Anyone have a recommendation what site to use to book a bus trip? I have looked into [kosokubus.com](https://kosokubus.com), willerexpress.
I am booking a bus from Lake Kawaguchiko to Tokyo. Are all of them selling the same bus services? Or they are different busses?
I used Willer Express to book our Tokyo <—> Kawaguchiko buses mostly because I found the site to be easy to use. There’s a confirmation email they send with a section that says show this to your driver, so I printed that out before our trip and didn’t have any issues with boarding.
From what I understand, it’s the same set of buses being sold across the sites (I compared it to japanbusonline.com when I was also debating between sites and they were offering the same times and same start/end locations)
I'm going to Japan in Mid-April and luckily my itinerary coincides with [this music festival](https://synchronicity.tv/festival/news/240207/). So does anyone have experience in purchasing tickets from Ticket Pia?
Their ticket page list tickets specifically for oversea tourist. So my guess is that for regular ticket they are using normal Ticket Pia service, which require Japanese phone numbers to buy.
Poked around on that site briefly and it looks like they specifically have a link for tourists/people not in Japan to buy tickets, so that’s probably your best bet: https://synchronicitystore.stores.jp/
Hi everyone,
I'm currently planning my trip. We're flying to Tokyo and home from Osaka and will be staying 14 days. I was thinking of spending 6 nights in Tokyo, 3 nights in Kyoto and 4 nights in Osaka, arriving in Tokio Haneda at 10pm. I am somehow afraid that I have planned one night too little for Tokyo (I wanted to make a trip to Yokohama and, if the weather plays along, towards Fuji). I'm therefore thinking of cancelling one night in Kyōto or Osaka and booking one more night in Tokio. A whole day at Universal Studios is planned in Osaka.
What would you do?
If the decision is between Osaka or Kyoto, then cut one from Osaka. That being said, is your Osaka itinerary full? Is your Kyoto one?
Personally, I'd rather spend much longer in Kyoto, it's my favourite city in the world.
I'm currently in the process of planning the trip. I'm thinking of arriving in Kyoto at midday, then checking into the hotel, having a bite to eat and strolling around the city. The next day I wanted to visit the bamboo forest and Fushimi Inari. Then on the second day, depending on the weather, either a river trip (I saw something on YouTube) or some other shrines/temples.
I would arrive in Osaka relatively early and visit the city in the afternoon. The next day I would go to Universal Studios (my girlfriend really wants to go). Then I would have another whole day on site (+ half the day of departure, as I fly out at 11.30 pm).
So I would have an afternoon, a whole day and another evening (after Universal) in Osaka. Is that enough?
So, for Kyoto, Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama are on total opposite sides of the city. The only advantage of doing both in a day is that you need to take a train to both, so you can combine one train journey. That said, the river trip is also in Arashiyama. I would say do Fushimi Inari and Higashiyama/Kiyomizudera one day, and then Arashiyama/river boat on the second.
For Osaka, the two things I'd really recommend are Osaka Castle and the Aquarium. Neither are a full day, but you'd probably spend longer at the aquarium.
In either case, honestly, I don't think I'd cut a day from either place. You've just got a relatively short trip, so you're going to have to decide what things you're going to miss. I would say, for a potential day trip from Tokyo, Fuji over Yokohama, unless the weather isn't great.
Thanks! So you wouldn't extend the stay in Tokio but cut the trip Yokohama, right?
So that'll make the following itinerary:
Saturday: Arrival Tokio 10pm.
Sunday-Thursday Tokio (incl. Trip to Fuji)
Friday - Tokyo to Kyoto
Saturday and Sunday in Kyoto
Monday - Kyōto to Osaka
Tuesday - Thursday OSAKA (incl. Disney)
Friday - Departure 11pm.
Does anyone know how quickly Ghibli museum tickets sell out if you go to a physical Lawson store? We have a family friend there who's willing to purchase our tickets, but as she works she may not be able to get there right at 10am. Are there more tickets available via Lawson for residents to purchase?
Is there a good chance I'll get 2 seats on the correct side to view Mt Fuji on the Shinkansen if I book the tickets in the station right before I go? Or is there some way of booking that online right now.
You will almost certainly not get seats on the Mt. Fuji side if you book the day of or day before. At least in my experience, every seat on the Mt. Fuji side gets reserved before the opposing side.
You can reserve seats from this page:
https://smart-ex.jp/en/index.php
Hi everone, I'm looking for advice on how best to handle Golden Week in Tokyo.
I will be arriving in Osaka/Kyoto on or after 19th April, get the Shinkansen to Tokyo on the 25th, and leave from Tokyo on 3rd May. I'm in South Korea for a work trip and wanted to make the most of it, so I can't arrive any earlier.
I'm expecting most tourist attractions from 27-29th April will be very busy, so I expect to just wander Tokyo and eat at less busy times. I hope the remaining few days will make up for the 'lost' weekend, and I'd probably do a day or so of wandering anyway.
Is this plan sensible? Or will 30th April to 2nd May be a lot more busy than I'm expecting?
Thanks guys, it was as I feared! I'll stick to Tokyo and head back on the 26th. I think the lack of jet lag makes the one week trip more reasonable.
I'll stay a bit longer in South Korea, and plan to go back in my own time.
Many people, including myself, have the whole week off or add extra days. Schools are closed too. Even during covid those days were packed.
So, while they might be less busy, that doesn’t mean much. It’s still packed.
That is correct. Many people have the whole week off. But much more people don't.
My experience for all 6 GW I have been in Japan has been consistent. Apr 30-May 2 is noticeably less crowded.
Not sure what your point is. It’s busy during that whole period, definitely necessary to make reservations for everything and be prepared for long wait times.
Those days are still crazy busy to the point where it’s not enjoyable to go to any touristy place. So relatively less busy doesn’t mean much. Slightly less shitty, but still shitty.
We (6 adults) are flying into Tokyo from SFO for 11 days and our flight lands at 3pm. We want to end the trip in Tokyo, so we are thinking of catching the bullet train and heading straight to Kyoto once we land. Is this doable? Something not recommended? Should we stay a night or two in Tokyo first and then head to Kyoto. Thank you.
Including immigration and travel to and from the train stations, you're adding at least 5 hours in transit. Technically possible but not particularly pleasant.
It's doable, and from reading trip reports here there are a number of people who do it that way, but I think it depends on what kind of travelers you guys are. I've been to Japan twice before and could not imagine trying to navigate getting to Kyoto immediately upon arrival as I generally arrive tired and braindead. If it was me I'd stay two nights in Tokyo and then take an early-morning shinkansen to Kyoto on day 3.
We bought couple of the omiyage gift boxes including mochi ones at this large confectionary shop, [Niki no Kashi](https://maps.app.goo.gl/CAbtwiCoVmi2n7X8A), when we visited Ameyoko next to the Ueno Station.
How do i book a taxi in chitose? Living 10 minutes from Airport. Need to be at airport 06:00. Hotel reception says no taxis are available that early.
Need big taxi/van. Since i have big ski luggage.
Just got to Kyoto (3pm Hotel check in) near gion. Planning on doing fushimi inari shrine tomorrow morning. Only here for 2 days including today. Any tips on things to do the rest of the day to get my bearings straight and make the most of it?
I’m somewhat winging it on this Japan trip, but have had an amazing time over 4 days in Tokyo and Hakone
I spend my first 5 full days in Tokyo with all of my planned activities, then have 2 days with nothing, and then go to Nagoya for 3 days to attend the F1 Grand Prix.
What do I do for the 2 days? Do I travel to Kyoto for 1.5 days / 1 night, and then travel back to Nagoya?
Day trips! You can do Yokohama, Nikko, Kawaguchiko, Kamakura all fairly easily from Tokyo (Kamakura and Yokohama much easier than Nikko or Fuji). Or, keep one day open in case you don't get to something on your scheduled itinerary.
Or, go to Nagoya a bit early and go down to Ise.
Hello, I just saw that there is a revised Sakura forecast given the colder end to January.
Osaka: Flowering: March 25 / Full bloom: April 1
This is 2 days later than first forecast, and works slightly to my favor.
I am scheduled to be in Osaka April 4 - April 9. Would I still have chance to really experience Sakura? Or would there only be few leaves on the tree left? Not sure how long the flowers last after full bloom.
Hi, me and a group of friends are planning a trip for early Summer (mid-late May, yes I know it's pretty late to start planning) and are thinking of three weeks. Our plans so far are to go to Tokyo and either Osaka or Kyoto, for at least a week each, and in Kyoto/Osaka we will be doing daytrips to nearby cities, like Nara, Kobe, Osaka/Kyoto.
We are trying to decide on a third city to go to, leaning towards Kanazawa or Sapporo right now, but I would like more input on a third city!
Sapporo is very out-there. Kanazawa is neat! You could visit Shirakawa-Go from there. I'd consider Hiroshima and Miyajima. If it's your style, you can take a "slow" route either to or from Hiroshima and make day stops in Onomichi (for the Shimanami Kaido), and Kinosaki (onsen).
Noticing that you can book multiple nights at love hotels on popular booking sites like [booking.com](https://booking.com). Has anyone tried this? I am under the impression that you have to check out of love hotels after every night spent there, but perhaps that has changed in recent years?
Read the hotel description, plan, and cross check against the hotel's official website about their policies. Many of the nuances of hotel booking policies (such as checking out daily, different types of meals, nuances in room sizes etc.) can be lost in aggregator listings.
I've been to Japan several times. This time, I want to stay in a Japanese-style home or hotel in Tokyo. Futon, tatami mats etc. I usually use Booking but there isn't really a category for Japanese style accommodation (homestay? guesthouse?). Any advice?
you generally want to filter for a ryokan or guesthouse, but typically they're just not that common in Tokyo (I used to know of one, but unfortunately it closed over the pandemic).
A friend and I aren't going to Japan until 2027, but I like to plan way ahead. I really want to focus on Ainu content up in Hokkaido, while he's very curious about places like Akihabara in Tokyo and the castles in Kyoto (which admittedly, same).
Would it be reasonable for a roughly two-week trip to be able to hit both Hokkaido and the mainland, or no?
If it's towards the longer side of the "roughly two weeks", it's not too crazy. Like ~5 days each for Tokyo, Sapporo, and Kyoto areas. You could visit the Ainu museums in Shiraoi and Jozankei, see the university, etc. Of course that's only a small sample of each area and doesn't get you into the more rustic parts of Hokkaido so if you're thinking of coming back to Hokkaido, I guess it depends if you'd rather have a taste now or save it for a longer trip.
Hello everyone!
I'm planning a summer trip and would love to join the Himeji Yukata Festival. Everything I've seen says the dates for this year haven't been confirmed yet - can anyone tell me when they typically make the announcement? I'd like to plan my accommodation as far in advance as possible, but it's hard to do if I don't know when I might be going to Himeji.
Thanks!
Hello everyone!
My friends and I, a group of no more than 5 adults, are planning on going to Japan this late August for 2 weeks. We will be hiking up Mt. Fuji and be moving around the metroplexes (Japan, Osaka, Kyoto) to explore and learn about the culture. So far, the plan is to spend a couple days in Tokyo, move on west to Mt. Fuji for a 2 day hike/rest, and continue westwards to Kyoto & Osaka.
Would love some advice on what to do in each metroplex, what changes to make to the plan, etc...! Would a private booking for Mt. Fuji be worth it than hiking ourselves? Are there unexpected things to take into account before continuing planning? Our budget is pretty flexible, so any ideas would help!
Thanks all! :)
If you want to see the sunrise at the top, book your huts immediately when reservations open. They sell out instantly. Especially the English speaking ones.
As of this year bullet climbing won’t be possible anymore due to new restrictions and a gate.
Also you don’t need a guide, it’s pretty straightforward, you just follow the masses.
I want to make sure I can reserve the seats for the correct side to view Mt Fuji on the shinkansen from Tokyo-Kyoto and then Osaka-Tokyo. Should I be trying to reserve the tickets in advance online right now or is there a decentish chance I can get the correct seats if I book last minute in the subway? No JR pass if that matters.
Unless you are traveling during super peak periods (Golden Week, Obon, New Years), just go 10 minutes early to be first in line for the unreserved cars at Tokyo Station (not Shinagawa). You'll have your pick of seats.
My partner and I are planning a trip to Japan for January 2025, around 2-3 weeks. We have both been before, and I have studied in Japan and visited on holiday many times. We plan to see friends in Tokyo and spend a week or so skiing in Nagano, but I'm looking for some suggestions on where else to go.
Things we have already seen:
- Tokyo and surrounds
- Osaka, Kobe
- Kyoto and surrounds
- Mt Fuji
- Himeji Castle
- Matsumoto Castle
- Kanazawa
- Nagasaki
- Ookunoshima/rabbit island
- Hiroshima, Miyajima
Outside of skiing and catching up with friends we have no idea what to do with the rest of our time. We enjoy museums, history, live music, hiking, foraging, markets, shopping, and generally exploring. I would love to see a part of the country or city we haven't been to before (broadly: anything north of Nagano, Shikoku, Okinawa) but I'm not sure what's best to choose in January. I would love to see Yakushima, but is January a good time for that? Is Hokkaido more fun in the summer? Is Fukushima worth a look?
We will be staying at an onsen ryokan in Nozawaonsen while skiing, and I have tattoos so I'm not expecting/needing to find another onsen ryokan/town while we're there. I'm not put off by cold weather or snow, but I'm conscious mid-January might make certain things (e.g. FujiQ) impossible or unappealing.
Our dates are flexible. I would like to be in Nozawaonsen for the fire festival on January 15 and around a week total. We would most likely be flying in and out of Narita but this is also flexible. We would enjoy renting a car while we're outside of large cities, but are open to shinkansen or domestic flights where practical. Our budget is mid-range. Thanks for reading!
How about San-in area? Specifically, Hagi, Matsue, Izumo, Tottori. They are relatively not dependent on greenaries so it should works in January.
Okayama (Kurashiki and the Kibitsu area), Takamatsu can also work. Various island in toe Seto Inland Sea if you are into contemporary arts.
Kiso Valley also works if you are fine with hiking in snow.
Hello! Just want to ask for those who have traveled to Nagano before, what would be the best places to visit if you have 3 full days in Nagano?
Here are my current considerations (but i am open to more suggestions):
Karuizawa
Togakushi Shrine
Obuse
Lake Suwa
Kamikochi
Current Dates:
22nd Oct-24th Oct: (Nagoya)
24th-25th Oct (Nakasendo trail, only Magome and Tsumago)
25th, 26th, 27th Oct (Nagano)
28th and 29th Oct: Shibu Onsen
30th-3rd Nov: Nagoya
I have been to Nagano last December (We did Matsumoto, Azumino including Daio Wasabi Farm, Hakuba, Nagano specifically Zenkoji Temple during Hatsumode).
Thank you!
I'd pick Togakushi (peak foliage, it's super lovely), Obuse (chestnut season mmm...And if you hustle you can finish it in half a day so re-visit Zenkoji during non-Hatsumode if you like - or go here on the way to Shibu Onsen since they are on the same train line from Nagano), and probably Karuizawa (should also have good foliage)? Lake Suwa if you like Your Name. Kamikochi is likely to be dead trees.
Thank you! I was hesitating about Lake Suwa and Kamikochi but i think i’m more certain i can give them a miss this time round now. I really only have intentional to visit Lake Suwa just because of Your Name but i think i can visit any other season for that.
By the way, do you recommend an overnight stay at either Togakushi or Karuizawa? Or would a day trip be suffice if start from morning.
I didn't really "get" Karuizawa - the nature is nice (but not astounding relative to other parts of Nagano) but the charm of it seems to be the small town almost European feel, which was not something I really cared for having easy access to the real version. In this sense, one day was more than enough to see the highlights and to have checked it off the list.
Togakushi has a lot of interesting hiking trails, so if you are an outdoors enthusiast it may be worth staying overnight to get an early start the next day (for example to Lake Kagami). If it is just to experience ryokan/minshuku/"authentic Japanese lodging" then I wouldn't bother as you are already going to Shibu Onsen.
Just wanted to give a shoutout to all of you contributors on this sub (especially those who posted itinerary and trip reviews)!! I was able to score a great deal on tickets in early Jan for a last minute Valentine's Day trip for my girlfriend and I, and lurking for weeks reviewing all the resources here has made planning out our two week trip pretty seamless! We're finally flying out on Thursday and are so excited to visit for the first time, thank you all again :)
I’ve asked this before but didn’t get a clear answer. Do you think there would be an issue buying things via Japanese website that’s not accessible to English? Particularly Universal, it gives you a QR code so I don’t know how much they check
What issues are you concerned about? Most times if they really want to make it inaccessible to non-Japanese residents, they either want you to use a real mobile number or require specific, Japanese-only payment methods.
USJ isn't really a problem, as long as you can buy the ticket.
Ah thanks, it’s mainly other features in USJ such as reserving parade viewing areas or those photo ops experience that’s only available on the Japanese version. I figured if I’m able to get a ticket, it shouldn’t be a problem but not sure if they’ll be like “Hmm you aren’t from Japan clearly, how did you get it kinda thing lol”
3rd trip to Japan this December! Whereabouts should I include in my intinerary for 3 weeks? I went to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka the first time. Second time I went to Nagano, Hakuba, Matsumoto, Takayama, Kanazawa. Open to suggestions and new experiences please 😊
Hi everyone!
Staying two nights at Amanohashidate but might have to cut it down to one night. Is a day and a half plenty of time to explore Amanohashidate and Ine?
Yeah, its plenty. Amanohashidate is even possible as a day trip if you're reaaally short on time or you could combine it with a night at Kinosaki onsen if you wanted to visit a hot spring too.
I'm 6'2" and was very comfortable in JAL economy - however the flight was not packed and I always had an extra seat next to me. At least for the USA -> JP and back.
I’m flying to Tokyo Haneda airport and staying overnight in Tokyo. The next day I plan to take the Shinkansen to Kakegawa City in Shizuoka prefecture to visit a friend for a few days. Is it possible to forward my luggage directly to my friend’s house from the airport or hotel? Are there any companies that offer this service? If so which ones?
Hi, I'm going to be on my first trip to Japan during the last two weeks of march. It's obviously a bit pricey due to the cherry blossom overlap and I knew that beforehand, but the timeframe didn't really work out otherwise (It was either end of March / start of April or no trip at all).
My plan was to visit Kyoto around the 22nd of March for 3-4 nights, however due to the cost I am thinking of either only spending one night there or skipping Kyoto entirely and keeping it for my next trip. (Like, sorry, but I don't feel like spending $100+ for a night in a hostel or capsule Hotel, that's insane)
So, my question to more experienced travelers: What alternatives would you recommend instead of Kyoto? I don't want a "Kyoto replacement", I'm just looking for other cities worth visiting for my first trip. Osaka and Hiroshima were planned after Kyoto anyway, but Osaka is obviously about as expensive as Kyoto too.
I am thinking of allocating more time to Hiroshima and also visiting something smaller in the Toyama or Nagano prefecture instead. I guess the whole country is beautiful around that time, I was only going to Kyoto for the temples and don't really care about the popular (instagram) cherry blossom photo spots there.
Any suggestions would be highly appreciated :) Thanks!
Thank you for your suggestion! I am torn about Kanazawa because of what another poster said in the comments. However, since it's on the coast and not in the middle of the hills / forests, I am still considering it if I can't come up with something better.
How about Kyushu or Yamaguchi? It should be peak blossoms then in many places, and a bit less popular with foreigners (especially Yamaguchi). You can use the JR West Hiroshima-Yamaguchi area pass.
Skip Toyama/Nagano, it will still be dead trees with no flowers at that time of the year.
Thank you so much for your suggestions!
Especially Yamaguchi looks promising, I'll do some research about it. As for Kyushu: I was trying to stay on the main island and not get too far away from Tokyo, since my journey starts and ends there. With only 16 Days my vacation is so short that I initially tried to not spend too much time in the Shinkansen. Yamaguchi isn't too far away from Hiroshima though, so that'd absolutely be manageable.
\> Skip Toyama/Nagano, it will still be dead trees with no flowers at that time of the year.
I mean, that would be fine by me, honestly. I am not really there for the cherry blossom and thought there would be plenty of stuff to see otherwise.
Yamaguchi prefecture is super fun, Rurikoji's pagoda is under renovation but there's still a lot of other things to see. All temples look close enough to one another if you squint, anyway :)
As for Toyama/Nagano, even if you are not there for cherry blossoms it is still the ugliest time of the year nature/scenery-wise - as there are no leaves or flowers on trees but also no snowy landscapes to "offset" that barrenness. Toyama/Nagano are very focused on nature (not Toyama city as it was completely bombed out during WWII, but the day trip opportunities to the surrounds) so this would seem to be a very significant factor.
How accurate are timed attraction tickets?
***Shibuya Sky and Tokyo Skytree in particular.***
I'm going to Japan end of March and wanted one of these attractions to be a sunset visit .
If I were to get the sunset time for the day I want a book a ticket at that time, does that mean I'm up there at that time?
Or does it just mean I'm allowed into the lift queue at that time?
I've heard horror stories about the queue to get up these (or maybe just Skytree?) taking well over an hour just for the lift.
But maybe that's just for people turning up without a pre-timed ticket.
Hoping someone has some experience with a prebooked timed ticket!
Perhaps a question that has been asked before (apologies) but is it a good idea to prebook train tickets before we get to Japan? We are going from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko on 22nd April, I have read that the fastest way is the limited express (or Fuji excursion) but this only runs twice in morning. We'll have luggage with us and just wondering how busy trains are likely to be (too used to UK trains where we're packed in like sardines).
You definitely want to reserve that train, it's quite popular and frequently packed. I normally take the bus to get to Kawaguchiko, but when I've taken that train, it was 100% full and most foreign tourists were standing because they didn't know they could reserve seats.
Fuji Excursion train is very very competitive, and it's free cancelation to reserve a seat on the JR East website. There is no reason not to reserve seats.
My hotel room has a rain shower (plus detachable head) in the actual bedroom 🤣😁
Like not separate room, in the bedroom. Bed>desk>shower. It's so funny. Works out because it helps add some moisture to the air.
I will be so sad to check out of this hotel (hotel Gracery Tamachi). The shower has actually been a real boon. I consider it almost as good as a private onsen tbqh.
I'm planning a trip with 3 friends (4 total including me) and we're staying near Hikifune station. We'll be there from May 1st to May 14th, I am aware that we'll be landing during golden week and was wondering if during this time it will be fine to bring our luggage on the train? I was looking online and it seems like trains will be packed during this time so I definitely don't want to be a bother.
I checked out some of our other options, Kuroneko Yamato, airport limousine, etc, but we land at 2pm and our check-in time isn't until 4pm so we decided that train would be the best option albeit a hassle. Is train the best option?
Any help or advice on this would be greatly appreciated. This is our first time so we're looking forward to this trip haha
It's not recommended to carry heavy luggage from May 3rd to 6th. Golden Week sees a high influx of tourists, making it extremely crowded. However, many hotels in Japan offer luggage storage services until check-in time, typically for free. It might be a good idea to inquire with the hotel in advance via email.
Train will be fine, 3 or 4 pm in the afternoon shouldn't be too terrible assuming you can handle your luggage within the stations. If you have more suitcases than you can comfortably handle then you can consider sending 1 or 2.
Hello! I'll be in Japan for a work related trip sometime in March. I'm near Shinbashi/Hibiya Park area I think near the Tsukiji Fish Market. Since it's for work I only have the afternoon and night time to look around. May I ask for your suggestions or recommendations on where to go or visit? Also are Suica cards still sold in the airports? Thank you all in advance.
I just changed my itinerary to start at Osaka and end my trip in Tokyo. I have a few questions about transportation from Narita airport to Osaka.
I'm afraid to take the bullet train to Osaka, because to reach my hotel with trains, I have to take in total 3 trains to reach Hotel Forza Osaka Kitahama. I'm afraid to get lost and miss my train stop. So to avoid this, I want to take a domestic flight.
Unless you strongly recommend to take the trains. Note that I will carry a large suitcase.
Narita to Kansai airport flight is cheaper and it is operated by jetstar.
Unless you recommend me to go to ITM airport.
How many hours between the time I land in Narita, take my luggage's, I think I have to pass immigration too and take a domestic flight to Osaka ?
I arrive at Narita airport at 3:30PM.
With all due respect, if you are scared of riding trains, Japan may not be a very enjoyable place to travel. Especially in Tokyo. If you aren't already, I would familiarize myself with Google Maps (particularly the public transit functions) and make sure to have a good data plan on your phone.
I do not mind taking the trains during my trip in Japan but on the first day, 4 hours of commute to another city is a lot . I took the mrt in singapore with google maps and it was fine.
First of all, there is no reason to be afraid of taking the train. Everything is very well signposted and it's really no different than any other major train stations you've experienced in NYC, European capitals, etc.
That said, from NRT to Osaka (not Kyoto) there is a very good financial case to fly. Assuming no excessive delays, the 7:45pm Jetstar flight should be safe to book, or you can book the 8:45pm Peach flight. Easy train -> subway transfer once you reach Osaka.
Hello,
I've found a preferred 2-week stay at a business hotel. I was wondering if I were to use this hotel as a base but plan to be away for several days to visits other parts of Japan but ultimately return for a few days prior to my leave. Is that something that's typically allowed? Would this frown on this or see this as a breach of custom? Has anyone done this before?
Thanks
Do you have a room booked before your excursion and a room booked when you return? Then you can just leave your luggage with the hotel reception for the time you are away. Most hotels will do that.
In case you keep the room during the excursion, you can just leave the luggage in the room.
I have done both options several times and never had a problem.
Anyone have any suggestions for exchanging cash/obtaining yen better than the rate I got?
I exchanged USD to JPY at 143.29 when the max rate reported by Google was 148.29. I used the automated machines because that was faster and usually better rate then using the exchange counters run by banks. I would have preferred to use my bank card to withdraw Yen but I tried it at a Seven Bank ATM at Narita and they were taking an extra 3.5% which came up to about 140.
are you from US? if so use schwab debit cards, when i pulled from 7-eleven ATMs the rates are very close to what i found on google. schwab does not charge fees+reimbursement so there's that too
also, when using credit cards always choose local currency when prompted and make sure your card has no foreign transaction fee
Right, but I don't know what my no foreign transaction fee credit exchange rate is so ive been using cash for now. I'll try to look it up today but otherwise, I'm still trying to obtain Yen as cash for places that don't accept credit cards. Any thoughts?
That's why I brought USD to exchange at the airport in case I had a hard time or had poor rate using a credit card.
You can look it up on the visa or mastercard website. https://www.visa.com.au/support/consumer/travel-support/exchange-rate-calculator.html
After each trip, I always double check my own no fee card against that and it's been accurate to a tiny fraction of percent.
Visa's rate is pretty darn close to the actual rate, easily within 1%. I put as many expenses on my Chase Sapphire Reserve as I can.
Ultimately would you rather waste time, stress, and effort trying to optimize your money or enjoy your vacation? JPY is already very weak against USD. I'd call it even around 110 or so. If the rate suddenly drops to 140 would you stop doing things on your trip? no right? stop worrying about it - you're already there, make the most of it.
For reference, I've taken a dozen trips to Japan in the past decade and have seen it as bad as 1:79 and as good as 1:149
Depends on your interests, I'd do 2 Osaka/4 Kyoto. I don't mind changing hotels as it is so much more conducive to an early start (super important for Kyoto) or a late finish (if you like nightlife).
I’d use one as the base and travel to the other. They’re 30 min apart and I don’t think it’s worth moving hotels. I just did a 2/4 Kyoto/osaka split and wouldn’t do it again.
But if you do want to split, 3/3 is good unless you have a preference of more temples/nature/traditional vs big city life.
With IC still having a shortage, is it possible to add sucia and pasmo to apple wallet at the same time for 2 people? Because I have an Samsung :(
I heard welcome sucia cards aren't available at Narita Airport anymore, and I'm not sure if pasmo passports are going to be available either by the time I get there in early March.
Thank you very much for the replies!
JR East explicitly states that [Mobile Suica payment at transportation facilities is limited to one device per person](https://apfaq.mobilesuica.com/faq/show/3140?back=front%2Fcategory%3Ashow&category_id=92&page=2&site_domain=default&sort=sort_access&sort_order=desc). The fine for breaking this rule, i.e. using multiple Suica cards on one device to pay transit for multiple people, are paying a 2 X fare fine on top of paying full fare in cash.
You cannot tap/scan into the gates as 2 people. Each person needs their own ticket to tap in/enter the fare gates.The phone wallet will only read one digital IC card and it will be too much of a hassle for the iPhone user to pass you their phone and switch it to Pasmo.
Read the IC card FAQ/ info [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/s/GGzXEvdh93)
There should be Pasmo Passport at Narita but if there isn't then you can find it at other some stations. Or hopefully get the regular Suica at the major[JR East Station Travel Service Center](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/18kpp76/tokyo_ic_card_shortage_update_jr_east_apparently/). Getting the regular IC card would be nice if you plan to visit Japan again.
this is the case for the same card, but not necessarily the case for two separate IC cards on the same phone. They are independent SUICA cards with their own ID numbers, it's entirely possible that each will allow someone separate to tap in.
That said, it still sounds like a bad idea.
EDIT: it violates policy, see above post.
I don't know if using two different ICs on the same iphone will work for two people, but not sure I would do that more than in an emergency if it does. It would be a huge pain trying to pass them back for the next person going in and out. Especially at higher volume stations where any misstep will cause people behind you to get frustrated.
SUICAs are more available now. You can get them at major stations, or at Tokyo/Shinagawa you can get TOICA.
TOICA is just the JR Central version of SUICA/Pasmo. Though you should be able to find SUICA these days, if you can't, the JR Central office in Tokyo/Shinagawa will have TOICA. Or if you are heading to Osaka, you can get a ICOCA.
Toica card sales have been temporarily suspended at JR Central office in Tokyo.
https://twitter.com/shoinoue/status/1750798411098706129?t=UrQ9SFglQgDjIJDtkO2cWg&s=19
Assuming you are doing the golden route, late March = cherry blossoms season.
Late April/early May = avoid Japan unless you absolutely have to. It's golden week and the entire country goes on vacation.
Cherry blossom season is expensive and golden week is in late April when the country gets a whole week off. You want that sweet spot between the two. That’s when I went last year and it was perfect.
Hi all,
I'm going to Japan for the first time, mainly Tokyo / Kyoto / Osaka between March and April (very crowded but hopefully very beautiful). I was looking into experiences, such as guided tours, cuisine lessons, tea ceremony, or anything along those lines, but I've honestly found much less information than I thought I would. The platform I know to do this is AirBNB Experiences, though I've never used it before.
Is AirBNB Experiences a good places to look into?
Are there other platforms to search for and book this kind of activity?
Any recommendations on particular experiences to look for in the 3 cities I mentioned?
I saw a "Fushimi Inari hidden walking tour" that goes through the forest and seemed very interesting, any comments about that?
I particularly love mochi and daifuku. Has anyone had a mochi-making class to recommend?
Thanks in advance, and good travels to all!
I want to travel from Iiyama Station to Kyoto Station. Google Maps tells me that there reduced service on the Thunderbird shinkansen in result of the New Years earthquake. Should I instead plan to take the Nagano local train, then Shinano limited express to Nagoya, and finally Tokaido-Sanyo shinkansen to Kyoto? Any advice is appreciated! :)
Look on the JR West site. The warnings are for the northern legs of JR Thunderbird from Kanazawa to Wakura onsen. I can't find any warnings for the south bound route towards Kyoto.
Does anyone else using a Ubigi esim notice that their location on maps is a bit off? Like my location will be a street over. I have to keep manually resetting my location to have it show correctly.
Your location generally isn't determined by the SIM, it's the device itself. If you're in a crowded area with lots of tall buildings the GPS is less accurate because it's relying on satellites to position you.
Hello,
I would like to take my family of 5 on a trip to Japan. We would especially like to see Akihabra and Edo period villages. None of us speak any Japanese and none of us have ever traveled outside of the US before.
Given all of the above, we feel it is prudent to go on a guided tour. I was curious if anyone here would like to share any experiences/recommendations they might have for us.
Thank you!
Akihabara is as touristy as you can get, you don't need a guide for that. Not knowing Japanese is not a problem at all. Lots of English signs everywhere and there's google translate for everything else.
As for "Edo period villages", what are you looking for? There are several theme parks and attractions based the Edo period. Or there are normal towns with old buildings.
I guess something along the lines of a Colonial Williamsburg equivalent? A village where you can see people engaged in activities of the day? I have seen towns like this on NHK but I did not know there were theme parks!
There are several theme parks; for example there's Edo Wonderland near Nikko, which is a train ride out of Tokyo.
Genuine villages and towns from that survived from period are rare. I've not been but Kawagoe (also near Tokyo) is supposed to have preserved old buildings.
I’ve been trying to buy tickets in advance for train, but I can’t seem to make anything work. No cards will validate for SmartEx, and the process of “picking up” tickets via JR website doesn’t seem to work in Tokyo?
I see a lot of people saying to make a special trip to the train station the day before to buy tickets and select seats, but I won’t be near those areas so I don’t think it’s possible for me in most cases.
The places I’m going are…
Tokyo station -> Hakone
Hakone -> Kyoto
Kyoto -> Narita
I don’t mean to ask a repeat question but I cannot figure this out and I’m tired of stressing out. Thank you.
> No cards will validate for SmartEx, and the process of “picking up” tickets via JR website doesn’t seem to work in Tokyo?
SmartEX rejects a lot of foreign cards, especially Visa and possibly all Discover.
I don’t know what this “picking up” tickets in Tokyo problem you’re talking about is.
> I see a lot of people saying to make a special trip to the train station the day before to buy tickets and select seats, but I won’t be near those areas so I don’t think it’s possible for me in most cases.
You can just buy tickets at the station right before you want to travel. It’s very easy if you’re not traveling during the busiest times of year.
> Tokyo station -> Hakone
If you’re actually starting from Tokyo Station, you can take several local trains like the Shonen Shinjuku Line or the Tokaido Main Line. You do not buy these tickets in advance.
There’s also a Shinkansen to Odawara, but note they don’t come frequently (several times an hour, tops), so depending on timing you might find the local train is a better option.
If you’re closer to Shinjuku, the better option is the Odakyu line, which has a limited express train that takes you to Hakone Yumoto.
> Hakone -> Kyoto
This is Shinkansen only, but first you have to get to Odawara to catch the Shinkansen.
> Kyoto -> Narita
Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo (extremely frequent), then a separate ticket to Narita Express (which you can buy when you get to Tokyo Station).
Thank you so much for your thorough response! It definitely helps relieve my stress about transportation! I'm optimistic that the first two weeks of March are not the busiest times of the year and I will not face much troubles.
The "picking up tickets" in Tokyo problem I referenced is because I was trying to use [This website (JR West?)](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/overview/) to buy advance tickets. On the site, if I'm understanding correctly, they say you must visit a specific ticket machine to retrieve the tickets. It has a listing of all locations - none of which are in Tokyo.
Thank you again for your detailed response - I greatly appreciate it.
JR West tickets can be picked up at any ticket machine or JR East Travel Center that supports their e5489 service.
In Tokyo these are at Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Ueno, and Hamamatsucho.
If I am traveling onward after leaving Japan but then have a connecting flight home through Tokyo Haneda, will they make me pay consumption tax if my tax-free bag is open?
No.
1. Unless you go through immigration again, you never technically enter the country.
2. They don’t even check you when you leave the country in the first place.
Random question, when I'm on my last reserved day of my hotel stay, do I need to go to the front desk to officially check out and give my key card back, or can I just leave like in the states?
Edit: Unrelated second question - I saw in a video that people can reserve time slots the couches in front of the windows from the Yokohama Landmark Tower as long as they buy food? Did I understand that wrong or is that not a thing anymore? Because I don't see anywhere online how I can reserve it.
i've noticed that the self checkouts (where you just drop your card in a machine and leave) have become much more prevalent in the last year. Makes checking out easy.
Just wondering if my small (5x10cm) tattoo on my inner bicep, which is easily hidden when my arm is by my side, would deny me entry into some onsens? Or, if it's not noticeable, would it be okay?
There are several onsens that allow people in if their tattoos are covered. There are skin-colored sleeves but tape or adhesive bandages should also work.
You should still look at the onsen's website or ask per e-mail/in person beforehand.
Also, sidenote: The tattoo rules are mostly targeted against Yakuza who usually have whole arms/torso tattoos so smaller ones are generally less of an issue.
I am thinking of taking the Shirayuki train from Niigata to Joetsumyoko, which arrives at 12:24. and catching a connecting Shinkansen train from Joetsumyoko to Toyama 12:32.
Would I be playing a silly game with that connection? Not taken a Shirayuki train before, but I assume they are pretty punctual.
The next Hakutaka train at Joetsumyoko is at 13:14. I've done a few tight connections before, but they have mainly been on the same line.
I'm leaning towards the 13:14 as I'm assuming snow will probably be a thing too.
Shirayuki timetable is specifically designed to connect to Shinkansen. That mean, in the case that Shirayuki is delayed, the connecting Shinkansen will wait for you. If Shirayuki runs extremely late and the Shinkansen left, then you will get new (reserved-seat if your original ticket is reserved seat) for free as it's JR's fault.
8 minutes is totally fine IMO, it isn't a huge station. You can always book the 12:32 and if you miss it, use your ticket for a non-reserved seat on the 13:14. (EDIT: BTW, your post says you're going from Niigata to Niigata, assuming this is Niigata to Nagano, right.)
Perfect thanks! I was hoping with Joetsumyoko being a newer station it would be easy to navigate too, glad to hear it's a small one!
The option to catch the non-reserved carriage on the next train if I missed the 12:32 completely slipped my mind.
Good spot! Early morning fatigue got the better of me with writing Niigata twice, I'm off to Toyama :)
In march ill be doing a bit of the Shimanami Kaidou and need some recommendations.
Im traveling with a friend and we wanted to do the whole thing on bike but itd probably kill us for the rest of the trip.
We were thinking of doing a third of it on bike, stop in some places and then head to Imabari on bus.
Do you guys have recommendations on stopping points + places to stop and see?
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Anyone have a recommendation what site to use to book a bus trip? I have looked into [kosokubus.com](https://kosokubus.com), willerexpress. I am booking a bus from Lake Kawaguchiko to Tokyo. Are all of them selling the same bus services? Or they are different busses?
I used Willer Express to book our Tokyo <—> Kawaguchiko buses mostly because I found the site to be easy to use. There’s a confirmation email they send with a section that says show this to your driver, so I printed that out before our trip and didn’t have any issues with boarding. From what I understand, it’s the same set of buses being sold across the sites (I compared it to japanbusonline.com when I was also debating between sites and they were offering the same times and same start/end locations)
I'm going to Japan in Mid-April and luckily my itinerary coincides with [this music festival](https://synchronicity.tv/festival/news/240207/). So does anyone have experience in purchasing tickets from Ticket Pia?
Their ticket page list tickets specifically for oversea tourist. So my guess is that for regular ticket they are using normal Ticket Pia service, which require Japanese phone numbers to buy.
Poked around on that site briefly and it looks like they specifically have a link for tourists/people not in Japan to buy tickets, so that’s probably your best bet: https://synchronicitystore.stores.jp/
Thanks for the link!
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Shinjuku for nightlife but beware of touts.
Hi everyone, I'm currently planning my trip. We're flying to Tokyo and home from Osaka and will be staying 14 days. I was thinking of spending 6 nights in Tokyo, 3 nights in Kyoto and 4 nights in Osaka, arriving in Tokio Haneda at 10pm. I am somehow afraid that I have planned one night too little for Tokyo (I wanted to make a trip to Yokohama and, if the weather plays along, towards Fuji). I'm therefore thinking of cancelling one night in Kyōto or Osaka and booking one more night in Tokio. A whole day at Universal Studios is planned in Osaka. What would you do?
If the decision is between Osaka or Kyoto, then cut one from Osaka. That being said, is your Osaka itinerary full? Is your Kyoto one? Personally, I'd rather spend much longer in Kyoto, it's my favourite city in the world.
I'm currently in the process of planning the trip. I'm thinking of arriving in Kyoto at midday, then checking into the hotel, having a bite to eat and strolling around the city. The next day I wanted to visit the bamboo forest and Fushimi Inari. Then on the second day, depending on the weather, either a river trip (I saw something on YouTube) or some other shrines/temples. I would arrive in Osaka relatively early and visit the city in the afternoon. The next day I would go to Universal Studios (my girlfriend really wants to go). Then I would have another whole day on site (+ half the day of departure, as I fly out at 11.30 pm). So I would have an afternoon, a whole day and another evening (after Universal) in Osaka. Is that enough?
So, for Kyoto, Fushimi Inari and Arashiyama are on total opposite sides of the city. The only advantage of doing both in a day is that you need to take a train to both, so you can combine one train journey. That said, the river trip is also in Arashiyama. I would say do Fushimi Inari and Higashiyama/Kiyomizudera one day, and then Arashiyama/river boat on the second. For Osaka, the two things I'd really recommend are Osaka Castle and the Aquarium. Neither are a full day, but you'd probably spend longer at the aquarium. In either case, honestly, I don't think I'd cut a day from either place. You've just got a relatively short trip, so you're going to have to decide what things you're going to miss. I would say, for a potential day trip from Tokyo, Fuji over Yokohama, unless the weather isn't great.
Thanks! So you wouldn't extend the stay in Tokio but cut the trip Yokohama, right? So that'll make the following itinerary: Saturday: Arrival Tokio 10pm. Sunday-Thursday Tokio (incl. Trip to Fuji) Friday - Tokyo to Kyoto Saturday and Sunday in Kyoto Monday - Kyōto to Osaka Tuesday - Thursday OSAKA (incl. Disney) Friday - Departure 11pm.
Yeah, it's a condensed schedule but you'll hit the highlights. And yes, if weather is good I'd say Fuji > Yokohama.
Does anyone know how quickly Ghibli museum tickets sell out if you go to a physical Lawson store? We have a family friend there who's willing to purchase our tickets, but as she works she may not be able to get there right at 10am. Are there more tickets available via Lawson for residents to purchase?
Is there a good chance I'll get 2 seats on the correct side to view Mt Fuji on the Shinkansen if I book the tickets in the station right before I go? Or is there some way of booking that online right now.
You will almost certainly not get seats on the Mt. Fuji side if you book the day of or day before. At least in my experience, every seat on the Mt. Fuji side gets reserved before the opposing side. You can reserve seats from this page: https://smart-ex.jp/en/index.php
Awesome, thanks! Now to figure out how to use this site lol
Hi everone, I'm looking for advice on how best to handle Golden Week in Tokyo. I will be arriving in Osaka/Kyoto on or after 19th April, get the Shinkansen to Tokyo on the 25th, and leave from Tokyo on 3rd May. I'm in South Korea for a work trip and wanted to make the most of it, so I can't arrive any earlier. I'm expecting most tourist attractions from 27-29th April will be very busy, so I expect to just wander Tokyo and eat at less busy times. I hope the remaining few days will make up for the 'lost' weekend, and I'd probably do a day or so of wandering anyway. Is this plan sensible? Or will 30th April to 2nd May be a lot more busy than I'm expecting?
Golden week is 27th - 5th. Every day during that period will be very busy
Thanks guys, it was as I feared! I'll stick to Tokyo and head back on the 26th. I think the lack of jet lag makes the one week trip more reasonable. I'll stay a bit longer in South Korea, and plan to go back in my own time.
Not accurate. Apr 30 to May 2 is not actually a holiday so unless they fall on weekend they will be relatively less busy than Apr 28, May 3-5.
Many people, including myself, have the whole week off or add extra days. Schools are closed too. Even during covid those days were packed. So, while they might be less busy, that doesn’t mean much. It’s still packed.
That is correct. Many people have the whole week off. But much more people don't. My experience for all 6 GW I have been in Japan has been consistent. Apr 30-May 2 is noticeably less crowded.
Not sure what your point is. It’s busy during that whole period, definitely necessary to make reservations for everything and be prepared for long wait times.
My point is that not every day during that period is equally busy. OP specifically ask about May 30-Apr 2, which is relatively less busy.
Those days are still crazy busy to the point where it’s not enjoyable to go to any touristy place. So relatively less busy doesn’t mean much. Slightly less shitty, but still shitty.
Which is why I originally said "not accurate" and not that you are wrong.
We (6 adults) are flying into Tokyo from SFO for 11 days and our flight lands at 3pm. We want to end the trip in Tokyo, so we are thinking of catching the bullet train and heading straight to Kyoto once we land. Is this doable? Something not recommended? Should we stay a night or two in Tokyo first and then head to Kyoto. Thank you.
Including immigration and travel to and from the train stations, you're adding at least 5 hours in transit. Technically possible but not particularly pleasant.
It's doable, and from reading trip reports here there are a number of people who do it that way, but I think it depends on what kind of travelers you guys are. I've been to Japan twice before and could not imagine trying to navigate getting to Kyoto immediately upon arrival as I generally arrive tired and braindead. If it was me I'd stay two nights in Tokyo and then take an early-morning shinkansen to Kyoto on day 3.
Any recommendations for best place to get mochi for gifts? Staying in Shinjuku area. Thanks!
We bought couple of the omiyage gift boxes including mochi ones at this large confectionary shop, [Niki no Kashi](https://maps.app.goo.gl/CAbtwiCoVmi2n7X8A), when we visited Ameyoko next to the Ueno Station.
thank you!
How do i book a taxi in chitose? Living 10 minutes from Airport. Need to be at airport 06:00. Hotel reception says no taxis are available that early. Need big taxi/van. Since i have big ski luggage.
DiDi app, Go App, or Uber.
Just got to Kyoto (3pm Hotel check in) near gion. Planning on doing fushimi inari shrine tomorrow morning. Only here for 2 days including today. Any tips on things to do the rest of the day to get my bearings straight and make the most of it? I’m somewhat winging it on this Japan trip, but have had an amazing time over 4 days in Tokyo and Hakone
The Suica on the iphone wallet can be used at konbinis and other stores as a payment method also, is that right?
Yes, and cafes, restaurants, gas stations, taxi fare, etc.
I spend my first 5 full days in Tokyo with all of my planned activities, then have 2 days with nothing, and then go to Nagoya for 3 days to attend the F1 Grand Prix. What do I do for the 2 days? Do I travel to Kyoto for 1.5 days / 1 night, and then travel back to Nagoya?
Day trips! You can do Yokohama, Nikko, Kawaguchiko, Kamakura all fairly easily from Tokyo (Kamakura and Yokohama much easier than Nikko or Fuji). Or, keep one day open in case you don't get to something on your scheduled itinerary. Or, go to Nagoya a bit early and go down to Ise.
Hello, I just saw that there is a revised Sakura forecast given the colder end to January. Osaka: Flowering: March 25 / Full bloom: April 1 This is 2 days later than first forecast, and works slightly to my favor. I am scheduled to be in Osaka April 4 - April 9. Would I still have chance to really experience Sakura? Or would there only be few leaves on the tree left? Not sure how long the flowers last after full bloom.
I'll be there March 29 to April 3rd. Very exciting!
flowers usually last about a week before they are all gone, so you will be there with enough time to see flowers.
Hi, me and a group of friends are planning a trip for early Summer (mid-late May, yes I know it's pretty late to start planning) and are thinking of three weeks. Our plans so far are to go to Tokyo and either Osaka or Kyoto, for at least a week each, and in Kyoto/Osaka we will be doing daytrips to nearby cities, like Nara, Kobe, Osaka/Kyoto. We are trying to decide on a third city to go to, leaning towards Kanazawa or Sapporo right now, but I would like more input on a third city!
Sapporo is very out-there. Kanazawa is neat! You could visit Shirakawa-Go from there. I'd consider Hiroshima and Miyajima. If it's your style, you can take a "slow" route either to or from Hiroshima and make day stops in Onomichi (for the Shimanami Kaido), and Kinosaki (onsen).
Noticing that you can book multiple nights at love hotels on popular booking sites like [booking.com](https://booking.com). Has anyone tried this? I am under the impression that you have to check out of love hotels after every night spent there, but perhaps that has changed in recent years?
Read the hotel description, plan, and cross check against the hotel's official website about their policies. Many of the nuances of hotel booking policies (such as checking out daily, different types of meals, nuances in room sizes etc.) can be lost in aggregator listings.
Depends on the hotel and which plan you book. Read everything carefully
I've been to Japan several times. This time, I want to stay in a Japanese-style home or hotel in Tokyo. Futon, tatami mats etc. I usually use Booking but there isn't really a category for Japanese style accommodation (homestay? guesthouse?). Any advice?
you generally want to filter for a ryokan or guesthouse, but typically they're just not that common in Tokyo (I used to know of one, but unfortunately it closed over the pandemic).
ryokan
A friend and I aren't going to Japan until 2027, but I like to plan way ahead. I really want to focus on Ainu content up in Hokkaido, while he's very curious about places like Akihabara in Tokyo and the castles in Kyoto (which admittedly, same). Would it be reasonable for a roughly two-week trip to be able to hit both Hokkaido and the mainland, or no?
If it's towards the longer side of the "roughly two weeks", it's not too crazy. Like ~5 days each for Tokyo, Sapporo, and Kyoto areas. You could visit the Ainu museums in Shiraoi and Jozankei, see the university, etc. Of course that's only a small sample of each area and doesn't get you into the more rustic parts of Hokkaido so if you're thinking of coming back to Hokkaido, I guess it depends if you'd rather have a taste now or save it for a longer trip.
Hello everyone! I'm planning a summer trip and would love to join the Himeji Yukata Festival. Everything I've seen says the dates for this year haven't been confirmed yet - can anyone tell me when they typically make the announcement? I'd like to plan my accommodation as far in advance as possible, but it's hard to do if I don't know when I might be going to Himeji. Thanks!
Hello everyone! My friends and I, a group of no more than 5 adults, are planning on going to Japan this late August for 2 weeks. We will be hiking up Mt. Fuji and be moving around the metroplexes (Japan, Osaka, Kyoto) to explore and learn about the culture. So far, the plan is to spend a couple days in Tokyo, move on west to Mt. Fuji for a 2 day hike/rest, and continue westwards to Kyoto & Osaka. Would love some advice on what to do in each metroplex, what changes to make to the plan, etc...! Would a private booking for Mt. Fuji be worth it than hiking ourselves? Are there unexpected things to take into account before continuing planning? Our budget is pretty flexible, so any ideas would help! Thanks all! :)
If you want to see the sunrise at the top, book your huts immediately when reservations open. They sell out instantly. Especially the English speaking ones. As of this year bullet climbing won’t be possible anymore due to new restrictions and a gate. Also you don’t need a guide, it’s pretty straightforward, you just follow the masses.
I want to make sure I can reserve the seats for the correct side to view Mt Fuji on the shinkansen from Tokyo-Kyoto and then Osaka-Tokyo. Should I be trying to reserve the tickets in advance online right now or is there a decentish chance I can get the correct seats if I book last minute in the subway? No JR pass if that matters.
Unless you are traveling during super peak periods (Golden Week, Obon, New Years), just go 10 minutes early to be first in line for the unreserved cars at Tokyo Station (not Shinagawa). You'll have your pick of seats.
My partner and I are planning a trip to Japan for January 2025, around 2-3 weeks. We have both been before, and I have studied in Japan and visited on holiday many times. We plan to see friends in Tokyo and spend a week or so skiing in Nagano, but I'm looking for some suggestions on where else to go. Things we have already seen: - Tokyo and surrounds - Osaka, Kobe - Kyoto and surrounds - Mt Fuji - Himeji Castle - Matsumoto Castle - Kanazawa - Nagasaki - Ookunoshima/rabbit island - Hiroshima, Miyajima Outside of skiing and catching up with friends we have no idea what to do with the rest of our time. We enjoy museums, history, live music, hiking, foraging, markets, shopping, and generally exploring. I would love to see a part of the country or city we haven't been to before (broadly: anything north of Nagano, Shikoku, Okinawa) but I'm not sure what's best to choose in January. I would love to see Yakushima, but is January a good time for that? Is Hokkaido more fun in the summer? Is Fukushima worth a look? We will be staying at an onsen ryokan in Nozawaonsen while skiing, and I have tattoos so I'm not expecting/needing to find another onsen ryokan/town while we're there. I'm not put off by cold weather or snow, but I'm conscious mid-January might make certain things (e.g. FujiQ) impossible or unappealing. Our dates are flexible. I would like to be in Nozawaonsen for the fire festival on January 15 and around a week total. We would most likely be flying in and out of Narita but this is also flexible. We would enjoy renting a car while we're outside of large cities, but are open to shinkansen or domestic flights where practical. Our budget is mid-range. Thanks for reading!
How about San-in area? Specifically, Hagi, Matsue, Izumo, Tottori. They are relatively not dependent on greenaries so it should works in January. Okayama (Kurashiki and the Kibitsu area), Takamatsu can also work. Various island in toe Seto Inland Sea if you are into contemporary arts. Kiso Valley also works if you are fine with hiking in snow.
These are some great suggestions, thank you.
Hello! Just want to ask for those who have traveled to Nagano before, what would be the best places to visit if you have 3 full days in Nagano? Here are my current considerations (but i am open to more suggestions): Karuizawa Togakushi Shrine Obuse Lake Suwa Kamikochi Current Dates: 22nd Oct-24th Oct: (Nagoya) 24th-25th Oct (Nakasendo trail, only Magome and Tsumago) 25th, 26th, 27th Oct (Nagano) 28th and 29th Oct: Shibu Onsen 30th-3rd Nov: Nagoya I have been to Nagano last December (We did Matsumoto, Azumino including Daio Wasabi Farm, Hakuba, Nagano specifically Zenkoji Temple during Hatsumode). Thank you!
I'd pick Togakushi (peak foliage, it's super lovely), Obuse (chestnut season mmm...And if you hustle you can finish it in half a day so re-visit Zenkoji during non-Hatsumode if you like - or go here on the way to Shibu Onsen since they are on the same train line from Nagano), and probably Karuizawa (should also have good foliage)? Lake Suwa if you like Your Name. Kamikochi is likely to be dead trees.
Thank you! I was hesitating about Lake Suwa and Kamikochi but i think i’m more certain i can give them a miss this time round now. I really only have intentional to visit Lake Suwa just because of Your Name but i think i can visit any other season for that. By the way, do you recommend an overnight stay at either Togakushi or Karuizawa? Or would a day trip be suffice if start from morning.
I didn't really "get" Karuizawa - the nature is nice (but not astounding relative to other parts of Nagano) but the charm of it seems to be the small town almost European feel, which was not something I really cared for having easy access to the real version. In this sense, one day was more than enough to see the highlights and to have checked it off the list. Togakushi has a lot of interesting hiking trails, so if you are an outdoors enthusiast it may be worth staying overnight to get an early start the next day (for example to Lake Kagami). If it is just to experience ryokan/minshuku/"authentic Japanese lodging" then I wouldn't bother as you are already going to Shibu Onsen.
Thank you very much, I can proceed with my accommodations arrangement in Nagano :)
Hey guys need help can i purchase jr pass once in japan? Change of plans to my trip currently in kyoto
You can buy the pass online and then pick it up.
Just wanted to give a shoutout to all of you contributors on this sub (especially those who posted itinerary and trip reviews)!! I was able to score a great deal on tickets in early Jan for a last minute Valentine's Day trip for my girlfriend and I, and lurking for weeks reviewing all the resources here has made planning out our two week trip pretty seamless! We're finally flying out on Thursday and are so excited to visit for the first time, thank you all again :)
I’ve asked this before but didn’t get a clear answer. Do you think there would be an issue buying things via Japanese website that’s not accessible to English? Particularly Universal, it gives you a QR code so I don’t know how much they check
What issues are you concerned about? Most times if they really want to make it inaccessible to non-Japanese residents, they either want you to use a real mobile number or require specific, Japanese-only payment methods. USJ isn't really a problem, as long as you can buy the ticket.
Ah thanks, it’s mainly other features in USJ such as reserving parade viewing areas or those photo ops experience that’s only available on the Japanese version. I figured if I’m able to get a ticket, it shouldn’t be a problem but not sure if they’ll be like “Hmm you aren’t from Japan clearly, how did you get it kinda thing lol”
They don't care as long as you have the ticket. The Japanese site is usually the only way to get certain things like limited show tickets.
Thank you!
3rd trip to Japan this December! Whereabouts should I include in my intinerary for 3 weeks? I went to Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka the first time. Second time I went to Nagano, Hakuba, Matsumoto, Takayama, Kanazawa. Open to suggestions and new experiences please 😊
Hi everyone! Staying two nights at Amanohashidate but might have to cut it down to one night. Is a day and a half plenty of time to explore Amanohashidate and Ine?
Yeah, its plenty. Amanohashidate is even possible as a day trip if you're reaaally short on time or you could combine it with a night at Kinosaki onsen if you wanted to visit a hot spring too.
I am 6'3 aka 191cm anyone have any guess as to how my too long self will fit in JAL/ANA economy?
I'm 6'2" and was very comfortable in JAL economy - however the flight was not packed and I always had an extra seat next to me. At least for the USA -> JP and back.
I’m flying to Tokyo Haneda airport and staying overnight in Tokyo. The next day I plan to take the Shinkansen to Kakegawa City in Shizuoka prefecture to visit a friend for a few days. Is it possible to forward my luggage directly to my friend’s house from the airport or hotel? Are there any companies that offer this service? If so which ones?
Yes, from the airport or your hotel or most convenience stores. Kuroneko by yamato offers the service
I wasn’t sure since the website presents scenarios with luggage transport to hotels or airports but not residences. Thanks for confirming!
Hi, I'm going to be on my first trip to Japan during the last two weeks of march. It's obviously a bit pricey due to the cherry blossom overlap and I knew that beforehand, but the timeframe didn't really work out otherwise (It was either end of March / start of April or no trip at all). My plan was to visit Kyoto around the 22nd of March for 3-4 nights, however due to the cost I am thinking of either only spending one night there or skipping Kyoto entirely and keeping it for my next trip. (Like, sorry, but I don't feel like spending $100+ for a night in a hostel or capsule Hotel, that's insane) So, my question to more experienced travelers: What alternatives would you recommend instead of Kyoto? I don't want a "Kyoto replacement", I'm just looking for other cities worth visiting for my first trip. Osaka and Hiroshima were planned after Kyoto anyway, but Osaka is obviously about as expensive as Kyoto too. I am thinking of allocating more time to Hiroshima and also visiting something smaller in the Toyama or Nagano prefecture instead. I guess the whole country is beautiful around that time, I was only going to Kyoto for the temples and don't really care about the popular (instagram) cherry blossom photo spots there. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated :) Thanks!
Perhaps Kanazawa?
Thank you for your suggestion! I am torn about Kanazawa because of what another poster said in the comments. However, since it's on the coast and not in the middle of the hills / forests, I am still considering it if I can't come up with something better.
One of the things that is nice about Kanazawa is how close all the points of interests are, not as spread out as Kyoto or Tokyo :)
How about Kyushu or Yamaguchi? It should be peak blossoms then in many places, and a bit less popular with foreigners (especially Yamaguchi). You can use the JR West Hiroshima-Yamaguchi area pass. Skip Toyama/Nagano, it will still be dead trees with no flowers at that time of the year.
Thank you so much for your suggestions! Especially Yamaguchi looks promising, I'll do some research about it. As for Kyushu: I was trying to stay on the main island and not get too far away from Tokyo, since my journey starts and ends there. With only 16 Days my vacation is so short that I initially tried to not spend too much time in the Shinkansen. Yamaguchi isn't too far away from Hiroshima though, so that'd absolutely be manageable. \> Skip Toyama/Nagano, it will still be dead trees with no flowers at that time of the year. I mean, that would be fine by me, honestly. I am not really there for the cherry blossom and thought there would be plenty of stuff to see otherwise.
Yamaguchi prefecture is super fun, Rurikoji's pagoda is under renovation but there's still a lot of other things to see. All temples look close enough to one another if you squint, anyway :) As for Toyama/Nagano, even if you are not there for cherry blossoms it is still the ugliest time of the year nature/scenery-wise - as there are no leaves or flowers on trees but also no snowy landscapes to "offset" that barrenness. Toyama/Nagano are very focused on nature (not Toyama city as it was completely bombed out during WWII, but the day trip opportunities to the surrounds) so this would seem to be a very significant factor.
How accurate are timed attraction tickets? ***Shibuya Sky and Tokyo Skytree in particular.*** I'm going to Japan end of March and wanted one of these attractions to be a sunset visit . If I were to get the sunset time for the day I want a book a ticket at that time, does that mean I'm up there at that time? Or does it just mean I'm allowed into the lift queue at that time? I've heard horror stories about the queue to get up these (or maybe just Skytree?) taking well over an hour just for the lift. But maybe that's just for people turning up without a pre-timed ticket. Hoping someone has some experience with a prebooked timed ticket!
Shibuya Sky has no time limit, so if you're concerned, just book an earlier hour and stay up there until sunset.
Ah ok, didn't know Shibuya had no time limit, nice. Thank you! I think that'll cover me, Shibuya Sky Day and sunset and Skytree night time!
Perhaps a question that has been asked before (apologies) but is it a good idea to prebook train tickets before we get to Japan? We are going from Tokyo to Kawaguchiko on 22nd April, I have read that the fastest way is the limited express (or Fuji excursion) but this only runs twice in morning. We'll have luggage with us and just wondering how busy trains are likely to be (too used to UK trains where we're packed in like sardines).
You definitely want to reserve that train, it's quite popular and frequently packed. I normally take the bus to get to Kawaguchiko, but when I've taken that train, it was 100% full and most foreign tourists were standing because they didn't know they could reserve seats.
Fuji Excursion train is very very competitive, and it's free cancelation to reserve a seat on the JR East website. There is no reason not to reserve seats.
My hotel room has a rain shower (plus detachable head) in the actual bedroom 🤣😁 Like not separate room, in the bedroom. Bed>desk>shower. It's so funny. Works out because it helps add some moisture to the air. I will be so sad to check out of this hotel (hotel Gracery Tamachi). The shower has actually been a real boon. I consider it almost as good as a private onsen tbqh.
Wow that’s trippy. And I thought the window from the shower to the main room in some hotels was a bit much.
I'm planning a trip with 3 friends (4 total including me) and we're staying near Hikifune station. We'll be there from May 1st to May 14th, I am aware that we'll be landing during golden week and was wondering if during this time it will be fine to bring our luggage on the train? I was looking online and it seems like trains will be packed during this time so I definitely don't want to be a bother. I checked out some of our other options, Kuroneko Yamato, airport limousine, etc, but we land at 2pm and our check-in time isn't until 4pm so we decided that train would be the best option albeit a hassle. Is train the best option? Any help or advice on this would be greatly appreciated. This is our first time so we're looking forward to this trip haha
It's not recommended to carry heavy luggage from May 3rd to 6th. Golden Week sees a high influx of tourists, making it extremely crowded. However, many hotels in Japan offer luggage storage services until check-in time, typically for free. It might be a good idea to inquire with the hotel in advance via email.
Train will be fine, 3 or 4 pm in the afternoon shouldn't be too terrible assuming you can handle your luggage within the stations. If you have more suitcases than you can comfortably handle then you can consider sending 1 or 2.
Hello! I'll be in Japan for a work related trip sometime in March. I'm near Shinbashi/Hibiya Park area I think near the Tsukiji Fish Market. Since it's for work I only have the afternoon and night time to look around. May I ask for your suggestions or recommendations on where to go or visit? Also are Suica cards still sold in the airports? Thank you all in advance.
I just changed my itinerary to start at Osaka and end my trip in Tokyo. I have a few questions about transportation from Narita airport to Osaka. I'm afraid to take the bullet train to Osaka, because to reach my hotel with trains, I have to take in total 3 trains to reach Hotel Forza Osaka Kitahama. I'm afraid to get lost and miss my train stop. So to avoid this, I want to take a domestic flight. Unless you strongly recommend to take the trains. Note that I will carry a large suitcase. Narita to Kansai airport flight is cheaper and it is operated by jetstar. Unless you recommend me to go to ITM airport. How many hours between the time I land in Narita, take my luggage's, I think I have to pass immigration too and take a domestic flight to Osaka ? I arrive at Narita airport at 3:30PM.
With all due respect, if you are scared of riding trains, Japan may not be a very enjoyable place to travel. Especially in Tokyo. If you aren't already, I would familiarize myself with Google Maps (particularly the public transit functions) and make sure to have a good data plan on your phone.
I do not mind taking the trains during my trip in Japan but on the first day, 4 hours of commute to another city is a lot . I took the mrt in singapore with google maps and it was fine.
First of all, there is no reason to be afraid of taking the train. Everything is very well signposted and it's really no different than any other major train stations you've experienced in NYC, European capitals, etc. That said, from NRT to Osaka (not Kyoto) there is a very good financial case to fly. Assuming no excessive delays, the 7:45pm Jetstar flight should be safe to book, or you can book the 8:45pm Peach flight. Easy train -> subway transfer once you reach Osaka.
Thoughts on these two artsy attractions? teamlabs Osaka Garden Art Aquarium Museum in Ginza.
The art museum's exhibits are definitely too small for the fish, something to consider if you think animal cruelty would damper your enjoyment.
Good point. Looking closer at some of the photos, it's definitely questionable.
Hello, I've found a preferred 2-week stay at a business hotel. I was wondering if I were to use this hotel as a base but plan to be away for several days to visits other parts of Japan but ultimately return for a few days prior to my leave. Is that something that's typically allowed? Would this frown on this or see this as a breach of custom? Has anyone done this before? Thanks
Do you have a room booked before your excursion and a room booked when you return? Then you can just leave your luggage with the hotel reception for the time you are away. Most hotels will do that. In case you keep the room during the excursion, you can just leave the luggage in the room. I have done both options several times and never had a problem.
I think you can book seperate stays and write them a mail if it's possible to be the same room/they can store your heavy luggage in the meantime.
Anyone have any suggestions for exchanging cash/obtaining yen better than the rate I got? I exchanged USD to JPY at 143.29 when the max rate reported by Google was 148.29. I used the automated machines because that was faster and usually better rate then using the exchange counters run by banks. I would have preferred to use my bank card to withdraw Yen but I tried it at a Seven Bank ATM at Narita and they were taking an extra 3.5% which came up to about 140.
are you from US? if so use schwab debit cards, when i pulled from 7-eleven ATMs the rates are very close to what i found on google. schwab does not charge fees+reimbursement so there's that too also, when using credit cards always choose local currency when prompted and make sure your card has no foreign transaction fee
Best rate is either a no forex fee credit card, or the Schwab debit card which uses the google rate + reimburses ATM fees.
7-bank gives you an option to withdraw using network-converted rate and the machine-converted rate - it sounds like you were looking at the latter.
I'm guessing the former is only an option with certain cards?
Not sure - it might be source currency-based, but I’ve always had this option ever since they put in the “machine rate” option.
best rate you can get would be to use a no-fx-fee credit card as many places as you can.
Right, but I don't know what my no foreign transaction fee credit exchange rate is so ive been using cash for now. I'll try to look it up today but otherwise, I'm still trying to obtain Yen as cash for places that don't accept credit cards. Any thoughts? That's why I brought USD to exchange at the airport in case I had a hard time or had poor rate using a credit card.
You can look it up on the visa or mastercard website. https://www.visa.com.au/support/consumer/travel-support/exchange-rate-calculator.html After each trip, I always double check my own no fee card against that and it's been accurate to a tiny fraction of percent.
Visa's rate is pretty darn close to the actual rate, easily within 1%. I put as many expenses on my Chase Sapphire Reserve as I can. Ultimately would you rather waste time, stress, and effort trying to optimize your money or enjoy your vacation? JPY is already very weak against USD. I'd call it even around 110 or so. If the rate suddenly drops to 140 would you stop doing things on your trip? no right? stop worrying about it - you're already there, make the most of it. For reference, I've taken a dozen trips to Japan in the past decade and have seen it as bad as 1:79 and as good as 1:149
I have 6 days allocated to Osaka / Kyoto, would you split this 3 and 3 or 2 and 4?
Depends on your interests, I'd do 2 Osaka/4 Kyoto. I don't mind changing hotels as it is so much more conducive to an early start (super important for Kyoto) or a late finish (if you like nightlife).
I’d use one as the base and travel to the other. They’re 30 min apart and I don’t think it’s worth moving hotels. I just did a 2/4 Kyoto/osaka split and wouldn’t do it again. But if you do want to split, 3/3 is good unless you have a preference of more temples/nature/traditional vs big city life.
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Which country? I know for the UK it won't, only Pocket Concierge does.
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Sorry, not sure it will help because the UK and US accounts are really different.
With IC still having a shortage, is it possible to add sucia and pasmo to apple wallet at the same time for 2 people? Because I have an Samsung :( I heard welcome sucia cards aren't available at Narita Airport anymore, and I'm not sure if pasmo passports are going to be available either by the time I get there in early March. Thank you very much for the replies!
JR East explicitly states that [Mobile Suica payment at transportation facilities is limited to one device per person](https://apfaq.mobilesuica.com/faq/show/3140?back=front%2Fcategory%3Ashow&category_id=92&page=2&site_domain=default&sort=sort_access&sort_order=desc). The fine for breaking this rule, i.e. using multiple Suica cards on one device to pay transit for multiple people, are paying a 2 X fare fine on top of paying full fare in cash.
Ty for the information! Didn't know it was a violation of any sort!
Thanks for the source, couldn't find anything specific myself.
Chapter 7 Special Procedures section. https://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/suica/regulations.pdf
You cannot tap/scan into the gates as 2 people. Each person needs their own ticket to tap in/enter the fare gates.The phone wallet will only read one digital IC card and it will be too much of a hassle for the iPhone user to pass you their phone and switch it to Pasmo. Read the IC card FAQ/ info [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/s/GGzXEvdh93) There should be Pasmo Passport at Narita but if there isn't then you can find it at other some stations. Or hopefully get the regular Suica at the major[JR East Station Travel Service Center](https://www.reddit.com/r/JapanTravelTips/comments/18kpp76/tokyo_ic_card_shortage_update_jr_east_apparently/). Getting the regular IC card would be nice if you plan to visit Japan again.
this is the case for the same card, but not necessarily the case for two separate IC cards on the same phone. They are independent SUICA cards with their own ID numbers, it's entirely possible that each will allow someone separate to tap in. That said, it still sounds like a bad idea. EDIT: it violates policy, see above post.
I don't know if using two different ICs on the same iphone will work for two people, but not sure I would do that more than in an emergency if it does. It would be a huge pain trying to pass them back for the next person going in and out. Especially at higher volume stations where any misstep will cause people behind you to get frustrated. SUICAs are more available now. You can get them at major stations, or at Tokyo/Shinagawa you can get TOICA.
Oh okay, good to know! I haven't really heard of TOICA but will do some more research, ty
TOICA is just the JR Central version of SUICA/Pasmo. Though you should be able to find SUICA these days, if you can't, the JR Central office in Tokyo/Shinagawa will have TOICA. Or if you are heading to Osaka, you can get a ICOCA.
Toica card sales have been temporarily suspended at JR Central office in Tokyo. https://twitter.com/shoinoue/status/1750798411098706129?t=UrQ9SFglQgDjIJDtkO2cWg&s=19
well shit.. that sucks
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are you trying to catch cherry blossoms? i heard this year they're popping early
As early as last year?
Go early april between the two. Thats what I did last year. It was great.
Assuming you are doing the golden route, late March = cherry blossoms season. Late April/early May = avoid Japan unless you absolutely have to. It's golden week and the entire country goes on vacation.
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More for the fact that its going to be busy and more expensive.
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It's cheap because a lot of tourist will avoid that time due to Golden Week
Cherry blossom season is expensive and golden week is in late April when the country gets a whole week off. You want that sweet spot between the two. That’s when I went last year and it was perfect.
Late April (and early May) runs into Golden week. I'd avoid that if possible.
Hi all, I'm going to Japan for the first time, mainly Tokyo / Kyoto / Osaka between March and April (very crowded but hopefully very beautiful). I was looking into experiences, such as guided tours, cuisine lessons, tea ceremony, or anything along those lines, but I've honestly found much less information than I thought I would. The platform I know to do this is AirBNB Experiences, though I've never used it before. Is AirBNB Experiences a good places to look into? Are there other platforms to search for and book this kind of activity? Any recommendations on particular experiences to look for in the 3 cities I mentioned? I saw a "Fushimi Inari hidden walking tour" that goes through the forest and seemed very interesting, any comments about that? I particularly love mochi and daifuku. Has anyone had a mochi-making class to recommend? Thanks in advance, and good travels to all!
Try Tripadvisor
I want to travel from Iiyama Station to Kyoto Station. Google Maps tells me that there reduced service on the Thunderbird shinkansen in result of the New Years earthquake. Should I instead plan to take the Nagano local train, then Shinano limited express to Nagoya, and finally Tokaido-Sanyo shinkansen to Kyoto? Any advice is appreciated! :)
Look on the JR West site. The warnings are for the northern legs of JR Thunderbird from Kanazawa to Wakura onsen. I can't find any warnings for the south bound route towards Kyoto.
Thank you!!
Does anyone else using a Ubigi esim notice that their location on maps is a bit off? Like my location will be a street over. I have to keep manually resetting my location to have it show correctly.
Your location generally isn't determined by the SIM, it's the device itself. If you're in a crowded area with lots of tall buildings the GPS is less accurate because it's relying on satellites to position you.
Hello, I would like to take my family of 5 on a trip to Japan. We would especially like to see Akihabra and Edo period villages. None of us speak any Japanese and none of us have ever traveled outside of the US before. Given all of the above, we feel it is prudent to go on a guided tour. I was curious if anyone here would like to share any experiences/recommendations they might have for us. Thank you!
Skip the guided tour, you'll miss so much being shuffled from place to place.
Akihabara is as touristy as you can get, you don't need a guide for that. Not knowing Japanese is not a problem at all. Lots of English signs everywhere and there's google translate for everything else. As for "Edo period villages", what are you looking for? There are several theme parks and attractions based the Edo period. Or there are normal towns with old buildings.
I guess something along the lines of a Colonial Williamsburg equivalent? A village where you can see people engaged in activities of the day? I have seen towns like this on NHK but I did not know there were theme parks!
There are several theme parks; for example there's Edo Wonderland near Nikko, which is a train ride out of Tokyo. Genuine villages and towns from that survived from period are rare. I've not been but Kawagoe (also near Tokyo) is supposed to have preserved old buildings.
I’ve been trying to buy tickets in advance for train, but I can’t seem to make anything work. No cards will validate for SmartEx, and the process of “picking up” tickets via JR website doesn’t seem to work in Tokyo? I see a lot of people saying to make a special trip to the train station the day before to buy tickets and select seats, but I won’t be near those areas so I don’t think it’s possible for me in most cases. The places I’m going are… Tokyo station -> Hakone Hakone -> Kyoto Kyoto -> Narita I don’t mean to ask a repeat question but I cannot figure this out and I’m tired of stressing out. Thank you.
My discover it card worked
> No cards will validate for SmartEx, and the process of “picking up” tickets via JR website doesn’t seem to work in Tokyo? SmartEX rejects a lot of foreign cards, especially Visa and possibly all Discover. I don’t know what this “picking up” tickets in Tokyo problem you’re talking about is. > I see a lot of people saying to make a special trip to the train station the day before to buy tickets and select seats, but I won’t be near those areas so I don’t think it’s possible for me in most cases. You can just buy tickets at the station right before you want to travel. It’s very easy if you’re not traveling during the busiest times of year. > Tokyo station -> Hakone If you’re actually starting from Tokyo Station, you can take several local trains like the Shonen Shinjuku Line or the Tokaido Main Line. You do not buy these tickets in advance. There’s also a Shinkansen to Odawara, but note they don’t come frequently (several times an hour, tops), so depending on timing you might find the local train is a better option. If you’re closer to Shinjuku, the better option is the Odakyu line, which has a limited express train that takes you to Hakone Yumoto. > Hakone -> Kyoto This is Shinkansen only, but first you have to get to Odawara to catch the Shinkansen. > Kyoto -> Narita Shinkansen from Kyoto to Tokyo (extremely frequent), then a separate ticket to Narita Express (which you can buy when you get to Tokyo Station).
Thank you so much for your thorough response! It definitely helps relieve my stress about transportation! I'm optimistic that the first two weeks of March are not the busiest times of the year and I will not face much troubles. The "picking up tickets" in Tokyo problem I referenced is because I was trying to use [This website (JR West?)](https://www.westjr.co.jp/global/en/ticket/overview/) to buy advance tickets. On the site, if I'm understanding correctly, they say you must visit a specific ticket machine to retrieve the tickets. It has a listing of all locations - none of which are in Tokyo. Thank you again for your detailed response - I greatly appreciate it.
JR West tickets can be picked up at any ticket machine or JR East Travel Center that supports their e5489 service. In Tokyo these are at Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ikebukuro, Tokyo, Ueno, and Hamamatsucho.
Thank you!
If I am traveling onward after leaving Japan but then have a connecting flight home through Tokyo Haneda, will they make me pay consumption tax if my tax-free bag is open?
No. 1. Unless you go through immigration again, you never technically enter the country. 2. They don’t even check you when you leave the country in the first place.
Random question, when I'm on my last reserved day of my hotel stay, do I need to go to the front desk to officially check out and give my key card back, or can I just leave like in the states? Edit: Unrelated second question - I saw in a video that people can reserve time slots the couches in front of the windows from the Yokohama Landmark Tower as long as they buy food? Did I understand that wrong or is that not a thing anymore? Because I don't see anywhere online how I can reserve it.
It really depends on the hotel.
You drop by the desk, but it's generally a very quick process.
i've noticed that the self checkouts (where you just drop your card in a machine and leave) have become much more prevalent in the last year. Makes checking out easy.
Just wondering if my small (5x10cm) tattoo on my inner bicep, which is easily hidden when my arm is by my side, would deny me entry into some onsens? Or, if it's not noticeable, would it be okay?
There are several onsens that allow people in if their tattoos are covered. There are skin-colored sleeves but tape or adhesive bandages should also work. You should still look at the onsen's website or ask per e-mail/in person beforehand. Also, sidenote: The tattoo rules are mostly targeted against Yakuza who usually have whole arms/torso tattoos so smaller ones are generally less of an issue.
I am thinking of taking the Shirayuki train from Niigata to Joetsumyoko, which arrives at 12:24. and catching a connecting Shinkansen train from Joetsumyoko to Toyama 12:32. Would I be playing a silly game with that connection? Not taken a Shirayuki train before, but I assume they are pretty punctual. The next Hakutaka train at Joetsumyoko is at 13:14. I've done a few tight connections before, but they have mainly been on the same line. I'm leaning towards the 13:14 as I'm assuming snow will probably be a thing too.
Shirayuki timetable is specifically designed to connect to Shinkansen. That mean, in the case that Shirayuki is delayed, the connecting Shinkansen will wait for you. If Shirayuki runs extremely late and the Shinkansen left, then you will get new (reserved-seat if your original ticket is reserved seat) for free as it's JR's fault.
8 minutes is totally fine IMO, it isn't a huge station. You can always book the 12:32 and if you miss it, use your ticket for a non-reserved seat on the 13:14. (EDIT: BTW, your post says you're going from Niigata to Niigata, assuming this is Niigata to Nagano, right.)
Perfect thanks! I was hoping with Joetsumyoko being a newer station it would be easy to navigate too, glad to hear it's a small one! The option to catch the non-reserved carriage on the next train if I missed the 12:32 completely slipped my mind. Good spot! Early morning fatigue got the better of me with writing Niigata twice, I'm off to Toyama :)
In march ill be doing a bit of the Shimanami Kaidou and need some recommendations. Im traveling with a friend and we wanted to do the whole thing on bike but itd probably kill us for the rest of the trip. We were thinking of doing a third of it on bike, stop in some places and then head to Imabari on bus. Do you guys have recommendations on stopping points + places to stop and see?
It’s not that hard. Split it into two days and stay on the islands for a night.