Winter.
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Japan Travel |OT| One does simply not visit just once
- Thread starter hwalker84
- Start date
Winter.
Got my itinerary half-done for next spring. Reading up on it the connection sounded hectic so I avoided the NRT-HND connection altogether -- the way in there was a late arrival flight that would go to Itami the next day. Haneda looks pretty awesome as an airport / hub so with a later flight there should be time to mess around in Tokyo for a little bit. On the way back I'll have a longer layover that stays in HND, letting us do some visiting with friends that will hopefully meet us as the airport. We'll end up having 7 (almost) full days in Japan.
We plan to visit some relatives in Kyushu during the trip -- could probably be a day trip on the way back for something touristy between there and Osaka. Any suggestions? Never visited Hiroshima before so that's my current pick unless there's something better. I have a friend that lives in Tottori but I believe that's a bit out of the way...
We plan to visit some relatives in Kyushu during the trip -- could probably be a day trip on the way back for something touristy between there and Osaka. Any suggestions? Never visited Hiroshima before so that's my current pick unless there's something better. I have a friend that lives in Tottori but I believe that's a bit out of the way...
I have one question regarding JR trains, I still don't get it.
Can you use JR lines withouth a JR pass?
Let's say I want to go to Disney resort on a JR line but I didn't buy a JR Pass in advance. Can I just pay the tickets? If that's the case, are they fucking expensive or something?
Can you use JR lines withouth a JR pass?
Let's say I want to go to Disney resort on a JR line but I didn't buy a JR Pass in advance. Can I just pay the tickets? If that's the case, are they fucking expensive or something?
Zoe
Member
Yes you can, and no it's not. Just get a Suica card and load some money on it anyway. You can even use it at vending machines and convenience stores.
The JR Pass really only pays off when you're doing long distance travel.
What's the weather like in your home town? I was there till the end of November and wore shorts and a light jacket.
Mass transit options on google maps will more or less tell you how much it is to go from point A to point B. If you're staying within the Tokyo area it's not going to be crazy expensive -- once you start boarding bullet trains that's when the rail passes come handy. Example route from Saitama is less than 1000 yen. Coming from Osaka it'll cost you 15k. The former it'd be silly to buy a pass, the latter the pass pays for itself with one round trip.
Zoe
Member
Last time we went was over Thanksgiving week, and I was burning up in most places... not used to all those intense heaters at all.
I am planning a 2 week trip to Japan next month! However, I'm just concerned about the weather and the lack of daylight. Will that put a hamper on my trip?
Plan is to land in Tokyo, and then visit Osaka, Kyoto and Naru.
I would like to visit Naru Park, Ghibli Museum, the shopping district in Tokyo.
Does my itinerary justify getting a JR Pass? What websites would you recommend using to book accommodations.
Finally, do most people bring their tooth brush and other toiletries with them or do they purchase them in Japan??
Plan is to land in Tokyo, and then visit Osaka, Kyoto and Naru.
I would like to visit Naru Park, Ghibli Museum, the shopping district in Tokyo.
Does my itinerary justify getting a JR Pass? What websites would you recommend using to book accommodations.
Finally, do most people bring their tooth brush and other toiletries with them or do they purchase them in Japan??
navii
My fantasy is that my girlfriend was actually a young high school girl.
Yeah, buy a 1 week JR pass and do your bullet training within that week.
I use expedia to book hotels.
I purchase my toiletries in a convenience store there, sometimes I just use what the hotel provides.
Don't know about the weather, perhaps other people can chime in.
MikeHattsu
Member
Tripadvisor seems fine. It compares prices on several websites. Hostelworld if you want a hostel.
I brought my own toiletries, but you could just buy them in Japan. If you're in a hotel, they usually provide them for free.
Hm...
One of the Super Potato shops:
http://www.superpotato.com/free_html.php?html=about_shop.html
This Super Kids Land if you're interested in Gundam and GunPla:
http://shop.joshin.co.jp/shopdetail.php?cd=1665
One of the Mandarake stores, but they're not in Den Den Town itself though:
http://www.mandarake.co.jp/shop/index_osk.html
http://www.mandarake.co.jp/shop/index_gcs.html
Edit: Oh yeah, and the Namco arcade with the Tekken Musem and Idolmaster store as well:
http://www.namco.co.jp/am/loc/nipponbashi/
Thanks so much!
I'm trying to do research but it's so incredibly hard because I literally don't know what to research. I feel like I should just book a tour and let the tour guide handle the accommodations and daily events. Only downside is that it'll be more expensive.
As a gamer, can anyone recommend some attractions or places I should visit in either Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto or Nara?
MikeHattsu
Member
Sorry. Not that familiar with Den Den Town besides the usual stuff.
Akihabara and Nakano Broadway in Tokyo and Den Den Town in Osaka. Lots of stores and arcades in those locations.
Hey GAF, so I'll be visiting Japan for the first time in December, pretty excited 
Has anyone here visited Japan during the Christmas/New Year time period? I'll be over there from Christmas to New Year's.
So far, I only have the plane tickets booked, still waiting on another family member to confirm before booking the hotel(s).
I'm planning on getting the 7 day JR pass since I want to visit Kyoto for two days, but I was wondering what a better option would be, would it be better to get a hotel in Tokyo for my entire stay and then just take the Shinkansen to Kyoto in the morning and back at night for the two days? Or would it be better to leave Tokyo and then check into a hotel in Kyoto for two nights, and then go back to Tokyo for one night before heading back home?
Thanks in advance
Has anyone here visited Japan during the Christmas/New Year time period? I'll be over there from Christmas to New Year's.
So far, I only have the plane tickets booked, still waiting on another family member to confirm before booking the hotel(s).
I'm planning on getting the 7 day JR pass since I want to visit Kyoto for two days, but I was wondering what a better option would be, would it be better to get a hotel in Tokyo for my entire stay and then just take the Shinkansen to Kyoto in the morning and back at night for the two days? Or would it be better to leave Tokyo and then check into a hotel in Kyoto for two nights, and then go back to Tokyo for one night before heading back home?
Thanks in advance
Hey GAF, so I'll be visiting Japan for the first time in December, pretty excited
Has anyone here visited Japan during the Christmas/New Year time period? I'll be over there from Christmas to New Year's.
So far, I only have the plane tickets booked, still waiting on another family member to confirm before booking the hotel(s).
I'm planning on getting the 7 day JR pass since I want to visit Kyoto for two days, but I was wondering what a better option would be, would it be better to get a hotel in Tokyo for my entire stay and then just take the Shinkansen to Kyoto in the morning and back at night for the two days? Or would it be better to leave Tokyo and then check into a hotel in Kyoto for two nights, and then go back to Tokyo for one night before heading back home?
Thanks in advance
Go book asap, there will be a lot of tourist, and they won't wait for you.
You can do that, but will be wasting a lot of time, like almost 5 hours/day.
Gonna book as soon as I get home
So the second option is better? Only problem with that option is that the cheapest hotel on NYE is more than $250 for the night(unless we stay in a capsule hotel, which isn't possible for the girl in our group if she comes).
MikeHattsu
Member
I'm planning on getting the 7 day JR pass since I want to visit Kyoto for two days, but I was wondering what a better option would be, would it be better to get a hotel in Tokyo for my entire stay and then just take the Shinkansen to Kyoto in the morning and back at night for the two days? Or would it be better to leave Tokyo and then check into a hotel in Kyoto for two nights, and then go back to Tokyo for one night before heading back home?
Thanks in advance
Leave Tokyo and stay in Kyoto. Saves you 6 or so hours on a train, and it gives you a chance to check out Kyoto at night.
It might also be better to get the discount Shinkansen tickets than a JR Pass if you're just going to Kyoto and back and not visiting Osaka/Nara or any other nearby city as well:
http://m.neogaf.com/showpost.php?p=138662716
MikeHattsu
Member
Some options:
Check Japanican for a discount Shinkansen+Hotel package:
www.japanican.com/en/special/tours/shinkansen/index.aspx
Check hostelworld for a hostel instead of staying at a hotel. Some of the high end hostels have rooms with their own bathroom.
Check hotel prices in Osaka. It's 30 minutes by train between Osaka and Kyoto. Can then easily travel between the 2 cities if you get the JR pass.
Hmmm these are all really good tips, thanks!
I don't mind staying in Kyoto too much, it's just that last night in Tokyo which is insanely expensive, I was trying to see if I could mitigate that somehow...
MikeHattsu
Member
Hmmm these are all really good tips, thanks!
I don't mind staying in Kyoto too much, it's just that last night in Tokyo which is insanely expensive, I was trying to see if I could mitigate that somehow...
Oh, right. Once again, hostels. And if you're leaving from Narita airport, then you could spend the last night in the city of Narita. I stayed at a ryokan (or more like a minshuku to be correct) there the last night before an early morning flight once.
rrvv
Member
say if I want to go to central tokyo
How long it take Haneda to go to central tokyo compare to Narita?
HND is around 30 minutes by train, NRT about an hour by NEX
MikeHattsu
Member
Just go with the one that is cheaper to travel to.
Should be fine as long as you don't go in the evening.
Boom Boom Pow
Banned
Nice time to see this thread pop up. I just wrote a Nara travel guide for anyone interested in visiting Nara. I highly recommend it as a day trip from Osaka. Pretty neat with all the deers and everything.
http://www.stateofwanderlust.com/nara-travel-guide/
http://www.stateofwanderlust.com/nara-travel-guide/
TheBryanJZX90
Member
If you're interested in tours then check out japanican.com. Japanese tourists reeealy like their guided tours, and the biggest operator of those tours also runs that site.
(also I used to work there)
Edit:
Yaaay. When I was working there this was always the best deal we ran. If it matches your schedule and planned route this can beat the JR Pass.
shanshan310
Member
lol, don't go during golden week. Everything will be ridiculously packed, lots of stuff will be shut due to the public holidays (including post offices which have international ATMs), hotels will be expensive etc. Unless you live in Japan and have a week off to travel around there's really no point in travelling around that time. Cherry blossoms are beautiful and though the popular viewing spots are crowded it's nowhere near as bad as golden week in my experience.
MikeHattsu
Member
It's the distance between the station you go from and to. If you want you can take a longer alternative route, do transfers (within the same company) and get off at any station along the way (as long as you don't exit through the ticket gates) and it will be the same price.
Prices here for the Tokyo Metro:
http://www.tokyometro.jp/en/ticket/types/regular/
Geobobfrank
Member
Also if you are using a fare card(Pasmo/Suica for example in Tokyo) the train fare will always be cheaper than by paying with cash, it will also give you the cheapest fare possible between those two points even if you take a "faster" or longer route to get there.
ZackieChan
Member
Goddamn the weather sucks here right now.
Cold and rainy the first two days I'm here. Will this let up?
Also, if any gaffers want to get a drink or food, let me know. I'm here in Tokyo for a few months, most likely.
Cold and rainy the first two days I'm here. Will this let up?
Also, if any gaffers want to get a drink or food, let me know. I'm here in Tokyo for a few months, most likely.
Check the other thread for the next meet up announcement.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=884540
HideyoshiJP
Member
Hey there GAF. Thanks for the trip advice; this thread is great. Everything's in place and I head to Japan on Saturday. I'll be in Tokyo from the 30th-7th, Nagoya til the 10th, Kyoto until the 13th, and Osaka til the 20th. If anybody wants to grab some grub, drinks, or otherwise hang out, let me know!
Oh, and for those of you who are car fans, I found a sweet rental place in Tokyo that'll rent things like Civic Type-Rs, Skyline GT-Rs, and Hachi-Rokus. Since I'll only be renting a car for funsies anyway, it's way cooler than getting a kei car. Somehow an R-33 GT-R is also cheaper than a Miata with an auto transmission at Times Rent-a-car. The downside is that there's only one location. The place is called Omoshiro Rent-a-car, and it's located outside Tokyo in Chiba prefecture.
Oh, and for those of you who are car fans, I found a sweet rental place in Tokyo that'll rent things like Civic Type-Rs, Skyline GT-Rs, and Hachi-Rokus. Since I'll only be renting a car for funsies anyway, it's way cooler than getting a kei car. Somehow an R-33 GT-R is also cheaper than a Miata with an auto transmission at Times Rent-a-car. The downside is that there's only one location. The place is called Omoshiro Rent-a-car, and it's located outside Tokyo in Chiba prefecture.
ZackieChan
Member
I'll meet up in Tokyo, if you're down. Just PM me.
HideyoshiJP
Member
Will do, duder.
TheBryanJZX90
Member
Setsugetsuka is my favorite. All rooms have their own private open air bath.
Those YOUは何しに日本へ？ interviewers (aka harassers) sure are getting persistent at Narita. Saw two different groups of them, 6 people in total. Unfortunately for them our plane was packed with Asians.
Have any of you actually been approached by them before? I know that they sometimes schedule it, but I had no idea they were so persistently idling at the arrival area, waiting for someone to stalk.. lol.
The show is fun to watch (especially feat. YouTubers you're aware of), but I can't imagine it being an honour being interviewed by them. They're only after making fun of foreigners anyway.
Have any of you actually been approached by them before? I know that they sometimes schedule it, but I had no idea they were so persistently idling at the arrival area, waiting for someone to stalk.. lol.
The show is fun to watch (especially feat. YouTubers you're aware of), but I can't imagine it being an honour being interviewed by them. They're only after making fun of foreigners anyway.
ZackieChan
Member
I saw them interviewing some older Jerry Garcia-looking white guy when I arrived the other day and wondered what it was. Now I know to avoid them. Thanks! I was jealous that they weren't interviewing me...
shanshan310
Member
MikeHattsu
Member
I know they interviewed that guy who made 'The Untold History of Japanese Game Developers' book:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects...tory-of-japanese-game-developers/posts/597659
Oh, and somebody in my family was approached by TV Asahi for an interview when we visited Todai.