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Tokyo For Autosalon 2008? Wanna Go?


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One of my mates and i are looking into buying a car and driving everywhere once we get there. Anyone got any thoughts on that idea?

Impossible... Due to parking rules etc etc. Unless you own a parking space in Japan already..

Edited by Poida
One of my mates and i are looking into buying a car and driving everywhere once we get there. Anyone got any thoughts on that idea?

Having a car in/around Tokyo is more pain than gain. No parking + insane traffic + road tolls + really strict DUI = no fun. Take the train

having driven a fair bit in tokyo now I'd say you are dreaming. buying a shit car is not going to have english navi (in fact hardly any car with have english navi standard) so you will have next to zero chance of navigating your way in the city. driving home one morning to the apartment in roppongi at 5am on the freeway was a trial. half asleep and driving on an elevated freeway with exits every few hundred meters and a fairly high speed limit means relying on the navi which still gets it wrong sometimes. I was lucky my place was right next to tokyo tower so I could just use it as a landmark to guide me home. but that may not be any help to you.

train is fantastic. there are trains and subway trains everywhere. the only downside is they stop around 12:30am.

One of my mates and i are looking into buying a car and driving everywhere once we get there. Anyone got any thoughts on that idea?

I would never do that and ive been living here for a while now. waste of time/ waste of money/ it would be a huge headache and a waste of the trip.

take the train way easier. theres a reason why the train system is so good and why most japanese people use it to go everywhere.

  • 4 weeks later...
Who do you go through and where do you stay Nick ?

I usually purchase flights and accomodation via Flight Centre, and stay in Chiba for a while around Autosalon time, then shift into Shinjuku to be right in the middle of the action.

There are plenty of great and not so great hotels around - Which one you select really depends on your budget.

  • 2 months later...
  • 3 weeks later...

My mates and I (6 in total) want to go to Japan for the Toyko AutoSalon in 2008 too. As this is the first we will be going to Japan can someone advise us on the best places to stay, transport (i have read some of the replies and it seems rail is the best mode), rough costings (i have read 3400 previously), anything we should see while we are there.

We would like to go a week before AutoSalon to see some sites, some drifting and maybe go to an autobak (super car parts stores) (i think thats what they are called) :)

And if anyone has any recommendation I am all ears!!.

Cheers

There is a lot of good information within the Japan subforum for you, have a good read.

In a nutshell, $3400 was a rough price from a few years ago which included return flights to Tokyo, taxes, insurance, accomodation for around 12 nights, and rail pass. Where you want to stay in terms of proximity to Tokyo, and the quality of the place you choose to stay will dictate what your paying per night.

Regarding stores, Super Autobacs is great for a look if you have never been there before, the Tokyo Bay store is one of the more impressive with the Tommy Kaira dealership out front, but is is very expensive and the stores generally don't carry much in the way of actual performance parts in stock, most is order only.

Seeing some street Drifting, well that depends if you have any contacts that know the scene and can drive you around as without knowing anyone, or knowing your way around Tokyo, and not having a car, the chances of you stumbling across some drifting of an evening are virtually zero.

Give us some idea of your budget and how long you intend to be there for and either myself or one of the other regulars can give you some more information that might help you :)

Well the budget of around 3400 on accomadation, flights, taxs and anything arriving and departing Japan sounds reasonable. I dont might spend more money in japan for food and attractions.

The drifting I was hoping that we could get down to an organisied event but i wouldnt might seeing street drifting.

Well we where hoping on getting there a week before AutoSalon so around 4-5th of January and leaving around the 20th of January but these dates are not 100% so they will most probaly change

  • 1 month later...

Booked my flights last night,flying into Osaka on the 7th,staying there a few days then catching a train to Tokyo to spend the rest of my time there including the TAS(woohoo).Two tix to Osaka was 2,105 bucks bloody cheap!

We all should meet up somewhere the night before for dinner.Will be going to Nismo factory and checking out some other tuning shops.

Booked my flights last night,flying into Osaka on the 7th,staying there a few days then catching a train to Tokyo to spend the rest of my time there including the TAS(woohoo).Two tix to Osaka was 2,105 bucks bloody cheap!

We all should meet up somewhere the night before for dinner.Will be going to Nismo factory and checking out some other tuning shops.

Sounds almosts like my plans, we fly into Osaka on the 6th, fly out on the 23rd..... Lets hope the Yen goes back up before then.....

Sounds almosts like my plans, we fly into Osaka on the 6th, fly out on the 23rd..... Lets hope the Yen goes back up before then.....

My original plan was to fly out on the 5th (sat) but my passport arrived later than expected and all sat flights were taken at the time of booking.So i miss out on 2 days of my holiday (bugger).

  • 1 month later...

Damn, great to see so many going, wish i know this in the first place. Im booked in as well, for 4 days in Toyko, flyin gin on the 10th, catch the TAS on the 12 and 13 and and bit of sight seeing then down to Osaka for 3 days to check out the car (VIPSTYLE) and I think Autobras is there ( help me if this is correct) and movie world, then Hong Kong for 2 days disneyland AGAIN ( that 2 in one week) and then fly back home.

I hope to see all that are going to TAS08 there, make a statement and I will be sure to spot you. See ya's there.

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