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Japan Travel |OT| One does simply not visit just once
- Thread starter hwalker84
- Start date
Laevateinn
Member
Oh man. I just got pushed into a train for the first time in Shibuya.
Lmfao. Same thing happened to me at harajuku today.
Tokyo is really rad. I'm stoked that my sister is studying in Osaka so I have an excuse to visit again in the fall.
Getting a tattoo from Ichibay at three tides tomorrow, really stoked. I drew him when he was working on my friend and he gave me some pens as a gift. His English is really good and his work is awesome.
At NY bar right now and it's probably the best tourist spot ever
Robot Carnival
Member
Last night in Tokyo on Sunday night
not sure if it's too late for this, but look up Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku. it's pretty close to Kabukicho Ichibangai. it basically translate to "Memory Lane" and it's a small alley way with a good mix of small bars that seats 4 to 8 people at a time and lots of small eateries like yakitori and tempura suba. opens til pretty late.
lol welcome to Tokyo. and that's why I avoid the trains during peak hours XD
clay_ghost
Member
Guys, Will it be recommended if i stay in Universal City ( likely Hotel Keihan or Universal Tower) as my base for my trip to Osaka (7 to 8 nights with mean i only have around 6 days to spend ) with a day trip to Nara and maybe one/ two to Kyoto ? Hotels in UMEDA and Namba is actually more expensive than the two i mentioned. AirBnb seems to be risky since i think its illegal in japan. Appreciate any comments or others recommendations!
MikeHattsu
Member
AirBnB in Japan is not illegal as long as the host is following the minpaku laws:
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/opinion/2017/03/31/editorials/new-rules-minpaku-lodging/
The hotels at Universal should be good enough to get around from though, especially if you're already travelling with an JR Pass.
clay_ghost
Member
How can i check if the host is following the minpaku laws? Airbnb have no details on this.
Opps forget to say thanks!
Laevateinn
Member
Today was a light day. We only walked 10 and a half miles. We went to Kamakura. We found out as we were leaving that we not only went their on the same day 4 years ago but my wife wore the same shirt as well. Afterwards we just went to Shibuya and then hung out around our hotel in Ikebukuro.
My wife is getting a tattoo tomorrow too but at Detroit Diesel.
I've been on crowded trains before but we usually do a good job avoiding Shinjuku/Shibuya during peak times. Today we doddled too long in Shibuya because Disc Union has a metal floor and ended up leaving after 8. Big mistake.
Lmfao. Same thing happened to me at harajuku today.
Tokyo is really rad. I'm stoked that my sister is studying in Osaka so I have an excuse to visit again in the fall.
Getting a tattoo from Ichibay at three tides tomorrow, really stoked. I drew him when he was working on my friend and he gave me some pens as a gift. His English is really good and his work is awesome.
At NY bar right now and it's probably the best tourist spot ever
My wife is getting a tattoo tomorrow too but at Detroit Diesel.
I've been on crowded trains before but we usually do a good job avoiding Shinjuku/Shibuya during peak times. Today we doddled too long in Shibuya because Disc Union has a metal floor and ended up leaving after 8. Big mistake.
MikeHattsu
Member
You have to trust the host to follow the local laws, just like any other place where AirBnB is available.
Laevateinn
Member
Let me know when the Olympics are over.
MikeHattsu
Member
Anybody planning on going in 2020? I'm most likely going elsewhere because of the Olympics then
Anybody planning on going in 2020? I'm most likely going elsewhere because of the Olympics then
Yes, but before the Olympics. Whenever the Nintendo theme park is done.
Anybody planning on going in 2020? I'm most likely going elsewhere because of the Olympics then
I'm going back this September for my 3rd visit and will probably avoid 2020 like the plague.
Also Los Angeles is in the running for 2024 so I'll be able to watch them then.
Going to be in Tokyo from 21st thru Oct 2nd so a good 11-12 days and I will likely spend half of the time in Kyoto. Then I fly into Singapore for a day and a half and back to LA.
I assume flying is the most time and cost efficient way to get to Osaka from Haneda right?
I think my plan is to fly into Narita and then book a one way to Osaka for a few days before flying back one way into Haneda and spending the rest of the time in Tokyo.
I'm thinking I split my time 50/50 between Osaka+Kyoto and Tokyo? Thoughts? I have never been to Osaka/Kyoto
Robot Carnival
Member
is it possible to go from Osaka to Ise, then to Nagoya, then back to Osaka all in one day? I'll be in Osaka for a few days and trying to see if I can catch up on some of the locations I missed before due to laziness or weather issues.
depends on what you like to see. if you like the busy city and lots of great food and entertainment, Osaka. if you like the more historic city with lots of temples and Forest, Kyoto. personally I'm a bigger fan of Kyoto, even not counting the most famous locations, Kyoto still have bunch more to offer. I highly recommend going to Saga and Arashiyama area in the West side of Kyoto. you'll fine some beautiful mountains views, hidden temples, bamboo forests and more. and most important, it's a little out of the way so less crowded but still easily accessible. I'll post some pictures of Saga later on so you can see if it's something you like.
depends on what you like to see. if you like the busy city and lots of great food and entertainment, Osaka. if you like the more historic city with lots of temples and Forest, Kyoto. personally I'm a bigger fan of Kyoto, even not counting the most famous locations, Kyoto still have bunch more to offer. I highly recommend going to Saga and Arashiyama area in the West side of Kyoto. you'll fine some beautiful mountains views, hidden temples, bamboo forests and more. and most important, it's a little out of the way so less crowded but still easily accessible. I'll post some pictures of Saga later on so you can see if it's something you like.
DieAntwoord
Banned
Hey all, kinda bummed. I'm a week away from my trip and a giant expense came at the last minute.
I won't go into details other than this trip I've tried to make happen for years just received a big hit. I had 4200 dollars to bring along but that won't happen. Now I'm at 3300, which will probably be around 3K after baggage and my Suica card loading.
In short in as much detail as I can get without getting too wordy, I plan on doing these things;
1. Akihabara
2. Sensoji Temple
3. Meiji Shrine
4. Shibuya Crossing
5. Harajuku
6. Tokyo Tower & Skytree
7. Kabukicho
8. Ueno Park
9. Odaiba
10. Cat Island
11. Kikkomann Soy Sayce factory tour
12. Trip (like come one day, leave the next) to Kyoto for a day for onsen and bamboo forest (if anyone knows of a good Kyoto like Onsen and forest in tokyo or one that's closer let me know)
13. Ni-Chome with my buddy
14. Mt Fuji (the area at least)
I don't buy a lot of souvenirs, won't be buying media like games, movies, etc (I can order these and not pay taxes on anything) but will get things I'd to have to show I visited Japan like Sake, a few packable souvenirs, curry packages and sauces, things like that. We got Airbnb because we also wanted to try making our own dinners and not trying to eat out every night just so it's a different experience.
In fact, outside of the plans I have listed I do think we'll also go to the karaoke bars, clubbing a couple nights things like that. I had over 4K because it allowed me to stretch more but the recent emergency killed that. I've tried to make this trip happen for 10 years and the thing that's always killed it happens a week before I go.
Here's to hoping nothing crazier happens between now and then. I'm so fucking annoyed/down right now. Maybe I'm perfectly fine and just annoyed 25% of my budget was gone just like that.
I won't go into details other than this trip I've tried to make happen for years just received a big hit. I had 4200 dollars to bring along but that won't happen. Now I'm at 3300, which will probably be around 3K after baggage and my Suica card loading.
In short in as much detail as I can get without getting too wordy, I plan on doing these things;
1. Akihabara
2. Sensoji Temple
3. Meiji Shrine
4. Shibuya Crossing
5. Harajuku
6. Tokyo Tower & Skytree
7. Kabukicho
8. Ueno Park
9. Odaiba
10. Cat Island
11. Kikkomann Soy Sayce factory tour
12. Trip (like come one day, leave the next) to Kyoto for a day for onsen and bamboo forest (if anyone knows of a good Kyoto like Onsen and forest in tokyo or one that's closer let me know)
13. Ni-Chome with my buddy
14. Mt Fuji (the area at least)
I don't buy a lot of souvenirs, won't be buying media like games, movies, etc (I can order these and not pay taxes on anything) but will get things I'd to have to show I visited Japan like Sake, a few packable souvenirs, curry packages and sauces, things like that. We got Airbnb because we also wanted to try making our own dinners and not trying to eat out every night just so it's a different experience.
In fact, outside of the plans I have listed I do think we'll also go to the karaoke bars, clubbing a couple nights things like that. I had over 4K because it allowed me to stretch more but the recent emergency killed that. I've tried to make this trip happen for 10 years and the thing that's always killed it happens a week before I go.
Here's to hoping nothing crazier happens between now and then. I'm so fucking annoyed/down right now. Maybe I'm perfectly fine and just annoyed 25% of my budget was gone just like that.
Laevateinn
Member
Does your budget include travel and airbnb expenses? If not then I think you'll be fine. Especially since you plan to limit purchasing of media and goods.
Did you get a JR pass? If not, I'd cut out the Kyoto day trip. It's going to be difficult to fit that into one day and cost you an extra 500.
By Kyoto like forest, do you mean the bamboo forest or just trees? I'd recommend Kamakura instead. It's only an hour and a half away. Costs about $10 and has a lot of history. Also, as you'll find out when you get there, Obama was there once.
I 've set up a reminder, will update you here or via pm! Stoked!!
DieAntwoord
Banned
Flight and BnB is taken care of. Bamboo forest is what we were looking for. And the Onsens.
Laevateinn
Member
You'll be fine.
This sound like A LOT. Even at 3300 you should be totally fine. Last year I had budget of around 2300€ (~2500$) and this included flight, JR pass, hostels, food, drinking, omiyage, manga/games, tickets, concerts, ... everything basically. This year will be the same, around 2300€ I think will be the sweet spot.
It is true that I always stay at hostels which are cheap. (~20€/$ a night).
And we are talking 3 weeks here.
MikeHattsu
Member
It's about the same time, less hassle and more comfortable to take the Shinkansen if you count in the time you have to spend at the airport. Flying is slightly cheaper though.
Well.... It's possible, but you'll be spending 5-6 hours just on trains instead of seeing anything.
Kyoto isn't actually known for onsens though, dunno why you're going there mostly for that.
Laevateinn
Member
Super light day today. Wife got her tattoo then we went to Shimo-Kitazawa. Now we pack for Kyoto.
Robot Carnival
Member
how many days are you planning on staying in Japan? I'm currently on my 2nd, almost third week in Japan and I had yet cracked $2000 on my expenses (not counting flight, JR pass and hotels). I do eat pretty cheap but spoil myself from time to time. so depending on how long you staying and if you plan on spending for stuff, $3000+ should be enough.
as for bamboo forest near Kyoto, look up Saiho-ji at Arashiyama just west of Kyoto. I think it requires reservation and what not but not sure if it's only for the calligraphy experience or the visit too, so look into that. you can ask around here since I know someone did visit there just recently. other wise, the Fushimi Inari shrine has a very nice bamboo forest on the way up the mountain top. it would actually lead to a back way up the top of Inari shrine, so that's ​kinda cool too. thou expect some hiking involved if you're going that way (around 2 hours). there's also a small but very nice bamboo forest in the Adashino Nenbutsu-ji at Saga (also just west of Kyoto) that's very nice too.
oh, a side note, Kyoto is like huge and fill with lots and LOTS of cool sights, so depending on what you plan to see, one day most certainly won't be enough.
and for onsen, if you have JR pass, might be able to go to Arima just up the mountain at Kobe to soak there. it's one of the oldest onsen area in Japan after. thou to be fair, just one of those public bath house can work wonders also and the experience is close enough without the long travel and high expense. if you're in Tokyo, I recommend trying 寿湯 in the Taito area. for Kyoto, try Funaoka Onsen near the Funaokayama Park. both are great bath houses with long history.
haha, that wouldn't be too bad then, I'm only visiting the Ise shrine and the Atsuta Jingu so I'm counting maybe 2 hours each place tops. so 10 hour day should be fine. I've done far worse then that XD. can you give a suggestion on which to go first for efficiency?
Ennosuke
Member
The weather the last two weeks really has been bad. At first cold, then rainy and now it is warm and rainy. In Tokyo my pictures at least contain some sun, but here in Kyoto there has been nothing besides clouds and rain. Kind of depressing, although those rainy pictures in Gion at night look nice.
Robot Carnival
Member
you shoulda gone to the mountains up in Saga. the couple temples out there really fits that sort of ambience in the drizzle​.
Robot Carnival
Member
here are a few pictures I took yesterday on my phone up in Saga
Laevateinn
Member
These look great. I need to make it out to Kyushu one day.
Robot Carnival
Member
This is Saga in Kyoto (west side of Kyoto at least). Kyushu has a lot of great places too like Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Ibusuki and Yufuin. but I'm talking about right here at Kyoto.
Laevateinn
Member
Oh! I googled Saga Japan and got Kyushu. That's even better since we'll be in Kyoto tomorrow.
Robot Carnival
Member
if you have JR pass, just take the San-In line from Kyoto station and get off at Saga-Arashiyama station. it should be a 20 minutes ride or so. after that go to Adashino Nenbutsu-ji and Otagi Nenbutsu-ji, which should be a 30 minutes walk, maybe a little more if you stop for pictures along the way. there are a few larger temples (I recommend Seiryō-ji and Tenryu-ji) too but you can do those on your way back. if you want to spend the whole day there, you can keep walking after you come down and walk to Togetsukyō Bridge, also very famous and popular. cross the bridge and you'll get to Arashiyama (there's a monkey park there right across the bridge) and the Nishikyo area. Saiho-ji is there but like I mentioned, you might need a reservation for that. or you can go to the Saga-Arashiyama JR station and head back East, get off at Uzumasa station, and walk over to the Toei Kyoto Studio Park. think Universal Studio, but fill with samurais and geishas. you can even dress as one to walk around inside.
MikeHattsu
Member
You'll probably want to do Ise first since it's the furthest away if you got an JR Pass, and you'll need to take a bus from the train station and such
Robot Carnival
Member
You'll probably want to do Ise first since it's the furthest away if you got an JR Pass, and you'll need to take a bus from the train station and such
alright, thanks for the pointer. you ever been to the Ise Shrine?
MikeHattsu
Member
Not yet
Hayama Akito
Member
I'm going to Japan in May 2 for three months and with almost no money, the most risky YOLO thing I ever did in my life lol. Wish me luck.
SiegfriedFM
Member
Hayama Akito
Member
I already did that. I was in Japan in 2013 (and buy, like, 200 PS1/Saturn games), it was awesome and a dream come true but for me now is all about the culture itself. I'm ready for hitchhiking and camping, try to travel to the small towns nobody wants to go.
In fact I will try to do this. My japanese is "okay", so I will try.
Robot Carnival
Member
not that it doesn't sound cool or what not, but why not just try to find some work/stay deal instead? that whole urban camping thing seems sorta ok but in all honesty sounds more like you'll be competing for space with some of the homeless people out there. and I'm pretty sure it won't work out in the sticks since that's totally different kinda place then the cities. but hey, if it works for you, all the better I guess. good luck and stay safe.
Hayama Akito
Member
There is a chance for some work for at least a month in a game store (in Nakano) but I don't know if it will be enough. I will go with less than 2000 for three months.
Robot Carnival
Member
and another thing, how is the hitchhiking in Japan? do they even do that? I know most Asian culture usually don't do hitchhiking but I don't know about Japan. and would you have to dumpster dive and fight for left overs with other guys? I suppose you can wait til before closing and buy left over bento and what not in supermarkets for cheap thou, so there's that. $2000 for 3 months seems really tight. would you have other source of income along the way? like singing on the street or such. (wait, can you do street performance just like that or do you have to apply for permit?)
Check out Youtube channels Only in Japan and Only in Japan GO. Guy (John) is hitchiking across Japan for the second time.
Bonus: he makes awesome videos about Japan.
Laevateinn
Member
I went to the Pug Cafe in Kyoto today How was your day? We woke up, spent about 4 hours in Arashiyama, went to the Pug Cafe, then spent the rest of the day in Gion. All food in Kyoto is awesome.
Kyoto's transit system is pretty annoying. I love that it feels like you're constantly walking into something historic but the giant roads are jarring and all the trains lead to Kyoto station. I shouldn't have to take a bus to get anywhere.
Tomorrow's our last day and I've had a good taste of what the city has to offer. I think I'll have to come back next year with more time and planning to really appreciate it. Overall, I think I prefer Tokyo however.
Hexxen-Panda
Member
Only 4 weeks until my trip, and I'm starting to get giddy.
Collecting tourist stamps sounds like fun, if a bit much like a video game sidequest. The stamp work looks so intricate and pretty though.
Collecting tourist stamps sounds like fun, if a bit much like a video game sidequest. The stamp work looks so intricate and pretty though.
Robot Carnival
Member
that's interesting. I definitely can't do it since my Japanese capability only consist of thank you and I'm sorry, but if you can speak Japanese semi confidently, I imagine it'll be a cool way to travel around Japan.
yeah, Kyoto is definitely a place where you need to have at least 3 to 6 days to spend there. it's so huge and so much stuff to see. it does get a little touristy in a lot of the major spots thou, especially with all the one day kimono tourist walking around. but if you dig deeper, there are still plenty of cool places around. and yeah, the train/subway is kinda meh. bus is more useful but good lord are those packed during certain hours. which locations you went to in Kyoto?
are you talking about the stamping books where they stamp a seal of the temple/shrine on it? if so, yeah, lots of people do that. I've seen the stamping place in almost every major shrine I went to. it's kinda like the National Park stamp passport thing in the US.
after spending the whole day in Yoshino yesterday and almost stranded myself up the mountains, I woke up surprisingly early today and discovered it's raining pretty much the whole day in Ise and Osaka. guess I'll go to Himeji instead.
very rainy day, spending it inside getting some rest. later we'll go to to some department stores and check them out, haven't had time to do that so far. the next three days are supposed to be good regarding weather so I think it's good to get some rest and harness energy. we won't even have to go outside, yesterday we discovered a tunnel from shinjuku station all the way to the tokyo metropolitan government building (our hotel is there) that these crafty japanese built for the workers. pretty cool!
sunday wasn't that great either with weather so we went to the Tokyo National Museum. now I know where the saiyajins got their hair from. we also went to he shopping street beside the tracks which was a bit shady. after that we went to senso-ji where the sun was setting so it was a great atmosphere with the lights, the sakura trees and the temple. then we went to the skytree. nice area and impressive structure but we didn't go up. we we're knackered and just wanted to go to the hotel.
until that point I didn't have an issue with the metro or JR lines but somehow it didn't say in which direction that one train was going or I didn't find it. I was confused as fuck so I let that one go. then I checked google maps again and suddenly it showed me a different connection. ran to that train which was standing there but I didn't go in because it said 'express' and I wasn't sure if it was going to stop at our stop. I was trying to read the plan but man I still didn't get it after staring at it for 10 min. I jus ttook the next train and thankfully it stopped at that one stop. from there I took the metro straight to shinjuku.
the weather yesterday was great so we chekced out meiji-shrine, yoyogi park, harajuku and shibuya. the sakura trees are so beautiful here. harajuku was also great, lots of crazy people and cool shops. we also saw the boyband lunar, they were standing around and taking picures with people. in shibuya the tower records was also great but other than that the crossing is the only spectacle as far as I'm concerned. but what a spectacle it is, so many people!
food wise I knew japan isn't for me. I mean I tried but nah. Thankfully there are plenty of other options and a lot of people speak english. my japanese is absoluely dismal lmao. my girl is disappointed though, she loves asian food but can't get a taste for japanese food. she hasn't given up yet tho lol.
she also kind of got a culture shock when she how dense the living quarters are, and all those cables and more run down areas of tokyo. in europe things are neatly tucked away, there are no cables running above and electricity meters with exposed cables installed at the side wall etc. I knew these kind of things after years of absorbing japanese entertrainment but she kind of went it green lol.
the one thing that irritates me are the overheated public rooms and restuarants. warm air was coming out of the AC unit at the mcdonalds while the sun was shining outside..
other than that I'm loving it! looking forward to the next three days.
e: totally forgot about shinjuku itself! a great area to stay at and to explore. we went to the capcom bar and ate brain and drank funny drinks. we also accidentally walked into the red light district lmao. lots of shady yakuza types standing around but they didn't say anything. those tight alleys with one food shop after the other was also great. shame that we didn't get a place, might try later today.
sunday wasn't that great either with weather so we went to the Tokyo National Museum. now I know where the saiyajins got their hair from. we also went to he shopping street beside the tracks which was a bit shady. after that we went to senso-ji where the sun was setting so it was a great atmosphere with the lights, the sakura trees and the temple. then we went to the skytree. nice area and impressive structure but we didn't go up. we we're knackered and just wanted to go to the hotel.
until that point I didn't have an issue with the metro or JR lines but somehow it didn't say in which direction that one train was going or I didn't find it. I was confused as fuck so I let that one go. then I checked google maps again and suddenly it showed me a different connection. ran to that train which was standing there but I didn't go in because it said 'express' and I wasn't sure if it was going to stop at our stop. I was trying to read the plan but man I still didn't get it after staring at it for 10 min. I jus ttook the next train and thankfully it stopped at that one stop. from there I took the metro straight to shinjuku.
the weather yesterday was great so we chekced out meiji-shrine, yoyogi park, harajuku and shibuya. the sakura trees are so beautiful here. harajuku was also great, lots of crazy people and cool shops. we also saw the boyband lunar, they were standing around and taking picures with people. in shibuya the tower records was also great but other than that the crossing is the only spectacle as far as I'm concerned. but what a spectacle it is, so many people!
food wise I knew japan isn't for me. I mean I tried but nah. Thankfully there are plenty of other options and a lot of people speak english. my japanese is absoluely dismal lmao. my girl is disappointed though, she loves asian food but can't get a taste for japanese food. she hasn't given up yet tho lol.
she also kind of got a culture shock when she how dense the living quarters are, and all those cables and more run down areas of tokyo. in europe things are neatly tucked away, there are no cables running above and electricity meters with exposed cables installed at the side wall etc. I knew these kind of things after years of absorbing japanese entertrainment but she kind of went it green lol.
the one thing that irritates me are the overheated public rooms and restuarants. warm air was coming out of the AC unit at the mcdonalds while the sun was shining outside..
other than that I'm loving it! looking forward to the next three days.
e: totally forgot about shinjuku itself! a great area to stay at and to explore. we went to the capcom bar and ate brain and drank funny drinks. we also accidentally walked into the red light district lmao. lots of shady yakuza types standing around but they didn't say anything. those tight alleys with one food shop after the other was also great. shame that we didn't get a place, might try later today.
Laevateinn
Member
In Kyoto, we went out of our way to see Kyoto Pug, Arashiyama, Kinkakuji, Nijo-jo, Shinsen En, Gion, and the Yokai Street. Other than that, we went to several shopping arcades and every temple we saw. The weather was pretty bad today so we spent most of our time in shopping areas. I had a pretty fun conversation today with an old woman who was impressed that I could hold a conversation.
By the way, if you can make it to the Sanjo-kai Shotengai, be sure to get a creme brulee donut. They're amazing.
Tomorrow, we head to Osaka where we can bathe normally again. We'll be back to Kyoto, with a plan, around new years next year.
Heh, we're going to be there at the same time then, as I leave on the 8th May
They also have them at other places and tourist attractions too, like train stations etc, or at least that's what I've been told.
Laevateinn
Member
I saw one here in one of the stations in Kyoto for the first time. They probably have them in Tokyo and elsewhere but I haven't really looked for them.
Robot Carnival
Member
Mike, do you know if Kintetsu railways take credit cards?
MikeHattsu
Member
They're everywhere if you look for them. A lot of people in Japan loves their stamps and stamp rallies
In some stations, yes:
http://www.kintetsu.co.jp/foreign/english/about/howto/before.html#cnt2