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Goonami is the 8th.
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Mar 25, 2017 12:02
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| # ? May 16, 2024 04:37 |
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BYOCI (bring your own coco ichi)
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Mar 25, 2017 16:33
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So, I'm still a student in Japan with a student residence card and I'm getting a visit from a friend in late May / early April. We only have a week and a half, and we were thinking of going Tokyo -> Nara -> Kyoto and then end in Osaka. As she isn't a student, she can apparently buy the Japanese rail pass to have unlimited access to regional trains but as a student in Japan with a Japanese residence cards, I apparently can't get one. Is there a discount for students, or any other passes I can get? Googling hasn't helped me 
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Mar 25, 2017 20:36
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Use Hyperdia to compare the cost of that trip in cash vs a JR Pass. Once you're in Kansai there are many cheap local lines to get between Osaka/Kyoto/Nara so a JR Pass may be overkill.
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Mar 26, 2017 00:19
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for people in japan jr pass is often not worth it as well. just grab an unreserved seat on a shinkansen. If you're lazy, you can do it at a JR station. There are also some discounts in random travel shops throughout tokyo. (as long as you arent doing this on golden week)
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Mar 26, 2017 02:18
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zmcnulty posted:Also "certain cultures of foreigners," lol just say Chinese Lol.
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Mar 27, 2017 03:04
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I'm visiting my friend in Wazuka, a teeny mountain village southeast of Kyoto. I'm planning to be there May 3rd - 12th, give or take a day. Cheapest flights I can find land in Nagoya, which I thought would be fun to check out. Is there anything cool between the two of them? I'm open to just about anything. I like good food, temples and shrines, and just wandering around. I love onsen too, but maybe it's not as enjoyable when it's hot as balls out. Any input is appreciated! I've only seen the Kansai area so I'm looking forward to branching out. 
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Mar 27, 2017 04:43
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How much in advance do you generally have to buy train tickets in Japan? JR pass isn't cost effective for my trip as I'm only riding it like twice and I'm wondering if I should just get them when I arrive. Would be from Osaka to Kyoto and then Tokyo.
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Mar 27, 2017 06:14
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I'm in Japan wow! I was going to do a sim card until my friend said a pocket wifi might be cheaper than two sim cards. Best pocket wifi? Also do I have to order them or can I just pick one up somewhere?
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Mar 27, 2017 06:24
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Magna Kaser posted:How much in advance do you generally have to buy train tickets in Japan? JR pass isn't cost effective for my trip as I'm only riding it like twice and I'm wondering if I should just get them when I arrive. Would be from Osaka to Kyoto and then Tokyo. I bought all mine same day or the day before.
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Mar 27, 2017 06:37
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Magna Kaser posted:How much in advance do you generally have to buy train tickets in Japan? JR pass isn't cost effective for my trip as I'm only riding it like twice and I'm wondering if I should just get them when I arrive. Would be from Osaka to Kyoto and then Tokyo. Generally fine to just walk up and buy right before boarding. For Osaka-Kyoto, it's a 30 minute journey that can be done on normal (non-Shinkansen) trains for 560JPY. No need to book in advance or use the Shinkansen for this at all. For Kyoto-Tokyo, I'd only recommend buying well in advance if you have a specific schedule to keep to. Otherwise you should be fine just to buy before boarding (giving yourself enough time to find/reach the platform of course). There are tons of trains running that route and they probably won't sell-out unless it's mid-August or New Year's. You can buy 'reserved seat' or 'non-reserved seat' tickets. A reserved seat ticket will allow you to pick a specific seat on a specific train. 'Non-reserved' allows you to get on basically any service within the time period specific but you'd have to try to try your luck in the non-reserved seating area (worst-case scenario, you might have to stand if it's busy).
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Mar 27, 2017 06:43
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There's a shinkansen like every 15 or 20 minutes on the Kyoto-Tokyo route I think. Oh also the Yamazaki distillery is on the Osaka->Kyoto train line, you have to reserve that tour in advance.
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Mar 27, 2017 06:51
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Stringent posted:Goonami is the 8th. God drat it. I got to be in Shanghai on the 7th I'm really tempted to come for the weekend
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Mar 27, 2017 07:21
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Magna Kaser posted:How much in advance do you generally have to buy train tickets in Japan? JR pass isn't cost effective for my trip as I'm only riding it like twice and I'm wondering if I should just get them when I arrive. Would be from Osaka to Kyoto and then Tokyo. You can basically always just walk up and get them except for the New Years rush and maybe golden week rush? Even then you can do standing room and stand your sweaty pudgy goony self (I'm assuming this because we all are) up for 3 hours.
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Mar 27, 2017 07:24
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On the first day of Golden Week I just walked up and bought a non-reserved ticket and then waited one extra train (20 minutes on that track that day) and was first in line to get a seat. That would only work if you're at the starting station though - so don't try to do that at Shinagawa station since it'll be full at Tokyo station already. If it's busy travel time you may need to plan ahead (3 day weekends, golden week, obon), but otherwise you'll be fine on most routes at most times to just walk up and get a non-reserved seat.
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Mar 27, 2017 07:24
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Yeah just a general point of advice to everyone posting here; posting date ranges is always a help because we can see if it overlaps with an especially busy period; golden week, beginning of April, etc.
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Mar 27, 2017 07:27
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Tea.EarlGrey.Hot. posted:I'm visiting my friend in Wazuka, a teeny mountain village southeast of Kyoto. I'm planning to be there May 3rd - 12th, give or take a day. Cheapest flights I can find land in Nagoya, which I thought would be fun to check out. Is there anything cool between the two of them? I'm open to just about anything. I like good food, temples and shrines, and just wandering around. I love onsen too, but maybe it's not as enjoyable when it's hot as balls out. Toyota Technology Museum Toyota Automobile Museum (has all sorts of stuff including pre-war and American cars; when I went in 2015 they had a massive post-war economic recovery exhibit which really stole the show) Critical * Hit (retro console video game bar) JR Train Museum Taking the long way to Kyoto/Osaka (aka: through Mie): Suzuka Circuit Ise Jingu
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Mar 27, 2017 07:33
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LimburgLimbo posted:You can basically always just walk up and get them except for the New Years rush and maybe golden week rush? Even then you can do standing room and stand your sweaty pudgy goony self (I'm assuming this because we all are) up for 3 hours. I actually moved my trip back a week so I didn't totally overlap with golden week like it did originally. Now I land in Osaka on the 4th of May and was probably gonna not head to Kyoto till 6~7 or so?? Not sure how crazy traveling those days will be as it's the end of the holiday over there. I live in China though so a crowded Japanese railway station will probably be like easy mode and outside of selling out I'm not too scared. Just now trying to figure out how long to stay where.
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Mar 27, 2017 13:52
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Oh and go get a Japanese SIM card on taobao. It's cheaper. Did you get plane tickets yet? It would be cool if we can meet up
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Mar 27, 2017 14:23
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Tea.EarlGrey.Hot. posted:I'm visiting my friend in Wazuka, a teeny mountain village southeast of Kyoto. I'm planning to be there May 3rd - 12th, give or take a day. Cheapest flights I can find land in Nagoya, which I thought would be fun to check out. Is there anything cool between the two of them? I'm open to just about anything. I like good food, temples and shrines, and just wandering around. I love onsen too, but maybe it's not as enjoyable when it's hot as balls out. If you are interested in Castles, the Nagoya-area is home to 2 of the 12 surviving 'original' castles in Japan (many have burned down due to war, some have been rebuilt). 1) Hikone Castle is kinda in between Nagoya and Wazuka. It's got a ridiculously adorable mascot, Hikonyan.  2) Inuyama Castle on the North side of Nagoya. This Castle has a wonderful spring festival in early April. Although, not an original - Nagoya Castle is quite impressive and offers a nice view of the city. Also, Phone mentioned some good museums in Nagoya. I especially liked the Toyota Technology Museum. Critical Hit Bar is pretty sweet too and the bartender/owner is very friendly. Definitely stop by if you end up spending a night in Downtown Nagoya and you like video games. To be honest, Nagoya is a business city, with not much to see for tourists. You will be close to Kyoto, which has much more to see than Nagoya.
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Mar 27, 2017 16:03
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Gifu has a lot to see! A few others have already made some of these suggestions but beyond the stuff that's already in Nagoya (like Toyota) and castles: Ise Shima/Jinguu Takayama, Possibly even Kanazawa Kiso
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Mar 27, 2017 19:43
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Day 1 in japan was awesome. The 16 hour flight less so. But oh god we cant figure out how to shower with hot water. Is there a trick to getting hot water? We are staying in tokyo near kuramei station.
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Mar 27, 2017 21:26
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How do you find a good restaurant that's near you now, ideally with some kind of map functionality? Not like "ten best Michelin starred restaurants in Tokyo", more like i'm standing at x cross-street and hungry, where should I grab lunch? In the states I would use yelp or google reviews or something, but neither of those get much use here. I'm in Tokyo today and will be in Kyoto later today but back in Tokyo this weekend.
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Mar 27, 2017 21:49
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Sefal posted:Day 1 in japan was awesome. The 16 hour flight less so. But oh god we cant figure out how to shower with hot water. Is there a trick to getting hot water? We are staying in tokyo near kuramei station. Could be that you need to turn on the hot water. Look for a control panel somewhere, usually in the bathroom. There should be an on/off button (might be written in Japanese). The temperature will be in Celsius; try starting at around 42 (without cold water). Other control panels you might find: for the toilet, for the AC.
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Mar 27, 2017 21:53
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photomikey posted:How do you find a good restaurant that's near you now, ideally with some kind of map functionality? Not like "ten best Michelin starred restaurants in Tokyo", more like i'm standing at x cross-street and hungry, where should I grab lunch? In the states I would use yelp or google reviews or something, but neither of those get much use here. I'm in Tokyo today and will be in Kyoto later today but back in Tokyo this weekend. tabelog alternatively, just go somewhere and you'll probably be ok as long as it isn't a makudonarudo. tbh you'd be fine at makudonarudo too but i'd probably call you a goony goon.
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Mar 27, 2017 21:57
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I'm trying to plan a group trip (4-6 people) with people to last somewhere between 9 and 13 days in September. Right now, we have Tokyo on the list, but not much else. I heard there's a sumo tournament from Sept. 10th to 24th, so I think it's be cool do that one afternoon. And Mt. Fuji seems to close in mid-Sept., though exact 2017 dates don't seem to be finalized yet. That could be a good day trip from Tokyo, I think. Anyway, yeah, does anyone have any advice about that date range and what they would recommend we do? I think we can afford one or two fancy meals. I spent a weekend in Tokyo on my way home from China after studying there for 9 mos, but that was a long time ago.
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Mar 27, 2017 22:04
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unbutthurtable posted:Anyway, yeah, does anyone have any advice about that date range and what they would recommend we do? I think we can afford one or two fancy meals. You can experience Japanese nature, food, food culture and agriculture near Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe. The Kinki Region (Kansai Region) is the leading tourist spot in Japan, with Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe supported by their long history and culture, and has been welcoming large numbers of tourists from all over the world every year. The fact is that there are some unknown agricultural, mountain and fishing villages featuring attractive nature, food and food culture located near these tourist attractions, in which people can experience Japanese daily life, agriculture and traditional culture. For example, for daily life experience, Hino Town (Shiga Prefecture), located to the east of Kyoto, offers tasting of country-style cooking, making of Japanese confectioneries, and working with bamboo-ware. For an agricultural experience, Tanabe City (Wakayama Prefecture), located to the south of Osaka, offers mandarin picking and jam making, while staying in farmhouses. For traditional cultural experiences, Chado (tea ceremony) and Kado (Japanese flower arrangement) can be experienced in Kyoto City. Why not experience “Japanese culture” only available in Japan? You can experience the Okinawan culture such as traditional arts and crafts. Okinawa has so much to offer including the beautiful sea, natural forests, the world heritage sites with a long history, the own unique food culture, various shopping spots and more. Pick the best plan which fits for your style of traveling among “First-timer Course,” “Area-specific Course,” “North Course by Bus” and “Shopping Area” to enjoy sightseeing in Okinawa! The first trip to Okinawa. “Shurijo Castle, Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, there are places I want to visit, but I don’t know the location and how to go in order.” Here are the recommended plans for the first-timers to visit all the tourist spots. You don’t need to worry about anything as long as you have this plan! Let’s go to Northern Okinawa! Covering from the West Coast where resort hotels are lined up to Kori Island crossing a big bridge to very popular Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium, this is the course that driving to beautiful blue ocean one after another. Because of the fascinated experience you have with this plan, you will be determined to come back here! While remembering the beautiful view of Okinawa, head to Naha City from Northern Okinawa. You cannot forget to buy souvenirs before you leave. Various types of souvenirs are available at the airport, but it is good to stop by at a nearby outlet mall before heading to the airport. Let’s get a souvenir for yourself as a memory of the trip. ntan1 fucked around with this message at 23:19 on Mar 27, 2017 |
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Mar 27, 2017 23:17
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photomikey posted:How do you find a good restaurant that's near you now, ideally with some kind of map functionality? https://s.tabelog.com/en/tokyo/rstLstMap/?SrtT=trend Foursquare is also somewhat usable in Japan if the tabelog interface is too much to bear.
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Mar 27, 2017 23:32
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Disappointed but not really surprised that after Hitosara paid Gengo massive money to translate all their restaurant descriptions, it still hasn't been integrated into the site...
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Mar 27, 2017 23:41
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Im more pissed off that it takes me 5 clicks and a copy and paste to ever get anything out of tabelog because the site always does a version check and makes sure to point me to the english version every single time since Im in the US.
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Mar 27, 2017 23:59
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sempai have u tried not being in the us?
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Mar 28, 2017 00:03
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maybe but i have a good salary here and there's better career options here than our Japan office.
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Mar 28, 2017 00:07
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totalnewbie posted:Could be that you need to turn on the hot water. Look for a control panel somewhere, usually in the bathroom. There should be an on/off button (might be written in Japanese). The temperature will be in Celsius; try starting at around 42 (without cold water). Thank you. But we had no luck finding that.  .  . These are the intructions we have.  . We cannot find the above cooling heating switch
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Mar 28, 2017 02:46
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Lmao god drat
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Mar 28, 2017 02:51
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Lol most places there's literally just a button you push
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Mar 28, 2017 03:07
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Phone posted:Lmao god drat LimburgLimbo posted:Lol most places there's literally just a button you push I've been in the middle of nowhere at a minshuku and the old obaasan at the minshuku realized that she ran out of kerosene to heat her shower and had to take us to the nearby onsen hotel one night and even that shower had an ON/OFF button.
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Mar 28, 2017 03:08
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Don't forget you also need to start up the water pump first, here's an instruction video: https://youtu.be/WXzSZVgQwts
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Mar 28, 2017 03:16
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Sefal posted:Thank you. But we had no luck finding that. Not sure where the cooling heating switch is, but maybe you don't need it. Anyway, did you have success getting the fire lit? Bottom right dial, push down and hold at the flame symbol until you hear the fire start. Then turn it to the next mark. I'm not sure what the final one is, seems to be used to purge air from the system, maybe? Bottom left dial is 7 for hot, 1 for cold. Maybe that should help you enough.
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Mar 28, 2017 03:23
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I arrived in Kyoto today. First impression: I have been in US cities that had more Japanese people and less English-speaking white people than Kyoto.
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Mar 28, 2017 13:38
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photomikey posted:I arrived in Kyoto today. First impression: I have been in US cities that had more Japanese people and less English-speaking white people than Kyoto. Guys I just got to New York and I'm hanging around Times Square and the statue of liberty but there's all these tourists what gives?!?
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Mar 28, 2017 13:45
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