WorldCupHomes.com

Tokyo is the ideal base for Ireland's first phase games in Niigata, Ibaraki and Yokohama. For accommodation, the cheapest option is short-term apartments.

About 100 people have been booked into "Weekly Mansion Tokyo" apartments from this web-site.

Note that the WorldCupHomes.com accommodation booking service is now closed.

For those staying in apartments booked by WorldCupHomes.com web-site see the links below for information about your apartment.

Shinjuku Apartments

Takadanobaba Apartments

Kiba Apartments

Tamagawa Apartments

Akasaka Apartments

The only problem with this type of accommodation is that it is difficult to book, as most of the companies involved only deal in Japanese, but if you may be able to convince them to deal in English. Alternatively, if you have a Japanese-speaking person in your group or know someone in Tokyo, then you can do it. Here are links to four companies (some have only
Japanese web-pages).

SAKURA HOUSE.COM
http://www.sakura-house.com/main.htm

Guest Houses and apartments all over Tokyo. May deal in English. Check out the web-site and fill in the request form for more information.

Tel. +81-3-5330-5250
E-mail:info@sakura-house.com

Leopalace21
http://www.leopalace21.com/Asia/English

You can book in English (and has English section to web-site). But the big problem here is that you have to go to their office to sign a contract within
2 weeks of booking, which is awkward when you're living in Ireland. But they told me that if you knew someone in Tokyo that you could get them to do the paperwork on your behalf. If you're stuck, a good last-minute option would
be to wait until less than two-weeks before you go to book ... bit of a risk though as there may not be anything available.

Weekly Mansions Tokyo
http:// www.wmt.co.jp (Japanese)

This company will only deal in Japanese.

Apartment list (in Japanese) : http://www.wmt.co.jp/fee

A Japanese speaking person will be required to do the booking (by e-mail and phone), check you in, and check you out (which is the service provided by WorldCupHomes.com). You will also need to transfer ¥20,000 by international bank transfer to their account within 2 weeks of booking to secure the reservation.

Similar to Weekly Mansions Tokyo.

By the way the word "mansion" means an apartment in Japan, which is ironic because Japanese apartments usually aren't very spacious.

Youth Hostels are a cheap option for the budget traveler.

However, they may not suit everyone as special conditions may exist such as:
- doors close early
- maximum period of stay
- accommodation is dormitory style and may be gender-wise separated

Conditions vary depending on the Hostel, so it is recommended to check before booking, to avoid problems later. On the plus side, this type of accommodation is cheap and clean, and may provide the opportunity to meet lots of people from various cultures.

Though charges vary in accordance with a grade of facility, the maximum
would be ¥3200 per person per night for a bed in a dormitory. ¥3500 to ¥5000 will be charged for a special room with bath or a Youth Guest House, where facilities and services are of a higher grade. Many Youth Hostels provide breakfast and dinner for around ¥600 and ¥1000 respectively.

Reduced rates are available in some places if you have a Youth Hostel Membership card, which you should obtain prior to your departure to Japan. This does not apply to the Tokyo International Youth Hostel.

Reservations can be made by phone or mail. In the case of applying by mail you will receive a reply from the hostel if an international postal coupon has been enclosed. Mail applications will be accepted before phone reservations are possible. It's best to ring the hostel first to check their system, then
apply by mail to get in before the rush.

The following are the four main youth hostels in Tokyo.

Tokyo International Youth Hostel
Tel. 03-3235-1107
18F CENTRAL PLAZA, 1-1 Kagurakashi, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo, 1620823, Japan.
homepage2.nifty.com/tokyo-yh/top_english.htm
web.kyoto-inet.or.jp/org/key-yh/tok.html

1 minute walk form Idabashi station west-exit on Sobu line. 10-15 minutes from Tokyo station. Capacity of 158 people. 4-person, 8-person and 10-person rooms. Rates will rise to ¥3,600 per person per night during May/June. Breakfast for ¥400, supper for ¥800. Membership card reduction doesn't apply. Doors close at 10:30 PM. It's not possible to book by phone until April, but bookings by post will be accepted before then.

Tokyo Yoyogi Youth Hostel
Tel. 03-3467-9172
www.jyh.or.jp

Skycourt Koiwa Youth Guest House
Tel. 03-3672-4411
www.jyh.or.jp

Skycourt Asakusa Youth Guest House
Tel. 03-3875-4411
www.jyh.or.jp

Japanese Economy Hotel Group
http://www.jnto.go.jp/English/hotels/jeh-group/jeh-group.html

Japanese Inn Group
http://members.aol.com/jinngroup

Camp Sites
http://www.seejapan.co.uk/pdf/camping804.pdf

For a travel agent that specializes in Ireland-Japan travel, contact AWL Travel at 42, Dawson St., Dublin. Tel. 01-6795340.

Dublin-Tokyo return flights are around €800 before May 26th but will be hiked up to between €1000 and €1200 after this date.

There aren't too many seats left at this stage. The situation is very tight but you may still get a seat on the following flight from AWL :

Japan Airlines (JAL), outward 29/05/02, return 13/06/02, Dublin-Tokyo via Paris, €990.

Or check out a company called "Dial-a-flight" in London with some bargain basement offers of direct flights from London to Tokyo with the Dublin/Heathrow leg thrown in, all for STG £610.
Tel. +44 870333 4488
www.dialaflight.com

Check out the 2002 FIFA World Cup Ticket Bureau (WCTB) for online ticket sales.

The Final Sales Phase closed on April 24th. The Last Minute Sales Phase is now open. You can buy a ticket online by credit card only and pick it up at a ticket kiosk at one of the World Cup Venues.

Category 1 seats for 1st phase cost $150 (€170) each. Last 16 games are $250 (€280).

Cameroon and Saudi games would seem to be still available, but it doesn't look like a ticket can be got for the Germany game at this stage.

It was announced on NHK (Japanese TV channel) news that, due to popular demand (too many complaints), the names on tickets will not be checked. However the Japanese newspapers have a different story, saying that tickets will be checked, but not all of them. My take on it is that some but not all tickets will be checked.

It must also be mentioned, what a poor service the WCTB are providing. Some people had not received tickets with about a week and a half to go. There also would seem to be no way of getting information from WCTB about the status of individual deliveries. People are kept in the dark and forced to wait anxiously.

The Football Association of Ireland have announced that "all tickets allocated to the F.A.I. for this year's World Cup Finals have now been sold - no further allocation will be received by the F.A.I. - some tickets may still be available on the F.I.F.A. web site - www.fifa.com".

So it looks like the boys at the WCTB are your only chance.

Latest update on ticket deliveries from WCTB:
All remaining tickets were to be dispatched by Friday, 17th May. UK destinations to be delivered by Royal Mail Special Delivery, up to 12.30pm. DHL for o/seas

Niigata
To get to Niigata from Tokyo, take the Asahi Shinkansen from Tokyo station direct to Niigata. The trip will take around 2 hours and costs ¥10,470 (€90) one-way. There's a train almost every hour. The first one is at 6:08AM. Niigata Stadium Big Swan is 10 minutes by shuttle bus service from from Niigata station. The last direct shinkansen back to Tokyo is at 9:28PM.

Kashima
There are two options for getting to Kashima Stadium in Ibaraki from Tokyo - train or bus.

By rail, the best route is to go from Tokyo station to Sawara station by JR Sobu limited express "Ayame" (takes 1 hour and 25 mins, operates every 10-20 mins). From Sawara station, take the JR Kashima line to Kashima Jingu station (takes 21 mins, operates every
60 mins). The whole trip will cost ¥3,150 (€28) one-way. A free shuttle bus from Kashima Jingu station to Kashima soccer stadium will
be operating during the World Cup.

Alternatively, take a bus from Yaesu south exit of Tokyo station to Kashima Jingu station (takes 2 hours, operates every 60 minutes). This will cost ¥1,780 (€16) one-way.

Bus companies:
Kanto Dentetsu: Tel. 0299 82 1291
Keisei Dentetsu: Tel. 03 3691 0935
JR Bus Kanto: Tel. 03 3215 1468

Yokohama
To get to the International Stadium Yokohama from Tokyo take the JR Keihin Tohoku line from Tokyo station (operates every 5 to 10 minutes) as far as Higashi-Kanagawa station, then switch to the Yokohama line (operates every 10 minutes) as far as Kozukue. The trip takes 50 minutes and costs ¥540 (€5) one-way. The stadium is about 7 minutes walk from Kozukue station.

There are various types of Japanese Railways (JR) passes that you can buy. If you're just going for the soccer and don't plan to tour the length and breadth of Japan, then the pass for you is a 4 day flexible JR East-Region pass. You can use it on 4 different days, which don't need to be consecutive, within 3 months of buying the pass. The pass will cost you ¥20,000 (€180). This is about the same as a return Shinkansen for Tokyo-Niigata and it'll also cover the trains to Ibaraki and Yokohama. You can find out more about JR East region passes at: www.jreast.co.jp/eastpass

The best way to use the 4 days is as follows:
- JR Narita Express from Narita airport to Tokyo (avoid paying €180 for taxi)
- Same-day return Tokyo-Niigata for Cameroon game on JR Asahi Shinkansen
- Same-day return Tokyo-Kashima for Germany game on JR Ayame express
- JR Narita Express from Tokyo to Narita airport

This will save you about ¥10,000 (€90).

For JR East region, you can also get a 10-day consecutive for ¥32,000 (€290).

If you want a JR pass to cover the whole of Japan, these are ¥45,100 (€405) for 2 weeks and ¥28,300 (€255) for 1 week. For more information on JR rail passes, see: www.japanrail.com/3_passes/jrp.html

Another site with information about all JR rail passes:
www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en01.shtml

You can buy JR rail passes from AWL Travel, mentioned above in the "Flights" section. Note that you will receive an exchange order, which you should exchange for a rail pass at a JR station, that has a Japan Rail Pass exchange office. You can do this at Narita Airport JR Travel Service Center or JR Ticket Office on arrival in Japan. If it's not open, then you can exchange at any main station - Tokyo, Ueno, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Yokohama.

Check out also the link below about JR's special World Cup offering, the "2002 Football Pass". It costs ¥22,000 (€200), can be used for 5 (consecutive) days during the World Cup period and covers all JR trains and shinkansens except Nozomi and also notably does not cover the Narita Express. I really don't see how it is any better than the 4-day flexible pass. The only advantage that I can see in this pass is that you can buy it within Japan.
http://www.japanrail.com/1_basics/worldcup/Football_Pass.html

Note that the JR rail passes only cover JR trains and buses. Check out the "Transport - getting around Tokyo" section for information about passes for other networks such as the metro network (subway).

You must register as a user first. Then you can reserve as a JR rail pass holder or otherwise.

If you don't reserve at world eki-net, then go a Shinkansen station (Tokyo, Ueno) on arrival in Japan and reserve your seat at the reservation office (marked by a green sign) at a JR station , or a sales office with a green-striped window.

In case a seat cannot be reserved, don't panic. If you queue early enough, you'll get an unreserved seat. The first Shinkansen to Niigata is at 6:08AM. If it's crowded, you can even stand in the aisle.

JR Railway Lines in Greater
Tokyo Download this PDF file!
View a detailed map of the Greater Tokyo Area with
every JR line and station.
-2001.12.1-

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The two main ways to make your way around Tokyo is the JR Train network and the Tokyo Metro Network (run by TEITO RAPID TRANSIT AUTHORITY).

Click on the links above for maps.

Tokyo rail-passes
Other than the JR Rail pass already covered, there are several one-day free tickets that can be bought for Tokyo transport networks.

You can buy a 1-day open ticket for the Tokyo Metro Network for ¥710. You can buy this ticket at almost any metro station.

You can buy a "Tokunai Free Kippu (ticket)" from JR for ¥730 which enables free travel on JR Trains in Tokyo for one day.

You can also buy a "Tokyo Free Kippu (ticket)" for ¥1580 which enables free travel on metropolitan bus, tram, JR Train and metro for one day.

A special rail-pass will be introduced for the World Cup. The pass will be effective for 5 days between late May and early July, and will be sold to foreign visitors at Narita airport. The price will be set at ¥6,000.
Holders of the passes can ride trains for unlimited periods of time on the
following lines:
- JR lines in Tokyo's 23 wards.
- Toei subway lines run by the metropolitan government
- Eidan subway lines
- JR and Keisei lines connecting Narita airport and central Tokyo, excluding
..additional fees for limited express
- Saitama Railway lines connecting Tokyo and Saitama
- Other JR lines connecting central Tokyo with the International Stadium
..Yokohama in Yokohama and the Kashima Stadium in Kashima, Ibaraki
..Prefecture.

For Yomiuri Times article on this see:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/wcup_news/20020414wp11.htm

See more about special transport and other local World Cup news at:
http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/wcup_news

Airport Transfer
The first problem you'll face is getting from Narita Airport to Tokyo. You can take a taxi, but it'll cost about €180 or more. A better option is to take the JR Narita Express, which is covered by the JR rail pass.

Another good option is an airport shuttle bus. You can buy a JTB airport bus coupon for the ride at a travel agent such as AWL Travel. After clearing customs, just go to either of the Airport Limousine or Airport Shuttle Bus counters. When leaving Japan ask a hotel for a bus seat at least one day in advance.

Route-finder
If you want to check any rail routes, hyperdia is a good route-finder in English.

Click on the link below. Just put in the start and finish stations and you'll get five options with times, prices, train types and transfers.

The best way to get from Tokyo to Korea (apart from air travel) is by a combination of shinkansen from Tokyo to Hakata (use JR rail pass) and jetfoil from Hakata to Pusan.
See: www.jrkyushu.co.jp/english/index.html for more information.

You may be able to use the Kyushu rail pass for the ferry, but then this pass is only good for the Kyushu area.
Contact JNTO UK office to confirm.
Tel. +44-2077349638

Information about Kyushu rail pass:
www.jrkyushu.co.jp/beetle/english/railpass/main.html

Information about all international ferries in Japan.
www.seejapan.co.uk/transport/sea/international.html#korea

For more information about Korea, here's a site from an Irish guy who seems to know a thing or two (more than me anyway) about Korea.
homepage.mac.com/deibuyagi/korea/intro-k.html

Breakfast/Lunch
For breakfast, coffee-shops offer set breakfasts for under €10. Some coffee-shops can be expensive, so look for Starbucks or other foreign chains for cheaper coffee. You can pick up a coffee and doughnut for around €5 at Dunkin Doughnuts or Mister Doughnuts.

For lunch, you'll see lots of restaurants displaying plastic models of their dishes, and offering set meals for less than €15 each.

You can get a good lunch for under €10 at one of the many Japanese fast-food restaurants that specialize in a particular type of dish such as noodles, gyu-don (rice and beef) or tempura (lightly battered deep-fried seafood and vegetable).

Kaiten-sushi restaurants (sushi on a conveyor belt) are also a great novelty and great value. You can get a good sushi lunch for under €20.

There's always KFC or MacDonalds if you're stuck; or check out the Japanese version called MOS Burger (the rice burger is highly recommended). Prices are the same as here.

Convenience stores, like 711 are also great sources of nourishment with lots of tasty snacks, such as Japanese packed lunches (o-bento) for under €10.

Izakaya
At night, there are lots of excellent Japanese beer-restaurants called Izakaya (often marked by red lanterns, but also found in upper floors of multi-story buildings).

These are great places with ice-cold beer and picture menus, and they stay open until the early hours so you can't go wrong.

Look out for the following three characters, which read as Izakaya in Japanese.

Some recommended dishes in Izakaya restaurants are:
- yaki-tori (grilled chicken satay)
- okonomi-yaki (Japanese style pancake)
- kara-age (deep-fried chicken)
- yaki-soba (fried noodles)
- o-nigiri (rice balls)
- gyoza (pork dumplings).
- tempura (deep-fried sea-food or vegies)
- yaki-zakana (grilled fish)

To order any of the above dishes, just say:
(name of dish) kudasai
... (pronounce: ku-da-sigh)

An important Japanese word that you should learn is nomi-hodai (pronounce: no-me-hoh-dai). This means all-you-can-drink. Some of the Izakaya's like Tengu, Shirakiya and Tubohachi do a ¥1000 (€9) nomi-hodai for two hours, but you need to order some food too.

Other Restaurants
There's no shortage in variety when it comes to restaurants around Tokyo. Like New-Yorkers, Tokyo-ites love to eat out, so you'll find all the different ethnic varieties, as well as the izakaya's, sushi-bars, yakitori bars, noodle shops and many, many types of Japanese restaurant. There's an awful lot more to Japanese food than just raw fish.

Below is a link to a restaurant guide, with a neighborhood search option, so you can check out the restaurants in the area where you are staying.

Irish Pubs
It's probably well-known that there are a number of Irish pubs in Tokyo. Here's a list of them from the Irish Network Japan web-site:

Irish Pubs in Japan

The two most famous are Paddy Foley's and the Dubliners. This is probably where the craic will be in Tokyo during the World Cup.

Paddy Foley's is the oldest and best known of the Irish pubs. Irish celebs tend to head here when in Tokyo. It serves Guinness and other Irish brews on tap. A pint will set you back ¥950 (€8.50), but they do a happy hour from 5 to 8 PM daily, when you can get a pint for ¥750 (€6.50). Normal price at the Dubliners is a bit cheaper at ¥850 (€7.50) for a pint. The local beers like Kirin and Asahi usually go for around ¥600 (€5).

You can buy prepaid phones cheaply at some convenience stores
(Tuka pre-pay phones) or J-Phone shops (Pj series). J-Phone may provide an English manual.

If all else fails, take a trip to Akihabara (electric city) where you should`be able to find stores selling or renting all types of phones. Try Laox, as they cater well for the foreign visitor.

Japan, and more specifically Tokyo is famous for it's high cost of living. But the good news is that your Euro will stretch a bit further thanks to a 10% depreciation in the value of the Yen over the last year.

Furthermore, due to a long recession, prices haven't increased much in the last few years, so the rest of the world has caught up a bit. Unfortunately the cost of a pint is still a bit excessive (See the "Food & Drink" section).

Have a look at the graph at the link below to check on how the Euro is performing against the Yen.
www.x-rates.com/d/JPY/EUR/graph120.html

Check out the following link for more good info on money matters Japan from the "FAQs" section, question number 12 at JNTO UK web-site:
www.seejapan.co.uk/visitor/faqs.html#12

At the Visa and MasterCard web-sites you can locate credit-card compatible ATM's around Japan:
Visa
Mastercard

You should also be able to use AIB "PLUS" or BofI "Cirrus" cards, though compatible ATM's may be hard to find. As far as I know, Citibank and Fuji Bank are compatible.

Though it seems to be improving, generally Japan isn't as credit card friendly as Ireland. I would suggest bringing enough cash. Japan is very safe, but if you're uneasy about carrying too much cash, Japanese Yen or US Dollar traveler cheques are best.

JNTO
The Japan National Tourist Organisation web-sites are a great source of information for anyone traveling to Japan. There are two versions, one from the Japan office and one from the U.K. office. See both on the left.

If you ring the UK office and ask them to send you information about Japan, they will post you a package with a wealth of information in the form of pamphlets, brochures and booklets.

Tel. +44-2077349638

In Japan, a good starting point for tourist information is a visit to one of the JNTO Tourist Information Centers (TIC). There is one on the arrivals floor of each of Narita airport terminals 1 and 2 and one near the Marunouchi exit of Tokyo station.

Japan Travel-Phone
This is a nationwide telephone service providing foreign visitors with a variety of tourist information and other assistance in English. The service is only available inside Japan.

SERVICE HOURS: 9:00AM-5:00PM

In Tokyo, call the following number:
03-3201-3331 (¥10 per minute)

Outside of Tokyo (except Kyoto) the following toll-free number can be used:
0088-22-4800