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Japan Travel |OT| One does simply not visit just once

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ThreePiMatt

Member
So how's this for "doesn't make a fuck of sense." I live in Illinois, north of Chicago. Roughly about equidistant between Milwaukee and Chicago. Looking on Expedia, right now. I could book a ticket, from Milwaukee to O'Hare to Tokyo for CHEAPER than just O'Hare to Tokyo nonstop. Here's the thing, its the same damn flight. American Airlines Flight 153. Same date, departure, and arrival time. I would save money by buying an extra ticket.
 
S

scarlet

Member
ThreePiMatt said:
So how's this for "doesn't make a fuck of sense." I live in Illinois, north of Chicago. Roughly about equidistant between Milwaukee and Chicago. Looking on Expedia, right now. I could book a ticket, from Milwaukee to O'Hare to Tokyo for CHEAPER than just O'Hare to Tokyo nonstop. Here's the thing, its the same damn flight. American Airlines Flight 153. Same date, departure, and arrival time. I would save money by buying an extra ticket.
Click to expand...

Same flight, different site/apps, different prices.

Always use incognito tab on Chrome to search flight.
 
DCharlie

DCharlie

And even i am moderately surprised
Anyway, if any fellow Gafers in japan want to link up that would be great!
Click to expand...

during the working days and some evenings i am around the tokyo shinjuku/aki area- we need a secret sign or something.
 
S

SKINNER!

Banned
I was thinking of just using the paid public WIFI service that's dotted around the city. Can't recall how much it is but there were plenty of them dotted around the city.
 
H

hwalker84

Member
My 3G mifi was terribly slow. I'd have to lookup which company. Also make sure to bring a portable battery pack the thing lasted about 1hour of moderate use. Don't just assume its micro USB as I did and bring a mini USB cable as well(it was so hard to find this cable in Japan).
 
H

histopher

Member
So just over a week to go before we leave. I'm heading over with my girlfriend, best mate and his girlfriend.
Thanks to everyone in this thread - it's been such a big help.

We are going to be in Japan from the 24th March to the 8th April. We are visiting Tokyo > Kyoto > Osaka and back to Tokyo to leave (with day trips to Hiroshima, Miyajima and Nara hopefully in there). We have 14 day JR All Rail Passes.

I'd love to call on your expertise just to finalise some things:

1) Any tips in general on how to work out how to get about? Google maps?
We are landing in at Narita and staying at the Ryumeikan.
Any ideas how to get there?

http://ryumeikan-tokyo.jp/english/

2) Anyone want to meet up with 4 Aussies in say Yoyogi park between the 25th to the 28th of March?

3) Whats the craft beer scene like? All the Japanese beers I've had haven't really done much for me. Anywhere in Tokyo to get some good brew?

Thanks again!
Can't wait!!!
 
S

scarlet

Member
histopher said:
So just over a week to go before we leave. I'm heading over with my girlfriend, best mate and his girlfriend.
Thanks to everyone in this thread - it's been such a big help.

We are going to be in Japan from the 24th March to the 8th April. We are visiting Tokyo > Kyoto > Osaka and back to Tokyo to leave (with day trips to Hiroshima, Miyajima and Nara hopefully in there). We have 14 day JR All Rail Passes.

I'd love to call on your expertise just to finalise some things:

1) Any tips in general on how to work out how to get about? Google maps?
We are landing in at Narita and staying at the Ryumeikan.
Any ideas how to get there?

http://ryumeikan-tokyo.jp/english/

2) Anyone want to meet up with 4 Aussies in say Yoyogi park between the 25th to the 28th of March?

Thanks again!
Can't wait!!!
Click to expand...

Same date with me, but different town lol. I'll be in Tokyo around 29-3

And about your hotel

It's takes 3 minutes by walk to our hotel from Yaesu North Exit of JR Tokyo Station
Click to expand...

I guess you can just take NEX?
 
D

distantmantra

Member
histopher said:
3) Whats the craft beer scene like? All the Japanese beers I've had haven't really done much for me. Anywhere in Tokyo to get some good brew?
Click to expand...

Baird has taprooms in Naka-meguro and Harajuku. Great beer. Check out Devilcraft, Craft Beer Market, TY Harbor and Brimmer Brewing. There's a craft boom in Japan right now. Lots of good options.
 
T

Tsundere

Banned
Just did an entire day in Akiharaba! There was a special degenki event goin and they also pre-aired the first episode of The Irregular at Magic High School and a teaser for Black Bullet. Pretty cool that event was going on, didn't even know but it was fun!

The portable wifi is the best purchase so far, that and the JR pass!

Japan is awesome!
 
S

scarlet

Member
Tsundere said:
Just did an entire day in Akiharaba! There was a special degenki event goin and they also pre-aired the first episode of The Irregular at Magic High School and a teaser for Black Bullet. Pretty cool that event was going on, didn't even know but it was fun!

The portable wifi is the best purchase so far, that and the JR pass!

Japan is awesome!
Click to expand...

Which one?
 
R

Resilient

Member
Just got back from my trip.

Sad to have left, it was really fun.

Went with an awesome group of people too...feel free to PM if you have any questions !
 
DCharlie

DCharlie

And even i am moderately surprised
1) Any tips in general on how to work out how to get about? Google maps?
We are landing in at Narita and staying at the Ryumeikan.
Any ideas how to get there?

http://ryumeikan-tokyo.jp/english/
Click to expand...

as mentioned - you need to get the NEX Narita express to Tokyo station - there are two "exit sides" - the Maranouchi and the Yaesu Exit. Yaesu is the one you want - the north exit is to the left as you head towards. You will come out near a place called Gran Tower (i think!) - just walk towards the busy road, there's a crossing there that will take you over it and then you are just a left turn down the busy street to get there.

One of the clients i work with is in Yaesu, i'm there 3-4 days a week - i'd be about 5 minutes from your location :O
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Tsundere said:
Just did an entire day in Akiharaba! There was a special degenki event goin and they also pre-aired the first episode of The Irregular at Magic High School and a teaser for Black Bullet. Pretty cool that event was going on, didn't even know but it was fun!

The portable wifi is the best purchase so far, that and the JR pass!

Japan is awesome!
Click to expand...

Cool.
 
matt360

matt360

Member
histopher said:
3) Whats the craft beer scene like? All the Japanese beers I've had haven't really done much for me. Anywhere in Tokyo to get some good brew?

Thanks again!
Can't wait!!!
Click to expand...

There's also a place in Tokyo called Tanakaya that might be worth checking out. It's a liquor shop, not a bar, but it's easily got the best selection of craft beer in Japan. It's a Mejiro Station, which is just a couple stops from Shinjuku. If you're in Shinjuku, it would totally be worth checking out. It'd give you stuff to drink on the shinkansen while you're traveling. If you're just looking to go to bars then I'd recommend Brew Dog, Devilcraft, American Antenna, and there's a nice Belgian beer bar in Ginza that I can't remember the name of at the moment.

In Hiroshima, if you're looking for some good craft beer bars, there is Golden Garden, Phi's, and Rakubeer. Rakubeer has no bottles, everything is on tap (about 15 I think), and all of them are Japanese craft beers. GG and Raku are both in the middle of downtown Hiroshima.
 
S

scarlet

Member
Tsundere said:
E-Mobile, provided by Global Advanced Communications. 75Mbps LTE.
Click to expand...

Still fully booked T.T

edit:

Find on another site, they have extremely small stocks for the 75mbps model and offer me the 42mbps

Prefer the 75 model, battery is up to 10 hours.

If you guys, going there next week like me. Better order it asap.
 
W

woodland

Member
Anyone have any recommendations for Okinawa? Specifically Ishigaki and the local islands? Going there for spring break with a friend and looking to make the most out of it.

Also, have been here for about a month and a half now and it's fantastic. Closest to Osaka and loving being able to hop on the train to Nara, Shinsaibashi/Umeda, or Kyoto if I want to. Even been to Hiroshima so far, which was a beautiful little city.
 
H

histopher

Member
scarlet said:
Still fully booked T.T

edit:

Find on another site, they have extremely small stocks for the 75mbps model and offer me the 42mbps

Prefer the 75 model, battery is up to 10 hours.

If you guys, going there next week like me. Better order it asap.
Click to expand...

Whats the site? Going next week and haven't got one booked! Stupid!
 
R

Resilient

Member
For those getting the pocket Wi-Fi...IMO you don't need it. I was going to get it myself but you can easily get by using Starbucks + wifine + JREast/JRWest free Wi-Fi. Unless you really need to have internet during the trip. Most hostels and hotels offer free WiFi also.

hwalker84 said:
Why PM. Just spill it.
Click to expand...

I dunno, I don't frequent the thread that much. Guess I will now to drop some advice!

Went from Tokyo > Kyoto > Osaka > Hiroshima > Osaka > Tokyo. Spent most of the time in Tokyo. Wish I spent a little more in Kyoto though, was only there for a bit. Fushimi-inari Taishi was definitely the highlight of the trip...going in pitch black night was a mistake though, quite scary! Surprisingly there were still a few people there though.
 
S

SKINNER!

Banned
Resilient said:
For those getting the pocket Wi-Fi...IMO you don't need it. I was going to get it myself but you can easily get by using Starbucks + wifine + JREast/JRWest free Wi-Fi. Unless you really need to have internet during the trip. Most hostels and hotels offer free WiFi also.
Click to expand...

I disgaree. From my experience (which I probably already mentioned here), free Wifi around the streets of Tokyo was scarce, the ones near the station were slow and kept disconnecting (I assume because everyone else were using it), a little inconvenient but Starbucks requires you to have a registered account with them before you can access their free-wifi and you are unable to register for one while in the coffeeshop. Some hotels and hostels do offer free wifi but sometimes access to it is only available in the reception/lobby area. I struggled to use messaging/email services and Google maps on Free-Wifi when I was on foot.
 
T

ThreePiMatt

Member
Welp. Airfare is booked. Still need to finalize hotel plans. Planning on doing 5 nights at a standard, western-style hotel, one night in one of the mountain huts on Fuji, then the last night in a ryokan.
 
T

TheBryanJZX90

Member
If it stops near your hotel (and if your hotel is near Tokyo Station it probably will) the airport limousine buses ate probably your best bet to get to and from the airport. Pretty cheap, and you don't have to bother getting your luggage on a train car.
 
H

hwalker84

Member
ThreePiMatt said:
Welp. Airfare is booked. Still need to finalize hotel plans. Planning on doing 5 nights at a standard, western-style hotel, one night in one of the mountain huts on Fuji, then the last night in a ryokan.
Click to expand...

How many people are you traveling with? Hostels are amazing and you meet so many interesting people. Also the staff is much more fun and insightful than regular hotels. Once I got out of them into hostels my trip experience was amplified.
 
G

Guru-Guru

Banned
I remember when there was a fire in a pachinko parlor near a train station in Tokyo...My 4 hour train ride from Tokyo to my home took 15 hours. It was chaos.
 
D

distantmantra

Member
I once got stuck on the Yamanote not far from Shinjuku station after someone jumped in front of a train. That was not good times. :-(

On a much more positive note, I'll be in Japan two weeks from now. Flying into Haneda around midnight, staying at the capsule hotel and then taking the shinkansen down to Osaka for the weekend.
 
R

RapidCancel

Member
charlie_l said:
I remember when there was a fire in a pachinko parlor near a train station in Tokyo...My 4 hour train ride from Tokyo to my home took 15 hours. It was chaos.
Click to expand...

I remember that too, I even paid for a ticket for the JR and didn't get a refund. Luckily, when they directed everyone down into the subway, I didn't pay anything at all. Can't believe that deferred you for 15 hours though, pretty insane.
 
S

Saya

Member
Going to Japan in about 3 weeks as well. Very excited. Just want to say thanks for everyone that contributes in this thread! It's super helpful and informative. Planning what to pack now... is Japan very rainy in April?
 
T

Trojan X

Banned
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