GPANTRIP: Planning Must Do!

We are definitely going to: TOKYO, KYOTO, NARA, YOSHINO, OSAKA

Generally, I suppose we will always do everything together, so we should all post about the things we want to do or see in this topic. I will organise them into this one list as we go.

In Tokyo we must see/go to:

Odaiba: 

• Palette Town (Shopping centre, Giant Ferris wheel, Tokyo Bay).
• Rainbow Bridge Walk.
  

Akihabara: 

• Electric City (Game shopping, Manga cafes, Anime Maid Restaurants, SEGA arcade, Tokyo Anime Center).
  
• Musical Instrument Area (Special Musical Instrument Stores, Sheet Music Stores).
  

Shibuya / Harajuku / Omotesando:

• Shibuya Crossing.
  
• Shibuya 109.
  
• Shibuya Town Center .
  
• Harajuku / Omotesando (Cos-Play-Zoku on weekends, Everything from Prada to Pokemon).
  
• Takeshita Dori (Stores containing misc. Character and Idol goods).
  
• Hachiko (Statue of the Faithful Dog).
  

Shinjuku:

• Kabukicho (Major Entertainment Town, Restaurants, Theaters, Cinemas, Arcades).
• Electric Street (Crowded with large electrics stores).
• NS Building.
  

Shidome:

• Tokyo Tower (Observatories over looking Tokyo City).
  
• World Trade Center Observatory (Observatories over looking Tokyo City).
  

Ginza:

• Kabukiza (Kabuki Theater, Japan’s original theatrical art).
  
• Sony Building (Sony Showroom, Restaurants, Event Space).
  

Ikebukuro:

• Toyota Auto Salon AMLUX TOKYO (70 vehicles on display including the hottest sports cars and concept cars).
  

Higashi-Ikebukuro:

• Nanjatown.
  

Ueno:

• Ueno Zoological Gardens (Over 500 different species on exhibit).
  
• Tokyo National Museum.
  

Mitaka:

• Studio Ghibli Museum.
• Marunouchi.
• Tokyo International Forum.

Aomi:

• National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation.
  

Maihama:

• Tokyo Disney Land.

In Kyoto we must see/go to:

• Gion
  
• Nijo Castle.
  

In Nara/Yoshino we must see/go to:

• Todaiji Temple (Daibutsu / Big Buddah - Largest bronze Buddah in the world).
• Rowhouse for Stubborn Craftsman (6 craftsmen exceptionally skilled in traditional crafts as wood carving, lacquering and bamboo tea whisk making).
  

In Osaka we must see/go to:

• Minami.
• Shinsaibashi Shopping Arcade, Amerikamura (“America Village”).
• Nipponbashi Den-Den Town (Shopping area for discount electronics).
• Doguyasuji (Shopping area for non edible restaurant supplies).
• Dotonbori (Entertainment District).
• Kaiukan (Japan’s best aquarium).
• Osaka Dome (see a baseball game?).
• Nagai Stadium (venue of the FIFA 2002 World Cup, see a J-League soccer game?).
• Tobita Red-Light District (largest brothel district in western Japan).
• Osaka Castle (historical site, museum, views of Osaka city).
  

Other we must see/go to:

• Fuji Five Lake (Fujigoko - views of Mout Fuji)

Do on the trip:

• A real Japanese karaoke bar.
• Eat at a ramen noodle house.
• Buy an engRish t-shirt.
• Enjoy Japanese style toilets…
• Try a Kirin Melon Cream Soda, Qoo and bubble man from a vending machine.
• Get our asses kicked at Tekken!
• See if tom waits really is big in japan as his song “big in japan” suggests.
• See some wacky 1337 cars at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku. you can test drive them on a course apparently.

In Malaysia we must see/go to:

A Malaysian friend from work gave me some recommendations:

• Petronas Towers
• Batu Caves
• Bangsar / Mid-Valley
• Genting Highland
• Petaling Street
• Bukit Bintang