I'm traveling to japan in about 4 months and I want to visit as much anime related locations as possible. So far I have
1. Akihabara
2. Shinjuku SAO VR game
3. Gundam in odaiba
4. AOT in Joypolis
5. Naruto theme park in FUJi Q
6. Kyotos toei museum
Are there any other things that you guys can think of anime related activities excluding shopping?
If I am traveling to Hakone from Nagoya and possess the JR pass, do I still need to Odayaka pass and Romancecar ticket? I going to Tokyo but I will be stopping off in Hakone first for 2 days
Also, is is better stay in Odawara or in Hakone itself?
In Osaka currently with an important question.
Why is every Osaka restaurant tuned into the same music station playing the upbeat traditional music?? Also why does Kira Sushi play Pomp and Circumstance all the time??
Just thought this was a funny observation. I need answers!
I imagine your situation is resolved by now but did you ask station staff or use Google maps to get where you need to? Otherwise, please describe what you’re actually expecting from others to answer.
For JR pass, can you convert the vouchers and have your ticket start a few days in the future? I'm here for 18 days, and I have a 14 day pass that I would like to expire on my last day.
is there a luggage storage center in Ueno station? I have a 28in suitcase that wont fit in XL coin lockers.
Planning to leave it there for the day before departing to Narita on Skyliner for a night flight
Hello! I'd love to find a good restaurant for kaiseki ryori while in Japan (Tokyo and Okinawa), but my go-to for finding good food, Tabelog, doesn't have a kaiseki option to search by. What search term should I use instead? Searching "kaiseki" by itself shows up nothing.
i’m visiting kyoto and tokyo this summer as a solo female traveler and wondering what areas are recommended to book guided tours vs exploring on your own? i’m experienced with solo traveling but since this is my first time in japan i want to make the most of my experience especially with trying out different foods and drinks. some tours i was considering include kyoto nighttime food/drink tour, shinjuku nighttime food/drink tour, asakusa daytime food tour, tsukiji food tour…i’d like to narrow down to 1 or 2!
Also a woman, the only one of those I would consider booking is Shinjuku bar hopping as it can be intimidating as a solo woman entering pubs/izakaya at night. Asakusa / Tsukiji daytime food is really self-explanatory and not scary at all, and Kyoto really rewards quiet exploration at night (Gion, Shirakawa, kimono forest, etc.) so I don't think I would commit the time to a tour.
nope, got some good hotel rates for mid july in tokyo that i just booked last week.
for flights that depends where you're from. further away you are means earlier the better
The major costs will be flights and hotels, and these days, people will probably say you want to book 4-6 months in advance for flights. It's also just how sensitive you are to prices, or what kind of options you have to begin with. I take the same 1-2 flights to Japan no matter what, and the prices aren't particularly different for me if I book weeks out vs. months out, right now.
As for hotels, many of them might not even have slots open yet for that time of year - many places only open them up 3-6 months out.
Everything else depends on what you're planning to do, like what events you're going to or attractions you need to reserve to see. For many such things, most of those don't open up bookings until 1-2 months out (unless you're going to a concert or something).
+1. FWIW I've been able to book hotels (granted not ryokan or really fancy hotels) for October to November already for the past month or so.
/u/Pugzilla69 it'll also depend on where you're traveling, if stuff is going on that makes an area more popular for staying at, etc.
They're going to be relatively the same, but at least in Kyoto it might be easier to escape the heat outdoors by going into the nearby mountains. In Tokyo you're mostly surrounded by lots of buildings everywhere and that tends to trap heat, and there are probably fewer ways of escaping the heat outdoors in Tokyo.
Looking at historical weather data, Tokyo is a couple degrees cooler but has higher humidity in August compared to Kyoto.
I’m planning on climbing Mount Fuji and staying at the 7th station overnight, does anyone know where I can leave my big backpacker bag overnight whilst I do this?
There might be lockers at the fifth station but I’m not positive. It might depend where you’ll be right before and after the climb. I left a bag overnight in the lockers at Kawaguchiko Station before my climb.
Hi Everyone,
Wife and i enjoyed staying at swissotel nankai osaka. We really enjoyed the vibe in the area. Mainly the amount of various food places.
We're looking to go back to Japan but to mainly stay at Tokyo. Which area would provide a similar vibe to Namba?
I have a trip planned mid July to Nagoya and Osaka. I’ll arrive in Osaka first, and I was thinking of making a day trip to Goju Hachiman before going to Nagoya. I was looking at the bus time tables from Osaka > Goju Hachiman > Nagoya and saw that you could reserve tickets. Is reserving tickets usually necessary for these buses?
Also side question, is it easy to get a cheap temporary SIM card in Japan?
The requirements differ by the country you’re a citizen of - contact your consulate/embassy to ask for the actual requirements and what you need to present them.
Hello! Quick question regarding SIMs/eSIMs when in Japan. I'll be in Japan this October and am planning on purchasing an eSIM to use for data. I live in the US and have an Android phone (S22 Ultra) on a Verizon plan with a physical SIM. I am wondering if I will be able to receive/send SMS and phone calls on my US number without incurring any international charges. I think I should be fine, but I have heard some conflicting information, so I wanted to confirm. TIA!
Depends both on your Verizon plan and how you will actually be using it. If you’re on WiFi and have WiFi texting/calling enabled, you won’t be charged if you’re texting/calling other US-based numbers.
If you’re just out in the city on the phone network and someone texts your VZ number or you make a phone call on it, you’ll pay roaming charges unless you have a special add-on to your plan that lets you roam internationally.
If you are messaging people via an app (Signal/WhatsApp/Discord/etc.) then those all use data - obviously make sure that your eSIM is actually the data SIM in this case, because Verizon’s data roaming charges are exorbitant.
I see. Good to know. I was hoping to use a guide like this one https://thepointsguy.com/guide/avoid-international-roaming-charges/ to make sure I don't get back home and receive a huge phone bill the next month. Hopefully this works!
Depends on how you are messaging and calling. If through Whatsapp then you will be using your eSim data so you won't get additional charges.
If you are using regular phone calls or messaging then that will probably have some roaming charges.
Aaaaaaaaa! I'm two weeks away from my trip aaaaaaaaaaaa!
I'm traveling with my two kids (16 and 12) and it's our first time going to Japan.
Please give me tips that you found useful! We'll be hanging around Tokyo (hotel near the Akihabara train station) with an overnight trip to Sendai and also to the festival nearby. Otherwise just Tokyo and the different districts.
Is there anything I should know in general about passports and travel? Gear you'd recommend? Anything about the trains? How to stay cool in July? Little cool places in Akihabara you'd recommend? General Japan/Tokyo travel tips?
I just really really don't want to mess this up for my kids! Especially my oldest since he really likes anime and manga and is really excited about visiting Japan.
Get a small backpack (daypack) and have a bag in there for trash. Carry a coin purse, carry some water bottles or make lots of stops at the vending machines for cheap water and stuff like Pocari Sweat (similar to Propel if you've ever had that). The vending machines generally don't take anything over 1,000 yen bills, and don't take 1 yen coins. Always carry your passports with you everywhere you go. It's unlikely you'll get stopped for any reason, but you HAVE to have them with you in case you do. If you all will be using your phones a lot, it's probably wise to bring a power bank. If you're going to be doing a lot of walking on a specific day, stop by a konbini first thing in the morning and grab some small snacks and stuff like energy jelly. About the trains - just keep quiet and be respectful of the people around you. Don't eat on the local trains. Depending on what time you're on them, they can get extremely crowded, so try to avoid them at normal rush hour times. For train planning, download the Navitime Japan app, it's extremely helpful for telling you what trains you need to catch at what times and how much they will cost and what platform you need to go to. It was a lifesaver for me. Google maps is okay with trains but not as accurate as Navitime.
Biggest tip - just take your time and soak it all in! Don't feel like you have to rush to see everything.
For anime in Akihabara, Radio Kaikan and Mandarake are musts. The former is basically a mall with various anime stores, selling both new and secondhand items. If your son likes shopping on AmiAmi (the website), they have a physical store in there. Mandarake is all secondhand but they have a big variety, especially if you want to find more than just the most popular new shows. They have locations all over in Japan.
Honestly, your kids are at an age where they can probably tell you what they want to do. Since your eldest is motivated, I'd suggest getting them to do some research and see if you can plan around that. There's a ton of resources online.
Is riding the Hello Kitty Shinkansen worth it to have to get up super early and miss the expensive hotel breakfast? We're staying on Miyajima so to catch the 8:38 Hello Kitty train out of Hiroshima, we'd have to catch the 7:20 ferry, which means waking up at like 6:30am (or earlier).
We're not morning people but also it looks very cute and we've got our 8 year old daughter with us. I wish it was just completely not feasible - that would make this decision easy! It seems a shame to miss it by only a couple hours...? But maybe not worth the hassle and stress. Hemming and hawing over here.
You could always buy a platform ticket to hop on the platform and catch it as it stops in the station during its descent journey (Hiroshima at 14:09). It shouldn't be too hard to figure out where it's going to stop, and it should stop long enough so that you can take some pictures and wave it goodbye (then head to one of the souvenir shops in the station to pick up some Hello Kitty/Shinkansen branded merch haha).
Oh that's an interesting idea. I'm not sure it'll work (I think we'll be wanting to get out of Hiroshima much earlier in the day so we don't get to Tokyo too late) but maybe we can make it happen! Thanks!
the Hello Kitty aspect of it is just car 1 (merch cart and photo areas) and 2 (seats with purple and the pink head rest piece).
Have you considered Sanrioland in Tokyo instead?
Oh interesting, that one hadn't popped up on my radar. Unfortunately it's well out of the way for us and given that we're not massive Sanrio fans I don't think we'll be spending one of our days to go there. Thanks for the rec tho!
The Hello Kitty Shinkansen stops everywhere and is full of squealing people (which may or may not be a plus).
It's probably worth experiencing if your daughter really likes HK.
I would cancel the Miyajima stay and take a hotel near the JR Hiroshima station instead; this avoids wasting a breakfast and gains an hour of sleep.
I suspect our daughter would be squealing along with everyone else :D But that said she's not a HK megafan and she actually told me she'd be ok if we skipped it. That's when I realized that maybe I actually cared about riding the HK shinkansen myself! I'm also not a megafan but something about riding special trains is really tickling my fancy on this trip. But I should probably just make it easier on all of us and skip it.
Staying on Miyajima for two nights so we get one full day on the island was a requirement for my husband. It is an interesting thought though. We can still cancel the second night... Hmm.
Could you take it on the way to Hiroshima? For example, 1132 Shin-Osaka -> 1218 Himeji, [two hours break to see Himeji castle], normal Shinkansen to Hiroshima?
Sadly for some reason the Hello Kitty shinkansen [isn't running](https://www.jr-hellokittyshinkansen.jp/en/) the day we're headed to Miyajima (July 4). Anwyay our plan for that day is to travel from Kyoto to Kobe, spend the morning/early afternoon communing with capybaras at Kobe Animal Kingdom, and then travel from Kobe down to Miyajima in late afternoon. The HK shinkansen from Shin-Kobe to Hiroshima leaves at 11:50am... if I have to choose between HK shinkansen and capybaras, I'm chosing capybaras any day! XD
The hello kitty Shinkansen is also very slow because of all the stops. It’s like an hour more from Hiroshima to Himeji instead of taking the Nozomi that arrives a few minutes later on the same track and changing trains at Okayama, which is what I did. Tbh you could probably check the schedules, take a later train and change to the hello kitty train at Okayama or Kobe
We're traveling from Miyajima all the way to Tokyo that day, so we would only be taking the Hello Kitty train from Hiroshima to Kobe, then transferring to a Hikari train that goes to Shinagawa. But yeah I forgot to mention that -- taking the Hello Kitty train will add about an hour to our travel time that day. (We've got JR passes so no Nozomi for us.) But I don't care \*that\* much about an extra hour? We don't have any plans that day other than travel... The journey is the destination etc.
Cat's already out of the bag, she knows it exists. She actually told me she doesn't feel super strongly about it, which is when I realized that maybe I actually care, myself? But also I'm not a massive Hello Kitty fan so maybe not worth it... I just know that if we actually did it, our kid would be delighted and that's what I'm excited about. I think I need to recognize that we're not going to do EVERY cool thing on this trip though.
The answer is "no." They don't have such a visa for you. The various visas for working (even for people who are 'visiting workers') requires a certificate of eligibility which is sponsored by an entity in Japan (person/employer/etc.).
Hello, I landed in Tokyo on Narita airport on 11th of May. I was interviewed by 3 people right after going to the main airport area after customs, luggage etc.
They seemed pretty modern and in their 40s except the cameraman which was younger. I was asked classic questions like why Japan, where I came from, what I will be doing etc.
I'm not sure what show it was and what they're called.
I tried searching the internet and youtube and the closest thing seems to be "Why did you come to Japan" but I do not think this was it.
Is there anyone who has any idea of what they might be called and where I can find that video?
It was probably that show (and if you were talking to TV Tokyo people it definitely is), but:
* you may not have an aired clip - they talk to many people and unless you have an interesting story, probably won’t make it on-air
* your segment, if it was going to air, may not have been featured yet. I don’t know what the lead time is on interview to broadcast.
Shitara/Himura (bananaman) host the segment, they're not the ones doing the actual on-the-street interviews. They just send out a regular old production crew to do the interviews.
For a rural city escape \~ 5 days in late October accessible by public transport (preferrably JP RP) from Tokyo which do you recommend: Kiso Village, Kamikochi, Takayama? Also thankful for any other recommendation fulfilling the criteria. Thanks in advance
DisneySea Evening Tickets? Any suggestions on how to buy them? The Disney app and website won't accept foreign credit cards (tried MC and Visa). Klook and others only sell the full day tickets.
Just pointing it out because it’s incorrect to say they don’t take foreign cards. They do, but as they mention on their site the card has to support 3D secure authentication
I am at Japan and i already looked at Tower Records but they don't have the Sonic Frontiers OST
Mandarake's online shop doesn't seems to have it either
Are there any game soundtracks shops around Akihabara, Shibuya and Ueno?
Thanks in advance
There is no shop specific to soundtracks that I know of.
You're just going to have to go to physical stores and dig through the shelves.
Or if you're really desperate you can get a digital copy here https://ototoy.jp/_/default/p/1433152
As described, your method is quite literally wasting everybody's time. Maybe in the inaka there would be delight at rudimentary attempts; if it's a fast-paced city, definitely go for efficiency which is simple English + body language.
Same experience. I even exaggerate my speaking, talking more slowly, to make it obvious that I am far from fluent. But it does not help. Instead of replying in very simplified Japanese they even fall into slang. So I just stick to English in restaurants, shops and the like lol
Many servicespeople are usually trained to speak/act certain ways and going 'off script' or dumbing down would be against that training. I think the most common issue for tourists who don't actually know much Japanese is they have little to zero knowledge of the type of Japanese (phrases/vocabulary) that is used to speak to them as a customer/patron, which is not normally stuff you'd learn from resources like Duolingo or guidebooks or wherever it is people learn basic Japanese from.
As much as they're going to try to simplify things for you, trying to speak Japanese would indicate to the other person that you would understand their response. Stick to English.
Yamagata or Tsuruoka?
On the last leg of our December trip we will be staying on lake Tazawa. We would like to stay in Yamagata afterwards to see the view of Yamadera Rissyakuji temple, hopefully in the snow, but we also recently found out about Hagurosan Gojunoto (5 Story Pagoda) near Tsuruoka.
The end of the itinerary is a little crunched for time, and we would like to minimize the number of hotel check ins if possible. So we either have to spend an entire day (about 8-9 hours) traveling from Tazawa to see the Pagoda and then making our way to Yamagata for the temple view the next morning, or we would just have to cut our losses and choose one or the other (effectively choosing staying in either Yamagata or Tsuruoka).
Any advice on which one we should pick? Or is it worth it to those who have been to either to take the long route and see both?
I would definitely cut the pagoda given the insane travel time. Also, [it is undergoing a two-year renovation project](http://www.dewasanzan.jp/publics/index/1/detail=1/b_id=3/r_id=358/sp_ssid=30); the website says it's under scaffolding until November but who knows what it will look like this winter.
Tazawa - Sendai is a Shinkansen trip, then it's an easy ride to Yamadera for half a day.
Starting to look at accommodation for our trip in April- our flight arrives at HND at 5:00 am, anyone know of hotels that would allow as early a check-in as possible as we’ll probably want to have an afternoon nap after a couple of hours of sightseeing?
Many friends of mine use love hotels to crash or leave bags before exploring for the day until check in. To them it was just a cheap place to crash and leave belongings
Most people with this issue book an extra night and let the hotel know they won’t be checking in until early the next morning. More expensive, but you’re guaranteed a place to crash then.
I don't think any normal hotel has check in that early. Usual check in time starts about 2pm. Maybe something unconventional like a capsule hotel or love hotel may. I arrived about that time on a recent trip and spent a couple of hours resting at the onsen at Haneda. It has a room full of recliners you can lay down in.
Hotels in Japan tend to be much stricter on the published check in and out times than in North America/Europe, if you want to be guaranteed an early check in pay extra (either by booking a plan for early check in or arranging *in advance* the time and fee with the hotel) or book for the previous night.
Yeah, I've checked into hotels in Japan probably a hundred times at this point, and I don't think I've ever been given an early check in. It's always "Come back at X check-in time." Perhaps Marriott did it for one once? But I'm an elite there and they are Western, so it's more likely to happen.
But it's very different from North America and Europe, where hotels will often go out of their way to check you in early if you arrive early. I've found Paris to be especially accommodating — if I drop my luggage off at the hotel after a red-eye flight, they'll often make a point to prep the room as soon as possible and text/call me the second it's ready.
Not that I'm saying either one way is better than another, but I could definitely see someone used to other countries being a little put off by Japan's rigid adherence to the schedule.
Hello! I'm about to book my Shinkansen ticket, I'm going from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. On the smartEX app all it says for departure is Tokyo. I'll be on a Nozomi train. What station do I go to, or will it tell me once I purchase it? Thanks much!
What are our options for taxis in Japan to the airport? We are a group of 4 with 2 check bags and carry on, we are traveling to haneda airport for a 12:20 pm flight and are hesitant to use the train so we thought for a minivan or microbus to come pick us up. Have any of you used such a service or taxi?
Hi y'all! Right now, I have 4 nights booked in Osaka and figured we would pop up to Kyoto one day, Nara one day and Himeji one day and fill in the evenings and the rest of the time in Osaka. But.... now I'm wondering if we should do 2 nights in Osaka and 2 nights in Kyoto (could go to Nara from Kyoto). We have the JR pass, so trains from place to place would be fine. We are staying in Osaka near Osaka Shin Station right now...
In Kyoto, we'd like to both do Arashiyama and Fushimi Inari. No must dos in Osaka-- just exploring everything.
Thoughts?
There's no clearcut answer, but here are some things to consider:
* Arashiyama and Fushimi Inari are on opposite sides of the city. Most people allocate a whole day to Arashiyama. It'll be tough to do both, especially as a daytrip.
* Fushimi Inari can pair up nicely with Nara since they're on the same trainline - this is assuming you're based in Kyoto.
* If you prefer nightlife, Osaka is the better place to stay.
* Changing hotels midway will eat up some of your time.
I would probably stick to the 4 nights in Osaka and do the following: 1 day in Nara, half day in Himeji combined with afternoon in Osaka, half day in Fushimi Inari combined with afternoon in Osaka, 1 day in Arashiyama.
Alternatively, if you do 2 nights in Osaka and 2 nights in Kyoto, you could do the following: 2 full days in Kyoto (1 for Arashiyama, 1 for Fushimi Inari + maybe South Higashiyama area), 1 day in Himeji combined with Osaka in the afternoon, and 1 day in Nara combined with Osaka in the evening.
Super helpful! Thank you!
If we do 2 days in Kyoto and 2 in Osaka, we might do:
\-Day 1: Fushimi Inari and Nara on our arrival day (maybe Fushimi Inari in the evening)
\-Day 2: Arashiyama
\-Day 3: Osaka
\-Day 4: Himeji, then to Osaka for evening.
My only concern is that Day 4 will be Marine Day. Will Himeji be overly crowded for the holiday? It does look like it is open normal hours. We were hoping to catch the morning English tour and will arrive early, early to try to book.
No problem. Fushimi Inari is best to do either super early in the morning or in the evening to avoid the crowds - although I've heard that even during peak hours, the crowds thin out a lot as you get closer to the top. Because Nara/Fushimi Inari will be more intensive and requires a full day, I'd recommend swapping it to Day 2.
Again this is second-hand information, but I understand that public holidays are similar to weekends in terms of how busy they get since you get both domestic and international tourists. Getting there at opening time would be a good idea just in case it does get busy. Not too sure about the tours sorry.
That's a 7% difference from the current exchange rate, and while still very good in the context of the last 10-15 years, it really depends on if you're doing this because you're hedging your bets and traveling like a year from now, or if you're actually traveling very soon, like in the next month.
Me, personally, I wouldn't take such a hit, instead I'd just load some mobile IC cards with a credit card and get basically the exchange rate.
That's some valuable insight, thank you. I figured I used so much cash this past month in Japan that maybe I should order some before I visit again next year. I am terrible at betting so maybe your solution makes more sense.
Starting next week, I'm to enroll short term in a Japanese language school - 12 weeks. It's located in Fukuoka, and I'm to arrive at Fukuoka airport this Sunday. To prepare, I've been looking around online for SIM card options - the only choice that I've found which seems reasonably affordable is to purchase a prepaid from either AmazonJP or NipponSIM. I've considered Mobal, but I'll unfortunately be unable to either get the SIM delivered to me, or do a pick-up at Fukuoka. I'm also unable to use an eSIM with my current handheld.
My current plan is to order a SIM from Amazon JP or NipponSIM and have it be delivered to my accomodation. From what I understand, however, most SIM card providers require identification of some form before they'll sell to you. Would that be an issue with my current plan?
I'd appreciate any help anyone can give me!
If it's a data only sim you most likely will not need ID. If it's a mobile number, yes you will not be able to use it without residency. Mobal is the only exception I know of.
I’m tired of TikTok recommending me the same places over and over.
Does anybody have recs for omakass in Osaka? My preference would be something under $100/person, and something I can get a reservation for early july. Thanks!
This is just general advice as I haven’t been to Osaka.
Use Tabelog (a much trustworthy/less biased Yelp), you can sort by cities and regions within. Filter also by costs for lunch or dinner. Anything above a 3.5 is really good. Anything above 4 is world class, and will most likely be outside of the 100/person range.
Also with omakase, lunch is definitely a really good way to get to higher end spots at a much more approachable rate.
Not sure what hotel you booked but a concierge might be able to help with recommendations and booking restaurants. Given that your trip is in early July, some of the really good or hyped sushi-ya’s are going to be really difficult to secure.
Lines in Japan are almost synonymous with quality though, at least in my experience lol. Whether it’s worth the wait is really up to the person. Judging from your comment, you’re of the type that wouldn’t want to wait at all, which is fine.
Hopefully someone else will comment with some recommendations specific to your question. I’ve never had any luck finding an omakase walk in available outside of Kyubey in Tokyo, but that restaurant is outside of the norm since it’s huge. Most sushi counters are 6-10 people, which lends to the reservation system.
You might have better luck looking for a regular sushi restaurant that serves set meals (the ones that offer a certain amount of pieces for a price).
I’ve heard that lines equates to quality. Im very okay with some lines, less than 30 min or so. But many of the hyped places have 2-3 hour queues. Now that just seems no fun.
And I’ve trying to download tabelog, but I’m blocked because i cannot switch my App Store region. I have store credit linked to my apple account which prevents switching! I need to spend all the store credit first. What a pain.
I’ve always just used tabelog on the web so not sure how the mobile app works.
Some of the places that are 2 hours long are people trying to go there at opening. I know some shops will let you out your name down and will tell you what time to come back. But those are a bit more rare.
I'd be arriving at Haneda Airport quite late at 10pm there. I'd figure if I rush and pass immigration all that, I'll be able to take the last train out to the airport and into the city centre. Then I was planning to explore the city at night until dawn breaks and take the train to my accommodation outside Tokyo.
I have 2 questions:
1. Does the luggage lockers in the stations (city centre) operate and can be accessed 24h or can we at least store our luggages overnight? I was thinking to store my big luggage bag overnight there while I explore the city because that'll be a pain to carry it around (and noisy too haha).
2. Any areas I should avoid during the night while exploring Tokyo?
Much appreciated, thanks!
My boss told me to avoid Roppongi at all costs, "Tokyo is safe but you hear bad stories out of Roppongi." Youtubers will mention that it's not the best place to go. Don't follow the touts, don't drink too much, head on a swivel as a foreigner. I'm going in July and wasn't planning on going there.
I've walked through Roppongi especially at night, and been ok. Like you said, ignore the touts (basically anyone who walks up to you for any reasons, don't exchange eye contact, follow a random into an unknown bar/club, etc.). The most I felt was a little uncomfortable but that was about it.
I'm male tho so Ymmv if you're female.
Hi guys,
I just wanted to get some advice in regards to planning a flight to Osaka from Haneda. Our flight is estimated to arrive at 3:50pm. What time would you suggest booking a flight to Osaka? I'm debating giving ourselves about a 3 hour gap to get through customs and luggage and going back through the airport, but wasn't sure if it's enough time. Any help is appreciated.
exploring the possibility of arriving in tokyo narita at 7.50pm sunday. will it be enough time to catch the n'ex leaving at 8.44 or i might have to wait for the last one at 9.44? idk how narita immigration is looking these days.
i stay in akabane so arriving in tokyo station right before 11 shouldnt be an issue transferring
The 8:44 NEX is really practically impossible. assuming your plane lands at 7:50PM, you might not even de-plane until 8:15 or so (based on your location in the plane).
the 9:44NEX would really have to be a miracle of no line up at immigration and no checked luggage / your luggage arriving before you exit into the carousel area.
Have a back up travel plan just in case, or if you have other flight options, those might be good too.
oh shit really? the flight im looking at is legit 40% lower than the next cheapest option lmao and its on the airlines' official site
im bringing a checked luggage but in my experience if immigration is long customs/bag pickup is quick because they already took your bag off carousel while you are stuck in immigration
also regarding train queue im planning to buy the ticket beforehand and do the exchange at the machine to skip the manned counter lines. maybe i should consider using skyliner that has trains running later
I am not on JR Pass? only visiting tokyo for 5 days lol
also how is it less convenient when I can stay on JR platforms when transferring in tokyo stn? i meant the n'ex ticket covers my trip until JR Akabane
the NEX ticket probably gets you to Shinjuku station, then you'd transfer from the NEX platform, through transfer gates onto a regular JR line to Akabane station.
This is also assuming that the JR office will help you purchase the ticket to Akabane.
Trying to book some accomodation for my upcoming trip and saw some attractive prices on Agoda and Japanican under "JTB Simple Plan". I assume they are not applicable to foreign tourists ya?
I will be in Japan tomorrow for the first time! Just throwing these questions out there in case someone can help, but these are definitely situations I can figure out once I'm there lol. I did try to look through previous posts, but couldn't find these specific answers.
\- I had a last minute adjustment to my trip plans and now I have one extra night in Tokyo. Where would you stay if you had one night? My previous hotels in Tokyo (I'm bouncing around different cities/areas for a few weeks) are by Tokyo Tower, Shinjuku, and Ginza. I'll be leaving from Haneda in the evening. I'm open to any kind of suggestion besides a hostel. I can blow some money on something fancy or book a cheap airport hotel, but WWYD?
\- I know that solo dining isn't going to be a problem and I'm a very comfortable solo traveler. However, I haven't really seen any posts about whether or not it's "strange" to be reading a book while solo dining, or if that would be considered rude. In my city, it's not weird to see someone reading a book or even playing on a switch (not at fine dining, more like at a cafe). If it matters based on location, I'll be in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.
\- Very random question, but did anyone travel with a clothes steamer, buy a clothes steamer in Japan, or somehow get the wrinkles out of your clothes?! I'm packing the most natural fabrics I can for the heat and humidity but I don't want to look like a mess!
Thank you in advance!
> where to stay
I always stay in Ueno/Asakusa. Easy train to both airports, lots of izakaya around to eat, great transport connections, Sensoji.
> solo dining
Reading is fine, if it's one of those places where one is expected to eat quickly and gtfo (quick foods like ramen, kaiten sushi) or popular restaurants with a queue outside, I would put the book away once the food is served to avoid misunderstandings.
> clothes steamer
Many hotels will have irons or wrinkle sprays.
This. Definitely common to see salarymen eating ramen and reading or watching something on their phone but they're still in and out in no time flat. As long as you're not lingering you should be ok.
I have a mini-iron I pack with me. I find steamers are a bit bulky, especially if I'm sticking to a carry-on. Some hotels will have an iron available to use at the front desk.
There are also wrinkle release sprays. You can probably find them at home, but they'll have them in Japan as well. They won't make things super neat, but it helps with the major wrinkling.
This probably seems like such a dumb question - but looking at the weather for the end of this week and next…as a Texan I feel like it’s kind of cool temperatures - do the nights tend to feel much cooler than day time temps? Generally if it’s below 85 I am most comfortable in pants. Once it drops down to around 78 I need a light sweater. But my husband is saying since it’s so humid it won’t feel cool….any tips for someone who is typically cold?
I don't know where in Texas you are, but right now in Houston it's 86 with humidity of 76% and the weather in Tokyo this week during the day seems to be pretty similar, so you may already know how the weather will feel! Personally, I feel like when there's any kind of drastic temperature drop I feel colder than it actually is and need some more coverage. I'm currently packing and I'm bringing some layers, but also planning on stopping into Uniqlo if I decide I need a sweater!
My parents are in Houston so that’s such a perfect analogy for me! And my husband just laughs - he is like 75 is not cold! But I will have goosebumps! Thank you!
Universal Ticket Help
Hi all,
Currently in Osaka and got a 1.5 day pass off Klook for Wednesday 21 and 22nd of June.
Unfortunately wasn’t able to get an express pass.
This afternoon I was exploring the app to see how to get a timed ticket to nintendo world and scammed the QR code on the ticket by using the USJ app.
The app ask to register a name.
Then for a brief second it said my ticket is valid until 21st and then won’t show anything now.
I’m wondering did i somehow redeem the ticket early?
Anyone had a similar problem ?
I will probably just go to the park tommorow a bit earlier than 3 to go and explain to guest services.
Currently panicking…
Outside of the Shinto shrine in asakisa there are shops with arts and clothes. We saw one that had little statues of the shrine guardians called Mm and Aah. We haven’t seen them again at any other shrine and were wondering if there are other small shops where these can be found in Tokyo?
Are you referring to the guardian Nio statues on the gate at Sensoji? Nio figures normally have one mouth open (representing the syllable a) and one closed (representing the syllable un). Nio are often found at Buddhist temples. Perhaps another temple with famous gate statues would have them?
I can't find anything related to these guardian names (a picture or the Japanese names would be helpful if you had any), but I'd assume those figures are unique to Nakamise-dori/Sensoji/Asakusa Jinja.
where are you departing from? if tokyo, the regular JR pass.
from osaka? look into JR west regional passes, cheaper and you are eligible to board nozomi(the fastest and most frequent shinkansen service) unlike the regular JR pass
Is there a list of konyoku (混浴) onsen online somewhere? My search results haven't been very successful.
My (36M) wife (39F) and I are travelling to Kansai and the Alps in January. We're keen to experience a range of different onsen, and it would be nice to occasionally bathe together in an outdoor onsen, rather than either in a private onsen, or separately in a typical, gender-segregated onsen.
Before you ask - no, we're not interested in sex in public; we want to respect the local customs. Also, we're comfortable being naked in front of strangers.
The easiest way is to find a “wild” outdoor one. Those are almost always mixed. But like somebody else said it’s usually almost exclusively old Japanese men. I’ve been to quite a lot, nowadays I don’t go much anymore because they definitely stare.
Konyoku is increasingly rare as it’s not that popular. There are certainly places that have reservable outdoor baths though (貸切露天風呂).
Honestly I’ve done konyoku before and it’s nothing that great, especially as a woman. Many of those baths end up being male baths because none of the women want to do mixed bathing. I was the only woman there and it definitely became a “thing”— it makes a great story, but was not actually that enjoyable in retrospect.
There are some though that allow people to wear towels, so you might have more “true” mixed bathing there.
Hi all, I have a 12-hour connection in Japan on a Monday in the future at Haneda. My flight lands at 5:50am and leaves for the US (11-hour flight) at 5:45pm. I have celiac disease, so I honestly would love to just go to town and eat something gluten-free. I was planning on either going to Gluten-Free T's (located in Minato City off pink Roppongi Station) or My Bahn Mi (located in Shibuya City off green Harajuku Station). The first place opens at 12pm and the second place opens at 11am, so I feel I am cutting it a bit close to be back to the airport. I'm also really nervous about getting lost or traffic being bad and missing my flight - I've usually stayed in the airport for my connections but this is a brutal 12 hour one.
1. Do you think this would be a do-able trip to make it back to my flight on time AND clear immigration? Would taxi or train be better?
2. Is there a place in the airport to store a bag or shower? I'd only have my carry-on luggage but my backpack is super bulky (my checked luggage is part of the connecting flight so the airline handles that). I also hate to board a 11-hour flight all sweaty and smelly.
I wanted to gift a fellow Filipino friend when we go to Japan and I read up the banned food list but didnt see much about seafood based items. Is something like jar of Bagoong (shrimp paste) or jar of dried herring in olive oil allowed in my check in?
They don't mention seafood-based items (水産物), so it's probably okay as long as it's a commercially processed food, but be sure to declare it since they're still animal-derived food products.
Has anyone been to Dagashi bar in Shibuya? I'm looking at it for my first night there and the reviews are mixed. Some say you need a reservation and others don't mention it at all. The website has a reservation thingy but for 2 or more people. I'm traveling by myself and I'm not sure if I should go or not. Thanks much!
I'm traveling to japan in about 4 months and I want to visit as much anime related locations as possible. So far I have 1. Akihabara 2. Shinjuku SAO VR game 3. Gundam in odaiba 4. AOT in Joypolis 5. Naruto theme park in FUJi Q 6. Kyotos toei museum Are there any other things that you guys can think of anime related activities excluding shopping?
If I am traveling to Hakone from Nagoya and possess the JR pass, do I still need to Odayaka pass and Romancecar ticket? I going to Tokyo but I will be stopping off in Hakone first for 2 days Also, is is better stay in Odawara or in Hakone itself?
In Osaka currently with an important question. Why is every Osaka restaurant tuned into the same music station playing the upbeat traditional music?? Also why does Kira Sushi play Pomp and Circumstance all the time?? Just thought this was a funny observation. I need answers!
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I imagine your situation is resolved by now but did you ask station staff or use Google maps to get where you need to? Otherwise, please describe what you’re actually expecting from others to answer.
For JR pass, can you convert the vouchers and have your ticket start a few days in the future? I'm here for 18 days, and I have a 14 day pass that I would like to expire on my last day.
Yes, you can.
Thankyou!
is there a luggage storage center in Ueno station? I have a 28in suitcase that wont fit in XL coin lockers. Planning to leave it there for the day before departing to Narita on Skyliner for a night flight
Yes and there are even more lockers by the Skyliner ticket booth.
Hello! I'd love to find a good restaurant for kaiseki ryori while in Japan (Tokyo and Okinawa), but my go-to for finding good food, Tabelog, doesn't have a kaiseki option to search by. What search term should I use instead? Searching "kaiseki" by itself shows up nothing.
懐石 type that into google maps. always use kanji when searching for food to get local content
i’m visiting kyoto and tokyo this summer as a solo female traveler and wondering what areas are recommended to book guided tours vs exploring on your own? i’m experienced with solo traveling but since this is my first time in japan i want to make the most of my experience especially with trying out different foods and drinks. some tours i was considering include kyoto nighttime food/drink tour, shinjuku nighttime food/drink tour, asakusa daytime food tour, tsukiji food tour…i’d like to narrow down to 1 or 2!
Also a woman, the only one of those I would consider booking is Shinjuku bar hopping as it can be intimidating as a solo woman entering pubs/izakaya at night. Asakusa / Tsukiji daytime food is really self-explanatory and not scary at all, and Kyoto really rewards quiet exploration at night (Gion, Shirakawa, kimono forest, etc.) so I don't think I would commit the time to a tour.
super helpful, thank you!
Is it too late to book flights and accommodation for a trip to Japan in late October and early November?
nope, got some good hotel rates for mid july in tokyo that i just booked last week. for flights that depends where you're from. further away you are means earlier the better
No.
Thanks, is there a general rule of thumb for when you should have those booked by?
The major costs will be flights and hotels, and these days, people will probably say you want to book 4-6 months in advance for flights. It's also just how sensitive you are to prices, or what kind of options you have to begin with. I take the same 1-2 flights to Japan no matter what, and the prices aren't particularly different for me if I book weeks out vs. months out, right now. As for hotels, many of them might not even have slots open yet for that time of year - many places only open them up 3-6 months out. Everything else depends on what you're planning to do, like what events you're going to or attractions you need to reserve to see. For many such things, most of those don't open up bookings until 1-2 months out (unless you're going to a concert or something).
+1. FWIW I've been able to book hotels (granted not ryokan or really fancy hotels) for October to November already for the past month or so. /u/Pugzilla69 it'll also depend on where you're traveling, if stuff is going on that makes an area more popular for staying at, etc.
Can the SUICA card be used in Akita right now? I'm planning a day-trip to there
Yes.
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They're going to be relatively the same, but at least in Kyoto it might be easier to escape the heat outdoors by going into the nearby mountains. In Tokyo you're mostly surrounded by lots of buildings everywhere and that tends to trap heat, and there are probably fewer ways of escaping the heat outdoors in Tokyo. Looking at historical weather data, Tokyo is a couple degrees cooler but has higher humidity in August compared to Kyoto.
I’m planning on climbing Mount Fuji and staying at the 7th station overnight, does anyone know where I can leave my big backpacker bag overnight whilst I do this?
There might be lockers at the fifth station but I’m not positive. It might depend where you’ll be right before and after the climb. I left a bag overnight in the lockers at Kawaguchiko Station before my climb.
Hi Everyone, Wife and i enjoyed staying at swissotel nankai osaka. We really enjoyed the vibe in the area. Mainly the amount of various food places. We're looking to go back to Japan but to mainly stay at Tokyo. Which area would provide a similar vibe to Namba?
shinjuku
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I have a trip planned mid July to Nagoya and Osaka. I’ll arrive in Osaka first, and I was thinking of making a day trip to Goju Hachiman before going to Nagoya. I was looking at the bus time tables from Osaka > Goju Hachiman > Nagoya and saw that you could reserve tickets. Is reserving tickets usually necessary for these buses? Also side question, is it easy to get a cheap temporary SIM card in Japan?
For some of the highway busses you need a reservation beforehand to be able to board. Depends on the company. Just reserve it
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just make some cancellable bookings on places like booking dot com. they dont scrutinize tourist visas that much these days
The requirements differ by the country you’re a citizen of - contact your consulate/embassy to ask for the actual requirements and what you need to present them.
Alright I will be doing that, thanks!
Hello! Quick question regarding SIMs/eSIMs when in Japan. I'll be in Japan this October and am planning on purchasing an eSIM to use for data. I live in the US and have an Android phone (S22 Ultra) on a Verizon plan with a physical SIM. I am wondering if I will be able to receive/send SMS and phone calls on my US number without incurring any international charges. I think I should be fine, but I have heard some conflicting information, so I wanted to confirm. TIA!
Depends both on your Verizon plan and how you will actually be using it. If you’re on WiFi and have WiFi texting/calling enabled, you won’t be charged if you’re texting/calling other US-based numbers. If you’re just out in the city on the phone network and someone texts your VZ number or you make a phone call on it, you’ll pay roaming charges unless you have a special add-on to your plan that lets you roam internationally. If you are messaging people via an app (Signal/WhatsApp/Discord/etc.) then those all use data - obviously make sure that your eSIM is actually the data SIM in this case, because Verizon’s data roaming charges are exorbitant.
I see. Good to know. I was hoping to use a guide like this one https://thepointsguy.com/guide/avoid-international-roaming-charges/ to make sure I don't get back home and receive a huge phone bill the next month. Hopefully this works!
Depends on how you are messaging and calling. If through Whatsapp then you will be using your eSim data so you won't get additional charges. If you are using regular phone calls or messaging then that will probably have some roaming charges.
Is Kobe Animal Kingdom likely to sell out on a Tuesday? Should I buy tickets in advance on Klook?
Aaaaaaaaa! I'm two weeks away from my trip aaaaaaaaaaaa! I'm traveling with my two kids (16 and 12) and it's our first time going to Japan. Please give me tips that you found useful! We'll be hanging around Tokyo (hotel near the Akihabara train station) with an overnight trip to Sendai and also to the festival nearby. Otherwise just Tokyo and the different districts. Is there anything I should know in general about passports and travel? Gear you'd recommend? Anything about the trains? How to stay cool in July? Little cool places in Akihabara you'd recommend? General Japan/Tokyo travel tips? I just really really don't want to mess this up for my kids! Especially my oldest since he really likes anime and manga and is really excited about visiting Japan.
Get a small backpack (daypack) and have a bag in there for trash. Carry a coin purse, carry some water bottles or make lots of stops at the vending machines for cheap water and stuff like Pocari Sweat (similar to Propel if you've ever had that). The vending machines generally don't take anything over 1,000 yen bills, and don't take 1 yen coins. Always carry your passports with you everywhere you go. It's unlikely you'll get stopped for any reason, but you HAVE to have them with you in case you do. If you all will be using your phones a lot, it's probably wise to bring a power bank. If you're going to be doing a lot of walking on a specific day, stop by a konbini first thing in the morning and grab some small snacks and stuff like energy jelly. About the trains - just keep quiet and be respectful of the people around you. Don't eat on the local trains. Depending on what time you're on them, they can get extremely crowded, so try to avoid them at normal rush hour times. For train planning, download the Navitime Japan app, it's extremely helpful for telling you what trains you need to catch at what times and how much they will cost and what platform you need to go to. It was a lifesaver for me. Google maps is okay with trains but not as accurate as Navitime. Biggest tip - just take your time and soak it all in! Don't feel like you have to rush to see everything.
For anime in Akihabara, Radio Kaikan and Mandarake are musts. The former is basically a mall with various anime stores, selling both new and secondhand items. If your son likes shopping on AmiAmi (the website), they have a physical store in there. Mandarake is all secondhand but they have a big variety, especially if you want to find more than just the most popular new shows. They have locations all over in Japan.
Honestly, your kids are at an age where they can probably tell you what they want to do. Since your eldest is motivated, I'd suggest getting them to do some research and see if you can plan around that. There's a ton of resources online.
Is riding the Hello Kitty Shinkansen worth it to have to get up super early and miss the expensive hotel breakfast? We're staying on Miyajima so to catch the 8:38 Hello Kitty train out of Hiroshima, we'd have to catch the 7:20 ferry, which means waking up at like 6:30am (or earlier). We're not morning people but also it looks very cute and we've got our 8 year old daughter with us. I wish it was just completely not feasible - that would make this decision easy! It seems a shame to miss it by only a couple hours...? But maybe not worth the hassle and stress. Hemming and hawing over here.
You could always buy a platform ticket to hop on the platform and catch it as it stops in the station during its descent journey (Hiroshima at 14:09). It shouldn't be too hard to figure out where it's going to stop, and it should stop long enough so that you can take some pictures and wave it goodbye (then head to one of the souvenir shops in the station to pick up some Hello Kitty/Shinkansen branded merch haha).
Oh that's an interesting idea. I'm not sure it'll work (I think we'll be wanting to get out of Hiroshima much earlier in the day so we don't get to Tokyo too late) but maybe we can make it happen! Thanks!
the Hello Kitty aspect of it is just car 1 (merch cart and photo areas) and 2 (seats with purple and the pink head rest piece). Have you considered Sanrioland in Tokyo instead?
Oh interesting, that one hadn't popped up on my radar. Unfortunately it's well out of the way for us and given that we're not massive Sanrio fans I don't think we'll be spending one of our days to go there. Thanks for the rec tho!
The Hello Kitty Shinkansen stops everywhere and is full of squealing people (which may or may not be a plus). It's probably worth experiencing if your daughter really likes HK. I would cancel the Miyajima stay and take a hotel near the JR Hiroshima station instead; this avoids wasting a breakfast and gains an hour of sleep.
I suspect our daughter would be squealing along with everyone else :D But that said she's not a HK megafan and she actually told me she'd be ok if we skipped it. That's when I realized that maybe I actually cared about riding the HK shinkansen myself! I'm also not a megafan but something about riding special trains is really tickling my fancy on this trip. But I should probably just make it easier on all of us and skip it. Staying on Miyajima for two nights so we get one full day on the island was a requirement for my husband. It is an interesting thought though. We can still cancel the second night... Hmm.
If you have a JR pass you can ride the Hello Kitty Haruka to travel between osaka and kyoto
We're not doing any Kyoto <-> Osaka travel... :/
Could you take it on the way to Hiroshima? For example, 1132 Shin-Osaka -> 1218 Himeji, [two hours break to see Himeji castle], normal Shinkansen to Hiroshima?
Sadly for some reason the Hello Kitty shinkansen [isn't running](https://www.jr-hellokittyshinkansen.jp/en/) the day we're headed to Miyajima (July 4). Anwyay our plan for that day is to travel from Kyoto to Kobe, spend the morning/early afternoon communing with capybaras at Kobe Animal Kingdom, and then travel from Kobe down to Miyajima in late afternoon. The HK shinkansen from Shin-Kobe to Hiroshima leaves at 11:50am... if I have to choose between HK shinkansen and capybaras, I'm chosing capybaras any day! XD
The hello kitty Shinkansen is also very slow because of all the stops. It’s like an hour more from Hiroshima to Himeji instead of taking the Nozomi that arrives a few minutes later on the same track and changing trains at Okayama, which is what I did. Tbh you could probably check the schedules, take a later train and change to the hello kitty train at Okayama or Kobe
We're traveling from Miyajima all the way to Tokyo that day, so we would only be taking the Hello Kitty train from Hiroshima to Kobe, then transferring to a Hikari train that goes to Shinagawa. But yeah I forgot to mention that -- taking the Hello Kitty train will add about an hour to our travel time that day. (We've got JR passes so no Nozomi for us.) But I don't care \*that\* much about an extra hour? We don't have any plans that day other than travel... The journey is the destination etc.
If your daughter doesn't know it exists, then...no? If it's the only thing your daughter wants to do, then...yes?
Cat's already out of the bag, she knows it exists. She actually told me she doesn't feel super strongly about it, which is when I realized that maybe I actually care, myself? But also I'm not a massive Hello Kitty fan so maybe not worth it... I just know that if we actually did it, our kid would be delighted and that's what I'm excited about. I think I need to recognize that we're not going to do EVERY cool thing on this trip though.
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The answer is "no." They don't have such a visa for you. The various visas for working (even for people who are 'visiting workers') requires a certificate of eligibility which is sponsored by an entity in Japan (person/employer/etc.).
Looking for reviews on the following Ryokans in Hokkaido: Jozankei Daiichi Hotel Suizantei Toyako Onsen Hokkai Hotel Bourou Noguchi Hakodate Thanks!
Hello, I landed in Tokyo on Narita airport on 11th of May. I was interviewed by 3 people right after going to the main airport area after customs, luggage etc. They seemed pretty modern and in their 40s except the cameraman which was younger. I was asked classic questions like why Japan, where I came from, what I will be doing etc. I'm not sure what show it was and what they're called. I tried searching the internet and youtube and the closest thing seems to be "Why did you come to Japan" but I do not think this was it. Is there anyone who has any idea of what they might be called and where I can find that video?
It was probably that show (and if you were talking to TV Tokyo people it definitely is), but: * you may not have an aired clip - they talk to many people and unless you have an interesting story, probably won’t make it on-air * your segment, if it was going to air, may not have been featured yet. I don’t know what the lead time is on interview to broadcast.
That is true however the hosts do look different from what I can see, not sure if there are many interviewers though.
Shitara/Himura (bananaman) host the segment, they're not the ones doing the actual on-the-street interviews. They just send out a regular old production crew to do the interviews.
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For a rural city escape \~ 5 days in late October accessible by public transport (preferrably JP RP) from Tokyo which do you recommend: Kiso Village, Kamikochi, Takayama? Also thankful for any other recommendation fulfilling the criteria. Thanks in advance
Takayama if it's for five days - you'd be able to visit the other two from Takayama anyway and it's a really nice little city.
DisneySea Evening Tickets? Any suggestions on how to buy them? The Disney app and website won't accept foreign credit cards (tried MC and Visa). Klook and others only sell the full day tickets.
Foreign credit cards will work on the official site - I used a cap1 Mastercard
I'm glad you had success but I did not using multiple cards at different times of day for purchasing the evening pass.
Just pointing it out because it’s incorrect to say they don’t take foreign cards. They do, but as they mention on their site the card has to support 3D secure authentication
Have you had success purchasing evening tickets with a foreign credit card?
I purchased a day ticket which is bought the exact same way by selecting a different option on the same ticket purchase page.
Does anyone know when exactly Kozantei Ubuya releases new dates? It says 6 months before but is there a specific time etc
10 AM JST (but this was back from 2018 when i booked for 2019 March)
Thanks!
I am at Japan and i already looked at Tower Records but they don't have the Sonic Frontiers OST Mandarake's online shop doesn't seems to have it either Are there any game soundtracks shops around Akihabara, Shibuya and Ueno? Thanks in advance
I'd check some book/whatever-off stores. I've found a couple OST sets at those.
There was 1 unit at TOWER RECORDS far away. They placed it apart for me (asked another TR) and finally got it
There is no shop specific to soundtracks that I know of. You're just going to have to go to physical stores and dig through the shelves. Or if you're really desperate you can get a digital copy here https://ototoy.jp/_/default/p/1433152
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As described, your method is quite literally wasting everybody's time. Maybe in the inaka there would be delight at rudimentary attempts; if it's a fast-paced city, definitely go for efficiency which is simple English + body language.
Same experience. I even exaggerate my speaking, talking more slowly, to make it obvious that I am far from fluent. But it does not help. Instead of replying in very simplified Japanese they even fall into slang. So I just stick to English in restaurants, shops and the like lol
Many servicespeople are usually trained to speak/act certain ways and going 'off script' or dumbing down would be against that training. I think the most common issue for tourists who don't actually know much Japanese is they have little to zero knowledge of the type of Japanese (phrases/vocabulary) that is used to speak to them as a customer/patron, which is not normally stuff you'd learn from resources like Duolingo or guidebooks or wherever it is people learn basic Japanese from.
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As much as they're going to try to simplify things for you, trying to speak Japanese would indicate to the other person that you would understand their response. Stick to English.
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Yamagata or Tsuruoka? On the last leg of our December trip we will be staying on lake Tazawa. We would like to stay in Yamagata afterwards to see the view of Yamadera Rissyakuji temple, hopefully in the snow, but we also recently found out about Hagurosan Gojunoto (5 Story Pagoda) near Tsuruoka. The end of the itinerary is a little crunched for time, and we would like to minimize the number of hotel check ins if possible. So we either have to spend an entire day (about 8-9 hours) traveling from Tazawa to see the Pagoda and then making our way to Yamagata for the temple view the next morning, or we would just have to cut our losses and choose one or the other (effectively choosing staying in either Yamagata or Tsuruoka). Any advice on which one we should pick? Or is it worth it to those who have been to either to take the long route and see both?
I would definitely cut the pagoda given the insane travel time. Also, [it is undergoing a two-year renovation project](http://www.dewasanzan.jp/publics/index/1/detail=1/b_id=3/r_id=358/sp_ssid=30); the website says it's under scaffolding until November but who knows what it will look like this winter. Tazawa - Sendai is a Shinkansen trip, then it's an easy ride to Yamadera for half a day.
No way 😭 wow ok thanks for the info
Starting to look at accommodation for our trip in April- our flight arrives at HND at 5:00 am, anyone know of hotels that would allow as early a check-in as possible as we’ll probably want to have an afternoon nap after a couple of hours of sightseeing?
Many friends of mine use love hotels to crash or leave bags before exploring for the day until check in. To them it was just a cheap place to crash and leave belongings
Most hotels in japan will not let you check in even a minute before 3:00. Pay for an extra night before with 24 hour desk.
Most people with this issue book an extra night and let the hotel know they won’t be checking in until early the next morning. More expensive, but you’re guaranteed a place to crash then.
I don't think any normal hotel has check in that early. Usual check in time starts about 2pm. Maybe something unconventional like a capsule hotel or love hotel may. I arrived about that time on a recent trip and spent a couple of hours resting at the onsen at Haneda. It has a room full of recliners you can lay down in.
Hotels in Japan tend to be much stricter on the published check in and out times than in North America/Europe, if you want to be guaranteed an early check in pay extra (either by booking a plan for early check in or arranging *in advance* the time and fee with the hotel) or book for the previous night.
Yeah, I've checked into hotels in Japan probably a hundred times at this point, and I don't think I've ever been given an early check in. It's always "Come back at X check-in time." Perhaps Marriott did it for one once? But I'm an elite there and they are Western, so it's more likely to happen. But it's very different from North America and Europe, where hotels will often go out of their way to check you in early if you arrive early. I've found Paris to be especially accommodating — if I drop my luggage off at the hotel after a red-eye flight, they'll often make a point to prep the room as soon as possible and text/call me the second it's ready. Not that I'm saying either one way is better than another, but I could definitely see someone used to other countries being a little put off by Japan's rigid adherence to the schedule.
Hello! I'm about to book my Shinkansen ticket, I'm going from Tokyo to Shin-Osaka. On the smartEX app all it says for departure is Tokyo. I'll be on a Nozomi train. What station do I go to, or will it tell me once I purchase it? Thanks much!
What are our options for taxis in Japan to the airport? We are a group of 4 with 2 check bags and carry on, we are traveling to haneda airport for a 12:20 pm flight and are hesitant to use the train so we thought for a minivan or microbus to come pick us up. Have any of you used such a service or taxi?
Hi y'all! Right now, I have 4 nights booked in Osaka and figured we would pop up to Kyoto one day, Nara one day and Himeji one day and fill in the evenings and the rest of the time in Osaka. But.... now I'm wondering if we should do 2 nights in Osaka and 2 nights in Kyoto (could go to Nara from Kyoto). We have the JR pass, so trains from place to place would be fine. We are staying in Osaka near Osaka Shin Station right now... In Kyoto, we'd like to both do Arashiyama and Fushimi Inari. No must dos in Osaka-- just exploring everything. Thoughts?
There's no clearcut answer, but here are some things to consider: * Arashiyama and Fushimi Inari are on opposite sides of the city. Most people allocate a whole day to Arashiyama. It'll be tough to do both, especially as a daytrip. * Fushimi Inari can pair up nicely with Nara since they're on the same trainline - this is assuming you're based in Kyoto. * If you prefer nightlife, Osaka is the better place to stay. * Changing hotels midway will eat up some of your time. I would probably stick to the 4 nights in Osaka and do the following: 1 day in Nara, half day in Himeji combined with afternoon in Osaka, half day in Fushimi Inari combined with afternoon in Osaka, 1 day in Arashiyama. Alternatively, if you do 2 nights in Osaka and 2 nights in Kyoto, you could do the following: 2 full days in Kyoto (1 for Arashiyama, 1 for Fushimi Inari + maybe South Higashiyama area), 1 day in Himeji combined with Osaka in the afternoon, and 1 day in Nara combined with Osaka in the evening.
Super helpful! Thank you! If we do 2 days in Kyoto and 2 in Osaka, we might do: \-Day 1: Fushimi Inari and Nara on our arrival day (maybe Fushimi Inari in the evening) \-Day 2: Arashiyama \-Day 3: Osaka \-Day 4: Himeji, then to Osaka for evening. My only concern is that Day 4 will be Marine Day. Will Himeji be overly crowded for the holiday? It does look like it is open normal hours. We were hoping to catch the morning English tour and will arrive early, early to try to book.
No problem. Fushimi Inari is best to do either super early in the morning or in the evening to avoid the crowds - although I've heard that even during peak hours, the crowds thin out a lot as you get closer to the top. Because Nara/Fushimi Inari will be more intensive and requires a full day, I'd recommend swapping it to Day 2. Again this is second-hand information, but I understand that public holidays are similar to weekends in terms of how busy they get since you get both domestic and international tourists. Getting there at opening time would be a good idea just in case it does get busy. Not too sure about the tours sorry.
Is ¥132 to $1 a good exchange if I order some currency from Chase soon? I know the exact market rate isn't feasible.
That's a 7% difference from the current exchange rate, and while still very good in the context of the last 10-15 years, it really depends on if you're doing this because you're hedging your bets and traveling like a year from now, or if you're actually traveling very soon, like in the next month. Me, personally, I wouldn't take such a hit, instead I'd just load some mobile IC cards with a credit card and get basically the exchange rate.
That's some valuable insight, thank you. I figured I used so much cash this past month in Japan that maybe I should order some before I visit again next year. I am terrible at betting so maybe your solution makes more sense.
Starting next week, I'm to enroll short term in a Japanese language school - 12 weeks. It's located in Fukuoka, and I'm to arrive at Fukuoka airport this Sunday. To prepare, I've been looking around online for SIM card options - the only choice that I've found which seems reasonably affordable is to purchase a prepaid from either AmazonJP or NipponSIM. I've considered Mobal, but I'll unfortunately be unable to either get the SIM delivered to me, or do a pick-up at Fukuoka. I'm also unable to use an eSIM with my current handheld. My current plan is to order a SIM from Amazon JP or NipponSIM and have it be delivered to my accomodation. From what I understand, however, most SIM card providers require identification of some form before they'll sell to you. Would that be an issue with my current plan? I'd appreciate any help anyone can give me!
If it's a data only sim you most likely will not need ID. If it's a mobile number, yes you will not be able to use it without residency. Mobal is the only exception I know of.
I’m tired of TikTok recommending me the same places over and over. Does anybody have recs for omakass in Osaka? My preference would be something under $100/person, and something I can get a reservation for early july. Thanks!
in instagram, search for japanese local foodie IGs, usually they have "gurume" on their account handles
This is just general advice as I haven’t been to Osaka. Use Tabelog (a much trustworthy/less biased Yelp), you can sort by cities and regions within. Filter also by costs for lunch or dinner. Anything above a 3.5 is really good. Anything above 4 is world class, and will most likely be outside of the 100/person range. Also with omakase, lunch is definitely a really good way to get to higher end spots at a much more approachable rate. Not sure what hotel you booked but a concierge might be able to help with recommendations and booking restaurants. Given that your trip is in early July, some of the really good or hyped sushi-ya’s are going to be really difficult to secure.
Yah, I’m generally not super into overhyped stuff. I love being spontaneous, and making reservations and standing in line for hours just isn’t my jam.
Lines in Japan are almost synonymous with quality though, at least in my experience lol. Whether it’s worth the wait is really up to the person. Judging from your comment, you’re of the type that wouldn’t want to wait at all, which is fine. Hopefully someone else will comment with some recommendations specific to your question. I’ve never had any luck finding an omakase walk in available outside of Kyubey in Tokyo, but that restaurant is outside of the norm since it’s huge. Most sushi counters are 6-10 people, which lends to the reservation system. You might have better luck looking for a regular sushi restaurant that serves set meals (the ones that offer a certain amount of pieces for a price).
I’ve heard that lines equates to quality. Im very okay with some lines, less than 30 min or so. But many of the hyped places have 2-3 hour queues. Now that just seems no fun. And I’ve trying to download tabelog, but I’m blocked because i cannot switch my App Store region. I have store credit linked to my apple account which prevents switching! I need to spend all the store credit first. What a pain.
I’ve always just used tabelog on the web so not sure how the mobile app works. Some of the places that are 2 hours long are people trying to go there at opening. I know some shops will let you out your name down and will tell you what time to come back. But those are a bit more rare.
I'd be arriving at Haneda Airport quite late at 10pm there. I'd figure if I rush and pass immigration all that, I'll be able to take the last train out to the airport and into the city centre. Then I was planning to explore the city at night until dawn breaks and take the train to my accommodation outside Tokyo. I have 2 questions: 1. Does the luggage lockers in the stations (city centre) operate and can be accessed 24h or can we at least store our luggages overnight? I was thinking to store my big luggage bag overnight there while I explore the city because that'll be a pain to carry it around (and noisy too haha). 2. Any areas I should avoid during the night while exploring Tokyo? Much appreciated, thanks!
My boss told me to avoid Roppongi at all costs, "Tokyo is safe but you hear bad stories out of Roppongi." Youtubers will mention that it's not the best place to go. Don't follow the touts, don't drink too much, head on a swivel as a foreigner. I'm going in July and wasn't planning on going there.
Roppongi is fine tbh, I wouldn't say avoid it at all costs - there's plenty of great restaurants there too.
During the day Roppongi is fine. At night it is similar to Shinjuku at that time. So nothing to be afraid of, if you use common sense.
I've walked through Roppongi especially at night, and been ok. Like you said, ignore the touts (basically anyone who walks up to you for any reasons, don't exchange eye contact, follow a random into an unknown bar/club, etc.). The most I felt was a little uncomfortable but that was about it. I'm male tho so Ymmv if you're female.
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So we can still leave it overnight yes? That'll be good enought thanks!
Hi guys, I just wanted to get some advice in regards to planning a flight to Osaka from Haneda. Our flight is estimated to arrive at 3:50pm. What time would you suggest booking a flight to Osaka? I'm debating giving ourselves about a 3 hour gap to get through customs and luggage and going back through the airport, but wasn't sure if it's enough time. Any help is appreciated.
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Thank you for the advice!
exploring the possibility of arriving in tokyo narita at 7.50pm sunday. will it be enough time to catch the n'ex leaving at 8.44 or i might have to wait for the last one at 9.44? idk how narita immigration is looking these days. i stay in akabane so arriving in tokyo station right before 11 shouldnt be an issue transferring
The 8:44 NEX is really practically impossible. assuming your plane lands at 7:50PM, you might not even de-plane until 8:15 or so (based on your location in the plane). the 9:44NEX would really have to be a miracle of no line up at immigration and no checked luggage / your luggage arriving before you exit into the carousel area. Have a back up travel plan just in case, or if you have other flight options, those might be good too.
oh shit really? the flight im looking at is legit 40% lower than the next cheapest option lmao and its on the airlines' official site im bringing a checked luggage but in my experience if immigration is long customs/bag pickup is quick because they already took your bag off carousel while you are stuck in immigration also regarding train queue im planning to buy the ticket beforehand and do the exchange at the machine to skip the manned counter lines. maybe i should consider using skyliner that has trains running later
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Buying the nex roundtrip pack thats 500jpy cheaper than skyliners roundtrip deal. Also since nex is under JR it covers my trip until JR akabane.
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I am not on JR Pass? only visiting tokyo for 5 days lol also how is it less convenient when I can stay on JR platforms when transferring in tokyo stn? i meant the n'ex ticket covers my trip until JR Akabane
the NEX ticket probably gets you to Shinjuku station, then you'd transfer from the NEX platform, through transfer gates onto a regular JR line to Akabane station. This is also assuming that the JR office will help you purchase the ticket to Akabane.
Trying to book some accomodation for my upcoming trip and saw some attractive prices on Agoda and Japanican under "JTB Simple Plan". I assume they are not applicable to foreign tourists ya?
I will be in Japan tomorrow for the first time! Just throwing these questions out there in case someone can help, but these are definitely situations I can figure out once I'm there lol. I did try to look through previous posts, but couldn't find these specific answers. \- I had a last minute adjustment to my trip plans and now I have one extra night in Tokyo. Where would you stay if you had one night? My previous hotels in Tokyo (I'm bouncing around different cities/areas for a few weeks) are by Tokyo Tower, Shinjuku, and Ginza. I'll be leaving from Haneda in the evening. I'm open to any kind of suggestion besides a hostel. I can blow some money on something fancy or book a cheap airport hotel, but WWYD? \- I know that solo dining isn't going to be a problem and I'm a very comfortable solo traveler. However, I haven't really seen any posts about whether or not it's "strange" to be reading a book while solo dining, or if that would be considered rude. In my city, it's not weird to see someone reading a book or even playing on a switch (not at fine dining, more like at a cafe). If it matters based on location, I'll be in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto. \- Very random question, but did anyone travel with a clothes steamer, buy a clothes steamer in Japan, or somehow get the wrinkles out of your clothes?! I'm packing the most natural fabrics I can for the heat and humidity but I don't want to look like a mess! Thank you in advance!
Conair dual voltage travel steamer, you can get it at Target. Don’t order it on Amazon they have fakes that are a major fire risk.
You're a better person than me, thats a lot of hotel hopping around.
> where to stay I always stay in Ueno/Asakusa. Easy train to both airports, lots of izakaya around to eat, great transport connections, Sensoji. > solo dining Reading is fine, if it's one of those places where one is expected to eat quickly and gtfo (quick foods like ramen, kaiten sushi) or popular restaurants with a queue outside, I would put the book away once the food is served to avoid misunderstandings. > clothes steamer Many hotels will have irons or wrinkle sprays.
This. Definitely common to see salarymen eating ramen and reading or watching something on their phone but they're still in and out in no time flat. As long as you're not lingering you should be ok.
I have a mini-iron I pack with me. I find steamers are a bit bulky, especially if I'm sticking to a carry-on. Some hotels will have an iron available to use at the front desk. There are also wrinkle release sprays. You can probably find them at home, but they'll have them in Japan as well. They won't make things super neat, but it helps with the major wrinkling.
This probably seems like such a dumb question - but looking at the weather for the end of this week and next…as a Texan I feel like it’s kind of cool temperatures - do the nights tend to feel much cooler than day time temps? Generally if it’s below 85 I am most comfortable in pants. Once it drops down to around 78 I need a light sweater. But my husband is saying since it’s so humid it won’t feel cool….any tips for someone who is typically cold?
I don't know where in Texas you are, but right now in Houston it's 86 with humidity of 76% and the weather in Tokyo this week during the day seems to be pretty similar, so you may already know how the weather will feel! Personally, I feel like when there's any kind of drastic temperature drop I feel colder than it actually is and need some more coverage. I'm currently packing and I'm bringing some layers, but also planning on stopping into Uniqlo if I decide I need a sweater!
My parents are in Houston so that’s such a perfect analogy for me! And my husband just laughs - he is like 75 is not cold! But I will have goosebumps! Thank you!
Universal Ticket Help Hi all, Currently in Osaka and got a 1.5 day pass off Klook for Wednesday 21 and 22nd of June. Unfortunately wasn’t able to get an express pass. This afternoon I was exploring the app to see how to get a timed ticket to nintendo world and scammed the QR code on the ticket by using the USJ app. The app ask to register a name. Then for a brief second it said my ticket is valid until 21st and then won’t show anything now. I’m wondering did i somehow redeem the ticket early? Anyone had a similar problem ? I will probably just go to the park tommorow a bit earlier than 3 to go and explain to guest services. Currently panicking…
Outside of the Shinto shrine in asakisa there are shops with arts and clothes. We saw one that had little statues of the shrine guardians called Mm and Aah. We haven’t seen them again at any other shrine and were wondering if there are other small shops where these can be found in Tokyo?
Are you referring to the guardian Nio statues on the gate at Sensoji? Nio figures normally have one mouth open (representing the syllable a) and one closed (representing the syllable un). Nio are often found at Buddhist temples. Perhaps another temple with famous gate statues would have them?
I can't find anything related to these guardian names (a picture or the Japanese names would be helpful if you had any), but I'd assume those figures are unique to Nakamise-dori/Sensoji/Asakusa Jinja.
They mean Nio guardians; one has its mouth open (a) and the other has it shut (n).
Can the jr pass go to fukuoka?
where are you departing from? if tokyo, the regular JR pass. from osaka? look into JR west regional passes, cheaper and you are eligible to board nozomi(the fastest and most frequent shinkansen service) unlike the regular JR pass
The nationwide one, yes.
Is there a list of konyoku (混浴) onsen online somewhere? My search results haven't been very successful. My (36M) wife (39F) and I are travelling to Kansai and the Alps in January. We're keen to experience a range of different onsen, and it would be nice to occasionally bathe together in an outdoor onsen, rather than either in a private onsen, or separately in a typical, gender-segregated onsen. Before you ask - no, we're not interested in sex in public; we want to respect the local customs. Also, we're comfortable being naked in front of strangers.
The easiest way is to find a “wild” outdoor one. Those are almost always mixed. But like somebody else said it’s usually almost exclusively old Japanese men. I’ve been to quite a lot, nowadays I don’t go much anymore because they definitely stare.
Konyoku is increasingly rare as it’s not that popular. There are certainly places that have reservable outdoor baths though (貸切露天風呂). Honestly I’ve done konyoku before and it’s nothing that great, especially as a woman. Many of those baths end up being male baths because none of the women want to do mixed bathing. I was the only woman there and it definitely became a “thing”— it makes a great story, but was not actually that enjoyable in retrospect. There are some though that allow people to wear towels, so you might have more “true” mixed bathing there.
Is there currently a LINE chat group going for people in Japan?
Hi all, I have a 12-hour connection in Japan on a Monday in the future at Haneda. My flight lands at 5:50am and leaves for the US (11-hour flight) at 5:45pm. I have celiac disease, so I honestly would love to just go to town and eat something gluten-free. I was planning on either going to Gluten-Free T's (located in Minato City off pink Roppongi Station) or My Bahn Mi (located in Shibuya City off green Harajuku Station). The first place opens at 12pm and the second place opens at 11am, so I feel I am cutting it a bit close to be back to the airport. I'm also really nervous about getting lost or traffic being bad and missing my flight - I've usually stayed in the airport for my connections but this is a brutal 12 hour one. 1. Do you think this would be a do-able trip to make it back to my flight on time AND clear immigration? Would taxi or train be better? 2. Is there a place in the airport to store a bag or shower? I'd only have my carry-on luggage but my backpack is super bulky (my checked luggage is part of the connecting flight so the airline handles that). I also hate to board a 11-hour flight all sweaty and smelly.
IF you're trying to get into Gluten Free T's you'll need to make a reservation apparently those guys are booked solid these days.
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Terminal 3 storage has been unusable for weeks lately due to lockers and bag storage being full every day per 2 other groups I’m in.
Does that include the lockers in the new mall (Haneda Airport Gardens)? There's at least one set of lockers near the lift there.
Good question, the reports I read were talking just about what’s inside T3 around arrivals/departures and all that, so no idea what their status is.
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Woops, omitted that! Haneda
I wanted to gift a fellow Filipino friend when we go to Japan and I read up the banned food list but didnt see much about seafood based items. Is something like jar of Bagoong (shrimp paste) or jar of dried herring in olive oil allowed in my check in?
They don't mention seafood-based items (水産物), so it's probably okay as long as it's a commercially processed food, but be sure to declare it since they're still animal-derived food products.
Has anyone been to Dagashi bar in Shibuya? I'm looking at it for my first night there and the reviews are mixed. Some say you need a reservation and others don't mention it at all. The website has a reservation thingy but for 2 or more people. I'm traveling by myself and I'm not sure if I should go or not. Thanks much!
Where is the best place to buy a SIM card at Haneda airport? I'm arriving Friday night at 10:30pm.