Robot Carnival
Member
this will be a work in progress and I will keep editing stuff for a while, so please bear with me.
so, I was looking into the Japan Travel thread from before and found that it's been pretty much abandoned. last time anyone posted in there was 2019, which kinda make sense with the pandemic and all. I figured I would make a new one and hopefully keep it bumped up from time to time to help the life of those who are planning on traveling there a little easier. myself, I've been to Japan 5 times in the last 15 years and had been to more or less all the major/popular locations from Hokkaido to Kyushu. mostly solo but I've had experience going with family and friends too. I've always love the overall culture and atmosphere of Japan. while I don't want to move there for my own reasons, traveling and planning to go had become a small hobby of mine.
I'm going to try to split this into a few different parts to make things a little easier to read. feel free to suggest any changes or corrections, since I know there must be folks out there more knowledgeable on the subject than me. with that being said, let's get started.
planning and booking
first thing first. planning. personally, I'm the kind who likes to plan a trip out as much as possible, as early as possible. I understand that everyone goes about this step differently but with the ¥ at it's currently state, traveling to Japan had become extremely popular. because of this, I would highly advise making your planning and booking as early as possible to avoid the high prices. how early would be enough? I'll make an example from my personal recent experience. my latest trip was in October and I made the hotel bookings of the first half of the trip back in late March. at the time I was still able to find a few hotel selections in the reasonable price range for me around Tokyo Station. I made the hotel reservations for the second half of my trip in mid July due to some personal factors, and by then I was not able to find any hotel in my desired locations even at a higher price range. of course if money is not an issue, there will always be some wonderful hotels available for $300 to $500+ USD a night. though I imagine that's not the most of us out here so if you're planning to go, get your bookings done as early as possible. hostels and AirBnBs are also good to considerbof course. they're usually very good options too depending on the nature of your trip and how you like to go about things. but always keep in mind what is and isn't available in these options. as for hostels and AirBnBs, I've also had some good experience with them too. but since I've only used them a few times, I'll leave that for someone else who's more experienced with them to add on that part.
as for packing, go light. coin laundries places are abundant and most hotels, hostels and AirBnB have laundry options, so you really shouldn't pack too much clothes unless there are specific needs. and try to wear shoes that are easy to take off and put on. there are many place, mostly like historical castles, temples and shrines (occasionally even some restaurants) that require you to take off your shoes before you can enter some of their areas. so something easy to slip off and on would be ideal. and I would also recommend maybe something that's water proof or at least water resistant. depending on the season, you can often run into sudden drizzle or even downpour. nothing ruins your day faster than a pair of wet shoes, so I highly recommend investing in a pair of good water proof shoes.
as for packing, go light. coin laundries places are abundant and most hotels, hostels and AirBnB have laundry options, so you really shouldn't pack too much clothes unless there are specific needs. and try to wear shoes that are easy to take off and put on. there are many place, mostly like historical castles, temples and shrines (occasionally even some restaurants) that require you to take off your shoes before you can enter some of their areas. so something easy to slip off and on would be ideal. and I would also recommend maybe something that's water proof or at least water resistant. depending on the season, you can often run into sudden drizzle or even downpour. nothing ruins your day faster than a pair of wet shoes, so I highly recommend investing in a pair of good water proof shoes.
flight
personally, after the many times I've flown to Japan, I prefer ANA the most since their service and overall cabin condition is the best for the price, in my opinion. they might be a little more pricier when compared to others but I honestly believe it's worth it. of course there are plenty of more affordable selections from LCC (Low Cost Carrier) flights to picking flights with stop/lay over in them. these would often depend on factors such as how much time you have and how much do you want to save. also keep in mind that LCC flights might not cover any luggage. meaning if you have luggage you want to check or maybe even carry-on luggage, they'll charge you for it. not to mention maybe less leg room or reclining options, or less drinks and no in-flight meals. so make sure to look into these details when you book your flight.
currency
now, I tend to exchange my cash before going on the trip, but from what I've heard, bringing your home currency to do the exchange in Japan is not that bad either, so you can decide for yourself on that. I do find that, at least for the US, the exchange rate from the big banks seems to be not the most favorable and I actually find currency exchange shops give me a little better value. of course, as most things, some shopping around and comparing in your area would be the best option. also, I would recommend you to get a coin purse or something to store the change you'll get along your trip, which you will almost for sure get a bunch of them no matter what. make sure it's one that's easy to take out and open since you will likely be using it pretty often. of course you can also use a SUICA Card but that's for a later section.
data
I know now a days some mobile plans would include international coverage. I'm on T-MOBILE and my plan does cover data and text while in Japan but charge for voice calls. however, the data coverage they provide could often be a lower tier speed, so I would suggest getting a local SIM card with unlimited data or a pocket wireless hotspot device. personally I prefer the hotspot device but SIM cards are good for some uses too, so you can take your pick on that.
communication
for actual day to day trying to get around different places, Japan has, for the most part, a lot of English (amount other languages depending on the location) in their public transit system to help travelers from other countries. the names might not be as easy to remember but as long as you plan ahead and write down the names of the places you plan to go, it's not that hard to get around by simply following the signs and messages. talking to folks with English would be a different matter thou. often times Japanese folks you run into might only understand some very basic English or even none at all. I feel this situation had been improving over the years and now-a-days, especially in tourist heavy areas, you can at least get some basic ideas across using only English. of course, if you can understand the language or at least some of it, it would be ideal. otherwise, Google Translate is a great tool to help you with it. you can use it to input and translate your language to Japanese or use the photo mode to translate signs and menus. of course sometimes it might not be all that accurate, but it's still a great tool to help you with. I'm sure there are some other translation tools out there too so feel free to suggest them.
traveling in Japan
now, this part really depends on your travel plan. Japan has a VERY comprehensive and well developed public transit system and you can more or less reach anywhere you like via trains, subways or buses. Uber is also available in big cities like Tokyo and Osaka, but you'll most likely find no Uber coverage outside of those cities. there are of course taxi too but they're rather expensive and I would recommend only consider them as your last option. trains and subways usually has their last run of the day a little after 12am and will resume service in the morning after 5am. buses might be ending service a little earlier than that depending on the location and route, so make sure you look into it when you plan your schedule. I find that for the most part, Google Map is actually rather useful for this. you can check the public transit option to plan how to get from point A to point B. you can set a "arrive by" or "leave by" time, and it'll able to get you some rather good options. do keep in mind that for the most part, the trains and subways are VERY punctual and you do not want to be even a minute late getting to the platform. Tokyo's subway system can be a down right maze if you're not used to it, so if you're visiting there make sure to try to study up the subway map.
there is of course always the option of renting a car and drive around. I've driven myself around parts of Japan on two trips. once around pretty much the whole of Hokkaido. the other one around the Northeast regions. all in all combined I had drove for over 4100km in Japan now and I had really enjoy it for the most part. I even drove into Tokyo during the rain once, and while it's definitely a pain to do so, it's still not as bad as I imagine. of course the driver seat on the right side of the car and the opposite driving lanes from the US does take some getting used to, but if you have a few more people, let's say 3 or 4 people all together, this would actually be cheaper than getting JR Passes for everyone. for those who's in the US, all you need to do before your trip is go to the AAA and paid a small fee ($30 I think, when you have them take your picture) for an international driving permit. with that, you will be able to rent a car and drive without much trouble. those would be effective for 1 year starting from the day you start using it, so it's rather useful. for other countries, I imagine it would be something similar, but please do look into the guidelines and confirm for yourself.
I would also like to note that there are long distance buses, sometimes overnight ones, that you can take to get around too. if you're the type of people who's able to sleep on a moving bus at night, you might even want to consider one of those. it would save you some time and money if you plan it right.
there is of course always the option of renting a car and drive around. I've driven myself around parts of Japan on two trips. once around pretty much the whole of Hokkaido. the other one around the Northeast regions. all in all combined I had drove for over 4100km in Japan now and I had really enjoy it for the most part. I even drove into Tokyo during the rain once, and while it's definitely a pain to do so, it's still not as bad as I imagine. of course the driver seat on the right side of the car and the opposite driving lanes from the US does take some getting used to, but if you have a few more people, let's say 3 or 4 people all together, this would actually be cheaper than getting JR Passes for everyone. for those who's in the US, all you need to do before your trip is go to the AAA and paid a small fee ($30 I think, when you have them take your picture) for an international driving permit. with that, you will be able to rent a car and drive without much trouble. those would be effective for 1 year starting from the day you start using it, so it's rather useful. for other countries, I imagine it would be something similar, but please do look into the guidelines and confirm for yourself.
I would also like to note that there are long distance buses, sometimes overnight ones, that you can take to get around too. if you're the type of people who's able to sleep on a moving bus at night, you might even want to consider one of those. it would save you some time and money if you plan it right.
JR Pass
the biggest thing everybody looks into would be the JR Pass, or Japan Rail Pass. this is a pass that allows you to ride on any transportation that's under the Japan Rail service, from trains to subways. it comes in one, two or three weeks coverages and are currently priced at ¥50000, ¥80000 and ¥100000, respectively (children pass those those between ages 6 to 11 is at half the price). there is also a Green Pass which is kinda like the VIP pass. these are priced at ¥70000, ¥110000 and ¥140000 respectively (the same children pass half price applies here). these would allow you to ride in the Green Cars, which are sections of the Shinkansen bullet train that's more spacious and comfortable. however I believe the extra comfort is not really worth the additional cost since the regular cars are already pretty comfortable. of course, if you're a big/tall person, this might be worth looking into. you can purchase these passes directly through their website and redeem them when you arrive.
now keep in mind that while you will be able to ride the Shinkansen with the JR Pass, there are still a few things to keep in mind. you would still want to make a reservation for each of the specific rides that you want. as in, if you're going from Tokyo to Kyoto tomorrow, and Kyoto to Hiroshima 5 days later, you would want to reserve your seats for each of those trips before hand. if you show up without reservation, you can still get on, but it would be at the unreserved cars and you might not actually have a seat to sit down if that's the case. and with the JR Pass you are also only allow access to 3 of the 5 Shinkansen lines. the 2 lines that operate more frequently and runs faster, NOZOMI and MIZUHO, will not be available to you. however, you will be able purchase tickets for those lines at a much discounted price with your JR Pass.
right now, with the increased price, you might want to consider a few different factors first before purchasing it. first of all, do you plan on going around a lot? at roughly ¥10000 to ¥15000 a single trip, if you want to get your money's worth, you'll want to consider how many trips of Shinkansen would you take during your travel to Japan. of course, if you are only planning on staying in Tokyo or Kyoto/Osaka, then a JR Pass probably is not needed. you should be able to get some day pass or multi-days pass for the public transit in those cities. but if you plan on traveling around, hopping from Tokyo to Kyoto to Hiroshima etc, maybe even using Shinkansen every other day, then JR Pass would definitely be of great value for you. keep in mind also that while there are JR subways in these big cities, sometimes their routes might not be the most ideal, and it's the private railway lines that's the best way to get to where you want, so take that into consideration during your planning too.
I've also learned that starting in 2025, they're going to reduce the number of non-reserve sections on the Shinkansen trains from 3 to 2 and increase an additional reserved seat section. that means a cut of 80+ non-reserve seats and adding the same amount of reserve seats on each departing trains. so advance reservation is even more important now.
now keep in mind that while you will be able to ride the Shinkansen with the JR Pass, there are still a few things to keep in mind. you would still want to make a reservation for each of the specific rides that you want. as in, if you're going from Tokyo to Kyoto tomorrow, and Kyoto to Hiroshima 5 days later, you would want to reserve your seats for each of those trips before hand. if you show up without reservation, you can still get on, but it would be at the unreserved cars and you might not actually have a seat to sit down if that's the case. and with the JR Pass you are also only allow access to 3 of the 5 Shinkansen lines. the 2 lines that operate more frequently and runs faster, NOZOMI and MIZUHO, will not be available to you. however, you will be able purchase tickets for those lines at a much discounted price with your JR Pass.
right now, with the increased price, you might want to consider a few different factors first before purchasing it. first of all, do you plan on going around a lot? at roughly ¥10000 to ¥15000 a single trip, if you want to get your money's worth, you'll want to consider how many trips of Shinkansen would you take during your travel to Japan. of course, if you are only planning on staying in Tokyo or Kyoto/Osaka, then a JR Pass probably is not needed. you should be able to get some day pass or multi-days pass for the public transit in those cities. but if you plan on traveling around, hopping from Tokyo to Kyoto to Hiroshima etc, maybe even using Shinkansen every other day, then JR Pass would definitely be of great value for you. keep in mind also that while there are JR subways in these big cities, sometimes their routes might not be the most ideal, and it's the private railway lines that's the best way to get to where you want, so take that into consideration during your planning too.
I've also learned that starting in 2025, they're going to reduce the number of non-reserve sections on the Shinkansen trains from 3 to 2 and increase an additional reserved seat section. that means a cut of 80+ non-reserve seats and adding the same amount of reserve seats on each departing trains. so advance reservation is even more important now.
SUICA card
a SUICA card is like a all purpose pass for use with transit and purchase. you get one of these and you put some cash into it and you can use it for taking trains and subways or buses. and you can also use them to buy stuff like in any of the convenience stores and vending machines. it's main advantage is convenience and you don't need to worry about getting coins back and what not. you can apply for one of these at the major train stations like Tokyo Station and you can go for either the physical card version or the app version on Apple phones (no Android version for now I think). the app version has no charge but they do charge a one time ¥500 fee for the physical card version. so when you apply for it and put, let's say ¥5000 into the card at the counter when you apply, there'll only be ¥4500 in it. of course that's just a one time thing and you can refill it in any of the refill kiosk in train station or convenient store in the future without any additional fees. do keep in mind that they were running low on the chips for these cards for a while during the pandemic, so they were not issuing them for foreign travelers until recently. they also have a tourist version of the SUICA card that's kinda temporary, so you can get those for your trip and "cash out" the balance in the card when you leave. there is no cashing out the balance in the regular version of the SUICA card thou, so keep that in mind when you refill it.
now, I will say that you'll be able to get around without one of these perfectly fine. I've done so in most of my trips. this year, I got one when I was in Tokyo and I can tell you it's definitely very convenient. going through the turnstiles with just a swipe instead of going to the ticket machines everytime do
es save you some time and trouble.
now, I will say that you'll be able to get around without one of these perfectly fine. I've done so in most of my trips. this year, I got one when I was in Tokyo and I can tell you it's definitely very convenient. going through the turnstiles with just a swipe instead of going to the ticket machines everytime do
es save you some time and trouble.
food
when it comes to food, Japan has plenty of delicious choices. sushi, ramen, soba, udon, tempura, curry, beef bowl, rice ball, hamburger steak and many more. the overall quality is fantastic and most of the time the worst you can get would be maybe mediocre, rarely outright bad. thou you might often find long lines for restaurants with good reviews or fame and sometimes the lines could be over an hour long. so make sure to plan accordingly if you want to go to one of those places. these days a lot of the restaurants, at least in popular destinations, would also have English on their menu so ordering would be a little easier. smaller restaurants like some ramen places would often use an ordering machine. you go to the machine when first walk in the store. put money in and press buttons to order the food you like. the machine will give you a ticket for each of the items you order. then just bring the tickets to the counter and they will make your order after you give them the tickets. do keep in mind that you might want to make reservations for some of the restaurants that are maybe more on the formal/traditional or pricey side. if you're staying in a hotel, you can maybe ask the front desk to help you with calling for reservations. another thing to know is that lot of the restaurants would close in the afternoon, usually from 2 or 3pm until 4 or 5pm. if they don't close for the afternoon, then they might only open until 7 or 8pm or only opens at night time. so check for their hours before going.
you can find some good eats in convenient stores too. outside of the usual icy treats, pastries, snacks and drinks, there are also stuff like sandwiches, bentos and riceballs, even fresh hot oden and fried chicken (thou those kinda depends on the store and might not be in all of them). and of course, vending machines are all over most populated areas. mostly selling drinks both hot and cold, but sometimes you can also find some that sells anything from ice cream to even hot ramen and what not. and if there's some holidays or festivities, chances are you'll also find street vendors selling all sorts of food in some places like parks or temples/shrines. anything from takoyaki to cotton candy could be available, so definitely go take a look if you see those.
you can find some good eats in convenient stores too. outside of the usual icy treats, pastries, snacks and drinks, there are also stuff like sandwiches, bentos and riceballs, even fresh hot oden and fried chicken (thou those kinda depends on the store and might not be in all of them). and of course, vending machines are all over most populated areas. mostly selling drinks both hot and cold, but sometimes you can also find some that sells anything from ice cream to even hot ramen and what not. and if there's some holidays or festivities, chances are you'll also find street vendors selling all sorts of food in some places like parks or temples/shrines. anything from takoyaki to cotton candy could be available, so definitely go take a look if you see those.
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