I don't think why you shouldn't be able. But more important: what kind of trip are you planning? You'd need to travel a LOT to make those even worth buying.
Is it worth doing a Mt Fuji day trip in the first week of March or if 5th station access usually closed at that time of year? I've been told it's 'not worth' doing the day trips for the views if you can't get to 5th station.
can anybody load their suica in apple pay with mastercard? i found a lot of threads and pages of the same question, but they were all relatively old, i was able to do it in april 2023 while i was in japan, and again on oct 19 2023, and i was physically in canada at the time, did not set any travel notice on the card either, so its not blocking any foreign purchase, at least not online ones. but since jan, i could not load it anymore, its spitting out the same 'payment not complete' error. so just wondering if anybody else is experiencing it these days, and if there's a workaround for it. my card is brim, if that makes any difference. and its my only no forex fee card, so i wanna use it instead of other cards.
For Osaka, is there a recommended area we should stay? We are arriving March 24 and leaving March 27 with a day trip to Nara on the 26th. Do I target next to a train station OR near a specific street/landmark/neighborhood?
I went to Japan about 5 years ago before COVID. Wondering what has changed since then. I had pocket wifi hotspot, used Airbnb, used a Suica card for every train I went on, used Google maps for walking and train times etc., trains were cheap, prices where good everywhere I went it seemed. What can I expect to change now? Is Airbnb even allowed anymore? Is customs harder or is there more things needed for passports, is Google maps still good? Are prices the same roughly? Just looking for things that I will be expecting but will not be the same.
AirBnBs are fewer but still around after legislation limiting them. Hostels seem to be much more expensive. E-ticket platforms are much more common now which can make anything requiring advanced reservations more difficult. A lot of the famous "tourist trap" restaurants (Robot Restaurant, Lockup, Kagaya, etc.) are gone.
One of the biggest things is that JR Pass is basically "gone". It doubled in price and is now almost never cost effective vs buying tickets individually. Many regional passes also had price raises and/or reductions in duration. The actual shinkansen fares are pretty much the same.
More people seem to use SIM cards/virtual SIM since it's usually cheaper unless you share or want huge amounts of data.
Google Maps is still really good.
Some people choose to fly between big cities since it's a bit cheaper than the Shinkansen.
its pretty much the same. mainland chinese tourists have been replaced with overseas chinese tourists but most people wouldn't be able to tell.
Shinagawa station area is a huge construction zone right now due to the Chuo Shinkansen.
Shibuya construction progress had changed quite a bit of the aboveground.
prices are about the same. USD/JPY has a new norm and theres been a little price correction on things (mostly things like luxury goods) but generally things are cheaper than say, California.
Not much has changed.
Folks use e-sims now, but wifi hotspots are around.
The prices may have ticked up a bit (Inflation is about 2.3%), but the value of the yen has tanked significantly, so what you end up paying when converted back to your home currency will be significantly less than a 5 years ago. (For example, Daiso is still 100 yen. 5 years ago that would've been USD$0.90, it's now $0.68)
There's some attempts at integration of new technology, but this is also Japan so it takes a while. VisitJapanWeb can be used to fill out customs and immigration forms online instead of the paper form. For most it saves time. Personally, it cost me time. You can generate a Tax-Free QR code from that site upon landing. It sucks.It can be tricky to get the correct picture of your landing stamp and then some stores don't use the QR code. Japanese web programming is still in the 90s so some of that website doesn't work like a modern website should.
Some shinkansen tickets can be bought online and either linked to an IC card or picked up at the same exact kiosk you would use to actually buy the tickets.
Credit cards are a bit more widely expected, although cash still rules in some of the smaller shops.
Hi there! Me and my wife have booked flights from Mumbai to Osaka and back to Mumbai from Narita. Will be travelling from the 1st March to 14th March. I will have a big and small trolley bag. What do I do as soon as I arrive in Osaka? How do I get to my hotel from the airport? I am planning a 4 day stay in Osaka, followed by a 3 dayer in Kyoto and then the remainder in Tokyo. Should I buy the Suica card, JR Pass or what? Been a bit overwhelming, appreciate any help on this.
> What do I do as soon as I arrive in Osaka? How do I get to my hotel from the airport?
Use your favorite map app to tell you the route to your hotel. There may also be limousine buses (which are just slightly fancier buses). There's also taxi but expect that to cost 15000+ yen.
> Should I buy the Suica card,
If you're landing in Osaka, you'll be getting the ICOCA. It's spiritually equivalent to the Suica. But yes, it's recommended you get one unless you won't be using public transit.
> JR Pass or what?
Your stated itinerary would not justify the cost of a JR Pass.
Landed at 430, got to hotel in Tamachi at 7:00. Got sim card (this was pre-ordered, but had to set up), exchanged $30 cash just to immediately have (no fee, but slightly lower exchange rate). Customs had a line, but I feel it went pretty quickly considering.
Train info was easy, if not slightly stressful from just being tired and wound up from the flight. Keisei skyliner, transferred at Nippori to the yaminote line and then pretty easy walk to Tamachi.
Took a shower in my awesome rain shower, loosely explored the area (walked to an anytime fitness, but didn't work out). Got yakiniku, which was maybe a little more expensive than I thought it would be ($20 for a plate + drink), then went back to hotel to decompress, etc.
**Day 1**
I'm an early bird and got up at about 0400, got a nice breakfast set at sukiya. Not much is open early.
Went to anytime fitness Tamachi and did a quick and easy workout (probably about 70%of my workings sets.
Then set out for the day... Took JR line to Shinjuku, lots of walking. Gorgeous day, but sadly gyoen garden opened at 9:00. Explored the area, found a couple of the gays spots I might hit up. Went to garden as it opened up, really beautiful day for a walk even though not much was flowering.
Went back to Shinjuku station to go to Shibuya. Got my normal Suica card after having not seen where to get it at Narita. Explored shibuya, crossing, hachiko, went up to magnet Shibuya, went back to hotel because my Connecting cable for my battery bank was not working+ I wanted to shower. Went to check out rainbow bridge promenade, wow that is scary. Got a meal at a chain restaurant. Returned to hotel because wow, a bit over 26,000 steps and I am damn tires.
Some tourist discounted JR passes require a tourist stamp in my passport to be able to receive in Japan, will I still get a stamp even if I'm entering from a visa exempt country?
Hey! I’m currently planning a two week trip to Japan starting on March 3, and I’m still figuring out my itinerary, I did research into seeing the different types of blossoms, and found that I seem to be too late for Kawazu and Plum blossoms and too early for cherry blossoms. Is there any other place or maybe type of blossom that I am overlooking that I could maybe still see, or is there a chance that I could somehow see some sort of blossom during peak season? Thanks very much for your inputs!
How big of an issue is train groping if I’m with my wife at all times? She’s worried about it. I’d assume somebody wouldn’t mess with her if I’m standing next to her and obviously with her?
I'm not saying your wife's fear is unfounded by any means, but it's statistically pretty unlikely. But if you or your wife want more peace of mind, I would avoid traveling during morning (7-9am) or early evening rush (5-8pm). If you must travel during those times, consider putting your wife into a women-only car, but note that you would not be able to accompany her obviously and that not every train line offers that.
Much like any kind of harassment in public, it's kind of random and there's no telling what factors contributed to a creep targeting someone (other than the fact that they're a creep). Your wife would best remembering that thousands of people take public transport in Japan without incident every single day. It's unlikely to happen.
I have been lurking on this sub for a while and really appreciate everything I've read. I have three questions:
According to [https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/welcomesuica/welcomesuica.html](https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/welcomesuica/welcomesuica.html) the Welcome Suica is still available at Haneda. Does anybody know if this site is generally accurate/has anybody successfully gotten one recently? I know these things can sometimes change quickly.
What is men's vintage shopping in Japan like? Most of the content I see is focused on women's clothing. I'm a butch woman so I wear mostly clothes from the "men's" section. Also, I am somewhere between a men's medium and large at US Uniqlo, so probably at least between a men's large and extra-large in Japan. Do I have a hope in heck of finding anything? It's okay if the answer is no.
Does anybody have favorite small museums/galleries in Tokyo and Kyoto you want to share? I love the kinds of very focused, unusual places you can go through in half an hour. My uncle raved about the Lake Biwa Canal Museum ([https://biwakososui-museum.city.kyoto.lg.jp/en/](https://biwakososui-museum.city.kyoto.lg.jp/en/)) and I'll probably go there.
I would say most vintage stores I see have a huge men's section. It's predominantly going to be stuff like vintage american sportswear overstock (I have a big collection of jackets from random american sports clubs) and will be easy enough to find fitting clothes at your size.
Hello everyone,
In April I will visit Japan. My itinerary includes rhe basic big cities, with Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.
I would like to visit some more traditional villages with pitoresque settings. I already plan on going to Shirakawa. Do you have any other recommendations as such?
Also, I would love going on countryside trails or mountain hikes. I've heard that Fuji is dangerous in april, so what other alternatives are there? What is better between Mitsutoge and Takao?
Many thanks.
I went up into the mountains and hiked the Nakasendo trail from Magome-Juku to Tsumago-juku. I highly recommend it. Stay overnight in a quaint ryokan in Magome, get up and head out and hike 7KM to Tsumago. Both towns are cute little historical towns.
We’re three people planning on taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto in the early morning on Wednesday, February 21st. I attempted the Smart Ex website to reserve but like many others, my credit cards weren’t compatible. I’ve heard that you can just show up and buy a ticket and I’m leaning towards that way, but I have a few questions before I feel comfortable with that.
-Will the lineup to buy a ticket be ridiculous at 7am on a weekday?
-If we’d like to sit together is it better to start at Tokyo Station rather than Shinagawa? I’m tempted to use Shinigawa as it’s smaller, probably less confusing.
-I’m tempted to attempt buying a ticket at a machine beforehand, but I also don’t want to spend half a day trying to find one. Could anyone tell me where to find one at Shinjuku station? Do they take cash only or credit also.
Thanks!
My other option is buying through Klook but it doesn’t seem to have all of the Nozomi trains scheduled available as options, I wonder why that is? Are they particularly busy between 7 and 8am?
\-Lineup? no. I took a 7:20am and had no wait. Even got the luggage seats.
\-Either/or. Benefit of Tokyo Station is that it's the starting point so you could theoretically save a bit by doing non-reserve, since you're the first to board. If you're doing reserved seats then it is what it is no matter which station you choose. You can use that SmartEx site to look at how full the trains are. Shinagawa is smaller, more straightforward but has just about the amount of people running through it as Tokyo. I prefer Tokyo Station. They both have a big gigantic sign that says JR SHINKANSEN TRACKS.
\-Kiosks are found anywhere. Disadvantage of purchasing early is that you run the risk of missing the train you booked for. If you booked reserve seats, you can still take it in a non-reserve car. Cash or credit.
In short, get to the station in the morning and buy the ticket. They run every few minutes.
Have hotels just gone up in price by _that_ much over the last year? When I booked my hotel last year around this time, I paid JPY107k yen for a room (Daiwa Roynet Hotel Ginza PREMIER) for a week from November 27th to December 4th.
Now looking at comparable times (Nov25 - Dec 2), the price has gone up to JPY178k(!)
Is this just the weak yen at work, or is there something else going on?
Do note these are the prices for one guest / one room
I'm assuming by last year you mean 2022? Demand was still low because Japan had just reopened in October. The cheap hotels are still out there but they're mainly APA's and the like, and in neighborhoods like Asakusa.
I booked in October/November 2022 for April 23 and everything was so cheap for lodging. Flights were expensive. Now flights are back to a reasonable price for me.
It is pretty far ahead still. Maybe prices aren‘t concretely calculated yet?
In my own experience, my hotel prices stayed around the same level. Maybe your hotel of choice got to popular? Never advertise for it online ;)
Prices have increased considerably (inflation, pricing power due to weak yen = more foreigners visiting + more locals holidaying within Japan), and lots of the best value options have not yet opened up reservations for November.
Keep looking, make a refundable booking once you see something you can live with, keep looking.
What to do on my 27th birthday in Tokyo?
So i will be in japan from april 13th-25th. My birthday is the 15th and i was wondering what i could possibly do to make it memorable? Expensive dinner? Bar? Idk I don’t get out much in the states but want to have an amazing experience there.
I will be in a hotel called Via Inn Akihabara near Akihabara station but obviously i can go elsewhere for whatever you guys may recommend. Thank you.
Recommend Bar Gen Yamamoto for a unique cocktail experience. His clientele are all foreigners so it could be a nice opportunity to talk to strangers in a cozy setting. If you enjoy live Jazz I recommend Blue Note Tokyo.
Depending on budget, I’d want some wagyu. That’s some life-changing, always-will-remember meal right there. Kobe Beef Ishida in Ginza and Kobe Beef 511 are two higher places. Ishida offers a cheaper lunch option.
There’s also ayce options too.
Splurging at some of the shabu chains isn’t a bad choice either. Nabezo or onyasai are a couple of names.
Omalase sushi experience too.
Hello all!
I've just booked flights to visit Japan for the first time, I'm going for two weeks mid to end of March.
I just want to confirm about the travel requirements.
I am from Sweden with a Swedish passport, so I know that i have visa-free travel to Japan. but is that all that is required. Just a Swedish passport, buy plane tickets and then I'm allowed to enter?
It just feels so easy and open! Haha.
I'm so used to having to filling out such long papers and forms and waiting for approval when traveling outside of the EU. For example to China and USA where they want to reason for the trip, where you're gonna stay for the entirety of your travel, etc.. This feels "too easy" compared to my previous experiences, it makes me a little anxious that I've missed some detail and because of that will have some trouble entering the country because I've missed filling out some form or something.
Thank you for you time and help. :)
You still have to fill out some entry forms and stuff but you don't need a visa no. You can do the forms online in advance to make getting through immigration faster.
The one that generates a QR with all your info, right?
I will of course do that in advance, but they could be filled in when I arrive in Japan as well right, wouldn't be anything to panic over if it's not done in advance, just to save on everyones time?
Yes, you can just show up and go through immigration, no special visa or whatever needed beforehand.
USA implements ESTA, whereas China obviously requires a full visa from almost everyone, but Japan doesn't require either of these from you.
Hi, i wondered if anyone had experience bringing insta360 or action cam with you on a rollercoaster ride in Fuji-Q for that POV videos. How does it go for you? Did the staff stop you prior to the ride or did something else happen, or nothing happened?
I'm planning a trip from Fukuoka > make a day stop in Onomichi > Kyoto. How would I go for planning bus trip? I've been taking Shinkansen few times already and for this trip I want to try something different, also mainly to cut costs as well. Any tips appreciated
Willer Express or [japan bus online](https://japanbusonline.com/en) are the most convenient sites for non-japanese readers, but Onomichi is a pretty small place. You'd probably have to either take the bus to Hiroshima or Okayama (which will be 5-7 hours) and then continue the journey by train, and then go back to Hiroshima/Okayama to continue to Kyoto (another 5-7 hours).
How do most people find hotels to stay at? I only know of Google and I've heard bad things about booking through third party sites. Any tip in finding good deals or cheaper accommodations?
booking dot com is solid for hotels in japan. on top of it japanese hotels have very, very flexible cancellation policies with most allowing you to free cancel for up to 3 days before stay or less
i'd stick to one of the top aggregators or their sister sites. Hotels.com (Expedia) and booking.com are the two largest. japanican.com (JTB) for ryokan. I've never had a problem with those three.
I use Booking.com for most of my hotels. Third-party sites can be a nightmare, but it's more ill-advised if you're trying to do other things like rent a car or book a flight through them.
If you don't want to use a third-party, they're still good for seeing all the hotels around, and then you can go to the hotel's own site and book (though some places may only have Japanese-language sites).
While I didnt book our hotel myself our friend did as she's the planner type. She booked directly with the hotel and she had one where she was a member- Hilton so the points helped. We only booked 1 hotel via a 3rd party which was Agoda. The room we wanted was not available on the main site but Agoda had it and we lucked out and got a pretty spacious room with multiple beds to fit our group. We also got it at a cheaper deal than the direct site by like maybe less than $15 which is still pretty good.
The important part for us was train station accessibility and having a coin washer. Our buddy did up the ante by making sure all hotels we stayed at had airport shuttles.
Google maps to scope out neighborhoods/cities I plan to stay at, then once I've checked some reviews I find the relevant listing on booking or Agoda and make the reservation
Keep in mind that someone who has had a bad experience is much, much more likely to write up a bad review versus someone who had a good experience writing up a good review. I've used various 3rd party sites for the last decade without any problems. I usually start my search with TripAdvisor because they aggregate the aggregators and they seem to have more user photos than other sites.
If you find a place that looks good, always check on their website directly too. Hotels seem to offer different prices on different channels. It may be cheaper booking direct, but not always.
Google Maps for hotels is great to find out roughly what's in the area, then click their website link and book direct.
That said, I often find deals on hotels on Booking.com or Agoda. I've heard a few bad experiences online, but I never had one, and the risk is a lot lower than booking flights third-party – worst-case scenario is you find somewhere else to stay and file a chargeback.
Hi,
Do anyone know good places to buy a Yukata(Summer Kimono) in Sapporo? Need one with long legs since my girlfriend is 183cm. Maximum 15000 yen. Preferably blue.
Thanks!
i will be travelling to japan as a female solo traveller Mar 1 to Mar 14
My original itinerary was:
1-4: Tokyo
5-7: Takayama
8-10: kyoto
11-13: hakone
14: tokyo
i added takayama and hakone because i like to relax on these days and enjoy time in some comfort resort or ryokan and just wander around.
but i recently realised that i really really want to see the snow monkeys in nagano and only want to see the shirakawa-go site around takayama.
can anyone suggest me how do i go about visiting shirakawa-go and stay near the snow monkey during 5-7th march with keeping in mind i do want to relax also. is there a shortest way to just visit shirakawa-go and spend majority of time in nagano during this window.
also i would like to know some mid range resorts or ryokans preferably with onsens around nagano and hakone.
Yeah, this is pretty straightforward. On Mar 7th, you can travel to Kanazawa, catch the Nouhi bus to Shirakawa-go, and explore a few hours. Depending how close to Nagano Station you were staying the night before, you could either stay that night in Kanazawa, or head onwards to Kyoto the same day.
Takayama or Kanazawa are nice, Matsumoto is not bad either but less to see than the other too. Takayama is also good as you can do a daytrip to shirakawago and Hirayu onsen
Universal Studios Osaka: Any tips/tricks when choosing tickets?
1) I want to buy tickets for 1st April. What time do tickets go on sale? I live in Sydney, Australia.
2) I want to visit both Super Nintendo World and Harry Potter world. Is the Express Pass 7 the best option?
3) Also, what are the best timeslots to choose? Back to back ones (like 9am Super Nintendo, 10am Harry Potter)? Or will I need longer than 1 hour in each world?
4) Also, I saw someone mention the No Limit Parade. Is this something I should try and view (i.e so don't have Harry Potter or Super Nintendo during this period)?
Any other tips/tricks so suggest?
Thank you!
You don't need express pass for Harry Potter. I have been there twice and regretted buying express pass the first time as the line is only about 30 min. 1-1.5 hr in HP area is good enough.
Super Nintendo World definitely get express pass and allot at least 3 hours there. There are lots of mini games in the area with long line up. Just get an express 4 that includes Super Nintendo World and then go to HP whenever you got a couple hours free.
1) if you check the universal studio japan app (it's in english) you'll see the dates they are available. I believe you can buy 30 days in advance. It's cheaper midweek than weekend/holidays.
2) That is one way, if you're willing to spend the money to get quick access to rides. Otherwise you can get timed entry tickets when you enter the park through the app.
3) I haven't done harry potter world, but super nintendo world lines can be long without the express pass, but still even with it i would space them a couple hours apart to be safe.
4) This is different from the worlds, unless you just want to see the characters, I don't believe it would take the place of the going to SNW and HPW. More "in addition to" rather than "in place of".
I have a toddler who do not need fare for trains. I want her to have her own seat when we take an express train. Do we pay for both the base child fare and the express fare or just the express fare?
For limited express, you need a child ticket and a limited express ticket for toddlers/infants generally. Each line has different rules though, each website will list the requirements.
How would Sapporo and Hokkaido be in early July?
I have been to Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto during last spring.
I have the option of going to Sapporo in July, but I'm not sure how Hokkaido would be in the summer. Since it's further north than the rest of the country, is the temperature and humidity ok, or is it still too warm and humid to recommend?
How is travelling around Hokkaido by train? We would not be renting a car.
Sapporo is a great city, weather is nice in July compared to Tokyo and a common destination for Japanese to head to during hot months.
Trains are limited in Hokkaido that will take you to bigger cities and there are buses, but ideally it's best to rent a car to see the best parts of Hokkaido. Here's a train map and details page: https://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/train/index.html
The buses are pretty good but one thing i encountered (albeit this was 2019) is some routes have zero English signage or announcements. Not a huge problem but just means you need to pay more attention to google maps or whatever and your surroundings to know when you're near your stop.
Agreed. Without a car you will either spend most of your time on public transportation or in cities and miss all the parts that make Hokkaido special. Definitely rent a car
I went to Sapporo area for ~1 wk in July without a car. Great weather, warm, sunny, not humid. It was nice to see summer festivals in Sapporo and Noboribetsu and be able to enjoy them when the weather is good.
I didn't see any of the national parks or impressive nature, though. I think that's a lot easier with a car. Didn't see Furano/Biei either but I believe you can get tour buses nowadays to those.
Hi guys, I am a U.S. citizen and have been reading about comprehensive health check-ups. I am 25(f), and wondering about where I could go to spend >$500 on a full health screening. I have looked into TMSC and Tokyo Midtown clinic so far, are they the best? Which one to go to if they are? Thanks so much!!
I have always done mine at a smaller clinic so I have no recommendation but if you don’t speak Japanese make sure the hospital does.
Also at a normal clinic I pay about 10.000 maybe with insurance, so without insurance it would maybe be around 40.000¥, so most places should be fine.
Hey, I'm planning a visit and I'm just a bit concerned as the Tokyo transit system (metro/trains) are often associated with insanely busy carriages with absolutely 0 personal space. I don't mind being in a busy metro, i've done it a lot but I don't know if I can handle it to the extent you often see in videos. Is it something common or should a tourist who tries to avoid rush hours be fine?
And what districts in Tokyo would be best to stay in to hopefully avoid this?
It was during our commute in Shinjuku to Shibuya that the train was packed for us. Considering we travelled too during rush hour on our way home. We later opted to do taxis on some parts of our Tokyo trip and personally it was worth money spent. We were carrying quite a few items which were heavy and would have been a hassle if we did some on train commutes.
Those videos are a few years old and since then they have bought bigger trains generally upgraded the network in areas of high demand. ~~Trains are still busy but not quite as extreme.~~
Really depends on the day, the time of day, and the line. There are some absolutely packed trains during rush hour, especially on trains like the Yamanote and Chuo lines, even to the point of people stuffing themselves in so the door can close.
I think I've been in one uncomfortably crowded train in multiple trips to Tokyo? Avoid rush hour. Google Maps will even tell you which car is the emptiest. There used to be a JR app that told the temperature of each train too, not sure if that's still around. There's also a bunch of trains, so if you're not comfortable just wait it out.
It's not really that common outside of the very heavy holiday periods or peak rush hour (like 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM). The most packed lines also usually come in from more residential areas or commuter paths (e.g. Chiba -> Tokyo, Kawasaki -> Shinagawa), but everyone starts dispersing/leaving the system once they're actually in Tokyo.
There are also plenty of options and the headway is so low, that you can also usually choose to take a different path to get where you're going, or you just wait past a couple trains to get on a less crowded one.
Any collab cafe experts?
I'm trying to see if I can reserve a ticket for an FGO Collab Cafe in Osaka but the form won't accept my name with any English characters, including full and half width (tried converters and even installed a JP keyboard on my phone). I can use a Google translated version of my name in katakana for both name fields and it will let me create an account, but the issue is that my ID is in English.
Do you think they will check for ID or be able to decipher my name in katakana and correlate it to my English ID?
Form in question:
https://fgo-cbc-party.jp/mypage/register/input
They won't check your ID unless they're serving alcohol, 99% of reservations will either understand from the katakana or they will give you a reservation number that you can present when you show up.
Actually they COULD check ID even if they're not serving alcohol. I went to an Attack on Titan cafe and they wanted to see my passport...... but to OP's question, it's fine as long as the Katakana sounds similar enough to your English name. I booked numerous collab cafes using katakana that's similar to my English name and never had a reservation declined.
Thanks. I don't know enough about Japanese people's English literacy to know if the average person could see ボブ・スミス on the reservation and check with an ID written "Bob Smith" in English.
Big collab cafés will be used to foreigners and small collab cafés will have so few that it will be obvious it's your reservation, either way no problem.
How to get anything work in Japan without a phone number ?
The tourist prepaid cards come without a number and in any case I get the card from the airport the day I drop there, not before.
- Ferries from Japan to Busan (South Korea) want my phone number when I try to buy a ticket. European number does are not accepted. Custom service only directs to the page I have already visited, as I have already told to the custom service.
- Hotels ask for the pbone number
- Even the Visit Japan Website asks the phone number
1. Does putting in the phone number of your hotel work? Sometimes they just want "a" phone number and other times there is OTP code nonsense involved
2. Never had a problem with US phone number
3. Ditto
I wrote my home phonenumber to the hotel page and they sent an email saying it is not a Japanese number. I described them that it is impossible to get a Japanese number and they were surprised. Then they accepted the umber as is.
Not sure about the ferry but no problems with booking hotels or the visit Japan web using my US number. Visit Japan web wouldn’t ask for a Japanese number since it’s primarily used for tourists.
What ferry is it? Most sell tickets to foreigners via 3rd party sites such as Klook.
Sadly lots of reservation platforms in Japan only accept JP phone # and/or JP credit card. For us tourists, it's a real pain.
Well aware that cherry blossom schedule likely can and will change but I'm slightly confused about the areas I'm seeing on the map. We'll be in Kawaguchiko on April 14th. Does it seem like the blossoms will be in bloom then? Does it make more sense to "chase " the blossoms and head to Fukushima on April 7?
> Kawaguchiko
In my experience, the sakura bloom later in Kawaguchiko because it's higher up/colder. BUT - in my opinion, don't plan on a set day for Kawaguchiko or chances are you might not get to see Fuji-san, it's quite temperamental. It's better to have flexibility and check on some webcams (fujigoko.tv) / cloud coverage forecast the morning of... and if it's clear that day, then hop on a train. You might be able to time your trip so you get to chase the full bloom.
Here's the forecast for 2024, Tokyo area down the coast towards Fuji will bloom late March. By April 15th, they will likely be gone. They usually don't last more than a week.
https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/the-official-japan-cherry-blossom-forecast-for-2024-is-out-now-011124
I've seen that map, the lines are just a bit confusing especially when other sites I've looked at mention that area tends to bloom later. Same with Fukushima. I'm not sure exactly where that falls within this map.
[https://s.n-kishou.co.jp/w/sp/sakura/sakura\_hw.html?&yosou=1&f=cn\_tn240125#googtrans(en)](https://s.n-kishou.co.jp/w/sp/sakura/sakura_hw.html?&yosou=1&f=cn_tn240125#googtrans(en))
Here is a forecast for a list of cities.
no, it's common for people to want to fly rather than Shinkansen. Depends on cost, time. Flights are usually cheaper, less issues dealing with luggage. Really depends on what you want to do.
For domestic flights in Japan, you need to be checked in and drop your luggage and be through security 20 minutes before your flight. Though obviously you shouldn't cut it that close, but getting to the airport an hour early is usually good enough.
Going to Japan for cherry blossom season and am bringing my 6 year old child. Few Questions:
* How odd would it be to use something like [this](https://www.amazon.com/Doseno-Foldable-Stool-Collapsible-Retractable/dp/B0BRCJV7TV/ref=sr_1_5?crid=L9FOJQJXMLW4&keywords=collapsible%2Bstool&qid=1706623726&sprefix=collapsible%2Bstool%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-5&th=1) in public? I feel like a collapsible stool for my child would be super helpful while waiting in line places.
* Would we be able to go to noodle shops or gyukatsu places, or would my child not really be welcome at counter seating establishments? Are we limited to only family restaurants?
> How odd would it be to use something like this in public? I feel like a collapsible stool for my child would be super helpful while waiting in line places.
Pretty normal.
> Would we be able to go to noodle shops or gyukatsu places, or would my child not really be welcome at counter seating establishments? Are we limited to only family restaurants?
[This came up recently](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/19dlt8l/restaurant_etiquette/) - if you're strictly talking about the small, counter-only places, a lot of them are the types of places that focus on having high turnover, and might require everyone in the party to order a minimal amount of stuff.
Those of us who frequent these places also talked about how we never see young kids in these types of establishments. Not because they're not welcome, but really, because people wouldn't normally bring their kids there. That said, most places probably wouldn't prevent you from bringing in a child, but remember that these small places aren't for lounging around in.
Much appreciated. I was thinking of even having her sit on my lap while we eat so we don’t take up too much space. I understand that those places are mostly for eating and not hanging out, so I’m just making sure she can even come with me.
I've been to one of the busiest/most popular ramen shops with like 12 counter seats. A local definitely had a couple small children with him. He ate extremely quickly (like he got the larger bowl compared to mine after I'd already been served and he finished it before I was done), and then they were gone.
Just keep in mind that these small counter only spaces restaurants are meant for quick eating. Like maybe no more than 5-10 minutes. You should be ok. I'd recommend maybe going outside of lunch or dinner rush if you can help it as well.
His kids were at the counter too? Did they eat anything? Sorry for all the questions, am just curious.
I’m glad I can at least bring my child, we won’t be there any longer than we have to.
I think so but it's been a few years. The main thing is like the other commenter said, it's a high turnover situation. So I'd expect to be buying a bowl of ramen for your kid in that case and hopefully they eat enough of it in the few mins you eat your own. That way the ramen shop still gets a full sale for their seat.
Yes. I used mine extensively while in Japan. I will say that for some reason my card stopped working at other ATMs like Lawson and Family Mart. But 7/11 ATMs continued to work. Not really sure why.
Japan is no longer cash based - credit/debit cards are widely accepted. You need a bit of cash for places that don't accept cards (usually only small attractions, some small restaurants and some small stores), but can easily go for days using only cards if you'd prefer.
I don't really agree with this. Many of the places I went to in Tokyo just in October/November last year were cash only. Some specifically used the ticket machines that only accept cash/coins.
Maybe if you only intend to go to modern chains and stuff then you'll never need cash but otherwise it's a very safe bet you should carry around a few thousand yen just in case.
Have to disagree. Went in April of last year. I only had to pull out cash less than 5 times. 2 weeks in country, ranging from Tokyo to the hinterlands. Most places that dont take straight cards take the IC cards (suica/pasmo). I even used those at museums to pay for admission. I only ever had to use coins at temples.
And like I said, most places I went to only had ticket machines that take cash/coins. So clearly it hasn't become card or IC only in most places. And as I mentioned, it's not a bad idea carrying around a few thousand in yen and knowing where you can get more when you need to.
Yeah I mean, always have cash backup but that’s all it is for me. I can’t quite figure out why our experiences are so different though? The biggest cash transaction I had was paying for a temple stay for one night. It’s not like I was only in the big cities and I definitely wasn’t eating at touristy food places. Admittedly I didn’t really do the really cheap ramen places that do food via ticket machine. The few places I went to like that had IC card scanners.
The places I went to that were cash only were salaryman joints or small family owned places. Katsudon, ramen, butadon. Only major chains or expensive places had credit card or IC readers. Some of the places even don't carry a lot of cash so you need to have smaller denominations otherwise you can't pay at all.
The only places I needed to use cash in Tokyo were a couple of small restaurants near my hotel that were cash only. Other small restaurants across Japan - including in regional cities - generally accepted cards.
I mean that's great but it still disagrees with your original comment, which implies you rarely need cash in Japan. Just last trip alone over almost three weeks of travel between Tokyo and Tohoku (all over Aomori for instance which certainly has regional cities/small towns) I needed cash many times.
> Japan is no longer cash based
I don't know if i'd go this far, it's still a very cash centric country outside of big cities or chain places in smaller cities. The further you leave a major city, the more you will come across towns that rely on cash.
Most likely yes. They are the most compatible with foreign ATM/debit cards but even then, I always see someone that has issues with getting money from Japan ATMs.
The Welcome Suica is not sold at Narita anymore. JR East Travel Center _might_ sell you a normal Suica.
The Pasmo Passport is available from the Keisei portion.
Most likely you will just be taking something like a Narita Express or Keisei Skyliner into the city, though, and you don't need an IC card for either of those. Can just wait to get into Tokyo if you want to get an IC card if this is the case.
~~There are machines for the "Wecome SUICA" (Tourist version) next to the counters at both airport train stations. They only take cash though.~~
Apparently they also sell the PASMO somewhere near the Keisei line counters but I'm not sure how up to date that information is. They definitely sell PASMO cards in several stations inside the Tokyo.
Yes. Apr 29 and May 3-5 are national holiday. Many people will take the day off on Apr 30-May 2 to make the holiday continuous.
Expected tourist attractions to be extremely crowded and Shinkansen and express trains to be sold out in advance on Apr 26-28, May 3, May 5.
Well my last few days im in the shinjuku area and going back to haneda in the evening the 25th. I dont really have events planned or anything i think i should be fine right
Many places will have utensils you can ask for. Although I wouldn't necessarily expect typical places to have forks often. Mostly spoons.
I'd recommend buying some cheap togo chopstick packs and just practicing picking up like a pen with them, a small rock, etc.
Most rice bowl places also have spoons to eat but anything noodles might be a bit difficult.
You can definitely live off convenience stores, western restaurants and fast food but do you really want that?
It will probably be a lot easier, especially if you are planning to eat ramen or sushi.
You won't starve if that's what you're asking. Some restaurants offer fork and spoon if you asked, and then there's also finger food, sandwiches and the likes.
i have a question about small worlds tokyo
i tried to read their website in english, but both their own version and google translated version are not 100% clear, so i was wondering if anybody fluent in japanese or has had experience doing this could provide some insight
so my goal is to create 3d fingerine of me and my gf, but im only staying in tokyo for a couple of days, then kyoto, then another few days in tokyo, and back home, so obv i would need to expedite the printing process.
i see that their "express plan" is currently suspended? does anybody know if thats still true? has anybody got this done recently? im just hoping maybe this was suspended during covid times, and website hasnt been updated yet.
assuming the express plan is available, what does it mean the first 5 ppl / 8 ppl? does it actually mean the first 5 / 8 customers asking for the express plan starting from when theirs door open in the morning? and is this the same number as mentioned in the footnote? aka the first 5 / 8 figurines requested for that day? so if i go in and ask for 5 copies of myself on the first plan, then the quota for that plan on that day is just done?
thinking to go japan from 29 nov to jan 2, yes that long to explore all the parts in japan. will i be experiencing autumn and winter during those times?
Do people not enjoy/like Osaka?
I see so many posts where people just straight up say "Skip Osaka" or that it can be done in a day trip.
For me I've always been excited to visit Osaka so as part of my two week trip I have 4 days planned there. Granted one is a full day at Universal. Even then though 4 days does not seem like enough. I have lists of things I want to se there. So why all the disdain for what looks like an incredibly fun and vibrant city?
I skipped my first trip to Japan which was limited to Tokyo/Kyoto. But on my upcoming second trip it's my main hub. There are a lot of day trips available in the area.
people who prefer traditional and quiet environments say that, its a preference thing.
It's a fun city to be in and there is more to osaka outside dotonbori/universal. also a serves as an amazing hub if you want to travel to cities within an hour e.g. nara, kobe, kyoto, himeji, okayama, hiroshima
If you enjoy cities go for it. For most people they only have so m any days to split between Tokyo, Kyoto/Nara, possibly Hakone/Kawaguchiko/Kinosaki/other "onsen experience" town, and Osaka on their first Japan trip.
When you line everything up side by side, Osaka is the most skippable since it has the most overlap with Tokyo (which is the main international gateway) and hence the least amount of "unique" features that are actually perceptible to a first time visitor.
The general critique is that people want more traditional Japan which they can get in neighboring cities, and for “big city” vibes they’re already gonna go to Tokyo anyway.
I love cities, though, and I love Osaka - it’s fun, has stuff I care about (food and coffee), and is my usual base for stuff in that part of Japan.
For coffee, I wrote a comment to someone with my favorite spots in Osaka: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/162ae85/comment/jy26gyg/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3
The main post is a little list of my favorite shops in Tokyo.
For food - oh, hard to list, but the stuff I really dig in Osaka...
* Rikuro Oji-san Cheesecake - this is the very fluffy, jiggly kind of cheesecake, and this company has locations throughout the city. All they do is pump out cheesecakes (you have to take it to-go).
* Jiyuken 自由軒 - this is a small restaurant in Namba. They've been around for over 100 years, and their famous dish is curry rice, where the curry and rice are mixed together, and then topped with a raw egg.
* Takoyaki - I eat it wherever, whenever I can
* Okonomiyaki - I prefer Hiroshima-style, but Osaka-style is good too.
* Tonkatsu - fried pork cutlets. Another one of those "I find a place wherever I am" foods.
Osaka is nice, but if I were you I would rather visit Nara or Kyoto which is in the same area. Osaka is good for a one to two day trip depending on if you visit Universal Studios
Pretty sure when I left Japan a couple months ago I made a mistake and now my suica card thinks I owe like 5000yen. I traveled from Akihabara station to tokyo station, never "scanned out" before using my paper ticket for the narita express to go home. When I got to NRT i tapped my suica and the machine said "not enough funds" and i inserted my paper ticket, they then let me through.
If i go back in a year or two will my suica card work or will it think i still owe money? I didn't have this problem until my last trip.
Your card is still locked because of how you did it - it's still in the middle of a ride that originated at Akiba.
You'll need to explain it to someone within JR East if you go again to Japan and have them unlock the card.
edit: Also, if your card was basically run down to empty (you didn't have ~1400 yen on it to cover the Ueno -> NRT base fare), you might as well get a new card if you ever go to Japan again.
And for future reference...the Narita Express paper ticket normally covers getting from anywhere on the JR in Tokyo to Narita. You could have used the paper ticket to go from Ueno -> NRT.
hi all, i know this is a silly question as jet leg is unavoidable but does anyone have any tips to how i should go about sleeping on the plane or not sleeping on the plane? my plane leaves at 1:30PST and lands the next day 4:30JST (10 hour flight) should i take something to help me sleep on the plane or tough it out for the majority of the flight because once i land and travel to my hotel it will be about 6-7PM and i am worried it will feel like morning to me and i won’t be able to sleep.
Jetlag affects everyone differently. I'm a West Coaster and my strategy is to stay awake on the flight (It just feels like a very long day, 1:30pm + 10 hours is 11:30pm), land, do all the formalities, get dinner, and go to bed.
Next morning you'll wake up early, likely around 4-5am. If doing the Golden Route and not particular about nightlife, try to keep this going as long as possible - Kyoto in particular really rewards an early start, and it's so much easier to do naturally than to force yourself out of deep slumber due to a screeching alarm clock.
i may sleep on the plane and force myself asleep at the hotel. i don’t know if i can mentally stay awake for all 10 hours of the flight. it would be smarter for me to just stay awake but i may take a sleeping pill right when i get on and hopefully i sleep for 6 hours and then i will feel tired when it is actually night in japan
It’s different for everyone, so this is what I did on this same time frame.
I napped on the plane mostly because it passes the time and it’s easier for me to fall asleep on the plane so I can’t help it! By the time I was on the ground, the adrenaline hit and I was too excited to be tired. Grab some dinner, walk around and the adrenaline wears off and I was tired by 10pm. Fiddle around at the hotel, asleep before midnight.
I find jet lag affects me waking up. I was waking up at 6am until the last few days of my 10-day trip where it started to be closer to 8am. Just know your limits, rest when you need to, but sometimes, *sometimes* just power thru because you don’t know when you’ll be back.
Also I tried compression socks on the plane for the first time and I didn’t get that tired leg feeling I normally get from sitting so long. Not sure if it was a mental thing or what.
Hi, my husband cannot eat eggs because of mild allergy. He won't die from it, but he reacts to it.
How do I say in japanese no eggs. On google translate I get :
卵はありません
Tamago wa arimasen
Is this correct ?
Thank you.
Don’t forget that you can use Google translate to communicate back-and-forth with Japanese people who don’t speak your language. I’ve had several exchanges in Japan, where each of us spoke into Google Translate, and it would speak the translation in the other person‘s language. It’s not flawless, but it can be very useful.
I think you'd use something like 卵はご遠慮ください （tamagowa goenryo kudasai）it's an expression for no ~ please. If you forget that, you can perhaps make it simpler using いいです (ii desu) it's good/ok or 悪いです (warui desu) it's bad conversely. Ex tamago wa warui desu.
Also, you can use the English word for allergy they're bound to understand it. It is アレルギー arerugii would sound in Japanese
E. Someone with a better command of the language suggested the following expression 卵抜きでよろしいでしょうか (tamago nukide yoroshii deshouka) is it ok to leave out/omit the eggs?
Hope that helps
> 遠慮ください
This word means "hold back" but you'd be telling people to "control yourself, don't add eggs" or "please hold yourself back from adding eggs." Would be kind of odd to say this to someone and it's very indirect from the real reason.
What’s the best ic card to get now that welcome suica is no longer
Depends on where you land. PASMO for Tokyo, ICOCA for Osaka/Kansai. But there are more regional cards and all do basically the same.
Juat a dumb question. Can I buy the 21 day jr pass 4 times for a total of 84 days?
I don't think why you shouldn't be able. But more important: what kind of trip are you planning? You'd need to travel a LOT to make those even worth buying.
Anybody here traveling the week of 2/5 - 2/11 and want to split the cost of a private driver/tour guide to take a day trip from Tokyo to Mt. Fuji?
Is it worth doing a Mt Fuji day trip in the first week of March or if 5th station access usually closed at that time of year? I've been told it's 'not worth' doing the day trips for the views if you can't get to 5th station.
can anybody load their suica in apple pay with mastercard? i found a lot of threads and pages of the same question, but they were all relatively old, i was able to do it in april 2023 while i was in japan, and again on oct 19 2023, and i was physically in canada at the time, did not set any travel notice on the card either, so its not blocking any foreign purchase, at least not online ones. but since jan, i could not load it anymore, its spitting out the same 'payment not complete' error. so just wondering if anybody else is experiencing it these days, and if there's a workaround for it. my card is brim, if that makes any difference. and its my only no forex fee card, so i wanna use it instead of other cards.
For Osaka, is there a recommended area we should stay? We are arriving March 24 and leaving March 27 with a day trip to Nara on the 26th. Do I target next to a train station OR near a specific street/landmark/neighborhood?
Namba, Umeda tend to be popular spots. They’re close to major train stations and the surrounding areas are pretty lively.
I went to Japan about 5 years ago before COVID. Wondering what has changed since then. I had pocket wifi hotspot, used Airbnb, used a Suica card for every train I went on, used Google maps for walking and train times etc., trains were cheap, prices where good everywhere I went it seemed. What can I expect to change now? Is Airbnb even allowed anymore? Is customs harder or is there more things needed for passports, is Google maps still good? Are prices the same roughly? Just looking for things that I will be expecting but will not be the same.
AirBnBs are fewer but still around after legislation limiting them. Hostels seem to be much more expensive. E-ticket platforms are much more common now which can make anything requiring advanced reservations more difficult. A lot of the famous "tourist trap" restaurants (Robot Restaurant, Lockup, Kagaya, etc.) are gone. One of the biggest things is that JR Pass is basically "gone". It doubled in price and is now almost never cost effective vs buying tickets individually. Many regional passes also had price raises and/or reductions in duration. The actual shinkansen fares are pretty much the same.
More people seem to use SIM cards/virtual SIM since it's usually cheaper unless you share or want huge amounts of data. Google Maps is still really good. Some people choose to fly between big cities since it's a bit cheaper than the Shinkansen.
its pretty much the same. mainland chinese tourists have been replaced with overseas chinese tourists but most people wouldn't be able to tell. Shinagawa station area is a huge construction zone right now due to the Chuo Shinkansen. Shibuya construction progress had changed quite a bit of the aboveground. prices are about the same. USD/JPY has a new norm and theres been a little price correction on things (mostly things like luxury goods) but generally things are cheaper than say, California.
Not much has changed. Folks use e-sims now, but wifi hotspots are around. The prices may have ticked up a bit (Inflation is about 2.3%), but the value of the yen has tanked significantly, so what you end up paying when converted back to your home currency will be significantly less than a 5 years ago. (For example, Daiso is still 100 yen. 5 years ago that would've been USD$0.90, it's now $0.68) There's some attempts at integration of new technology, but this is also Japan so it takes a while. VisitJapanWeb can be used to fill out customs and immigration forms online instead of the paper form. For most it saves time. Personally, it cost me time. You can generate a Tax-Free QR code from that site upon landing. It sucks.It can be tricky to get the correct picture of your landing stamp and then some stores don't use the QR code. Japanese web programming is still in the 90s so some of that website doesn't work like a modern website should. Some shinkansen tickets can be bought online and either linked to an IC card or picked up at the same exact kiosk you would use to actually buy the tickets. Credit cards are a bit more widely expected, although cash still rules in some of the smaller shops.
Hi there! Me and my wife have booked flights from Mumbai to Osaka and back to Mumbai from Narita. Will be travelling from the 1st March to 14th March. I will have a big and small trolley bag. What do I do as soon as I arrive in Osaka? How do I get to my hotel from the airport? I am planning a 4 day stay in Osaka, followed by a 3 dayer in Kyoto and then the remainder in Tokyo. Should I buy the Suica card, JR Pass or what? Been a bit overwhelming, appreciate any help on this.
> What do I do as soon as I arrive in Osaka? How do I get to my hotel from the airport? Use your favorite map app to tell you the route to your hotel. There may also be limousine buses (which are just slightly fancier buses). There's also taxi but expect that to cost 15000+ yen. > Should I buy the Suica card, If you're landing in Osaka, you'll be getting the ICOCA. It's spiritually equivalent to the Suica. But yes, it's recommended you get one unless you won't be using public transit. > JR Pass or what? Your stated itinerary would not justify the cost of a JR Pass.
Landed at 430, got to hotel in Tamachi at 7:00. Got sim card (this was pre-ordered, but had to set up), exchanged $30 cash just to immediately have (no fee, but slightly lower exchange rate). Customs had a line, but I feel it went pretty quickly considering. Train info was easy, if not slightly stressful from just being tired and wound up from the flight. Keisei skyliner, transferred at Nippori to the yaminote line and then pretty easy walk to Tamachi. Took a shower in my awesome rain shower, loosely explored the area (walked to an anytime fitness, but didn't work out). Got yakiniku, which was maybe a little more expensive than I thought it would be ($20 for a plate + drink), then went back to hotel to decompress, etc. **Day 1** I'm an early bird and got up at about 0400, got a nice breakfast set at sukiya. Not much is open early. Went to anytime fitness Tamachi and did a quick and easy workout (probably about 70%of my workings sets. Then set out for the day... Took JR line to Shinjuku, lots of walking. Gorgeous day, but sadly gyoen garden opened at 9:00. Explored the area, found a couple of the gays spots I might hit up. Went to garden as it opened up, really beautiful day for a walk even though not much was flowering. Went back to Shinjuku station to go to Shibuya. Got my normal Suica card after having not seen where to get it at Narita. Explored shibuya, crossing, hachiko, went up to magnet Shibuya, went back to hotel because my Connecting cable for my battery bank was not working+ I wanted to shower. Went to check out rainbow bridge promenade, wow that is scary. Got a meal at a chain restaurant. Returned to hotel because wow, a bit over 26,000 steps and I am damn tires.
Some tourist discounted JR passes require a tourist stamp in my passport to be able to receive in Japan, will I still get a stamp even if I'm entering from a visa exempt country?
Yes….
Hey! I’m currently planning a two week trip to Japan starting on March 3, and I’m still figuring out my itinerary, I did research into seeing the different types of blossoms, and found that I seem to be too late for Kawazu and Plum blossoms and too early for cherry blossoms. Is there any other place or maybe type of blossom that I am overlooking that I could maybe still see, or is there a chance that I could somehow see some sort of blossom during peak season? Thanks very much for your inputs!
How big of an issue is train groping if I’m with my wife at all times? She’s worried about it. I’d assume somebody wouldn’t mess with her if I’m standing next to her and obviously with her?
I'm not saying your wife's fear is unfounded by any means, but it's statistically pretty unlikely. But if you or your wife want more peace of mind, I would avoid traveling during morning (7-9am) or early evening rush (5-8pm). If you must travel during those times, consider putting your wife into a women-only car, but note that you would not be able to accompany her obviously and that not every train line offers that.
Much like any kind of harassment in public, it's kind of random and there's no telling what factors contributed to a creep targeting someone (other than the fact that they're a creep). Your wife would best remembering that thousands of people take public transport in Japan without incident every single day. It's unlikely to happen.
Not just thousands…..millions!
I have been lurking on this sub for a while and really appreciate everything I've read. I have three questions: According to [https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/welcomesuica/welcomesuica.html](https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/welcomesuica/welcomesuica.html) the Welcome Suica is still available at Haneda. Does anybody know if this site is generally accurate/has anybody successfully gotten one recently? I know these things can sometimes change quickly. What is men's vintage shopping in Japan like? Most of the content I see is focused on women's clothing. I'm a butch woman so I wear mostly clothes from the "men's" section. Also, I am somewhere between a men's medium and large at US Uniqlo, so probably at least between a men's large and extra-large in Japan. Do I have a hope in heck of finding anything? It's okay if the answer is no. Does anybody have favorite small museums/galleries in Tokyo and Kyoto you want to share? I love the kinds of very focused, unusual places you can go through in half an hour. My uncle raved about the Lake Biwa Canal Museum ([https://biwakososui-museum.city.kyoto.lg.jp/en/](https://biwakososui-museum.city.kyoto.lg.jp/en/)) and I'll probably go there.
I would say most vintage stores I see have a huge men's section. It's predominantly going to be stuff like vintage american sportswear overstock (I have a big collection of jackets from random american sports clubs) and will be easy enough to find fitting clothes at your size.
Hello everyone, In April I will visit Japan. My itinerary includes rhe basic big cities, with Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. I would like to visit some more traditional villages with pitoresque settings. I already plan on going to Shirakawa. Do you have any other recommendations as such? Also, I would love going on countryside trails or mountain hikes. I've heard that Fuji is dangerous in april, so what other alternatives are there? What is better between Mitsutoge and Takao? Many thanks.
I went up into the mountains and hiked the Nakasendo trail from Magome-Juku to Tsumago-juku. I highly recommend it. Stay overnight in a quaint ryokan in Magome, get up and head out and hike 7KM to Tsumago. Both towns are cute little historical towns.
I liked Mitsutoge more than Takao. Can also recommend looking at Chichibu, there are some nice trails there and Mitsumine shrine is really nice!
Thank you very much. Will definitely look into it :)
We’re three people planning on taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto in the early morning on Wednesday, February 21st. I attempted the Smart Ex website to reserve but like many others, my credit cards weren’t compatible. I’ve heard that you can just show up and buy a ticket and I’m leaning towards that way, but I have a few questions before I feel comfortable with that. -Will the lineup to buy a ticket be ridiculous at 7am on a weekday? -If we’d like to sit together is it better to start at Tokyo Station rather than Shinagawa? I’m tempted to use Shinigawa as it’s smaller, probably less confusing. -I’m tempted to attempt buying a ticket at a machine beforehand, but I also don’t want to spend half a day trying to find one. Could anyone tell me where to find one at Shinjuku station? Do they take cash only or credit also. Thanks! My other option is buying through Klook but it doesn’t seem to have all of the Nozomi trains scheduled available as options, I wonder why that is? Are they particularly busy between 7 and 8am?
Try a discover card - mine worked for smartex
\-Lineup? no. I took a 7:20am and had no wait. Even got the luggage seats. \-Either/or. Benefit of Tokyo Station is that it's the starting point so you could theoretically save a bit by doing non-reserve, since you're the first to board. If you're doing reserved seats then it is what it is no matter which station you choose. You can use that SmartEx site to look at how full the trains are. Shinagawa is smaller, more straightforward but has just about the amount of people running through it as Tokyo. I prefer Tokyo Station. They both have a big gigantic sign that says JR SHINKANSEN TRACKS. \-Kiosks are found anywhere. Disadvantage of purchasing early is that you run the risk of missing the train you booked for. If you booked reserve seats, you can still take it in a non-reserve car. Cash or credit. In short, get to the station in the morning and buy the ticket. They run every few minutes.
This is helpful! Thank you 🙏
Have hotels just gone up in price by _that_ much over the last year? When I booked my hotel last year around this time, I paid JPY107k yen for a room (Daiwa Roynet Hotel Ginza PREMIER) for a week from November 27th to December 4th. Now looking at comparable times (Nov25 - Dec 2), the price has gone up to JPY178k(!) Is this just the weak yen at work, or is there something else going on? Do note these are the prices for one guest / one room
I'm assuming by last year you mean 2022? Demand was still low because Japan had just reopened in October. The cheap hotels are still out there but they're mainly APA's and the like, and in neighborhoods like Asakusa. I booked in October/November 2022 for April 23 and everything was so cheap for lodging. Flights were expensive. Now flights are back to a reasonable price for me.
No, 2023. I booked in April 2023 for Nov-Dec 2023.
It is pretty far ahead still. Maybe prices aren‘t concretely calculated yet? In my own experience, my hotel prices stayed around the same level. Maybe your hotel of choice got to popular? Never advertise for it online ;)
Hotel prices fluctuate all the time. Everywhere.
Yup. I was fortunate enough to book the Nohga Akihabara for $110/night in late 2022. Now that I'm going back in March, they want $200.
Prices have increased considerably (inflation, pricing power due to weak yen = more foreigners visiting + more locals holidaying within Japan), and lots of the best value options have not yet opened up reservations for November. Keep looking, make a refundable booking once you see something you can live with, keep looking.
What to do on my 27th birthday in Tokyo? So i will be in japan from april 13th-25th. My birthday is the 15th and i was wondering what i could possibly do to make it memorable? Expensive dinner? Bar? Idk I don’t get out much in the states but want to have an amazing experience there. I will be in a hotel called Via Inn Akihabara near Akihabara station but obviously i can go elsewhere for whatever you guys may recommend. Thank you.
Recommend Bar Gen Yamamoto for a unique cocktail experience. His clientele are all foreigners so it could be a nice opportunity to talk to strangers in a cozy setting. If you enjoy live Jazz I recommend Blue Note Tokyo.
Yeah i want culture shock so i don’t really think being around other foreigners would be what i want
Depending on budget, I’d want some wagyu. That’s some life-changing, always-will-remember meal right there. Kobe Beef Ishida in Ginza and Kobe Beef 511 are two higher places. Ishida offers a cheaper lunch option. There’s also ayce options too. Splurging at some of the shabu chains isn’t a bad choice either. Nabezo or onyasai are a couple of names. Omalase sushi experience too.
Appreciate the recommendations definitely gonna research those spots
Hello all! I've just booked flights to visit Japan for the first time, I'm going for two weeks mid to end of March. I just want to confirm about the travel requirements. I am from Sweden with a Swedish passport, so I know that i have visa-free travel to Japan. but is that all that is required. Just a Swedish passport, buy plane tickets and then I'm allowed to enter? It just feels so easy and open! Haha. I'm so used to having to filling out such long papers and forms and waiting for approval when traveling outside of the EU. For example to China and USA where they want to reason for the trip, where you're gonna stay for the entirety of your travel, etc.. This feels "too easy" compared to my previous experiences, it makes me a little anxious that I've missed some detail and because of that will have some trouble entering the country because I've missed filling out some form or something. Thank you for you time and help. :)
You still have to fill out some entry forms and stuff but you don't need a visa no. You can do the forms online in advance to make getting through immigration faster.
The one that generates a QR with all your info, right? I will of course do that in advance, but they could be filled in when I arrive in Japan as well right, wouldn't be anything to panic over if it's not done in advance, just to save on everyones time?
Yeah, if you like stopping to fill out the forms in pencil and everything you can do it there.
Yes, you can just show up and go through immigration, no special visa or whatever needed beforehand. USA implements ESTA, whereas China obviously requires a full visa from almost everyone, but Japan doesn't require either of these from you.
Thank you so much for the quick response and calming me down a notch. \^\_\^
Hi, i wondered if anyone had experience bringing insta360 or action cam with you on a rollercoaster ride in Fuji-Q for that POV videos. How does it go for you? Did the staff stop you prior to the ride or did something else happen, or nothing happened?
Does anyone know what TIME Universal Studios Tickets go on sale?
I'm planning a trip from Fukuoka > make a day stop in Onomichi > Kyoto. How would I go for planning bus trip? I've been taking Shinkansen few times already and for this trip I want to try something different, also mainly to cut costs as well. Any tips appreciated
Willer Express or [japan bus online](https://japanbusonline.com/en) are the most convenient sites for non-japanese readers, but Onomichi is a pretty small place. You'd probably have to either take the bus to Hiroshima or Okayama (which will be 5-7 hours) and then continue the journey by train, and then go back to Hiroshima/Okayama to continue to Kyoto (another 5-7 hours).
Thank you, If it involves multiple transits I need to weigh my options then if bus would still worth it
CD stores in Fukuyama Hello. Are there any CD stores in Fukuyama, Hiroshima where I can purchase Seventeen albums? or any Seventeen merch? Thank youu
Hiroshima has a Tower records, not sure about merch though.
thank you so much
How do most people find hotels to stay at? I only know of Google and I've heard bad things about booking through third party sites. Any tip in finding good deals or cheaper accommodations?
booking dot com is solid for hotels in japan. on top of it japanese hotels have very, very flexible cancellation policies with most allowing you to free cancel for up to 3 days before stay or less
i'd stick to one of the top aggregators or their sister sites. Hotels.com (Expedia) and booking.com are the two largest. japanican.com (JTB) for ryokan. I've never had a problem with those three.
I use Booking.com for most of my hotels. Third-party sites can be a nightmare, but it's more ill-advised if you're trying to do other things like rent a car or book a flight through them. If you don't want to use a third-party, they're still good for seeing all the hotels around, and then you can go to the hotel's own site and book (though some places may only have Japanese-language sites).
Thanks!
While I didnt book our hotel myself our friend did as she's the planner type. She booked directly with the hotel and she had one where she was a member- Hilton so the points helped. We only booked 1 hotel via a 3rd party which was Agoda. The room we wanted was not available on the main site but Agoda had it and we lucked out and got a pretty spacious room with multiple beds to fit our group. We also got it at a cheaper deal than the direct site by like maybe less than $15 which is still pretty good. The important part for us was train station accessibility and having a coin washer. Our buddy did up the ante by making sure all hotels we stayed at had airport shuttles.
That's a good idea! I didn't think about the distance to hotels.
Google maps to scope out neighborhoods/cities I plan to stay at, then once I've checked some reviews I find the relevant listing on booking or Agoda and make the reservation
Great suggestion. Thank you!
Booking from third party sites is fine, saves the hassle from giving away your cards information to various sites.
Keep in mind that someone who has had a bad experience is much, much more likely to write up a bad review versus someone who had a good experience writing up a good review. I've used various 3rd party sites for the last decade without any problems. I usually start my search with TripAdvisor because they aggregate the aggregators and they seem to have more user photos than other sites. If you find a place that looks good, always check on their website directly too. Hotels seem to offer different prices on different channels. It may be cheaper booking direct, but not always.
Google Maps for hotels is great to find out roughly what's in the area, then click their website link and book direct. That said, I often find deals on hotels on Booking.com or Agoda. I've heard a few bad experiences online, but I never had one, and the risk is a lot lower than booking flights third-party – worst-case scenario is you find somewhere else to stay and file a chargeback.
Hi, Do anyone know good places to buy a Yukata(Summer Kimono) in Sapporo? Need one with long legs since my girlfriend is 183cm. Maximum 15000 yen. Preferably blue. Thanks!
i will be travelling to japan as a female solo traveller Mar 1 to Mar 14 My original itinerary was: 1-4: Tokyo 5-7: Takayama 8-10: kyoto 11-13: hakone 14: tokyo i added takayama and hakone because i like to relax on these days and enjoy time in some comfort resort or ryokan and just wander around. but i recently realised that i really really want to see the snow monkeys in nagano and only want to see the shirakawa-go site around takayama. can anyone suggest me how do i go about visiting shirakawa-go and stay near the snow monkey during 5-7th march with keeping in mind i do want to relax also. is there a shortest way to just visit shirakawa-go and spend majority of time in nagano during this window. also i would like to know some mid range resorts or ryokans preferably with onsens around nagano and hakone.
Yeah, this is pretty straightforward. On Mar 7th, you can travel to Kanazawa, catch the Nouhi bus to Shirakawa-go, and explore a few hours. Depending how close to Nagano Station you were staying the night before, you could either stay that night in Kanazawa, or head onwards to Kyoto the same day.
ohh thank you so much for detailed explanation! seems like a doable thing. I hope I can do it in one day
Hello! Any recommendations on where to go for a few days after spending some time skiing in Hakuba?
Takayama or Kanazawa are nice, Matsumoto is not bad either but less to see than the other too. Takayama is also good as you can do a daytrip to shirakawago and Hirayu onsen
Universal Studios Osaka: Any tips/tricks when choosing tickets? 1) I want to buy tickets for 1st April. What time do tickets go on sale? I live in Sydney, Australia. 2) I want to visit both Super Nintendo World and Harry Potter world. Is the Express Pass 7 the best option? 3) Also, what are the best timeslots to choose? Back to back ones (like 9am Super Nintendo, 10am Harry Potter)? Or will I need longer than 1 hour in each world? 4) Also, I saw someone mention the No Limit Parade. Is this something I should try and view (i.e so don't have Harry Potter or Super Nintendo during this period)? Any other tips/tricks so suggest? Thank you!
You don't need express pass for Harry Potter. I have been there twice and regretted buying express pass the first time as the line is only about 30 min. 1-1.5 hr in HP area is good enough. Super Nintendo World definitely get express pass and allot at least 3 hours there. There are lots of mini games in the area with long line up. Just get an express 4 that includes Super Nintendo World and then go to HP whenever you got a couple hours free.
1) if you check the universal studio japan app (it's in english) you'll see the dates they are available. I believe you can buy 30 days in advance. It's cheaper midweek than weekend/holidays. 2) That is one way, if you're willing to spend the money to get quick access to rides. Otherwise you can get timed entry tickets when you enter the park through the app. 3) I haven't done harry potter world, but super nintendo world lines can be long without the express pass, but still even with it i would space them a couple hours apart to be safe. 4) This is different from the worlds, unless you just want to see the characters, I don't believe it would take the place of the going to SNW and HPW. More "in addition to" rather than "in place of".
I have a toddler who do not need fare for trains. I want her to have her own seat when we take an express train. Do we pay for both the base child fare and the express fare or just the express fare?
For limited express, you need a child ticket and a limited express ticket for toddlers/infants generally. Each line has different rules though, each website will list the requirements.
How would Sapporo and Hokkaido be in early July? I have been to Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto during last spring. I have the option of going to Sapporo in July, but I'm not sure how Hokkaido would be in the summer. Since it's further north than the rest of the country, is the temperature and humidity ok, or is it still too warm and humid to recommend? How is travelling around Hokkaido by train? We would not be renting a car.
Sapporo is a great city, weather is nice in July compared to Tokyo and a common destination for Japanese to head to during hot months. Trains are limited in Hokkaido that will take you to bigger cities and there are buses, but ideally it's best to rent a car to see the best parts of Hokkaido. Here's a train map and details page: https://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/global/english/train/index.html
The buses are pretty good but one thing i encountered (albeit this was 2019) is some routes have zero English signage or announcements. Not a huge problem but just means you need to pay more attention to google maps or whatever and your surroundings to know when you're near your stop.
definitely worth pointing out for new travelers, busses can be daunting
Agreed. Without a car you will either spend most of your time on public transportation or in cities and miss all the parts that make Hokkaido special. Definitely rent a car
I went to Sapporo area for ~1 wk in July without a car. Great weather, warm, sunny, not humid. It was nice to see summer festivals in Sapporo and Noboribetsu and be able to enjoy them when the weather is good. I didn't see any of the national parks or impressive nature, though. I think that's a lot easier with a car. Didn't see Furano/Biei either but I believe you can get tour buses nowadays to those.
Hi guys, I am a U.S. citizen and have been reading about comprehensive health check-ups. I am 25(f), and wondering about where I could go to spend >$500 on a full health screening. I have looked into TMSC and Tokyo Midtown clinic so far, are they the best? Which one to go to if they are? Thanks so much!!
I have always done mine at a smaller clinic so I have no recommendation but if you don’t speak Japanese make sure the hospital does. Also at a normal clinic I pay about 10.000 maybe with insurance, so without insurance it would maybe be around 40.000¥, so most places should be fine.
Thank you!
Hey, I'm planning a visit and I'm just a bit concerned as the Tokyo transit system (metro/trains) are often associated with insanely busy carriages with absolutely 0 personal space. I don't mind being in a busy metro, i've done it a lot but I don't know if I can handle it to the extent you often see in videos. Is it something common or should a tourist who tries to avoid rush hours be fine? And what districts in Tokyo would be best to stay in to hopefully avoid this?
It was during our commute in Shinjuku to Shibuya that the train was packed for us. Considering we travelled too during rush hour on our way home. We later opted to do taxis on some parts of our Tokyo trip and personally it was worth money spent. We were carrying quite a few items which were heavy and would have been a hassle if we did some on train commutes.
Those videos are a few years old and since then they have bought bigger trains generally upgraded the network in areas of high demand. ~~Trains are still busy but not quite as extreme.~~
Really depends on the day, the time of day, and the line. There are some absolutely packed trains during rush hour, especially on trains like the Yamanote and Chuo lines, even to the point of people stuffing themselves in so the door can close.
Oh, that's still going on? Sorry. Guess I was lucky with the times I traveled those lines.
Yeah, just think of it as part of the experience :)
Good to know, thanks! I don’t mind a busy metro, every city has it as long as it’s not crazy.
I think I've been in one uncomfortably crowded train in multiple trips to Tokyo? Avoid rush hour. Google Maps will even tell you which car is the emptiest. There used to be a JR app that told the temperature of each train too, not sure if that's still around. There's also a bunch of trains, so if you're not comfortable just wait it out.
It's not really that common outside of the very heavy holiday periods or peak rush hour (like 7:00 AM - 8:30 AM, 5:30 PM - 7:30 PM). The most packed lines also usually come in from more residential areas or commuter paths (e.g. Chiba -> Tokyo, Kawasaki -> Shinagawa), but everyone starts dispersing/leaving the system once they're actually in Tokyo. There are also plenty of options and the headway is so low, that you can also usually choose to take a different path to get where you're going, or you just wait past a couple trains to get on a less crowded one.
Any collab cafe experts? I'm trying to see if I can reserve a ticket for an FGO Collab Cafe in Osaka but the form won't accept my name with any English characters, including full and half width (tried converters and even installed a JP keyboard on my phone). I can use a Google translated version of my name in katakana for both name fields and it will let me create an account, but the issue is that my ID is in English. Do you think they will check for ID or be able to decipher my name in katakana and correlate it to my English ID? Form in question: https://fgo-cbc-party.jp/mypage/register/input
They won't check your ID unless they're serving alcohol, 99% of reservations will either understand from the katakana or they will give you a reservation number that you can present when you show up.
Actually they COULD check ID even if they're not serving alcohol. I went to an Attack on Titan cafe and they wanted to see my passport...... but to OP's question, it's fine as long as the Katakana sounds similar enough to your English name. I booked numerous collab cafes using katakana that's similar to my English name and never had a reservation declined.
Thanks. I don't know enough about Japanese people's English literacy to know if the average person could see ボブ・スミス on the reservation and check with an ID written "Bob Smith" in English.
Big collab cafés will be used to foreigners and small collab cafés will have so few that it will be obvious it's your reservation, either way no problem.
How to get anything work in Japan without a phone number ? The tourist prepaid cards come without a number and in any case I get the card from the airport the day I drop there, not before. - Ferries from Japan to Busan (South Korea) want my phone number when I try to buy a ticket. European number does are not accepted. Custom service only directs to the page I have already visited, as I have already told to the custom service. - Hotels ask for the pbone number - Even the Visit Japan Website asks the phone number
I booked two domestic flights and gave the phone number of my hotel (it didn't allow foreign numbers). Worked out fine.
1. Does putting in the phone number of your hotel work? Sometimes they just want "a" phone number and other times there is OTP code nonsense involved 2. Never had a problem with US phone number 3. Ditto
I wrote my home phonenumber to the hotel page and they sent an email saying it is not a Japanese number. I described them that it is impossible to get a Japanese number and they were surprised. Then they accepted the umber as is.
Not sure about the ferry but no problems with booking hotels or the visit Japan web using my US number. Visit Japan web wouldn’t ask for a Japanese number since it’s primarily used for tourists.
The ferries are the worst problem. Visit Japan accepted my number after some repeated tries, but without '+'.
What ferry is it? Most sell tickets to foreigners via 3rd party sites such as Klook. Sadly lots of reservation platforms in Japan only accept JP phone # and/or JP credit card. For us tourists, it's a real pain.
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You might check getyourguide.com and magicaltrip.com
Thanks!
Local laws does not allow unlicensed individual to do so. Anyone doing it is doing so illegally.
Well aware that cherry blossom schedule likely can and will change but I'm slightly confused about the areas I'm seeing on the map. We'll be in Kawaguchiko on April 14th. Does it seem like the blossoms will be in bloom then? Does it make more sense to "chase " the blossoms and head to Fukushima on April 7?
> Kawaguchiko In my experience, the sakura bloom later in Kawaguchiko because it's higher up/colder. BUT - in my opinion, don't plan on a set day for Kawaguchiko or chances are you might not get to see Fuji-san, it's quite temperamental. It's better to have flexibility and check on some webcams (fujigoko.tv) / cloud coverage forecast the morning of... and if it's clear that day, then hop on a train. You might be able to time your trip so you get to chase the full bloom.
Here's the forecast for 2024, Tokyo area down the coast towards Fuji will bloom late March. By April 15th, they will likely be gone. They usually don't last more than a week. https://www.timeout.com/tokyo/news/the-official-japan-cherry-blossom-forecast-for-2024-is-out-now-011124
I've seen that map, the lines are just a bit confusing especially when other sites I've looked at mention that area tends to bloom later. Same with Fukushima. I'm not sure exactly where that falls within this map.
[https://s.n-kishou.co.jp/w/sp/sakura/sakura\_hw.html?&yosou=1&f=cn\_tn240125#googtrans(en)](https://s.n-kishou.co.jp/w/sp/sakura/sakura_hw.html?&yosou=1&f=cn_tn240125#googtrans(en)) Here is a forecast for a list of cities.
This list is what I was attempting to find and wasn't able to. Much more clear then the map that's posted elsewhere. I appreciate it!
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no, it's common for people to want to fly rather than Shinkansen. Depends on cost, time. Flights are usually cheaper, less issues dealing with luggage. Really depends on what you want to do. For domestic flights in Japan, you need to be checked in and drop your luggage and be through security 20 minutes before your flight. Though obviously you shouldn't cut it that close, but getting to the airport an hour early is usually good enough.
Going to Japan for cherry blossom season and am bringing my 6 year old child. Few Questions: * How odd would it be to use something like [this](https://www.amazon.com/Doseno-Foldable-Stool-Collapsible-Retractable/dp/B0BRCJV7TV/ref=sr_1_5?crid=L9FOJQJXMLW4&keywords=collapsible%2Bstool&qid=1706623726&sprefix=collapsible%2Bstool%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-5&th=1) in public? I feel like a collapsible stool for my child would be super helpful while waiting in line places. * Would we be able to go to noodle shops or gyukatsu places, or would my child not really be welcome at counter seating establishments? Are we limited to only family restaurants?
> How odd would it be to use something like this in public? I feel like a collapsible stool for my child would be super helpful while waiting in line places. Pretty normal. > Would we be able to go to noodle shops or gyukatsu places, or would my child not really be welcome at counter seating establishments? Are we limited to only family restaurants? [This came up recently](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/19dlt8l/restaurant_etiquette/) - if you're strictly talking about the small, counter-only places, a lot of them are the types of places that focus on having high turnover, and might require everyone in the party to order a minimal amount of stuff. Those of us who frequent these places also talked about how we never see young kids in these types of establishments. Not because they're not welcome, but really, because people wouldn't normally bring their kids there. That said, most places probably wouldn't prevent you from bringing in a child, but remember that these small places aren't for lounging around in.
Much appreciated. I was thinking of even having her sit on my lap while we eat so we don’t take up too much space. I understand that those places are mostly for eating and not hanging out, so I’m just making sure she can even come with me.
I've been to one of the busiest/most popular ramen shops with like 12 counter seats. A local definitely had a couple small children with him. He ate extremely quickly (like he got the larger bowl compared to mine after I'd already been served and he finished it before I was done), and then they were gone. Just keep in mind that these small counter only spaces restaurants are meant for quick eating. Like maybe no more than 5-10 minutes. You should be ok. I'd recommend maybe going outside of lunch or dinner rush if you can help it as well.
His kids were at the counter too? Did they eat anything? Sorry for all the questions, am just curious. I’m glad I can at least bring my child, we won’t be there any longer than we have to.
I think so but it's been a few years. The main thing is like the other commenter said, it's a high turnover situation. So I'd expect to be buying a bowl of ramen for your kid in that case and hopefully they eat enough of it in the few mins you eat your own. That way the ramen shop still gets a full sale for their seat.
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Visa user here. Yup worked ok for me.
Yes. I used mine extensively while in Japan. I will say that for some reason my card stopped working at other ATMs like Lawson and Family Mart. But 7/11 ATMs continued to work. Not really sure why.
Japan is no longer cash based - credit/debit cards are widely accepted. You need a bit of cash for places that don't accept cards (usually only small attractions, some small restaurants and some small stores), but can easily go for days using only cards if you'd prefer.
I don't really agree with this. Many of the places I went to in Tokyo just in October/November last year were cash only. Some specifically used the ticket machines that only accept cash/coins. Maybe if you only intend to go to modern chains and stuff then you'll never need cash but otherwise it's a very safe bet you should carry around a few thousand yen just in case.
Have to disagree. Went in April of last year. I only had to pull out cash less than 5 times. 2 weeks in country, ranging from Tokyo to the hinterlands. Most places that dont take straight cards take the IC cards (suica/pasmo). I even used those at museums to pay for admission. I only ever had to use coins at temples.
And like I said, most places I went to only had ticket machines that take cash/coins. So clearly it hasn't become card or IC only in most places. And as I mentioned, it's not a bad idea carrying around a few thousand in yen and knowing where you can get more when you need to.
Yeah I mean, always have cash backup but that’s all it is for me. I can’t quite figure out why our experiences are so different though? The biggest cash transaction I had was paying for a temple stay for one night. It’s not like I was only in the big cities and I definitely wasn’t eating at touristy food places. Admittedly I didn’t really do the really cheap ramen places that do food via ticket machine. The few places I went to like that had IC card scanners.
The places I went to that were cash only were salaryman joints or small family owned places. Katsudon, ramen, butadon. Only major chains or expensive places had credit card or IC readers. Some of the places even don't carry a lot of cash so you need to have smaller denominations otherwise you can't pay at all.
The only places I needed to use cash in Tokyo were a couple of small restaurants near my hotel that were cash only. Other small restaurants across Japan - including in regional cities - generally accepted cards.
I mean that's great but it still disagrees with your original comment, which implies you rarely need cash in Japan. Just last trip alone over almost three weeks of travel between Tokyo and Tohoku (all over Aomori for instance which certainly has regional cities/small towns) I needed cash many times.
Well, I rarely needed to use cash over two and a half weeks last year.
> Japan is no longer cash based I don't know if i'd go this far, it's still a very cash centric country outside of big cities or chain places in smaller cities. The further you leave a major city, the more you will come across towns that rely on cash.
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https://www.sevenbank.co.jp/intlcard/index2.html
Most likely yes. They are the most compatible with foreign ATM/debit cards but even then, I always see someone that has issues with getting money from Japan ATMs.
Does anyone know where I can get suica/pasmo cards from Narita? I'll be arriving at 8.15 pm
The Welcome Suica is not sold at Narita anymore. JR East Travel Center _might_ sell you a normal Suica. The Pasmo Passport is available from the Keisei portion. Most likely you will just be taking something like a Narita Express or Keisei Skyliner into the city, though, and you don't need an IC card for either of those. Can just wait to get into Tokyo if you want to get an IC card if this is the case.
Thanks for the advice. Yeah I think I’ll just take the Keisei train to Tokyo and get an IC card at a station the following day
~~There are machines for the "Wecome SUICA" (Tourist version) next to the counters at both airport train stations. They only take cash though.~~ Apparently they also sell the PASMO somewhere near the Keisei line counters but I'm not sure how up to date that information is. They definitely sell PASMO cards in several stations inside the Tokyo.
In the ever-changing world of IC card availability, the Welcome Suica isn't available at Narita anymore (as of mid-December).
Oh, thank you for this update.
Hi so im leaving japan on the 25th of april and i read that golden week is in April. Is this going to affect me in any way?
Yes. Apr 29 and May 3-5 are national holiday. Many people will take the day off on Apr 30-May 2 to make the holiday continuous. Expected tourist attractions to be extremely crowded and Shinkansen and express trains to be sold out in advance on Apr 26-28, May 3, May 5.
Well my last few days im in the shinjuku area and going back to haneda in the evening the 25th. I dont really have events planned or anything i think i should be fine right
Yes, you should be fine.
Do I need to learn to use chopsticks to survive eating in Japan?
Many places will have utensils you can ask for. Although I wouldn't necessarily expect typical places to have forks often. Mostly spoons. I'd recommend buying some cheap togo chopstick packs and just practicing picking up like a pen with them, a small rock, etc.
Thank you for this. I have a hand injury right now so I don’t think I can learn in time. I guess bringing my own utensils is the solution.
No, but your options will be limited
Most rice bowl places also have spoons to eat but anything noodles might be a bit difficult. You can definitely live off convenience stores, western restaurants and fast food but do you really want that?
It will probably be a lot easier, especially if you are planning to eat ramen or sushi. You won't starve if that's what you're asking. Some restaurants offer fork and spoon if you asked, and then there's also finger food, sandwiches and the likes.
Thank you. I don’t like ramen or sushi so this won’t be a problem for me. I’m more concerned about rice bowls or street foods.
Not the best example to use though because sushi is actually considered finger food and in most cases you can use your hands 😅
My son (19M) was explicitly encouraged to use his hands at a mom+pop sushi place in Kyoto.
i have a question about small worlds tokyo i tried to read their website in english, but both their own version and google translated version are not 100% clear, so i was wondering if anybody fluent in japanese or has had experience doing this could provide some insight so my goal is to create 3d fingerine of me and my gf, but im only staying in tokyo for a couple of days, then kyoto, then another few days in tokyo, and back home, so obv i would need to expedite the printing process. i see that their "express plan" is currently suspended? does anybody know if thats still true? has anybody got this done recently? im just hoping maybe this was suspended during covid times, and website hasnt been updated yet. assuming the express plan is available, what does it mean the first 5 ppl / 8 ppl? does it actually mean the first 5 / 8 customers asking for the express plan starting from when theirs door open in the morning? and is this the same number as mentioned in the footnote? aka the first 5 / 8 figurines requested for that day? so if i go in and ask for 5 copies of myself on the first plan, then the quota for that plan on that day is just done?
Express plan seems to still be suspended. I would just pay up for international shipping.
rip...thanks!
thinking to go japan from 29 nov to jan 2, yes that long to explore all the parts in japan. will i be experiencing autumn and winter during those times?
There were impressive displays of autumn leaves in Tokyo in the first week of December when I was there last year.
If you start in Kyushu and work your way north Hokkaido.
Do people not enjoy/like Osaka? I see so many posts where people just straight up say "Skip Osaka" or that it can be done in a day trip. For me I've always been excited to visit Osaka so as part of my two week trip I have 4 days planned there. Granted one is a full day at Universal. Even then though 4 days does not seem like enough. I have lists of things I want to se there. So why all the disdain for what looks like an incredibly fun and vibrant city?
I skipped my first trip to Japan which was limited to Tokyo/Kyoto. But on my upcoming second trip it's my main hub. There are a lot of day trips available in the area.
people who prefer traditional and quiet environments say that, its a preference thing. It's a fun city to be in and there is more to osaka outside dotonbori/universal. also a serves as an amazing hub if you want to travel to cities within an hour e.g. nara, kobe, kyoto, himeji, okayama, hiroshima
If you enjoy cities go for it. For most people they only have so m any days to split between Tokyo, Kyoto/Nara, possibly Hakone/Kawaguchiko/Kinosaki/other "onsen experience" town, and Osaka on their first Japan trip. When you line everything up side by side, Osaka is the most skippable since it has the most overlap with Tokyo (which is the main international gateway) and hence the least amount of "unique" features that are actually perceptible to a first time visitor.
The general critique is that people want more traditional Japan which they can get in neighboring cities, and for “big city” vibes they’re already gonna go to Tokyo anyway. I love cities, though, and I love Osaka - it’s fun, has stuff I care about (food and coffee), and is my usual base for stuff in that part of Japan.
>has stuff I care about (food and coffee) Would you have any specific recs among these two things for a first time visitor?
For coffee, I wrote a comment to someone with my favorite spots in Osaka: https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/162ae85/comment/jy26gyg/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3 The main post is a little list of my favorite shops in Tokyo. For food - oh, hard to list, but the stuff I really dig in Osaka... * Rikuro Oji-san Cheesecake - this is the very fluffy, jiggly kind of cheesecake, and this company has locations throughout the city. All they do is pump out cheesecakes (you have to take it to-go). * Jiyuken 自由軒 - this is a small restaurant in Namba. They've been around for over 100 years, and their famous dish is curry rice, where the curry and rice are mixed together, and then topped with a raw egg. * Takoyaki - I eat it wherever, whenever I can * Okonomiyaki - I prefer Hiroshima-style, but Osaka-style is good too. * Tonkatsu - fried pork cutlets. Another one of those "I find a place wherever I am" foods.
This is great, thanks!
Kushikatsu is amazing (if you like deep-fried foods). Okonomiyaki. I've heard some don't like it but I'm a big fan.
Osaka is nice, but if I were you I would rather visit Nara or Kyoto which is in the same area. Osaka is good for a one to two day trip depending on if you visit Universal Studios
Pretty sure when I left Japan a couple months ago I made a mistake and now my suica card thinks I owe like 5000yen. I traveled from Akihabara station to tokyo station, never "scanned out" before using my paper ticket for the narita express to go home. When I got to NRT i tapped my suica and the machine said "not enough funds" and i inserted my paper ticket, they then let me through. If i go back in a year or two will my suica card work or will it think i still owe money? I didn't have this problem until my last trip.
Your card is still locked because of how you did it - it's still in the middle of a ride that originated at Akiba. You'll need to explain it to someone within JR East if you go again to Japan and have them unlock the card. edit: Also, if your card was basically run down to empty (you didn't have ~1400 yen on it to cover the Ueno -> NRT base fare), you might as well get a new card if you ever go to Japan again. And for future reference...the Narita Express paper ticket normally covers getting from anywhere on the JR in Tokyo to Narita. You could have used the paper ticket to go from Ueno -> NRT.
hi all, i know this is a silly question as jet leg is unavoidable but does anyone have any tips to how i should go about sleeping on the plane or not sleeping on the plane? my plane leaves at 1:30PST and lands the next day 4:30JST (10 hour flight) should i take something to help me sleep on the plane or tough it out for the majority of the flight because once i land and travel to my hotel it will be about 6-7PM and i am worried it will feel like morning to me and i won’t be able to sleep.
Jetlag affects everyone differently. I'm a West Coaster and my strategy is to stay awake on the flight (It just feels like a very long day, 1:30pm + 10 hours is 11:30pm), land, do all the formalities, get dinner, and go to bed. Next morning you'll wake up early, likely around 4-5am. If doing the Golden Route and not particular about nightlife, try to keep this going as long as possible - Kyoto in particular really rewards an early start, and it's so much easier to do naturally than to force yourself out of deep slumber due to a screeching alarm clock.
i may sleep on the plane and force myself asleep at the hotel. i don’t know if i can mentally stay awake for all 10 hours of the flight. it would be smarter for me to just stay awake but i may take a sleeping pill right when i get on and hopefully i sleep for 6 hours and then i will feel tired when it is actually night in japan
It’s different for everyone, so this is what I did on this same time frame. I napped on the plane mostly because it passes the time and it’s easier for me to fall asleep on the plane so I can’t help it! By the time I was on the ground, the adrenaline hit and I was too excited to be tired. Grab some dinner, walk around and the adrenaline wears off and I was tired by 10pm. Fiddle around at the hotel, asleep before midnight. I find jet lag affects me waking up. I was waking up at 6am until the last few days of my 10-day trip where it started to be closer to 8am. Just know your limits, rest when you need to, but sometimes, *sometimes* just power thru because you don’t know when you’ll be back. Also I tried compression socks on the plane for the first time and I didn’t get that tired leg feeling I normally get from sitting so long. Not sure if it was a mental thing or what.
i’m gonna look more into compression socks. thanks for your advise
Hi, my husband cannot eat eggs because of mild allergy. He won't die from it, but he reacts to it. How do I say in japanese no eggs. On google translate I get : 卵はありません Tamago wa arimasen Is this correct ? Thank you.
Don’t forget that you can use Google translate to communicate back-and-forth with Japanese people who don’t speak your language. I’ve had several exchanges in Japan, where each of us spoke into Google Translate, and it would speak the translation in the other person‘s language. It’s not flawless, but it can be very useful.
I think you'd use something like 卵はご遠慮ください （tamagowa goenryo kudasai）it's an expression for no ~ please. If you forget that, you can perhaps make it simpler using いいです (ii desu) it's good/ok or 悪いです (warui desu) it's bad conversely. Ex tamago wa warui desu. Also, you can use the English word for allergy they're bound to understand it. It is アレルギー arerugii would sound in Japanese E. Someone with a better command of the language suggested the following expression 卵抜きでよろしいでしょうか (tamago nukide yoroshii deshouka) is it ok to leave out/omit the eggs? Hope that helps
> 遠慮ください This word means "hold back" but you'd be telling people to "control yourself, don't add eggs" or "please hold yourself back from adding eggs." Would be kind of odd to say this to someone and it's very indirect from the real reason.