might be worthwhile checking with some of the clubs.   Doyle L. McGaha Jr Member Username: Dlmcgaha Post Number: 13 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 205.188.116.208 Posted on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - 01:56 am:    We plan on taking the train to Kyoto so your information will be priceless. Thank you   Ted Lamb Senior Member Username: Ted_l Post Number: 1027 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 71.189.7.202 Posted on Tuesday, May 11, 2010 - 01:33 am:    The "bullet train" (Shinkansen) is a wonderful way to travel. If you go to the JR East web site, you will be able to find information about routes, classes of trains and timetables: http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/customer_support/information_center.html The old capital of Kyoto is a wonderful destination for several days, and you can, from Kyoto, do a day trip to Nara, the ancient capital. Kyoto is quite accessible from Shinkansen. If you plan to make a trip to Kyoto (or to any other distant destination) via Shinkansen, and return to Tokyo (or even go on to Iwakuni, to catch the Patriot Express), you should consider purchasing the JR pass. It becomes economical if you take this kind of trip on Shinkansen. The JR pass will be good for all surface rail transportation operated by JR (there are some non-JR railways), but subways in the major cities are not part of JR. You must purchase the JR pass before you leave the U.S., and then you activate the pass once you arrive, and are in a station, such as Tokyo or Shinjuku, where there is a public office.   Doyle L. McGaha Jr Member Username: Dlmcgaha Post Number: 12 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 64.12.116.208 Posted on Monday, May 10, 2010 - 08:01 pm:    Thanks Edgar, Have you traveled outside the Tokyo area--We're thinking of taking a high speed train ride. Also, how are the quarters (if any) at Hardy Barracks?   Edgar Inocentes Senior Member Username: Traveler88 Post Number: 543 Registered: 01-2005 Posted From: 209.242.132.226 Posted on Monday, May 10, 2010 - 03:20 pm:    You can do day trips from Yokota to Tokyo. The shuttle bus is $5/person one way from the Kanto Lodge to the New Sanno Hotel in Hiroo district. From there you can take the train/subway to anywhere in Tokyo, then return to Yokota from the New Sanno on the shuttle bus again at night.   Jayme Casillas New member Username: Jaymec Post Number: 3 Registered: 05-2010 Posted From: 180.131.239.169 Posted on Monday, May 10, 2010 - 10:04 am:    I've only hopped from Kadena to Yokota, which is *very* easy to do. Getting stateside is another matter. Yokota is about an hour and a half via various train stations to Hardy Barracks or the New Sanno. Probably costs about $15/person if I remember right (in yen of course). You can also stay at the Kanto Lodge on Yokota and they have a bus to the New Sanno and Hardy Barracks in the morning. If there's anything I can help with you can shoot me an email, I'd be glad to help anyway I can. And if you want to hop down to Okinawa I can give you quite a bit of information ;) We've been here 3 years.   William Dimsdale Member Username: Mebillyd Post Number: 47 Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 74.196.60.127 Posted on Saturday, May 08, 2010 - 08:26 pm:    Search Trip report archives for 720 days and use the word "Japan" I think you will find several   Doyle L. McGaha Jr Member Username: Dlmcgaha Post Number: 11 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 205.188.116.208 Posted on Saturday, May 08, 2010 - 07:04 pm:    Hi TR, No luck on finding any trip reports. If you happen to see any please forward to me at dlmcgaha@aol.com. Thanks   Doyle L. McGaha Jr Member Username: Dlmcgaha Post Number: 10 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 205.188.116.208 Posted on Saturday, May 08, 2010 - 07:02 pm:    Thanks Shannon, Look forward to info on your Japan adventure and your feelings about Hardy Barracks. I also bought a book "Frommer's Japan"--not bad-will look up the one you mentioned as well. One last question--are you planning on buying a train pass? If so, I understand you must do so before arriving in country.   TR Advanced Member Username: Travel_ready Post Number: 229 Registered: 06-2003 Posted From: 74.192.161.189 Posted on Saturday, May 08, 2010 - 12:14 pm:    Doyle, try using the search feature on this site. You should be able to pull out some previous trip reports from Japan.   shannon whitaker Member Username: Gypsy99 Post Number: 17 Registered: 03-2010 Posted From: 70.67.171.200 Posted on Saturday, May 08, 2010 - 12:10 pm:    I also meant to add that unless you are on PCS orders or EFML orders to stay clear of spacea flights until the summer is over unless you are prepared to be (most likely) bumped of both ways and your schedule and pocketbook can handle this. We had originally wanted to go in April but other things kept coming up between kids,work, schedules and a big holiday week in Japan during the first week in May. The second week of May was the absolute last week I felt semi-comfortable to fly and we are cat 3 but I am sure we will see some of the higher cats with priority on our flights to and from Yokota.   shannon whitaker Member Username: Gypsy99 Post Number: 15 Registered: 03-2010 Posted From: 70.67.171.200 Posted on Saturday, May 08, 2010 - 12:00 pm:    We are going this week! If all works like we hope with our spacea flight that is. We will be staying in Yokota at first. Once we get there we are going to see about any spacea at Hardy Barracks because we want to be closer to Tokyo. I will post the things we found to do. *We also bought some travel books form a large bookstore, one of them is called "Top 25 Things to do in Tokyo" because it had maps of all of the big spots and how to get there by public transportation.   Doyle L. McGaha Jr Member Username: Dlmcgaha Post Number: 9 Registered: 11-2007 Posted From: 205.188.116.208 Posted on Thursday, May 06, 2010 - 12:35 pm:    Does anyone have a trip report on touring Japan from Yokota. Should we plan on taking only day trips from Yokota or otherwise. Also, provide other tidbits of information. Thanks