Otoha & Simon Wedding

2024/03/03 Update: 
Flights booked!
Arriving Japan on Sept 29th, leaving on Oct 18th morning.

For accommodation, we are mostly staying with Otoha’s parents in central Tokyo except the few days before/after the wedding. We have booked ourselves a flat with few others already which might work out cheaper if you are looking to stay in central Tokyo for a week or longer.

If you are looking to do a big holiday in Japan or IndoChina destinations too and not sure where to go or how to book etc., please contact as Otoha just got a job as the operation specialist at Inside Travel Group, a company specializes in arranging travels in Japan and few surrounding countries!

Tokyo Narita Airport:
Older international airport but actually located outside the Tokyo district.
More flights are available in/out to Narita, and also due to taking about an hour into central Tokyo, the tickets to Narita will be more wallet-friendly than Haneda.

Information on how to access to/from central Tokyo from Narita here.
You will see a glimpse of Tokyo Disney Resort from coaches, Narita Express or Keisei Skyliner window when travelling between central Tokyo and Narita :)

Tokyo Haneda Airport:
Newer airport which is also located closer to the central Tokyo.
Though the number of flights are more limited than Narita, and tickets may be more expensive as you will reach the central Tokyo in approx. 30mins depending on the station you are going for.

Information on how to access to/from central Tokyo from Haneda here.

The central Tokyo (made up of 23 wards) is well-connected via public transport - whether via metro, train, bus or taxi.

So it is entirely up to you which part of the central Tokyo you want to stay. You can choose to stay closer to the venue in Asakusa area, or with a view of imperial palace, or Shinjuku/Shibuya/Roppongi for all kinds of nightlife and shoppings!

But if you are not sure if the hotel you've found is in an ok area, please feel free to ask us for consultation. (e.g. Kabukicho area of Shinjuku is the fun nightlife area but also can be dodgy to stay....)

Types of Accommodations you can look for in Japan:
- Hotel
- Serviced Apartment/Furnished Hotel (such as Oakwood, Citadines, MIMARU etc.)
- Ryokan (Jp B&B, usually more on luxurious side so maybe try them outside Tokyo)
- Minshuku (super cheap, usually a family-owned bed-only accommodation with shared bathroom)

I recommend buying a pocket wifi with pick-up from an airport. Especially for groups as most will support up to 10 connections. This will give you great internet connection in major cities and across the country.
Using google maps to travel around Tokyo is super simple so make sure you're connected!
An alternative to a pocket wifi is a temporary SIM card, these work great as well but I have found them a bit slow to work on the first day.
Example site, plenty of options around.

We have a lot of earthquakes in Japan, so even if you encounter one or two during your stay, just follow what everyone else around you is doing.
Anything happens on the day of the wedding, don't worry you will have Otoha and Fumiko who are fully licensed to take charge in such situations, and Otoha's mum is also one of the leading person in the local area for natural disaster situation. Also every Japanese building are required to have a fully licensed personnel at all times for earthquakes/fire, and we are required to have monthly fire/earthquake drills in every building in the country.

If all the Japanese people's phones start beeping with the emergency alarm, that means a big tremor is approaching so you should take cover to keep your head safe from anything falling.
If you are outside any buildings, make sure to stay away from any old buildings, construction sites' cranes etc. that may fall and look for an open space.

But if you feel the ground shake and nobody's phone beeps or in panic, then it will be a small tremor so just stay calm. We highly recommend to keep some candies and a drink on you at all time if you are going away from the cities, in case of emergency.

Any website recommendation that has information about Tokyo?
- Yes. There's the official Tokyo tourism website that Otoha was the Project Manager for back in 2019 to have it rebuilt!
Have a look on GoTokyo for the government-approved information.

I can't speak Japanese at all! How would I get myself around Tokyo?
Japanese people are usually not the confident English speakers, but they would feel guilty not to help you when you ask for help lol
Also the government attempted to have all signs on the road/buildings/stations have English written on it. So they may be some funny English but at least they'll be in alphabet so you can read them.