I’m looking to take advantage of some cheap flights to Tokyo in February next year.
Which areas should I be going to look at watches, and does anyone have any recommendations for general areas or specific hotels that are good but aren’t going to break the bank?
Thanks.
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Tokyo hotels can be nice but they are also pricey and rooms can be on the small size. Last time I visited I used Airbnb for a bit more space.
There are a few guides out there but I remember this one from hodinkee being useful https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/wa...ught-a-vintage
There is so much to do in Tokyo though that I didn’t spend as much time watch hunting as I expected. A lot more time eating though!
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How long are you going for?
If for a couple of weeks it will give you a good opportunity to travel around the country fairly easily.
As a foreign national, you can purchase a Japan Rail Pass.
This will give you unlimited travel for a set period on all of the JR lines and all but the fastest bullet trains.
This has to be purchased before you go, and redeemed at one of the JR counters (which they have at the airport) you will need to carry your passport with the rail pass to use it.
February will probably still be a bit cold, so take some warm clothes with you (or plan to buy out there, UniQlo is very cheap, especially tax free, I usually do this as half of my luggage is usually gifts for family).
With regards to watches there are some good pointers on the thread I made last month. The 2 I missed out on due to lack of time was the Seiko museum, and going to see the myriad year clock at the national museum of Nature and science in Tokyo. (I'll probably plan them in on my next trip).
While there, other things to do may be to go to the sky tree building if the weather is clear, the view is amazing. There are 2 different observation decks you can go to, tickets to the higher one cost more. ( I went to the first one on new years, the queue for tickets may be quite long)
Odaiba is well worth a visit too. There is a giant Gundam there, a Toyota museum, people were test driving cars as well, though I don't know what the requirements for this are as I didn't do it. And if you go there, definitely go to the team lab exhibition.
Other than that Ueno zoo is nice, though you may have to queue to see the panda's.
If you have time I would definitely recommend Kyoto, though in February some places may be closed.
A very good resource is;
https://www.japan-guide.com/
Osaka is awesome for food. I wouldn't bother with the inside of Osaka castle as it was destroyed in WW2 and the interior is concrete.
If going to Hiroshima, I would also recommend a short ferry ride to Miyajima.
There's probably loads I have missed out, and I am sure others could help out too. (Read up on any of my recommendations, as I haven't been in February before).
Hotels don't have to be expensive, I usually just stay at business hotels as they are cheap, a place to sleep and overall tend to be pretty clean. If you want more space, then Airbnb may be a better option.
In any case plan to go sightseeing a lot and enjoy, there's a lot to do out there. Enjoy the food for sure.
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Thanks.Originally Posted by Wyvern971
I think it’s going to be for about a week, although I may be able to stretch it out for 10 days. It all depends on the cost of the flights.
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Nakano is a good area to look for watches,for higher end stuff check Ginza,Shinjuku and Shibuya
For inexpensive hotels,probably try to stay in an area that’s less mainstream (not Ginza,Shinjuku,Shibuya,Ikebukuro,Asakusa etc)
Last time I stayed in Shimbashi area which is quite close to Ginza,the hotels are generally small but less expensive
I usually go to Jp in February as I love the cold weather....just buy heattech from uniqlo and layer up accordingly,Tokyo isn’t that bad...probably cotton tshirt,cotton hoodie and thin down jacket will do...I won’t buy outerwear from uniqlo though...their down and windbreaker are generally too thin
If you search 'Tokyo' and my username I'm sure I've put a few posts in the past. The below is a summary from a PM I sent to another TZ-er
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Jack Road (and whole Sunway mall) is probably the 'must' recommendation. Take the Chuo line one stop west from Shinjuku to Nakano, then exit the station north (into the shopping street opposite) and just keep walking until you find Sunway Mall. Jack Road is on the top floor, but there are many watch shops in that arcade and the street leading up to it. You can find everything from Rolex and Omega, NOMOS, AP, PP - you name it.
Shinjuku: West side of the station has Yodobashi Camera, which carries JDM models of Seiko, Citizen and the like (quite a nice display). There's also a big BIC Camera at the west exit which has many watches. On the same West side is GMT, and north of the station is Ippukishi, BEST etc (although maybe not as good for JDM). Also on the West side of the station are Keio and Odakyu department stores. Especially Keio, the staff are really nice, and they have a good selection of Grand Seiko, happy to answer questions and let you try on.
East side of the station has Isetan (which carries many main brands), and across the street is Komehyo, which is WELL worth a visit (buys secondhand watches all over Japan, and retails here - many things turn up). I was there last week, and they had a secondhand Snowflake in stock among other GS.
Ginza. Primarily the Grand Seiko flagship store between Yurakucho and Ginza itself, is good to see. When I was there last week they said the Baselworld display and watches were coming to them in April, so it might be there when you visit. Wako department store (owned by Seiko) is also excellent. Watch CTI in Ginza 1-chome often has some nice pieces. All of those are within a few minutes walk of each other (and Lemon-sha is just round the corner from Watch CTI too). Also Evance, which is good for Rolex, and there's the PP main dealer store there too.
Ueno. Mizutani is a good shop for a range of Seiko although you never quite know what you will get, and there's another shop at the south end of the same street. Mizutani is just south of the station exit (cross the main road and go left into Ameyayokocho area).
The below series is a good summary
http://deadseconds.net/2018/01/28/us...rt-1-overview/
Thanks for all the good advice. Just got to convince the wife we can afford it, and book the flights and hotels.
Fingers crossed.
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While this is unrelated with watch purchases..
In Japan don’t stay in budget hotels called Apa hotel,I heard stories about missing things/money from locked luggages...and when you report to the police,police can’t do anything as they’re backed by some kind of mafia
Back on the Tokyo watch topic, there's a new 'Prospex' boutique just opened in Ginza. It's on the Waco side of the main drag, opposite direction from the Grand Seiko boutique. (Prospex is NE from the main crossing, GS is SW)
There’s also this next to Wako....and if you cross the street and walk straight towards Ginza 5-6-7-8 chome there are several watch boutiques from Panerai to Hublot to RMs
My wife and I spent 3 weeks in Japan in March. It's a wonderful country.
We stayed here while we were in Tokyo - https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/sar...al&type=total&
I'd highly recommend it. The location in Ginza is very good and it's just a block away from a subway entrance. The hotel is extremely clean and the the rooms are bigger than your average Japanese hotel room.
The watch scene isn't great. Lots and lots of grey dealers with wall to wall Rolex. There weren't any bargains to be had in ADs or greys.
I spent an immensely enjoyable day touring around Tokyo following the Deadseconds guide looking for a vintage Seiko. I thought Tokyo would be vintage Seiko Mecca, but unfortunately it is not. They were extremely thin on the ground, and what was available was in poor condition and very overpriced. Mizutani had by far the best selection of vintage stuff. I ended up buying a beautiful Grand Seiko in Yodobashi. Yodobashi is a long way from the retail experience one would get in the Grand Seiko boutique, but it saved me over 50% vs what I would pay at home.
If you're planning to travel outside of Tokyo and see a bit of the country (which you really should!), I'd highly recommend a trip to Kanazawa. It's a cracking little city on Japan's west coast and is a nice antidote to the craziness of Tokyo.
Avoid Kyoto. It was completely overrun by aggressive Chinese tourists with selfie sticks. We did not enjoy our time there.
If there's one of the big sumo events on while you're there make sure you go to it. We took a de-tour to Osaka to see it and it was one of the highlights of the trip.
A trip to an onsen is an absolute must. We spent several days in two onsen towns, Kinosakionsen and Hakone. Hakone was lovely, but Kinosakionsen was amazing. We did three days there and visited everyone of the seven onsen in the town.
Enjoy your trip, it's a fascinating place. We can't wait to go back!
PS - where did you book your cheap flights?
Going for RWC and will be taking a stash for watch shopping.
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