MikeHattsu
Member
Renovations are gonna last until 2019. At least the main hall is still not being worked on.
-
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
Renovations are gonna last until 2019. At least the main hall is still not being worked on.
Valkyr Junkie
Member
But keep expectations in check. I was pretty amazed when I went there to find that it's really just one short path.
Short? It's quite long if you explore it haha and my personal fave temple (Tenryuji) is there
Thanks for all the advice! We're based in Osaka for the Kansai part of our trip. The plan is to take the train to Kyoto as early as we can, and head back in the evening. Nothing is settled yet, we just looked around and picked the attractions that seemed more interesting. We're just starting to plan our trip more carefully now because we arrive in less than 3 weeks, heh.
MikeHattsu
Member
Question. I am not sure if this has been asked before but I love to food trip and get anime stuff. Where are the best place to go for these?
I want buffet as well too.
For anime stuff Akihabara and Nakano Broadway in Tokyo or Nipponbashi in Osaka.
Food is nice everywhere
If you're only in Kyoto for one day I would recommended going to the Nishiki market in the morning and walk to Kiyomizudera. You can easily spend a day just strolling around the old Gion district (which is what we did back in April) and walk from the market to the temple. There's temples, shops, and old houses along the way with a ton of atmosphere. No need to take any bus or something. Highly recommended. Plus Kawaramachi (the area with Nishiki market) really comes alive at night and has many many bars and restaurants to have dinner at before you head back to Osaka. There's an awesome burnt ramen place there too! (Thanks Scarlet
)Question. I am not sure if this has been asked before but I love to food trip and get anime stuff. Where are the best place to go for these?
I want buffet as well too.
If you like fancy food, Tokyo has more Michelin starred restaurants than any other place in the world.
As to tabehoudai (all you can eat) if you like sweets, there's always Sweets Paradise (they also have rice and pasta).
Valkyr Junkie
Member
Short? It's quite long if you explore it haha and my personal fave temple (Tenryuji) is there
Tenryuji is definitely an awesome temple..... FROGS!!!
But I remember the bamboo groves being one of the things I was most excited to see in the Kyoto area, and it just being a disappointment because there's really just that one famous walking path which every picture of the bamboo grove is taken from, which I feel is pretty short, followed by roads and a couple of other weird paths through and around it. I didn't even know that part of the grove has its bamboo harvested commercially. I guess I was just expecting a scenic walk through the forest that would take 30 minutes or more, which is certainly not the case.
Talking about Kyoto reminds me of one of my favorite day trips from the area, Iga-Ueno. A badass castle used in a Kurosawa film AND ninjas?! What more could one ask for? I believe getting there required my only non-JR rail trip.
BronsonLee
Member
Being in here just makes me want to plan another trip, even though I already went to Osaka/Nara this year (skipped Kyoto because of tiredness)
MikeHattsu
Member
I'm sure someone else has suggestions. That feels so American style to me. I got the impression that those places didn't exist when I was in Japan.
Valkyr Junkie
Member
No-no Budou in Hiroshima. "Viking" style is what buffets are in Japan.
I went to that place (and being the closest to resemble a viking of any patron that probably ever visited) and the young hostess spent like 5 minutes trying to explain to me there was a 45 minute time limit. I guess she thought I was gonna Homer Simpson that place up.
MikeHattsu
Member
I ate at a all you can eat shabu shabu place at Nakano Broadway.
paolo11
Member
Forgive my ignorance but what is tabehoudai?
MikeHattsu
Member
Japanese for "all you can eat"
matt360
Member
Oh wow, that's a crazy name drop! That place is like 5 minutes from my apartment! Haven't actually been there though.
And the breakdown of Japanese all-you-can-eat places goes something like this:
食べ放題 - tabehoudai = all-you-can-eat
飲み放題 - nomihoudai = all-you-can-drink
バイキング or ビュッフェ - "Viking" or "Buffet" = there's a table with food that you go up to and take what you want.
オーダーバイキング - Order Viking = all you can eat, but you order everything from a menu and the waiter or waitress will being it to your table. Order Viking service is often intentionally slow. This is common at some izakayas, yakiniku, nabe, and shabu shabu places.
Tabehoudai is an all-encompassing term that can either mean "Viking" or "order Viking."
Most everywhere sells 8 balls of Takoyaki at some crazy cheap pride. Like 400-500 yen. Katsudon, I dunno. It's probably small compared to American serving sizes.
NP. Seriously though, don't be a rookie and take Kyoto "easily" if you're only gonna be there a day. Kinkaku-ji, Kiyomizu-dera and Fushimi Inaria are all doable in the same day, if you start at say 6-7am. You'll be at Kiyomizu-dera by about 12pm, finish at 3-4 and can easily go grab dinner and rest, then tackle Fushimi at night. Fushimi at night was the best thing we ever did..I seriously can't encourage you enough, it will be amazing with the warm weather too. And you must do the full trip. I can post photos later of the view at night but they're fairly bad.
WasMachinator
Neo Member
So I'm leaving 30 juli with a good friend of mine to Japan and we finally have a sort of itinary ready.
I'm curious to what you guys thinks..
30 juli - fly
31 juli / 3 aug - Tokyo
4 & 5 - Sendai & Matsushimo
6 / 10 - Kyoto, Osaka, Nara
11 & 12 - Hiroshima
13 & 14 - Tokyo
Things to do are getting filled in, but any suggestions are welcome. Same for itinary advise!
I'm curious to what you guys thinks..
30 juli - fly
31 juli / 3 aug - Tokyo
4 & 5 - Sendai & Matsushimo
6 / 10 - Kyoto, Osaka, Nara
11 & 12 - Hiroshima
13 & 14 - Tokyo
Things to do are getting filled in, but any suggestions are welcome. Same for itinary advise!
paolo11
Member
Man, now I want to go to Japan.
Ok, brothers and sisters. I have to bombard you guys with noob questions. I want me and my wife to go there for a week or two.
a) What plane did you use to go to Japan?
b) What was your budget? How much did you spend on food and stuff?
c) What's the best and affordable place to stay for a noob like me? I like eating (a lot), seeing Anime robot figurines, etc. Should I go Tokyo or Okinawa?
d) What's the best way for transportation?
e) How is the communication in Japan? Obviously I don't speak and understand the language so how can I get by?
Ok, brothers and sisters. I have to bombard you guys with noob questions. I want me and my wife to go there for a week or two.
a) What plane did you use to go to Japan?
b) What was your budget? How much did you spend on food and stuff?
c) What's the best and affordable place to stay for a noob like me? I like eating (a lot), seeing Anime robot figurines, etc. Should I go Tokyo or Okinawa?
d) What's the best way for transportation?
e) How is the communication in Japan? Obviously I don't speak and understand the language so how can I get by?
matt360
Member
Yup.
For Hiroshima, make sure you hit up Miyajima for one of those days. It's only a 20 minute or so train ride from Hiroshima station, or if your hotel is downtown you can take a streetcar to Miyajima which takes maybe 45 minutes or so.
For the other day, check out the Peace Park and A-Bomb Dome. If you rearrange your schedule to come to Hiroshima before doing Kyoto, Osaka, and Nara then you could be here for the August 6th ceremony. You'll be able to see PM Abe along with a bunch of other world leaders and peace advocates. Last year I met Oliver Stone at the ceremony. And at night they send colored paper lanterns down the river next to the A-Bomb Dome. It's hauntingly beautiful. Hot as hell and crowded as can be, but still something amazing and definitely worth seeing.
There are some deniers from Kansai in this thread, but you also must try Hiroshima okonomiyaki. Unbelievably good. I get mine with cheese.
WasMachinator
Neo Member
Totally forgot It was around that time the bombs were dropped. Very good suggestion, but I would also assume that because of those memorial ceremonies the musea could be more busy?
We were also thinking about doing the Shimanami Kaido cycle route..
Zoe
Member
And fattier.
matt360
Member
The Shimanami Kaido is incredible and one of the best things to do in Japan, but doing it in early August is kind of insane. It's gonna be really, really hot and humid. If you're dead set on going, make sure you drink lots of water, get a hat, sunscreen, the whole nine. I've got a shaved head and I once did it in April and still burned the shit out of my scalp. Also, if you do the whole route and end up in Imabari and then take a train to Matsuyama for the night, that'll eat up both of your alloted Hiroshima days.
I guess you could start in Onomichi, go about halfway, come back, then take a train back to Hiroshima at night.
anyone know an alternative to GAC for Pocket Wifi?
they are now limiting to 10gb/month.. which is quite small data...
http://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/pocketwifi.html
they are now limiting to 10gb/month.. which is quite small data...
http://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/pocketwifi.html
Arashiyama area probably has the least to offer out of the "major" tourist areas of the city IMHO. It's also about as far away as you can get from Fushimi Inari.
matt360
Member
Well, the train is to Miyajima station, then a quick ferry ride from there.
Perfect Cha0s
Member
Hey guys, I know this is a pretty vague question, but how much do you figure a two-week stay in mid-December would cost? I'm going to be coming out of this summer with about $2000 that I could set aside for a trip, so I wanted to ask first if it would even be realistic to plan around that sort of budget.
Thanks.
Thanks.
Perfect Cha0s
Member
It would, yes. How much do you figure it would be, airfare included?
Highly recommend checking out Hiroshima, Itsukushima shrine and Nara. Just did it earlier this month and it was incredible. Definitely agree with matt360.
Oh, and also if you got a JR Pass then not only can you use it to go from Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi but you can also use it on the ferry to Miyajima from Miyajimaguchi.
Oh, and also if you got a JR Pass then not only can you use it to go from Hiroshima to Miyajimaguchi but you can also use it on the ferry to Miyajima from Miyajimaguchi.
MikeHattsu
Member
Have fun!
YesNOnoNOYes
Member
Going in one week's time! Can't wait :>
Got a small question, which Don Quixote branch is worth visiting? Is the one in Shinjuku good for a look-see?
Got a small question, which Don Quixote branch is worth visiting? Is the one in Shinjuku good for a look-see?
The one in kabukichou? Probably, that's the one I see most tourists visiting. I see it every day on my way to work, but I've only gone in once, the Donki next to my home is much more convenient for me.
Oh and another thing about Itsukushima Shrine. Go around 7am/8am. It's completely calm and quiet. So blissfully beautiful You get to see the priests running around the shrine doing their morning chores/prayers and they're cool with you being there so long as you don't act like a tourist.
You get to see the priests running around the shrine doing their morning chores/prayers and they're cool with you being there so long as you don't act like a tourist.EuricaeriS
Member
Was saddened to see that the Shibuya Kaikan arcade closed last year It was possibly my favourite arcade, and a great place to use all those 50 yen coins.
Does anyone know of any similar arcades in Tokyo? By that, I mean something perhaps a little off the beaten path, so not your Club Segas or whatever. The Big Box in Takadanobaba was quite fun last time I went, but I'm sure there's better out there!
It was possibly my favourite arcade, and a great place to use all those 50 yen coins.Does anyone know of any similar arcades in Tokyo? By that, I mean something perhaps a little off the beaten path, so not your Club Segas or whatever. The Big Box in Takadanobaba was quite fun last time I went, but I'm sure there's better out there!
MikeHattsu
Member
Was saddened to see that the Shibuya Kaikan arcade closed last year
Does anyone know of any similar arcades in Tokyo? By that, I mean something perhaps a little off the beaten path, so not your Club Segas or whatever. The Big Box in Takadanobaba was quite fun last time I went, but I'm sure there's better out there!
There's this guide, but it's a bit old:
http://www.mmcafe.com/arcadeguide/index.html
matt360
Member
I dunno man, it's hard to say. Can you give us some more info? Where are you flying from? What cities do you want to visit? What do you want to do? What are you into? Are you ok with slumming it, couch surfing, capsul hotels, etc? Are you thinking hostels? Hotels? It's possible to do Japan on the cheap, but I wouldn't really recommend it. That's just me though.
Perfect Cha0s
Member
Probably flying out of Dulles, east coast US. Ideally I'd like to see a few different cities. But yeah, I'd be okay with cheaper accommodations; as long as it's a place to sleep where I can keep my stuff, I'm not picky. A hostel or capsule hotel would be fine.
Was saddened to see that the Shibuya Kaikan arcade closed last year
Does anyone know of any similar arcades in Tokyo? By that, I mean something perhaps a little off the beaten path, so not your Club Segas or whatever. The Big Box in Takadanobaba was quite fun last time I went, but I'm sure there's better out there!
Go to Hey in akiba. It's near the station across from a taito game station and it's good. It's where I've been going lately when I don't want to play bemani titles.
matt360
Member
Ok. When I fly back to Florida from Hiroshima I stop in Tokyo and then Dulles. Since you'll most likely be going from Dulles to Narita in a straight shot, your tix will probably be a bit cheaper than mine. From Hiroshima to Florida round-trip in December I've been paying an average of $1600. This is with ANA, which is a pretty awesome airline. If you're lucky, you might be able to snag tickets for just over a grand, but I doubt you'll be able to find much cheaper.
You'll also need to find out if you need a JR pass or not. If you want to hit up major cities like Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, Hiroshima, etc., then you'll probably need one. If you're just doing Tokyo and the outskirts you probably won't need one. A two-week JR Pass goes for roughly $600.
Are you a foodie? Tokyo is a gourmet city with a treasure trove of amazing places to choose from. I'm not saying you need to be dropping fifty bucks for every meal, but if you only budget enough for 400 yen gyudon for every meal then I feel like you'd really be missing out.
For accommodation, it looks like the average price of a capsule hotel is between 20-40 a night. I've stayed at cheap places in Tokyo like Sakura House before and I think that was like 40-50 per night.
Yeah, so no matter how you slice it I don't think 2 grand is going to be enough. Maaaaybe 3 grand depending on how much your plane ticket costs, but I think I would recommend closer to 4.