distantmantra
Member
That's not possible.
I also like Afuri. Their Yuzu sea salt ramen is a nice change of pace.
-
Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.
Japan Travel |OT| One does simply not visit just once
- Thread starter hwalker84
- Start date
That's not possible.
I also like Afuri. Their Yuzu sea salt ramen is a nice change of pace.
Laevateinn
Member
The thing that bugs me about Japanese food is how much meat there is in it. I typically only eat meat once a week and have red meat once a month at most. If I stayed in Japan for much longer than 2 weeks, my digestive system would go on strike.
distantmantra
Member
My wife is the same, but ramen doesn't mess with her (she gives me her pork) and she also goes nuts with vegetable tempura.
Zoe
Member
Really? Are you counting seafood too?
Laevateinn
Member
I'm not counting seafood but we don't eat a lot of sushi and other types of seafood restaurants always seemed above the amount of money we wanted to spend on food. Most of the fish we ate came from konbini. We also tend to avoid places that serve a lot of fish because my wife has a shellfish allergy and clams or shrimp tend to sneak their way into things.
It seems like everywhere you look there's pork or beef. I just want more tonkatsuyas to offer chicken katsu.
The first time I went, I was basically a vegetarian (no fish or chicken either) but Japan kind of killed that.
distantmantra
Member
Check out Afuri. It's all chicken-stock ramen and very light on meat overall.
Laevateinn
Member
We go to Harajuku a lot so we'll check it out.
Received a mail. Turn out I am an idiot because wanted it delivered to the airport on Sunday and they can't do that. Guess that's why it took two days for them to answer.
Bboy AJ
My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
So I did this. I got a couple emails asking me to change the password. Now what? I'm good to go at the automated terminals?
There was no confirmation email. It seemed pretty instant.
MikeHattsu
Member
Bboy AJ
My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
Based Global Entry for USA.
Guys quick question, I'll be starting my holiday to Japan on Friday and I'll be first visiting Kagoshima. I planned to visit Kumamoto castle but it was (badly) damaged during the earthquake over the summer. Is Kumamoto castle open for visitors next week? I've been looking over different websites and there is nothing concrete if its open or closed except the usual open hours.
On Japan-Guide it says that it is still closed.
Also says so in the comments in Tripadvisor.
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4501.html
Also says so in the comments in Tripadvisor.
MikeHattsu
Member
No:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/20...damaged-kumamoto-castle-take-decades-restore/
And on the official website they're still doing donation drives to collect money to restore it:
http://wakuwaku-kumamoto.com/castle/
Sort of does for me, but I don't use it, (and dont need to), glad I don't need to go through the standard gates anymore though, last thing I want after a long haul flight is to stand around for 40+ min at immigration while my case does laps waiting for me downstairs.Thanks!
I wonder if there is anyone here who isn't you that this applies to
And that queues only going to get worse in future
Worthintendo
Member
So I'm planning on while I'm staying in Osaka using 3 days to head down to Hiroshima for a day and then to Nagasaki another day before heading back to Osaka on the 3rd day. Just wondering if a day will be enough in Nagasaki, I want to check out Hashima Island while there and Dejima. Just thinking though will a day and a half be enough for Nagasaki, is there much to see and do there or am I better spent using more time in Osaka or possibly only stopping over for a few hours in Hiroshima before spending 2 nights in Nagasaki?
ThreePiMatt
Member
Weird and specific question. Has anyone recently bought a JR Pass with a Chase credit card? And if so, on your statement, does it categorize the purchase in the "Travel" category?
Reason I ask is that I'll hopefully be applying for a Chase Sapphire Reserved in a few weeks and the card comes with a $300 yearly travel credit. Since I'll almost certainly go back to Japan next year (though I have no idea when) I figured I'd buy a JR Pass now with the travel credit so I don't have to commit to a date by paying for airfare or a hotel. And then next year when I do figured out a date I want to go I can use 2017's travel credit for that.
Reason I ask is that I'll hopefully be applying for a Chase Sapphire Reserved in a few weeks and the card comes with a $300 yearly travel credit. Since I'll almost certainly go back to Japan next year (though I have no idea when) I figured I'd buy a JR Pass now with the travel credit so I don't have to commit to a date by paying for airfare or a hotel. And then next year when I do figured out a date I want to go I can use 2017's travel credit for that.
Not Chase, but this is what CITI categorizes it as: Other Travel - TRANSPORTATION SERVICE,NOT CLASSIFIED
Laevateinn
Member
I modified my itinerary a bit and sacrificed one day in Tokyo for a day in Osaka.
MikeHattsu
Member
You know the exchange order is only valid for 3 months, right? So if you order an JR Pass now, you'd have to go sometime before mid-February. And if you order in late December you need to go before the end of March.
Bboy AJ
My dog was murdered by a 3.5mm audio port and I will not rest until the standard is dead
I decided to do a day trip from Tokyo to Hokone instead of staying in Hokone. I'll be renting a private onsen while there. Looking forward to it.
I need to explore more of the nooks and crannies of Tokyo. Maybe go to some cool shows or museums. I don't have my hopes up for Ghibli tickets again. It's annoying for those of us who are international and decide to go to Japan on a whim a week or two in advance. Makes it near impossible.
Are there scalpers outside the museum? How much are tickets?
I need to explore more of the nooks and crannies of Tokyo. Maybe go to some cool shows or museums. I don't have my hopes up for Ghibli tickets again. It's annoying for those of us who are international and decide to go to Japan on a whim a week or two in advance. Makes it near impossible.
Are there scalpers outside the museum? How much are tickets?
Just visit nooks and crannies, there is nothing interesting inside jibri museum. Look up a low quality video of the zoetrope on youtube and you've seen the best part of the museum.
For what it's worth (Take with as much salt as needed), my Chase United card statement from last year shows my JR purchase from japan-rail-pass.com as a travel purchase (Nov 15). Do you have another account w/ them? You may be able to call CS and ask directly.
And yeah, def keep in mind that 3 month exchange period. Also keep in mind that w/ the Sapphire Reserve there's about a week shipping time AND that the travel credit AFAIK is calendar year based, so if you get the card before the end of Dec, you can have effectively $600 travel credit for next year (Double-check with other sources tho, as I'm not 100% absolutely sure on this).
MikeHattsu
Member
Nah, and November is all sold out now.
Ghibli Museum is cool and all but I wouldn't feed any scalpers over it.
Favourite museums so far: Nezu and Mori. Though I've only been to the Ueno Park ones and the Miraikan otherwise. Had the Edo architectural Museum and the Bonsai Museum scheduled but they were both too far off the beaten track in the end.
MikeHattsu
Member
Mori doesn't have a permanent exhibit though, so how good it is depends on what's currently on display.
ThreePiMatt
Member
Oh damn, that I didn't realize. That probably won't happen then.
Yeah, I have the Preferred now, so I was going to get the Reserved and then downgrade my current card to something else. But yeah, the idea is to use both this year's and next years travel credit. But if I don't know when I want to go next year, I have no idea what to spend this year's credit on.
Except for views of the city ;P
In Oktober they had The Universe and Art and a Kaiju exhibition. Was really digging it. Also I thought Roppongi Hills was kinda spectacular from a city development point of view.
Neither does Nezu btw. They had Chinese pottery on display wich was kinda meh imo but you really go for the architecture and the garden!
Good thing we finally got around to entering a Lawson store to get my friend a ticket, because when we finally went for it there were only a couple tickets remaining for the 30th, and only for the last possible time slot.
Since I've already visited the museum on my last visit to Japan, I'd rather save the ¥1,000 (plus train trips) to spend it on other stuff I haven't experienced yet.
MikeHattsu
Member
Well, the view is mostly why I recommend people to go there. ;P
Says on their website that Nezu got a permanent collection though:
http://www.nezu-muse.or.jp/en/collection/index.html
Missing out on the current special exhibition then:
http://www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/exhibition/
It's a 'best of' the previous special exhibitions.
I'm planning on getting a relatively cheap used trumpet, and then I might need to spend some extra money on maintenance equipment, a spare mouthpiece and so on, so every yen I can save is a yen I can put towards that instead. Missing out on the special exhibition will be sad, but covering about half of the cost of a mouthpiece instead kind of balances things out for me.
True, there were some rooms reserved for the permanent exhibits on the upper floor.
Either way the current exhibition looks fantastic!
MikeHattsu
Member
Laevateinn
Member
Has anyone gotten a tattoo in Japan before? We want to get one when we go and are looking for recommendations.
Zoe
Member
That seems like an odd thing to do considering their attitudes towards tattoos. You know what you're getting into?
distantmantra
Member
I was thinking the same thing. Might be hard to find a place that would be willing to let a foreigner get one. You know, with the whole yakuza thing...
edit: guess not!
http://www.japansubculture.com/in-japan-tattoos-are-not-just-for-yakuza-anymore/
http://tokyofashion.com/top-10-tokyo-tattoo-shops/
Look in Yokohama.
How early? Some of us are gonna be there in mid-Feb
Feb 2nd-12th .
What do you all have planned?
Anyone thinking of checking Museums/Zoo/Aquarium should check the Grutto Pass, it includes free entries and discounts to a vast array of museums/zoo in Tokyo, and it only costs 2000 yen!
Includes free entrance to the National Museum of Science, Ueno zoo, Tama zoo among many others.
Full list of free admission and discounts
Includes free entrance to the National Museum of Science, Ueno zoo, Tama zoo among many others.
Full list of free admission and discounts
Worthintendo
Member
Awesome, will look into that
So looking for suggestions on things to do in Nagasaki, was planning on only spending a day there to see Hashima Island and Dejmi but it kinda seems like a good place and tempted to maybe spend an extra day there. Would however come at the expense of more time in Osaka though.
But any any thoughts or suggestions on things to do in Nagasaki would be most helpful.
Laevateinn
Member
Yeah, I know what I'm getting into. I already have a tattoo although not one that is visible when I'm clothed. I really like the Japanese style irezumi.
Cool. I'll look there too. The last time I went, I was in talks with a guy in Tokyo but at the last minute he stopped responding. Currently I'm looking in Osaka and using Brian Ashcraft's Japanese Tattoo book as a reference.
Sounds amazing! Skiing + Onsen = WIN!
MikeHattsu
Member
Feb 2nd-12th .
What do you all have planned?
Ah, dang. We're arriving in the evening on the 10th and we're going to Sapporo SnowFes around noon on the 11th. Will not be back in Tokyo until the 13th.
Hi Guys
Finally I have dates for our trip, as we are buying them with miles we are either going on March 21,23 staying until April 6.
Departing Panama march 21, we reach NRT march 23 4:30pm, we have 14 days for our stay.
During previous months I read all the thread for ideas, travel plans etc. But there is a lot that we want to do. From what i read here, this is sufficient time to visit Tokyo-Osaka,Kyoto or maybe 2 of them.
I have made research in regards on airbnb/hotel options in tokyo, but not in osaka/kyoto.
We have $4000.00-$4500.00 as a budget for me and my wife. This for food, lodging and expenses, ticket is covered by miles.
Can someone provide me assistance regarding places to visit I have ideas and places I have read here , or perhaps charge something for advice planning this trip? but at the same time I feel its like too much info
Thanks in advance
Finally I have dates for our trip, as we are buying them with miles we are either going on March 21,23 staying until April 6.
Departing Panama march 21, we reach NRT march 23 4:30pm, we have 14 days for our stay.
During previous months I read all the thread for ideas, travel plans etc. But there is a lot that we want to do. From what i read here, this is sufficient time to visit Tokyo-Osaka,Kyoto or maybe 2 of them.
I have made research in regards on airbnb/hotel options in tokyo, but not in osaka/kyoto.
We have $4000.00-$4500.00 as a budget for me and my wife. This for food, lodging and expenses, ticket is covered by miles.
Can someone provide me assistance regarding places to visit I have ideas and places I have read here , or perhaps charge something for advice planning this trip? but at the same time I feel its like too much info
Thanks in advance
Couple of questions about visiting Tokyo around Christmas time..
- are there any good family hotels near akasaka? Having dinner with the family at the ninja restaurant there and wanting to stay over to avoid crowded trains. But finding hotels with family rooms can be tricky. Ryokan would be good too.
- this one might be a long shot.. anywhere that will do a classic British Christmas lunch on Christmas Day? Will be around akasaka/shibuya from the night before and thinking to let the kids do some shopping for their presents as our shops are normally closed at Christmas.
- are there any good family hotels near akasaka? Having dinner with the family at the ninja restaurant there and wanting to stay over to avoid crowded trains. But finding hotels with family rooms can be tricky. Ryokan would be good too.
- this one might be a long shot.. anywhere that will do a classic British Christmas lunch on Christmas Day? Will be around akasaka/shibuya from the night before and thinking to let the kids do some shopping for their presents as our shops are normally closed at Christmas.
That should not be a big problem, unless you use the trains during rush hour.
Get a travel guide (lonely planet or something) and read up. Since its your first trip just go for the main attractions really. Japan's generally pleasant to travel.