Preparing for the trip to Japan

[readsalot]

To do:

Buy something local so I can give small gifts (found some very cute postcards at Porter Square Books)
Buy yen
Print out details about the Big Heart award* (I'm transporting the actual award plaque because the presenter is already in Japan)
Print out airline e-ticket information so that the TSA people have something to scribble on
Figure out how to get to my hotel in Narita
Figure out how to get from Narita to my hotel in Yokohama
Figure out how to get my digital camera out of movie mode
Post my itinerary here for safe-keeping
Find a hotel in Tokyo for the last day of my trip** (everything else is set.)
Get a color print cartridge (to enable printing)
Print out maps of the areas around various hotels
Pack
Find a bathroom scale so I can weigh my bag ***

Edited to add: itinerary has now been posted, and I booked a hotel room for the last day.

The Big Heart Award is given to someone who's being recognized as being generally helpful and nice. It's a fannish thing.

I'm not worried about this--there are lots of hotels in Tokyo, and even a reasonable number of inexpensive ones. I've got a query in to one hotel, and I expect to hear back from them by tomorrow; if that one's full, I have another prospect that allows internet booking, and if that falls through, I'll just call around when I get there.

The group tour I'm on ends up in Osaka, and we're being flown from there to Narita when the tour ends. The problem is that, while ANA's international flights allow you to check two 23kg bags, their domestic flights only allow one 20kg bag. I have a duffel bag that will fold up to fit inside my one big bag, but I want to know about how much things weigh before I leave so I'll know how close to the limit I am before I start buying things; if necessary, I can pack the smaller bag with what I need for the last couple of days and just send the big bag to the airport to wait for me. There are many package-delivery services in Japan, and it's quite common for suitcases to travel separately from their owners.

Comments

[twe.livejournal.com]

I gather a lot of tourist spots have little rubber stamps at them that you can make stamps of as mementos, though I gather the stamp pads are often somewhat dry. (If you were willing to collect some for me that would be cool!)

What kind of camera is it? Movie mode is sometimes set by a little sliding thing that toggle between movie, full auto & other modes. (If you don't still have your manual, you may also be able to get one of the internet. I know this is true of Canon Cameras.)

Would you like to borrow some memory cards? I have CF (Compact Flash) and SD/MMC and I haven't filled up my cards in a long time.

When do you leave?

[readsalot.livejournal.com]

Sure, I can try to collect some stamps. I'll keep an eye out for them, (and for a booklet of some sort to do the stamping in.)

The camera is a Nikon Coolpix L4. I was playing with the sliding thing, but I couldn't find a position that worked. However, I've downloaded the manual from Nikon's website, so hopefully I can find something there.

I'm ok for memory, but thank you for offering.

[twe.livejournal.com]

If you really get stuck on the camera, I still have my older digital camera (Canon SD500) which you are welcome to borrow.