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International airports tend to be KIX, HND and NRT, but if you change in Korea or other nearby countries you could arrive in FUK, then fly out of Tokyo. Even if you fly into Tokyo, starting your trip in the farthest city (Hiroshima) and working your way back towards the airport is a good and efficient way to move imo.
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Mar 11, 2016 02:36
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caberham posted:This person is a cool person. Just saying thanks :o
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Mar 11, 2016 03:23
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VelociBacon posted:Visiting Japan Dec. 9th-23rd. That's plenty of time to switch over to a complete vegetarian diet.
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Mar 11, 2016 10:23
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VelociBacon posted:Visiting Japan Dec. 9th-23rd. Dang what a coincidence, I'll be going at roughly the same date too. Will mostly be in Tokyo though, might pop on by to Kyoto to peep some shrines because I heard they were cool. Anyways, to more formally write my post, I'm going to be flying out from California on my first trip to Japan somewhere in the range of December 26 - January 2, give or take a day or two. I'll be meeting up with a ton of other friends so I shouldn't have any problems with being shown things to do, with Winter's Comiket being the main attraction for that week. However I have almost zero idea as to how I should even go about preparations, my friends said they'd help me out once everyone got a better bearing of who was going in about three months, but I wanted to at least learn what was up. From what I can gather, for Tokyo either Haneda or Narita would be the desired destinations, with Haneda being closer to central Tokyo, is that right? How and when do I handle reserving hotels and exchanging money? And are there any other things I should keep in mind to make sure I don't gently caress myself over once I get there? I don't know if asking for advice for a trip in December right now is considered early, but I just want to be absolutely prepared. caberham posted:Go here I will also peruse this site. Thank you Futaba Anzu fucked around with this message at 10:38 on Mar 11, 2016 |
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Mar 11, 2016 10:26
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VelociBacon posted:Visiting Japan Dec. 9th-23rd. Go here https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Japan And skim the thread
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Mar 11, 2016 10:37
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Knuc U Kinte posted:That's plenty of time to switch over to a complete vegetarian diet. Good post
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Mar 11, 2016 10:37
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Futaba Anzu posted:How and when do I handle reserving hotels and exchanging money? And are there any other things I should keep in mind to make sure I don't gently caress myself over once I get there? It's too dangerous for you to leave the country. Don't go
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Mar 11, 2016 10:39
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Futaba Anzu posted:
Actually you should go here and write a trip report https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aokigahara after killing yourself
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Mar 11, 2016 10:40
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If you can't exchange money and you're coming to Japan solely for the pedo comic convention then I don't really want to help you.
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Mar 11, 2016 10:40
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caberham posted:It's too dangerous for you to leave the country. Don't go I can't believe I'm going to die by the end of this year caberham posted:Actually you should go here and write a trip report Nice thanks I'll make a note of it, that place looks pretty scenic. Knuc U Kinte posted:If you can't exchange money and you're coming to Japan solely for the pedo comic convention then I don't really want to help you. it's for the music cds man, i swear
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Mar 11, 2016 10:55
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It doesn't really matter if you fly into Haneda or Narita. HND is closer to downtown but NRT is usually significantly cheaper. Get cash from atms on arrival. Research a JR Pass. And I hope you can stay with friends because Christmas-New Year is peak travel season.
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Mar 11, 2016 11:18
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caberham posted:Actually you should go here and write a trip report I'm actually going here too although probably not offing myself because I'd miss the penis festival. Anyone ever gone to Fuji-Q Highland? I figured since I'm in the area I'd go and some of the attractions looked cool but if anyone has actually been I'd love to know their thoughts.
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Mar 11, 2016 14:42
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Futaba Anzu posted:Dang what a coincidence, I'll be going at roughly the same date too. Will mostly be in Tokyo though, might pop on by to Kyoto to peep some shrines because I heard they were cool. Money in Japan: - Bring $100-200 with you and exchange at one of the money changers in the airport, you now have money to get around and to put food in your face hole - Buy an IC card the first time you're at a train station and put 5000 yen on it - Go find a post office and use the ATM there whenever you run out of your initial money that was exchanged The money changers have much better rates in country and if your flight is getting in late, it might be your only option. When I went last year, the market rate was 123+ JPY to 1 USD, the exchanger at O'Hare was offering 103 JPY, the exchanger at Narita or Chubu (can't remember) gave me 120 JPY. The ATM pulls at the market rate, but your bank will probably charge a 1% fee.
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Mar 11, 2016 14:47
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Oh yeah atms close nights and weekends lol
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Mar 11, 2016 19:19
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net work error posted:Anyone ever gone to Fuji-Q Highland? I figured since I'm in the area I'd go and some of the attractions looked cool but if anyone has actually been I'd love to know their thoughts. I did once. I had heard that Fuji-Q gets super jam-packed with people on weekends or school holiday periods, and that the lines can stretch for more than an hour for popular rides. I went on a Sunday in late June about 5 years back. The weather forecast for the weekend wasn't promising, but it turned out to be a glorious sunny day and the park was somehow empty and there were no lines for any of the rides. Just go on a weekday not during summer vacation and you should be okay. The rollercoasters are well worth riding multiple times each if your visit is as lucky as mine was.
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Mar 11, 2016 19:27
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I'll be there in the Fuji area on a weekend so I'll expect a packed house. Thanks for the heads up.
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Mar 11, 2016 20:13
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peanut posted:Oh yeah atms close nights and weekends lol Expanding on this, the majority of ATMs in Japan will not work with a foreign bank card. Make note of JPost and 7-Bank/Seven Eleven locations and ATMs they will work foreign bank cards. Seven Eleven has the added benefit of giving 24/7 access to an ATM, though they do limit daily withdrawals to 10000 yen. extravadanza posted:I posted a few pages back asking for tips on my 2 week visit to Nagoya starting this Saturday. Well there's a 95% chance that it will balloon into a 4 week visit to Nagoya for work + 1 week of vacation in Kyoto or Tokyo in which my wife will fly out to meet me. So, now that I'll have weekends to kill in Nagoya, where my goons at? I'll be there from March 12 - April 9. If you are going to be in Nagoya April 2-3, you might want to take a look at heading over to Inuyama for the Inuyama Festival. http://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/inuyama-festival .Z. fucked around with this message at 23:03 on Mar 11, 2016 |
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Mar 11, 2016 22:57
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If you know where you're going to be already and the exact dates then you can start looking for hotels to book right now.
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Mar 11, 2016 23:11
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So much bad ATM info in this thread. 1) Call your bank before you come and tell them you will be in Japan. Lots of banks will decline the transactions they don't know 2) 7/11 are everywhere, mostly open 24/7, have menus in like 18 languages, and have a limit of 100,000 yen per transaction. I think the daily limit is more if your bank allows it - but it has to be over multiple transactions. The minimum withdrawal is normally 10,000 - but a few rare machines at 7/11 allow other bills. 3) Japan Post - allows 1000yen bills too and also will work with most cards. Typically not open 24/7 4) Citibank - pretty much like 7/11 but less common. Several around Tokyo and at least 1 in Osaka. If someone says you can't use MasterCard here that's super old info and it was like that for about a year only while 7/11 and MasterCard fought over fees. If you're not going to arrive via one of Osaka Kansai, Narita, or Haneda then ask for first hand experience or check the website to verify they have a money exchange booth. I found out the hard way about an "international" airport in China that offered no such service. I wouldn't be surprised to see smaller airports in Japan be the same so it's worth a quick check before arriving. Aredna fucked around with this message at 06:05 on Mar 12, 2016 |
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Mar 11, 2016 23:46
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This probably won't affect first time visitors, but 7-11 has minimal/no presence in some rural areas. We got our first 7-11 two years ago 
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Mar 11, 2016 23:54
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So I understand that I can use Pasmo/Suica around the Tokyo area for the local trains and vending machines, etc.. I have a few questions related to these cards: 1) Which one should I get? Is one better than the other? 2) Can you use these with the JR trains? I have a JR pass but will be in Tokyo for a couple days before I activate it, to make better use of it when I'm travelling to Hiroshima/Osaka, etc. 3) I will also be in Sapporo, Hiroshima, Osaka, Kyoto. Are these cards also able to be used in these areas, or are there other local equivalents?
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Mar 12, 2016 04:42
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You can basically use IC cards with everything except the smallest of local train lines which were built in the 1950s. They're all inter-operable. You're overthinking this.
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Mar 12, 2016 04:47
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Vidaeus posted:So I understand that I can use Pasmo/Suica around the Tokyo area for the local trains and vending machines, etc.. I have a few questions related to these cards: 1.) If you like penguins, get a Suica, if not, get a PASMO (i.e. it doesn't matter, cost and coverage is exactly the same) 2.) Yes. Actually Suica is the operated by JR, whereas PASMO is done by Tokyo Metro and others. 3.) Yes, they will work nationwide. However, each city/region does have it's 'own' system so though the cards will work, you won't see much in the way of 'SUICA' or 'PASMO' signage outside of Tokyo/Kanto. e.g. Machines in Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima may say 'ICOCA' and 'PiTaPa', 'Kitaca' in Sapporo. However, your Tokyo cards will work there. http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2359_003.html
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Mar 12, 2016 04:59
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Good to know, thanks. I went to Japan a few years ago and from what I remember, the PASMO only worked around the Tokyo area back then. Looks like they've been working on it since last time I was there! Japan-guide site says March 2013.
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Mar 12, 2016 08:50
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Actually, I'll be in Sapporo first so looks like I'll grab a Kitaca from there. Another question: is it possible to return this in Tokyo to get a refund or does it have to be returned within the same region? We fly in and out of Tokyo, but when we first arrive in Japan we're not leaving the airport and flying straight to Sapporo for the start of our trip, then flying back to Tokyo to see more of the main island. Alternatively, can I grab a PASMO from within Haneda airport before we fly out to Sapporo?
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Mar 12, 2016 09:39
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Does anyone want to get drunk in roppongi tonight?
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Mar 12, 2016 09:55
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For Haneda, the international to domestic transfers are done as follows: http://www.haneda-airport.jp/inter/en/dept/int_dms.html So, if you head to one of the train stations after exiting international customs, you can probably pick up a card there.
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Mar 12, 2016 10:00
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TWSS posted:Does anyone want to get drunk in roppongi tonight? I may be around. Send me a PM or LINE info or something and if I head there I'll let you know
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Mar 12, 2016 11:14
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Citibank ended operations in Japan last November as far as I know. Just a minor tidbit. But really guys, if you have trouble getting money you shouldn't fly anywhere. It's as bad as not knowing how to wipe your rear end
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Mar 12, 2016 18:12
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Gabriel Grub fucked around with this message at 18:21 on Mar 12, 2016 |
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Mar 12, 2016 18:16
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caberham posted:Citibank ended operations in Japan last November as far as I know. Just a minor tidbit. But really guys, if you have trouble getting money you shouldn't fly anywhere. It's as bad as not knowing how to wipe your rear end Wow, so much bad ATM info in this thread. 1. Citibank ended operations in Japan in November 2015 2. You probably shouldn't wipe back-to-front
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Mar 12, 2016 18:26
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caberham posted:Citibank ended operations in Japan last November as far as I know. Just a minor tidbit. But really guys, if you have trouble getting money you shouldn't fly anywhere. It's as bad as not knowing how to wipe your rear end I cannot for the life of me, regardless of crimes committed and oaths spoken, imagine how someone becomes so welded to China while also becoming so embedded in Japan.
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Mar 12, 2016 18:30
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caberham posted:Citibank ended operations in Japan last November as far as I know. Just a minor tidbit. But really guys, if you have trouble getting money you shouldn't fly anywhere. It's as bad as not knowing how to wipe your rear end Sorry, I don't know why I even said that since exchanging money is actually not an issue for me, I guess it was just on my mind since I was talking about current exchange rates and guessing at good times to buy in and it was pretty late. I guess I kind of offended a few people in here with those posts which I'm sorry for, it's just that the trip is more about actually being able to meet up with friends since everyone is all spread out so meeting up in Japan is the only way we can all get together. The posts about IC cards were helpful, though. I'll keep that in mind as a thing I need to do.
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Mar 12, 2016 18:47
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Phone posted:Wow, so much bad ATM info in this thread. That's not last November? Citibank ATMs are relatively common across the world, I was using them fine October but when it was December I got boned and just switched up to HSBC. quote:2. You probably shouldn't wipe back-to-front Bidets are the best.
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Mar 12, 2016 19:53
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I was making fun of Aredna by starting their post with "So much bad info" and then repeating what everyone else had already said. jokes.
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Mar 12, 2016 20:40
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Citibank ended support for local accounts, but most of the ATMs themselves remained open. Also - telling people you can't find an ATM 24/7 in major cities is just wrong these days. As long as you call your bank and show up with a little cash you'll be fine. Most people think they don't need to call their bank then end up in a other country with a card that suddenly stops working.
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Mar 12, 2016 20:50
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Yeah, we get it, you're technically correct. Which is the best kind of correct.
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Mar 12, 2016 20:54
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Someone upset because they are wrong?
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Mar 12, 2016 20:58
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Phone posted:I was making fun of Aredna by starting their post with "So much bad info" and then repeating what everyone else had already said. I'm dumb. I keep on getting trolled by everyone in this thread.
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Mar 12, 2016 21:18
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caberham posted:I'm dumb. I keep on getting trolled by everyone in this thread. I hear that's a defining trait of people who really like Osaka.
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Mar 12, 2016 22:06
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