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[Akira]

SO EXCITED!!!

Officially booked the flight to Tokyo for December 30th. We will come in hot into Haneda mid-afternoon on the 31st. I'm hoping that there are no delays and we have enough time to prepare for dinner and NYE festivities. We will just have to hustle!

Speaking of which, any recommendations on NYE celebrations? Is there a "Times Square" equivalent in Tokyo? I was thinking getting a reservation at a nice restaurant for dinner and then go to a bar for a countdown. Either that or do a traditional Japanese NYE at one of the major temples.

I'm also looking up restaurants to try in Tokyo. There's just so many that we'll just barely scratch the surface. You guys have any must-eat every time you go to Japan?

Still planning on doing a side trip to Hokkaido and go snowboarding in Niseko. I also want to go to Kyoto if we can squeeze it in, but I already feel like 11 days is not enough just for Tokyo.

 

[Vhalyar]

Seems like a very packed schedule at least. Dunno if I'd do something like that for a first trip, if it is your first trip to Japan that is.

You're right. Finally got around to digging into the details and the schedule, taking into account actual travel times, is pretty hectic. I'm removing Takayama and Kamakura... next time maybe.

Anything in particular to consider?

 

[MikeHattsu]

I have one question regarding the best month. I am currently all set for May. This year we arrived late in march, then 2 weeks in april and unfortunately we felt it was too rainy and cold. Sakura were beautiful, but in Kyoto there was not even one picture we took with sunshines on it. Is May a solid plan? Sunshine and no Jacket would be perfect.

Make sure to avoid the first week in May if you're going then, because of Golden Week.

You're right. Finally got around to digging into the details and the schedule, taking into account actual travel times, is pretty hectic. I'm removing Takayama and Kamakura... next time maybe.

Anything in particular to consider?

You can visit Osaka on day trips from Kyoto, so not sure if you need to stay there.

 

[Darksol]

Speaking of which, any recommendations on NYE celebrations? Is there a "Times Square" equivalent in Tokyo? I was thinking getting a reservation at a nice restaurant for dinner and then go to a bar for a countdown. Either that or do a traditional Japanese NYE at one of the major temples.

Pretty much anywhere in Shibuya or Shinjuku.

 

[Laevateinn]

SO EXCITED!!!

Officially booked the flight to Tokyo for December 30th. We will come in hot into Haneda mid-afternoon on the 31st. I'm hoping that there are no delays and we have enough time to prepare for dinner and NYE festivities. We will just have to hustle!

Speaking of which, any recommendations on NYE celebrations? Is there a "Times Square" equivalent in Tokyo? I was thinking getting a reservation at a nice restaurant for dinner and then go to a bar for a countdown. Either that or do a traditional Japanese NYE at one of the major temples.

I'm also looking up restaurants to try in Tokyo. There's just so many that we'll just barely scratch the surface. You guys have any must-eat every time you go to Japan?

Still planning on doing a side trip to Hokkaido and go snowboarding in Niseko. I also want to go to Kyoto if we can squeeze it in, but I already feel like 11 days is not enough just for Tokyo.

I haven't bought tickets yet but I plan to arrive a day before you

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

At the end of November, I've got about five free days in a row. I'm thinking about spending them in Kyoto and Osaka. I haven't really started doing any research yet, but just out of curiosity from those of you who have been to these cities, how do you think I should distribute my days across them? Two days in Kyoto and three in Osaka? Are there any other cities nearby I should consider visiting and spend one day less in Kyoto or Osaka?

 

[MikeHattsu]

At the end of November, I've got about five free days in a row. I'm thinking about spending them in Kyoto and Osaka. I haven't really started doing any research yet, but just out of curiosity from those of you who have been to these cities, how do you think I should distribute my days across them? Two days in Kyoto and three in Osaka? Are there any other cities nearby I should consider visiting and spend one day less in Kyoto or Osaka?

Depends on what you're interested in. Spend more time in Kyoto if you're interested in temples, shrines and 'old Japan'. Osaka if you're there for games, anime, shopping, nightlife and stuff.

If you're not visiting Hiroshima and Miyajima, then you could go to Nara and check out the park with the deer. Or you could go to Mt. Koya for an overnight stay in a temple, go check out the castle in Himeji, or go to Kobe and have Kobe beef there

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

Depends on what you're interested in. Spend more time in Kyoto if you're interested in temples, shrines and 'old Japan'. Osaka if you're there for games, anime, shopping, nightlife and stuff.

If you're not visiting Hiroshima and Miyajima, then you could go to Nara and check out the park with the deer. Or you could go to Mt. Koya for an overnight stay in a temple, go check out the castle in Himeji, or go to Kobe and have Kobe beef there

Hiroshima would be super cool, but back and forth with the shinkansen from Osaka to Hiroshima is like another 20,000 yen or something I believe, and traveling by any other means than shinkansen is so slow :b I'll consider it depending on my budget.

Thanks for the tips! I'll look into all those options for sure :>

 

[MikeHattsu]

Hiroshima would be super cool, but back and forth with the shinkansen from Osaka to Hiroshima is like another 20,000 yen or something I believe, and traveling by any other means than shinkansen is so slow :b I'll consider it depending on my budget.

No JR Pass then?

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

No JR Pass then?

Oh wow, I didn't even consider it as I was only planning on taking the shinkansen to Osaka and then using a cheap local pass to get around from there, but it looks like a round trip for Tokyo-Osaka is the same price as a 7-day JR pass, huh? Guess that might be a good option then. Thanks :>

 

[Dingens]

At the end of November, I've got about five free days in a row. I'm thinking about spending them in Kyoto and Osaka. I haven't really started doing any research yet, but just out of curiosity from those of you who have been to these cities, how do you think I should distribute my days across them? Two days in Kyoto and three in Osaka? Are there any other cities nearby I should consider visiting and spend one day less in Kyoto or Osaka?

I think you could probably fill 3 days in either city, but in my opinion, Kyoto has slightly more to offer (although it's mostly shrines and temples). But, as Mike suggested, you could also go to Nara for one day. Starting early in the morning 1 day is perfect to see all major attractions and it's a nice change of pace from Kyoto or Osaka. And deer is always nice
(if you go there buy some shika senbei and enjoy)

 

[Ennosuke]

If you've already experienced "Sakura-season" then I'd probably go for autumn instead, like October or early November to get the full Japan experience. Red leafs are more or less the cherry blossoms of the 2nd half and they can be quite nice, depending on where you go.

I always enjoyed some hiking around that time of the year

There is sunshine... but it may be a little bit chill - not freezing or anything like that though.
If you wanna go during spring again, than probably April... I'd say

Thanks. I totally agree with you, the next thing I should do is experiencing the Red leaf season, probably I like it even more then Sakura. Nice picture! But to be honest, I can't wait that long. I would do October 2018, for the same reasons you mentioned, but damn that is more than a year away I wanted to go back straight to Japan when I left it in April. But of course I need to be rational, I have a Job etc. so this is why I am planing with May 2018. Well I googled it a little bit and May is a very interesting month, for example in Osaka this is the second sunniest month, but also the 5th rainy month. But in general it seems to be a highly recommended month. But as MikeHattsu said, I will go there after Golden Week.

Another question, would you recommend going to Nagoya? Looking at Japan-Guide I can't really find anything which feels like a must attraction, but probably it is a very nice city. But if I have already been to Kobe, Osaka and Tokyo, it would be just another big city?

 

[Megalosaro]

Thanks. I totally agree with you, the next thing I should do is experiencing the Red leaf season, probably I like it even more then Sakura. Nice picture! But to be honest, I can't wait that long. I would do October 2018, for the same reasons you mentioned, but damn that is more than a year away I wanted to go back straight to Japan when I left it in April. But of course I need to be rational, I have a Job etc. so this is why I am planing with May 2018. Well I googled it a little bit and May is a very interesting month, for example in Osaka this is the second sunniest month, but also the 5th rainy month. But in general it seems to be a highly recommended month. But as MikeHattsu said, I will go there after Golden Week.

Another question, would you recommend going to Nagoya? Looking at Japan-Guide I can't really find anything which feels like a must attraction, but probably it is a very nice city. But if I have already been to Kobe, Osaka and Tokyo, it would be just another big city?

Don't go in the summer. DO NOT GO IN THE SUMMER.

The heat... the humidty...

I lost like 5 lbs

 

[MikeHattsu]

Another question, would you recommend going to Nagoya? Looking at Japan-Guide I can't really find anything which feels like a must attraction, but probably it is a very nice city. But if I have already been to Kobe, Osaka and Tokyo, it would be just another big city?

Well...

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/10/08/national/media-national/nagoya-boring-city-japan/

But some other people here likes going there though

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

No JR Pass then?

Oh wow, I didn't even consider it as I was only planning on taking the shinkansen to Osaka and then using a cheap local pass to get around from there, but it looks like a round trip for Tokyo-Osaka is the same price as a 7-day JR pass, huh? Guess that might be a good option then. Thanks :>

Welp, never mind. I'll be entering Japan with a student visa next time and as the JR Pass is for people with a tourism visa only I'm screwed. What a shoddy system. Feels bad man.

I think you could probably fill 3 days in either city, but in my opinion, Kyoto has slightly more to offer (although it's mostly shrines and temples). But, as Mike suggested, you could also go to Nara for one day. Starting early in the morning 1 day is perfect to see all major attractions and it's a nice change of pace from Kyoto or Osaka. And deer is always nice
(if you go there buy some shika senbei and enjoy)

Thanks!

 

[Worthintendo]

Another question, would you recommend going to Nagoya? Looking at Japan-Guide I can't really find anything which feels like a must attraction, but probably it is a very nice city. But if I have already been to Kobe, Osaka and Tokyo, it would be just another big city?

I did 2 days in Nagoya last time and I felt I didn't have enough time.
The Aquarium is really good if you are into those, apparently the Zoo is good too checking that out this time.
The Osu street is a really nice shopping area with a few good retro game stores.
If you are into drinking and gaming, Critical Hit is an awesome bar, the guy who runs it Alex is a super awesome dude.
Also there is a rail museum as well as a Toyota one.
I'm spending a week in Nagoya this time, using it as a place to travel to Kyoto and Toba from so will be able to report more if you need.

 

[Dingens]

Welp, never mind. I'll be entering Japan with a student visa next time and as the JR Pass is for people with a tourism visa only I'm screwed. What a shoddy system. Feels bad man. [...]

So you're an exchange student in Japan? You may wanna ask your university, because some provide their students with cheaper Shinkansen tickets!
I know mine did.

Well...

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/10/08/national/media-national/nagoya-boring-city-japan/

But some other people here likes going there though

Somehow that makes me wanna go there. Guess I'll make a note and start planing my Japan-Trash-Tour 2018. Atami - Nagoya... maybe Okayama or Kokura or something minor along the way?

 

[strang]

Anyone been to Naoshima? I'm thinking of doing two nights in either Okayama or Takamatsu and spending the day visiting Naoshima.

Wondering if anyone's done this or has any opinions on which of Okayama or Takamatsu is a better place to spend a couple nights.

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

So you're an exchange student in Japan? You may wanna ask your university, because some provide their students with cheaper Shinkansen tickets!
I know mine did.

Starting in September, I will be, yeah. Worth a try, thanks for the tip!

 

[Trevelyon]

Feels like I'm getting the gaijin perimeter on the train right now. People just keep getting up and moving away and the car is getting pretty packed.

 

[Deleted member 245925]

Quick question: I planned to go to Mt. Takao tomorrow but it seems like it's going to be a rainy day. Still a good idea to go or would it be better to just skip it and do something else? Not sure how good the hiking paths will be when it's wet.

 

[Ennosuke]

I did 2 days in Nagoya last time and I felt I didn't have enough time.
The Aquarium is really good if you are into those, apparently the Zoo is good too checking that out this time.
The Osu street is a really nice shopping area with a few good retro game stores.
If you are into drinking and gaming, Critical Hit is an awesome bar, the guy who runs it Alex is a super awesome dude.
Also there is a rail museum as well as a Toyota one.
I'm spending a week in Nagoya this time, using it as a place to travel to Kyoto and Toba from so will be able to report more if you need.

Does not sound too bad. To be honest to me the railway museum sounds almost like the best attraction. We will be based in Kyoto and there is a railway museum, too.
Aquariums are also nice, but I think the one in Osaka will be better.

Happy to hear more from you. Almost made me curious now, if Nagoya is as boring as in the linked article or if it is actually a nice city. I know, that newspaper articles about cities can be pretty harsh and unfair. But of course time is limited and I want to make the best of it.

 

[MikeHattsu]

Quick question: I planned to go to Mt. Takao tomorrow but it seems like it's going to be a rainy day. Still a good idea to go or would it be better to just skip it and do something else? Not sure how good the hiking paths will be when it's wet.

Hm... If you're doing route 6, then maybe not. Route 1 should be fine though

 

[Zalasta]

Is it possible to find a hot spring ryokan that offers a big king bed instead of 2 single beds? Want to stay at a traditional one in Hakone but my partner isn't keen on sleeping on futons. Atami has more modern hotels but it's just not really the same.

 

[Worthintendo]

Does not sound too bad. To be honest to me the railway museum sounds almost like the best attraction. We will be based in Kyoto and there is a railway museum, too.
Aquariums are also nice, but I think the one in Osaka will be better.

Happy to hear more from you. Almost made me curious now, if Nagoya is as boring as in the linked article or if it is actually a nice city. I know, that newspaper articles about cities can be pretty harsh and unfair. But of course time is limited and I want to make the best of it.

For what it's worth I did both aquariums last time and that really felt different enough to justify them both.
I think what I liked the most about Nagoya last time was just the feel, it felt alot more laid back than either Osaka or Tokyo and what little I did see, I loved. I cannot wait to see more of it this time.

Also best picture I took in Nagoya

In other news this rocked up

Getting giddy with excitement now

 

[Zalasta]

Anyone familiar with the Hakone Freepass know if it covers all lines under the Hakone Tozan Bus? I checked their website and it has a "Designated Zones" caption, but doesn't actually explain what that means. I am mainly interested in the Togendai Line and the “KANKO SHISETSU-MEGURI” Bus, because the ryokan I'm looking at is kind of out of the way and only accessible by those two buses.

 

[MikeHattsu]

Anyone familiar with the Hakone Freepass know if it covers all lines under the Hakone Tozan Bus? I checked their website and it has a "Designated Zones" caption, but doesn't actually explain what that means. I am mainly interested in the Togendai Line and the “KANKO SHISETSU-MEGURI” Bus, because the ryokan I'm looking at is kind of out of the way and only accessible by those two buses.

Yes. Those routes are covered. Where are you checking? Only the Numazu Tozan Tokai Bus should have designated zones.

 

[Dingens]

Is it possible to find a hot spring ryokan that offers a big king bed instead of 2 single beds? Want to stay at a traditional one in Hakone but my partner isn't keen on sleeping on futons. Atami has more modern hotels but it's just not really the same.

well... Atami lends itself more to adventurous people and urban explorers *cough*

Spoiler

although I really enjoyed my day there for exactly that reason

Last time I checked for hotels/Ryokans in Hakone there were plenty with all kinds of sleeping options. Usually I used Ikyu to look for accommodations when travelling in Japan (site is in Japanese though...)
but damn... since the Iwakudani incident is over, prices seem to have sky-rocketed.

Seems like you already decided on where to stay so I'm not sure if this helps... but just in case, we stayed at the Gora Tensui, which is near Gora Station. It had a pretty big doubble bed, had an Onsen and a Spa attached and also featured 2 different kinds of private pools on the roof (We were the only guests at the time, so we were able to use both). It was pretty nice - and back then laughably cheap (we chose the "omakase-room" option, which meant that we would just receive any "better" room that was available).

more options for Hakone from the same site

 

[family_guy]

Hey. What's a typical daily expense for Tokyo? I'm not really trying to do everything on the cheap. Maybe mid-range budget. Regular hotels, not hostels. No expensive restaurants. Interested in doing the standard sight-seeing that most people do.

 

[Dingens]

Hey. What's a typical daily expense for Tokyo? I'm not really trying to do everything on the cheap. Maybe mid-range budget. Regular hotels, not hostels. No expensive restaurants. Interested in doing the standard sight-seeing that most people do.

for one person?
like ~1000 yen for lunch (the same for dinner if you eat stuff like Curry or Udon at some chain restaurant, double if you want a "normal" restaurant), add another 1000 as entrance fees for 2 cheap sights, and another 1000 for snacks/beverages on the way.
the hotel room may range from 6000 to 12000 a night for business/normal hotels.
so... I'd say 12k ~ 15k yen would probably be a good a baseline. Museums are usually cheap (~500 yen), other attractions like the Skytree or the Tokyo Tower can be costly (4000+).
Travelling with a friend/spouse/so may be cheaper since you can split the hotel bill in half.

 

[family_guy]

for one person?
like ~1000 yen for lunch (the same for dinner if you eat stuff like Curry or Udon at some chain restaurant, double if you want a "normal" restaurant), add another 1000 as entrance fees for 2 cheap sights, and another 1000 for snacks/beverages on the way.
the hotel room may range from 6000 to 12000 a night for business/normal hotels.
so... I'd say 12k ~ 15k yen would probably be a good a baseline. Museums are usually cheap (~500 yen), other attractions like the Skytree or the Tokyo Tower can be costly (4000+).
Travelling with a friend/spouse/so may be cheaper since you can split the hotel bill in half.

Yeah, I'll be solo. Thanks for the info. Last big trip I did was Europe for 2 weeks and things got pricey because I didn't put limits on myself, but these prices seem reasonable.

 

[havokex]

Coming from North America, do I need to bring a charger adapter/converter to Japan?

 

[MikeHattsu]

Coming from North America, do I need to bring a charger adapter/converter to Japan?

If it's standard 2 prong stuff, then no. If it's some grounded 3 prong thing, then yes.

 

[Laevateinn]

Coming from North America, do I need to bring a charger adapter/converter to Japan?

Don't bring things like hair dryers. The voltage is slightly different and parts of Japan use 50 Hz AC instead of 60 Hz AC. If you're only bringing things like your laptop and phone don't worry.

 

[ATXAlchemy]

Ugghh... do I need a phone verified to book on Airbnb? Just registered earlier, thinking I should just do AirBnb instead of booking a hotel for my japan/Tokyo trip.

They accepted my ID (passport) without problems, then came my phone with the whole "we don't support some numbers". Contacted them via twitter, and they eventually gave me a support ticket through e-mail.

What's funny is that my phone service provider and airbnb had some sort of partnership/deal a few years ago, so them not accepting my number is bullcrap.

Fake Edit: Apparently it should be accepted. Support wants me to send my number, but their website don't work (redirection to admin.airbnb.com fails; isup.me'd admin.airbnb.com=says is down). ORZ

The first third of route 1 is extremely boring and with nothing to see, just a steep cement, so let me offer an alternative.

Start on route 6 and go up to the Biwa waterfall, next to the waterfall there's some stairs up, take these stairs and follow the path for 20-30 minutes, and you'll reach Path 2, follow it upwards for about a couple minutes and you'll be infront of the monkey Park, from here on just follow Path 1. You're just a few minutes away from the temple.

I marked the path in yellow.

Path 1 is paved, but it's quite steep if you're not used to hiking mountains. It's not dangerous but it can be very tiring if you don't have the right muscles.

Alternatively, if you take the cable cart up, nearly everything from there until the top is quite strollable, just keep in mind you'll have quite a few stairs to walk up.

Other than MikeHattsu's concert and Odaiba, Takao is probably the only one I really wanna do in my itinerary. A friend said it's 'walkable', then again, he's a mountaineer. Do I need anything going up (or if I follow your suggestion of taking another route then to route 1)?

Is there anything to see on the tenboudai?

 

[Zatoth]

In case anyone is interested. I used http://www.yesyakushima.com/ to book a rental car for Yakushima now. They organized me an even cheaper option than tocoo.

Will report if everything worked out when I am there.

 

[MikeHattsu]

Other than MikeHattsu's concert and Odaiba, Takao is probably the only one I really wanna do in my itinerary. A friend said it's 'walkable', then again, he's a mountaineer. Do I need anything going up (or if I follow your suggestion of taking another route then to route 1)?

Concert?

Just need to have a good pair of shoes without slippery soles. Maybe bring something to drink so you don't have to buy something overpriced at the top.

 

[Laevateinn]

I didn't know you started a jpop group.

 

[ATXAlchemy]

Thanks.

It ain't even a jpop group. He just goes solo, dancing/singing all day every day. The concert is even in his name: MikeHattsu Magical Mikey 2017
________________________

still dead on airbnb orz

worst case scenario, I ask my friend to let me stay in his couch for about two weeks, and hope that his wife won't disagree. >___>

 

[Jesse-]

Great to read some tips about Nagoya, going to be staying there for a few days in two weeks!

One question for anyone who has done mt Fuji: how the hell are you supposed to wake up at three in the morning in the mountain hut without waking too many other hikers?

 

[MikeHattsu]

One question for anyone who has done mt Fuji: how the hell are you supposed to wake up at three in the morning in the mountain hut without waking too many other hikers?

They're all gonna be getting up around then,no ;p

 

[LonelyGreyWolf]

Great to read some tips about Nagoya, going to be staying there for a few days in two weeks!

One question for anyone who has done mt Fuji: how the hell are you supposed to wake up at three in the morning in the mountain hut without waking too many other hikers?

 

[ThreePiMatt]

Great to read some tips about Nagoya, going to be staying there for a few days in two weeks!

One question for anyone who has done mt Fuji: how the hell are you supposed to wake up at three in the morning in the mountain hut without waking too many other hikers?

Everyone gets up at the same time, it's not an issue.

 

[Deleted member 12837]

I'm leaving on my trip just before the Game of Thrones season finale airs. I don't think I can make it 2 weeks without coming across spoilers. What's my best bet for watching in Japan? Sign up for a VPN + HBO Now?

 

[Stalk]

Everyone gets up at the same time, it's not an issue.

We had people come in throughout the night as well, some people (weird people) choose to sleep in. But as this guy said I wouldn't concern yourself. You're all there for a reason

If you're like me, good luck sleeping anyway I was passing out and then someone's arm flailed and fell in my mouth. Nothing wakes you up like a mouthful of someone else's arm hair.

 

[Jesse-]

That is great to hear.
Really looking forward to climbing Fuji!

 

[kubus]

I'm leaving on my trip just before the Game of Thrones season finale airs. I don't think I can make it 2 weeks without coming across spoilers. What's my best bet for watching in Japan? Sign up for a VPN + HBO Now?

If you're in Tokyo: come to Shimbashi on Monday evening and watch it with a bunch of other people in a bar called Brew La La . They show the episode every Monday at 7 PM and there's another showing at 9 PM and it's always a lot of fun!

The owners of the bar are fans of the show too and every Monday evening they have the special Game of Thrones party menu:

I love this detail: on the inside of the bathroom door they have this framed

They have a pretty big projector and two other smaller HDTVs on the wall so plenty of viewing angles. Always better to come a little early to get seats. This year is the first time I'm watching GoT with large groups in public and every time it has been a blast!

If you can't or don't want to do that, your best bet is to use a VPN with HBO GO, yeah.

 

[victreeb3l]

Should I get the data SIM or one of those MiFi device rentals? The data sim is cheaper but I feel like I'll use up 5GB quickly as I'm on Snapchat and stuff all the time. Can I have the MiFi on and enabled on my backpack as I roam around?

Trains are very simple, unless you're going outside Tokyo.

I didn't think Uber was in Japan, did that change recently :/

Using any kind of taxi in Tokyo is a bad idea. You can get everywhere much cheaper (and probably faster) by train or subway.

Ah interesting. A friend who recently visited suggested Ubers were pretty convenient and cheap but she's balling so I guess her judgment is a little skewed lol. I guess if it's comparable to NYC rates then I don't mind but I also want to experience taking the trains as well.

I'll also be in Kyoto for a few days as well.

 

[reriel]

Can I have the MiFi on and enabled on my backpack as I roam around?

Yes, of course.

 

[MikeHattsu]

Since we were talking about the downsides of increased tourism a while back:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2017/08/19/national/media-national/japan-grapples-new-arrivals/

Sunday Mainichi (July 30), meanwhile, blows the whistle on kankō kōgai (tourism pollution), which it claims is reaching “crisis proportions.”

major tourist sites are having difficulty absorbing the burgeoning number of visitors, and the crush has been impacting the lives of local residents.

Tomohiro Okada, an economist at the Kyoto University graduate school, notes that from two years ago, during the autumn sightseeing season at Kiyomizu Temple, ambulances couldn’t access the street. “Local residents who commute to work or visit the hospital on Higashi Oji Street (a major north-south thoroughfare) say they can’t board the buses because they’re so crowded.”

The situation in Tokyo and its environs is much the same. The Enoden, a picturesque tram that skirts the coastline between Fujisawa and Kamakura, was said to be so mobbed with tourists — who had learned of it through manga — that during the late April holiday period it was impossible to get into the station, resulting in a wait of at least one hour to board.

To deal with the overcrowding, the railway from May began experimenting with special “local resident certificates” that allow holders direct access to trains without waiting in lines.