Where abouts are you all?

[drunkenmaster]

To those of you in Japan, where are you all?

Sorry if there is a dedicated thread, but I can see it.

Personally I am near Hamamatsu in the Shizuoka area.

I am finding its a very interesting country however being here alone and not particularly enjoying kareoke as do some of the older japanese i work with, i spent most of my time bored out of my mind. I have done some exploring to Tokyo and to Mt Fuji, but running out of ideas.

[drift007]

im just on the border of tokyo and kanagawa. just moved and got raped nicely for up front money

[Demon Dave]

I'm north of you, in Yamanashi.

There's loads to do in the Fuji five lakes area, if you like sight seeing/outdoors, plus the Fuji speedway (currently being rebuilt). There's a ferrari museum, as well as another car museum near Lake Yamanako (nice selection of cars old and new), plus the lakes themselves - water skiing, para gliding, fishing, windsurfing (Lake Motosu), camping etc etc.

There's an excellent karting track in Gotemba, plus the Premium Outlets (shop til ya drop, but mostly just fashion stores). Yokohama wouldn't be that far away from you - plenty to do there, even if it's just drooling over the GTR's at Zele International...

[Rezz]

I'm in Ashiya in Hyogo-ken about 14km west of Osaka. Actually it takes about 10mins on the Shin-kaisoku from JR Osaka to Ashiya.

[DaiOni]

sadogashima (the 5th (?) biggest island)

[DCD]

Naka-machi, Ibaraki-ken. Bumble fcuk in the middle of rice fields and about 110km from the outskirts of Tokyo.

[Evo_Lee]

I'm in Itami which is also where Osaka airport is 5 mins away. Noise pollution isn't too bad and flights are only between 6am - 9pm. My apartment is actually right next door to the shinkansen line (Osaka-Kobe), but surprisingly the Shinkansen is whisper quiet.

I'm about 15-20 mins from Justin place by car. He's just down the road on Route 171.

It's very convenient where me and Justin are, we are close to all the major roads and expressways.

- 20-30 mins to Osaka city centre (Umeda) local traffic, 10 mins via Route 3 expressway.

- 30-40 mins to Kobe city centre local traffic, 15 mins via Meishin expressway.

- 45 mins to Kansai airport via the Hanshin expressway (wangan).

- 30 mins to Kyoto city via Meishin expressway.

- 30 mins to Nara city via Hanna bypass.

- 1 hr to Awaji, 2 hrs to Tokushima (Shikoku).

- 1.5 hrs to Central circuit.

- 2 hrs to Wakayama city via highway.

- 2 hrs to Ti Aida circuit (Okayama).

- 2.5 hrs to Suzuka circuit (Mie).

- 3 hrs to Amanohashidate (Japan Sea).

- 3.5 hrs to Gifu (Snow field ) via highway.

- 4 hrs to Hiroshima city via Chugoku highway.

- 4.5 hrs to Dave's place

[Demon Dave]

And a billion miles from Tokyo and Yamanashi :)

[Rezz]

And a billion miles from Tokyo and Yamanashi

Hahahaha touche

[Evo_Lee]

Dave I anticipate your only 4.5 hours from us...will be done once I do that road trip

will edit: 4.5 hrs to Daves Kingdom

[drunkenmaster]

I'm north of you, in Yamanashi.  

There's loads to do in the Fuji five lakes area, if you like sight seeing/outdoors, plus the Fuji speedway (currently being rebuilt). There's a ferrari museum, as well as another car museum near Lake Yamanako (nice selection of cars old and new), plus the lakes themselves - water skiing, para gliding, fishing, windsurfing (Lake Motosu), camping etc etc.

There's an excellent karting track in Gotemba, plus the Premium Outlets (shop til ya drop, but mostly just fashion stores). Yokohama wouldn't be that far away from you - plenty to do there, even if it's just drooling over the GTR's at Zele International...

Coincidently I went up to Lake Yamanako on Monday of the long weekend last week. It was a very boring bus ride which some internet site advised as the best way from my shinkansen line but it was quite nice once there. Just my luck Mt Fuji was hardly visable due to clouds no thanks to the 2 typhoons I have been dodging.

The hardest part about it all is no car i suppose, so I always arrive late and have to leave early to make sure i get my last local JR home.

[Demon Dave]

Yeah - to get around (outside of the Tokyo/Kawasaki/Yokohama area) you really need a car. There's loads of great places to check out, but getting to them by public transport will be a pain at best, and a nightmare if you're unlucky. Yamanakako isn't too bad - actually the car musuem I mentioned is right by the lake. Bit expensive to get it though.

[InspectorGadget]

Tamari-mura, near Ishioka in Ibaraki-ken.

Rice fields, lotus root swamps, kaki orchards, bad teeth . . . . . and people rocking on their balconies playing "Deliverance" on their shamisens.

[4150]

Sagamihara, right around 15km from Yokohama. Of course it takes around 30-45 min to drive those 15km's. I kinda miss living up north where it wasn't so crowded, I envy you guys living in remote areas...sometimes.

[yukz2daizzo]

Hmmm. i just got back from Gotenba today, took me 2 hrs to get back here, of course thats driving a 10 ton tractor with a 25 ft. trailer, then driving in the rain at about 110km/h then the damn chuo expressway closed for some reason so have to take the back road.... *sigh*. I'm about 15 mins from Hachioji btw, about 40 mins away from the wangan.

[DCD]

Although remote areas of Japan take a strong person to endure I'm still glad I don't live in dirty polluted cities like Tokyo anymore. I picked up a car from Subaru in Shinjuku yesterday, it took me 50 minutes to get to Roppongi, thats 9km. I arrest my case! You city folks can keep those places to yourselves! I'll keep my rice fields and crazy mummified retired farmers driving round in 3-ton Crown Majestas on the opposite side of the (empty!) roads:D:D:D

[drift007]

Sagamihara, right around 15km from Yokohama.  Of course it takes around 30-45 min to drive those 15km's.  I kinda miss living up north where it wasn't so crowded, I envy you guys living in remote areas...sometimes.

hey what part of sagamihara? i just moved from sagami oono to machida.

[4150]

hey what part of sagamihara? i just moved from sagami oono to machida.

I'm actually in Zama, one of Sagamihara's neighboring citys. I guess the best way to describe which part is on RT 42 right off RT 16.

Machida eh? my J-Wife wife always drags me over there to go shopping.

[drift007]

I'm actually in Zama, one of Sagamihara's neighboring citys.  I guess the best way to describe which part is on RT 42 right off RT 16.

Machida eh? my J-Wife wife always drags me over there to go shopping.

yeah my address is machida but i actually use tsurukawa station on the odakyu line. i know zama, a couple of friends live down there..

[yukz2daizzo]

wow u guys are pretty close to where i live. to be exact its about 10 mins walking from fussa station, yokota air base. machida, i miss that place i use to babysit for my moms friend down there.