This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Zwanche on 2024-11-29 13:39:31+00:00.

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We (31M and 27F) will be visiting Japan in March next year for 3 weeks total. We’re super excited and our priorities/interests are nature, food and culture. We’re not really into shopping that much and not interested in nightlife. Since we sometimes get overwhelmed by large crowds we tried to switch between cities and smaller (hopefully less crowded) places.

We plan to do a lot of outdoor activities (hiking and cycling). We are aware that this is a bit of a gamble regarding the weather but we’re also used to cycling in the cold and the rain and have the appropriate gear. Of course we have limits but some rain won’t stop us.

My boyfriend is a huge specialty coffee nerd. We already found a few recommendations through this sub but they’re mostly in Tokyo. So if you have more please drop a comment. Same goes for restaurants. Usually we put all the possibilities into Google Maps (we’ll also check out Tabelog) and then decide the day of by proximity and mood.

Day 1: Tokyo, Fri

• Arrival at Narita Airport around 5pm
• Go to hotel, we’re based in Chiyoda
• Get dinner (7-11 etc)
• Maybe walk around a bit depending on time and energy

Day 2: Tokyo, Sat

• Grab breakfast from 7-11/Family Mart etc.
• Meiji Shrine + Meiji Jingu Gyoen
• Have a little picnic in the park
• Maybe do a free walking tour? Starts around 9:30am
• Harajuku
• Takeshita Street (stores start to open around 11)
• Cat Street (parallel street, less crowded)
• People watching, checking out stores
• Go south
• Shibuya
• Shibuya Scramble, Hachiko Statue
• Lunch somewhere
• Look around
• Shibuya Fureai (small botanical garden with coffee shop as an escape)
• Shibuya Sky at night/after dark
• Dinner

Day 3: Daytrip to Nikko, Sun (depending on the weather)

• This day is flexible and we’re planning on checking the weather in advance to choose the best day
• Grab a snack
• Start around 7am, arrive around 9:30am
• Shinkyo Bridge
• Nikko Toshogu Shrine
• Senjougahara trail (Ryuzu falls, Yudakai falls)
• Leave around 6pm, back to Tokyo around 9pm

Day 4: Tokyo, Mon

• Check out of hotel, lock luggage at Tokyo Station
• Grab a snack
• TeamLab Borderless (around 9am)
• Tsukiji Market
• Walk around
• Maybe another snack, but it’s supposed to be overpriced so maybe just checking it out
• Toyosu Senkyaku Banrai
• Asakusa
• Sensoji Temple
• Kaminarimon Gate
• Nakamise Shopping Street
• Hang around Asakusa
• Sunset Seto Express => Takamatsu (leaves around 10pm)

Day 5: Takamatsu/Imabari, Tue

• Either forward luggage from Imabari to Takamatsu or lock at station (opinions?)
• Takamatsu
• Ritsurin Garden
• Takamatsu Castle
• Have some Sanuki Udon (recs?)
• Take train to Imabari (3h)
• Check into hotel
• Maybe walk around a bit, depending on time

Day 6: Imabari, Daytrip to Matsuyama, Wed

• Check if it’s possible to take a bike on the train (I read that it depends on the time of year—any experience?)
• Matsuyama
• Either go by bike (50km) along the coast or take the train (1h) (also depending on the weather)
• Matsuyama Castle
• Dogo Onsen private bath
• Take the train back

Day 7: Imabari/Hiroshima, Thu

• Cycle Tobishima Kaido (~30km) to JR Nigata Station
• Take the train to Hiroshima (~1h)
• Hiroshima
• Go to hotel (we’ll stay checked in Imabari)
• Peace Memorial + Park in the afternoon/at night

Day 8: Miyajima, Fri

• Miyajima
• Check out, leave around 7am, arrive around 8
• Itsukushima Shrine
• Momijidani Park
• Maybe Miyajima Ropeway (depends on the time)
• Take the train back to Imabari
• Leave around 5pm, arrive around 8pm

Day 9: Shimanami Kaido, Sat

• Forward luggage to Onimichi
• Breakfast at hotel, get snacks for the day
• Shimanami Kaido Day 1
• Dinner at hostel

Day 10: Shimanami Kaido/Onimichi, Sun

• Breakfast at hostel, get snacks
• Shimanami Kaido Day 2
• Arrive at Onomichi + check into hotel
• Get dinner

Day 11: Onimichi/Himeji/Kyoto, Mon

• Forward luggage to Kyoto
• Take the train to Kyoto via Himeji
• Leave around 8am, arrive at Himeji around 10
• Himeji Castle
• Leave around 4pm, arrive in Kyoto around 6pm
• Check into hotel
• Get dinner and walk around a bit (depending on energy level)

Day 12: Kyoto, Tue

• Maybe rent a bike to get around at some point
• Fushimi Inari Shrine, Shin-ike Pond
• Kiyomizu-dera
• Sannen-zaka, Ninen-zaka, Gion
• Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine

Day 13: Kyoto, Wed

• Tenryu-ji Temple
• Arashiyama Bamboo Grove (maybe by bike)
• Rokuon-ji, Golden Pagoda
• Haradani Garden

Day 14: Kyoto, Thu

• Hike Kurama to Kibune
• Explore Kyoto by bike
• Philosopher’s Path
• Kyoto Handicraft Center

Day 15: Kyoto/Osaka, Fri

• Daytrip to Osaka
• Leave around 7am, arrive around 8am
• Leave around 8pm, back around 9pm
• Osaka Castle (maybe, depending on how much we liked Himeji Castle)
• Sakura on the riverbank
• Dotonbori, street food
• Feel the vibe of the city

Day 16: Kyoto/Nara/Kanazawa, Sat

• Check out, luggage forward to Kanazawa
• Daytrip to Nara
• Leave around 8am, arrive around 9am at Nara
• Nara Park
• Tōdai-ji Temple
• Nakatanidou, Mochi Shop
• Leave around 5pm, arrive around 8pm
• Check into hotel
• Get dinner/snack

Day 17: Kanazawa, Sun

• Birthday BF (any recs for something extra special?)
• Kenrokuen Garden + Castle, Seisonkaku Villa
• Omicho Market
• Higashi Chaya District (maybe tea ceremony)
• Explore + chill

Day 18: Kanazawa/Shirakawa-go/Takayama, Mon

• Forward luggage to Takayama or Tokyo (unsure yet)
• Check out, leave for Shirakawa-go around 8am, arrive around 10am
• Shirakawa-go
• Irori Restaurant for lunch
• Kyushu Coffee Haus
• Leave for Takayama around 5pm, arrive around 7pm
• Takayama
• Check into hotel
• Get dinner somewhere

Day 19: Takayama, Tue

• Miyagawa Morning Market
• Sanmachi Suji
• Hachiman Shrine
• Takayama Jinya
• Higashiyama Walking Course
• Explore + chill
• Dinner: Sakurajaya Restaurant

Day 20: Takayama/Tokyo, Wed

• Leave around 9am, arrive around 2pm
• Check into hotel (probably close to Ueno Station)
• Ueno Park
• Drift south
• Aki-oka
• Chabara
• mAAch
• Maybe Shinjuku (depending on time)
• Shinjuku Gyoen Park (Cherry blossoms by night)
• Tokyo Government Building (Enjoy the view)
• Walking tour at night?

Day 21: Tokyo/Fuji, Thu

• Daytrip to Fuji
• Leave around 6am, arrive around 8:30am
• Chureito Pagoda
• Lake Kawaguchiko, Oishi Park (maybe by bike)
• Leave around 5pm, back at Tokyo around 7pm
• If anything, Shinjuku again

Day 22: Tokyo, Fri

• Departure flight 10:45am
• Express train from Ueno Station (~2h)

Organize far in advance

• eSIM
• Suica Card App
• Immigration forms
• TeamLab Borderless Tickets
• Sunset Set Express Tickets

Organize days/1-2 weeks in advance

• Dogo Onsen, private onsen

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/WingdowsZeven on 2024-11-27 21:49:09+00:00.

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I just returned from a 26-day solo Japan trip focused on Kyushu and thought I should do a write-up for my trip as I did my last trip in 2023. I spent 18 days in Kyushu before heading to Seoul for 6 days and then wrapping it up with 3 days in Tokyo at the end. This is my third trip to Japan and second solo, so I just did what I wanted in my Tokyo days. This write-up will focus on my experiences in Kyushu. The main focus was food and sightseeing, with shopping scattered throughout the trip.

My flight was from YVR to NRT with Japan Airlines and was CAD$1,100. I landed in Narita Terminal 2 from YVR at 4:00pm and cleared immigration in about 20 minutes. I filled out my customs and immigration forms on the plane just before landing. Unfortunately, I shared my flight with two classes of Japanese students who were returning to Japan, and all had checked luggage, which meant waiting for my own luggage took longer than normal. I took my AER Travel Pack 3 with a Bellroy 6L sling onto the plane while I checked in my MUJI 75L suitcase with a smaller 32L carryon inside of it.

I cleared customs shortly after and I bought tickets for the Skyliner at 4:50pm from the machine. I had to travel to my hotel next to Haneda because my flight to Miyazaki was from there and settled in.

Weather

• The weather in Kyushu was spectacular. It was 20-25c everyday and the only day it “rained” was when I landed in Miyazaki. It was sunny and humid and I actually got tanned there. On most days, I wore a t-shirt and had to head back to the hotel to shower and change before heading out in the evenings again.

Expenses

• I took 300,000 yen (around CAD$2,500 when I exchanged it back in July) and ended up using it all for shopping and eating. Being Canadian, the only option for a FX fee free credit card was one from ScotiaBank, but I did not travel frequently enough to open the card just for this trip. There was also a FX withdrawal fee associated with my debit card so I wanted to limit using that as well. I took out an additional 100,000 yen from the 7/11 ATMs throughout my trip as well.
• I had exchanged my cash back when CAD$1 = 116 yen, back in July. Of course I took the risk that it could keep going higher, but it fell back down and was much lower during my trip.
• Cash was still the best form of payment in many areas that I was headed to. Many temples and related shops were cash only, parking lot payment machines were cash only, and many smaller restaurants and souvenirs shops I came across were cash only. Even at the Canal City Ramen Stadium, I watched some tourists get turned away because all the ordering machines were cash only.
• All my accommodations (hotels and ryokan), flights, and rental car fees totaled around CAD$6k. Along with my shopping and eating, I spent around $9k for the entire trip.
• For hotels, I stayed at mostly 3-star hotels which were more than sufficient.
• In Kyushu, I stayed at a few JR Kyushu branches. JR Kyushu Miyazaki, JR Kyushu Kagoshima, and JR Kyushu Blossom Hakata Station. In Kumamoto, I stayed at The Blossom Kumamoto. My average cost was CAD$150 a night as I did value having a bigger room and bed.

Transportation

• I had my Sugoca from my previous trip and used that as my main IC card. I loaded it with 5000 yen every so often to pay for trains and smaller purchases at convenience stores. It was a great way to avoid the dreaded 1 yen coin.
• I purchased a 5-day North Kyushu JR Pass and used it for my days there. With the JR pass, I did not reserve for any train and simply got on the next train available in the unreserved seat cars. For my trips from Miyazaki-Kagoshima and Kagoshima-Kumamoto, I booked tickets at the station the day of my departure for the next available train with no issues.
• Rental car costs averaged around $60~ per day. This was with the basic insurance option selected and the basic car tier.

Food

• As with my previous trip, I did not line up for any food or restaurants. I had ideas of what to eat and would look up options when I felt hungry. I defaulted to the massive food halls common in many larger stations and department stores.
• I had around three meals a day at restaurants, and often a late-night snack. The theme for this trip was food, so I made sure to try as many options as I could. I often ordered side dishes and drinks with my meal as well. Because of this, I averaged around 5000+ yen a day on food.

Driving in Japan

• I had three separate rentals throughout my trip, and they were with Times Rental and Toyota Rental. Both agencies were very easy to work with and had clear guidelines on the rules on renting a car. Both agencies had English versions of their pamphlets available.
• I recommend renting an ETC card to make toll driving easier and not having to pay for tolls individually at every toll gate. The ETC card is returned when the rental is returned and a printout of all the tolls you passed through is provided and you pay it at the rental agency.
• Bring your own car mount and car charger for your phone. I believe some agencies have some for rental, but they are limited and quickly rented out. Best to be prepared and bring your own.
• I used Google Maps exclusively for all my navigations as I didn’t want to mess with the built-in one.
• The biggest difference driving on the left side of the road is remembering to look right for your rear mirror and hitting the turn signals with your right hand instead. It took a few hours to get used to driving on the other side but after repeatedly chanting “to the left” every time I turned, it became second nature.
• Driving in the cities is the same as driving in any other city – I would avoid it in the city centre if possible. Thankfully, most of my driving took part in the more rural areas, where there is less traffic and much less stressful driving. Take it slow, be alert, and don’t be afraid to pull over into one of many roadside stops and convenience stores to organize yourself.
• Getting gas was very easy at the full serve stations. I pulled up and said three words: “mantan – full tank”, “regular – regular gas”, “genkin – cash”. The attendant handled the rest. As I was provided with Hybrid vehicles, fuel efficiency was really good, and I only paid around 9000 yen total in gas for the trip.
• I highly, highly recommend downloading the offline Google Maps for the areas you plan to drive in, especially if you plan to head out to some more rural areas. Sometimes, the cell signal will drop and having no maps either is a big stress.
• I noticed that on expressways and roads, most road signs are accompanied by English as well even in some of the more remote areas.

Miyazaki

Overall, Miyazaki is a very quiet and laidback city and reminded me a bit of home. It was big enough but also not Tokyo or Osaka big. There are not many people, let alone tourists, here and I guess you get that “real Japan” or “off the beaten track” vibe everyone asks for in every other post. When I was shopping at GU and asked for the tax-free process, they had to grab a manager and pull out a manual to help me. I stayed at JR Kyushu Miyazaki which is attached directly to Miyazaki Station in a very convenient location. The hotel itself was very nice, and I believe that it was built or renovated recently as there were USB-C ports in my room. I would 100% stay here again on my next trip.

Day 1

• My flight to Miyazaki arrived around 9:30am and I was out of the airport and off to pick up my rental car. It was ridiculously hot and humid, and the intermittent rain did not help. I picked up my rental at 10:30am and was off to my first stop of my trip.
• I drove down to Aoshima Island (around 30 minutes) and parked in one of the big parking lots. I walked through the city and across the sand bridge/beach. The views were stunning, and I made it to the shrine on the island. I spent some time exploring the shrine before heading back and grabbed some souvenirs and a crepe from Aoshima Crepe.
• The next stop was Sun Messe Nichinan to check out the cool Moai statues. Unfortunately, I only really took some photos as the rain started up and the wind was picking up as well. I wished that the weather was nicer to really take in the area, but it was super interesting seeing the Moai Statues!
• I drove down to Udo Shrine and was directed to an appropriate parking lot by a flagger using my broken Japanese and hand gestures. The shrine ground and the areas around it were stunning. I think this is my top 3 favourite shrine to visit. You walk through the main tori gate, over a small bridge, before descending down the side of the cliff to the actual shrine hidden in the cliffs. The sound of the waves crashing into the cliffs makes everything see so serene.
• Originally I was planning to drive down to Cape Toi, but due to the weather I decided against it. I drove my way back up to Miyazaki and spent the night exploring the station area. I grabbed some tomato broth ramen from a nearby shop and later on some sushi from the supermarket.

Day 2

• I left my hotel at 6:15am and started the drive up to Takachiho Gorge. I had rented a ETC card (recommended) so I did not have to deal with the hassle of stopping and paying tolls at the gates. The Kyushu Expressway, and I suspect many of the other expressways in Japan are similar, is one lane each direction with long distances between passing lanes. While the speed limit is 70, if you get stuck behind someone going...

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Roman_Statuesque on 2024-11-24 02:16:54+00:00.

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Hello everyone! I returned from my trip to Japan back in September, and since I used this community as a resource for planning, I figured it was time to contribute my experience back to the community. I meant to post this weeks ago, but chrome decided to delete almost 40K characters of writing, so I had to remake this entire first post from scratch. Everything here is based on the travel log I kept during my trip that totals to just under 35K words.

For context: ~~28~~ 29 YOM traveling solo. Technically fourth time in Japan, but the first stay longer than 20 hours. Previous experience living and traveling in South Korea and Europe.

All flights/hotels were booked through Amex travel. Hotels were selected based a combination of centralized location relative to Points of Interest (POIs), proximity to public transit, English speaking staff, and included laundry rooms.

While I did make reservations for several locations that required it and one restaurant, most places I visited I just purchased a ticket day-of.

I brought three pieces of luggage with me: a soft-sided top-opening suitcase, a backpack, and a gym bag. The suitcase was primarily shipped between hotels with the exception of the Tokyo-Yokohama leg. The gym bag was used to transport clothes and other items when the suitcase was in transit and to handle overflow when the suitcase was filled with souvenirs. The backpack served as my day bag.

SIM card was pre-purchased from Japan Experience prior to departure.

I did not change any cash prior to or after arrival. I generally used my two credit cards at places that accepted them. For cash, I generally withdrew from ATMs in 10K yen increments as needed and never walked around with more than 15K at one time.

While I downloaded several apps prior to arriving in Japan, only ones I found myself using regularly were Google Translate, Navermap, and ChatGPT.

I did study some basic Japanese and etiquette before departing, but I found most of the service workers I interacted with spoke at least some English and Google Translate was able to fill in the gaps.

I actually forgot to load my itinerary onto either of the devices I brought with me and didn’t realize until my first full day in Tokyo. Thankfully I had gone over it enough times I effectively had it memorized, and for everything else, there were automatic reservation reminders. I assigned a few locations I wanted to visit per day, based around reservations and geographic proximity, but left a few days more unstructured for travel and rest. The entire Yokohama leg was almost completely unstructured and organized by the friends I stayed with. Other locations visited came from friends, coworkers, The Lonely Planet guide, and of course, here.

Day 1: Haneda Arrival & Early Expeditions

I flew into Haneda around 2:00 local time. I had pre-completed the arrival form and screenshotted it on my phone. Immigration and Customs went smoothly. They have a lot of staff, English signs, and regular PA announcements to deal with all the sleep deprived foreigners. Everything, including getting my luggage took about an hour. Once I got out onto the concourse, I pulled 10K yen from an ATM and headed over to the travel counters and exit. I got my SIM card switched out and activated and attempted to load the Welcome Suica I had ordered online, but I could not get it to work and ended up just getting a new card. Took the train and got a little lost trying to find my way through Shinjuku Station, but after a few wrong turns I was able to find the exit before passing out from heat exhaustion. I headed straight to my hotel the WPU Shinjuku. The room was small, but it was well put together. I got myself checked in and took an hour to cool off and rehydrate before heading out again. I took the train down to Shibuya and saw the Hachiko statue, walked through the Scramble and wandered through the Shibuya streets, eventually making my way up to Harajuku. However, by the time I got there, most of the businesses had shut down. Took the train back to Shinjuku and hit up the Family Mart for dinner before turning in.

Notes: The climate hits you as soon as you step out of the terminal. Walking around Shinjuku station was suffocatingly hot and humid.

Walking around Shinjuku felt like I was in a virtual reality simulation, something like Ready Player One.

Day 2: Tokyo I

Grabbed some croissants and orange juice for breakfast at the hotel before catching a train to the Shinjuku Gyoen. Arrived a little before opening and chatted with some other travelers before heading inside. My first stop was the traditional Japanese garden, where I quickly found the Taiwanese pavilion and across from it, the first stop of my anime pilgrimage, the gazebo featured in the film The Garden of Words. From there I made my way to the European style gardens and the small history center about the park. I then walked through the greenhouse before concluding my tour with the mother and child garden. The park was quite nice. At some points it was easy to forget that you are in the middle of a city, and it felt cooler than other parts of Tokyo as long as you weren’t in direct sunlight. It costs 500 yen to get in, but the park is very well maintained and there isn’t a sticker or graffiti tag in sight. There were also plenty of water fountains. Next I walked Suga Shrine. The shrine counter was closed when I got there, but I was able to grab a few pictures of the famous stairs featured in Your Name.

For lunch I stopped at a small restaurant called Island Burger that I spotted on my way to the shrine, and then made my way to the Metropolitan Government Building. I took the chance to rest a bit and browse the gift shop while admiring the view. After getting back to ground level I made my way back to Harajuku and browsed through some of the shops and checked out a small shrine off of Takeshita Street. The place was a zoo and smelled like sewage in a few spots. The speakers were playing Fatal by Gemn and Undead by Yoasobi on a loop.

Headed back to the hotel and took a break to rest and rehydrate. I grabbed dinner at the hotel café and used the free beer ticket that came with the reservation.

Kabuchiko was next, and was just as sketchy as I had heard. I tracked down the McDonalds seen in Weathering With You and ended up tailing a tour group to keep the touts all over the place from harassing me. Stopped by Burger King for snack. From there I walked over to Golden Gai and after some searching I found a bar called ”?” and spent the rest of the evening drinking with a pair of Finns and an Australian couple on their honeymoon.

Notes: Part of the reason you can’t hear the city in Shinjuku Gyoen is because the cicadas drown out everything else. It was also home to some murder hornets (which there were posted warnings about).

The Shinjuku Gyoen gazebo is smaller than it appears in the film, and the red railings of the Suga Shrine stairs appear more orangish to the naked eye.

Do not attempt to keep up with an Australian couple on their honeymoon. You will lose.

Day 3: Tokyo II

Barely slept and woke up severely hungover. Somehow managed to grab breakfast and get to Odaiba right on time for my TeamLabs Planets reservation. I recommend walking through twice. It gives you a chance to hit things you might have missed the first walk through, and some of the exhibits felt different with more people. I thought it was well worth the price. For lunch I got the vegan uzu ramen at the café across from the exhibition entrance. Paid a little extra to sit in the nice, air-conditioned meditation room.

My next destination was the Divercity Mall. I saw the Gundam Statue, walked around the mall for a while and visited the Gundam Base. Decided not to buy any larger souvenirs, but did grab a Gundam bust from one of the capsule machines in the Gundam Base Annex.

After finishing up at the mall I continued my anime pilgrimage. First going to the Tokyo Teleport Station and then over to a walking trail near Akihabara seen in the last scene of Weathering With You. Lastly, I went over to the Hijiri-Bashi Bridge seen in Suzume.

My last POI for the day was Tokyo Skytee where I had an evening reservation. I went straight to the Temba deck to try and catch the sunset, but the cloud cover caused by the typhoon obscured most of the view. So instead, I checked out the Pokemon collab they had going on at the time. My dinner was a cup of fried chicken from one of the cafes. I also stopped at the Pokemon café for a cupcake and enjoyed the view. Ended up walking the last quarter mile to the hotel in the pouring rain since the typhoon reached the hotel before I could. Did some laundry and packed up.

Notes: Shinjuku station is markedly more difficult to navigate than the other stations in Tokyo and Japan in general.

Do not attempt to navigate Shinjuku Station during rush hour while severely hungover.

Day 4: Yokohama I

Got breakfast at the hotel again and ran over to Family Mart for an umbrella. After checking out, I hopped onto the train to Yokohama with my suitcase. I met up with the family friends I would be staying with. After dropping my luggage off we went to Chinatown for lunch where I tried out Sanma-men. We walked around Chinatown a bit more before they took me to the waterfront. We toured the Hikawa Maru...

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/krathlou on 2024-11-23 12:13:48+00:00.

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Sitting in my hard sought hotel room unable to sleep as I had a pretty crappy day today. Thank you to this sub for existing, reading your stories and tips has been so valuable. Been soloing in Japan for the past two weeks and I just had the most chaotic day ever after a series of fumbles over the past week. Needing a space to just process my thoughts with fellow travelers and also thought I'd share here in case anyone would like to commiserate/learn from my mistakes:

• Overpaid for a beauty service where the beautician clearly punched in 15500 yen on the calculator but had 16500 on the screen. I was too shy to correct them and just paid it all -- considered this one an indirect tip since they were lovely but they did explain at the beginning and end of the appointment that the cost was only going to be 15500 (this was already the menu catered for foreigners and they were transparent about upcharges).
• Booked hotels on the go instead of well in advance. I was hoping to be spontaneous with this trip since many of my desired activities were weather dependent and in rural Kyushu but I did not anticipate just how populated these areas are with fellow tourists this time of year. Could not even book a hostel, camper van, or a rental car and I looked across multiple prefectures, cities, and was flexible with dates. Nada, nothing. Ended up paying hundreds of dollars per night for mid-range hotels in cities I didn't plan to visit but were somewhat close by and accessible by public transit. Spent hours of my days looking and contacting people via email. (Side note: Many ryokans I looked into both in the northern and southern prefectures were unwilling to take me as a single guest -- word of caution for those who may anticipate finding themselves in the same boat while using the online reservation systems. I recommend just emailing the accommodation directly -- this is how I was finally able to get a room at a ryokan last minute and I pretty much had the entire inn to myself. It was like having a private onsen without paying the premiums! Very happy accident.) Also happened to pass by multiple rental car offices that listed itself as having no cars available during my requested time, yet I saw most of the lots full of rental cars. Perhaps the websites aren't updated in real time?
• No voice SIM which led to many delays in communication and likely miscommunication. Booked accommodations, services, and transport both through directly thru company websites and third party brokers (both Japanese and Anglo-centric ones). Half of the accommodations request that queries be facilitated thru phone call.
• Having my credit cards lock after using too much tap. For those wondering, yes I contacted the banks well in advance notifying of my trip destination and dates. The systems here seem to dislike my Visas the most, MCs were mostly okay. They love my Amex though, which is the card with the highest FX fee (bleh). This one is kind of related to the above point about SIM. I ended up needing to install and buy a secondary Skype number since some of my banks did not have call collect and this option was cheaper than roaming with my home provider.
• Falsely thought I lost my phone at a bus station right as I was about to board a bus and had staff and locals rush to my aid. Ran around different spots in the station and asked folks if they had seen a phone. Eventually a staff member suggested I check a different part of my bag and behold, it was in a bag compartment I never put my phone in and in my panic and disoriented state from having spent 5 consecutive hours trying to find a place to sleep in another prefecture that evening, I didn't think to check it. (also extra delirious that I was still recovering from food poisoning symptoms from lukewarm raw oysters the previous night and needed to constantly go to the bathroom.) One local even offered to call my international number twice, which I now realize after surfing the web that they were likely charged long distance fees even though the call did not go thru. I feel terrible and wish I provided compensation but I was hurried on to the bus by staff who were already annoyed that I had delayed the departure and schedule. I felt terrible and apologized profusely to the driver who was pretty agitated with me the whole trip. I know the work culture for bus drivers can be very unforgiving here, ugh, just feeling so guilty. So very sorry to everyone who I inconvenienced there, I cannot apologize enough and if I could somehow repay them for their patience and kindness, I would in a heartbeat. I hope my mistake doesn't further ruin their views of tourists but I have a feeling it did -- so sorry to my fellow travelers for tarnishing our image.
• Bought the Sanyo Sanin Northern Kyushu Pass but ended up using mostly buses to cut thru the prefectures cause the time seemed to always be quite a bit longer via multiple transfers by local and bullet train. Basically paying double what I would've for transport had I planned better and earlier.
• Spending most of the daytime/core business operating hours in transit instead of transiting during early mornings or evenings. Again lack of planning and some confusion with Google Maps about best routes which can change if you miss certain trains/buses that run infrequently. Some of these routes need to be booked in advance and I didn't realized until arriving that this was the case. AH.
• This one is not Japan specific but choosing too many sightseeing attractions and not scouring enough for local spots. Travel in this country is already well known for how much walking is involved and I exacerbated this by trying to cram in too many sights. I now hobble around with multiple blisters on [edit: THE balls and heels of my feet, LOL] and rolled both my ankles while walking on steep cobbled hill paths. Wearing braces as we speak to make it to the end of the trip (hopefully without further injury!!).As a solo traveler, just the sights themselves can leave me feeling a little empty and most of the places are pretty crowded at the moment so I wish I did more research about experiences off the beaten path. Lesson learned.

Thats all I can muster for now since I'm recovering from a pretty nauseous bus ride -- will update with further mishaps cause I have a feeling my luck will continue to be low for the rest of the trip, haha

Happy travelling, everyone! May you experience more fortune and favour on your journeys!

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Consistent-Climate16 on 2024-11-24 09:25:34+00:00.

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My Travel Plan: Tokyo > Karuizawa > Norikura Kogen > Kamikochi > Kiso-Hirasawa > Narai-Juku > Osaka > Okinawa > Tokyo

A few months ago, I made a post (now deleted) on this sub-reddit welcoming feedback on my itinerary. An overwhelming majority of the comments suggested that this might be a difficult itinerary to traverse for a first timer, all the more so for someone who can’t speak Japanese. Needless to say, this left me quite discouraged but I had already made all the bookings by then and a lot of hard work had gone into putting together this itinerary so nothing could be done. To add to my misery, I came across a post that described experiences of racism experienced by a brown tourist in Japan. Considering this was only my second international trip, I was filled with apprehensions.

Now that my two-week long trip to Japan has come to an end. I can say it with certainty that not following the golden route was possibly the best decision I could have made for myself.

I feel like I could experience the quintessential Japan by exploring its countryside. I had so many conversations with the locals in Shinshū (I mean Nagano, was just trying to sound fancy), I had the best time in Narai-juku interacting with the shop owners. We had learnt a lot of Japanese phrases by then, which came in very handy. Infact, by the end of our trip, two Japanese locals even asked me if I know the language when I said “Mata sugu ni aimashou”. Hahaha, so yes, everything I said had a sprinkle of Japanese, which I believe was really valued by the locals. I even bought the Arukuma thinking it was cute, I didn’t realise its importance until a woman in Kamikochi beamed with joy on seeing it on my handbag and even went as far as to pet it, which I thought was so funny and cute!

This might attract hate but Osaka was the let down of my trip. We were in Osaka for just one night since we had to catch our flights to Okinawa from KIX, thus didn’t get around much, just visited Dontonbori and God, I am never going back to that place again. It was overcrowded and loud and I was pushed and shoved by a six feet man, which disgusted me to the core and from then on, I just wanted to go back home. People were smoking on the streets and there was trash everywhere, which was unlike any other place I had visited in Japan.

Moving on, Okinawa was peaceful and beautiful, our ferry to Tokashiki got cancelled, so that was a bummer but we stayed in Nanjo City for most part of our trip and it was heavenly.

When we visited Karuizawa, fall foliage was at its peak, so the sights were very picturesque. We visited Kumoba Pond, Kumanokotai Shrine, Old Ginza Street and explored the local bakeries. Rented e-bikes and cycled all around the town during the day, it was one of the best days of our trip.

We just had two and a half days in Tokyo, so we couldn’t get around much. We stayed near Tokyo Skytree Town, and had the best Match of my life at the Gion Tsujiri Store. Rest, we could only explore Shinjuku area. Did a lot of shopping and ate ramen everyday.

All in all, it was an amazing trip. Although I had so many inhibitions, the hospitality and kindness of the locals made us feel very welcome in Japan and I wish to visit again very soon.

EDIT:

For some reason, this post has been hit with a lot of downvotes and aggressive comments. I, in no way, meant to imply that my itinerary is better than anyone else’s. Everyone’s travel philosophy and style is different, my family didn’t have a lot of problem with constantly being on the run and we like covering a lot of ground in a short time. On average, we spent two nights in each place and yes, by the end of the day we all were out like a light but we enjoyed every bit of the whole process.

To me, city activities do not carry much appeal, and I really value interactions with the locals of any region I visit. Someone in the comment section said “you do not need to go this far to interact with shop-owners”. Well, while I was in Kiso-Hirasawa, an old Japanese woman saw me standing on the side of a road, she approached me and I immediately pulled out my Google Translate, she then began to point at a tree nearby and told me that a plum tree grows from the root of a pine tree and If I will go round the corner, I will witness their roots joining. I did go round and witnessed the same. We then had a long conversation about where I was from and what I was doing in that town. I personally do not feel that the fast-paced life of cities allows room for such small but special interactions. It all boils down to individual philosophy. I am sure, Tokyo-Osaka have their own appeal, it just wasn’t for me.

Also, to anyone asking for transportation details, I have everything meticulously laid out in a google document along with the fares, which I am more than willing to share with anyone who needs it. To spell out everything here was simply not feasible.

EDIT #2:

Since I have received numerous requests to share my travel document, I am attaching its link here for everyone’s kind perusal. This document also contains my accommodation details along with the places I intended to visit in each region, specifically Karuizawa.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Calmly-Stressed on 2024-11-25 06:21:27+00:00.

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Me and a friend just finished our one-week road trip from Hachinohe to Sendai along the Michinoku coastal route. Since this is a much less visited area of Japan, I thought a trip report would be nice. 

For context: I lived in Sendai for a year and am fluent in Japanese, so this might be a different experience if you have a harder time communicating or are nervous about that kind of thing. We encountered very few people who spoke English but plenty who would have been willing to make do with Google translate or had some sort of pre-made English leaflet to work with. 

Itinerary

• Hachinohe. We took the Shinkansen to Hachinohe on Saturday evening so that we could catch the famous morning market on Sunday. We also visited the umineko shrine that marks the start of the Michinoku coastal trail. Picked up a rental car at Toyota and started our road trip towards Oirase, with a great stop at the Towada art center.
• Oirase. We splurged on a night at Hoshino Oirase Keiryuu and enjoyed their onsen, spa services and delicious buffet dinner and breakfast. We also used their shuttle bus service to explore the Oirase river with its waterfalls. We got surprised by the early first snow of the season so we didn’t walk around for too long. We drove by lake Towada on our way back to the coast, but unfortunately couldn’t see anything because of the snow and mist.
• Noda. We stayed at an old hotel in the middle of nowhere which had serious The Shining vibes. Not particularly recommended. We drove back up north a little to go to the Amber Museum in Kuji, which was surprisingly great, and then back south past various cliff viewpoints on the Michinoku. Stunning views all around.
• Tanohata. Again stayed at a hotel in the middle of nowhere on the coast, but less run down this time. The following day we took a detour inland to Iwaizumi to visit Ryusendo cave. We drove past various other great views on the way down to our next stop, including the impressive Kanko Hotel in Taro which has been left as it was since the tsunami.
• Miyako. We spent a lot of this day driving down from Miyako to Kesennuma, enjoying road stations and visitor centres on the way. We stopped at the tsunami museum in Rikuzen-Takata and took plenty of time there. Highly recommended.
• Kesennuma. We explored a little of Kesennuma itself in the morning before driving down the long stretch of coast to Matsushima, mostly enjoying road stations and views along the way. Onagawa is a particularly interesting visit. We stopped off at the manga museum in Ishinomaki, which is really fun even if you don’t know the specific manga or don’t read Japanese.
• Matsushima. We visited the evening light-up event in Zuiganji, then explored a little in the morning and visited Entsuin and Umanose before driving to Sendai to drop the car. Matsushima is great, more time there is recommended.
• Bonus side quest - we drove down to the Soma area in Fukushima prefecture with our friends over the weekend to hike Mt Karou and visit a few more Michinoku spots in the area. The most impressive and recommended was the Arahama primary school just outside of Sendai, which has been turned into a tsunami memorial. Extraordinary.

Recommendations 

• Tohoku is a stunningly beautiful region with tons of things to see. Having a car gave us the freedom to cover lots of distance and visit remote spots that would have been virtually impossible by public transport. That said, you can walk the entire Michinoku and get to lots of spots on it by public transport with good planning.
• Driving in Japan was very chill. There was almost no one on the road most of the time and it was a very uncomplicated experience. Car rental was also very easy and professional, and not very expensive: around USD 400 for one week, including drop-off 500km from pick-up and a very comprehensive insurance. Registering a second driver was free.
• We avoided highways almost entirely and chose to take the scenic route closer to the coastline for most of the trip. This was more time-consuming, but usually not by that much, e.g. 40 minutes between two stops versus 30 if you use the toll road. Occasionally we ended up on very narrow windy roads, which my friend enjoyed driving on a lot, but your mileage may vary.
• Japan’s road stations or michinoeki are a real experience in themselves, same with visitor centres. They often have comprehensive exhibits about the area, local products for sale, good food, clean restrooms, … We had a lot of fun stopping off at these points and just spending 15 minutes looking around or having a snack before driving off again.  One place in Iwaizumi had a massive parade float on display, while the station in Onagawa has an onsen.
• You can gather stamps on the Michinoku and in road stations and visitor centres. This was really fun to do and gave us focal points along the way, plus free souvenirs. So don’t worry, you don’t have to miss out on the stamp gathering experience if you’re not visiting JR stations.
• If your hotel is remote, order the kaiseki dinner they offer. We did not do this as we thought it would be too much, but in both remote hotels we stayed this meant settling for their on-the-spot restaurant option, one of which was underwhelming and the other one actively bad. Seems like they put lots of effort into their kaiseki dinners but the alternative was an afterthought.
• Related to the former point, think about where your hotel is located for food access. Twice when we stayed in a town, we made the mistake of getting a hotel that was far from the centre or next to a highway, so we still had to drive for dinner or walk a long way.
• All in all it was a wonderful experience, we learned tons about the tsunami and the recovery efforts and saw so much beautiful nature. The autumn colours were in full swing as well which made it even better. We could have easily spent another week on the same stretch of coast as we covered a lot of distance in the last two days and definitely missed out on more things to see and do in that area.

I know everyone wants to go to the golden route first time around, and I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this itinerary to first-time visitors as we didn’t get to see much of what usually draws people to Japan (traditional temples/retro-future cities). What we did get to see was the beauty and wild spirit of the north, the resilience and kindness of the local people, and the authentic life in the countryside. It was amazing. 

Feel free to ask away in the comments if there’s anything more you want to know!

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/OrganizationOdd3142 on 2024-11-25 03:23:02+00:00.

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Just got back! I took my little sister with me and we spent five nights in Tokyo, two in Hakone, two in Kyoto, one in Nara (sort of...), and one in Osaka (also a sort of...). We had plenty of times embarrassing ourselves and also a bit of bad luck health-wise, but still had a fantastic time.

Things you should bring:

• Portable hand soap (e.g. paper soap). I had heard this recommendation before and unfortunately didn't take it seriously enough. I had also heard that it was fairly easy to find in stores, which we didn't find to be the case- perhaps we weren't looking in the right places. Either way, to avoid the hunt I would bring some with you. To be clear, bathrooms in stations or businesses do have hand soap. After encountering these a few times, I was overcome with a sense of hubris and assumed that the reports that public bathrooms don't have soap were exaggerated. Eventually, though, you're going to need to use a bathroom in a park or at the start of a trail or even in a Tokyo neighborhood where you just don't want to have to find a cafe to eat at to maybe have a chance of using their one toilet, and you're going to want to have some hand soap with you when you do.
• Medicine: painkillers, cold medicine, allergy medicine. We brought allergy medicine and a little bit of ibuprofen, which only lasted a few days; we didn't bring any cold medicine. Of course we both ended up getting colds over the trip, despite doing everything in our power to avoid getting sick (had all our vaccines, wore masks the entire trip over). We bought some Japanese ibuprofen and cold medicine, which was a little bit helpful, but it was startling how quickly my symptoms improved when I got home and took some Dayquil- I badly wish I had some with me during the trip.

Japanese Language things I would recommend you know:

• Reading katakana. Many restaurants have English menus, but not all. Half of many menus, though, are English words written in katakana. Learning katakana is really easy and doesn't require any further knowledge of Japanese, and will allow you to order from most menus knowledgeably.
• Numbers. Most stores will type out the cost on a calculator for you to see visually, but locations like food carts or teahouses on mountains didn't, they'd say the price aloud. You want to know what is meant when you're told that the price is "happyaku ni juu-en", for instance.
• Specific words:
  • 'saabisu' (from English 'service') refers to a freebie. If somebody says this while pointing at something, they're saying you can take it for free.
  • 'isshou' means together. If you're travelling with somebody and asked this, you're usually being asked if you want to be charged together.
  • if you hear 'fukuro', you're being asked if you want a shopping bag.
  • 'mizu' is water. Essential because it's something you'll want to ask for often.

Time spent in the Tokyo area:

Kichijōji

While visiting the Tokyo area, we stayed at Kichijōji Excel Hotel Tokyu. This was a really perfect choice for us. The hotel was my favorite of the trip. It was also one of the cheapest, coming to only 677 USD for five nights, and that was including Saturday night, which was substantially more expensive than the other nights.

Kichijōji is a really nice neighborhood, with lots of places to shop and eat. I honestly wish I had programmed more time into our itinerary to just stick around Kichijōji instead of jumping around other neighborhoods. On weekdays it was pretty quiet; on Saturday night it picked up a lot and I would say was about as busy as Shibuya was when we visited on a weeknight. Inokashira Park is also a really lovely park; we visited it twice, once intentionally and once just to spend time while our laundry was running at the laundromat, and really enjoyed it both times. The Ghibli Museum was closed the entire time we were there, so I can't speak on it. We really enjoyed shopping at B-Side Label - you can find some of their stickers in a bunch of other stores, but the selection at their own store is huge. We had several of our nicest meals here, both in Harmonica Alley and other areas.

Shibuya

We got to Meiji Jingu at around 9am and left around 10:30am. We visited the gardens and the shrine. It's a massive place; even though there were many visitors I wouldn't say it was anywhere near overcrowded, because there was plenty of space. The gardens especially, which you pay to get into, were very quiet and peaceful. It's maybe not the ideal time of year to visit them because the flowers aren't in bloom, but we still really enjoyed the visit.

We walked through Harajuku around 11am and at that time a lot of places aren't open yet, so it was very quiet. We were mainly window-shopping anyway, so it was a nice walk. At Miyashita Park we did a bit of shopping at some cute souvenir stores. Then we visited Tower Records, and I was able to pick up some Blu-Rays for old concerts that I'm very excited about. Next we visited Parco, eating tempura on the seventh floor and then going down to the sixth floor to shop. Then we explored a bit in the 109 building, and got coffees at a cafe.

Here is where I really took a big mis-step with our planning. If I'd scheduled Shibuya Sky for 6:00pm, it would have really neatly wrapped up our very nice day in Shibuya. Unfortunately, I actually scheduled Shibuya Sky for 8:20pm, because I ~~am dumb~~ overestimated how late we would want to stay out and about in Shibuya on our first full day, and also didn't understand some logistical challenges I'll discuss later.

This meant that we had to spend another few hours in Shibuya before our appointment, and our feet were starting to hurt. What we should have done is head onto the Shibuya Scramble Square building (the building that houses Shibuya Sky), which has a bunch of shops in addition to sit-down restaurants and cafes where we could have easily spent those hours. Instead, we continued walking the streets of Shibuya. We found the Mega Don Quijote and picked up some things there. We looked for dinner and stopped at a sushi restaurant and only realized after entering that it was a conveyor sushi restaurant. It was very yummy and convenient and fast, and totally antithetical to our goal of finding a place to sit down for a bit. We spent some time in a gachapon hall. By this point our feet were really seriously in pain.

We got up to Shibuya Sky finally and it was really nice, a totally gorgeous view. Getting down afterwards was a nightmare, though. Unbeknownst to us, the Shibuya Scramble Square building apparently shuts down floors 3-10 at a certain time, meaning you can't take either the stairs or the escalators down- only elevators. This made it a really hectic and difficult time trying to get down. Once we did, I realized my next miscalculation. I had known that the Shibuya Scramble Square building was attached to Shibuya Station, and so had assumed that getting on the train back to the hotel afterwards would be fairly easy. I'd failed to account for how large Shibuya station is- we had a really long walk to the terminal. Once we got there, we had the only really bad and scary train experience of our trip, where the train was clearly completely full and people continued to push themselves in, packing each other in like sardines.

Anyway, all this is to say, we still had a really great day in Shibuya, but please learn from my mistake and don't schedule Shibuya Sky for past 8:00. I would say that scheduling for 6:00 would be perfect; you'll still get the night sky view, but not all the logistical nightmares.

Ginza

First we went to the Kabuki-za Theater, which was fantastic. The program this month is specifically one designed to be accessible to foreigners and newcomers, which is nice. The theater has a closed-caption service you can use for translation and some cultural notes, which unfortunately had some problems staying synced but was still quite helpful. During the intermissions, you can explore the building, get a meal or a parfait, and there was even a little scavenger hunt to do. It was a really cool experience; I was glad we did it.

Afterwards we went shopping in Ginza, which was unfortunately substantially less nice. First we went to Uniqlo, which was totally packed with tourists, who were also generally ruder than the fellow tourists we'd encountered earlier at locations like Shibuya. I ended up being glad we'd gone to a Uniqlo because I bought a parka that I used quite often for the rest of the trip, but I wish we'd just gone to the one in Kichijōji instead; it looked just as big and much quieter.

Afterwards we went to Itoya, which was not packed quite as much as Uniqlo but still was crowded past the point of comfort. The impression we got of shopping in Ginza in general was that it's a very claustrophobic and kind of unpleasant experience.

DisneySea

We only did an evening pass here. It's an absolutely gorgeous park. We ended up in the Mermaid Lagoon, and rode two rides and ate dinner before the Believe! Sea of Dreams parade. This was spectacular. I had been expecting just a particularly good boat parade, but this was so much more than that, and absolutely made the whole day. We headed back to the hotel right after- our feet were hurting really badly again, and it was a 2-hour commute back to Kichijōji.

Akihabara

I didn't particularly vibe with Akihabara. I did visit two shops I was interested in, one of which turned ou...

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/TurkeyDinner on 2024-11-25 00:42:46+00:00.

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The Shimanami Kaido is a popular bicycle route in Japan that runs around 72km (45 miles), crossing 6 islands between Onimichi on Honshu and Imabari on Shikoku. I did the Shimanami Kaido a month ago, and wanted to share some useful information on planning for it to make it easier for others to plan. I benefited from others sharing their experiences in this forum, so wanted to give back. Numbered footnotes are used; they appear in square brackets.

Some context: I did this trip with a partner. We are from the USA and were willing to spend a bit more money for a more comfortable trip. By using takuhaibin to ship our luggage to our post-SK lodging, we carried only toiletries, sundries, one change of clothes, and drinks during our ride.

We departed from Imabari on a Thursday in October 2024, and did the SK over two days, spending a night in lodging midway through the route.

Why did you decide to do the SK when you did?

When I first started planning this trip, I wanted to try to keep our plans flexible by only booking lodging a couple of days before a favorable weather forecast. However, the inventories of rooms at lodging I was considering were disappearing even before we even departed for Japan. So I booked lodging more than a week before we planned to do the SK, hoping that the weather forecast would change from a 60% of rain.

Once we were in Japan, the weather forecast for the target days changed every day, going from rainy to sunny to cloudy with showers. Worse yet, there was often a wide disagreement about the forecast across different services. I thus would say unless you have flexibility to book lodging (and perhaps a bicycle rental) one or two days before, you cannot rely on weather forecasts, you're just going to have to hope you get lucky.

We lucked out. Our days were dry, and had a significant amount of cloud cover, making our ride quite pleasant. But had we started two days earlier or two days later, we would have gotten very wet.

Why start from Imabari?

Onimichi appears to be the more common starting point. We started from Imabari because: 

1. The longer ascents along the SK are nearer Imabari, and we wanted to get them out of the way earlier. You can get an idea of what to expect in elevation changes by seeing Cyclo No Ie [1]'s elevation map (found just under the heading, “Is there a lot of slope?”).
2. The winds are more likely to be in your favor if you head toward Onimichi, per Cyclo No Ie (found in the section "Should I start from Onomichi or Imabari?").
3. Onimichi was a more convenient destination to continue on our trip. Since it is on Honshu, you can get to a lot of places of interest relatively quickly after finishing. After finishing, we took a train to Osaka. We wouldn't have tried that if we had finished in Imabari.
4. Going from Hiroshima to Imabari was feasible in a reasonable about of time (< 5 hours). If you plan to do the SK and plan to visit Hiroshima, you might appreciate my post about going from Hiroshima to Matsuyama to Imabari.

From where in Imabari should I rent a bike?

Cyclo No Ie’s webpage [1] ably answers this question. They list five services in Imabari. The most convenient services are the public service and Giant Store Imabari, as both of them allow you pick up a bike in Imabari and return it in Onimichi.

The public service is by far the most convenient for renters. They are open every day of the week (ignoring holidays). They have 9 locations across the SK, including one right by the JR Imabari Station and one a short walk from the JR Onimichi Station. They also have a wide variety of bikes, including two types with electrical assistance: the battery-assist (aka pedal-assist) bike and an e-bike. The former gives your pedaling a boost, while the latter propels you without pedaling.

Notes on the Shimanami Japan public bike rental service

• It isn’t consistent on the name it uses in English. The website says the organization is called “Shimanami Japan” and calls the service “Shimanami Rental Cycle”. Signs at their locations say “Shimanami Rental Bike”. Its paperwork says “Shinanami Rent-a-Cycle”.
• Its website does a so-so job promoting the SK. I found a lot more useful information in blogs and on Reddit.
• Website updates are irregular. They had an announcement posted on 2024-04-03 stating that starting 2024-07-01 you could rent battery-assist bikes for more than one day and would be able to drop off e-bikes at any of their 10 locations. However, the corresponding parts of their website were not updated to reflect those changes at the time.
• You can indeed rent the battery-assist bikes for more than one day.
• Its website could make it more obvious about how to a reserve a bike from it. On its website, click on the dark pink floating modal button, featuring a bicycle drawing and the words, “Bicycle Reservation” or just click this link to go there directly. Only human-powered bikes can be reserved. Powered bikes are first-come, first-served.
• They will provide assistance for bicycle malfunctions from 09:00 to 17:00. For situations that the public service cannot or will not handle, I suggest you keep the phone number for Wakka [2]'s cycling support handy.
• There are two locations in Imabari. One is right by the JR train station (#10 aka the i.i.imbari! Cycle Station). The other (#9 aka the Chuo Rental location aka Sunrise Itoyama) is near the Imabari foot of the Kurushima Kaikyō Bridge. #10 has only human-powered bikes, #9 also offers powered bikes. It is roughly a 15-minute drive from the JR Station but is not served well by public transportation. It costs roughly 2,600 yen to take a taxi there from the station. If you want to attempt to get to #9 using public transportation, read my Hiroshima to Matusyama to Imabari post. Since we wanted to use a battery-assist bike, we took a taxi there. The taxi driver did not recognize "Sunrise Itoyama", but recognized where we wanted to go after I shared the location via my maps app on my phone.

What was it like to use the battery-assist bike from the public service?

• Here's apicture of the battery-assist bike. It is best described as a mamachari, with elevated handlebars, a basket in front, and a rack on the rear.
• The battery assist is simple to use. One power button and one light button. Hold the power button for a few seconds to turn on, and tap the power button to cycle among three levels of assistance. The battery appears to regenerate on downhills.
• The service offers battery swaps at their midway locations #s 4, 5, and 6, on the islands of Onishima and Ikuchiima.
• I was conservative with its use at first, because I was concerned about using up the battery, only turning it on whenever an incline started to challenge me. However, I arrived from Imabari to their Omishima location (#6) with more than 50% of the battery left. They swapped out the battery. The next day, being much less conservative in its use, I arrived at their Onimichi location with more than 60% of the battery left. So if you're doing the SK over two days, you very likely can leave on the battery assist your entire ride without fear of using up the battery.
• The battery assist was very helpful with the longest/steepest climbs, making them much less of a chore. We took the popular detour to go up to the Kirosan Observatory on Oshima, which is the highest point on the SK islands and we cycled up until the last half-kilometer. Using this bike is kind of like a cheat code. It allowed us to focus on what we wanted to do, instead of how we felt while doing it.
• Before the trip, I bought a mount (KOM Cycling CM06) so I could record video on a GoPro. The handlebar was too thin to use the mount. I realized on the second day of our trip that I could wrap a bunch of Band-Aids around the handlebar to make a thicker area and successfully used the mount.
• As many people advise when riding the SK, padded bicycle shorts will save your undercarriage. This is true for the battery-assist bike. I used this advice, and only experienced modest discomfort toward the end of a day’s ride.

This post has gotten a bit long, so I'll end here and write another post, about the route we took from Imabari to Onimichi and useful tips to know along the way.

Footnotes

[1] Along with providing an informative website about the SK, Cyclo No Ie offers lodging just steps away from the JR train station in Imabari. They also sell a [detailed map of the Shimanami Ka...

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/fightitdude on 2024-11-24 08:49:47+00:00.

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I read a fair few of these before I went, so I thought I'd share my experiences :)

First time in Japan, travelling by myself. In total I spent 10 nights in Tokyo and 6 nights in Osaka and did a lot of day trips out. I booked accommodation about two weeks before flying and decided my itinerary pretty much on-the-fly. Total cost was around 2.5k GBP.

Activities/itinerary

Tokyo

Around Taito Citi

• Ueno Park: very nice to walk around. I combined this with a walk through Yanaka Cemetery to Yanaka Ginza.
• Tokyo National Museum: easily a full-day activity, really enjoyed it.
• Senso-ji: fun in the morning before it gets busy, but gets crowded really quickly.
• Taito Craft Museum: worth visiting, free museum showcasing crafts from Taito City.
• Sumida Hokusai Museum: if you're going to visit, get the special exhibition pass so you can see some originals; the permanent exhibitions rarely show them.

Akihabara

• My hotel was nearby so I spent some time wandering around. Not really my vibe.

Shibuya and around

• Meiji Jingu is nice to visit, especially in the morning when it's a bit quieter.
• d47 museum and restaurant are worth visiting. The museum does exhibits showcasing crafts from Japan's prefectures on rotation (when I was there, Hiroshima). The regional set meal is great and if you're visibly a tourist they'll give you a seat with a view of Shibuya Crossing. Try the herbal teas.

Nikko (day trip from Tokyo)

I followed the trail recommended by Japan-Guide, but I dropped the Imperial Villa and added Taiuin, Kanmangafushi Abyss, and Takino'o. It was really nice, especially in fall colours. I wish I'd overnighted here, because I would have liked to see Okunikko and Kirifuri Falls.

Kamakura (day trip from Tokyo)

I combined the Japan-Guide trail with the Lonely Planet trail. Basically, start at Kita-Kamakura station, visit Engaku-ji/Tokei-ji/Jochi-ji, then hike through the forest to Kaizo-ji/Kuzuharaoka, then to Zenirai Benten and Sasuke Inari. Then down to Kontoku-in, Hasedera, visit the beach, and walk up the main street to see Tsurugaoka at night. Return from Kamakura station.

Mt Takao (day trip from Tokyo)

I did this trip on a whim because I wanted to do a proper hike and I was a bit sick of the city. I followed the 'difficult' trail (not that hard) up Mt Takao, then continued to Mt Shiroyama and then back. It's a good hike, and on a clear day you can see Mt Fuji.

There's a traverse you can do from Mt Jimba to Mt Takao (~7h total), which I'd like to do next time I'm in Japan. Best done on a weekend because most of the food stalls are not open on weekdays.

Osaka

• Museum of Housing and Living: worth visiting if you're in the area, it's a life-size recreation of Edo-era Osaka.
• Osaka Castle: didn't go inside but did wander around the park before I went back to Tokyo; it's got good views of Osaka proper.
• I spent a full day following the Japan-guide full-day walk combined with the Lonely Planet Dotonbori-Amerikamura walk.
• I really liked Sennichimae Doguyasuji Shopping Street, more so than Kappabashi Street in Tokyo.

Kyoto (2x day trips from Osaka)

• On the first day I did the Eastern Kyoto full-day walk, then the Lonely Planet 'Geisha District' walk back to the train station in the evening.
• At Heian Shrine I ran into some dance performances by students from local universities; not sure what the occasion was, but they were really fun to watch!
• The Kyoto Museum of Crafts and Design is worth a visit. They have occasional live demonstrations, too.
• On the second day I did the Northern Kyoto half-day walk followed by a half-day in Arashiyama: Togetsukyo Bridge, hiking up to Daihikaku Senkoji Temple, then the bamboo forest.

Nara (day trip from Osaka)

• I followed the Lonely Planet highlights walk (very similar to the Japan-Guide trail). Nara is really nice and I could easily spend multiple days just exploring the park and hiking the trails.
• I stumbled onto a free open-air Noh performance, which was really interesting to watch (though I understood none of it!).

Koya-san (day trip from Osaka)

I really liked Koya! It feels very spritual. The graveyard was the highlight.

I got off the bus at Daimon Gate and hiked up to Dake no Benzaiten-sha, then down to Nyonin-do Hall. I then hit up all the tourist sites going west-to-east, finishing at Kongobu-ji Okuno-in at dusk (amazingly atmospheric at night!) and then taking the bus back to the cable car.

When I come again I'll hike from Gokurakubashi Station to Koya proper rather than cable car -> bus.

Budget

Total trip cost: 530 GBP flights + 247,531 JPY (~1280 GBP) accommodation + ~166,640 JPY (~860 GBP) for everything else.

• Flights: 530 GBP return from London with China Eastern.
• Transport within Japan (41,640 JPY):
  • Pasmo: ~12,000 JPY
  • Keisei Skyliner to and from Narita: 5,160 JPY
  • Shinkansen to and from Osaka: 29,840 JPY
  • Koyasan World Heritage Pass: 3,140 JPY
  • Nikko World Heritage Area Pass: 2,120 JPY
• Cash: 30,000 JPY (for temple entrance fees, food/snacks where card wasn't accepted, misc spending).
• Accommodation, all three-star hotels in double rooms (247,531 JPY):
  • Tokyo Ueno (2 nights): 37,080 JPY
  • Osaka (6 nights): 66,951 JPY
  • Tokyo Kanda: (8 nights): 143,500 JPY
• Everything else (food, souvenirs, museums, anything I paid with my credit card basically): ~95,000 JPY

Reflections Language

• I speak basic Japanese (~N5) which was more than enough to get around. I could have gotten away with no Japanese but it is a lot easier if you can read kana/basic kanji and have basic conversations.
• Google Translate is great, especially the ability to translate text from pictures.

Transport

• China Eastern is the Ryanair of long-distance flights. You get what you pay for. I'll fly with a proper carrier (probably British Airways / JAL / Singapore Airlines) next time because CE was really not worth the cost savings.
• If you're going to Nikko, buy your ticket a few days ahead of time at the station office in Asakusa, and head out early (I took the 6:50am departure ). The station office doesn't open until 7:20am and the queue is long when it does. Limited Express tickets (~2h each way) sell out ahead of time so you'll need to take the slower trains with changeovers (~3h each way).

Planning

• I used a combination of Lonely Planet and japan-guide.com to plan activities. Highly recommend both.
• Ten nights in Tokyo was too long. I wish I'd only done ~5/6 and instead added some overnight days to Kyoto and gone down to Hiroshima/Miyajima.
• In Osaka I stayed near Yodoyobashi, which is really awkwardly located because it's right in between the two stations you'll want to travel from (Osaka-Umeda, Namba). In hindsight I should have booked something in Namba.
• I wish I'd booked a ryokan/shokuban stay, but they were all sold out on the dates I was going by the time I looked. Next time :)

Food

• If you're vegetarian... good luck. I had so much trouble finding food: most things are made with meat stock, and even dishes described as 'vegetable' often had mystery meat. I do eat fish sometimes so that ended up being most of my diet. Unagi is A+.
• Conbini food is decent but highly processed.
• Fruit is insanely expensive and honestly not very good.

Activities

• The highlights of the trip for me were definitely the shrine and temple visits and the time I spent in nature. I'm not much of a city-activities person these days, it turns out :)
• I was intending to some onsens but I had nosebleeds the whole three weeks so I had to scrap that :(
• Next time I come to Japan, I'm going to do more nature. Tentatively: hike the Kumano Kodo, cycle Shimanami Kaido, and hike Fuji.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Infamous_Lab7531 on 2024-11-22 14:38:07+00:00.

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I went to Japan for the first time in October of 2024 and I thought my report could be interesting for some people who are considering to visit Japan (especially solo) themselves.

A bit of context first: I am from Germany, 28 years old, and have never been outside of Europe with the exception of two trips to the US in 2022 and 2023 so traveling solo to Japan was a big deal for me and I spent a lot of time planning every single detail of my trip. I like Japanese video games and anime, but I have also been interested in Japanese culture in general for quite some time. The main focus of the trip was seeing the big cities, art and history, and trying as much different Japanese food and drinks (including fine dining) as possible.

I don't want this post to be too long so instead of going into detail for every single day I will write some general impressions, a few things about each city, some details about food and drinks, and things I would do differently next time. Feel free to ask questions about any details in the comments though.

General impressions of Japan

Japan is probably one of the best countries in the world for solo travel. The vast majority of restaurants allow solo diners, finding a reasonably priced hotel room isn't too difficult, and a lot of things that are commonly seen as group activities like karaoke or seeing a movie are normalized to do solo. I already know that I will return many times over the course of my life and I will probably travel solo (or with a s/o) most of the time. I know that xenophobia in Japan is currently a hot topic, but I haven't experienced any discrimination to speak of. Some people might be reluctant to speak much English, but that has cultural reasons and they won't generally refuse to talk to you. That being said, I am a white dude and my experience is not universal. The only truly uncomfortable part of my trip was jet lag. It wasn't bad flying to America so after my first successful night I thought it was gone, but that was not true at all. The second night I went to a couple of bars, forgot to set my alarm clock, and slept until 2PM. The following days were pretty bad and I was constantly tired. I will definitely be more careful next time.

Tokyo

Tokyo might be my favorite city in the world. I haven't been to NYC in two years though so it might be recency bias. Everything is so clean, trains are reliable and on time, people are considerate of each other, and it's not nearly as loud as you'd expect considering the amount of people that are in the city. People generally speak English, but it's still a good idea to learn some basic Japanese for everyday interactions. EDIT: This is mostly true for people who work in customer service, but not necessarily for everyday Tokyo residents. Also if you actually want to have conversations with Japanese people that go beyond ordering food at a restaurant you should definitely learn some Japanese. END OF EDIT. I returned around a month ago and I still miss this city every day. Some attractions I enjoyed were the Tokyo National Museum which has a couple of really interesting exhibitions and a beautiful garden, Akihabara which is a must as a gaming or anime fan, DisneySea which has enough unique rides for people who've been to Disneyland or WDW before, and (somewhat surprisingly since everyone only ever talks about Shinjuku and Shibuya which were also great though) Ginza at night which has a lot of nice bars, restaurants, and izakayas. A lot of the places in Ginza are a bit more expensive though.

Kyoto

A lot of travelers and locals I spoke with told me they love this city, but I probably won't return anytime soon. It's really pretty and I can definitely see the appeal, but the tourist destinations were so crowded that I didn't enjoy visiting them a lot. Some of the side streets in Gion and Arashiyama are incredible though. Nijo Castle was disappointing and I wouldn't recommend visiting unless you have a lot of time in Kyoto. I just thought it was a bit boring. Kokedera (moss temple) is pretty close to Arashiyama and I enjoyed my time, but it's one of the most expensive activities of my whole trip at ¥4,110 and the whole visit only took around one hour. Public transit is pretty bad compared to Tokyo and I took a lot more taxis in Kyoto than in Tokyo. I think everyone should visit the city at least once to see if they like it or not. Just do everyone else a favor and actually stay in Kyoto for a few days because the amount of tourists in the city would not be nearly as bad if people did that instead of only staying for a day and returning to their hotels in another city.

Osaka

I only spent one day in Osaka during my time in Kyoto. I saw the Umeda Sky Tower, Osaka Castle, and spent some time in Dotombori before moving on to my dinner reservation and returning to Kyoto. I enjoyed my time in the city a lot and I will definitely return next time. Umeda Sky Tower was really cool despite the Osaka skyline not being particularly beautiful. It's a bit pricey at ¥2,000, but I thought it was worth it. Osaka Castle is very pretty from the outside, but the museum on the inside was a bit underwhelming for me personally, especially since it was so crowded and the view from the top isn't anything special. Dotombori has a great vibe and I wish I had spent the full evening there.

Food and drinks

Restaurants and bars are always one of my top priorities when traveling so Japan was obviously not different. I spent a lot of time researching the best places to visit so I can try as much different Japanese food at a high quality as possible. What really impressed me was how high the standard is in Japan. You can really just walk into any random shop and be served food that is at least good, if not excellent. This is what I miss the most, the fact that you can easily get cheap and high quality food everywhere. Germany is unfortunately not like that at all. I definitely recommend trying more than just konbini food, ramen, and sushi. I loved the Chinese gyoza places, katsudon, tempura, yakitori, and even "western food" like curry and hamburg steak.

If you care about fine dining, these were my highlights:

• L'Effervescence, French, ***, tabelog silver, ~¥50,000 including alcohol free pairing

• Takayama, Italian, *, "excellent", ~¥50,000 including champagne and wine pairing

• Kiyama, Kaiseki, *, tabelog silver, ~¥50,000 including sake pairing

• Gion Nishikawa, Kaiseki, **, tabelog bronze, ~¥50,000 including sake pairing

As for bars, I visited a ton in Tokyo and not as many in Kyoto. My favorites were High Five, Folklore (!!!!!, incredible drinks and relaxed atmosphere), and Ben Fiddich, but memento mori, Tokyo Whisky Library, The Bellwood, and Bees Knees in Kyoto were great as well. I didn't have a single bad cocktail and some of them were are among the best I have ever had. I especially like the "fresh fruit cocktails" which usually use in-season fruit and a matching spirit. I had one with fresh grape, brandy, and champagne and I could have had ten more. Not that it would be advisable to do so.

What would I do differently?

I would definitely be a bit more careful with my jet lag now that I know how much it affects me. Try to sleep as much as possible the first few nights and not drink as much alcohol early on. What I would also change is the trip length. 13 nights simply isn't enough considering the flights were 14-15 hours. Next time, I will spend three weeks in Japan. I will also book fewer restaurants in advance to have some more space for spontaneous meals. Other than that though, I am pretty happy with my preparations. I got an esim for internet, activated it immediately, once I left the plane, got a suica card on my phone, withdrew some cash at an ATM, and was pretty much ready for Japan once I got into my first train. Packing light and doing laundry on my own didn't take a lot of time out of my trip and it meant I could travel with only a carry on.

I definitely recommend everyone go and visit Japan. It was the best trip of my life and I am already thinking about the next one.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/kitkat272 on 2024-11-21 22:21:43+00:00.

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Way back when I took my first trip to Japan in 2019 this sub helped me out so much so I always like to post a report here. I’m not very interesting but I like to focus on things that maybe I would have liked to read about before going…

First Trip (August/September 2019)

Second Trip (June/July 2023)

First about me: I’m an American woman in my late 30s, I mostly travel alone but I meet up with friends who live in Japan sometimes. I do not speak Japanese (unfortunately!) I get really anxious about going to restaurants and stuff so this will not be a foodie report, foodies will be quite disappointed with what I eat in Japan. One of the major reasons I travel to Japan is because I’m really in to a certain idol group. I usually don’t go too into that in my reports but it was a huge part of my trip this time I’ll put a section about it after the main report for anyone who might be interested. 

Day 1 to 6: Tokyo

I took the 1 AM flight out of NYC to Haneda. It landed in Haneda at 5 AM. There were pros and cons to this. I got out of security super quick and easy. I think I would have struggled with what to do so early in the morning if my friends didn’t invite me to their house.

• Staying in Ikebukuro

My friends live in Ikebukuro and I also stayed there. At first I wasn’t so sure about it because there are other areas with better rated hotels for cheaper but I came to really like it! I loved the Sunshine City mall and there were loads of places to eat. Also I personally found Ikebukuro station easy to navigate once you become familiar with the one exit to your hotel.  

• CLAMP exhibit at the National Art Center

The only non idol thing I did these days was visit Roppongi to see the CLAMP exhibit at the National Art Center. The exhibit is over now but I guess the #1 lesson I learned this day is when people say go early believe it! I am a really lazy traveler and I thought “Hey I have tickets, how bad can it be?” Well I had to wait in line for a really long time. The exhibit itself was very crowded but seeing all the manga art up close was nice. 

1. Roppongi Hills

I also went to see the TV Asahi building (nice merch store!) and the Mori observatory on this day. I love viewpoints and I’ve visited one in Tokyo at sunset on all my trips (Skytree and Shibuya Sky on my last two), of all of them maybe Mori was the least special but I liked that they kept the rooms dark and had nice places to sit and view. The view of Tokyo Tower from this whole area is so nice too. 

Day 6-8 Tokyo to Osaka to Kyoto

• Night Bus

My sixth night we took the night bus to Osaka. The bus had plugs for chargers which was great. Unfortunately the plug dug into my thigh the whole ride. Yeah my butt was kind of too big for the night bus. I got a little bit of sleep but not a ton.  The best advice I saw before taking the bus was that when you get off during a rest stop to take a picture of your bus to make sure you get on the right one, I didn’t do it but when I was coming back from the bathroom I got a bit nervous!

• ART HOTEL Buffet

We went and had dinner at the buffet at ART HOTEL. They have different themed buffets and this time the theme was Black and White, it was really interesting. The lobby was really nicely decorated and the view was great. 

Days 9-13 Kyoto (with day trips to Osaka and Himeji)

My hotel was near Sanjo which I loved, loved, LOVED. I know people dislike the subway network in Kyoto but I still really liked being near multiple train stations, I wanted to avoid having to ride the buses. It was a super walkable area too. I really liked Sanjo Metengai… I just love shopping streets.

• Nijo Castle

My first day in Kyoto I went to Nijo castle. I made a really big mistake though, I didn’t realize I needed to get a ticket for the Honmaru ahead of time. I decided to just go and see if it would be possible to get a day of ticket but the Honmaru was actually totally closed that day. There was a lot to see other than the Honmaru so it was worth the trip but it was also a super hot day so not really fun to walk around. I will be back!

• Osaka Day Trip

I took a day trip to Osaka to do some shopping… actually no, it was to see a NMB48 show, but I did some shopping first. I stopped off at the Hankyu department store, a tip here is the first floors are typical department store stuff but the upper floors get interesting. When I was there there was a Turkish festival going on and I bought some baklava. There were also some pop up shops and Starbucks on this floor. 

What I really wanted was some Myakumyaku goods! After googling I saw Daimaru had a shop so I went over there. Daimaru has a floor with nice character goods shops, I liked their Sanrio section as well. I also spent some time in the Hands store there. 

The NMB48 show was interesting. Unfortunately I forgot my light sticks!

• Walk around Higashiyama

I decided to walk from my hotel to Higashiyama Jisho-shi and back. The highlight was Okazaki shrine with the cute rabbits. I also really liked the Philosophers Path. Some other shrines and temples around here I had been to on my last trip so I tried to avoid them. This day was super hot! This also demonstrates what I loved about staying in Sanjo and in Kyoto, the fact that I could just walk out of my hotel and go, I didn't have to worry about taking transport somewhere, I could just walk and have a really interesting day.

• Day trip to Himeji

I enjoyed Himeji a lot. In general I love castles and I love checking out the inside and outside. I’ve seen some people advise not to go inside because it’s bare or too crowded but I can’t imagine not going in. I exited through a gate that was only open for a limited time, when I saw it was only open in September I felt like I had to! This is another place I want to go back to, it was too hot for me to do much else here. 

• Kenninji

I went here to see the dragon painting on the ceiling. I liked it and spent a bunch of time looking at the different art. The thing that really sticks out to me here though is all the security guards and stuff there were in the area, I guess they’ve had some issues. 

• Fushimi Inari

This simply felt like a must to me. Of course I didn’t follow any of the usual advice and went in the middle of the day. It was crowded but I’m not too bothered by crowds. It was kind of just something to check off the list and I’m glad I went and got some goshuin! 

On my last night in Kyoto I met with a friend that reminded me it was a holiday weekend and the trains were going to be super busy. I knew about the holidays but I didn’t even think about the fact I was there during silver week! I’m used to just booking the same day at the station and the trains not being too crowded. Worried, I tried using smartex but I couldn’t get it to work. The trains really were very crowded. At the station I decided to do a green car but I did wish I pre-booked. 

Days 14-23 Back to Tokyo

• Sanrio Puroland

We went there on the worst possible day. It was kind of rainy and also a holiday weekend but it was the only day my friend who really wanted to go could go. I really enjoyed the boat ride and making the name key chain. It was fun but really, really busy. I would kind of like to go back but during a weekday. 

• Utsunomiya

I really wanted to go see the Oya History Museum. Getting there from Tokyo was kind of a long trip and I enjoy trains. The museum itself was cool but smaller than I thought. I liked seeing the Oya Kannon (another pic) nearby. I really feel like this is a place probably better seen if you’re already in the area, maybe with a car. 

• Nihon Minka-en

Something I love going to in Japan is open air museums. I was torn between here and the Edo Tokyo one and ended up choosing this one. It was nice and I was really impressed by the first house but in the end I would probably rank it behind previous open air museums I’ve been to (MeijiMura and Osaka Farmhouse) only because you couldn’t really walk inside most of the houses, only look inside from the outside area. It was still great though! The plaques were really interesting and informative about where the house came from and the families who lived there. 

• Sunshine City

I was staying near Sunshine City so I spent a lot of time there and really enjoyed it. The doughnuts at the Sesame Street Cafe were really yummy. There are lots of gatcha machines here in multiple places throu...

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Content cut off. Read original on https://old.reddit.com/r/JapanTravel/comments/1gws3bz/highlights_from_my_third_trip_september_9_october/

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/TheSquishies on 2024-11-22 20:18:13+00:00.

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I know this sub gets questions on accessibility, so I wanted to do a summary of my recent trip focused on accessibility. For reference, I visited Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, and Kawaguichiko with my partner this past Sept/Oct, spanning about 17 days. We're both in our early thirties and from the USA. I have a disability that affects my one leg and I wear a leg brace. For the trip, I was either walking with a cane or using an electric wheelchair.

Overall Notes

• Shops & restaurants - 100% my biggest frustration of the trip was just how many shops and restaurants were inaccessible for wheelchairs. Most of the time the issue was either that it had a curb/big step(s) at the entrance or the aisles were just too small to maneuver in. I honestly couldn’t recommend going to Harajuku or Akihabara if you need a chair as the majority of local shops weren’t accessible. Also, there are a ton of restaurants that are counter seating only, which is both not great for wheelchairs and also not very comfortable to take a break on.
• Streets - In general, the streets were fine. I did get stuck in a big curb or two, but luckily I was able to get through them with some help from my partner. Also, the sidewalks do have a ton of tiny bumps in them for blind people. I didn't find it to be too bumpy, but you definitely feel them.
• Benches - Benches aren't common on the streets which was frustrating. Also, most cafes and restaurants didn’t have plentiful seating, so it was often hard to find a place to sit down and rest in popular areas.
• Estimated Walking Time - Not Japan specific, but learn from my mistake. If you’re disabled or just a slow walker, double the estimated google map walking time for a more accurate time.
• Flow of Foot Traffic - I don’t think there’s any flow or guideline to the direction of foot traffic…at least I didn’t pick up on one. There didn’t seem to be a “everyone stay to the right” or any kind of pattern to foot traffic which made navigating the streets more stressful.
• Language - The only time it helped to know some Japanese was when dealing with my wheelchair. Otherwise, I don’t think I would have needed anything outside of please, thank you, and excuse me. Know that in Japan they don’t really use the word “ramp,” but “slope” (surōpu) so definitely know that word. I’d also recommend knowing “doko”, “koko”, and directional words as most of the needed communication was about where I needed to go.
• People - I hope this doesn't come across rude, but I often hear how nice and accommodating the Japanese people are, but I unfortunately didn’t experience this. I had several people walk into me and out of all the times I rode public transport only 1 person ever gave up their seat for me (or honestly any old or disabled person). I thought people were just like any other city, so don't expect people to help. I will say that people were great at holding the elevator door for anyone though (which was good bc they close FAST).
• Hotels - We did splurge a bit to make sure we’d have a room that would fit a wheelchair and we didn’t have any issues. I would definitely recommend doing your research on hotels though as even in some of the nicer hotels, it was a tight fit.

Transportation 

• Trains - I have a love/hate relationship with the trains lol. I thought most stations were easy to navigate and we only had significant timing delays with 2 trips. However, the trains are a lot less efficient when using a wheelchair. First off, the right elevators are hard to find. I’d be following signs to my platform and then get blocked by a flight of stairs with no accessible route in sight. I’d have to ask employees and/or go a completely round-about way to get to where I needed to go. Then there’s the platforms themselves. The gaps between the platforms and the trains varied greatly. Because I was unfamiliar with them, I got in the habit of asking for a slope at the ticket office to avoid any issues. Although this worked well, it did mean waiting 10-20 minutes for the train workers to coordinate with the receiving station, so it ate up a bunch of time. Lastly, I know it’s a tiny thing, but PEOPLE GO USE THE OTHER 10 TICKET GATES THAT YOU CAN FIT INTO, I CAN ONLY FIT IN ONE. The amount of times I had to basically push my way into the only gate big enough for my chair WHEN ALL THE OTHER ONES WERE FULLY OPEN was frustrating.
• Buses - The buses were great. All the local buses I used had a ramp onto them and they would flip up some seats for space. I only took one non-local bus from the airport and it had storage space under the bus that fit my chair fine.
• Taxi - We unexpectedly took one taxi ride, which was kind of crazy. It was a normal sized car that they flipped two of the seats down in, had a ramp to wheel me in, and then some how strapped me down to the floor. It was a little scary, but it worked.

Kanto Region/Attractions

• Sensoji - Super accessible. I knew the main part had an elevator which is great, but I was worried the surrounding streets would be too tight, especially when crowded with people. However, the streets were all wide enough and my only issue was a big curb or two.
• Teamlab Borderless - All but one of the rooms was accessible, but they did have a accessible viewing area for that one. Note though, that they don't allow electric wheelchairs, only manual. Luckily mine can be either, but I did feel bad that my partner had to push me through it. I don't think I could have done it without my chair though as there are not places to sit down inside (unless you count the floor.)
• Disney - Disney was very accessible, although a little difficult to figure out. I basically got stopped at the entrance of every ride, had the cast member ask me some questions, and then either went through one of the lines, or came back after the current wait time to get on via the exit. Then I'd park my chair around the loading area and just walk on. All the nighttime shows had a special viewing area for wheelchair users which was great.
• Puroland - Also very accessible. Right after scanning our tickets an employee pulled me aside and explained how accessibility worked for all the attractions and shows. I hope they know just how appreciated that was! They had a big accessible restroom and elevators to all floors. The only inaccessible thing I encountered was you need to walk about 10 stairs to the main boat ride, but luckily I could handle that.
• Ghibli Museum - Pretty accessible. There are a bunch of staircases and little nooks that are inaccessible and you can only access the rooftop garden via a spiral staircase. However, all the exhibits, the theater, shop, and restaurants are accessible. They also get points for having the coolest elevator of our trip.
• Pokemon Cafe - I didn't use my chair when I went but I didn't notice any stairs, it was a wide space, and the seating was easily movable, so I'd give it a thumbs up.

Kansai Region/Attractions

• Kyoto - I went in thinking Kyoto would be the most difficult and that was correct. It’s very hilly and has a lot of rough terrain (like stone roads), so it was difficult both with or without my chair. We mainly hit Kiyomizu-dera, Gion, Fushimi Inari, and Nishiki Market. I didn't use my wheelchair at any of these places and I'm honestly not sure I would have been able to with the terrain. You'd probably be ok with a chair in Nishiki if it's not too busy.
• Nara - Similar difficulties as with Kyoto, but I thought it was better here. Definitely do research on which temples/shrines are accessible though, as they vary. For example, Todaij was super accessible but then one right next to it was completely inaccessible. Also, don't worry, the deer will still bow to you even if you're seated in your chair lol.
• Osaka - We only did Dontonburi and the castle grounds. Castle grounds were very accessible and Dontonburi was similar to any other street.

Conclusion/What I’d do Differently Next Time

Overall, I did have a good time and I would love to go back some day. However, on future trips I would take things slower so I could walk more and bring a portable chair or stool. I did feel like using a wheelchair prevented me from going to a number of places which was disappointing. I’d probably also take my chances with the train gaps and not ask for the slope help as it got way too time consuming. Lastly, I’d stick to the newer cities/areas as the older towns were just too challenging/uncomfortable for me.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/aElons on 2024-11-22 20:15:13+00:00.

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The making of a good travel day is one that is bland. Well, today wasn't, but it still compelled me to write about it—the absolute beauty of Japanese hospitality.

Last day in Tokyo, my flight was scheduled to depart from HND at 8 PM (nonstop to Atlanta). I had planned my day with some morning shopping, checking a few camera stores in Tokyo, shopping at Uniqlo (alas, capitalism strikes again), and visiting Senso-ji Temple during golden hour before heading back to the hotel to collect my luggage from storage.

All went smoothly, and I was on the monorail heading to Haneda Airport from Hamamatsucho Station. I had with me a medium suitcase, a 65L duffel bag I purchased the day before from Don Quijote to stuff all the impulse purchases into, a crossbody sling bag with my passport, and a carry-on backpack containing my flight essentials and camera gear.

Well, the monorail was full to the brim, so it was a challenge to navigate through it with a backpack on. Thus, my hands were full with luggage as I tried to claim some monorail real estate until I reached Haneda Terminal 3. Mission accomplished.

I got off at Terminal 3 and was making my way to check in my luggage when I realized that I no longer had my backpack with me. I'm a little OCD when it comes to always having my belongings with me—phone always charged, all flight essentials in one place, etc.—and thus the realization that I had lost my backpack full of camera gear didn't feel good.

This was around 6:00 PM. It had been about 20-30 minutes since I got off the monorail, and my flight was scheduled to start boarding at 7 PM. Panicked, I ran back to the monorail station with the remainder of my luggage and thought maybe the same train would have looped back at the Terminal 3 station (as you might have guessed, this was a panic-induced thought and not that of precise mathematical calculation). Anyways, I guess my travel instincts took over, and I somehow located the nearest staffed office at the station and explained the situation to the two officers there.

They got to work immediately, walked me back to the station to ask me if I could give a vague idea of where on the platform I got off and also what part of the train I boarded at Hamamatsucho. I told them what I could remember and also referenced my Google Timeline location history to give them an idea of the time I got on the train, hoping they could narrow down the train I left my bag on. At this point, it was 6:45 PM, and I had about 15 minutes before the cutoff for checking in luggage. So, in another panic frenzy, I jotted down my information with the officers at the Monorail Terminal 3 station and scurried my way back to the airline check-in counter and successfully checked in. Around 7 PM, I was back at the monorail office, and they had located my bag and put it on a train back that was supposed to arrive at Haneda at 7:04 PM. Like clockwork, at 7:05 PM, one of the officers came back with my bag in hand! Oh, the relief!

I rushed back to the airport and got in the queue for the security check. At this point, it was 7:18 PM, and according to the internet, boarding was supposed to stop 30 minutes prior to international departures. I explained the situation to a few airport staff and also had it typed out on Google Translate, so I was allowed to skip the long queue for security and immigration (BIG thank you!).

I made it to my gate in time with 3 minutes to go! 🤩

CONCLUSION: Japanese hospitality and efficiency saved my day, and I'm a forever fan (not that I wasn't a fan before, as this was my first trip to Japan, and I loved every minute of it).

TL;DR: I lost my backpack with all my valuables at Haneda Airport. Thanks to the incredible efficiency and kindness of Japanese staff, I was able to recover it just in time to catch my flight.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/davelee_the_reporter on 2024-11-21 07:59:51+00:00.

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I’m at Haneda airport getting ready to head home to New York. For the past two weeks I’ve been lurking on this subreddit, learning really great tips, and so I wanted to throw in some quick reflections from my experience as a solo traveller in Tokyo, Kyoto and Hakone. My trip, much like my life, mostly focused around finding great food and drink.

In Tokyo, my recommendations are:

• Tempura and wine OSHIO. My first meal in Japan may well have been my favorite of the entire trip. Under a railway arch, Tempura and Wine OSHIO provided incredible tasty dishes at a price so low I was routinely double-checking my math, worried I’d misunderstood the exchange rate. Ordering is done via QR code, but that’s not to say the service was impersonal. It’s a buzzy spot popular with young professional Toykoites. I booked via Google. Word of warning: my booking on Google was for one, but when I arrived they’d set out space for two. They were polite but I suspect they’d prefer two people (like many places). Was very much handed the check when an hour had passed.

Google:

• Kanda Matsuya. This was a recommendation I picked up on this subreddit as an ideal spot to eat if you’re in and around the geeky Akihabara district. It’s an authentic little spot that seems very popular with locals who outnumbered tourists by about 5-to-1, as far as I could tell. There were five or so people in line when I arrived, but I was sat down within about 10 minutes. I had an extremely hearty chicken curry. 

Google:  

• Tokyo Bar Hopping tour. Caught in two minds recommending this since the tour itself wasn’t great: three quite mediocre bars and a set menu set up by the tour company at each place. Hardly the introduction to the Tokyo drinking scene I’d hoped for. However, it’s good enough for getting your bearings and, with its early start, there was ample time to keep the night going with the fantastic people I met in the group. The tour ends not far from Golden Gai which, while swarming with tourists (just like me…), is an experience not to be missed. More than 300 bars crammed into the equivalent space of one US city block. Sitting in a tiny (~6 people) bar drinking whisky with new friends was a real highlight for this somewhat-shy solo traveller. 

Booking:

• Sushi making class. The company behind this class is new and clearly on the up — it has new locations opening across the city next year, and plans a Kyoto expansion. It’s easy to see why. This was a very fun cooking lesson, with simple instructions that have me eager to keep making sushi back home. Terrific value for money and the food was absolutely delicious, even if my own effort was somewhat lacking in the presentation department. No expense has been spared on the quality of ingredients, and the team is enthusiastic and good-humored. You get to customize your rolls/nigiri, so if there are any aspects you’re not keen on, just leave them out. I also did the added sake tasting float: three very large servings that left me half drunk at 12pm. 

Booking:

- Tonki. This was a recommendation from a colleague who works in the city. It’s a tonkatsu restaurant where everyone sits around a very large counter as the frantic preparations take place in the middle. The menu is limited— you basically choose one of three varieties of breaded pork cutlet. From here you take a seat along the wall, in no particular order, to wait to be beckoned. I’ve no idea how this system works, there are no tickets or anything, but after about 20 minutes I was called up. The pork was delicious and came with bottomless cabbage. What stood out most here was the ambience — calm, quiet and minimalist.

Google:  

In Kyoto, my recommendations are:

• Book ahead and plan to eat early! I didn’t do enough of this and it cost me on the first night. There are tourist trap restaurants a plenty in Gion and Pontocho, and my lack of planning cost me on the first night when I had an extravagant but average tasting menu at one place. 

• Kamogawa Takashi. Boy oh boy, was this a good meal. I’d booked a wagyu experience on Airbnb but the host cancelled since it was only me. However, in true Japanese fashion, he went out of his way to find me some great food, booking me at this spot in a quieter area north of all the hustle in downtown Kyoto. At first I worried this was some kind of arrangement with the restaurant, but when I arrived the owner was (politely) curious as to who it was calling up and making bookings on a tourist’s behalf. I had the full beef tasting menu for 12,000 yen  — several courses of delicious meats prepared simply but perfectly, washed down with a couple of beers. There was no English menu, but my server that night, a chap called Han (possibly wrong!), spoke English very well on account of having been a footballer (!) in Europe for a number of years.

Google:  

• Sanjūsangendō Temple. Let’s face it, most of us aren’t buddhists, so all of those temples can blend in a bit when there’s no deeper spiritual meaning to be appreciated. Not so with Sanjūsangendō, an absolutely breathtaking place. Its hall containing 1,001 wooden statues, painted gold, was profoundly moving even to this atheist. Even though it seems a little out of the way, you’ll be round in 30 minutes, with no regrets.

Google:  

• Nintendo Kyoto. If you have any affinity at all with the Nintendo universe, take a minute to check out its floor in a great department store with plenty else to offer (including a very cool bookstore + cafe that allows you to take titles to read with a coffee).

Google:  

• Bamboo forest + Kameyamaya. I can’t write anything about the bamboo forest that hasn’t been written by others already, other than to second that it’s worth seeing, and definitely worth getting there early before most of the coaches arrive. I was there at 10am and it was peaceful enough, though it was a rainy day. An hour later, hordes arrived. Kameyamaya is a restaurant that’s on the banks of the Katsura and is hardly a secret — it’s in the Lonely Planet guide. But it’s worth the hype, a straightforward feast at very reasonable prices, managed by a tiny staff that includes quite possibly the hardest working woman in Japan. It opens at 11:30 — my tip would be to get there around 11 or so to put your name down on the list. It’s pretty slow going — I arrived at 11:25 and ended up waiting a good 30 minutes or so.

Google:  

In Hakone, my recommendations are:

• Assume everything takes a while. ***"***There’s no hurryin’ in Hakone!" — that should be a saying if it isn’t one already. The Hakone Tozan line takes its time. The Tozan cable car really takes its time. The Ropeway takes its time, but we can let that one off — it’s majestic. Or, at least, I assume it is: I visited on a cloudy day, could barely see a thing. The point is, you're looking at a good two hours there and back between Hakone and Gora, where a lot of the "stuff" is. It's a day that will test your tourism endurance.

• Cocoro. My best meal in Hakone was at Cocoro, a curry and rice joint. I had a beef curry that was still bubbling away when it arrived at my table. A lovely intimate spot handled by an even lovelier woman in charge. Head downstairs when you arrive and put your name down before heading back outside. I waited about 20 minutes — more than worth it.

Google:  

• Open-Air Museum. A peaceful sprawling garden of artworks and sculptures that’s worth hopping off the train for, either on your way there or way back. Last entry is at 4:30pm — though I arrived at 4pm and felt a little rushed getting round. The Picasso gallery is a highlight; well presented and not too overwhelming. A good 15 minutes in there and you’ve enjoyed its highlights.

Google:

• Maybe avoid this place: https://maps.app.goo.gl/4kfykfkbDgsASTaq6. Or at least, avoid the burger on a stick he offers. Worried it was undercooked at the time (but didn’t say anything…) and was struck with the shits for the next day or so. But — and I’ll leave you with this, I guess — if you’re going to have the shits anywhere in the world, you might as well make it Japan, land of the perfect toilets.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/AlmandineKnight on 2024-11-20 02:39:24+00:00.

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I’ve been scouring Reddit since the summer months to help plan my trip, and wanted to do my bit for those that are planning a first time trip themselves.  Hopefully someone can find something in here that is helpful, just as so many of you have helped me and my family.

 

This was an 8 day trip traveling with my 2 kids (early teens), on our first time to Japan.

 

Suica:

Loaded up our digital Suica cards in our Apple Wallets for me and my oldest.  Bought a physical Welcome Suica card for my youngest at Haneda.

 

Google Maps:

Absolutely vital travel tool to have.  I love exploring and getting “lost” at times, but traveling with 2 kids and having limited time really helped us to be more discerning with our choices and where we were going.  A few times the directions on the Metro were slightly off, or a little confusing, so sometimes it’s better to just use the actual signs in the Metro station and exist in the 3D real world.

 

eSIM:

Purchase Airalo eSIM for me and my oldest.  Installing mine was a big mess, and did not work initially.  I’m glad I did this several days before departure, since their customer service is not super responsive, and I ended up getting the quickest response by tagging them in a Reddit post on their community.  Finally got it installed, and the activation upon landing was fine.  My 10 gig data allotment was adequate for a week, but my older one burned through 10 gigs of data in the first days while streaming YouTube on the Shinkansen, and also syncing photos, so we had to turn off some apps and top up for another 10 gigs.

 

Cash:

Added a Schwab checking account to my existing brokerage account, so that I could use their debit card and get reimbursed for ATM fees while in Japan.  I found that most places took credit cards, I’m guessing since we were in mostly tourist areas—there was only one restaurant in Kyoto that was cash only.

 

Passport:

Kept my passport on me at all times, ended up getting tax free discount at several shops, so this was important to have on me (and other threads mentioned it’s a requirement to do that anyway while traveling in Japan).

 

 

Day 1: Tokyo

Landed in Haneda around 2pm, and Customs process was very easy.  Very easy because I had used the Visit Japan Web travel website the day before and filled out all the forms (one for each passenger!) and screenshot my QR codes (in case my eSIM gave me issues—see earlier).  Purchased Welcome Suica card for my youngest child doesn’t have a mobile phone yet.  We had already loaded up Suica cards for me and my older child before we left.  We took the train from Haneda to Shinjuku, and it was easy.  There were also workers in Haneda near the kiosks that also helped and spoke excellent English.  After checking in to our hotel, we took a nap, then forced ourselves to wake up after 2 hours.  We then wandered around to find some dinner, but didn’t realize that it was a national holiday when we arrived (Culture Day), so a lot of places were closed and the streets were pretty empty in that part of Shinjuku.

 

Day 2: Tokyo

Got up really early due to time zone difference, after hotel breakfast we decided to start walking towards Meiju Jingu.  We got there by 7:30am and it was completely empty, nice to enjoy the quiet.  Kept walking south down towards Shibuya.  Grabbed Blue Bottle coffee and waited for everything to open.  Didn’t realize that nothing really opens until 10am, but more like 11am.  Walked around Shibuya crossing (not very exciting early in the morning), and then saw the Hachiko statue, until it was 10am and the Nintendo store opened.  Then spent more time walking around and checking out shops (clothing, skate, fashion, Tower Records, G-Shock, etc.).  We wandered up in Harajuku and ate lunch at Hamburg YOSHI.  About a 20 minute wait, but meal was good.  Also sat next to a Spanish couple filming a new video for their YouTube channel.  Had matcha and ice cream from The Matcha in Harajuku, son proceeded to drop his green tea ice cream on the street!  Dinner at an udon place near our hotel in Shinjuku.

 

Day 3: Tokyo

Tried to get an early start and get to Asakusa early, but jet lag continued…  didn’t get to Senso-ji until 10:30am and it was already madness.  Looked around quickly, then headed for Kappabashi to check out some knives.  I ended up getting a new chef knife, but was hard to decide since there are so many stores and so many options!  Headed down to Ginza next to look around and check out Itoya store, Uniqlo, etc.  It had many floors and had some interesting stuff, but was pretty crowded.  Then headed down to TeamLabs Borderless for our ticket time (ordered online weeks in advance).  This was really fun, and the kids agreed it was a great stop.  More exploring after that, then burgers at Aldebaran in Rappongi and donuts from Dumbo Donuts for dessert.

 

Day 4: Tokyo > Hakone

Went out to Daikan-yama to explore, and checked out Tsutaya Books.  Then headed back to catch Shinkansen train to Odawara and on to Hakone.  We purchased reserve tickets in Shinjuku the day before, and loved the bullet train experience.  We had grabbed some snacks at Family Mart beforehand thinking it was a long ride, but was only about 30 minutes.  We then took the Hakone Tozan Railway to the Hakone Yumoto station, to change trains to get to Gora.  From there we took a hotel shuttle bus to the Hakone Kowakien Ten-yu.  Hotel was nice, but nicer than what our group needed.  I booked it a little late and a lot of other places were unavailable, and this one had a private onsen which is what we wanted.

 

Day 5: Hakone > Kyoto

Checked out of hotel, then took the train back to Gora.  The Gora station had lockers available for our luggage, and then took Hakone Tozan cable car and then the Ropeway up to Owakudani to see the black egg and try to get a better view of Mt Fuji.  The views were nice, and the clouds finally lifted at the end to see Mt Fuji.  The area seemed a little like an abandoned mining site that they turned into a tourist spot hahaha.  Back down to Gora, and retraced our steps to Odawara to catch the Shinkansen to Kyoto.  We bought reserved tickets at the station office less than 30 minutes before departure.  Got to Kyoto, took a taxi to our hotel in Higashiyama and then set off to explore.  We ate sushi at Sushi Taka in Gion, but had to wait about 30-40 minutes outside.  Didn’t realize that most restaurants in that area require dinner reservations, so make sure you plan ahead if there is a place you really want to eat at.

 

Day 6: Kyoto

Tried to leave early and took a taxi to Fushimi-Inari.  Arrived by 8:30am and it was already very crowded.  As everyone has posted here, once you start walking up the hill, the crowds do thin out somewhat.  Got some great city views of Kyoto at the top.  Then we walked out and grabbed wagyu burgers at Dragon Burger.  The kids enjoyed the craft cola quite a bit!  More shopping after that, as we headed to the Nintendo store (a little bigger than the Tokyo one).  % Arabica coffee and more wandering around Higashiyama, around Hokan-ji.  It was really crowded, lots of Chinese tourists dressed as geishas, and lots of cameras everywhere.  We tried to eat at Wabiya Korekido, but didn’t have reservations, so no tables available (see earlier comment).  Found a bar serving yakitori just in time as we were all getting pretty tired and hungry.

 

Day 7: Kyoto > Tokyo

Took a taxi to Arashiyama, and took a stroll through the bamboo forest.  Nothing too remarkable, as we had seen uncrowded bamboo forest in Fushimi-Inari the day before.  We then hiked up to the Monkey park, and this was a highlight for the kids.  Lots of fun to see all the monkeys playing and running around, plus nice city-wide views.  Another stop at % Arabica, but way too crowded so we headed back to the hotel, then the station to take the Shinkansen back to Tokyo.  Again, we bought tickets about 15 minutes before departure.

 

Back in Tokyo for final night, stopped at Selection Shinjuku to get some Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) merch.  Then went to Akihabara to walk around and explore.  We ended up getting conveyor belt sushi at Kaiten sushi Edokko Kanda, which was fun as a novelty.

 

Day 8:  Tokyo

We had the morning to spend, so we went up to the 45th floor observation floor at the Tokyo Metropolitan Government—some great views of the city and FREE!  We then took the Metro down to Shibuya/Harajuku for some final shopping.  Then it was off to Narita on the Narita Skyliner, which was very easy.  We still had some cash/coins left over to use in the airport, however the food options in the Terminal were unimpressive, so we used our final coins on small gifts, bottled water and snacks.

 

Overall, a fantastic trip with great memories.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/AutoModerator on 2024-10-25 00:00:32+00:00.

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Are you traveling to Japan this month? Want to hang out with other Redditors while you navigate the country? Then this is the thread for you!

Please post any and all meetup requests here. Be sure to include:

• Your basic itinerary
• Dates of travel and cities you're planning to visit
• Your age and gender identity
• Your home country (and any other languages you might speak)
• OPTIONAL: Share some of your hobbies or interests!

We have a Discord server you can use to coordinate meetups and other activities. You can join the official r/JapanTravel Discord here! There are also monthly meetup/planning channels, so react accordingly, and you can create threads for specific dates/locations if you so desire.

In the past, people have used LINE to coordinate and plan meetups.

NOTE: Please only post meetup requests for this month. If you are traveling in the future, please reserve all meetup requests for the thread that corresponds with the month of your first date of arrival in Japan. This thread is automatically posted 7 days before the start of the month.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Cucumber_Lonely on 2024-11-18 06:52:25+00:00.

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Hi all,

My wife and I are planning a trip to Japan in february next year. We are both 30 year old doctors in India, who have been planning this dream trip for a long time now. We have paid heed to the repeated cry of "ITS TOO PACKED" in the thousands of itneraries that we have gone through in this sub, which has been extremely helpful and our gratitude knows no bounds for this goldmine of a subreddit. We have tried to include less touristy places and experiences as well. We are both interested in art, culture, literature, food and shopping.

Sharing with you our draft itinerary. Have at it!

Feb 7, Friday:

• Land in KIX at around 3 pm, travel to kyoto, check in to Forza kyoto shijo kawaramachi
• Explore the area around the hotel-ive got my eyes on the bookoff in the neighbourhood to scour for some bargains on pokemon cards and such stuff (wife is not aware of this secret nefarious plan of mine), settle in, get some shut-eye

Feb 8, Saturday

• Explore gion, ninnenzaka, sannenzaka, enrol ourselves in a tatami mat workshop
• Stroll along kamo river in the evening and return to hotel

Feb 9, Sunday

• Early start, head to fushimi inari
• Gekkeikan sake museum and sake street
• Kyoto International Manga museum
• There happens to be a flea market-rakunen marche happening at the AEON mall, so would probably go there for a cursory perusal

Feb 10, Monday

• Day trip to Osaka
• Stroll at a leisurely pace from Tennoji to Dotonbori through shinsekai, nipponbashi, and denden town
• Return to kyoto by 10 pm (or stay overnight at a love hotel in osaka, sadly the wife is not too keen about this alternative though

Feb 11, Tuesday

• Kyoto a free kinda day, maybe go to Uji for the matcha and for the nintendo museum if we get tickets

Feb 12, Wednesday

• Shinkansen to hiroshima (planning to purchase a JR kansai-hiroshima pass, seems to work out cheap for our itinerary)
• Ferry to Miyajima, explore the island, get assaulted by the local cervine residents, go up mt. Misen, and overnight stay on the island at a hotel called Sakuraya

Feb 13, Thursday

• After further leisurely strolling around the island early in the morning, catch the ferry back to Hiroshima, explore the Peace Park
• Okonomiyaki at okonomimura and post-lunch stroll around the city
• Catch Shinkansen to okayama, a JR line train from okayama to Uno port and then the ferry to Naoshima
• Check in at Tsutsujiso naoshima (the place with the yurts, but we have booked a japanese style room)

Feb 14, Friday

• Full day exploration of the island on electric bicycles, with emphasis on Chichu Museum as the James Turell Open Sky exhibit showcases a light show kinda deal every Friday evening

Feb 15, Saturday

• Travel back to Okayama and check in to Via Inn Okayama, this pit stop was mainly incorporated into out itinerary by the Saidaiji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri (Naked man festival) which happens to be conducted on the third Saturday of Feb every year and we had to include this as we both love witnessing local festivals and rituals when we travel
• Rest up till afternoon and go attend the matsuri and catch the last train back to Okayama

Feb 16, Sunday

• Make our way to Kurashiki, chill by the canals, check out the Ohara art gallery and then return to Okayama by afternoon
• Travel to Kawaguchiko through Osaka and check in to Hotori no hotel Ban-no particular itinerary, stroll by the lakeside, go to an onsen if in the mood, watch the fireworks display that happens at 8pm every February weekend at Kawaguchi

Feb 17, Monday

• Travel to Tokyo and check in to Sotetsu Fresa Inn Akasaka
• Check out and wander around Jimbocho
• Ginza(watch kabuki at kabukiza) and then TeamLabs borderless

Feb 18, Tuesday

• Sensoji early morning visit
• wander around asakusa, stroll through kappabashi, and then reach ueno park, check out the national museum and lunch at ameyoko, then explore yanaka ginza in the evening

Feb 19, Wednesday

• Meiji Jingu, walk to harajuku, explore, lunch at harajuku and then stroll down to shibuya
• Shibuya (shopping at parco, pokemon center etc., visiting hachiko, going up shibuya sky for a night view)
• Clubbing/ chilling at a pub/jazz bar in Shibuya

Feb 20, Thursday

• Yokohama day trip-Strawberry festival at the red brick warehouse, then the cup noodles museum
• On returning to tokyo, explore tokyo station and head to shinjuku for a nightcap

Feb 21, Friday

• Shimokitazawa and Koenji exploration/ return to areas which we feel like revisiting/ enroll in a kintsugi workshop

Feb 22, Saturday

• Flight back to India from NRT

Any suggestions or feedback is highly appreciated, TIA!

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/RedStarRedTide on 2024-11-18 20:23:39+00:00.

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This was my first time in Japan and my first international trip. I want to thank the people in this sub for giving me advice and tips on luggage, wifi access, and neighborhoods to visit. This was my original post regarding itinerary help.

About me: I am an Asian American from the United States in my early thirties. I studied basic travel phrases for a couple months prior to my trip, so I had some words down for ordering food, shopping, and small talk. I went with a group of three other friends (two of them went to Japan last year) but we stayed in separate locations in Tokyo. I was exploring solo around 70 percent of the time.

Day One (Monday) - Landed at Haneda

Flew Japan Airlines and the experience and food were excellent. Had two meals and snacks so I felt satisfied. I barely slept during the nearly 12 hour flight with only a brief nap. I also forgot my earbuds at home so I was extremely bored and passed the time talking to my friend.

The first part of the trip was rocky. We landed in Haneda at the same time as several other flights. Going through immigration was horrific. It took us nearly an hour and 45 minutes to clear the gates where the passport checkers were. The lines were long and winding and the ventilation was poor with barely any air conditioning coming in. This was easily the worst part of the trip.

We went to currency exchange, picked up our Welcome Suica cards, and I picked up my pocket wifi at the ninja wifi counter (obtained through Japan Wireless) since my phone does not support esim. We took our respective trains to our lodging and luckily did not get lost.

I stayed at Hotel Sardonyx Ueno which was a couple blocks from Okachimachi Station. The hotel was excellent but the rooms are small. The hotel has coin laundry which costs 600 yen for a 2 hour wash and dry cycle. The staff were nice and I got checked in quickly. I checked in around 10:15 PM. I was unsure of what to eat so in desperation, I went to the local McDonald's (lol) and picked up some fries and a burger.

Day Two (Tuesday) - Ueno Park - Ameyoko Shopping District - brief detour to Asakusa

I spent the first day exploring the "home base" of Ueno. I was out and about around 7:45 AM. I went to Komeda's Coffee for a cup of joe and ordered a tonkatsu sandwich which came with toast and egg. It was a great way to kick off the trip with some caffeine and a bite.

I explored Ueno Park which was a short walk away. The park was peaceful and quiet as I passed by the Saigō Takamori statue. I walked by some shrines and Takenodai Square. The park was beautiful and walkable. It was clean and the trees and foliage were well kept. Unfortunately, the Tokyo National Museum was closed due to Culture Day so I elected to go back to Ameyoko Shopping District by taking the train at Ueno Station.

I went and explored Ameyoko Shopping District. There are loads of stalls and eateries including markets, tea shops, izakayas, ramen shops, clothing stores, and arcades.

The highlight of the night was a haircut appointment I had booked in October for Hiro Ginza Ueno. It was 10,120 yen for a 90 minute haircut, shave, and head spa. It was very relaxing and I was happy to start my trip with a fresh cut. Although there was a significant language barrier, I was extremely satisfied with the haircut and service.

I did a very quick trip to Asakusa to wrap up the evening since my friend wanted to grab some beers. The bar was small but lively. Beer is always good!

Day Three (Wed) - Asakusa - Sumida Park - Tobu Railway Musuem - Tokyo Skytree

I walked along the big street Inaricho station is located on to Asakusa. It took about 35-40 minutes to reach the Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center. I grabbed coffee along the way. Kaminarimon, Nakamise Dori, and Senso-ji along with the surrounding areas were beautiful but packed full of people. This was around 10-10:30 AM.

After visiting the temples, I went inside Don Quixote Asakusa and the surrounding areas. The store was full of items - luggage, cosmetics, snacks, electronics, clothes, etc. It was a bit overwhelming though.

Sumida Park was next. It was very quiet with a few bikers, and dog walkers. It was a bit drizzly and gloomy but I still had fun getting my steps in along the river.

Tobu Museum is a small but enjoyable railway museum. Thanks to u/dougwray for suggesting! There were no crowds at all so I had a leisurely stroll inside. The historical train carriages were fascinating and you can walk and sit inside most of them.

Tokyo Skytree was phenomenal. I reunited with my friends here and bought combo tickets for the Tembo Deck and Galleria. Imho it was well worth it. I got to the ticketing booth at 3:55 PM and was able to choose the 4:00 PM entry time. The views left me speechless and we stayed for pictures as it transitioned into nighttime with all the glittering lights.

Day Four (Thursday) - Akihabara - Tokyo Dome - Ichigaya

Walked from the hotel to Cafe Lapin at around 9 AM. The cheese toast and coffee were delicious! It wasn't your run of the mill grilled cheese sandwich. The cheese was soft and gooey but had substance. The coffee was rich and bold.

Afterwards I walked to Akihabara which took around 18-25 minutes. It was around 10 AM and most stores were still closed so I decided to walk to Higashi-Nihombashi to visit the Sakazen Large Size Specialty Store. This is a great store if you're a bigger guy like me who wears XXL-XXXL clothing. The selection was decent and I was able to pick up a button down. Took the train back to Akihabara to meet with friends and explored the model kit shops like Tamtam, Warhammer Cafe, and Popondetta Akihabara (thank you u/dougwray again!).

Dropped off my purchases at the hotel and took the train to Tokyo Dome. I am a huge baseball fan so this was a must see. The NPB season had ended in October but the shops, mall, spa, and amusement park were still open. Tokyo Dome City is massive.

Lastly, I ended the night with a head spa appointment I booked at Mr. Head by Ichigaya Station. It was 90 minutes of blissful massage for 11,200 yen.

Day Five (Friday) - Ginza

Started the morning at 8:35 AM at Glitch Coffee in Ginza. The shop opens at 9 AM so I went around the block for 15 minutes before coming back. Big mistake. There was already a small line and there were about 12 people ahead of me. I finally entered at around 9:35 AM. I paid 2000 yen for a coffee (roughly $15) per their recommendation. It was easy to drink and smelled wonderful like fruit but I didn't think it was worth 2000 yen lol. Definitely recommend coming here during opening. There was a line for at least 30-40 yards when I exited the shop.

Walked around Tsukiji Outer Market around 10:15 AM. The market was packed full of people and I didn't feel like trying some of the yummy snacks since the lines were long. Headed back to Ginza and explored shops like Montbell, Porter, etc. I headed to Tokyo Station afterwards for lunch at Tokyo Ramen Street. I got lost trying to leave Tokyo Station but eventually got to Marunouchi Square which was gorgeous. I am a big fan of the old-school looking train station! The plaza is huge and spacious - perfect for photos. I turned around and entered the Kokyo Gaien National Garden. This place was massive but I wasn't sure how much I could explore. The trees and grass were well kept and the views through the garden to the city were superb. I walked through the garden paths and exited back to Ginza.

I explored more of Ginza including the Uniqlo Flagship Store but the narrow aisles and huge crowds weren't as fun. Unfortunately, my feet were in significant pain that day and I had to cut my evening short by coming back to Ueno.

Day Six (Saturday) - Ueno

This was a rest/laundry day owing to my poor feet. I bought some teas and matcha for my family in Ameyoko early in the morning at 10 am when the shops opened up. I went back to the Tokyo National Musuem since it was closed on Tuesday. The pieces were excellent but imo somewhat limited. There were swords, pottery, wall dividers, artwork, sculptures, and more. Note: I only got the regular ticket but it seems like the premium ticket would be the better investment for more access.

Had Magurobito in Ueno for an early sushi dinner. I took advantage of there being no line and sat at the counter. The chef makes sushi according to your selection off a menu. The fish and seafood were delicious and it was relatively affordable (15 pieces for around $31 USD). In retrospect, I should have eaten more sushi on the trip but my body was constantly craving ramen. Went back to the hotel to start the laundry cycle and went back out to Ameyoko for some more food.

Day Seven (Sunday) - Return to Ginza

This was a shopping-focused day. I had to make up some of the time lost on Day Five. I started off the day at the Tamiya Plamodel Factory. The facility was clean, bright, and family-friendly. I think Tamtam or Yodobashi Camera have a bigger selection of model kits, but the packaging at Tamiya Plamodel Factory seem cleaner and newer.

Did some more exploring in Ginza. Went into various malls like Ginza Six which was chalk full of boutique go...

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Infinitris on 2024-11-18 15:12:32+00:00.

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I just returned last week from a 10-days trip to Tohoku (with a splash of Tokyo for shopping). It was nothing short of amazing, and I would definitely return for a visit again in the near future. The landscapes were stunningly beautiful, and the slower pace of life and lack of crowds(!) provided a much different experience from touring the popular cities. If you like nature, rugged sea coasts, you have to see Tohoku. It's also great if you have travel companions (like my parents) who don't enjoy cities, noise, and crowds that much.

Arrangements I made to factor in my elderly parents' (69 & 71yo) creaky joints and average fitness:

• Hotels were all within walking distance (<10mins) from major shinkansen stations
  • Aomori (3-nights): Hotel JAL City Aomori. Daiwa Roynet might have been a better choice here, but the breakfast at JAL was amazing so it was worth it. I had lots of scallops and other seafood, so did my parents.
  • Akita (1 night): ANA Crowne Plaza Akita. This was supposed to be a buffer before our onsen stay. Very convenient with plenty of food options around the hotel.
  • Nyuto Onsen (1 night): Taenoyu Ryokan. Not very easy to get to, but there was minimal walking involved. Will provide a detailed write up below.
  • Sendai (2-nights): Hotel Monterey Sendai. Pretty near to Sendai station. There is an elevator on the overhead walkway next to Parco 2 which one can take. There is NO NEED to carry baggages down stairs. You can use their spa (onsen) for free!
  • Asakusa (2-nights): Asakusa Tobu Hotel It's right beside Asakusa Station on the Ginza line. Very easy to get to if travelling on Shinkansen to Ueno. Elevators to street level are all accessible (ableit with some searching and keen eyes)
• Minimal luggage dragging
  • Booked transport to and from airports. From Aomori, it was ~6300yen and booked through KKday. A little pricey, but Aomori airport is in the middle of nowhere and we landed at 8pm. To Haneda, it was ~9000yen, booked through Klook. Asakusa Tobu Hotel offers same day luggage delivery to airport. Might want to consider that if you are on a tighter budget.
  • Used Kuro Neko Yamato delivery for baggage. Sent ours at 2000yen per piece from Akita (through hotel) to Sendai so we could travel hands free to Nyuto Onsen. Best 6000 yen spent. Hotel staff filled up all details for us and we arrived at our Sendai hotel with luggage already sent to our rooms.
• All hotel booking had breakfast.
  • Starting the day with full tummies ensures the elderly travel far.

Trip Report

• Day 1 - Aomori
  • Flew SQ to Tokyo T3, then transferred to T1 for domestic flight (JAL) to Aomori
  • Passed immigration, grabbed luggages and checked in again all at T3. Counters only opened at certain time for JAL/ANA, please check airport website.
  • Note that it's possible to pass through security check at T3 and shuttle buses to T1/T2 are available too.
  • Dinner was ramen at T1. Not great, but hey, not every meal has to be amazing. The main thing was keeping my parents sated and happy.
  • Checked in at about 9pm. Took a short walk to Lawson for some nice konbini fried chicken supper.
• Day 2 - Aomori
  • Morning: Went to ASPAM, paid for 360deg observatory, had very(!) delicious apple pie, and bought plenty of apple pastries.
  • Afternoon: Checked out the station & Lovina. Bought gigantic apples the size of small melons. They were delicious. Had late lunch at ootoya. (My parents don't take raw food so there was no nokkedon for them, and me >.<) We later went to Auga Fish market where most stores were closed because of Culture Day. Bought some dried scallops -- they are the secret ingredient to making eggs, soups and porridges so much better. Sweet and umami. The smaller they are, the sweeter!
  • Evening: Nothing, LOL. Shops closes very early. Bought snacks for supper at lawson. Turned in early.
• Day 3 - Aomori
  • Day trip to Oirase Gorge, Lake Towada and Hirosaki booked through KKday. Tour was conducted in Chinese.
  • As there was a recent spike in temperatures, the autumn leaves stayed on and we got some really good views of the gorge. Totally worth the long drive. It was a pity though that we didn't have time for Hakkoda ropeway. Might consider that when I visit the region again.
  • Hirosaki is home to many many apple parks, and the castle grounds were beautiful. We got more apples (and jam!) from a nearby local store. They were very sweet and juicy. The peanut cookies sold there were also very good. Would recommend a stay in the city if time permits.
• Day 4 - Aomori -> Akita
  • Took the Resort Shirakami to Akita.
  • Beautiful views of northwestern coastlines. Consider reservations the day tickets come out, or better yet, the hour which they are released. I made mine the day after and many seats were gone, but it could have been a seasonal thing
  • Afternoon/Evening: Walked around the vicinity of Akita Station. Saw the nearby park a bit. Had udon for dinner. It was a chill evening. Chill is good for elderly.
• Day 5 - Akita -> Tazawako -> Nyuto Onsen (Highlight!)
  • Arrived at Tazawako to fog in the mountains and light rain. Temperatures fell to ~4c. Took the Tazawako loop bus to see the lake, which would have been prettier if the weather wasn't so dreary. But we had an amazing lunch near the station that was prepared by the sweetest lady so all was good. (Ekimae Shokudo)
  • Took the Nyuto line bus towards the onsen. FYI, the bus has space for luggage, but only big enough for maybe 3-4 standard sized baggages, and one has to lift them onto the storage area about 1m above floor. Several lockers are available near station (not just at the kiosks) if one wants to store baggages. The tourist center ONLY keeps your luggages until 4-5pm.
  • Had the great fortune of witnessing rain turning to snow(!!!!) while the bus slowly climbed its way up the mountains. By the time we reached Tae no yu, there was white everywhere. It was truly a sight to behold. Red autumn leaves covered in powdery snow. So, so beautiful T_T. The inn staff mentioned it was the first snow of the year, and it usually fell for an hour or so, but that day, it snowed till late in the evening.
  • The stay at the ryokan was really comfortable. Food was fresh (expect lots of mushrooms and vegetables), and there was an option for Kiritanpo, which was delicious!
  • The onsen facilities were clean with plenty of baths to choose from (Silver & Gold). The open mixed gender bath had a womens only hour from 5-6pm. It had unobstructed view of the waterfall. Truly a treat.
• Day 5 - Nyuto Onsen -> Tazawako -> Sendai
  • Left Nyuto Onsen for Tazawako station and then Shinkansen to Sendai. The weather had cleared by that morning, and we were treated to blue skies and the beautiful soft peaks of the surrounding mountains, some with snow still present.
  • Unfortunately, the shinkansen we were on was delayed (slightly more than hour). By the time we reached Sendai, it was late afternoon and the sun was setting.
  • We strolled around the station and checked out several nearby malls. Dinner was at saboten. My parents had a lot of fun grinding sesame seeds for the sauce.
• Day 6 - Sendai -> Yamadera -> Sendai
  • Climbed Yamadera (yes, climb)
  • I asked my parents to choose between a leisurely day trip to matsushima for some beautiful islands or hike the 1000 steps(!!!) for amazing views. For some reason, they chose the latter.
  • We took the 8am train to beat the crowd (but i think the 7am one would have been better). The hike up was... challenging for my parents, but they made it to the top in the end. I suspect they were spurred on by the many elderly japanese that overtook them.
  • Views of the valley from Godaido hall were gorgeous. And my parents were really glad they pushed themselves.
  • Afternoon/Evening: We had a simple late lunch back in Sendai. The rest of the afternoon was spent resting, and we later enjoyed the complimentary spa baths (great after a hike). Skipped dinner.
• Day 7 - Sendai -> Tokyo
  • Shikansen to Ueno, then a short subway ride to Asakusa where I met up with a friend and her mum (61yo)
  • Asakusa Tobu Hotel is probably one of the best hotels to stay in the area. Proximity to everything made eating out and shopping a breeze.
  • Afternoon/Evening: We walked to skytree and got the full access ticket (booked earlier through klook). Reserving a ticket online definitely helps in beating the line and the line was LONG.
  • Had a simple dinner (ramen) at the location itself.
• Day 8 - Nikko
  • My friend booked a private tour (total 70000 yen) to Nikko.
  • The ride there was painfully long (nearly 3hrs), but the views at Nikko were magnificient as we arrived to pre/peaking red/orange/golden leaves. Watched a Japanese TV programme earlier in the trip ranking the best places to view fall foliage n Japan, and Nikko was ranked number 1. I could understand why.
  • Saw Kogen falls, Shinkyo bridge, Toshogu shrine and the other temples. All had beautiful fall foliage, but OMG THE CROWDS. Still, the views were worth it.
  • Had delicious lunch at a syokudo restaurant (Hippari-Dako) that sold cheap, hearty meals (think yakisoba+rice+chicken skewers for just 900 yen). The chicken was really, really good. Highly recommended. It's rated 4.5 stars for a reason.
• **Day 9 - Asakusa (Exploring/Strolling)*...

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The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/BurundiGeneral on 2024-11-17 17:57:17+00:00.

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Hello, I never been to Japan, and i would like some recommendations to my itinerary. I did one by collecting here and there the best spot to see.

Please let me know if it’s something good and something where we can enjoy the trip without being tired and in a rush.

Trip :

TOKYO January 11 – Arrival and Shibuya Exploration

Morning: Arrive at Haneda Airport, activate eSIM, take the train to the hotel. Afternoon: Explore Shibuya Crossing, Hachiko Statue, and shops (Shibuya 109), stroll down Takeshita Street, visit Meiji Jingu Shrine. Evening: Dinner at an izakaya, evening walk in Shibuya or Omotesando.

January 12 – Shinjuku, Skyscrapers & Asakusa

Morning: Visit Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building observatory. Afternoon: Explore Asakusa, Senso-ji Temple, Nakamise Street, and Tokyo Skytree. Evening: Dinner in Shinjuku, enjoy Golden Gai bars.

January 13 – Harajuku, Akihabara & Roppongi

Morning: Visit Harajuku (Takeshita Street, JumpShop, Nezu Shrine). Afternoon: Explore Akihabara (anime, manga), experience a Maid Café. Evening: Dinner in Roppongi or Shibuya.

January 14 – Odaiba & Joypolis

Morning: Visit Miraikan or teamLab Borderless in Odaiba. Afternoon: Explore DiverCity Tokyo Plaza and Joypolis (Sega amusement park). Evening: Return to Shibuya or Shinjuku for dinner and evening stroll.

January 15 – Kawaguchiko & Mt. Fuji

Morning: Travel to Kawaguchiko, view Mt. Fuji from Lake Kawaguchi or take the Kachi Kachi Ropeway. Afternoon: Visit Chureito Pagoda for a panoramic view. Evening: Return to Tokyo for dinner in Shibuya or Shinjuku.

NIKKO January 16 – Nikko Nature & Temples

Morning: Take the train to Nikko, visit Ryuzu Falls and Yudaki Falls, enjoy nature. Afternoon: Visit Lake Chuzenji, Kegon Falls, and Toshogu Shrine. Evening: Return to Tokyo, optional evening out in Shibuya or Shinjuku.

KYOTO January 17 – Arashiyama & Gion

Morning: Visit Arashiyama Bamboo Grove, Tenryu-ji Temple, and optionally Monkey Park Iwatayama. Afternoon: Visit Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion), explore Gion district. Evening: Dinner in Pontocho.

January 18 – Nara Day Trip

Morning: Visit Todai-ji Temple, Kasuga Taisha Shrine. Afternoon: Visit Nara Park, Nakataindou Temple. Evening: Return to Kyoto, dinner in Gion or Pontocho.

January 19 – Fushimi Inari & Kyoto Temples

Morning: Visit Fushimi Inari Shrine, Eikan-do Temple. Afternoon: Visit Kiyomizu-dera Temple, Nijo Castle. Evening: Dinner in Gion or Pontocho.

January 20 – Kyoto Nature & Shopping

Morning: Visit Toji Temple, Philosopher’s Path. Afternoon: Explore Sanzen-in Temple, visit Kyoto Station for shopping. Evening: Last dinner in Kyoto.

OSAKA January 21 – Osaka City Exploration

Morning: Visit Osaka Castle and park. Afternoon: Explore Shinsaibashi and Dotonbori, try takoyaki and okonomiyaki. Evening: Visit Namba Yasaka Shrine, explore Shinsekai, enjoy kushikatsu.

January 22 – Universal Studios Japan

Morning: Spend the day at Universal Studios Japan. Evening: Dinner in Umeda, visit Umeda Sky Building for a city view.

HIROSHIMA & MIYAJIMA January 23 – Hiroshima & Miyajima

Morning: Arrive in Hiroshima, visit Peace Memorial Park and Museum. Afternoon: Take ferry to Miyajima, visit Itsukushima Shrine and Daisho-in Temple. Evening: Return to Hiroshima for dinner.

January 24 – Hiroshima, Himeji & Hirayu Onsen

Morning: Travel to Himeji, visit Himeji Castle. Afternoon: Take the train to Hirayu Onsen. Evening: Check into a ryokan with onsen, dinner and relaxation.

January 25 – Kamikochi & Hirayu Onsen

Morning: Visit Kamikochi Valley for nature views. Afternoon: Return to Hirayu Onsen, take Shinhotaka Ropeway. Evening: Relax in the onsen, dinner at the ryokan.

January 26 – Hirayu Onsen to Matsumoto

Morning: Last onsen bath, breakfast, then travel to Matsumoto. Afternoon: Visit Matsumoto Castle+ ice sculptures. Evening: Dinner in Matsumoto.

KANAZAWA January 27 – Matsumoto to Kanazawa

Morning: Take train to Kanazawa, visit Kenroku-en Garden. Afternoon: Explore Higashi Chaya district. Evening: Dinner in Kanazawa.

January 28 – Kanazawa to Takayama

Morning: Travel to Takayama, explore the old town. Afternoon: Visit Hida Folk Village. Evening: Dinner in Takayama.

TAKAYAMA & TOKYO January 29 – Takayama to Tokyo

Morning: Visit Takayama morning market or local temples. Afternoon: Take the train to Tokyo. Evening:, explore Shibuya or Shinjuku.

January 30-31 – Free Time in Tokyo

Morning: Explore Sumida Park, visit Toyosu Market. Afternoon: Visit Mpig Café for a cute experience. Evening: Explore Yanaka, visit local temples. Enjoy dinner near Senso-ji.

Thank you, its a bit long :)

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/pugilism_illustrated on 2024-11-15 05:45:51+00:00.

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Leaving in two days and would love some last minute feedback from this sub. Will be staying at Via Inn Prime Akasaka for the duration, with one mini 2 night trip to Nikko and a day trip to Kamakura.

Main goals of the trip are the following:

1. Eat a LOT of food, and a wide variety, ie low and high price range, traditional japanese and fusion.
2. Explore the city as much as possible, see different neighborhoods and parks, museums, shrines. Get a lot of steps in.
3. Shopping, both high end and trendier places as well as hand crafts, flea markets if possible. Vintage too. Looking more for unique pieces rather than generic consumer items. Clothing, art, and ceramics.
4. Exercise - running, climbing at local gyms, and hiking. This is the unconventional part. I know it could be a concern considering all the walking, but I believe it will be doable with sufficient sleep and fueling. These activities also don't start until day 4 of the trip to allow for jetlag recoup.

Would love general feedback on the structure of the itinerary and recommendations for food, shopping, and attractions. Or anything great I'm missing in general! What off the beaten path activities did you do and love? Small museums or shops, charming neighborhoods, unforgettable meals, things like that. (Not super interested in the more popular attractions like Ghibli museum, Shibuya sky, Disney, Teamlab etc). Thank you!

D0: Sunday 11/17 - Arrival

• Flight lands 3PM at Haneda.
• Taxi to hotel, then get dinner nearby at Nihonbashi Kaisen Don Tsujihan
• Settle in for the evening

D1: Monday 11/18 - Tsukiji, Ginza, Akihabara

• Tsukiji Market - breakfast at Tsukiji Unitora Nakadori, Wine Stand 88
• Ginza - shopping and eats
• Akihabara - video arcades, Aki-Oka Artisan, and dinner at Tokyo Style Hotate Biyori

D2: Tuesday 11/19 - Harajuku, Roppongi

• Meiji Shrine and Yoyogi Park
• Harajuku - Breakfast and shopping
• Omote-sando - Shopping and lunch at Kisurin Aoyama
• Roppongi - Mori Art Museum time permitting
• 6PM Omakase reservation Hiro Ishizaka

D3: Wednesday 11/20 - Enoshima, Kamakura Day Trip

• Enoshima - Shrines and Caves
• Kamakura - Walking loop Kamakura station to beach to Kotoku-in to Genjiyama park back to station. Lunch at Bistro Omme
• Dinner back in Akasaka near hotel

D4: Thursday 11/21 - Imperial Palace, Ogikubo

• Imperial Palace East Gardens and Marunouchi
• Back to hotel to change
• 2PM Depart for Ogikubo
• Climb at B-Pump Ogikubo
• 6PM Omakase reservation Sushi Marufuku

D5: Friday 11/22 - Nakameguro, Ebisu

• Morning run Imperial Palace loop
• Back to hotel to shower and change
• Nakameguro - explore, eat, and visit parasite museum
• Ebisu
• 5PM Omakase reservation Sushi Satoru

D6: Saturday 11/23 - Koto City

• Laundry in morning
• 11AM Koffee Mameya Kakeru tasting reservation
• Climb at Fish and Bird Gym
• Museum of Contemporary Art
• Dinner near museum

D7: Sunday 11/24 - Shibuya, Shimo-Kitazawa

• Morning run Imperial Palace loop
• Back to hotel to shower and change
• Shibuya - Pokemon center, Romantic Flea Market, eats
• Shimo-Kitazawa - Shop, Dinner at Ponipirika

D8: Monday 11/25 - Asakusa, Ueno

• Asakusa - Sensoji, explore and eat
• Walk to Ueno, stop at Kappabashi
• Ueno - Tokyo National Museum, Ueno Park, Ueno Ameyoko Shopping Street

D9: Tuesday 11/26 - Nikko D1

• 8AM Depart
• Arrive at hotel - Hatago Nagomi
• Run Lake Chuzenji loop
• Dinner and Onsen at hotel

D10: Wednesday 11/27- Nikko D2

• Kegon Falls
• Go into town to see shrines and Shinkyo Bridge

D11: Thursday 11//28 - Nikko D3

• Morning hike Mt Nankai
• Check out of hotel, transit back to Tokyo
• 5:30 reservation Savoy Tomato and Cheese

D12: Friday 11/29 - Shinbashi, Shinjuku

• Breakfast near hotel
• Climb at Urban Base Camp Shinbashi
• Back to hotel to shower and change
• Shinjuku - Tori-no-ichi Fair, explore, shop, eat
• 5:30 reservation Yakiniku Bazooka F

D13: Saturday 11/30 - Departure

• Morning run Imperial Palace loop
• Pack up and check out
• Lunch at HARU CHAN
• 12:30 leave for airport, 5:20PM flight

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/kenmlin on 2024-11-17 05:21:22+00:00.

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This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/Signal-Tadpole on 2024-11-16 09:48:13+00:00.

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Wanted to share our fun experience on the Hello Kitty Shinkansen today. We had unreserved tickets so we could sit in the Kawaii car #2. Went to the platform at Shin-Osaka right as the previous train on that platform was departing (15 minutes before our departure) and there were 10 people waiting at each of the entrance lines to car #2. There were still seats available in the car when we departed and I don't think that anyone who wanted to sit in there was out of luck.

The souvenir car #1 was mobbed shortly after departure and a lot of the popular items were sold out within minutes. They take IC card or cash only, no credit cards; luckily I was able to top up my digital Suica before we entered the tunnels!

Stayed on until Himeji and it was totally worth the extra effort to take this fun train.

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/CyrexArtwork on 2024-11-14 09:52:05+00:00.

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Fri. Nov 29 (Land)

Check in, Suica and chill

Sat. Nov 30 (Sensō-ji)

Morning

Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center 

Nakamise Shopping Street 

Sensō-ji

Sumida Park 

Afternoon

Asahi Group Building

Tokyo Skytree 

Tobacco & Salt Museum 

Tokyo Solamachi

Evening

Autumn Evening Illumination at Rikugien Gardens 18:00-19:30

Sun. Dec 1 (Akihabara)

Morning

Yanaka Ginza

Ueno Park 

Yamashiroya (Toy Store) 

2k540 Aki-Oka Artisan

Afternoon

Kanda Myoujin Shrine

Akihabara

Mon. Dec 2 (Shinjuku)

Morning

Takeshita Street 

Tokyu Plaza Omotesando Harajuku

Afternoon

Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden 

3:00 ≈ : 

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building 

Honmachi Sakura Park

Evening

Omoide Yokocho

Hanazono Shrine 

Shinjuku Golden-Gai

Shin-Okubo Korea Town 

Tue. Dec 3 (Tokyo Tower)

Morning

ART AQUARIUM MUSEUM

Afternoon

Pokémon Center Tokyo DX

Yaechika (Character Street)

Evening

Hamarikyū Gardens 

Tokyo Tower + Zojoji Temple

Momiji Valley

Wed. Dec 4 (teamLab Borderless)

Morning:

teamLab Borderless

Afternoon

Starbucks Reserve Roastery Tokyo 

Traveler's Factory Nakameguro (WHILE WAITING)

Evening

Shibuya Area

Hachikō Memorial Statue & Shibuya Scramble Crossing

Thu. Dec 5 (Sunshine City)

Morning

Mejiro Garden

Late Morning

Ikebukuro Nishi-guchi Park

Sunshine City 

Afternoon

Animal Room Ikemofu

Evening

NAMJATOWN

Fri. Dec 6 (Arcade + Market)

Morning

Tsukiji Outer Market 

Afternoon

• UNKO MUSEUM
• DiverCity

Evening

Odaiba Beach + Rainbow Bridge 

Sat. Dec 7 (Snoopy + Yokohama )

Morning

Snoopy Museum Tokyo

Late Morning

Cup Noodles Museum Yokohama

Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse

Afternoon

Yokohama Chinatown

Yamashitacho Park

Harbor View Park Observatory

Kishamichi Promenade

Sun. Dec 8 (Enoshima)

Morning

Hokoku-ji

Afternoon

Kotoku-in (Great Buddha)

Hasedera

Enoshima Sea Candle

Evening

Enoshima Shrine - Hetsumiya

Enoshima Shrine Nakatsunomiya

Mon. Dec 9 (Kawagoe)

Morning

Kawagoe Station.

Kurazukuri Street

Toki no Kane (Time Bell Tower)

Kashiya Yokocho (Candy Alley)

Kawagoe Festival Museum 

Afternoon

Kitain Temple

Kawagoe Hikawa Shrine

Honmaru Goten (Kawagoe Castle)

Tue. Dec 10 (DisneySea)

DisneySea ALL DAY

(FREE) Wed. Dec 11:

Dec 12 (Last Day)

Last Day, quick shopping and fly home

This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/japantravel by /u/halfcastdota on 2024-11-16 00:21:17+00:00.

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I would like to preface this post with the fact I speak VERY basic Japanese so my experience with service might be different to yours. At any restaurant that isn't catered towards foreigners, the way staff and chefs treat you completely changes if you speak even basic Japanese as a foreigner. I have eaten at high end restaurants in many different countries and the only country that matches Japan, in my opinion, is Spain. The food here is absolutely amazing and while I focused on fine dining on my trip, even the casual late night food I ate was amazing. All of the restaurants on this list are easily bookable except for Meino and Takiya.

Tokyo:

Meino (pictures) : Tabelog 4.0( however this is a relatively new restaurant and the score distributions except for cost performance are all above 4.5; this is easily at the level of a Tabelog silver if not gold). Mei-san is an alum of Sushi Arai and she makes absolutely amazing sushi. There is also an excellent wine list and the service is excellent - Mei-san speaks excellent English and the restaurant atmosphere is upscale without being stuffy or overly quiet. This was easily the best sushi of my life and one of the best meals of my life. Reservations are members only.

Takiya (pictures) : Tabelog Gold and regarded as the best tempura restaurant in Japan, this was one of the best meals of my life. I would put it on the level of El Celler can de Roca and Mosu. Absolutely amazing what Tatsuaki-san is able to accomplish purely with tempura and the sake recommendations are excellent. Chef is the only one who can speak English here - the waitstaff all speak very limited English. This is a very difficult reservation, most reservations are to members but from what I have heard it is possible through Tableall if done well in advance.

Ginza Ooishi (pictures) : Tabelog Silver. This is French/Japanese fusion tasting menu that is absolutely amazing. This would be an amazing first fine dining experience for anyone interested - the food is very approachable for being fine dining. The chef is also extremely entertaining and the entire restaurant is super lighthearted - you can tell the staff are all having fun cooking. There is only one waiter/sommelier and he speaks decent English. Reservation is very easy through Omakase.

L'Effervescence (pictures) : 3 Michelin Stars and a Green star. Funnily enough, I dined here a day after that post on talking about how it does not deserve three stars and I could not disagree more. This was an amazing meal focused on vegetables - IMO better than Noma's vegetable season. Service is absolutely amazing as well - I was even offered a tour of the kitchen at the end of my meal when I expressed interest. I would like to say this is absolutely not French food - this is Japanese food with French influences. If you go in expecting rich French dishes you will be very disappointed. My best description would be imagine you are going through the best farmer's market in the world eating dishes that show off their produce in the best ways possible.

Sushi Marufuku (pictures) : Tabelog 3.65 (note that all the categories except drinks and cost performance are above a 4.0). Very solid sushi that focuses on aged fish. The staff all also speaks excellent English and managed to accommodate for me running 30 minutes late. Would highly recommend this to anyone looking for a very good Omakase experience that comes with excellent English service.

Yakitori Shinohara (pictures) : Tabelog 3.84. This is a yakitori restaurant that serves Takasaka chicken which is the only chicken in the world that can safely be eaten raw. The only reason I booked this restaurant was so I can try this chicken - and honestly it's pretty good. The yakitori is extremely tender while still having a great char due to not having to overcook the chicken. However, the drinks here are very very overpriced and honestly the meal itself is very expensive for being yakitori. Sadly all the top end yakitori places are extremely hard to get reservations at so you are pretty much relegated to the second tier of restaurants which include places like Shinohara. This is still a solid meal, just overpriced. I would really only recommend it if you want to try raw chicken safely.

Notable non fine dining:

L'epicurien (pictures) : amazing bakery in Kichijoji, it is cash only and there is no dine-in option so you will have to find somewhere to eat the pastries quickly. I had to just jump into a random ramen restaurant to eat them.

Mamezou (pictures) : great curry with a lot of vegetables mixed in. Apparently there can be a pretty long wait sometimes but I went at opening time for dinner and was seated instantly.

Kyoto:

Gion Nishi (pictures) : Tabelog Bronze kaiseki. Compared to other high end kaiseki restaurants in Kyoto, this was much cheaper which is why I went with it and I do not regret it at all. Food, service and drinks are all excellent and the ingredients are all still very high quality. They also used to run a cafe and you can definitely tell with the excellent tea and dessert course. This was an extremely easy reservation - their counter is also only 6 seats so you will get an excellent view of the chefs at work. I would highly recommend this for anyone looking for a high end kaiseki.

Takayama (pictures) : 1 Michelin star. Amazing Italian tasting menu with Japanese influences. If you dine here, make sure you have a very light lunch - this is a VERY large meal. The chef and staff all speak excellent English and there is also Mandarin speaking staff as well. This is peak 1 star cuisine - its great tasting food that is great value for the price and a great atmosphere that isn't stuffy. This would be a great introduction to fine dining.

Velrosier (pictures) : 2 Michelin stars. Chinese tasting menu with western influences. Extremely great value for a 2 star restaurant with very solid food. Service is amazing. I do think this restaurant is overrated by but I have seen posts saying this place is awful - I very much disagree and think it is still very good food. This is literally opposite Takayama but the atmosphere is much more formal - personally I preferred both the food and atmosphere at Takayama but I would still say this is good food. This is also another restaurant that I think would make a great introduction to fine dining especially if you prefer a more upscale atmosphere.

Sushi Saeki (pictures) : Tabelog 3.7. I really only booked this because I saw a post on this sub and it was right by my hotel (The Mitsui which is the best hotel I have ever stayed at) and was very much craving sushi. This was the most disappointing meal of my trip. The service is amazing and the garden view is beautiful but the sushi was just not worth the price. I think I was being served by the sous chef however?? so this might be much better when served by the main chef. That being said, I cannot recommend a lunch booking here in good faith.

Sakana to Yakitori to Kappo to Tototo (pictures) : Tabelog 3.24 but a relatively new restaurant. I booked this restaurant on a whim, and ended up with such a great meal. The sushi is solid but the star of the show is the sake - the sake recommendations here are AMAZING. The place was also only manned by one chef when I visited late at night and he was extremely nice to talk to. Great value for the price - would recommend for anyone looking for a great late night meal.

Gibier Miyama (pictures) : Tabelog 3.92. If you do not like game meat, do not bother eating here. Everything on the menu is either game meat or extremely fishy fish. Service here also completely changed when they found out I could speak basic Japanese. That being said, as someone who loves game meat, fishy fish and has a SO who loves hunting this meal was amazing. The venison and boar here are AMAZING. This was also my first time having bear meat - it is VERY fatty which I am not a fan of but if you enjoy fatty meats you will enjoy the bear meat here. Great value for the price as well - go here with an empty stomach/light lunch as there is a lot of food. Highly recommend this if you are a fan of game meat.

Non fine dining:

Pizzeria da Ciro (pictures) : This is on the list of best pizzerias in Asia. I am not a pizza expert or connoisseur by any means but this was a very very good pizza. There is pretty much always a line outside the place throughout lunch time.

Bossche (pictures) : This is a cafe that serves tofu pancakes and is apparently popular with celebrities. Excellent pancakes and it is right opposite the aquarium as well which was very convenient.

Osaka:

Katsuya Charcoal Grill Steakhouse (pictures) : Tabelog 3.62. I was looking for a...

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