Hey guys, I'll be going to Japan later this year (closer to X-mas time) and am looking for recommendations on places to check out. It's going to be a family vacation/business trip with my mom and dad, brother, sister and brother in law, and my soon to be wifey and son. We kind of have a schedule already somewhat planned out ,so i won't really have free time, but if there's an automotive super store in the area, you can bet I'll TRY and sneek out. We're going to Osaka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, and Tokyo to give you an idea of the locations. If you've been to or know of places to go to, please post them up so I can start researching them.

 

Tokyo/Kanto guide: (slightly outdated)

Go to Hakone town near Mt. Fuji for an overnight stay at a hotel with an onsen (natural hot spring), your achey, cold body will thank you for it.
Hit the West side of Tokyo for a fun night: Start in Shibuya, party on to Shinjuku, then party on to Harajuku, then end the night in style in Ikebukuro. By the time you're done in Ikebukuro, it should be about 8 to 10 hours later if you're partying hard enough haha.
Go window-shopping in Ginza. Don't buy anything unless it's really cheap, b/c you're prolly getting ripped off. There's also a shop that sells nothing but PIAA merchandise on the main drag -- worth checking out, if it's still there.
Head out to Daikoku at night. Look for car club and hashiriya meets in the parking lots near diners and the waterfront.
Rent a car and circle the Kanjo late at night. If you're lucky you'll find highway battlers, especially on weekends. You'll need an international driver's license though.
Hang out in the Tokyo Bay Area/Odaiba in the day time. Check out Decks shopping center and the Sega Joypolis (indoor snowboarding whoopee!!)
Go to Yokohama and explore. Ride the ferris wheel for a great view. Want Chinese food? Go to Chinatown!
Visit Yoyogi Park on a Sunday to check out the cosplayers and visual rockers, b-boys, goth lolitas, etc. Stop by Meiji Shrine if so inclined, it's nearby.
Go to Tsujiki Fish Market early in the AM (but not Wednesday, it's closed every other Wednesday) and prepare to be amazed.
Hit up the clubs in Roppongi and be dazzled (just watch out for yakuza LoL!)
Visit some shrines and temples if you like; I suggest Asakusa Kanon Temple with its Nakamise-dori shopping street.
Go to the Imperial Palace on the Sumida River and take a cruise if you like.
Check out the view from the top of Tokyo Tower (not as good as the Yokohama ferris wheel IMHO).
Visit Super Autobacs.
Watch kabuki.
If you wanna shop for electronics, forget buying in Akihabara since things are over-priced there. Find any branch of Sakura-ya and do your shopping there.
Go shopping in Shinjuku.
Don't bother visiting Ueno Park. It's kinda disappointing and the zoo is nothing compared to zoos here in the States.
Go shopping for designer goods in Roppongi Hills, and enjoy the complex while there.

That's all I can think of for now

 

I know theres this temple in or near Kyoto that is so peaceful and beautiful to look at if you want to just chill and enjoy the scenery..Supposedly they say that it is one of or not the oldest temple from the Fuedal Era of Japan! YOSH!!!^_^

 

check out the june issue of import tuner, they have a really good comprehensive guide to the car goodies in tokyo as well as advice for planning and how to use the rail system there ect... its worth lookin at.

 

Thanks for the info guys. I figured I'd ask now so I can do a little bit of research before I head up.....plus I can start saving money too.
-Choku Dori.......Damn! That's a lot of -ish- to do. The way I see it, If I'm lucky, I'll maybe be able to sneak out like once or twice during the whole trip. I'd better plan well!

Seems like I might also want to check out "Up Garage". Supposed to have a lot of good deals on used stuff.

 

bring an extra 4 suitcases i hear you can make a ridiculous killing on wheels at some of the used shops lol. or maybe enough money for shipping so you can send me a set lol.

 

Werd......Might have to save up or tell the wifey all I want for X-mas......

 

Sounds like a cool trip Brandon...!

 

Can't wait!

 

super autobacs in shinonome, it's super close to odaiba.
while in odaiba check out meg@web for the toyota salon...
for sure upgarage, you'll make a killing on nardi steering wheels and other stuff. a little bit hard to find (i never did track one down while i was there) but there's a ton of em around.
tokyo disney is fun too, or disney sea. either one.

 

Yup, we're going to Tokyo Disneyland 1 of the days. The hard part is that I'll be there with my whole family, and I'm the only one who wants to go look for car parts. I just got to hope that 1 of the free "shopping" days is in Tokyo or somewhere where there is an UpGarage. I've been to the SuperAutobacs in Cali, and it's pretty dope. Like a Costco (well maybe not that big) for car enthusiasts. I've read that UpGarage has some of the best deals.

Can you actually ship wheels/exhausts or something back from Japan? Are there like Fedex stores or something there?

 

I think you're talking about Kinkakuji AKA the Golden Temple. It's in the middle of a lake and was personally designed by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the man who unified Japan in the 1600s after almost a century's worth of civil war.

 

That sounds pretty cool........in the middle of the lake.

 

It sure is! First photo I could find:
http://www.lewissommer.com/Kyoto%20J...TEMPLE%20.html

 

Nice pic! Why is it that everything just looks better in Japan? So peaceful looking......and it's JDM gold FTW!