planning on visiting first time

[alx123]

Konnichiwa
I plan to visit well not I my father. So he said to me where I wanted to go and I dont really know I think Tokyo. I have some questions I want to make for going.

What place to go for an anime and videogames fan like me?
What are some nice hostals and cheap?

and some questions about eating.
Does I have to say ittadakimasu in restaurants?a loud?
What are cheap foods and delicious?

[Dehitay]

Woah, this thread almost seems like a joke. Anime and video games can pretty much be found all over Japan. Tokyo would probly have a lot of anime themed cafes and arcades, but so would most cities. But the thing about cities is they're not going to be very cheap.

Saying itadakimasu is optional in pretty much every situation. It is polite, but I wouldn't use it unless I want to specifically appear polite in front of the people I'm eating with. As far as cheap foods go, it's going to matter more specifically on where you go to eat. In most sushi restaraunts, it will be more expensive since you have a sushi chef preparing things by hands. If you go to a kaiten sushi joint, it will be cheaper since the sushi is machine prepared for most part. Ramen stands might be a cheap place to get ramen and prepared onigiri is availalbe in a lot of stores.

[alx123]

THanks. Sorry for it semming like a joke. I dont really knew about that.

[Yudan Taiteki]

If you don't know Japanese, you don't have to say itadakimasu.

It's normal to say it if you are in a group, and especially if the person who prepared the food is there. It's only "optional" in the technical sense that every polite phrase is optional, but I wouldn't suggest omitting it.

[two_heads_talking]

Honestly, I always found the ramen/soba shops or the curry shops to have the cheapest rates for food. Sushi, no matter where you get it won't be "cheap" but it is worth getting anyways. Your typical "restaurant" depending on type and location will vary in price greatly.

[Harisenbon]

two_heads_talking wrote:
Sushi, no matter where you get it won't be "cheap" but it is worth getting anyways.

What about 100円 sushi? I usually never eat more than 15 plates of that stuff.
While not cheaper than ramen, it is quite comparible.

[Yudan Taiteki]

Yeah, 100 yen sushi is pretty cheap -- I usually stopped after 10 plates but that's still less than $10.

[spin13]

Dehitay wrote:
If you go to a kaiten sushi joint, it will be cheaper since the sushi is machine prepared for most part.

Man, have you been you going to the wrong sushi places.

[chikara]

spin13 wrote:

Dehitay wrote:
If you go to a kaiten sushi joint, it will be cheaper since the sushi is machine prepared for most part.

Man, have you been you going to the wrong sushi places.

So those guys in the little white hats are robots?

Dehitay-san, how many sushi joints have you been to in Japan?

[Yudan Taiteki]

I've seen kaiten zushi places where a machine makes the rice clumps, but not the sushi as a whole.

[succubus]

If you're going to be in Tokyo, the best place to go for anime and videogames is Akihabara. It's amazing, and the theme shops and restaurants are fun.

But, you can find anime, manga and videogames anywhere. I live in a small town, and I have a manga store within view right now, and a videogame arcade within a 5 minute walk. You can get anime at any video store, but most of it won't have English subs.

[noviceAnimeFreak]

akihabara!!!!! it's the IT place for manga and anime.....but i tink you should go to the country side..it's much more relaxing den being surrounded by high-definition tv all the time.......

plus they have great food...(watched to many japanese travel show)

[alx123]

Akihabara?? I see, but does it is a good place for kids?? and how much the mangas or animes costs???

Thanks everyone for posting!!

[succubus]

I found Tokyo to be really relaxing, actually. It's this crazy big city, but suddenly you'll turn a corner and find yourself in an amazingly peaceful garden with an ancient shrine.

There are a few places for kids in Akihabara, but I suggest you go with someone who knows what's going on, as you don't want to stumble into one of the dodgier places. There are a couple of adult shops that look like cosplay places, so be careful.

One book of manga costs anywhere from ￥100 (about US$1) to ￥500 (about US$5), depending on what you want. No English, though, so you have to have good Japanese to be able to read them. You can find English manga at really, really big bookstores such as Kinokuniya, but they usually cost around Y1200 ($12) - Y1500 ($15).

If you like that kind of thing, I also recommend going to Harajuku on a Saturday or Sunday afternoon. Go to the Meiji Shrine first during the afternoon, then at sunset, head to the bridge and shopping area to see all the cosplayers come out. Fun.

[keatonatron]

Want cheap food? Find a Wendy's.

Two cheeseburgers and a side of fries for a grand total of 300 yen.