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[quote=Anonymous]Tokyo is an amazing city, and Japan as a country is one of the safest places in the world. Kindergarten students walk to school alone - yes, all you other posters that are acting like kids could never be alone in a city, that's correct.

I have been twice - as an adult/couple and as a family with 2 teens. The most recent time, we stayed at the Oakwood Azabu Tokyo, which was two twin beds so we had two rooms. There was a kitchenette and washer/dryer in the room, so depending on the duration of your stay, you could do laundry if you needed. Breakfast was included every day and that saved us a lot of money - Japanese breakfast includes Miso Soup, Onigiri and Green Tea and the hotel had more "Western" options to include bread, cereal, fruit, etc. I believe there was a Nespresso machine in our rooms. We also went to the 7-11 and stocked up on Ramen, Sushi, etc that we could make in our rooms. The 7-11 food is amazing and you'll be surprised at how good it is (and even the locals eat it daily). Some 7-11s offer different unique food they make there at the specific location as well. Family Mart (another local chain) is known for their Fried Chicken.

We booked a private tour, and that guide showed us how to buy four day unlimited-use Subway passes, and that saved us a ton of money. The subway system is amazing, and there are multiple lines (JR, Tokyo Subway, etc). The streets are clean, wide and very pedestrian friendly.

As far as shopping, you could spend as much as you want. Each neighborhood is unique - Ginza, Harajuku, Shibuya, etc. The department stores are something to see, and they have dining halls and restaurants within them. Don Quixote (the jingle will rattle around in your head forever) is a store that has everything from Paperclips to Louis Vuitton bags, and maybe even a suitcase if you need one to bring all of your souvenirs home. They will do a tax/duty-free purchase so that will save you a ton of money (just have your passport on hand). You'll be amazed by the packaging and wrapping-up of things. There is a high-end mall (Shinjuku) with stores like Lululemon (it was fun for my daughter and I - they have "Asia Only" styles) and it was cheaper - again, bring your passport when shopping.

There is very little to no language barrier. Most (especially younger) Japanese speak English and are happy to accommodate you and they are so helpful - they may even walk to you where you need to go!!

It's a fascinating and wonderful place. I will tell you the jet lag takes about a week to wear off. We arrived at night (7pm?) and went right to sleep, but were waking at 2,3 am for a few days. Around the time we had fully adjusted on day 5 it was time to go. We never even ate a proper dinner - rather 7-11 food in our rooms! - and crashed happily with our bellies full.

Enjoy your vacation! [/quote]

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