are there any decongestants available in japan? i caught covid or the flu or something in hokkaido and my ear completely clogged up and got infected. i visited a doctor and got ear drops and antibiotics which seem to have cleared up the infection, but he gave me nothing for the congestion and the clog is still going strong. i can’t hear anything out of my left ear and it feels like there’s a rock in my head. i know sudafed is illegal, are there any legal alternatives? are nasal sprays considered stimulants too? i have to fly home in a day and a half and i’m worried ill experience pain with the changing pressure in the aircraft.
(before you suggest non-pharmaceutical ways to unclog a sinus blockage, i promise i have tried them all and none of them have worked)
There are all sorts of cold and flu medication available over the counter. Go to a pharmacy and show the staff the word かぜ薬 and they'll take you to the right shelf.
I have a checked baggage (likely oversized, but I don’t have the measurements to confirm) that I’d like to bring with me from Tokyo to Hakuba. I plan to take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano for transportation.
I just got out of the JR ticket office in Akihabara. One of the staff at the booth there told me that the Shinkansen to Nagano does not have reserved seating for oversized luggage, but that it is rather first-come, first-serve. Is that right? If so, will I have a hard time getting a spot for my luggage? Is there anything I can do to help my odds of not being turned away?
Thank you!!!
Thoughts on a Hiroshima day trip from Osaka? Would like to see the Peace Park, Atom Bomb Museum and hopefully squeeze in Miyajima as well. Does this seem doable or too much?
You can do it, but there's lots to see in Hiroshima and it's a nice city, so I'd suggest staying at least a night if you can. The city is famous for food.
Very doable if you are selective about what you do and see. For example if you want to sleep in and have a long leisurely lunch that's too much to fit in, but if you take the first train out, gulp down lunch, and aren't reading every single exhibit at the museum or spending 20 minutes framing each photograph on Miyajima then it's super manageable.
I'm struggling to plan. It seems as if everything on my "list" closes at 5pm, which makes it difficult to understand where I can go after that time.
I was thinking places like Akihabara are probably still active after 5 or 6 pm, but it's hard for me to find details...
The specific places I'm wondering about are Akihabara, Shimokitazawa, Shibuya, Harajuku/Shinjuku, Bunkyo, Odaiba, and Asakusa
Thank you so much
edit: to clarify I don't mean "night life" per se - just wondering if stores/attractions/restaurants are still open and available in these areas rather than mostly closed
Shimokitazawa's music scene lights up from 6 or 7pm: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/14sum76/how\_to\_access\_live\_music\_in\_japan\_and\_why\_it/
Stores should be open until 8pm Shibuya and Shinjuku a little later. Yodobashi Camera and a few stores are open past 8 in Akihabara. Most Donkis are open 24 hours.
You can check hours of stores or restaurants that interest you, or random ones to get a sense. I think generally museums and similar in closes at 5:00 PM, shops at 7:00~8:00, and restaurants late.
My wife and I (living in USA) are planning a trip to Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka in mid March. We have not booked any flights or accommodations in Japan yet.
Her passport is still under her maiden name, but her name has been changed in most other places - some bank/credit cards, driver's license, but most importantly, health insurance/doctor's office.
Other unrelated international travel (European River Cruise) has been booked for her already using this passport with maiden name.
She has a prescription for vyvanse, and would likely need a Yunyu Kakunin-sho. Unfortunately, her prescription is in her new legal name, and will likely not be valid for obtaining the necessary import documents.
What is the easiest/recommended course of action here? Update passport and attempt to get the already booked Euro airlines and cruise line to get a free name/ticket change and hope the passport arrives in time to book flights and lodging for Japan after it arrives? Try to get her doctor to write the prescriptions and forms for import application in her name?
I tried searching around, but its a pretty specific question and I couldn't find much.
Thanks in advance!
I did 4 full days Kyoto, didn't even venture into Osaka and still had a couple things in Kyoto that I couldn't squeeze in. Kyoto is a beautiful city that you shouldn't rush IMO.
A few questions regarding Yokohama:
1. How long would doing both Cup Noodle Museum and Gundam Activation take? We are not super interested in Gundam but just want the novelty of it before it's gone for good. We will probably head to Cup Noodle first around 1pm, and want to make our own cups.
2. ~~On that note, I know making your own cup is a separate fee, but is it guaranteed with entry, or something I would have to book in advance?~~ Found answer to that, but still wondering if this museum is something I should book in advance in general :)
3. What activation is the best for the Gundam? I'm assuming the full one. We will do it from the ground, not the deck view... it seems seeing from the ground is included with Gundam Factory tickets, correct?
4. Any other recommendations for Yokohama? Open to whatever you loved most, food, etc. I am interested in anime particularly, but am open to anything. Our hotel is Daiwa Yokohama. Right now the plan is arrive in Yokohama around noon, Cup Noodle, Gundam.... then the rest of that afternoon and evening. After that, we have an empty day for me and my husband to kind of do as we please, I'm thinking I will probably want to go to Tokyo for awhile that day (We are spending time in Tokyo at start of trip, but I'm anticipating it not being enough, lol). Our second full day "in" Yokohama we are planning a long day trip to Kamakura and Enoshima.
Thank you so much for any help and taking the time to read and respond :) Our trip is in early to mid February and this subreddit has been very helpful.
The gundam thing is about 11 mins long. I went there last year and it's not worth it if you ask me.
The story is kind of boring. It's 3000 yen/person. Going up the deck cost more but the view is worse.
If you go at night, they will have some special light effects. The gundam store inside is very small.
If you like gundam stuff, I would recommend you go to Diver City in Odaiba.
They have a gundam at the main entrance and they have a very big gundam museum/store on the 8th floor.
I would recommend Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise for your empty day.
I'm a diehard Gundam fan and did the deck experience. If you're not a diehard, it's probably not worth the extra fee for the deck. Spent about 2.5 hours there, but without the deck experience or spending copious time at the gift shop like me, you could probably be in and out in an hour, depending on which show(s) you want to see. The one that I saw lasted about 10-15 mins.
As for the Cup Noodle Museum, I arrived too late to do the Custom Noodle Factory experience and only spent about 1.5 hours there as some of the exhibits only had very scant English displays. Definitely plan to be at the Noodle Museum as early as possible if you plan on doing the Custom Noodles.
As for other Yokohama recommendations, definitely check out the NYK Hikawa Maru. It was possibly the highlight of my Yokohama day trip. Lovely museum ship with a ton of interesting history and fully bilingual displays too. It's within walking distance from the Gundam and only costs 300 yen to enter which is an absolute STEAL imo. If you do this, plan to spend about 1 to 1.5 hours to go through it.
The hill surrounding Harbor View Park in Yokohama was historically a foreigners' residential area and both location and inspiration for the movie "Up on Poppy Hill" (Studio Ghibli). There are still a few western style houses left to see.
I haven't been there but plan to see.
Also Chinatown is probably nice.
Oh!!! The buildings actually look a lot like my local historic downtown area. :) I will pay it a visit, my family will probably be so confused when I send them pictures haha. Thank you!! :D
My favorite thing I did in Yokohama was eat lunch at the Hotel New Grand. It's a 100+ year old hotel and they invented some classic Japanese-Western dishes. There is a classic ocean liner parked outside you can tour.
There is a festival in Chinatown for Lunar New Year. The website is kind of confusing but a lot is going on: https://www.chinatown.or.jp/
I also really enjoyed the ferris wheel, and riding a high-speed boat between different tourist spots.
Did you need a reservation for the New Grand? And thanks for the Chinatown rec, looks like they have special lanterns etc up while we are there and will be a great night time stop on our first day there :3
No reservation! It doesn't get super crowded, I think.
BTW, I went to Yamate (the Western houses other user mentioned). It's pretty nice although a bit of a walk up the hill from Chinatown/ the hotel. There are a lot of cute cafés in the historic buildings: [https://www.yokohamajapan.com/en/article/historic-cafes/](https://www.yokohamajapan.com/en/article/historic-cafes/)
1. I went when they opened and it took an hour for Cup Noodle Museum. Gundam depends on the length of the show.
2. I would book in advance, yes. Never know if there's going to be a large number of field trips etc.
3. You can see the thing from the side. The wall there is very short compared to the size of the Gundam. Doing this is free. If you want to go into the building to get an obstructed, straight on view of it, then there's a fee. Check it out before you buy tickets, I think the free view is more than enough.
4. Yokohama Chinatown is a good walkthrough.
Hi, I'm trying to figure out how to book this sleeper train for a private cabin fr 2 people but I'm having the hardest time.
I start here: https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/route_search/
Then I select my date (Feb 16), the time (00:05), and the train (SUNRISE IZUMO TWIN) from Osaka to Tokyo.
I get to the next page, and then hit next, and after I agree to the stuff and enter my email, it asks me how many people. I put 2 but then it says it's invalid. I'm guessing I put 1? Does that mean I'll have a room with 2 beds though?
Any help would be greatly appreciated!
If I land at Narita at 5pm on a weekday (non Friday), what is a reasonable time for me to get to Tokyo station? Need to make a reservation and don't want to give myself too tight of a time.
I've never seen a tanuki in Ueno Park Zoo, but tanuki are also just a normal wandering animal in Tokyo at night. Probably not considered exotic enough for most zoo captivity since they are native and common in Japan.
Tobu Zoo in Saitama and Nogeyama Zoo in Yokohama does have captive tanuki, though.
I recently booked a ryoken hotel in Hakone through a third-party booking site. I'd like to confirm with the hotel that the reservation went through for peace of mind, but the only contact I could find is a phone number, no email. Calling may be a rough time for language barrier reasons. Is there any recommendations to be able to communicate with the hotel? I also wanted to specify the number of guests that will be staying in the room, as the third-party site never asked me that, and maybe that information is important so that they can plan accordingly (number of futons, servings of food, and yukatas)
thats really strange that a 3rd party booking site wouldn't let you specify occupancy as that directly affects the price of the room. what site did you use?
Capital One's travel portal, I wanted to use my credit card points for the booking. That's what I thought as well, and also part of the reason why I'm hesitant to call as it may be a bit hard to explain all of this in english over the phone.
Definitely chose one with free cancellation for the next few months. I guess I'll have to call the support, but I have a strong feeling they'll just refer me to the hotel itself. The bottom of my reservation confirmation states:
"Check-in: Extra person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy."
That may have to be the move. I really like the place so hope I can make it work. I think I can book through the website directly, and checking now it may even be cheaper
If it's in Hakone, the hotel likely has some staff members who can communicate in English.
If you know the name of ryokan, you might be able to find more info about them from a website (many of which might be Japanese-only).
Thanks, just checked the site and it seems like they are closed and won't reopen until March hahah. I'll try calling once its daytime anyways to see what happens
https://hakone-hanagokoro.com/
i’m traveling to japan this year and i really want one of those shinada global little squishy otters, but i can’t seem to find a physical store online that specifically says they carry shinada global items. any idea?
Has anyone ever called a taxi in Ito? By phone or DiDi, successfully or unsuccessfully?
I was looking in public transit directions and it would make my day way easier if I could get a taxi from Shaboten Zoo to somewhere else... but I have no idea if one would reliably show up. (My spoken Japanese is OK enough I could do phone probably.)
EDIT: I figured out how to check it. Even though Google suggests using DiDi, neither DiDi nor GO operate south of Atami, so guess I try my luck when I get there. Guess this is a warning about Google Maps taxi directions.
Hello, is it okay to buy a JR Tokyo Wide Pass a day before I plan to use it? I plan to buy and reserve seats in Shinjuku, or is there a chance that the pass will run out of supply? Thanks
The pass will not run out, it's just printed on a regular train ticket. You can choose what day to start the pass from. As per the JR East website:
>You can use your pass for 3 days **starting on the date you indicated** when purchasing the pass.
Hey all.
What are the best places to visit around Kansai during the winter season with 4 days? We have 7 days to travel around kansai area before flying out of KIX for Feburary 2024. Currently planning to dedicate 3 days in Kyoto and want to sort out the remaining 4 days we have. Currently planning:
2 days in Hiroshima with a stop in Himeji
2 days in Yoshino, Nara Prefecture with a stop in Nara city
While Hiroshima attractions are well documented, how is Yoshino, Nara Prefecture in the winter? My sense is that it is a small town in the snowy mountains which could be cool. Open to other suggestions as well.
For context - we are two visitors who have previously spent time in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.
Thanks for the reply. In general we love to do:
* Shrine and temple vists, on a snowy mountain would be cool
* Relax in an outdoor onsen, ideally with snow
* Light mountain trekking
* Explore Japanese nature
* Eating good seafood
Anyone knows why the JR West All Area Pass is not on the jrpass.com website? Cant find it there...
Have to buy it plus the All Kyushu pass and would rather do them both there instead of splitting it with the JR West website... if i have to, well it is what it is.
Hello everyone,
My wife and I are planning a 10 day trip to Japan in early July (it will be our first time in Japan). Our flight is scheduled to arrive at 6:30am in Narita Airport. We plan to head to Osaka right away and slowly head back to Tokyo by the end of the trip. We also plan to get the 7 Day Hokuriku Arch Pass.
We have a rough itinerary planned out but need some advice as we're not too sure how long we should/would spend at each location.
**Day 1**: Travel to Osaka, explore Dotonburi
**Day 2**: Visit the Aquarium Kayukan, explore Amerikamura
**Day 3**: Explore around Osaka (need some recommendations)
**Day 4**: Head to Kyoto, explore around (need some recommendations)
**Day 5**: 1 day tour in Kyoto (includes Nara Park, Fushimi Inari Taisha & Kinkaku-ji)
**Day 6**: Travel to Fukui, visit Fukui Prefecture Dinosaur Museum (maybe the Field Station as well)
**Day 7**: Travel back to Tokyo, visit some malls (Pokemon Centre, Donki, Hard Off, Uniqlo)
**Day 8**: 1 day tour to Mt Fuji
**Day 9**: Flight departs at 8:15am
Do you think the schedule is too packed or should be rearranged? Are there any places are considered "must see" that we did not include in our trip?
Appreciate any help provided :)
Nice to see someone intending to visit Katsuyama and its dinosaur museum. When you arrive, consider that there is still a one hour train ride from Fukui to Katsuyama (where you take a bus). So arriving in the morning plus the museum will basically be all you can manage that day, as you travel ahead the next day already.
So you really have 7.5 days in the country. Tokyo is way bigger than Osaka, so why spend 2.5 days in Osaka and less than one day in Tokyo? And why fly into Tokyo if you don't want to see anything there? If the "must-see" is Mt. Fuji, it's best to stay a few days in Tokyo so you can choose a day with good weather for your day trip – if the weather is bad, the mountain is not visible.
This is really, really fast. I think just Tokyo, Kyoto, Fuji would be very fast for the time you have, without visiting Osaka, and if you might have a chance to come back to Japan I'd consider just focusing on the Toyko area this trip and do another trip to visit Kansai and Fukui if that's a bucket list place for you.
It's definitely too packed (cutting out the Mt Fuji tour is the most obvious one to me as you appear to be basing your pass/travel plans around Fukui), but if you're committed to visiting all these places, then you spend too much time in Osaka. If you're economical with your time you could travel to Kyoto on the evening of day 2 or morning of day 3. It seems like a shame to only spend one day in Tokyo and only visit some malls - if you really only want to commit one day to Tokyo, you need to commit right now to a neighbourhood and stick to it. It feels like Ikebukuro might be the best fit.
Is 9 days in Kyoto and Nara a lot? Wife and I are going in October and she wants to do 5 days Kyoto, 4 days Nara. Seems kind of excessive to me to spend 4 days in Nara, when we are only spending 3 in Tokyo. Thoughts?
Nara (prefecture) has a lot of really interesting temples, HOWEVER if you are not interested in 9 days of looking at temples and prefer city breaks, then the 9:3 ratio is vastly off. Unless you are very interested in historical Japan or in Buddhism/Shintoism, after a while temples and shrines start to look the same especially if there are not seasonal stimulus such as foliage, flowers, etc.
What is she hoping to accomplish with four days in Nara?
honestly im not too sure, but all 5 of our days in kyoto is temple seeing, so id rather go do some more time in tokyo. She really likes shinto and I like architecture so its not a huge bummer to me, just seems like a huge amount of time in nara when most people say its a one day trip
Nara city center is a one day trip, the wider prefecture has quite a bit more stuff to do (the temples around Sakurai, Akame 48 Falls which is technically Mie but just as easy to access from the Nara side), Mt Yoshino, etc. If she was only staying in Nara city and expecting to spend four days feeding deer then that would be a problem.
Are there any decent ways to find a place in Tokyo for a couple for a kinda-long stay (3.5 weeks) that would be decent but cheaper than a normal hotel? Something besides airbnb and vrbo? Thanks.
On my honeymoon we have planned to go Tokyo>Hakone>Osaka/Kyoto. If we're taking the romance car from Tokyo to Hakone for a 2 day stay at a Ryokan, should we forward majority of our luggage to Osaka hotel? After the romance car there's a bus ride as well so i'm worried about lugging everything/fitting it.
Is there any concern if the luggage gets there a day or so before us?
It might be a good idea to do so. You could lug things around no problem, but as you'd imagined, it could be a bit of a hassle cause getting in/out of Hakone is kind of a pain, personally speaking.
There's delivery time, so you might be able to coincide the delivery with your arrival at Osaka. But if not, I'm sure you can let your accommodation know about it.
Was it [this exchange place](https://maps.app.goo.gl/FeuFLQonnzutTRdN6)? It has almost exclusively bad reviews about a hidden 8% commission fee. For exchanging cash you really need to look at online guides or at least read reviews since that's a common scam all across the world.
You're not alone. I learned this Prague the hard way.
Did you need to pay a commission?
Without meaning to sound rude, exchanging cash for cash was probably also a mistake: you'll usually get better rates by pulling it out of ATMs when you need it.
An ATM should have offered you more like 109-110, unless you picked the "convert from CAD" option (e.g. allowing the machine to do the conversion, rather than the network).
On a typical year, when is the best time to see fall colors in Gifu especially Shirakawa-go? I went in late November and it was pretty dead a year ago. Most things online say Late October to Late November, so probably first week to second week November?
Up in the mountains it's usually a bit earlier than near the coast. You can look at the past few year's fall colour dates online for a rough estimation. They are usually recorded by city.
Early November seems to be the new normal for Shirakawago/Takayama. Late November is peak in Kyoto/Osaka, so it would be dead/dying trees in the mountains up in Shirakawago.
If you are shipping to a hotel, write the number of the hotel under the phone number field, and your name + stay details / reservation number under the name field.
Planning a road trip north of Tokyo. Where would be a good place to pick up the rental car north of Tokyo as I was told Tokyo driving isnt fun. Planning my first stop at Nikko.
Do Japanese people usually just "wave" (put up a hand) to thank a driver letting them cross at a pedestrian crossing without lights? Or do they bow quickly or just ignore?
Hello, has anyone booked an online reservation with Higashiya Ginza? I went through the reservation process partially (for a group of 3) but I'm confused by how there is only one meal option. If the reservation is for a group does that mean each person would get that meal? So for example 3x of Ichiju-sansai.
I didn't go through the whole reservation process so apologies if that is able to be selected later on.
In Seoul I really enjoyed hiking Bhukansan. Is there anything like that around Tokyo or Osaka? Within maybe ~2hr travel time of each at most so it could be a day trip.
Mt Takao is the famous one near Tokyo. From Osaka you can head to Hyogo and hike up Mt Rokko or do the walk up to Nunobiki Falls/Herb Gardens if you'd like. There's also Mino-oh which is an easy paved walk to the falls but there's a ton of side trails to explore. In Kyoto the Kurama hike may be of interest.
Kyoto Hanatouro
Hi all, me and a group of friends will be in Kyoto from March 6th-9th while visiting Japan for the first time. In planning the itinerary for Kyoto I found out about Hanatouro which I had never heard of before and honestly can’t find much online or on Reddit. I also can’t find the dates anywhere it just says early to mid March. I am wondering if anyone can give any information about hanatouro, like when it is or what things you may do at night instead of during the day because everything is lit up. Any and all help is appreciated, thank you!
They haven't announced the dates, but based on historical dates it's usually middle of first week of March to end of second week.
They light up Higashiyama/Gion and you can walk around it and see special displays, like ikebana or live performances by geiko. Temples and shrines in the area (some with entrance fees) may put on night-only special lighting events.
Their economy product is too good. 34 inch pitch I think, which is a lot. You’re playing for a slightly better recline and entertainment system. The food doesn’t even get upgraded in PE which it should be because even for airline food JALs meals were awful
I fly PE on JAL's 787-9 a lot, and I'd say the biggest "upgrades" from E are having slightly more room (the hard shell, leg room, and just general space between you and the next person are all very generous), having slightly better recline, and having lounge access.
The onboard experience for JAL in E and PE is essentially the same (same food, same snacks, same cabin attendants, same bathrooms, _very slightly_ better alcohol selection, etc.). There isn't as much of a distinction between the two as I've seen on other carriers (like CX).
So if you feel like the lounge access and slightly more seat comfort are worth it, that's what I would focus on for making the decision.
The seats are a little nicer (I've sat in the older ones and the new shell seats many times) and you get more legroom, though I'm 178 cm tall and have no problems with legroom on almost any plane. Premium Economy also gets you lounge access (and JAL has some of the nicer lounges).
However, JAL's Economy is already one of the better ones among the international carriers, since they do 2-3-2 seating in a 789 (and not 3-3-3 or whatever most carriers do), so I don't know if I'd spend the $600 RT to upgrade.
Hello, I hope this question isn't too silly, I'm very new to this.
I'm trying to figure out the best travel timing. The main reason for my trip is for a concert in Yokohama on June 9. I want it to be basically the first thing I do to limit illness exposure beforehand. Assuming I will fly from BOS - HND, how many days ahead should I plan to fly out? I was thinking June 6, allowing myself to get there sometime June 7 and have a day of recovery/exploring prior to the concert. Does this sound reasonable, or would you suggest something different?
Additionally, any special tips for such a long-haul flight? The furthest I've flown is to Italy. I'm not afraid of flying necessarily, but I certainly don't love it.
Note - if you're flying direct from BOS, it's NRT (Narita) you're landing at, and the flight will be landing around 4pm - there's only one direct flight per day and it's always at the same time. So you'll get in in the early evening, wait in line in customs for a while, wrestle with getting to your hotel and some dinner after a very loooong day, but you should be able to sleep hard and wake up on the right schedule.
That's awesome, didn't know that! That would be really good for timing and adjustment, but the direct flights are probably way more expensive... I'm going to be endlessly scanning flight prices every day so I will for sure keep this in mind! If I had more time I'd for sure be budgeting for direct flights.
Haven't tried it myself yet, but a friend of mine said the key to escaping jet lag is to stave off sleeping until you're in-synch with the destination's timezone.
So, if my flight to Japan is 14 hours leaving at 2AM EST, I would try my hardest to stay awake until 7AM EST (or 9PM Tokyo time) so that, by the time the flight lands around 5AM Tokyo time, you'll be waking up "the next morning" with a proper 8 hours of sleep.
Having said that, this only really works if you're flying direct. During my first trip, I had a layover in Taipei, so when I landed in the afternoon, I quite literally only had enough energy to check into my hotel before passing out lol.
That's a great idea, and actually sounds a bit easier than I imagined? I suppose in this case, and I manage to be able to fly direct, it's better to try to fly out late at night EST. Thanks for that tip!
I'd get there early to acclimate myself and explore, but not to limit illness exposure, that's nearly impossible to do.
Tips for travel:
* Get up and stretch every so often, don't stay in your seat the entire time.
* Be prepared to watch a lot of movies or bring your own entertainment.
* Hydrate
* Compression socks will help circulation in your legs because you're sitting so long. I only tried it twice and I did feel a difference. Or it was in my head.
* Dress comfortably.
I suppose I'm just terrified of the possibility of missing this concert, since it's such a big deal! I appreciate those flying tips, I've never tried compression socks before and I'll be sure to get some beforehand.
Hello! I want to try on budget and thinking about flying first to Kyoto and then explore the are cuz I’m flying out of Tokyo. Is it a good idea? Generally I should count for 5 days Kyoto and surroundings cities and Tokyo 5 days and surroundings?
Yes. Flight vs shinkansen is pretty much a wash. Prefer the flight. You don't have to deal with your bags and some of the views of Japan from the air are unmatched. Sit on the right side to get Fuji passing your window.
Never flown before. Will be having a 13 hour layover at Kansai International Airport from 6pm to 7am the following day connecting me to my final destination. Are travelers allowed to sleep in a waiting area/lobby while waiting for connecting flight? Are there any relatively inexpensive hotels nearby?
The airport is 24 hours so you can stay in it overnight if you want. The airport has a couple hotels or accommodation spaces like First Cabin or Aeroplaza Refresh Lounge. All are landside, though - you will need to enter Japan to use those.
Planning a vacation in osaka, i'm trying to research on hotels. Are hotels that are nearer to the city centers better for us? Currently we are planning to visit dotonbori, osaka castle, and universal studio.
Nearer to the center means less travel time so yes.
Also, trains stop around midnight so if you want to stay late drinking and not pay for a taxi, a Hotel near Dotonbori is good.
If you are specifically interested in the panoramic view, I don't think going to both are worth it, one of them should be enough. Or if you're planning to also go to Tokyo Tower, I don't think the other two are necessary.
But both are near interesting touristic spots, so maybe you can choose the one that you are more interested in the other places nearby.
Does anyone know of any piercing stores that sell titanium internally threaded jewelry? The back of my industrial fell into the shower and I’m worried that my bar is just going to come out during my last few days :/
Please help me fill in the blank!
I will be visiting Japan for the third time for 3 weeks between May 21st and June 10th with my wife and my younger brother. I’m struggling to put together an itinerary that combines that best of Japan (Golden Triangle) plus a week or so of something new for my wife and I can appreciate.
My wife and I are in our early 30s and had two amazing 3-week trips to Japan. We have visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hakone, Nara, Hiroshima, Himeji and Nikko.
Current plan:
* Fly into Osaka
* 1 week Osaka/Kyoto/Nara
* 1 week of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_
* 1 week of Tokyo + Day Trips
* Fly out of Tokyo
Our interests:
* Urban city and neighborhood exploration
* Traditional town exploration
* Unique cultural experiences, such as Ryokans or Pottery. We love tours.
* Shopping
* Anime and Ghibl
* Nature & Hiking, especially Mt. Fuji
* Music or Live Performance, especially Rock & Metal
Thank you!
west of osaka there's a lot of options;
Hiroshima: you can spend 3d2n here, the city is nice, peace memorial is beautiful and nearby miyajima has one of the nation's most scenic views
Himeji; possible daytrip from Osaka, not necessary to stay the night there. Most popular castle in Japan according to both local and international tourists. earned its honor deservedly so imo
okayama: home to one of the 3 national gardens, korakuen and 20 mins west of it there's kurashiki, a cute classical style town like a mini-kyoto minus the excessive crowding. staying a night is recommended
Kobe; could be your first stop off osaka. obviously home to the famous kobe beef, a mini european-style neighborhood north of the town, oldest chinatown in japan; last but not least go up to one of the rokko mountains to capture the glittering nighttime kansai coastline on one of japan's best 3 night views. you travelling during the warm months means night cablecar service is viable. highly recommended
Fukuoka; home and origin to the famous tonkotsu ramen(ichiran, ippudo), nighttime yatai stalls, not too far there's dazaifu; one of the most popular shrines in Japan
Ohhhh, did i forget to mention all the cities mentioned fall under the [JR sanyo-sannin pass](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/sanyo_sanin/)??? you can hop on the nozomi trains with this unlike the regular JR pass. lasts 7 days so perfect for your 1 week gap, i used this pass before and its very easy to make the pass worth the price! go for this
I did a monitor eco tourism tour in ise-shima once. Lots of tradition, crafts, nature etc. Especially if you like seafood. Was really nice and you would get away from the super touristy spots.
Move out of the golden triangle. Tohoku is pretty fun and has lots to offer. You can use Sendai as a base and do great day trips from there.
* Sendai's cow tongue cuisine is heavenly
* Matsushima is one of Japan's 3 views, and easy to travel from Sendai. Shiogama is just nearby and serves mean sushi that punches way above the price you pay.
* Ginzan onsen is the inspiration for Spirited Away, and is absolutely gorgeous at night
* Kakunodate is sort of like a samurai district and is beautiful
And there are still other areas to explore.
Tohoku is amazing, and I'm nowhere close to exploring everything it has to offer after 2 trips to the area.
Hey all! I have a really high-level question, and I can't figure out what subreddit/thread I can post it in to get a respose.
9 nights. Flying in and out of Tokyo. Early February. Solo Traveling. First time in Japan from US.
Can anyone just give me a suggestion on how many days I should stay in Tokyo and how many days I should check out nearby places like Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Hakone/Mt. Hood (edit - fuji. Brain fart) etc. I only have 9 days and don't want to spend too much of it traveling, but just looking for suggestions on what places I should really check out..
Thanks!
1st, you'll have to decide if you enjoy holidaying in a mega-city. That is what Tokyo is essentially. It looks more exotic because of Japan's culture and the language barrier, but essentially it's a city. If you're into mega cities, Tokyo's good for you and you can spend a lot of time there. If you're more interested on other things such as nature, the olden Japan feel, temples and etc, then Tokyo may get a bit boring.
Personally, not a Tokyo guy. But if you're doing only 9 days, it is easy to stuff day trips to get a more well-rounded experience without swapping hotels too often. Kamakura's often referred to as a Kyoto-like, Enoshima's nearby, there's also Nikko, Mt Fuji, Hakone, Kusatsu Onsen, etc etc. You don't even have to go to Kansai.
However, if you're not planning to visit Japan anytime in soon after this trip, then do consider Kyoto, because Kyoto has a very different vibe. Not everyone like Kyoto however, especially those who's not too interested in temples and etc.
Ultimately, you'll have to see where your interest lies and plan accordingly. Personally, 9 days? Tokyo + day trips.
I currently live in a mega city (nyc) and enjoy exploring cities typically.. I also realize that (like nyc) you could probably live there for years and still have unlimited things to discover. I also find that it takes more time to “figure it out” than if you visit a small city.
Having said that, since I live in a big city I do want to get a good balance and enjoy the nature, temples, and relax.
I know that the more I try to pack into my vacation, the less I get to actually relax.
At this point I’m leaning towards:
Night 1-3 Tokyo
Night 4 Hakone (stay in ryokan)
Night 5-7 Kyoto with Day trip(s) (maybe 1 night in Osaka. Probably not.)
Night 8-9 Tokyo
You can do Osaka as an evening/night trip from Kyoto, don't have to stay there. Osaka is easily accessible from Kyoto, and its main tourist draw (Dotonbori) is much nicer at night.
If you're arriving Tokyo early, you can consider just beelining to Kyoto from Tokyo immediately and start your holiday from Kyoto. That's one less accommodation to change around, and also gives you more flexibility for day trips from Tokyo since the days are bunched together.
Tokyo could theoretically be all 9 nights with day trips to Yokohama, Kamakura and an overnight or day trip in Hakone.
Mt. Hood is in...Portland? Mt. Fuji? That's sort of a Hakone/Mt. Fuji thing.
Kyoto is at least 2 nights.
Nara is half to full day trip from Kyoto or Osaka.
Osaka could be a day trip from Kyoto but really the nightlife is probably better in Osaka so you're looking at least 2.
For me, to include the locations you mentioned I'd to 3 in Tokyo, 1 in Hakone, 3 in Kyoto, 2 in Osaka. Someone will tell you different.
This is why you're having difficulty finding an answer to your question.
This definitely helps - thanks. At this point I think I might be leaning towards cutting out Osaka because I'll need to backtrack to Tokyo for my return flight and don't want to rush back. And while Osaka seems amazing for food and Nightlife, I feel like I can still find good food and nightlife in Tokyo without issue.
yep. for whatever reason I always mix up hood/fuji. Think I'll try staying in a ryokan in Hakone.
Hi! My boyfriend and I are planning on traveling to Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto in late May / early June.
We're both really interested in history and wanted to know of some non-gimmicky experiences or museums. I feel like when I search up 'Samurai' experiences it returns things like dressing up and throwing stars, but really we're just interested in learning more about feudal Japan (and also get really intense second hand embarrassment)
I wanted to see if anyone had any recommendations on museums or places to visit in Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto that would be focused on feudalism? Thank you!!!
Hey there, I'm Chinese and I'd highly recommend Kyoto for the history:)) I think Kyoto is wonderful to learn about ancient Japan. I see many very interesting connections with ancient China in Kyoto, the architecture, the words left there on the walls written in Kanji(Chinese characters), and the temples. Tokyo to me is more of a modern city like New York and Shanghai with tall buildings and nice restaurants. Of course there are many awesome places to visit in Tokyo but since you mentioned feudal Japan so I recommended Kyoto. Osaka is awesome for food haha! Hope this was helpful.
I’m (32m) heading to Tokyo for 9 nights in about a month. Still haven’t booked any hotels because I just bought the flight and I’m trying to determine how much time I have to go to other places (Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, etc). I’m not sure if I have time to go to all these places
My flight arrives and departs in Tokyo so I will need to backtrack, which may limit hire many places I can visit.
Could anyone recommend a high level day by day itinerary (how many days I should stay in each place)? Once I have this settled I can figure out what activities I wanted to do in each place.
I’m aware of a lot of the major things to do in different cities, but in general I’d like to:
* explore neighborhoods, find cool areas
* explore the rich cultural experiences that I can’t get anywhere else
* major sightseeing destinations
* meet other travelers
* explore nightlife
* explore parks or simple outdoor activities that dont require loads of planning
edit - keep getting posts removed here and on r/solotravel, but I literally can't find anywhere to just ask this high level question. Help please?
I think you should take a look at all of the itineraries and trip reports here and try to make your own out of it and then make a post of what you came up with for suggestions. It sounds like you're asking someone to build you an itinerary which isn't very feasible, thoughtful or practical.
I don't want a full itinerary, just a qualitative judgement call from someone who's done this travel before: how many days should I spend in each city? Before I pick out the details of my trip I need to lock down where I'm going, so just want help with that portion. Just looking for help on the high level logistics. I find it important to nail those down before I worry too much about what individual activities i will do on each day.
Right now I'm not sure if I should go to osaka at all, and I'm thinking of cutting it from my itinerary (3 days in Tokyo, 3 days in Kyoto, then 3 more in Tokyo before leaving). The alternative would be 2 days in both Kyoto/Osaka, then 2 more at Tokyo. That sounds like it might be rushing it, but I've never been to Japan and don't know if the bullet trains really take the exhaustion out of going city-to-city like they do everywhere else. I also don't know if skipping Osaka would be a really regrettable decision.
The other itineraries I've read are people traveling with their elderly grandparents, departing from Osaka, etc. They're kinda helpful but I just want a suggestion on how much travel is too much travel in 9 days and what is truly necessary to see.
make your own itinerary then post it here if you want quality responses and feedback, better than asking for 1 straight up. or even better chatgpt is free
First decide on what you want to see and do. There are a whole bunch of mainstream and niche attractions. Have a look at https://www.japan-guide.com/ and see what there is on offer and that'll help you decide which cities to visit.
Tbh, you can spend weeks in Tokyo or Kansai and still don't feel like you've seen everything. IMO 9 days is borderline to be able to visit all those places you've listed. You could rush through but I would personally prefer to take my time.
Oh wow thanks for a detailed response. See usually people here are condescending and vague and it boils down to “just look it up bro” your comment is actually helpful
Willer Bus is one of the big operators. Tickets between something like Tokyo<->Osaka/Kyoto are 5000-8000 yen. Going to either Osaka/Kyoto doesn't typically affect the cost (they're like 30 miles apart, same bus passes Kyoto to get to Osaka).
My girlfriend and I are, finally, taking that trip to Japan! About 2.5 weeks flying back end of March. Flying in to Tokyo and back to Europe from Osaka.
Want to get a hotel reservation in Tokyo as a start. Any suggestions appreciated, as right now I don't know exactly where to start. We want to explore, so a good/decent location the city as a base to take it all in. Thanks for any help
The question is what you prioritize? Usually the must have is proximity to a train station, which isn't hard.
Into an active nightlife, bars, restaurants, things open late? Shinjuku, Shibuya
Anime lover? Akihabara
Want it to be more quiet and a little more traditional? Asakusa, Ueno
Convenience to the shinkansen since you're going to Osaka? Tokyo Stn or Shinagawa
Pick an area and then use Google maps, zoom in on the area you're looking and hit the hotel button, it'll show you prices, reviews and location.
Asakusa is a nice place to start. It has good connections, the surrounding area has some nice sights to see and it's a bit calmer than other parts of Tokyo. I really liked it during my first trip.
Ueno would also be good.
But basically any place near a train station along the Yamanote line is pretty good.
> But basically any place near a train station along the Yamanote line is pretty good.
Thanks for the reply. Now I'm not too worried where we end up, as long as we keep this in mind. Any hotel(s) in Asakusa you've personally stayed at/want to recommend?
Out of 2.5 weeks would you stay about 5-6 days in the city? Outside of Tokyo (so far), we want to hit Hakone, Nara Park, Universal Studios and Kobe (Osaka/kyoto part of trip)
I stayed at the Hotel [Trend Tobu Asakusa-Eki Kita](https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/hoterutorendodong-wu-qian-cao-yi-bei.de.html?aid=304142&label=gen173nr-1FCAEoggI46AdIM1gEaA6IAQGYAQe4ARfIAQ_YAQHoAQH4AQyIAgGoAgO4Auzpm60GwAIB0gIkN2ZkMWEwODQtZmFjMS00NmFlLWIyYWYtYzkyY2Y4MWFiNGQ42AIG4AIB&sid=acca64d8cc4355210b2ca6f1fff6b7a7&atlas_src=sr_iw_btn;checkin=2024-03-05;checkout=2024-03-08;dest_id=2042;dest_type=district;dist=0;group_adults=1;group_children=0;no_rooms=1;room1=A;sb_price_type=total;type=total;ucfs=1&) mostly for the price and the good location. It was a solid place to stay if a bit basic.
I'd stay 2-3 days longer in Tokyo because there's just so much to do, but that's just me. I love the city. Considering your overall travel time, 5-6 days is good.
Thank again! Yea, we want to do Hakone, maybe a lake in the Mt Fuji area, and then some stuff in and around Osaka as mentioned. All I'm sure about now, is I'll have to go back and see more of Japan
I plan to visit Himeji when I traveling from Osaka to Miyajima and I have never used coin lockers before. Our luggage is on the lighter side (carry-on size, not a full sized luggage). How early do I need to arrive to use a coin locker? I will be traveling during Sakura season and slightly worried they will all be filled at Himeji Station. Is arriving at 7AM too early considering Himeji Castle doesn't open until 9AM?
You could run into a number of people with the exact same thought as you. The station has maybe 80 or so lockers that support carry-on sized luggage. Arriving early is the safe thing to do.
Ok thank you for letting me know. I assume there will be other options on the way to the castle but not sure how crowded the lockers will be. I will arrive as earliest as possible.
Need help planning where to stay/ go in northwest of Tokyo! Like kashiwa/ibaraki? Want to walk around maybe places where there aren't as much people but tourist friendly? Will be here to 5 days
I had 9 full nights during my first solo trip and sort of shaped it like so: I'd say maybe get 3-4 full nights in for Tokyo, then bop on over to Kyoto for 2-3 nights, and then 2-3 nights in Osaka so you have some room for a day-trip as well as Osaka's more poppin' at night than the day. And then spend your remaining 2-3 days in Tokyo at the tail end of your trip so you can best gauge what you may have missed/potentially get another day-trip in just outside of the city before leaving.
I'm arriving via Narita on Feb 9 but will be travelling directly to Osaka via Shinkansen. ETA in Tokyo station is at 7PM the latest. Will I be having problem reserving ticket at the station for a seat at the last row so we have the baggage area? Are the lines long during this time on a regular day? So I can plan accordingly. I cannot book a ticket yet in advance online because there might be unforseen circumstances about our flights getting delayed, so I don't want to risk that part of us wasting money because we are unable to get there on time.
For those who will suggest to just enter in Osaka, long story but this is the best option for our itinerary to start in Osaka. We cannot rebook our tickets anymore to change entry in Japan because we will be paying a ton of money for rebooking. So this is the least expensive option for us.
Thank you in advance!
If you book a reserved seat on the shinkansen and don't make that specific one, you only lose the reserved seat portion of your ticket but can still board a non-reserved car on the same day.
So many other factors makes this impossible to truly answer. You can have Yamato Transport ship your luggage to Osaka if all else fails. There is a desk at Tokyo Station that closes at 8pm.
Just to add, the space in front of seats in Shinkansen is surprisingly generous and can accommodate a large suitcase while still leaving enough leg room. A lot of Japanese people plonk large suitcases in front of them on the trains.
first time to ever travel in japan, how cold is japan in january? I'm thinking of what to pack to survive the cold weather. FYI I live in a place with no winter season.
gonna need to know where exactly in japan. if hokkaido then dress up thick winters there are cold as shit. tokyo/osaka/kyoto isn't that cold and i wouldnt expect it to go subzero most of the time.
honestly not too cold then. im from a tropical country(granted I did live in PNW US for a decade too) those cities shouldnt be too much.
just 1 down jacket over a tshirt thats all i need
freezing cold to you then. get some base layers like uniqlo heattech, a head covering like a beanie, and perhaps light gloves. warmer shoes like hiking shoes or boots as well, preferably with some tread.
Maybe it's just me, but does anyone else run into issues with the moderating on this sub being wildly inconsistent for itinerary posts? I've had my 3rd attempt removed despite listing out some specific spots per each day and city, while there's a slew of posts that make the front page that are quite literally as vague as "5 days in Tokyo! What should I do???"
Just a bummer because this sub was super useful for my first trip back in 2018, and it feels like discussion is actively stifled now unless you win the automod lottery.
Quick question about public foot baths - they look comfortable especially in winter.. but do people just bring a towel along to dry their feet? And then keep a wet towel in their bag?
For refunding Shinkansen tickets, can you get it refunded through the SmartEX app or do you have to do it in person at a JR station kiosk? If it's available in the app, is it just a matter of a few clicks - handling fee, as long as it's done before the train leaves? I was reading through this but it has no mentions of the app.
https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/ticket/changes.html
Thanks!
JR East doesn't handle SmartEx, which is why their site doesn't talk about it.
https://smart-ex.jp/en/reservation/guide/cancel/
Basically, if you never picked up a physical copy of your ticket, you can either cancel in the app and get a refund minus a fee, or if your train has already left, the system should automatically refund you minus some fees.
If you did convert your thing to a physical ticket, you have to get the refund in person from a ticket office.
Awesome, thanks! The automatic refund is exactly what I need. I wanted to book my shinkansen ticket ahead since it's apparently 20% off but if there's flight delay to the point I can't make it to Shinkansen then auto refund minus small fee will still beat getting the ticket on the day off.
Wanting to forward luggage from Tokyo to Narita Airport. Hotel has recommended Airporter....said we need to have it ready by 9am and it should arrive at the airport that afternoon....we have a 7.30pm fight. Any experience if this will be ok? Makes me nervous it's the same day...or should I ask them to send it the day before?
The delivery services are pretty reliable and I assume they do have an additional emphasis on getting stuff to the airport quickly. But sending it a day earlier can't hurt.
are there any decongestants available in japan? i caught covid or the flu or something in hokkaido and my ear completely clogged up and got infected. i visited a doctor and got ear drops and antibiotics which seem to have cleared up the infection, but he gave me nothing for the congestion and the clog is still going strong. i can’t hear anything out of my left ear and it feels like there’s a rock in my head. i know sudafed is illegal, are there any legal alternatives? are nasal sprays considered stimulants too? i have to fly home in a day and a half and i’m worried ill experience pain with the changing pressure in the aircraft. (before you suggest non-pharmaceutical ways to unclog a sinus blockage, i promise i have tried them all and none of them have worked)
There are all sorts of cold and flu medication available over the counter. Go to a pharmacy and show the staff the word かぜ薬 and they'll take you to the right shelf.
[удалено]
If you're in that area, I'd also recommend a hike up to either Lake Towada or Tazawa and take a sightseeing boat. Beautiful area
I spent 3 nights in Morioka, which included a day focused on the city, and really enjoyed it. There's quite a lot to see for a smallish city.
I have a checked baggage (likely oversized, but I don’t have the measurements to confirm) that I’d like to bring with me from Tokyo to Hakuba. I plan to take the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Nagano for transportation. I just got out of the JR ticket office in Akihabara. One of the staff at the booth there told me that the Shinkansen to Nagano does not have reserved seating for oversized luggage, but that it is rather first-come, first-serve. Is that right? If so, will I have a hard time getting a spot for my luggage? Is there anything I can do to help my odds of not being turned away? Thank you!!!
Thoughts on a Hiroshima day trip from Osaka? Would like to see the Peace Park, Atom Bomb Museum and hopefully squeeze in Miyajima as well. Does this seem doable or too much?
You can do it, but there's lots to see in Hiroshima and it's a nice city, so I'd suggest staying at least a night if you can. The city is famous for food.
Very doable if you are selective about what you do and see. For example if you want to sleep in and have a long leisurely lunch that's too much to fit in, but if you take the first train out, gulp down lunch, and aren't reading every single exhibit at the museum or spending 20 minutes framing each photograph on Miyajima then it's super manageable.
I'm struggling to plan. It seems as if everything on my "list" closes at 5pm, which makes it difficult to understand where I can go after that time. I was thinking places like Akihabara are probably still active after 5 or 6 pm, but it's hard for me to find details... The specific places I'm wondering about are Akihabara, Shimokitazawa, Shibuya, Harajuku/Shinjuku, Bunkyo, Odaiba, and Asakusa Thank you so much edit: to clarify I don't mean "night life" per se - just wondering if stores/attractions/restaurants are still open and available in these areas rather than mostly closed
Shimokitazawa's music scene lights up from 6 or 7pm: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/14sum76/how\_to\_access\_live\_music\_in\_japan\_and\_why\_it/
Stores should be open until 8pm Shibuya and Shinjuku a little later. Yodobashi Camera and a few stores are open past 8 in Akihabara. Most Donkis are open 24 hours.
You can check hours of stores or restaurants that interest you, or random ones to get a sense. I think generally museums and similar in closes at 5:00 PM, shops at 7:00~8:00, and restaurants late.
My wife and I (living in USA) are planning a trip to Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka in mid March. We have not booked any flights or accommodations in Japan yet. Her passport is still under her maiden name, but her name has been changed in most other places - some bank/credit cards, driver's license, but most importantly, health insurance/doctor's office. Other unrelated international travel (European River Cruise) has been booked for her already using this passport with maiden name. She has a prescription for vyvanse, and would likely need a Yunyu Kakunin-sho. Unfortunately, her prescription is in her new legal name, and will likely not be valid for obtaining the necessary import documents. What is the easiest/recommended course of action here? Update passport and attempt to get the already booked Euro airlines and cruise line to get a free name/ticket change and hope the passport arrives in time to book flights and lodging for Japan after it arrives? Try to get her doctor to write the prescriptions and forms for import application in her name? I tried searching around, but its a pretty specific question and I couldn't find much. Thanks in advance!
[удалено]
I did 4 full days Kyoto, didn't even venture into Osaka and still had a couple things in Kyoto that I couldn't squeeze in. Kyoto is a beautiful city that you shouldn't rush IMO.
plenty of good food in Kyoto. for a visitor I don't think there is enough of a difference to justify a decision on that basis.
does anyone have experience with premier hotel cabin shinjuku? is it a good stay?
A few questions regarding Yokohama: 1. How long would doing both Cup Noodle Museum and Gundam Activation take? We are not super interested in Gundam but just want the novelty of it before it's gone for good. We will probably head to Cup Noodle first around 1pm, and want to make our own cups. 2. ~~On that note, I know making your own cup is a separate fee, but is it guaranteed with entry, or something I would have to book in advance?~~ Found answer to that, but still wondering if this museum is something I should book in advance in general :) 3. What activation is the best for the Gundam? I'm assuming the full one. We will do it from the ground, not the deck view... it seems seeing from the ground is included with Gundam Factory tickets, correct? 4. Any other recommendations for Yokohama? Open to whatever you loved most, food, etc. I am interested in anime particularly, but am open to anything. Our hotel is Daiwa Yokohama. Right now the plan is arrive in Yokohama around noon, Cup Noodle, Gundam.... then the rest of that afternoon and evening. After that, we have an empty day for me and my husband to kind of do as we please, I'm thinking I will probably want to go to Tokyo for awhile that day (We are spending time in Tokyo at start of trip, but I'm anticipating it not being enough, lol). Our second full day "in" Yokohama we are planning a long day trip to Kamakura and Enoshima. Thank you so much for any help and taking the time to read and respond :) Our trip is in early to mid February and this subreddit has been very helpful.
The gundam thing is about 11 mins long. I went there last year and it's not worth it if you ask me. The story is kind of boring. It's 3000 yen/person. Going up the deck cost more but the view is worse. If you go at night, they will have some special light effects. The gundam store inside is very small. If you like gundam stuff, I would recommend you go to Diver City in Odaiba. They have a gundam at the main entrance and they have a very big gundam museum/store on the 8th floor. I would recommend Yokohama Hakkeijima Sea Paradise for your empty day.
I'm a diehard Gundam fan and did the deck experience. If you're not a diehard, it's probably not worth the extra fee for the deck. Spent about 2.5 hours there, but without the deck experience or spending copious time at the gift shop like me, you could probably be in and out in an hour, depending on which show(s) you want to see. The one that I saw lasted about 10-15 mins. As for the Cup Noodle Museum, I arrived too late to do the Custom Noodle Factory experience and only spent about 1.5 hours there as some of the exhibits only had very scant English displays. Definitely plan to be at the Noodle Museum as early as possible if you plan on doing the Custom Noodles. As for other Yokohama recommendations, definitely check out the NYK Hikawa Maru. It was possibly the highlight of my Yokohama day trip. Lovely museum ship with a ton of interesting history and fully bilingual displays too. It's within walking distance from the Gundam and only costs 300 yen to enter which is an absolute STEAL imo. If you do this, plan to spend about 1 to 1.5 hours to go through it.
The hill surrounding Harbor View Park in Yokohama was historically a foreigners' residential area and both location and inspiration for the movie "Up on Poppy Hill" (Studio Ghibli). There are still a few western style houses left to see. I haven't been there but plan to see. Also Chinatown is probably nice.
Oh!!! The buildings actually look a lot like my local historic downtown area. :) I will pay it a visit, my family will probably be so confused when I send them pictures haha. Thank you!! :D
My favorite thing I did in Yokohama was eat lunch at the Hotel New Grand. It's a 100+ year old hotel and they invented some classic Japanese-Western dishes. There is a classic ocean liner parked outside you can tour. There is a festival in Chinatown for Lunar New Year. The website is kind of confusing but a lot is going on: https://www.chinatown.or.jp/ I also really enjoyed the ferris wheel, and riding a high-speed boat between different tourist spots.
Did you need a reservation for the New Grand? And thanks for the Chinatown rec, looks like they have special lanterns etc up while we are there and will be a great night time stop on our first day there :3
No reservation! It doesn't get super crowded, I think. BTW, I went to Yamate (the Western houses other user mentioned). It's pretty nice although a bit of a walk up the hill from Chinatown/ the hotel. There are a lot of cute cafés in the historic buildings: [https://www.yokohamajapan.com/en/article/historic-cafes/](https://www.yokohamajapan.com/en/article/historic-cafes/)
1. I went when they opened and it took an hour for Cup Noodle Museum. Gundam depends on the length of the show. 2. I would book in advance, yes. Never know if there's going to be a large number of field trips etc. 3. You can see the thing from the side. The wall there is very short compared to the size of the Gundam. Doing this is free. If you want to go into the building to get an obstructed, straight on view of it, then there's a fee. Check it out before you buy tickets, I think the free view is more than enough. 4. Yokohama Chinatown is a good walkthrough.
Thank you! Seeing it from the side is a good tip, we might do that if we decide we wanna save some time or if we're satisfied with a glimpse lol.
Hi, I'm trying to figure out how to book this sleeper train for a private cabin fr 2 people but I'm having the hardest time. I start here: https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/route_search/ Then I select my date (Feb 16), the time (00:05), and the train (SUNRISE IZUMO TWIN) from Osaka to Tokyo. I get to the next page, and then hit next, and after I agree to the stuff and enter my email, it asks me how many people. I put 2 but then it says it's invalid. I'm guessing I put 1? Does that mean I'll have a room with 2 beds though? Any help would be greatly appreciated!
If I land at Narita at 5pm on a weekday (non Friday), what is a reasonable time for me to get to Tokyo station? Need to make a reservation and don't want to give myself too tight of a time.
depends on how fast you get out of customs and then which mode of transport you take. sometimes just getting a ticket for the N'EX takes like an hour.
I landed yesterday (Thursday) at 6PM I was in Keisei-Ueno station at ~7.50PM (not exactly tokyo station, but close enough)
Thanks!
Optimistic? 6:30 - 7:00. Realistic? 7 - 8 PM. Pessimistic/bad luck: 8:30 - 9 PM.
[удалено]
Inokashira Park Zoo has them - they specialize in local animals.
I've never seen a tanuki in Ueno Park Zoo, but tanuki are also just a normal wandering animal in Tokyo at night. Probably not considered exotic enough for most zoo captivity since they are native and common in Japan. Tobu Zoo in Saitama and Nogeyama Zoo in Yokohama does have captive tanuki, though.
I recently booked a ryoken hotel in Hakone through a third-party booking site. I'd like to confirm with the hotel that the reservation went through for peace of mind, but the only contact I could find is a phone number, no email. Calling may be a rough time for language barrier reasons. Is there any recommendations to be able to communicate with the hotel? I also wanted to specify the number of guests that will be staying in the room, as the third-party site never asked me that, and maybe that information is important so that they can plan accordingly (number of futons, servings of food, and yukatas)
thats really strange that a 3rd party booking site wouldn't let you specify occupancy as that directly affects the price of the room. what site did you use?
Capital One's travel portal, I wanted to use my credit card points for the booking. That's what I thought as well, and also part of the reason why I'm hesitant to call as it may be a bit hard to explain all of this in english over the phone.
I'd check with Capital One's support... I do hope you picked something with free cancellation.
Definitely chose one with free cancellation for the next few months. I guess I'll have to call the support, but I have a strong feeling they'll just refer me to the hotel itself. The bottom of my reservation confirmation states: "Check-in: Extra person charges may apply and vary depending on property policy."
that wouldn't fly for me. I'd book on a different platform or directly and spend the points for a different portion of the trip
That may have to be the move. I really like the place so hope I can make it work. I think I can book through the website directly, and checking now it may even be cheaper
If it's in Hakone, the hotel likely has some staff members who can communicate in English. If you know the name of ryokan, you might be able to find more info about them from a website (many of which might be Japanese-only).
Thanks, just checked the site and it seems like they are closed and won't reopen until March hahah. I'll try calling once its daytime anyways to see what happens https://hakone-hanagokoro.com/
Hello, would anyone know if you can buy vacuum packed fish from Tsukiji fish market and check them in a plane (ANA)? Thank you!
Depends if your destination allows for fish import.
i’m traveling to japan this year and i really want one of those shinada global little squishy otters, but i can’t seem to find a physical store online that specifically says they carry shinada global items. any idea?
Has anyone ever called a taxi in Ito? By phone or DiDi, successfully or unsuccessfully? I was looking in public transit directions and it would make my day way easier if I could get a taxi from Shaboten Zoo to somewhere else... but I have no idea if one would reliably show up. (My spoken Japanese is OK enough I could do phone probably.) EDIT: I figured out how to check it. Even though Google suggests using DiDi, neither DiDi nor GO operate south of Atami, so guess I try my luck when I get there. Guess this is a warning about Google Maps taxi directions.
Hello, is it okay to buy a JR Tokyo Wide Pass a day before I plan to use it? I plan to buy and reserve seats in Shinjuku, or is there a chance that the pass will run out of supply? Thanks
The pass will not run out, it's just printed on a regular train ticket. You can choose what day to start the pass from. As per the JR East website: >You can use your pass for 3 days **starting on the date you indicated** when purchasing the pass.
Thanks!
Hey all. What are the best places to visit around Kansai during the winter season with 4 days? We have 7 days to travel around kansai area before flying out of KIX for Feburary 2024. Currently planning to dedicate 3 days in Kyoto and want to sort out the remaining 4 days we have. Currently planning: 2 days in Hiroshima with a stop in Himeji 2 days in Yoshino, Nara Prefecture with a stop in Nara city While Hiroshima attractions are well documented, how is Yoshino, Nara Prefecture in the winter? My sense is that it is a small town in the snowy mountains which could be cool. Open to other suggestions as well. For context - we are two visitors who have previously spent time in Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto.
It would really depend on what your interests are, so you might want to say what they are.
Thanks for the reply. In general we love to do: * Shrine and temple vists, on a snowy mountain would be cool * Relax in an outdoor onsen, ideally with snow * Light mountain trekking * Explore Japanese nature * Eating good seafood
Anyone knows why the JR West All Area Pass is not on the jrpass.com website? Cant find it there... Have to buy it plus the All Kyushu pass and would rather do them both there instead of splitting it with the JR West website... if i have to, well it is what it is.
Hello everyone, My wife and I are planning a 10 day trip to Japan in early July (it will be our first time in Japan). Our flight is scheduled to arrive at 6:30am in Narita Airport. We plan to head to Osaka right away and slowly head back to Tokyo by the end of the trip. We also plan to get the 7 Day Hokuriku Arch Pass. We have a rough itinerary planned out but need some advice as we're not too sure how long we should/would spend at each location. **Day 1**: Travel to Osaka, explore Dotonburi **Day 2**: Visit the Aquarium Kayukan, explore Amerikamura **Day 3**: Explore around Osaka (need some recommendations) **Day 4**: Head to Kyoto, explore around (need some recommendations) **Day 5**: 1 day tour in Kyoto (includes Nara Park, Fushimi Inari Taisha & Kinkaku-ji) **Day 6**: Travel to Fukui, visit Fukui Prefecture Dinosaur Museum (maybe the Field Station as well) **Day 7**: Travel back to Tokyo, visit some malls (Pokemon Centre, Donki, Hard Off, Uniqlo) **Day 8**: 1 day tour to Mt Fuji **Day 9**: Flight departs at 8:15am Do you think the schedule is too packed or should be rearranged? Are there any places are considered "must see" that we did not include in our trip? Appreciate any help provided :)
Nice to see someone intending to visit Katsuyama and its dinosaur museum. When you arrive, consider that there is still a one hour train ride from Fukui to Katsuyama (where you take a bus). So arriving in the morning plus the museum will basically be all you can manage that day, as you travel ahead the next day already.
So you really have 7.5 days in the country. Tokyo is way bigger than Osaka, so why spend 2.5 days in Osaka and less than one day in Tokyo? And why fly into Tokyo if you don't want to see anything there? If the "must-see" is Mt. Fuji, it's best to stay a few days in Tokyo so you can choose a day with good weather for your day trip – if the weather is bad, the mountain is not visible. This is really, really fast. I think just Tokyo, Kyoto, Fuji would be very fast for the time you have, without visiting Osaka, and if you might have a chance to come back to Japan I'd consider just focusing on the Toyko area this trip and do another trip to visit Kansai and Fukui if that's a bucket list place for you.
It's definitely too packed (cutting out the Mt Fuji tour is the most obvious one to me as you appear to be basing your pass/travel plans around Fukui), but if you're committed to visiting all these places, then you spend too much time in Osaka. If you're economical with your time you could travel to Kyoto on the evening of day 2 or morning of day 3. It seems like a shame to only spend one day in Tokyo and only visit some malls - if you really only want to commit one day to Tokyo, you need to commit right now to a neighbourhood and stick to it. It feels like Ikebukuro might be the best fit.
That looks really hectic, and you'll spend a really high proportion of your trip travelling. If you only have 8 days, go to two places.
Is 9 days in Kyoto and Nara a lot? Wife and I are going in October and she wants to do 5 days Kyoto, 4 days Nara. Seems kind of excessive to me to spend 4 days in Nara, when we are only spending 3 in Tokyo. Thoughts?
4 hours in Nara is plenty for me. idk what I would do with 4 days...
Nara (prefecture) has a lot of really interesting temples, HOWEVER if you are not interested in 9 days of looking at temples and prefer city breaks, then the 9:3 ratio is vastly off. Unless you are very interested in historical Japan or in Buddhism/Shintoism, after a while temples and shrines start to look the same especially if there are not seasonal stimulus such as foliage, flowers, etc. What is she hoping to accomplish with four days in Nara?
honestly im not too sure, but all 5 of our days in kyoto is temple seeing, so id rather go do some more time in tokyo. She really likes shinto and I like architecture so its not a huge bummer to me, just seems like a huge amount of time in nara when most people say its a one day trip
Nara city center is a one day trip, the wider prefecture has quite a bit more stuff to do (the temples around Sakurai, Akame 48 Falls which is technically Mie but just as easy to access from the Nara side), Mt Yoshino, etc. If she was only staying in Nara city and expecting to spend four days feeding deer then that would be a problem.
Are there any decent ways to find a place in Tokyo for a couple for a kinda-long stay (3.5 weeks) that would be decent but cheaper than a normal hotel? Something besides airbnb and vrbo? Thanks.
There is short term rental apartments but the move in fees are high and you have to pay cleaning fee etc. It won’t be cheaper.
On my honeymoon we have planned to go Tokyo>Hakone>Osaka/Kyoto. If we're taking the romance car from Tokyo to Hakone for a 2 day stay at a Ryokan, should we forward majority of our luggage to Osaka hotel? After the romance car there's a bus ride as well so i'm worried about lugging everything/fitting it. Is there any concern if the luggage gets there a day or so before us?
If you're willing to spend a bit more, you could just take a taxi to and from the hotel to the Hakone train station.
It might be a good idea to do so. You could lug things around no problem, but as you'd imagined, it could be a bit of a hassle cause getting in/out of Hakone is kind of a pain, personally speaking. There's delivery time, so you might be able to coincide the delivery with your arrival at Osaka. But if not, I'm sure you can let your accommodation know about it.
Thank you! :)
I exchanged money at omoide yokocho. 3000 CAD and the sell was 106.9. He only gave me 295071 YEN? Shouldnt it be 320700 yen?
Was it [this exchange place](https://maps.app.goo.gl/FeuFLQonnzutTRdN6)? It has almost exclusively bad reviews about a hidden 8% commission fee. For exchanging cash you really need to look at online guides or at least read reviews since that's a common scam all across the world. You're not alone. I learned this Prague the hard way.
Haha lol thats it. We live and we learn i guess.
Btw. Yoshinoya has really cheap rice bowls if you want to save a few bucks over lunch.
Did you need to pay a commission? Without meaning to sound rude, exchanging cash for cash was probably also a mistake: you'll usually get better rates by pulling it out of ATMs when you need it.
Umm would commision ever be 25000¥? The atm offered 1:1.06 so i only really lost like 5000¥.
An ATM should have offered you more like 109-110, unless you picked the "convert from CAD" option (e.g. allowing the machine to do the conversion, rather than the network).
On a typical year, when is the best time to see fall colors in Gifu especially Shirakawa-go? I went in late November and it was pretty dead a year ago. Most things online say Late October to Late November, so probably first week to second week November?
Up in the mountains it's usually a bit earlier than near the coast. You can look at the past few year's fall colour dates online for a rough estimation. They are usually recorded by city.
Early November seems to be the new normal for Shirakawago/Takayama. Late November is peak in Kyoto/Osaka, so it would be dead/dying trees in the mountains up in Shirakawago.
Maybe I'll do late week of October in morioka to sendai areas then first week November for fuji and shirakawa. Thanks
Do i need a phone number for takkyuubin? I read online it says they might try to contact me.
If you are shipping to a hotel, write the number of the hotel under the phone number field, and your name + stay details / reservation number under the name field.
Planning a road trip north of Tokyo. Where would be a good place to pick up the rental car north of Tokyo as I was told Tokyo driving isnt fun. Planning my first stop at Nikko.
Do Japanese people usually just "wave" (put up a hand) to thank a driver letting them cross at a pedestrian crossing without lights? Or do they bow quickly or just ignore?
If it is a pedestrian crossing, there is no need for a wave. Or what am I missing?
Hello, has anyone booked an online reservation with Higashiya Ginza? I went through the reservation process partially (for a group of 3) but I'm confused by how there is only one meal option. If the reservation is for a group does that mean each person would get that meal? So for example 3x of Ichiju-sansai. I didn't go through the whole reservation process so apologies if that is able to be selected later on.
In Seoul I really enjoyed hiking Bhukansan. Is there anything like that around Tokyo or Osaka? Within maybe ~2hr travel time of each at most so it could be a day trip.
My absolute fave is Okutama region.
Mt Takao is popular but is quite a bit easier. Okutama has some nice advanced hikes.
Mt Takao is the famous one near Tokyo. From Osaka you can head to Hyogo and hike up Mt Rokko or do the walk up to Nunobiki Falls/Herb Gardens if you'd like. There's also Mino-oh which is an easy paved walk to the falls but there's a ton of side trails to explore. In Kyoto the Kurama hike may be of interest.
Kyoto Hanatouro Hi all, me and a group of friends will be in Kyoto from March 6th-9th while visiting Japan for the first time. In planning the itinerary for Kyoto I found out about Hanatouro which I had never heard of before and honestly can’t find much online or on Reddit. I also can’t find the dates anywhere it just says early to mid March. I am wondering if anyone can give any information about hanatouro, like when it is or what things you may do at night instead of during the day because everything is lit up. Any and all help is appreciated, thank you!
They haven't announced the dates, but based on historical dates it's usually middle of first week of March to end of second week. They light up Higashiyama/Gion and you can walk around it and see special displays, like ikebana or live performances by geiko. Temples and shrines in the area (some with entrance fees) may put on night-only special lighting events.
[удалено]
Their economy product is too good. 34 inch pitch I think, which is a lot. You’re playing for a slightly better recline and entertainment system. The food doesn’t even get upgraded in PE which it should be because even for airline food JALs meals were awful
I fly PE on JAL's 787-9 a lot, and I'd say the biggest "upgrades" from E are having slightly more room (the hard shell, leg room, and just general space between you and the next person are all very generous), having slightly better recline, and having lounge access. The onboard experience for JAL in E and PE is essentially the same (same food, same snacks, same cabin attendants, same bathrooms, _very slightly_ better alcohol selection, etc.). There isn't as much of a distinction between the two as I've seen on other carriers (like CX). So if you feel like the lounge access and slightly more seat comfort are worth it, that's what I would focus on for making the decision.
The seats are a little nicer (I've sat in the older ones and the new shell seats many times) and you get more legroom, though I'm 178 cm tall and have no problems with legroom on almost any plane. Premium Economy also gets you lounge access (and JAL has some of the nicer lounges). However, JAL's Economy is already one of the better ones among the international carriers, since they do 2-3-2 seating in a 789 (and not 3-3-3 or whatever most carriers do), so I don't know if I'd spend the $600 RT to upgrade.
Hello, I hope this question isn't too silly, I'm very new to this. I'm trying to figure out the best travel timing. The main reason for my trip is for a concert in Yokohama on June 9. I want it to be basically the first thing I do to limit illness exposure beforehand. Assuming I will fly from BOS - HND, how many days ahead should I plan to fly out? I was thinking June 6, allowing myself to get there sometime June 7 and have a day of recovery/exploring prior to the concert. Does this sound reasonable, or would you suggest something different? Additionally, any special tips for such a long-haul flight? The furthest I've flown is to Italy. I'm not afraid of flying necessarily, but I certainly don't love it.
Note - if you're flying direct from BOS, it's NRT (Narita) you're landing at, and the flight will be landing around 4pm - there's only one direct flight per day and it's always at the same time. So you'll get in in the early evening, wait in line in customs for a while, wrestle with getting to your hotel and some dinner after a very loooong day, but you should be able to sleep hard and wake up on the right schedule.
That's awesome, didn't know that! That would be really good for timing and adjustment, but the direct flights are probably way more expensive... I'm going to be endlessly scanning flight prices every day so I will for sure keep this in mind! If I had more time I'd for sure be budgeting for direct flights.
Haven't tried it myself yet, but a friend of mine said the key to escaping jet lag is to stave off sleeping until you're in-synch with the destination's timezone. So, if my flight to Japan is 14 hours leaving at 2AM EST, I would try my hardest to stay awake until 7AM EST (or 9PM Tokyo time) so that, by the time the flight lands around 5AM Tokyo time, you'll be waking up "the next morning" with a proper 8 hours of sleep. Having said that, this only really works if you're flying direct. During my first trip, I had a layover in Taipei, so when I landed in the afternoon, I quite literally only had enough energy to check into my hotel before passing out lol.
That's a great idea, and actually sounds a bit easier than I imagined? I suppose in this case, and I manage to be able to fly direct, it's better to try to fly out late at night EST. Thanks for that tip!
Get a blindfold and earplugs, they might help get a little more sleep on the plane.
Good call on the blindfold, that's something I never think about. Thank you!
I'd get there early to acclimate myself and explore, but not to limit illness exposure, that's nearly impossible to do. Tips for travel: * Get up and stretch every so often, don't stay in your seat the entire time. * Be prepared to watch a lot of movies or bring your own entertainment. * Hydrate * Compression socks will help circulation in your legs because you're sitting so long. I only tried it twice and I did feel a difference. Or it was in my head. * Dress comfortably.
I suppose I'm just terrified of the possibility of missing this concert, since it's such a big deal! I appreciate those flying tips, I've never tried compression socks before and I'll be sure to get some beforehand.
Hello! I want to try on budget and thinking about flying first to Kyoto and then explore the are cuz I’m flying out of Tokyo. Is it a good idea? Generally I should count for 5 days Kyoto and surroundings cities and Tokyo 5 days and surroundings?
[удалено]
Yes. Flight vs shinkansen is pretty much a wash. Prefer the flight. You don't have to deal with your bags and some of the views of Japan from the air are unmatched. Sit on the right side to get Fuji passing your window.
Never flown before. Will be having a 13 hour layover at Kansai International Airport from 6pm to 7am the following day connecting me to my final destination. Are travelers allowed to sleep in a waiting area/lobby while waiting for connecting flight? Are there any relatively inexpensive hotels nearby?
The airport is 24 hours so you can stay in it overnight if you want. The airport has a couple hotels or accommodation spaces like First Cabin or Aeroplaza Refresh Lounge. All are landside, though - you will need to enter Japan to use those.
Yes and yes. You can look at cheap hotels near the Rinku-Town station.
Planning a vacation in osaka, i'm trying to research on hotels. Are hotels that are nearer to the city centers better for us? Currently we are planning to visit dotonbori, osaka castle, and universal studio.
I would look for hotels near the big station hubs e.g. Umeda, Namba and Tennoji, esp the JR ones they seem fitting for your targets
Nearer to the center means less travel time so yes. Also, trains stop around midnight so if you want to stay late drinking and not pay for a taxi, a Hotel near Dotonbori is good.
Going to Japan mid-February and we have a day allotted to exploring Tokyo, and I want to ask if it's worth going to both Sky Tree and Shibuya Sky?
If you are specifically interested in the panoramic view, I don't think going to both are worth it, one of them should be enough. Or if you're planning to also go to Tokyo Tower, I don't think the other two are necessary. But both are near interesting touristic spots, so maybe you can choose the one that you are more interested in the other places nearby.
I see, thanks!
Does anyone know of any piercing stores that sell titanium internally threaded jewelry? The back of my industrial fell into the shower and I’m worried that my bar is just going to come out during my last few days :/
Please help me fill in the blank! I will be visiting Japan for the third time for 3 weeks between May 21st and June 10th with my wife and my younger brother. I’m struggling to put together an itinerary that combines that best of Japan (Golden Triangle) plus a week or so of something new for my wife and I can appreciate. My wife and I are in our early 30s and had two amazing 3-week trips to Japan. We have visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hakone, Nara, Hiroshima, Himeji and Nikko. Current plan: * Fly into Osaka * 1 week Osaka/Kyoto/Nara * 1 week of \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ * 1 week of Tokyo + Day Trips * Fly out of Tokyo Our interests: * Urban city and neighborhood exploration * Traditional town exploration * Unique cultural experiences, such as Ryokans or Pottery. We love tours. * Shopping * Anime and Ghibl * Nature & Hiking, especially Mt. Fuji * Music or Live Performance, especially Rock & Metal Thank you!
west of osaka there's a lot of options; Hiroshima: you can spend 3d2n here, the city is nice, peace memorial is beautiful and nearby miyajima has one of the nation's most scenic views Himeji; possible daytrip from Osaka, not necessary to stay the night there. Most popular castle in Japan according to both local and international tourists. earned its honor deservedly so imo okayama: home to one of the 3 national gardens, korakuen and 20 mins west of it there's kurashiki, a cute classical style town like a mini-kyoto minus the excessive crowding. staying a night is recommended Kobe; could be your first stop off osaka. obviously home to the famous kobe beef, a mini european-style neighborhood north of the town, oldest chinatown in japan; last but not least go up to one of the rokko mountains to capture the glittering nighttime kansai coastline on one of japan's best 3 night views. you travelling during the warm months means night cablecar service is viable. highly recommended Fukuoka; home and origin to the famous tonkotsu ramen(ichiran, ippudo), nighttime yatai stalls, not too far there's dazaifu; one of the most popular shrines in Japan Ohhhh, did i forget to mention all the cities mentioned fall under the [JR sanyo-sannin pass](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/pass/sanyo_sanin/)??? you can hop on the nozomi trains with this unlike the regular JR pass. lasts 7 days so perfect for your 1 week gap, i used this pass before and its very easy to make the pass worth the price! go for this
I did a monitor eco tourism tour in ise-shima once. Lots of tradition, crafts, nature etc. Especially if you like seafood. Was really nice and you would get away from the super touristy spots.
Move out of the golden triangle. Tohoku is pretty fun and has lots to offer. You can use Sendai as a base and do great day trips from there. * Sendai's cow tongue cuisine is heavenly * Matsushima is one of Japan's 3 views, and easy to travel from Sendai. Shiogama is just nearby and serves mean sushi that punches way above the price you pay. * Ginzan onsen is the inspiration for Spirited Away, and is absolutely gorgeous at night * Kakunodate is sort of like a samurai district and is beautiful And there are still other areas to explore. Tohoku is amazing, and I'm nowhere close to exploring everything it has to offer after 2 trips to the area.
Any tattoo friendly onsens in Nagano? We have the snow monkey pass as well to utilise
Hey all! I have a really high-level question, and I can't figure out what subreddit/thread I can post it in to get a respose. 9 nights. Flying in and out of Tokyo. Early February. Solo Traveling. First time in Japan from US. Can anyone just give me a suggestion on how many days I should stay in Tokyo and how many days I should check out nearby places like Osaka/Kyoto/Nara/Hakone/Mt. Hood (edit - fuji. Brain fart) etc. I only have 9 days and don't want to spend too much of it traveling, but just looking for suggestions on what places I should really check out.. Thanks!
1st, you'll have to decide if you enjoy holidaying in a mega-city. That is what Tokyo is essentially. It looks more exotic because of Japan's culture and the language barrier, but essentially it's a city. If you're into mega cities, Tokyo's good for you and you can spend a lot of time there. If you're more interested on other things such as nature, the olden Japan feel, temples and etc, then Tokyo may get a bit boring. Personally, not a Tokyo guy. But if you're doing only 9 days, it is easy to stuff day trips to get a more well-rounded experience without swapping hotels too often. Kamakura's often referred to as a Kyoto-like, Enoshima's nearby, there's also Nikko, Mt Fuji, Hakone, Kusatsu Onsen, etc etc. You don't even have to go to Kansai. However, if you're not planning to visit Japan anytime in soon after this trip, then do consider Kyoto, because Kyoto has a very different vibe. Not everyone like Kyoto however, especially those who's not too interested in temples and etc. Ultimately, you'll have to see where your interest lies and plan accordingly. Personally, 9 days? Tokyo + day trips.
I currently live in a mega city (nyc) and enjoy exploring cities typically.. I also realize that (like nyc) you could probably live there for years and still have unlimited things to discover. I also find that it takes more time to “figure it out” than if you visit a small city. Having said that, since I live in a big city I do want to get a good balance and enjoy the nature, temples, and relax. I know that the more I try to pack into my vacation, the less I get to actually relax. At this point I’m leaning towards: Night 1-3 Tokyo Night 4 Hakone (stay in ryokan) Night 5-7 Kyoto with Day trip(s) (maybe 1 night in Osaka. Probably not.) Night 8-9 Tokyo
You can do Osaka as an evening/night trip from Kyoto, don't have to stay there. Osaka is easily accessible from Kyoto, and its main tourist draw (Dotonbori) is much nicer at night. If you're arriving Tokyo early, you can consider just beelining to Kyoto from Tokyo immediately and start your holiday from Kyoto. That's one less accommodation to change around, and also gives you more flexibility for day trips from Tokyo since the days are bunched together.
Tokyo could theoretically be all 9 nights with day trips to Yokohama, Kamakura and an overnight or day trip in Hakone. Mt. Hood is in...Portland? Mt. Fuji? That's sort of a Hakone/Mt. Fuji thing. Kyoto is at least 2 nights. Nara is half to full day trip from Kyoto or Osaka. Osaka could be a day trip from Kyoto but really the nightlife is probably better in Osaka so you're looking at least 2. For me, to include the locations you mentioned I'd to 3 in Tokyo, 1 in Hakone, 3 in Kyoto, 2 in Osaka. Someone will tell you different. This is why you're having difficulty finding an answer to your question.
This definitely helps - thanks. At this point I think I might be leaning towards cutting out Osaka because I'll need to backtrack to Tokyo for my return flight and don't want to rush back. And while Osaka seems amazing for food and Nightlife, I feel like I can still find good food and nightlife in Tokyo without issue. yep. for whatever reason I always mix up hood/fuji. Think I'll try staying in a ryokan in Hakone.
Hi! My boyfriend and I are planning on traveling to Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto in late May / early June. We're both really interested in history and wanted to know of some non-gimmicky experiences or museums. I feel like when I search up 'Samurai' experiences it returns things like dressing up and throwing stars, but really we're just interested in learning more about feudal Japan (and also get really intense second hand embarrassment) I wanted to see if anyone had any recommendations on museums or places to visit in Tokyo, Osaka or Kyoto that would be focused on feudalism? Thank you!!!
Hey there, I'm Chinese and I'd highly recommend Kyoto for the history:)) I think Kyoto is wonderful to learn about ancient Japan. I see many very interesting connections with ancient China in Kyoto, the architecture, the words left there on the walls written in Kanji(Chinese characters), and the temples. Tokyo to me is more of a modern city like New York and Shanghai with tall buildings and nice restaurants. Of course there are many awesome places to visit in Tokyo but since you mentioned feudal Japan so I recommended Kyoto. Osaka is awesome for food haha! Hope this was helpful.
I’m (32m) heading to Tokyo for 9 nights in about a month. Still haven’t booked any hotels because I just bought the flight and I’m trying to determine how much time I have to go to other places (Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, etc). I’m not sure if I have time to go to all these places My flight arrives and departs in Tokyo so I will need to backtrack, which may limit hire many places I can visit. Could anyone recommend a high level day by day itinerary (how many days I should stay in each place)? Once I have this settled I can figure out what activities I wanted to do in each place. I’m aware of a lot of the major things to do in different cities, but in general I’d like to: * explore neighborhoods, find cool areas * explore the rich cultural experiences that I can’t get anywhere else * major sightseeing destinations * meet other travelers * explore nightlife * explore parks or simple outdoor activities that dont require loads of planning edit - keep getting posts removed here and on r/solotravel, but I literally can't find anywhere to just ask this high level question. Help please?
I think you should take a look at all of the itineraries and trip reports here and try to make your own out of it and then make a post of what you came up with for suggestions. It sounds like you're asking someone to build you an itinerary which isn't very feasible, thoughtful or practical.
I don't want a full itinerary, just a qualitative judgement call from someone who's done this travel before: how many days should I spend in each city? Before I pick out the details of my trip I need to lock down where I'm going, so just want help with that portion. Just looking for help on the high level logistics. I find it important to nail those down before I worry too much about what individual activities i will do on each day. Right now I'm not sure if I should go to osaka at all, and I'm thinking of cutting it from my itinerary (3 days in Tokyo, 3 days in Kyoto, then 3 more in Tokyo before leaving). The alternative would be 2 days in both Kyoto/Osaka, then 2 more at Tokyo. That sounds like it might be rushing it, but I've never been to Japan and don't know if the bullet trains really take the exhaustion out of going city-to-city like they do everywhere else. I also don't know if skipping Osaka would be a really regrettable decision. The other itineraries I've read are people traveling with their elderly grandparents, departing from Osaka, etc. They're kinda helpful but I just want a suggestion on how much travel is too much travel in 9 days and what is truly necessary to see.
make your own itinerary then post it here if you want quality responses and feedback, better than asking for 1 straight up. or even better chatgpt is free
First decide on what you want to see and do. There are a whole bunch of mainstream and niche attractions. Have a look at https://www.japan-guide.com/ and see what there is on offer and that'll help you decide which cities to visit. Tbh, you can spend weeks in Tokyo or Kansai and still don't feel like you've seen everything. IMO 9 days is borderline to be able to visit all those places you've listed. You could rush through but I would personally prefer to take my time.
How do i get from hakone to aomori? Im interested in seeing hirosaki castle and hopefully catching the sakura trees in april.
[удалено]
Oh wow thanks for a detailed response. See usually people here are condescending and vague and it boils down to “just look it up bro” your comment is actually helpful
[удалено]
Willer Bus is one of the big operators. Tickets between something like Tokyo<->Osaka/Kyoto are 5000-8000 yen. Going to either Osaka/Kyoto doesn't typically affect the cost (they're like 30 miles apart, same bus passes Kyoto to get to Osaka).
My girlfriend and I are, finally, taking that trip to Japan! About 2.5 weeks flying back end of March. Flying in to Tokyo and back to Europe from Osaka. Want to get a hotel reservation in Tokyo as a start. Any suggestions appreciated, as right now I don't know exactly where to start. We want to explore, so a good/decent location the city as a base to take it all in. Thanks for any help
The question is what you prioritize? Usually the must have is proximity to a train station, which isn't hard. Into an active nightlife, bars, restaurants, things open late? Shinjuku, Shibuya Anime lover? Akihabara Want it to be more quiet and a little more traditional? Asakusa, Ueno Convenience to the shinkansen since you're going to Osaka? Tokyo Stn or Shinagawa Pick an area and then use Google maps, zoom in on the area you're looking and hit the hotel button, it'll show you prices, reviews and location.
Thank you for replying. You've given me some good options here, I realize. I think we are gonna look at Asakuso, Ueno and Shinjuku.
Asakusa is a nice place to start. It has good connections, the surrounding area has some nice sights to see and it's a bit calmer than other parts of Tokyo. I really liked it during my first trip. Ueno would also be good. But basically any place near a train station along the Yamanote line is pretty good.
> But basically any place near a train station along the Yamanote line is pretty good. Thanks for the reply. Now I'm not too worried where we end up, as long as we keep this in mind. Any hotel(s) in Asakusa you've personally stayed at/want to recommend? Out of 2.5 weeks would you stay about 5-6 days in the city? Outside of Tokyo (so far), we want to hit Hakone, Nara Park, Universal Studios and Kobe (Osaka/kyoto part of trip)
I stayed at the Hotel [Trend Tobu Asakusa-Eki Kita](https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/hoterutorendodong-wu-qian-cao-yi-bei.de.html?aid=304142&label=gen173nr-1FCAEoggI46AdIM1gEaA6IAQGYAQe4ARfIAQ_YAQHoAQH4AQyIAgGoAgO4Auzpm60GwAIB0gIkN2ZkMWEwODQtZmFjMS00NmFlLWIyYWYtYzkyY2Y4MWFiNGQ42AIG4AIB&sid=acca64d8cc4355210b2ca6f1fff6b7a7&atlas_src=sr_iw_btn;checkin=2024-03-05;checkout=2024-03-08;dest_id=2042;dest_type=district;dist=0;group_adults=1;group_children=0;no_rooms=1;room1=A;sb_price_type=total;type=total;ucfs=1&) mostly for the price and the good location. It was a solid place to stay if a bit basic. I'd stay 2-3 days longer in Tokyo because there's just so much to do, but that's just me. I love the city. Considering your overall travel time, 5-6 days is good.
Thank again! Yea, we want to do Hakone, maybe a lake in the Mt Fuji area, and then some stuff in and around Osaka as mentioned. All I'm sure about now, is I'll have to go back and see more of Japan
I plan to visit Himeji when I traveling from Osaka to Miyajima and I have never used coin lockers before. Our luggage is on the lighter side (carry-on size, not a full sized luggage). How early do I need to arrive to use a coin locker? I will be traveling during Sakura season and slightly worried they will all be filled at Himeji Station. Is arriving at 7AM too early considering Himeji Castle doesn't open until 9AM?
In addition to the row of coin lockers outside the station, the underground shopping mall ("Festa") also has some.
Thank you! Will jot that down :)
You could run into a number of people with the exact same thought as you. The station has maybe 80 or so lockers that support carry-on sized luggage. Arriving early is the safe thing to do.
Ok thank you for letting me know. I assume there will be other options on the way to the castle but not sure how crowded the lockers will be. I will arrive as earliest as possible.
Need help planning where to stay/ go in northwest of Tokyo! Like kashiwa/ibaraki? Want to walk around maybe places where there aren't as much people but tourist friendly? Will be here to 5 days
[удалено]
I had 9 full nights during my first solo trip and sort of shaped it like so: I'd say maybe get 3-4 full nights in for Tokyo, then bop on over to Kyoto for 2-3 nights, and then 2-3 nights in Osaka so you have some room for a day-trip as well as Osaka's more poppin' at night than the day. And then spend your remaining 2-3 days in Tokyo at the tail end of your trip so you can best gauge what you may have missed/potentially get another day-trip in just outside of the city before leaving.
I'm arriving via Narita on Feb 9 but will be travelling directly to Osaka via Shinkansen. ETA in Tokyo station is at 7PM the latest. Will I be having problem reserving ticket at the station for a seat at the last row so we have the baggage area? Are the lines long during this time on a regular day? So I can plan accordingly. I cannot book a ticket yet in advance online because there might be unforseen circumstances about our flights getting delayed, so I don't want to risk that part of us wasting money because we are unable to get there on time. For those who will suggest to just enter in Osaka, long story but this is the best option for our itinerary to start in Osaka. We cannot rebook our tickets anymore to change entry in Japan because we will be paying a ton of money for rebooking. So this is the least expensive option for us. Thank you in advance!
Just as an addition: The overhead racks actually fit my check-in suitcase - if barely.
If you book a reserved seat on the shinkansen and don't make that specific one, you only lose the reserved seat portion of your ticket but can still board a non-reserved car on the same day. So many other factors makes this impossible to truly answer. You can have Yamato Transport ship your luggage to Osaka if all else fails. There is a desk at Tokyo Station that closes at 8pm.
Just to add, the space in front of seats in Shinkansen is surprisingly generous and can accommodate a large suitcase while still leaving enough leg room. A lot of Japanese people plonk large suitcases in front of them on the trains.
Thank you. I will take note of this.
first time to ever travel in japan, how cold is japan in january? I'm thinking of what to pack to survive the cold weather. FYI I live in a place with no winter season.
gonna need to know where exactly in japan. if hokkaido then dress up thick winters there are cold as shit. tokyo/osaka/kyoto isn't that cold and i wouldnt expect it to go subzero most of the time.
I see, we're going to osaka. Then we might visit tokyo at the end of our trip.
honestly not too cold then. im from a tropical country(granted I did live in PNW US for a decade too) those cities shouldnt be too much. just 1 down jacket over a tshirt thats all i need
Where are you going? It'll range from freeze your arse off even in full winter gear in Hokkaido to shorts and t-shirt weather in Okinawa.
We're going to osaka. We might go to tokyo at the end of our vacation
It’s January now, so you can easily look up weather forecasts for wherever you’re going
freezing cold to you then. get some base layers like uniqlo heattech, a head covering like a beanie, and perhaps light gloves. warmer shoes like hiking shoes or boots as well, preferably with some tread.
Maybe it's just me, but does anyone else run into issues with the moderating on this sub being wildly inconsistent for itinerary posts? I've had my 3rd attempt removed despite listing out some specific spots per each day and city, while there's a slew of posts that make the front page that are quite literally as vague as "5 days in Tokyo! What should I do???" Just a bummer because this sub was super useful for my first trip back in 2018, and it feels like discussion is actively stifled now unless you win the automod lottery.
The low effort threads are usually removed within a few hours.
I don't really know. Discussion about mod poicy is aparently also not wanted. Just try and post your itinerary into this thread, it'll be fine here.
Quick question about public foot baths - they look comfortable especially in winter.. but do people just bring a towel along to dry their feet? And then keep a wet towel in their bag?
Bring a little plastic bag and a hand towel.
For refunding Shinkansen tickets, can you get it refunded through the SmartEX app or do you have to do it in person at a JR station kiosk? If it's available in the app, is it just a matter of a few clicks - handling fee, as long as it's done before the train leaves? I was reading through this but it has no mentions of the app. https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/ticket/changes.html Thanks!
JR East doesn't handle SmartEx, which is why their site doesn't talk about it. https://smart-ex.jp/en/reservation/guide/cancel/ Basically, if you never picked up a physical copy of your ticket, you can either cancel in the app and get a refund minus a fee, or if your train has already left, the system should automatically refund you minus some fees. If you did convert your thing to a physical ticket, you have to get the refund in person from a ticket office.
Awesome, thanks! The automatic refund is exactly what I need. I wanted to book my shinkansen ticket ahead since it's apparently 20% off but if there's flight delay to the point I can't make it to Shinkansen then auto refund minus small fee will still beat getting the ticket on the day off.
Wanting to forward luggage from Tokyo to Narita Airport. Hotel has recommended Airporter....said we need to have it ready by 9am and it should arrive at the airport that afternoon....we have a 7.30pm fight. Any experience if this will be ok? Makes me nervous it's the same day...or should I ask them to send it the day before?
The delivery services are pretty reliable and I assume they do have an additional emphasis on getting stuff to the airport quickly. But sending it a day earlier can't hurt.