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

M

MikeHattsu

Member
Fireblend said:
  • Is it worth it to stay all those days in Osaka, or should I turn it into a day trip like Nara?
  • Is Nara worth visiting as a day-trip?
  • Am I scheduling too many days in Tokyo/Kyoto?
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If you're interested in the nightlife, then you should stay in Osaka, if not, then there's no real reason not to stay in Kyoto the whole time instead and just take the train for day trips (unless you're staying really far away from the train/subway stations in Kyoto).

Yeah, it's nice to go even just for Nara Park to see the deer and stuff.

You could maybe have 1-2 days less in Kyoto. Depends on what stuff you're most interested in seeing though.
 
F

Fireblend

Banned
MikeHattsu said:
If you're interested in the nightlife, then you should stay in Osaka, if not, then there's no real reason not to stay in Kyoto the whole time instead and just take the train for day trips (unless you're staying really far away from the train/subway stations in Kyoto).

Yeah, it's nice to go even just for Nara Park to see the deer and stuff.

You could maybe have 1-2 days less in Kyoto. Depends on what stuff you're most interested in seeing though.
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Hmm, we don't really do a lot of nightlife... I'll consider demoting Osaka to a one day trip then. I'd really like to move further west and spend one or two nights there if we can squeeze that in. Is Hiroshima the must-see city west of Osaka? Or is there an argument to be made for some other place for a Japan first-timer?
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Fireblend said:
Hmm, we don't really do a lot of nightlife... I'll consider demoting Osaka to a one day trip then. I'd really like to move further west and spend one or two nights there if we can squeeze that in. Is Hiroshima the must-see city west of Osaka? Or is there an argument to be made for some other place for a Japan first-timer?
Click to expand...

Well, there's lots of stuff to see in Osaka in the daytime too, just that you don't need to actually stay there unless you want to check out the nightlife since you can just take a 30-40 min train back to Kyoto.

Hiroshima is probably the must see city if you're going west of Osaka, yeah. If you're planning to stay a night, then you should see if you can get accommodation on Miyajima island. If you're staying on Miyajima Island then you could probably skip Nara since there's deer on Miyajima Island as well .
 
F

Fireblend

Banned
MikeHattsu said:
Well, there's lots of stuff to see in Osaka in the daytime too, just that you don't need to actually stay there unless you want to check out the nightlife since you can just take a 30-40 min train back to Kyoto.

Hiroshima is probably the must see city if you're going west of Osaka, yeah. If you're planning to stay a night, then you should see if you can get accommodation on Miyajima island. If you're staying on Miyajima Island then you could probably skip Nara since there's deer on Miyajima Island as well .
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I'm looking at the Osaka guide from japan-guide.com and it actually looks like it'd be alright if we went there as a 1-day trip. If the significant sights as that site says are the Universal Theme Park, the Aquarium and the museums, I almost feel like we could get away with only checking out Osaka Castle and Minoo Park, if they're both doable in a single day.

Hiroshima seems like a great 3-day stay option. Miyajima is super close if I'm reading right, so we could probably seamlessly move from one place to the other without having to "allocate" a day for it.

Not sure about letting go of Nara though, those temples in the japan-guide listings look pretty damn cool to skip, specially with Nara being so close to Kyoto.

Another question that occurred to me: Should I expect most gardens to be closed/not worth visiting during December due to the weather?
 
S

Subpar Scrub

Banned
Shopping for figures has caused problems. Jojo spoilers are everywhere and I'm only following the anime D: oh well.

Nakano was pretty cool. Lots of book shops though, so I didn't enter like 1/3 of the stores. Still trying to work out for to safely transport a poster I bought back in my luggage :| might have to go to a store that sells poster tubes or something. Any ideas?
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Fireblend said:
I'm looking at the Osaka guide from japan-guide.com and it actually looks like it'd be alright if we went there as a 1-day trip. If the significant sights as that site says are the Universal Theme Park, the Aquarium and the museums, I almost feel like we could get away with only checking out Osaka Castle and Minoo Park, if they're both doable in a single day.

Not sure about letting go of Nara though, those temples in the japan-guide listings look pretty damn cool to skip, specially with Nara being so close to Kyoto.

Another question that occurred to me: Should I expect most gardens to be closed/not worth visiting during December due to the weather?
Click to expand...

If you're already going to Himeji Castle, then you could skip Osaka Castle. You should check out Dotonbori in Osaka though.

Well, depends on how many temples and shrines you're going to visit in Kyoto I guess. Don't want to overload on just temples and shrines.

Most gardens should be open at least. Dunno about how good they'll be since I've not visited in December yet.


RhynoTheStriker said:
Still trying to work out for to safely transport a poster I bought back in my luggage :| might have to go to a store that sells poster tubes or something. Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Try one of the bigger post offices, or check Tokyu Hands.
 
S

Subpar Scrub

Banned
Walking around Shinjuku after hitting up a small bar, let me just say that all of the touts every 10m in kabukicho are annoying as fuck. I knew the area was seedy but far out, I must have walked less than 300m and had to tell nearly 20 of them "no" like 5 times each.

In advance: don't worry, I know not to enter any areas they tell me to go to. I don't want all of my credit cards and shit stolen. (Which I actually left locked in my suitcase in the hotel before coming here).
 
S

Subpar Scrub

Banned
SiegfriedFM said:
Obviously I haven't followed it in years, but I was thinking "huh, since when is Naruto an adult?".
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Haha, all of the one piece characters being robots or be literally barrel chested with gelatin gorilla arms got me. I haven't followed that show since some dumb battle with a merman King or some stupid shit.
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
F

Fireblend

Banned
MikeHattsu said:
If you're already going to Himeji Castle, then you could skip Osaka Castle. You should check out Dotonbori in Osaka though.

Well, depends on how many temples and shrines you're going to visit in Kyoto I guess. Don't want to overload on just temples and shrines.

Most gardens should be open at least. Dunno about how good they'll be since I've not visited in December yet.
Click to expand...

Well, all of this sounds pretty reasonable. Yeah, maybe I'm underestimating the amount of opportunities I'll have to visit temple/shrines and that sort of stuff. It's my first time in Japan so I'm super excited to visit places like that, but maybe mid-trip I'll be looking to diversify a bit, so I'll keep in mind not to plan to only see temples/shrines everywhere everyday :p thanks!

I'm still interested to hear from someone who's visited Japan in December. Specially regarding whether a Fuji sightseeing tour from Tokyo would be worth it due to visibility, and whether I should plan to skip gardens due to the weather.
 
B

BronsonLee

Member
TABRIS GET IN HERE

Anyways for recs;

In Tokyo for 9 days
Day trips are possibly but I'm not going to Kyoto/etc, I'll save that for when I go to Osaka again

I like botanical gardens, rooftop restaurants/bars, and all manner of cool photo shit

Hit me with your best shots
 
T

Tabris

Member
One quick question, you going with anybody or you'll want to meet people at wherever you're going? As some recommendations I may have is more of a couples thing.

You book your hotel already - if so, what area?
 
T

Tabris

Member
BronsonLee said:
I travel solo, as per usual.

I booked an AirBnB and I'll just take the subway wherever.
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I was thinking about it and not sure what I would recommend for solo travel. But here's a couple of things:

- Go to New York Bar in Park Hyatt Hotel. You can stay there for a couple drinks no problem. Go there in the evening so you can listen to the lounge / jazz band play, and ensure it's a clear night out so you get the view. Probably a good way to meet people too, and when you do meet people, you can feel like you're Bill Murray. Cost: $50+

- Go to Tokyo Skytree which is even better then Tokyo Tower for views. Again, make sure to go during a clear day. There's a shopping area at the bottom of the sky tree you can check out, as well as one of those star observation theatres - blanking on the term. Cost: $25+

- Walk through Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park for some great picture taking and amazing sights. You can get here pretty easily from Harajuku. Cost: Free

- Go shopping in the following areas:

1) Go to Shibuya station and just walk around for the multitude of department stores and shops. Shibuya 109 is pretty famous and I believe there's a man version but I didn't go there.

2) Go to my favourite department store in the world, Isetan, which you can get to by going to Shinjukusanchome station. There's an entirely different building for men's clothing. There will be signs pointing where to go for Men.

3) Go to Ginza station and just walk along the major street there. So many different stores. Lots of great brands.

If you do find someone you meet that wants to pay a little bit for a nice restaurant, I recommend going to Pierre Gagnaire in the ANA Intercontinental because it has absolutely amazing views.
 
F

Fireblend

Banned
What are good areas to stay in in Tokyo/Kyoto/Hiroshima? I'm thinking of using Airbnb but these are some big places. Also, should I bother looking at hotels/hostels if my budget is like ~$70 per night for both my gf and I? I'd appreciate any recommendations!
 
Z

Zatoth

Member
Fireblend said:
What are good areas to stay in in Tokyo/Kyoto/Hiroshima? I'm thinking of using Airbnb but these are some big places. Also, should I bother looking at hotels/hostels if my budget is like ~$70 per night for both my gf and I? I'd appreciate any recommendations!
Click to expand...

You should have no problem to get a private room in a hostel for $70.

As already mentioned. Asakusa is a nice area to stay. I stayed there during most of my trips when in Tokyo.
 
S

sfedai0

Banned
AirBnB would net you a nice private apartment compared to hostels. Asakusa is nice but its on the other side of Tokyo where hotspots like Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikkebukuro, etc. But you are closer to Akihabara (if youre in to anime) and Tokyo Skytree.

For Kyoto, it would be slightly more expensive, but if you can stay near Kyoto Station, it will save you time as it sits in the middle and allows you to get to East and West Kyoto faster.
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Tabris said:
- Go to Tokyo Skytree which is even better then Tokyo Tower for views. Again, make sure to go during a clear day. There's a shopping area at the bottom of the sky tree you can check out, as well as one of those star observation theatres - blanking on the term. Cost: $25+
Click to expand...

I'd rather recommend going to Roppongi Hills Mori Tower and check out the open-air deck for the view.


Fireblend said:
What are good areas to stay in in Tokyo/Kyoto/Hiroshima? I'm thinking of using Airbnb but these are some big places. Also, should I bother looking at hotels/hostels if my budget is like ~$70 per night for both my gf and I? I'd appreciate any recommendations!
Click to expand...

If you're looking at hostels, then check out the various Khaosan and K's House hostels. Those are pretty good and within your budget.
 
F

Fritz

Member
sfedai0 said:
AirBnB would net you a nice private apartment compared to hostels. Asakusa is nice but its on the other side of Tokyo where hotspots like Shinjuku, Shibuya, Ikkebukuro, etc. But you are closer to Akihabara (if youre in to anime) and Tokyo Skytree.
.
Click to expand...

Its a Mega City. Everybody should be prepared to make use of the (excellent) public transport. With that in mind it's really a non-issue to travel from asakusa to shibuya.

I mean how would anybody ever get to odaiba if transportation was an issue.
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Fritz said:
Its a Mega City. Everybody should be prepared to make use of the (excellent) public transport. With that in mind it's really a non-issue to travel from asakusa to shibuya.

I mean how would anybody ever get to odaiba if transportation was an issue.
Click to expand...

Well, it depends on what you're doing I guess. If you're there for the nightlife and clubbing then staying in Shibuya (or Roppongi) would probably be better.
 
F

Fritz

Member
MikeHattsu said:
Well, it depends on what you're doing I guess. If you're there for the nightlife and clubbing then staying in Shibuya (or Roppongi) would probably be better.
Click to expand...

Sure. Let me put it this way: if you find good accommodation in Asakusa I would not worry about the commute to Shibuya, Shinjuju etc.
 
D

daegan

Member
BronsonLee said:
Bahhhh

If you skip Dotonbori in Osaka, you are fucking up hard
Click to expand...

Seconding this. My wife and I aren't big "nightlife" people but just hanging out, grabbing food and drinks, taking in everything from a massive line at one okonomiyaki stand next to an empty one, an idol performance on the river, people trying to get the best Glico man selfie to the hordes of tourists crushing into the 24 hour Don Quixote across the road to the truck that serves fresh melon pan + ice cream... Dotonbori is what's up. (The rest of the immediate area is great too - shoutouts to the older office lady who was busting her ass trying to win a Sonico statue at the giant Round1)
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Fritz said:
Sure. Let me put it this way: if you find good accommodation in Asakusa I would not worry about the commute to Shibuya, Shinjuju etc.
Click to expand...

Yep, as long as you're inside or within a 10 minute train/subway ride from the Yamanote line and within walking distance from a train/subway station you got easy and fast enough access to 95% of the usual tourist spots.
 
W

Worthintendo

Member
its been over 6 months since I was there, I need to go back but I need to buy a house :(

Also need to get around to uploading all the pics I took one of these days to share.
 
F

Fireblend

Banned
Thanks for the tips! We'll definitely be checking out Dotonbori in Osaka. I figure since we'll most likely get a rail pass, we can make a second Osaka day trip from Kyoto if we feel like we didn't see enough in 1.

About places to stay, Asakusa seems to have some great options though I am leaning towards Airbnb for a private flat. We'll probably try to find one somewhere in that area, while I don't expect to have any issue reaching wherever in Tokyo with the public transportation options I do like the idea of sleeping somewhere good :p

My gf and I are gamers and do watch our fair share of anime, but we don't expect to spend an inordinate amount of time visiting Akihabara or game shops or stuff like that beyond the required visit. We're way more interested in the historical/cultural/nature side of things.
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Fireblend said:
About places to stay, Asakusa seems to have some great options though I am leaning towards Airbnb for a private flat. We'll probably try to find one somewhere in that area, while I don't expect to have any issue reaching wherever in Tokyo with the public transportation options I do like the idea of sleeping somewhere good :p

My gf and I are gamers and do watch our fair share of anime, but we don't expect to spend an inordinate amount of time visiting Akihabara or game shops or stuff like that beyond the required visit. We're way more interested in the historical/cultural/nature side of things.
Click to expand...

Well, if you're doing AirBnB then try to get a place close to the Yamanote line.
 
F

Fritz

Member
Regarding AirBnB:

I checked for Tokyo as well and felt like there was a overwhelming amount of tacky and expensive commercial offers. There was hardly anything for someone looking for the original Airbnb experience. I decided I'd rather book a single room in a hostel for the same price.

Had great experiences in Kyoto in 2014 though so maybe this time it was just bad luck.
 
S

Subpar Scrub

Banned
daegan said:
Seconding this. My wife and I aren't big "nightlife" people but just hanging out, grabbing food and drinks, taking in everything from a massive line at one okonomiyaki stand next to an empty one, an idol performance on the river, people trying to get the best Glico man selfie to the hordes of tourists crushing into the 24 hour Don Quixote across the road to the truck that serves fresh melon pan + ice cream... Dotonbori is what's up. (The rest of the immediate area is great too - shoutouts to the older office lady who was busting her ass trying to win a Sonico statue at the giant Round1)
Click to expand...

My exact experience on my first night in dotonbori haha.

With hitting bars afterwards.
 
S

Subpar Scrub

Banned
Fritz said:
Regarding AirBnB:

I checked for Tokyo as well and felt like there was a overwhelming amount of tacky and expensive commercial offers. There was hardly anything for someone looking for the original Airbnb experience. I decided I'd rather book a single room in a hostel for the same price.

Had great experiences in Kyoto in 2014 though so maybe this time it was just bad luck.
Click to expand...

When I was checking Airbnb, Tokyo had the worst options, followed closely by Osaka. I mean Osaka had better options at cheaper prices, but they weren't close to where I wanted to be at all. Maybe look for deals in hotels? I've been staying in some for less than $80 Aud per night. Small rooms but usually fantastic service.
 
F

Fritz

Member
RhynoTheStriker said:
When I was checking Airbnb, Tokyo had the worst options, followed closely by Osaka. I mean Osaka had better options at cheaper prices, but they weren't close to where I wanted to be at all. Maybe look for deals in hotels? I've been staying in some for less than $80 Aud per night. Small rooms but usually fantastic service.
Click to expand...

I personally opted for a traditional ryokan in yanaka and a bunk bed in a "fancy" hostel somewhere between Roppongi and Ginza.

Sure it really comes down to individual preferences. In Tokyo I'll take a well done hostel over an anonymous two star hotel any time. There are really cool and well maintained hostels in Tokyo (Nui, Kaisu). And really soulless hotels. But I understand that some people put anonymity and convenience above atmosphere and individuality.

My best stay however was at the Okura. Comes at a price though.
 
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