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

B

BronsonLee

Member
So, in sticking with the OT title, I'm coming back to Japan at the end of May. Going to Tokyo this time instead of Osaka, got a week. So I got like 3 months to plan.
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
cj_iwakura said:
Any places of note or that I should avoid?
Click to expand...

Well, the Khaosan hostels seems good. Dunno about places to avoid... Well, except one business hotel in Osaka I checked reviews of on TripAdvisor where the receptionist didn't like foreigners and chased someone away when they asked if they could store their luggage :p

Just check reviews and you'll be fine.
 
B

BannedEpisode

Member
I have a 6 night stay in Nakano in Tokyo on Airbnb from March 31-April 5th.

I also have a 5 night stay in Dotonbori in Osaka from April 5-11.

Hosts haven't responded to my emails about my reservations. :/
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
As mentioned in the article, one workaround is that they can allow shorter bookings, but the entire minimum period must be blocked off.
 
C

CountBlack

Member
Booked my flight from Toronto - Tokyo for $840. Throughout the week the price was usually around $940 so we saved a bit of money by waiting.

I tried to check out the bloomberg article about AirBnB but it's coming up as 404 Not Found. What did it say? I was planning on using AirBnB for my trip.. Really hope I don't run into any complications when I get there :/
 
S

Salamando

Member
CountBlackule said:
Booked my flight from Toronto - Tokyo for $840. Throughout the week the price was usually around $940 so we saved a bit of money by waiting.

I tried to check out the bloomberg article about AirBnB but it's coming up as 404 Not Found. What did it say? I was planning on using AirBnB for my trip.. Really hope I don't run into any complications when I get there :/
Click to expand...

I believe they were linking to This Article. Most pertitent points...

Under pressure from the hotel industry and a populace concerned with the surge of foreigners in their neighborhoods, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s government has released guidelines for home sharing -- called minpaku in Japanese -- that could make most Airbnb rentals in the country illegal. Airbnb hosts would only be allowed to rent to guests who stay for a week or longer, a minuscule slice of the market. The national guidelines only become law if local municipalities decide to ratify them, but that is beginning to happen.

....

But Japan shows potentially serious stumbling blocks as the company expands further abroad. Ota, one of 23 districts within Tokyo, became the first municipality to fully adopt Abe’s proposal last week. Osaka, the country’s third-largest city, will begin implementing the laws in April. More authorities plan to follow, possibly including the Sumida district in Tokyo where Jeffery is nearing completion of a seven-story building.
Click to expand...
 
K

killertofu

Member
My friends and I are trying to figure out our stay...

We're in Japan for 11 days. Right now we're booked for a place in Tokyo for about 5 days.

We're trying to figure out if its worth it to explore Kyoto/Osaka for a day or so and then come back to Tokyo before our flight.


To me, personally, I think we're gonna lose a day from jetlag and I don't think we have enough time to spend in Tokyo. Plus I don't want to move our shit around that much.

What say you, GAF?
 
Z

Zyzyxxz

Member
killertofu said:
My friends and I are trying to figure out our stay...

We're in Japan for 11 days. Right now we're booked for a place in Tokyo for about 5 days.

We're trying to figure out if its worth it to explore Kyoto/Osaka for a day or so and then come back to Tokyo before our flight.


To me, personally, I think we're gonna lose a day from jetlag and I don't think we have enough time to spend in Tokyo. Plus I don't want to move our shit around that much.

What say you, GAF?
Click to expand...

Why only a day in Kyoto Osaka? Also 11 days in Tokyo is a long time I would get a bit bored after a week.
 
T

TheBryanJZX90

Member
killertofu said:
My friends and I are trying to figure out our stay...

We're in Japan for 11 days. Right now we're booked for a place in Tokyo for about 5 days.

We're trying to figure out if its worth it to explore Kyoto/Osaka for a day or so and then come back to Tokyo before our flight.


To me, personally, I think we're gonna lose a day from jetlag and I don't think we have enough time to spend in Tokyo. Plus I don't want to move our shit around that much.

What say you, GAF?
Click to expand...

You are absolutely right. 5 days in Tokyo is not enough, and one day in Kyoto/Osaka is meaningless.

But... what happened to the rest of your days? 5 in Tokyo, 1 possibly Kyoto/Osaka, where are the other 5/11 days?
 
Z

Zushin

Member
Hi all,

So next year I'd like to travel to Japan. I've never travelled overseas before and for this trip I'd be going solo. Before committing to anything I'd like to to hear opinion on how difficult Japan is to travel to? How much Japanese is required? Signage, ordering food, etc.

Thanks
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Zushin said:
Hi all,

So next year I'd like to travel to Japan. I've never travelled overseas before and for this trip I'd be going solo. Before committing to anything I'd like to to hear opinion on how difficult Japan is to travel to? How much Japanese is required? Signage, ordering food, etc.

Thanks
Click to expand...

If you stick to the normal big or tourist cities then you'll not have any problems. No Japanese is required then.
 
V

Valkerionseven

Member
Zushin said:
Hi all,

So next year I'd like to travel to Japan. I've never travelled overseas before and for this trip I'd be going solo. Before committing to anything I'd like to to hear opinion on how difficult Japan is to travel to? How much Japanese is required? Signage, ordering food, etc.

Thanks
Click to expand...

Been living here 6 months almost and speak very little Japanese. If your visiting solo, just pointing, a few jibberish attempts at saying something in really rural areas, and what not will get you everything you could need.
 
S

SKINNER!

Banned
Valkerionseven said:
Been living here 6 months almost and speak very little Japanese. If your visiting solo, just pointing, a few jibberish attempts at saying something in really rural areas, and what not will get you everything you could need.
Click to expand...

Pretty much. Tokyo has plenty of English signs and most people speak basic English too. I'd recommend to learn Japanese basics like numbers, thank you, excuse me etc. just out of politeness and common courtesy. Osaka doesn't have as much English signs as Tokyo but it doesn't take a rocket science to figure out certain things written predominantly in Japan (e.g. train stops/routes/times have English numbers etc.)

Go for the adventure and confusion. It's half the fun! I don't think I'll ever forget the time I walked into a Softbank asking to see the new Sony Xperia and ended up in a 20 minute meeting with a rep about phone plans and contracts. Poor guy didn't understand that I was from abroad and we ended up communicating on his computer tablet through Google translate. Good times!
 
E

elhaym

Member
killertofu said:
We're trying to figure out if its worth it to explore Kyoto/Osaka for a day or so and then come back to Tokyo before our flight.

To me, personally, I think we're gonna lose a day from jetlag and I don't think we have enough time to spend in Tokyo. Plus I don't want to move our shit around that much.

What say you, GAF?
Click to expand...

From my last trip - jetlag from Washington D.C. was pretty non-existent. 7 days in Tokyo didn't feel like enough, and 4 days in Kyoto was definitely not enough. And this was mainly BS'ing around not even particularly looking at sightseeing things. =/
 
S

sfedai0

Banned
killertofu said:
My friends and I are trying to figure out our stay...

We're in Japan for 11 days. Right now we're booked for a place in Tokyo for about 5 days.

We're trying to figure out if its worth it to explore Kyoto/Osaka for a day or so and then come back to Tokyo before our flight.


To me, personally, I think we're gonna lose a day from jetlag and I don't think we have enough time to spend in Tokyo. Plus I don't want to move our shit around that much.

What say you, GAF?
Click to expand...

Terrible idea. Do you have a JR pass? If not, this is a super expensive "day trip", as well as extremely time consuming. I would not risk a trip like this a day before you're supposed to take off.

Besides, Kyoto alone requires a week minimum IMO.
 
E

elhaym

Member
BannedEpisode said:
Also, Sprint activated my phone for free roam on on text and data in Japan without additional charge. That normal?

Seems convenient.
Click to expand...

I'd probably check with their CS just to make sure, I had to manually set that up through the webpage prior to my trip. Paranoia in me didn't want to magically end up with a $2000 phone bill...
 
B

BannedEpisode

Member
elhaym said:
I'd probably check with their CS just to make sure, I had to manually set that up through the webpage prior to my trip. Paranoia in me didn't want to magically end up with a $2000 phone bill...
Click to expand...

Did it through the customer service phone line. Spoke to a manager and everything seems set.

Feeling fine about it. Additionally all of my Airbnb hosts are providing pocket wifis.
 
Zoe

Zoe

Member
Yeah, I got a text from Sprint when I accidentally took my phone off airplane mode saying that I was automatically switched. I was way too paranoid to actually use it though.
 
B

Bullza2o

Member
If you have a choice between Kobe beef lunch + Himeji and Arashiyama (Ootsuka lunch) + Sakuranomiya/Dotonbori, which would you choose?

For reference, on April 4 I will be going to Kansai from Tokyo.
7:30am depart Tokyo
then do one of the above choices
Check in near Osaka station in the evening

Or I can do some other combination like Fushimi Inari around noon, check in at Osaka around 3pm, and go to Himeji for yozakura (night hanami)

I am trying to cut down on travel time, considering I am now departing and arriving at NRT and still doing a Hiroshima/Miyajima day trip from Osaka. If Himeji and Kobe beef is truly worth it during sakura season then I guess I should stick with it.
 
Z

Zushin

Member
MikeHattsu said:
If you stick to the normal big or tourist cities then you'll not have any problems. No Japanese is required then.
Click to expand...

Valkerionseven said:
Been living here 6 months almost and speak very little Japanese. If your visiting solo, just pointing, a few jibberish attempts at saying something in really rural areas, and what not will get you everything you could need.
Click to expand...

shorty_symd said:
Pretty much. Tokyo has plenty of English signs and most people speak basic English too. I'd recommend to learn Japanese basics like numbers, thank you, excuse me etc. just out of politeness and common courtesy. Osaka doesn't have as much English signs as Tokyo but it doesn't take a rocket science to figure out certain things written predominantly in Japan (e.g. train stops/routes/times have English numbers etc.)

Go for the adventure and confusion. It's half the fun! I don't think I'll ever forget the time I walked into a Softbank asking to see the new Sony Xperia and ended up in a 20 minute meeting with a rep about phone plans and contracts. Poor guy didn't understand that I was from abroad and we ended up communicating on his computer tablet through Google translate. Good times!
Click to expand...

Thanks guys!
 
T

ThreePiMatt

Member
Pretty bummed that Japan is not listed in Verizon's list of Travel Pass countries. It'd be nice to forgo the Pocket WiFi and just add international data to my phone.

Though, just looking at Global Advance Comm's website, a 7-day rental would actually be cheaper than the $10 a day fee from Verizon. That's seems kind of dumb. There really ought to be a better way of getting mobile data overseas.
 
cj_iwakura

cj_iwakura

Member
I assume I'd be crazy not to pick out a hotel in advance, right? My passport seems to be en route, so that just leaves the hard part...
 
S

srst

Member
cj_iwakura said:
I assume I'd be crazy not to pick out a hotel in advance, right? My passport seems to be en route, so that just leaves the hard part...
Click to expand...

I booked mine for August already. You can always cancel if something comes up. Longer you wait, less choices you get.
 
J

Jamie OD

Member
Hey folks, I'll be staying in Tokyo for the first 10 days in April with plans to see pro wrestling in Sumo Hall and baseball in Tokyo Dome City. It will be my second visit to Japan, first was during 2009. This thread has been a great refresher for the trip. I'm going to be spending a day in Kasukabe, Saitama for a wrestling show. So far I can't find much else to see or do there other than parks and museums. Is their anything else I should look out for while I'm in Kasukabe?

Also are their any other good sport related events and locations to go see in early April? I heard about the Addidas football pitch on top of a tower in Shibuya but I don't think my travelling group is big enough to hire it for a game.
 
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