A couple of the groups have interviewed me about the requirements for the trip site. Rather than responding to additional individual emails, I’m going to post some general information here.

We leave for Tokyo on February 21st, and will be there until March 3rd, when we leave for Shanghai. We leave Shanghai for Rochester on March 6th.

The trip is almost exclusively for pleasure/touring, and I’m particularly interested in fun and interesting (and not too expensive!) things for my son to do while we’re there—as well as background material for him to read before we go. I’ll be doing some professional work while I’m there, but it’s not the focus of this site, and I’ll have a colleague there taking care of the details.

While in Tokyo, we’ll be staying with friends. They live in Kawasaki, walking distance (a hilly mile) from the Yomiuri Landomae stop on the Odakuu subway line. That goes straight in to Shinjuku.

I have never been to Japan, and speak no Japanese. My son, age 9, has also not been to Japan, but he speaks and reads a bit. My mother has visited Japan many times (and lived there for 3 months at one point in the ‘90s), and speaks and reads basic Japanese (though not fluently).

We’re particularly interested in finding good deals while we’re there—for example, are there reasonably-priced restaurants to eat at in the Shibuya area?

Here are some general thoughts from my mom:

Health: can you find any good advice on how to avoid catching some nasty cold or flu during that long flight?

I’ve never taken a tour of Tokyo, though I’ve visited there five times, once for three months. I’ve never seen the emperor’s palace or garden. Will it be open? Is it worth the time? Is there some kind of river tour? Is it supposed to be good? I’ve heard about some new tower in Roppongi — what’s the story on that?

We’ll want to go to Kamakura, where Liz has a former student who offered to act as a guide. Is there some relatively easy material you’d recommend for my grandson to read as preparation? He’ll see the big Buddha and he’ll ask what Buddhism is. And Shintoism.

What shrines will be the most spectacular and dramatic in Tokyo? ( don’t think we can afford the time or money for a trip to Kyoto this time around.)

English language used book bookstores? (Something in Kanda?) New books are good, too, but English language books can be very expensive in Japan.

When we get off the plane at Narita around 5 PM, we’ll be exhausted — especially Lane. Can you help us locate a good and not too expensive hotel near the airport where we can spend the first night?

Oh…and for those of you curious about why I mentioned Inba, my friend and colleague Joi Ito, a Japanese venture capitalist, just bought a new house in Inbamura, and I’m hoping to go out and visit it.