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

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Mr. F

Banned
Completely overwhelmed (in an exciting way) planning my two week trip for November. Super grateful for this thread - wrapping my head around the rail system seems a lot more straightforward than I had feared.
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Mr. F said:
Completely overwhelmed (in an exciting way) planning my two week trip for November. Super grateful for this thread - wrapping my head around the rail system seems a lot more straightforward than I had feared.
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Depends on which cities you're talking about of course ;P
 
T

ThreePiMatt

Member
Zatoth said:
It got better after the wait for the EVA game. Wait times went down pretty fast.

Liked Mario Kart and the Horror game best.
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Like I said on the last page, go to the Sega VR Area in Akihabara. It's 1500¥, but the one game is way better than anything in Shinjuku.
 
A

Anony

Member
ThreePiMatt said:
Like I said on the last page, go to the Sega VR Area in Akihabara. It's 1500¥, but the one game is way better than anything in Shinjuku.
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what kind of playtime does 1500yen get you?\

I'm looking into TGS on sunday, I'm confused by the information that i'm reading.
Is it 1200yen for a ticket to get in? is it easy to buy a ticket so late, and how (7-11, lawson)?
 
T

ThreePiMatt

Member
Anony said:
what kind of playtime does 1500yen get you?

I'm looking into TGS on sunday, I'm confused by the information that i'm reading.
Is it 1200yen for a ticket to get in? is it easy to buy a ticket so late, and how (7-11, lawson)?
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Not too long, but I'd say it was longer than most of the Shinjuku attractions. And 1500¥ is the full price. You just go to the top floor of the arcade, they'll give you a number, and when your number is called you pay for a ticket.
 
T

Triteon

Member
MagnoSauce said:
Last, I'm a fan of a bunch of different styles of music like jazz, electronic, rock and otherwise weird experimental shit, a lot of which Tokyo is home to, and that be great if I could experience some in Tokyo. I'm interested in both landmarks and live music venues. Even if it's an act I'd never seen before, anyone know where I might catch something unique or underground?
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I cant answer many questions you posed apart from this one. Tokyo has a lot of small live houses. When I was there last year I spent many nights in small places in Shimokitazawa. I saw a selection of different musical acts, primarily noise and rock based, there was also Jazz and ambient acts on regularly.

I saw many ads for small venues one or two stops out from Shinjuku as well, but since I was staying in Shimokitazawa and my music needs were being met I never got out to any of them.

One bit of advice I would give tho, would be to go early. Tokyo runs to train time so gigs finish around 11 so people can catch their trains. This means gigs start early. This took me more than one show to realise. I'd show up after dinner and half the acts had finished.
 
A

Anony

Member
How's the credit card situtation nowadays (mastercard).
i have 140000 yen right now for 15/16 days (paid for JR pass for 7 days)
 
A

Anony

Member
havokex said:
I've been here for about 3 weeks in many different cities and most places have accepted my visa
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where have you been going when u pay?

i'm 99% sure that if i go in to a random ramen/curry place, they wouldnt be accepting credit cards
would lawsons/7-11 take credit card?

gotta fill this up in 3-4 days
MaANNZI.png
Click to expand...
 
H

havokex

Member
Anony said:
where have you been going when u pay?

i'm 99% sure that if i go in to a random ramen/curry place, they wouldnt be accepting credit cards
would lawsons/7-11 take credit card?

gotta fill this up in 3-4 days
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Lawson and 7-11 both took my visa. Most ramen places will be cash, as you have to buy the ticket for your meal from a vending machine before sitting down.
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Just in case anybody is going to be traveling around Shikoku in the next few weeks...

Parts of the Yosan Line in Shikoku is currently inoperable because of typhoon damage:
http://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/info/

They're using buses as alternative transport. Fixing the damage might take a long time (I've seen people speculating about several weeks at least), so plan accordingly.
 
U

UnluckyKate

Member
I'm planning a trip for my familly around christmas and new year in Japan.

I've been twice now already.

Questions : anything amazing to do for NYE in Tokyo or Kyoto ? special outdoor celebrations ?

Nara : I think we'll try to go there for a day from Kyoto or Osaka. Is it worth spending more than a day there? Anything special or secret to do ? Anything special to eat ?
 
L

Laevateinn

Member
I will probably spend NYE at Meiji Jingu and try to get into the Imperial Palace for the Emperor's New Years speech. Happy to hear other ideas.
 
P

parasight

Member
UnluckyKate said:
I'm planning a trip for my familly around christmas and new year in Japan.

I've been twice now already.

Questions : anything amazing to do for NYE in Tokyo or Kyoto ? special outdoor celebrations ?

Nara : I think we'll try to go there for a day from Kyoto or Osaka. Is it worth spending more than a day there? Anything special or secret to do ? Anything special to eat ?
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I spent just a half day in Nara. Felt like just the right amount of time. Really amazing place with a much different feel, but quiet and small. We had mochi and the leaf-wrapped sushi. Would recommend both!
 
M

Mr. F

Banned
Hey all. Can anyone advise whether this sounds too rushed?

13 days:

Tokyo - 4.5 days
Kyoto - 4 days
Osaka - 2 days
Hiroshima/Miyajima - ???

After getting different opinions I've been having trouble deciding on how much time to give Kyoto vs. Osaka. Also friends I'm travelling with are really intent on seeing Hiroshima, so I'm trying to figure out whether it and Miyajima would be doable as a day trip or if it's worth staying the night in Hiroshima (read that it has a good nightlife).

Edit; reading now that one of the two buildings at the Peace Memorial Museum is closed for renovations, as well.

MikeHattsu said:
Depends on which cities you're talking about of course ;P
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Yeah I maybe spoke too soon after further planning haha.
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Mr. F said:
After getting different opinions I've been having trouble deciding on how much time to give Kyoto vs. Osaka. Also friends I'm travelling with are really intent on seeing Hiroshima, so I'm trying to figure out whether it and Miyajima would be doable as a day trip or if it's worth staying the night in Hiroshima (read that it has a good nightlife).

Yeah I maybe spoke too soon after further planning haha.
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Just split in half and take the trains to either or if you get bored of the other, just 20-25 minutes apart. You can easily do Hiroshima/Miyajima on a day trip.

Make sure to study the bus map of Kyoto :p
 
Z

zoukka

Member
Akihabara was so awesome. I went through maybe two blocks of stores in one day... also went to a maid cafe which was hilarious xD

I've seen back to the future jackets that have FANS in them here where can I buy them?!
 
W

Worthintendo

Member
Strange question, anyone know any places to get custom Yukata made up for you? Thinking about getting one for the hell of it if it doesn't cost too much.
 
S

strang

Neo Member
So my travel plans had to change, and now I'm looking at heading to Japan in February or possibly March. Doing a pretty standard Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka itinerary.

My biggest concern is avoiding the busy cherry blossom tourist season, would mid-March be sufficiently far away? I'm trying to balance best possible weather without going into high season.
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
strang said:
So my travel plans had to change, and now I'm looking at heading to Japan in February or possibly March. Doing a pretty standard Tokyo - Kyoto - Osaka itinerary.

My biggest concern is avoiding the busy cherry blossom tourist season, would mid-March be sufficiently far away? I'm trying to balance best possible weather without going into high season.
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Every month is busy :p
WeL9iBW.png



Anony said:
https://tokyocheapo.com/entertainment/tokyo-hiking-trails/

anyone done any of these?
particularly, looking at these 3:
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Lots of people here has done Takao at least. I've done some hikes at Hanno, but just Tenranzan and Tonosuyama, not Kinchakuda.
 
S

SOLDIER

Member
I was referred to this thread from another thread.

So I'm itching to finally travel to Japan because of the upcoming Universal Studios attrack, which has both Final Fantasy and Sailor Moon next January: http://www.siliconera.com/2017/09/1...antasy-and-sailor-moon-attractions-next-year/

Since I would be building my potential visit through Universal, most of my questions would revolve around the potential costs as well as what it's like visiting Universal Japan.

It'd be great if they put these attractions in the Orlando park, but that doesn't seem to be happening anytime soon.
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
SOLDIER said:
Since I would be building my potential visit through Universal, most of my questions would revolve around the potential costs as well as what it's like visiting Universal Japan.
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Well, the Final Fantasy one will be a VR ride, like this one, just with a Final Fantasy skin:
https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/05/i-went-on-the-evangelion-vr-rollercoaster-and-it-was-good/

Sailor Moon will most likely be a 4D theater thing.

Tickets are 7600 JPY and since you're doing the cool japan stuff you probably want an Cool Japan express pass (unless you want to queue for 3-4 hours), which costs a similar amount.

If you want to do something Evangelion related you can either ride the Evangelion shinkansen:
http://www.500type-eva.jp/en/

Or go to Hakone which is the real-life place Tokyo-3 is based on:
http://mikehattsu.blogspot.com/2015/06/neon-genesis-evangelion-tokyo-3.html
 
W

Worthintendo

Member
just over one week till I fly out guys, I'm getting super super giddy :D

Few questions though, for Miyajima Island, is that a place that it would be worth spending a whole day at or could I get away with only a few hours after being to Hiroshima?

Also cause I'm not going to be able to make the Tokyo meet up, anyone keen for anything before it or when I'm in Nagoya or Osaka? I'm in Tokyo from the 29th to the 10th, Nagoya for the 10th to the 17th and Osaka from the 17th to the 25th (barring the 22nd & 23rd when I'm in Nagasaki).
 
N

N0VAM0D

Member
I got some amazing advice in this thread for my first trip to Japan which was earlier this year. I had the time of my life. So, I'm heading back again in early 2018! I'm aiming for around 2 to 3 weeks in late January to early February.

I'm currently in the phase of deciding where I actually wanna go. I'm curious about lovely winter destinations, and things that are considered must-sees. This year, I went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kanazawa. While I'm totally happy to visit them again, any new suggestions would be great. I'm particularly interested in onsen and winter illuminations, if that helps~
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Worthintendo said:
Also cause I'm not going to be able to make the Tokyo meet up, anyone keen for anything before it or when I'm in Nagoya or Osaka?
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Ain't ya gonna meet us in Osaka? :p



N0VAM0D said:
I got some amazing advice in this thread for my first trip to Japan which was earlier this year. I had the time of my life. So, I'm heading back again in early 2018! I'm aiming for around 2 to 3 weeks in late January to early February.

I'm currently in the phase of deciding where I actually wanna go. I'm curious about lovely winter destinations, and things that are considered must-sees. This year, I went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, and Kanazawa. While I'm totally happy to visit them again, any new suggestions would be great. I'm particularly interested in onsen and winter illuminations, if that helps~
Click to expand...

Hm... The big one is Sapporo Snow Festival and the nearby Otaru Snow Light Path Festival, but those are more mid-February... :p

Could go to Shibu Onsen and check out the bathing snow monkeys nearby as well?
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
MikeHattsu said:
Just in case anybody is going to be traveling around Shikoku in the next few weeks...

Parts of the Yosan Line in Shikoku is currently inoperable because of typhoon damage:
http://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/info/

They're using buses as alternative transport. Fixing the damage might take a long time (I've seen people speculating about several weeks at least), so plan accordingly.
Click to expand...

Looks like they managed to fix it faster than expected, so now everything is up and running again:
http://www.jr-shikoku.co.jp/info/


More tourism numbers:
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2...t-january-august-record-topping-18-9-million/
The estimated number of foreign visitors to Japan totaled 18,916,200 in the first eight months of this year, a record for the period, the Japan Tourism Agency said Wednesday.

The number continued to increase this month and topped 20 million as of Sept. 15, 45 days earlier than the previous year when foreign visitors reached that mark at the fastest pace ever, agency chief Akihiko Tamura said at a press conference.

The number of foreign travelers to Japan between January and August was up 17.8 percent from the same period last year.

By country and region, visitors from China ranked first at 4,882,200, up 8.9 percent, followed by South Korea at 4,660,800, up 41.7 percent, and Taiwan at 3,112,400, up 7.8 percent.

In August alone, 2,477,500 foreigners are estimated to have visited Japan, up 20.9 percent and marking a record for the month.
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Oh, and JNTO has released an official tourism app now:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/smartapp/eng/
 
Z

Zatoth

Member
Came back yesterday from my 3 week trip.

After crossing Mt. Fuji of my list, I doubt I will set foot in Japan again during the hotter months. Probably only October till May from now on. :D

And of course I am already thinking of my next trip. Aiming for October next year. Never been in Japan during Halloween.
 
Z

Zatoth

Member
effingvic said:
Can you summit and descend in one day? Or would you need to stop at the huts at least once to get some sleep? I dont think you can just camp out in the trails right? I always hear the huts are overpacked and that has me a little worried.

Did you bring a jacket? I'm sure it was chilly at the top but should I pack a legit jacket or just a hoodie and a windbreaker?

Thanks for the tips! I want to try this next year.
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You can do it without sleeping at a hut. Just climb it during the night. Thinner air may be a problem. But I did not notice anything different. Neither did my friends.

The hut I stayed in was not full, but there still was almost no room.

In case you still want to stay at a hut. I used this site to make a reservation.

http://www.fujimountainguides.com/fujisan-hotel.html

Costs a little extra, but you don't have to worry about getting in.

I packed rain trousers, rain jacket, softshell jacket. Luckily I did not need the rain trousers. Put on the rain jacket + softshell on the summit, because it was rather cold and my friend needed some time up there to use his radio equipment.

Probably warmer if you climb during July or August.
 
A

Anony

Member
If i want to get to narita to asakusa station, which is the faster (non-skyliner way)?
aKe3D3u.png

zOBrftc.png
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my airbnb host said keisei line is suppose to be the fastest.
keisei departs earlier and arrives later than the narita skyaccess according to google.
am i missing something here?
 
U

upandaway

Member
Got to Japan a couple days ago and been having fun. The trains were really difficult to understand at first (Shibuya station wrecked me) but I think I'm better at it now.

If anyone wants to meet up with me in Tokyo (up until Thursday) I think it'll be fun, please let me know. I'd be up for anything.
 
M

MikeHattsu

Member
Anony said:
If i want to get to narita to asakusa station, which is the faster (non-skyliner way)?

my airbnb host said keisei line is suppose to be the fastest.
keisei departs earlier and arrives later than the narita skyaccess according to google.
am i missing something here?
Click to expand...

Sky Access is run by Keisei :p
 
D

Divvy

Canadians burned my passport
We are going to be flying into Sapporo in April next year and will have about 3-4 days in Hokkaido before heading to Tokyo. I'd love some suggestions of things to check out and do in Hokkaido.
 
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