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[Mononoaware]

Cant really comment on traveling in winter though pics of Japan in snow look incredible.

I can recommend hostels though. The ones I've been to have been fantastic with pretty high standards. Value for money is off the charts especially in Tokyo and Kyoto where hotels are quite pricy imo.


I'd always treat myself to a couple of nights in a nice Ryokan though.

I appreciate the input. I take you've been to a few hostels in both cities? my friend told me about some that he stayed at, but if you remember the ones you're familiar with, I'd love to hear about them too. Always nice to have options.

If anyone else has stayed visited in winter/around new years, I still would love to hear your insight.

 

[Zatoth]

I went to Japan last year over Christmas and New Year.

Will be going again this December. Mostly stayed in the Tokyo and Kyoto area.

Weather was fine for me. Not too cold. Saw quite a few people running around in shorts.

A problem is that it turns dark early. Wasn't a big deal for me. But could be important for you.

Only saw snow when I went to Takaragawa Onsen. Never in Toyko or Kyoto.

As for hostels. Check out sites like hostelworld. And you can't go wring with chains like K's House or Khaosan. And as Fritz already said. Hostels have pretty high standards. Had better experiences with Hostels than with cheap business hotels.

 

[Fritz]

I appreciate the input. I take you've been to a few hostels in both cities? my friend told me about some that he stayed at, but if you remember the ones you're familiar with, I'd love to hear about them too. Always nice to have options.

If anyone else has stayed visited in winter/around new years, I still would love to hear your insight.

Stayed at NUI in Kuramae in Tokyo which was fantastic. I've seen great reviews for K's house here and online. This year I will stay at Kaisu. Looks promising.

A friend stayed at piece hostel Kyoto and I picked him up there on one occasion (I did Airbnb in Kyoto). Location was super convenient next to Kyoto station and the thing made a great impression. He was more than happy there.

 

[MikeHattsu]

Have stayed at K's House Tokyo, K's House Kyoto and Khaosan Kyoto myself and they've all been good.

Doing AirBnB on my next trip since it's cheaper though

 

[ThatCrazyGuy]

I went in December last year (and will again this year). It was totally fine, but I love cold weather. And it wasn't even that cold in Tokyo. I was wearing a normal hoodie most of the time. Plus I thought it made it easier to walk around for long periods of time.

As said though, it gets dark early. I saw alot of places with no sunlight, haha. Some might not like that.

 

[Laevateinn]

My wife tried to convince someone to a vacation to Tokyo on a week other than Golden Week. Apparently, he was convinced that since everyone is on vacation the city will be empty. His loss I suppose.

 

[MikeHattsu]

My wife tried to convince someone to a vacation to Tokyo on a week other than Golden Week. Apparently, he was convinced that since everyone is on vacation the city will be empty. His loss I suppose.

If he's just staying within Tokyo then it should be that bad. Only thing would be to and from the airport I guess

Edit: Oh, and if he's going to Disneyland or something, then lol no.

 

[elhaym]

Hey folks, it took a while to find this thread even with the gaf search function. lol

I have been trying to get a trip to Japan off the ground for a while, and the opportunity has finally opened up where I can afford to go. Thing is, school is starting up again now, and I can't do it right away. Normally I say I'll do it next summer, but whenever I put things off that long, they never happen. I do have the shorter winter break though...Would going to Japan in Winter time-ish during New Years be a good idea?

I went to Japan last year over Christmas and New Year.

Will be going again this December. Mostly stayed in the Tokyo and Kyoto area.

Weather was fine for me. Not too cold. Saw quite a few people running around in shorts.

A problem is that it turns dark early. Wasn't a big deal for me. But could be important for you.

I was there basically the same period last year (Literally, Christmas eve through Jan 4th) and this matches what I experienced. Some days even my light jacket was too much for me and I ended up having to just toss it in my backpack. Planning on the same trip again next year, tbh. =p

 

[Boy Wander]

Hey mates!
Thanks again to everyone who gave me advice a couple months back. My trip is getting close! Now that most of my planning is done, I have some more specific questions I hope people can help me with...

Public transport - this stuff gives me massive anxiety and I'll be taking a lot of shinkansen trips. Any tips on how to use public transport easily and without having a panic attack?

Hotels - do I need to confirm them ahead of arrival? They are all fully paid for already.

Anime/manga/game merchandise - Is there a one-stop shop to look in if I'm mostly chasing character goods like stationery, fashion accessories, smaller toys/figures (Nendoroid or smaller) of IPs like Cardcaptor Sakura, Sailor Moon, Persona etc? (ie. no moe bait or anything dirty lol) From my research I'm thinking maybe Animate?

Anyone know where I can find books of ukiyo-e prints? I'm a painter and I also work at a tattoo studio where there are a lot of enthusiasts for Japanese woodblock prints, so I'd love to bring some books of these prints back! (Or the prints themselves, though that could get really expensive...)

What are some good vegetable-based dishes I can order? I'm vegan, but for this trip I think I can ignore any dashi or dairy products as I don't want to plan my whole trip around what restaurants I can eat at. Just want to be sure I don't end up ordering something that turns out to have chunks of meat in it, mostly because I don't want to offend any restaurant workers by sending a meal back or not finishing it!

Lastly, I have a crapload of tattoos! One of my friends, a tattoo artist, told me I'd be better off covering up if it's not too hot to do so, just to avoid upsetting anyone. Is there any truth to this? Or will I just get stared at a lot as a Eurasian chick with full sleeves XD

Honestly the public transport is very easy to find your way around. If you're worried, just make sure that you get to your departure station a bit early so that you're not panicking about finding the right platform. I be just got back from 2 weeks with just me and my 11 year old son and we had no problems. Most signs and timetables are also in English. Japanese train stations may look like huge intimidating places but actually there's generally enough signage to find your way around.

 

[Mononoaware]

I looked up some of the hostels that you guys mentioned. They do look real nice, but looks like during new years might not work, because they are booked the most already. Might end up going just right after new years since there are more openings.

Question: I noticed when I started looking at possible booking one of them, it asks for payment up front pretty much, and wanted me to enter credit card info. I noticed the price was still in yen though. I've never bought anything with foreign currency, would I even be able to do that with my american credit card?

 

[MikeHattsu]

Question: I noticed when I started looking at possible booking one of them, it asks for payment up front pretty much, and wanted me to enter credit card info. I noticed the price was still in yen though. I've never bought anything with foreign currency, would I even be able to do that with my american credit card?

Yes. Make sure you check what kind of foreign currency transaction fees your card has though. If you got several cards one might be better to pay with than another.

 

[Fritz]

I looked up some of the hostels that you guys mentioned. They do look real nice, but looks like during new years might not work, because they are booked the most already. Might end up going just right after new years since there are more openings.

Question: I noticed when I started looking at possible booking one of them, it asks for payment up front pretty much, and wanted me to enter credit card info. I noticed the price was still in yen though. I've never bought anything with foreign currency, would I even be able to do that with my american credit card?

It should be no problem and the conversion rates should be fine too.

However I think it's strange that you'ld have to pay upfront. Sure it wasn't just for securing your reservation?

 

[Mononoaware]

It should be no problem and the conversion rates should be fine too.

However I think it's strange that you'ld have to pay upfront. Sure it wasn't just for securing your reservation?

That's possible. It didn't make that clear, it just said checkout, and it took me to a payment page.

 

[JulianImp]

Now that I've finally arranged for my travel assistance, they've told me a couple phone numbers I'm supposed to call in case I need to use their services. Would I actually be able to use my cellphone with a data-only SIM to call toll-free phone numbers?

If that isn't possible, I've looked into some application called Brastel that supposedly allows you to make phone calls using prepaid cards or something, and I was also thinking about the possibility of purchasing some Skype credit instead. Would these options be recommended, or is there a cheaper or more reliable way to make calls, such as getting a phone SIM?

Just to reiterate, we'll be staying for three months, and intend to get data SIM cards from here: https://t.iijmio.jp/en/

 

[KimiNewt]

So I'm finally booking places for my trip, and right now my plan is:

Sept 27 - Arrive in Tokyo and spend the night
Sept 28-Oct 10 (13 days) - Kyoto and surroundings (Osaka, Nara)
Oct 11-12 - Kosatsu
Oct 13-16 (four days)- Tokyo

I'm leaving on October 26th so that leaves me ~nine days "open".
I want to go to Kamakura, and I also want to go to a dojo there which runs on Tuesday and Saturday. Since staying there for four days seems like too much, I figured I could go once while I'm there and another time directly from Tokyo (it's supposed to be a fairly short trip, as long as it's around/under an hour I'm cool with it).

So assuming I'll spend two days in Kamakura that still leaves seven days. I meant to go to Hakone but I dropped it since I'm already going to Kosatsu, but it seems like Hakone still has a lot of nice places to go to-- is it still worth a night there?

Other than that, I could extend my Tokyo stay by a bit (one or two more days seem fine). There is also the option of making day trips to Kobe or whatnot. Do you find making day trips alright from Tokyo? Or is it better to stay the night whereever you're going?

Regardless, I'm going to have at least five days left and I'd like to spend them in a more rural/natural place that's significantly less noisy than a city and I can hike in. I even thought about going to Hokkaido. Any suggestions?

EDIT: Dunno if it helps but I'll be travelling alone (aside from a week in the beginning).

 

[nabe_shogun]

Some of the more recent visitors have you posted your albums? I want to make sure I update the OP.

Here's mine. Has both my Japan trips. One is my most recent trip last month. The other is my study abroad trip in 2012.

http://daijoubanai.imgur.com/

 

[2SeeKU]

Hey Guys,
I've planned and booked a holiday to Japan in October for my partner and l but want to make sure I've covered everything. So far the following are booked/planned:

Tokyo
Tokyo Disney (Full day)
Ebisuya Asakusa (30 minutes)
Ghibli Museum
Nakano Broadway
Tokyo Joypolis
Mt Fuji (Full day - Hakone)
Tsukiji Fish Market (Breakfast)
Cooking Class
Akihabara
Shopping (Shibuya station or Shinjuku)
Kabukichō (Night time)
Tokyo Tower
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Robot Restaurant
Oslo Batting Cages

Kyoto
Golden Pavilion
Hiroshima Memorial Park (Full day)
Kiyomizudera Temple
Old Streets
Fushimi Inari Shrine
Kifune Shrine (lunch)
Kyoto Aquarium

Minakami
Takaragawa Onsen
Canyoning

Anything you guys have enjoyed that l haven't thought of?

Thanks!

 

[Tabris]

Hey Guys,
I've planned and booked a holiday to Japan in October for my partner and l but want to make sure I've covered everything. So far the following are booked/planned:

Tokyo
Tokyo Disney (Full day)
Ebisuya Asakusa (30 minutes)
Ghibli Museum
Nakano Broadway
Tokyo Joypolis
Mt Fuji (Full day - Hakone)
Tsukiji Fish Market (Breakfast)
Cooking Class
Akihabara
Shopping (Shibuya station or Shinjuku)
Kabukichō (Night time)
Tokyo Tower
Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden
Robot Restaurant
Oslo Batting Cages

Just a heads up, this is the red light district of Tokyo - and unless you're going to see a movie, go sing Karaoke, or a themed restaurant - it's all adult themed entertainment. Also I found a lot of people disappointed by Mt.Fuji since it's covered by clouds a lot. So I would keep that one on the burner and change up your plans based on a clear day. They said it was pretty disappointing due to the weather. My flight to Korea went by it during perfect weather / day time though and I got to see it in it's glory from a plane.

I would also skip a cooking class unless you speak Japanese or already know one lined up for english. Here are the things you're forgetting for Tokyo:

1) Go to Isetan, it's the most famous department store in Japan. There's an entirely different building for the Men's shopping right beside it, but I would just recommend at least going to the basement floor and looking at the food shops. This is where you can buy a perfectly formed $50 Melon or $10 Strawberry. It's actually near Kabukicho at Shinjuku Sanchome station.
2) Go to Ginza. Amazing shopping, and great restaurants and bars. Do this on the weekend as they close the entire street for people to walk on. I was also here during Golden Week and it was fantastic.
3) Walk from Omotesando station up to Harajuku. Goes from luxury shopping to Japanese teen fashion, but Harajuku is great for people watching (it's not Akihibara but Harajuku where a lot of the anime-like fashion comes from). Omotesando is beautiful with the trees on the street.

We were living in Tokyo for 3 months and spent a good amount of our time in Ginza and Omotesando. If you're visiting on a very tight budget, then probably don't go there though.

Oh, and I had the best coffee of my entire life at this cafe near Omotesando station - 3 Chome-5-15 Kitaaoyama, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It's called "Precious Coffee Moments". I think it may be a chain store but this one is unique I think.

 

[2SeeKU]

Just a heads up, this is the red light district of Tokyo - and unless you're going to see a movie, go sing Karaoke, or a themed restaurant - it's all adult themed entertainment.

Yup, my partner and l know what to expect.

Also I found a lot of people disappointed by Mt.Fuji since it's covered by clouds a lot. So I would keep that one on the burner and change up your plans based on a clear day. They said it was pretty disappointing due to the weather. My flight to Korea went by it during perfect weather / day time though and I got to see it in it's glory from a plane.

Lucky! Our days in Tokyo are semi flexible and l plan to take the train out to Hakone to go on the Hakone Ropeway/lake cruise. We'll certainly try and head out on the clearest of days!

I would also skip a cooking class unless you speak Japanese or already know one lined up for english.

Yup, we have one lined up in english.

Here are the things you're forgetting for Tokyo:

1) Go to Isetan, it's the most famous department store in Japan. There's an entirely different building for the Men's shopping right beside it, but I would just recommend at least going to the basement floor and looking at the food shops. This is where you can buy a perfectly formed $50 Melon or $10 Strawberry. It's actually near Kabukicho at Shinjuku Sanchome station.
2) Go to Ginza. Amazing shopping, and great restaurants and bars. Do this on the weekend as they close the entire street for people to walk on. I was also here during Golden Week and it was fantastic.
3) Walk from Omotesando station up to Harajuku. Goes from luxury shopping to Japanese teen fashion, but Harajuku is great for people watching (it's not Akihibara but Harajuku where a lot of the anime-like fashion comes from). Omotesando is beautiful with the trees on the street.

Thanks for those suggestions, especially Ginza. My partner will certainly love it by the looks of it! Sounds like Omotesando will be nice too and we'll have to check out Isetan while we're in Shinjuku.

 

[Mairu]

Changing my plans for next week in Japan and going to spend a day in Osaka - any suggestions or anything to make sure to fit in if I'm only there for a day?

 

[KimiNewt]

So I'm finally booking places for my trip, and right now my plan is:

Sept 27 - Arrive in Tokyo and spend the night
Sept 28-Oct 10 (13 days) - Kyoto and surroundings (Osaka, Nara)
Oct 11-12 - Kosatsu
Oct 13-16 (four days)- Tokyo

I'm leaving on October 26th so that leaves me ~nine days "open".
I want to go to Kamakura, and I also want to go to a dojo there which runs on Tuesday and Saturday. Since staying there for four days seems like too much, I figured I could go once while I'm there and another time directly from Tokyo (it's supposed to be a fairly short trip, as long as it's around/under an hour I'm cool with it).

So assuming I'll spend two days in Kamakura that still leaves seven days. I meant to go to Hakone but I dropped it since I'm already going to Kosatsu, but it seems like Hakone still has a lot of nice places to go to-- is it still worth a night there?

Other than that, I could extend my Tokyo stay by a bit (one or two more days seem fine). There is also the option of making day trips to Kobe or whatnot. Do you find making day trips alright from Tokyo? Or is it better to stay the night whereever you're going?

Regardless, I'm going to have at least five days left and I'd like to spend them in a more rural/natural place that's significantly less noisy than a city and I can hike in. I even thought about going to Hokkaido. Any suggestions?

EDIT: Dunno if it helps but I'll be travelling alone (aside from a week in the beginning).

I figured this was a bit long so I'll tldr; the main question:

I have 5-7 days left to plan on my trip and I want to do a mostly-nature part of my trip. Any suggestions? Does it make sense to go as far as Hokkaido if this is my first time in Japan?

 

[Fritz]

I figured this was a bit long so I'll tldr; the main question:

I have 5-7 days left to plan on my trip and I want to do a mostly-nature part of my trip. Any suggestions? Does it make sense to go as far as Hokkaido if this is my first time in Japan?

Wouldn't know about Hokkaido but I'd recommend the Japanese alps. lots of hikes, country side, old timey villages and onsens!

 

[MikeHattsu]

Kyoto Aquarium

Why not go to Osaka Aquarium instead?

 

[octopiggy]

Can you still get these Macadamia Carameliser in Japan or were they limited edition?

More importantly, any UK gaffers willing to pick some up for me? My girlfriend would be so happy. I can't seem to find any on any Japanese snack websites.

 

[maxcriden]

Since I suspect there is some cross-over, I wanted to share a link to my JP candy OT if anyone is interested:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1274262

 

[octopiggy]

Since I suspect there is some cross-over, I wanted to share a link to my JP candy OT if anyone is interested:

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1274262

Well that's a coincidence! Might try a cross-post on the off chance.

 

[2SeeKU]

Why not go to Osaka Aquarium instead?

Is it worth the trip out there? We're spending some time in Kyoto.

 

[KillGore]

So guys, I just saw this deal:

http://slickdeals.net/f/9075111-sin...am-thailand-more-650-rt-travel-thru-june-2017

Thinking of traveling to Japan May 8th through the 26th. Just wanted to know, does the deal last until Sept. 30? I need to ask my boss first thing tomorrow if he can give me those days free. Will the price be locked until Sept 30? I hate how much airline prices fluctuate so I'm afraid that even waiting a day would be too risky.

Also, I already spent 2 weeks in Japan last year . Is 19 days too much?

Edit: Also, how is Singapore Airlines? I've heard they're good

Sorry for all the questions, but please help

 

[daegan]

Is it worth the trip out there? We're spending some time in Kyoto.

It's absolutely massive and a lot of fun. There is actually a massive tank in the middle of the building that you are spiraling around the entire time, in addition to plenty of other stuff you'll see on the outside walls. It's really cool.

...There's also an absurdly huge ferris wheel outside which is cute but I'm terrible on things like that so we didn't ride it while we were there.

 

[2SeeKU]

It's absolutely massive and a lot of fun. There is actually a massive tank in the middle of the building that you are spiraling around the entire time, in addition to plenty of other stuff you'll see on the outside walls. It's really cool.

...There's also an absurdly huge ferris wheel outside which is cute but I'm terrible on things like that so we didn't ride it while we were there.

Thanks for the idea! I think we'll go down there for the Aquarium/Ferris wheel and grab dinner somewhere in Minami.

 

[soulslayer]

Hi JapanGaf! I'm going to Japan this coming December 4-8 for a short solo trip. I was wondering if there are any affordable 1 bedroom hotels you can recommend? Also, what's a nice area to stay in? I heard Asakusa requires 2 train line switches to get to the areas covered by the Yamanote Loop Line.

Thank you so much!

 

[MikeHattsu]

Thinking of traveling to Japan May 8th through the 26th. Just wanted to know, does the deal last until Sept. 30? I need to ask my boss first thing tomorrow if he can give me those days free. Will the price be locked until Sept 30? I hate how much airline prices fluctuate so I'm afraid that even waiting a day would be too risky.

Also, I already spent 2 weeks in Japan last year . Is 19 days too much?

Edit: Also, how is Singapore Airlines? I've heard they're good

Sorry for all the questions, but please help

Yes:
https://www.singaporeair.com/en_UK/us/special-offers/flight-from-Los-Angeles-to-Tokyo_61244/

But as always, they might sell out of the cheapest tickets, so don't count on having the deal valid for all days all the way up to Sept 30th.

19 days isn't too much. I'm going for 6 weeks ;P

And they're one of the better airlines in the world. Been among the top 3 airlines in the last 5 years.

Hi JapanGaf! I'm going to Japan this coming December 4-8 for a short solo trip. I was wondering if there are any affordable 1 bedroom hotels you can recommend? Also, what's a nice area to stay in? I heard Asakusa requires 2 train line switches to get to the areas covered by the Yamanote Loop Line.

Thank you so much!

Depends on where you're staying in Taito/Asakusa, but it's usually just 1 switch at either Ueno or Akihabara.

 

[Fritz]

I just checked climate data and - be honest with me - will the weather be shit early October?

 

[MikeHattsu]

I just checked climate data and - be honest with me - will the weather be shit early October?

Was perfectly fine last October when I went.

 

[ys45]

So I just came back from my trip on Sunday, it was my first time going to Japan and a long time dream.

And I had such a great time, too much I guess because since I got back I'm feeling so depressed (and the jetlag is not helping I either).
So I'm asking you guys who got more traveling experience than I do, is this normal ?

I really feel intense anxiety and feels like doing nothing I have not talked about this to my girlfriend yet because she was happy to be back, she enjoyed her trip but she was happy to be back and did not want to bother her with that .
But for me I don't know, I feel empty inside I don't know if it's because the country clicked so much with me but I am not happy at all to be back .

GAF what's wrong with me ?

 

[Laevateinn]

You're just going to have to start planning and prepping for your next trip.

 

[MikeHattsu]

So I just came back from my trip on Sunday, it was my first time going to Japan and a long time dream.

And I had such a great time, too much I guess because since I got back I'm feeling so depressed (and the jetlag is not helping I either).
So I'm asking you guys who got more traveling experience than I do, is this normal ?

There's a reason why the thread title is what it is ;P

And you probably got a small sample of reverse culture shock, even if it was just a vacation and not moving there for a few years:
http://thesavvybackpacker.com/reverse-culture-shock/

 

[ys45]

There's a reason why the thread title is what it is ;P

And you probably got a small sample of reverse culture shock, even if it was just a vacation and not moving there for a few years:
http://thesavvybackpacker.com/reverse-culture-shock/

I was sssssoooo not expecting this ....

I went to France 3 years ago and When I got back it was okay I felt I had new view of the world and culture from France and things like that but it was happy to be back.

But now after reading your link I better understand what's going on with me .
Thanks man that actually really helped me .

 

[Laevateinn]

It takes about 2 weeks to stop saying sumimasen to everyone.

 

[Mononoaware]

Hey all, I got another question, this time about airfare. I haven't done much traveling, and where do you recommend for the best possible price?

 

[KillGore]

Thanks, Mike!

Hey all, I got another question, this time about airfare. I haven't done much traveling, and where do you recommend for the best possible price?

I usually find the cheapest flights on Kayak.com and google.com/flights

sometimes priceline gets some good deals but I don't really use that site

 

[MikeHattsu]

Hey all, I got another question, this time about airfare. I haven't done much traveling, and where do you recommend for the best possible price?

Google Flights, TripAdvisor and Priceline.

If you're outside of central locations like LA and New York in the US, then Priceline sometimes finds flights that doesn't show up in other search engines for some reason.

 

[elhaym]

It takes about 2 weeks to stop saying sumimasen to everyone.

It took me longer than that to stop walking on the "wrong" side of the sidewalk... =/

 

[Mononoaware]

Thank you again in regards to the airfare guys. I'm still trying to figure out the specifics of my trip. I'm feeling so lost when it comes to planning an itinerary lol.

Naturally I'd be flying into Narita airport, and the two cities I'm planning on going to would be Tokyo and Kyoto...but, I don't know if I should plan on going directly to Kyoto first, and then stay in Tokyo a few days before going back....or do I stay in Tokyo a couple days, go to Kyoto for a few days, come back to Tokyo for another couple days, then go home. No idea >_< Not even sure how long it'll take me to travel around the cities, and how I should plan my days, ahhh lol

 

[2SeeKU]

Thank you again in regards to the airfare guys. I'm still trying to figure out the specifics of my trip. I'm feeling so lost when it comes to planning an itinerary lol.

Naturally I'd be flying into Narita airport, and the two cities I'm planning on going to would be Tokyo and Kyoto...but, I don't know if I should plan on going directly to Kyoto first, and then stay in Tokyo a few days before going back....or do I stay in Tokyo a couple days, go to Kyoto for a few days, come back to Tokyo for another couple days, then go home. No idea >_< Not even sure how long it'll take me to travel around the cities, and how I should plan my days, ahhh lol

I'm leaving in October with the same idea, of splitting our time between Tokyo and Kyoto.
Our plan is to stay in Tokyo for a week, then head to Kyoto for a week, a few days in a Onsen after Kyoto, then back to Tokyo for 5 days.

My advice is to starting picking out things you would like to do, I used TripAdvisor, this thread, japan-guide.com and google to discover things. After you have the list together (try and record how many hours each activity might take) this will give you a rough guide of how many days you'll need in each city. Next, start a custom google map. This will let you record each place you intend to visit and allow you to "plan your day" based on locations:

Then once you get your days sorted based on time and location, you can check the transit times with Hyperdia.com. This is a fantastic site with a handy mobile app too.

I posted the attractions we intend on visiting here: http://neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=215913229&postcount=8394
You might get an idea or two

 

[Mononoaware]

I'm leaving in October with the same idea, of splitting our time between Tokyo and Kyoto.
Our plan is to stay in Tokyo for a week, then head to Kyoto for a week, a few days in a Onsen after Kyoto, then back to Tokyo for 5 days.

My advice is to starting picking out things you would like to do, I used TripAdvisor, this thread, japan-guide.com and google to discover things. After you have the list together (try and record how many hours each activity might take) this will give you a rough guide of how many days you'll need in each city. Next, start a custom google map. This will let you record each place you intend to visit and allow you to "plan your day" based on locations:



Then once you get your days sorted based on time and location, you can check the transit times with Hyperdia.com. This is a fantastic site with a handy mobile app too.

I posted the attractions we intend on visiting here: http://neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=215913229&postcount=8394
You might get an idea or two

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I will pour over everything in more detail as soon as I know I'll be going for sure. It's possible, but I don't want to do it at the expense of being broke until then.

From your list, I'm reminded how I've really thought about checking out Tokyo Disney, because I've never been to any Disney theme park, but I can't help but feel that's the kind of place that might be sad to go alone.

 

[KillGore]

So guys airbnb or hotels?

Been seeing a few airbnb around and they look pretty good. Does anyone have any experience with them? Specifically in Japan. Do you ever meet the owners? They should know some English, right?

 

[Marion Cobretti]

Airbnb all day. So much better than hotels.

Or well, it can be. At least in Tokyo and Kyoto.

 

[KillGore]

Airbnb all day. So much better than hotels.

Or well, it can be. At least in Tokyo and Kyoto.

Sweet. Thank you!

 

[cj_iwakura]

So guys airbnb or hotels?

Been seeing a few airbnb around and they look pretty good. Does anyone have any experience with them? Specifically in Japan. Do you ever meet the owners? They should know some English, right?

The little inn I stayed at in Shinagawa was perfectly cozy, and cheap.