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Posted
18 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

Bumping this because I didn't get an answer about getting an e-visa vs just going through regular customs at the airport. Also, any suggestions on metro tickets. I see there's a 72 hour pass, but it looks like it doesn't work on all lines. What the easiest way to pay for the metro? 

E visa makes it a bit easier on landing. I did it and others who I know who have gone have done the same. Doesn't take too long to do and for me was better than having to think about after a long flight.

 

I just bought tickets every time I needed a trip on the metro. Don't reccomend that but there is a Suico card you can buy that can pay for all the lines. It's worth looking up a video or article on how the lines work as there are different companies operating different lines, even in the same station. But the metro is worth taking. Google maps is really useful for this and tells you when the next train arrives (and they're almost all on time), which car to enter, and which exit to take. 

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Posted
20 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

Bumping this because I didn't get an answer about getting an e-visa vs just going through regular customs at the airport. Also, any suggestions on metro tickets. I see there's a 72 hour pass, but it looks like it doesn't work on all lines. What the easiest way to pay for the metro? 

I was in Japan a couple weeks ago. Easiest way to pay for metro is to download the Suica app. You can add funds from your phone as necessary and don't need to bother with a card. We did not use the e-visa and blasted through customs, but it's kind of luck of the draw.

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Posted
2 hours ago, Sweetnsourpoke said:

Which game? I'm going to the Chunichi game on the 23rd and then down in Yokohama on the 24th. I love Japanese baseball. You'll have a blast. 

We're going on the 22nd. We're in the orange section

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Posted
10 hours ago, rage-a-holic said:

How are the 7-11 egg salad sandwiches and the gacha machines?

Delicious and umm... fun if you're into collecting tchotchkes! Let see which of the big 3 convenience stores you end up liking the most. I've now gravitated to getting them from bakeries instead.

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Posted
On 3/11/2025 at 8:59 AM, Mo Horn said:

Bumping this because I didn't get an answer about getting an e-visa vs just going through regular customs at the airport. Also, any suggestions on metro tickets. I see there's a 72 hour pass, but it looks like it doesn't work on all lines. What the easiest way to pay for the metro? 

Shit--I'm sorry I didn't see this earlier.

We did the eVisa, and it makes immigration check an absolute breeze on arrival.  I would strongly recommend it.  Just from the looks of the line, I suspect it probably saved us an hour on arrival.

On the Metro tickets, on your iPhone, go to "Wallet" and hit the + on the top right corner.  Then go to "Transit Card" and scroll down to Japan.  You should get any one of Pasmo or Suica or Icoca.  It doesn't really matter.  Suica is put out by one of the Tokyo metro companies; Pasmo by one in Osaka.  But they're both good on any Metro system nationwide.

You fill them up with some $$ on the front end.  Then you just tap your phone at the entry and exit of the Metro.  That's it--super easy.

One other nice thing is that these IC cards (e.g., Suica and Pasmo) aren't just used at the Metro.  Every vending machine takes them.  So does 7-11.  I think taxis do, too.  So you just use your IC card on your iPhone kind like you would a pre-paid Apple Pay account for a lot of stuff.

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Posted
18 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

Shit--I'm sorry I didn't see this earlier.

We did the eVisa, and it makes immigration check an absolute breeze on arrival.  I would strongly recommend it.  Just from the looks of the line, I suspect it probably saved us an hour on arrival.

On the Metro tickets, on your iPhone, go to "Wallet" and hit the + on the top right corner.  Then go to "Transit Card" and scroll down to Japan.  You should get any one of Pasmo or Suica or Icoca.  It doesn't really matter.  Suica is put out by one of the Tokyo metro companies; Pasmo by one in Osaka.  But they're both good on any Metro system nationwide.

You fill them up with some $$ on the front end.  Then you just tap your phone at the entry and exit of the Metro.  That's it--super easy.

One other nice thing is that these IC cards (e.g., Suica and Pasmo) aren't just used at the Metro.  Every vending machine takes them.  So does 7-11.  I think taxis do, too.  So you just use your IC card on your iPhone kind like you would a pre-paid Apple Pay account for a lot of stuff.

I did the e visa and were ready to go with that. We have androids, so I'm hoping it will work the same way. I'll see what I can figure out. 

Posted (edited)
7 minutes ago, Mo Horn said:

It looks like it's not available for android. I saw the 3 day pass that can be bought. Will that work? 

It's not as convenient as having the card virtually on the iPhone but it'll still work as far as ease of getting through the metros. Not sure about the 7-11 and vending machine. Think you need to get an actual IC card and top off with cash for that. 

Edited by YChang
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Posted

Oh and double check which railway the pass does not cover... just in case there's a JR line for example your maps tell you to take and it's not part of the pass. 

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Posted
3 hours ago, Mo Horn said:

It looks like it's not available for android. I saw the 3 day pass that can be bought. Will that work? 

Yes and no.

It won't have the convenience of the IC Card.  You can acquire a physical IC Card at the train station and at a lot of convenience stores.  And I think that is preferable to a 3-day pass both (1) because the IC Card can be used for other things as outlined above and (2) I wouldn't exactly guarantee that the 3-day pass would be good on all lines.

As YChang alludes, the Tokyo Metro system isn't a single system.  It's a series of different railroad companies.  If you're familiar with the history of the London Underground, it's akin to what that was like before TfL consolidated everything.  So for one thing, it makes the Metro map really confusing (though actually it's not that hard once you are on the ground and get used to it).  But for another thing, they all have different fare regimes.  An IC Card will work for any of the operators.  But I'm not sure about a day pass.

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Posted

The Little Texas Bar in Meguro is kitschy as one can imagine. But what a trip. Sat next to a gorgeous brunette but alas the music was loud and my game is weak. But at least we chatted and had a few laughs. 😂

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Posted

Got to Tokyo yesterday. Pretty much just navigated the metro for the first time to our hotel and then walked around for a while. Didn't want anything to heavy so hit up a 7/11 for a rice triangle and an egg salad sandwich and then crashed. Will start exploring later today. 20250420_043831.thumb.jpg.5058abdc832bca6bbb457ceebf8eff8b.jpg

 

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Posted
7 hours ago, Mo Horn said:

Got to Tokyo yesterday. Pretty much just navigated the metro for the first time to our hotel and then walked around for a while. Didn't want anything to heavy so hit up a 7/11 for a rice triangle and an egg salad sandwich and then crashed. Will start exploring later today. 20250420_043831.thumb.jpg.5058abdc832bca6bbb457ceebf8eff8b.jpg

 

I could have said hello! But leaving Tokyo today for Kanazawa. 

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Posted

Did a couple of temples and shrines today and more wandering. Found a great place for lunch bowls. Tonight we're doing a multi course dinner with unlimited sake. This is a great city. 20250421_130403.thumb.jpg.9d61151f6473d57d2e44a3565316b54c.jpg20250421_130401.thumb.jpg.43fbb1a7527fdf3e1694229775fada08.jpg20250421_130358.thumb.jpg.43bb803b0ddc2a1259c4cd8665cc6b97.jpg20250421_100208.thumb.jpg.dea3b1d50e9d004174c07d191898299e.jpg20250421_104047.thumb.jpg.0a7c833b601b9fb15aa3248249cf81bd.jpg20250421_104008.thumb.jpg.8cd0c27104b9951e5161cb04f9fbf98b.jpg20250421_110804.thumb.jpg.2648347f28963a1f43cbd7cda8a2c3dc.jpg

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Posted
On 4/20/2025 at 1:29 PM, Mo Horn said:

Got to Tokyo yesterday. Pretty much just navigated the metro for the first time to our hotel and then walked around for a while. Didn't want anything to heavy so hit up a 7/11 for a rice triangle and an egg salad sandwich and then crashed. Will start exploring later today. 20250420_043831.thumb.jpg.5058abdc832bca6bbb457ceebf8eff8b.jpg

 

Boy, when someone says Rice Triangle to me, that is not what crosses my mind. 

And I've been to Japan. Hell, BECAUSE I've been to Japan. 

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Posted

I had the best oyster of my life at the Tsujiki market today. That and several other bites made for a great lunch. Went to a Tokyo Giants baseball game tonight. Lots of fun. Went to the Hall of Fame that's at the stadium as well. 20250422_110922.thumb.jpg.bf29fb587651fe03d6562a9bc9546357.jpg20250422_112907.thumb.jpg.a5fc84e2b8b224847aed28f117115860.jpg20250422_113539.thumb.jpg.0ee7594db88a09f492a5cd769c1789a8.jpg20250422_113539.thumb.jpg.0ee7594db88a09f492a5cd769c1789a8.jpg20250422_113622.thumb.jpg.a6abaeb771e055516adc202cf23236cb.jpg20250422_113627.thumb.jpg.e5e0f532c5b917a92a2c81fa8ea0f0f6.jpg

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Posted

so, folks on this thread that don't pay attention to baseball may not know that the Dodgers have signed quite a few Japanese players, Shohei Ohtani being the most notable.   So, of course they are getting new toilets in the locker room. 

 

Spoiler

Flush with success last winter, the Dodgers sought out ways to make themselves a destination franchise for the best players they could find.

Deferred salaries were one thing. But they also saw it as a duty to find a No. 2.

And that’s how the newly renovated home clubhouse – manager’s office included – at Dodger Stadium came to include eight sophisticated, state-of-the-art, multi-function, heated-seat, bidet-equipped Japanese-style toilets.

They can thank Roki Sasaki for giving the defending World Series champions their new thrones.

“During our first meeting with Roki, we were telling him about the project we had ongoing to upgrade our clubhouse and facilities,” team president and CEO Stan Kasten related, referring to the $100 million renovation project that left Dodger Stadium partially stripped down for much of the winter – especially in early December when the highly-sought after Sasaki was weighing his options as a free agent and visiting potential baseball homes.

“I was telling him about all the amenities we were adding. ‘We’re going to have this and this and this.’ And he asked, ‘Are you going to have Japanese-style toilets?’”

Never one to let a potential negotiating advantage get away, Kasten asked Sasaki if putting in his preferred style of toilet would help Sasaki decide where he would sign.

Asked about it now, Sasaki said he was just joking with Kasten – but not really.

“It sounds like a joke. But for me, it’s pretty important,” Sasaki said through an interpreter.

The Dodgers’ willingness to make changes for players’ comfort “was definitely a factor” as he was thinking through where to start his MLB career.

“Done. You got it,” Kasten said he told Sasaki at that initial meeting. “It was a good idea that we got from a player.”

It was a good idea he had to take to Janet Marie Smith, the Dodgers’ executive vice president for planning and development. During her 30-plus years in MLB, Smith has had her hands in designing Baltimore’s Camden Yards, transforming Olympic Stadium into the Braves’ Turner Field home, renovating Fenway Park (including the unique Green Monster seats) and updating Dodger Stadium in multiple ways over the past 13 years.

But it wasn’t going to be easy. The clubhouse project was well underway. In fact, Smith said, workers had just poured concrete days before Kasten made his promise to Sasaki.

“The concrete wasn’t even wet around it yet,” she said.

Kasten took the request to Smith anyway.

“Do you think that’s the first time Stan has done that to her?” said Kasten, who has worked with Smith in Atlanta and Los Angeles. “Her reaction was, ‘But, Stan – this. But this. But this.’ I just said, “Yeah, I know. Can we do it?’ ‘Well, yeah.’ ‘Then let’s do it.’

“If it sent a message to our players about being responsive then it was worth it.”

Kasten acknowledged “it took some doing” and he won’t discuss how much expense it might have added to the $100 million project (a number he also won’t confirm).

It actually took some undoing. The Dodgers could have re-hired former pitcher Kevin Brown for the project. The bathroom had to be torn apart – and not just a little. It was not a simple one-for-one replacement. The new toilets required different plumbing as well as wiring for power.

But Smith agreed it was worth it.

“We have so many players from different cultural backgrounds and different standards for hygiene and privacy,” she said. “If we have the means to make them more comfortable, we should do it.”

The Dodgers’ trips to South Korea and Japan the past two years had also opened eyes in the Dodgers’ traveling party to what those standards look like in practice.

“I really enjoyed the chance to go to Tokyo for a lot of reasons,” Smith said. “But part of it is we learned that what we consider high-end toilets are so ubiquitous there that the only place we saw so-called ‘normal’ toilets was in public parks – and they were labeled ‘Western-style’ toilets and had instructions.”

When the Dodgers returned from that trip to Tokyo in March, the clubhouse renovation was complete. The toilets were just one of many luxury touches.

“Yeah, everyone did (notice the upgrade). It’s nice. It’s very nice. Those are kind of the standard toilets in Japan so it kind of felt like we hadn’t really left,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said, acknowledging he has taken a hands-off approach to the control panel – described by Smith as looking like an airplane cockpit.

“I don’t know how to use them,” Muncy said. “I don’t know what does what. I don’t want to mess with it.”

Kasten couldn’t wait to tell Sasaki about the team’s new additions after the young right-hander signed with the Dodgers.

“I took great pleasure in telling him the next time I saw him that they were going in,” Kasten said. “I got a big laugh. I think I showed him pictures. He said, in English, ‘Awesome.’

“He has learned the word, ‘Awesome.’”

Sasaki has also learned about irony. When the team was in Washington earlier this month, he pointed out to Kasten that the visitor’s clubhouse at Nationals Park lagged behind in toilet technology.

“I had to admit that I was the one who built that stadium,” said Kasten, the Nationals team president while Nationals Park was constructed.

Sasaki said he was surprised the Dodgers had followed through on Kasten’s promise because “none of the other ballparks have them.” He also pointed out the team has “a lot of Japanese staff” who appreciate the change.

But the lid doesn’t close there.

“Everything about the new clubhouse is first class,” Dodgers reliever Evan Phillips said. “So it only makes sense that would apply to the bottom line, too.”

 
Posted
3 hours ago, Mo Horn said:

Having just spent four days in Tokyo, I get it. Mrs. Mo fell in love with them. 

yeah, I've mentioned before that they were selling the seats at NRT and I saw more than one person carry one on the plane.

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Posted
23 hours ago, Mo Horn said:

Having just spent four days in Tokyo, I get it. Mrs. Mo fell in love with them. 

Once you've figured out how to adjust and use them, it's a loss to not have one available. Meanwhile countries like Portugal are still wasting a ton of valuable bathroom space by installing old school bidets in new builds, both hotels and residential. Makes no sense.

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