A L S O +T O D A Y Is it safe for women to travel solo? Swap tips and tales from the road in Table Talk Informed Sources How do you deal with lost luggage? And what items are absolutely essential to pack? (12/15/97) Tip of the Week An expert's tips on dealing with jet lag (12/15/97) R E C E N T L Y Surreal Gourmet By Bob Blumer Two delicious appetizers for your holiday bash (12/12/97) Passages By Don George "Fifty Years of Europe": Jan Morris on France, England and Germany past and present (12/11/97) Learning to love the abyss By Maria Dolan Snowboarding is a lot like life -- full of scary slopes, big spills and tiny triumphs (12/10/97) "How do you celebrate Christmas?" By Joshua Cohen A Jew in China: The travails of life in a land where Westerner equals Christian (12/09/97) Road Warrior By Dawn MacKeen Are airlines delivering sexist service in first class? (12/08/97) - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Browse the Wanderlust archives - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Your virtual travel agency - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -		______R O A D_W A R R I O R ______- - - - - - - the expat's guide to tokyo Editor's note: For many road warriors, travel to Tokyo poses some particularly vexing problems. Even with the dollar-yen exchange rate better now than it has been in years, accommodations, transportation and meals in the Japanese capital are still expensive by almost any standard. And entertainment -- whether of the official or unofficial kind -- often seems culturally impenetrable, not to mention financially daunting. But with a little flexibility and some insider's insights, you don't have to break the corporate budget to pursue business and pleasure in the city. In this Road Warrior special report, a longtime resident offers advice on cost-cutting and culture-exploring in Tokyo. BY MARY BETH MASLOWSKI | Most business travelers don't know that in Tokyo it's possible to find a free tour guide, book a reasonably priced hotel room and get paid to eat a meal. By following a few tips, you can find travel to the capital -- whether for business or pleasure -- unexpectedly affordable. If you're coming to town for an extended stay, you should know about a week-long air-and-hotel package that offers a tremendous value, a deal that was unthinkable two years ago, when the dollar was trading at only 80 yen. Both Airport Travel (800-310-5549) and Travis Pacific (800-227-4352) are offering one-week stays in Tokyo with round-trip flights from the U.S. on Singapore Airlines and accommodations at the Tokyo Hilton for $999. A half-day tour of Tokyo is included as well. If you're not traveling on a package deal, of course, you're on your own getting from the airport to downtown. What are the options? Well, you can always take a taxi -- but even if you're getting reimbursed, $200 for 40 miles of traffic seems excessive. The NEX (Narita Express) train is faster and a ticket costs only about $25. (All figures in this article are calculated using an exchange rate of 125 yen to $1.) The slower Keisei line costs even less. Another option that is slightly cheaper than NEX is the Limousine Bus. While it might take a little longer than the train, the big advantage of the bus is door-to-door service from Narita Airport to most major hotels. One of those hotels, the Keio Plaza Inter-Continental, offers business travelers an especially good deal. Members of the hotel's "Executive International Club" can take advantage of guaranteed U.S. dollar rates starting at $190 for a single room. Membership offers a variety of other perks, including full American breakfast, health club passes and extended check-out time. And if you want to take a client out for drinks, the Keio's second-floor "Let's Bar" offers a budget-friendly happy hour special: Between 5 and 7 p.m. weekdays, all drinks are 600 yen (about $5). Other Tokyo hotels such as the Okura, Tokyu and Four Seasons also have membership clubs and offer special rates and package deals. In addition, prices at the Prince chain are always good. Rates start at 13,000 yen (about $104) per night at the Sunshine City Prince and 14,500 ($116) for a room at the Shinjuku Prince. In your travels around Tokyo, taxis should be avoided, except for short jaunts. The subway is faster and much cheaper, and the new automatic fare cards make it even easier to navigate the extensive train system. If you're in need of help, most ticket-takers can offer rudimentary guidance, or look for stations marked "Information" in the main subway stops. Of course, many passersby can also speak English and will be happy to help a lost traveler. N E X T+P A G E+| Try getting naked with the locals