H!P related spots within Tokyo

Last time we ended with getting from the airport to Tokyo. This time, let’s take a look at how to get around inside the city and where some of the major H!P locations are.

Before we get into how to get around, we have to understand the layout of Tokyo.

Tokyo in its entirety consist of 23 special wards, 26 cities, 1 district, & 4 subprefectures.  We’re mostly interested in the 23 special wards (Yellow on the map above), as it is where most events takes place. Other parts of Tokyo Metropolis (Green on the map above) are mostly sub-urban communities, so events rarely take place here.

Here’s a map of the 23 wards. Many of you might be already familiar with some of their names. Don’t worry about trying to remember each of the wards. I’m just showing you this map so you can have a general sense of how the city is divided.

Getting around the city

The most common and popular way to get around central Tokyo is by trains and subways. You can literally get to every part of town by taking rail transit, at an affordable price. One of the most famous line in all of Japan is the Yamanote Line of JR (Japan rail) which runs as a closed loop in the heart of Tokyo, through the most center of the 23 wards, Chuo, Chiyoda, Taito, Bunkyo, Toshima, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Meguro, Shinagawa, and Minato. This line also connects to the Shinkansen (Bullet train), other lines that leads out into other parts of Tokyo and other prefectures of Japan.

The green line represent the Yamanote Line. I recommend visitors to book a hotel near one of the stations on this train line for its convenience to other parts of the city. More experienced travelers can find hotels along other train lines further away from the Yamanote loop to save a bit of money as hotels tends to be more expensive covered by the Yamanote Line, but not too far away as train fare can easily pile up.

This is the digital map layout of the Yamanote Line you will find inside the trains as they track their progress around the loop. Although the arrows only point in one direction on this map, there are in-fact 2 tracks which run in opposite direction. When you are about to board the train at a station, beware which platform for which direction the train runs on. Since it’s a loop, technically you can’t get lost on this line, but it takes an hour to go full circle. Also beware that the last train is at 1am and first train doesn’t start until 4:30am. If you plan to stay out partying all night or have a super early flight to catch, I suggest you to take a taxi instead.

One disadvantage to the Yamanote Line is that it’s a loop and can not reach the area it circles around. Places such as the Nippon Budokan are inside this circle, and in order to get there, you’d have to change from the Yamanote to another JR line or to the subway.

Here’s a map of the Tokyo subway network. Two main companies operates these lines, Tokyo Metro and Toei. JR east‘s train lines cover most of the major cities and towns, while the subway network fills in the gaps.

All this might seem overwhelming to a first timer, but once you are there, it will all make sense.

What is Suica?

Suica is a prepay IC card by JR for the Kanto area of Japan, most useful for paying train fares. I highly suggest anyone planning to do a lot of unguided traveling in Tokyo to purchase a Suica card. You’ll find it very convenient to not having to look for cash and figure out how much each train ride cost every single time. Suica cards can be used in other parts of Japan where it accepts IC cards for payments. Also, the card is refundable with a 210yen fee deducted off the card, free if the balance of your card is less than 210yen. Similarly, you can get a PASMO card if you plan to do traveling with mostly subway and buses. In many parts of Tokyo, most places that accepts Suica will also accept PASMO and vice-versa. Most train and subway stations in Tokyo are equipped with IC card dispensing and charging terminals with selectable English display.

For more detail information about Suica, please visit their official website.

Points of interest for H!P fans

1) Hello! Project Official Shop

*Image from Fukumura Mizuki’s blog

Address: 〒101-0021　東京都千代田区外神田　6－14－2　サカイ末広ビル６階
Website: www.helloproject.com/officialshop/shop
Business hours: Weekdays 12:00 ~ 20:00, Weekends and Holidays 10:00 ~ 20:00

Currently, there is only 1 Hello! Project Official Shop in Tokyo. It is located in Akihabara, 8 minutes walk away from the JR train station. The shop is located on the 6th floor of the building pictured above.

Exit the Akihabara JR station via the Electric Town exit. Do NOT head toward the AKB48 cafe, turn left immediately as you step out of the station and walk toward Chuo Dori, which is the “main” street of Akihabara. Turn right at Chuo Dori. Walk straight until you get to the intersection of Kuramae-hashi Dori. Do NOT stop and enter the AKB48 theater along the way. Cross the street two times and you will be at the building. Take the elevator to 6th floor. The entire 6th floor is the Hello! Shop.

Alternatively, if you take Tokyo Metro and get off at Suehirocho Station, you will be right below the Hello! Shop.

Here’s a video of myself going up the elevator into the shop:

 

2) Up-Front’s office building

Address: 〒106-0044 東京都港区東麻布一丁目28番12号 麻布高栄ビル
Website: www.ufg.co.jp

Take the Toei Oedo Subway Line to Akabanebashi station. Exit via the 中之橋口 exit. Immediately to your left is the Up-Front office building.

Here’s the elusive entrance (the one on the left) we all want to enter but can’t.

Unless you are here for an FC event held at Pacific Heaven (The door on the right. Yes, the little restaurant cafe you’ve seen many times on various H!P TV shows and DVDs. No, the restaurant is not open to public.), try not to loiter around the main entrance or you might be asked to leave by security guards. Chances of running into idols are slim to none as they are usually shuttled into the building by cars and vans. Coming here is more of a been here, done that, bragging rights kind of thing.

But since you are here, you might as well go visit Tokyo Tower, a 7 minute walk away.

 

3) Gorakudoh #3 (Ticket reseller)

Address:〒150-0001 東京都 渋谷区 神宮前 1-6-11 フォレストビル1F 102号
Website: www.gorakudoh.co.jp
Business hours: 10:00 ~ 20:00, New Year’s Eve 10:00 ~ 25:00 (1AM)

Gorakudoh has 3 shops, #1 sells mostly male idol goods, #2 sells mostly male idol photos, #3 sells second hand concerts and events tickets. Shop #3 is the only one that we’re concern with.

Take the JR Yamanote Line to Harajuku station. Exit via the Takeshita-dori exit. You will be across the street from this:

Cross the street and go into this street (Takeshita-dori) and head straight down for 3 to 5 minutes. Walk pass all the clothing stores, and ignore all the Nigerians that tries to talk to you (They target mostly foreigners and tourists. They will try to harass you until you go into their shops. Do not look at them. Walk on the far left of the street because they tend to stand on the right side. If they follow you, just keep walking. Never speak to them. They will give up and harass someone else after 5 to 10 seconds if you follow my advice.), you will see a shop with a yellow TICKETS sign, concert posters, and glass display cases on the left, this is Gorakudoh #3.

Another ticket reseller that sells H!P tickets is Yokohama ticket, although they usually have a smaller selection and higher prices than Gorakudoh.

I will go into detail on buying tickets from resellers in another article.

 

4) Nakano Sun Plaza

Address: 〒164-8512 東京都中野区中野4-1-1
Website: www.sunplaza.jp

Take the JR Chuo Line to Nakano Station, and exit via the North Ticket Gate. You will see Nakano Sun Plaza literally right outside the station.

This is where many H!P concert takes place. Also near-by is Nakano Broadway, a shopping mall with many second hand stores on it’s upper levels, some with idol goods.

 

5) Ikebukuro Sunshine City

Address: 〒170-0013 東京都豊島区東池袋3-1-3
Website: www.sunshinecity.co.jp
Hours of operation: Shops 10:00 ~ 20:00 / Restaurants 11:00 ~ 22:00

Sunshine City’s official website has excellent English access directions, so please follow it.

Events are held at the Funsui Hiroba 噴水広場 (Water fountain square) within the mall. It’s located in the center of B1 floor in the ALPA shopping mall building. This location has been important for the past year in H!P history as a few major announcements were made here, including C-ute’s Budokan concert announcement. Shows are always free to watch, provided you go a few hours before show time to secure a good viewing spot. Those who go early and purchase CDs on the spot will usually be able to watch the show in the area in front of the water fountain stage, and get in the handshake event afterward.

 

6) Venus Fort / Toyota Mega Web / Zepp Tokyo

Venus Fort
Address: 〒135-0064 東京都江東区青海1-3-15
Website: www.venusfort.co.jp/multi/index_e.html
Hours of operation: Shops 11:00 ~ 21:00 / Restaurants 11:00 ~ 23:00

Toyota Mega Web
Address: 〒135-0064 東京都江東区青海一丁目3番12号
Website: www.megaweb.gr.jp/About/en.html
Hours of operation: 11:00 ~ 21:00

Zepp Tokyo
Address: 〒135-0064 東京都江東区青海1-3-11
Website: zepp.co.jp/tokyo

All three locations are connected together. To get here, take the Rinkai Line and get off at Tokyo Teleport Station, then walk toward the ferris wheel. Alternatively, take the New Transit Yurikamome line and get off at Aomi Station, and you will be practically facing Venus Fort.

Events in Venus Fort are held in its Church Plaza on the second floor, and functions generally the same way as Sunshine City events. Ones held in Toyota Mega Web are held at Mega Stage on the first floor are also operated in the same fashion. Concerts at Zepp Tokyo work the same way as any live hall concerts.

Berryz Koubou’s Cha Cha Sing Music video was filmed in the center court area in between Venus Fort and Toyota Mega Web.

 

7) Fukuya Shoten (books FUKUYA)

Address:〒160-0021 東京都新宿区歌舞伎町1 サブナード1号
Website: www.fukuya-shoten.jp

To get to Fukuya Shoten, get to the JR or Tokyo Metro Shinjuku station and exit via the JR east exit. Cross the street and walk north until you see an entrance to SUBNADE, an underground shopping mall. Go down the stairs and Fukuya Shoten will be the first store to your right.

Fukuya Shoten is a popular photobook handshake event location for many idols and artists. I will touch up more on handshakes in another article.

 

7) Hello☆Tribe

Address: 千代田区外神田5-1-5　末広JFビル2F
Website: hellotribe.jp
Hours of operation: Announced daily on Twitter, usually from late afternoon to 10 or 11pm

Hello☆Tribe is an foreigner friendly unofficial Cafe & Bar run by fans. Serving both alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks as well as bar food, all lovingly named after Hello! Project songs and other inside jokes. On member’s birthdays, they welcome customers to bring cakes to celebrate the occasion at the bar. Music videos, Youtube shows and more are shown on the flat screen TV mounted behind the counter. Fans are welcomed to stay and enjoy shows together, but please refrain from loud yelling and wotagei.

Located across the street and half a block away from the Hello! Shop, it is on the second floor in the building next to McDonald’s.

Location circled.

Take the stairs on the side to find entrance.

 

Using maps to your advantage

If you have access to mobile internet/GPS while you are roaming in Tokyo, be sure to use it to help yourself navigate around the metropolis. For Google Maps on smartphones, simply enter the name or address of your destination, and use the “Get directions” function to figure out the fastest and cheapest way getting to where you want to go. Type in Japanese for best result. Romaji can also be used, but could be confusing to read. If you don’t have the luxury of internet on the go, be sure to plan ahead at your hotel before venturing outside. There are also map books you can purchase at your local bookstores, or at bookstore in Narita and Haneda airport. When all else fail, just ask someone on the street for help, but be sure to speak slowly in simple English or they won’t understand you. An even better way of asking would be to show them the name of your destination in Japanese or romaji  on a piece of paper or your phone’s screen.

 

Hopefully you find this guide to be useful.

Stay tuned for my next article.