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like a cigarette should posted:I've never traveled solo before. Would it be worth it to get on one of those hokey 'guided tour across Japan!' things (I've never done one of those either) or should I just brave it and do my own thing? I was thinking of traveling in October/November to avoid crowds and heat? Neither have I, so I did the smart thing and decided to bike across the country solo earlier this year and live out of a tent half the time. Most fun I've ever had, A++, will do again. Being able to do what I want, when I want made me actually like travelling for once in my life.
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Jul 14, 2017 19:54
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I went by myself last year and had a blast. Japan is very easy to travel solo since it's so easy to get around and the ppl are polite and friendly. I'm going again this November but only for slighty more than a week 
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Jul 14, 2017 20:15
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Phone posted:Depends! I've got a few thousand saved up, not sure of a hard limit. I'm generally a pretty cheap person so not interested in high end restaurants or anything, and am not a clubbing/partying person and am more interested in quiet touristy stuff like museums, hot springs, temples, pretty scenery, etc. I've been to Europe once with my family but they're the type of people who RUSH RUSH RUSH GOTTA SEE EVERYTHING so honestly maybe traveling alone wouldn't be so bad? I'm a lady traveling alone but I've heard Japan is very safe (as long as you are smart about it) so not TOO concerned with that aspect. But I'm also a bit of a doofus and worried about things like figuring out trains and counting out money and stuff so  . Like I said, I've been thinking of some kind of guided tour just to have some structure, but I don't know much about those either.
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Jul 14, 2017 20:22
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Guided tours are kind of expensive and there's a lot of "come here, look at this, ok back on the bus". As for your concerns, you'll be fine. Download Hyperdia for trains, you're on your own for figuring out how the stations are laid out, but it's not too bad. Money is easy, just use the ATMs in 7-11s or the post office with your Visa debit card. Also, you put the money in the money basket, don't hand it to the clerk that's helping you. Also, GET AN IC CARD ASAP.
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Jul 14, 2017 20:33
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like a cigarette should posted:I've got a few thousand saved up, not sure of a hard limit. I'm generally a pretty cheap person so not interested in high end restaurants or anything, and am not a clubbing/partying person and am more interested in quiet touristy stuff like museums, hot springs, temples, pretty scenery, etc. I've been to Europe once with my family but they're the type of people who RUSH RUSH RUSH GOTTA SEE EVERYTHING so honestly maybe traveling alone wouldn't be so bad? I'm a lady traveling alone but I've heard Japan is very safe (as long as you are smart about it) so not TOO concerned with that aspect. But I'm also a bit of a doofus and worried about things like figuring out trains and counting out money and stuff so How many days are you going to have to spend in Japan? Also with regards to the hot springs, do you have any tattoos?
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Jul 14, 2017 20:44
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.Z. posted:How many days are you going to have to spend in Japan? I was thinking about a week and a half, two weeksish. Tokyo and Kyoto are top of my list, but I'm pretty sure they're top for most lists. No tats, so no worries about the springs.
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Jul 14, 2017 20:48
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Hyperdia was good for comparing times and prices for different routes between stations, but I found Google Maps a lot more useful - especially since it gives you directions between you and your final destination, not just between stations. I've only been to the Tokyo area though, YMMV. Being a newbie to Asian travel, I found the Lonely Planet app useful as well. They have free maps of major cities with a bunch of suggested destinations: you can just tag locations and see how far away they are from each other/how far you are from them at any given time. The only things on the app that cost money are the "phrasebook" collections, which give you a searchable set of tourist phrases at $2 per language. Considering that Google Translate exists, though, you can safely skip the Japanese phrasebook. I also bought the dead-tree version of Lonely Planet's Tokyo guidebook to make sure I didn't drain my cell phone battery unnecessarily; the book features suggested itineraries that took a lot of the guesswork out of planning, and although some of the information was outdated (e.g. the edition I have talks about Odaiba's Gundam statue, which was taken down earlier this year), it wasn't enough to ruin my trip. There's also a dead-tree Kyoto guidebook you can buy. Maybe a REAL SOPHISTICATED WORLD TRAVELERTM wouldn't use a guidebook, but eh, it's cheaper than a guided tour and nobody's forcing you to do everything it says. I especially urge you to not restrict yourself to your guidebook's recommended restaurants. Feel free to visit one or two if they sound interesting, but there's a lot of solid food choices in Japan, and unless you're a huge gourmet eating at a non-recommended restaurant is unlikely to make or break your trip. The ramen from the shop down the street from my hotel was pretty good, as was the pork cutlet curry from the 7-Eleven across the street. Rent a SIM card or pocket WiFi so you can use all these useful apps - they're worth more than their weight in gold. Be careful to conserve your phone's and/or pocket WiFi's power - it's inconvenient to be without Internet access in Japan, especially if you don't speak the language or don't know your way around. Consider investing in an external phone battery. If you're looking for something more comfortable than a hostel but less expensive than a Western hotel, business/economy hotels are a good value. Rooms are basically glorified closets, but they should be clean and decently furnished - and you shouldn't be spending all your time in a hotel room anyway!
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Jul 14, 2017 22:00
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I've had good luck with Richmond Hotels for a business hotel on multiple trips, If you go the Airbnb route, if a host has shampoo, it doesn't mean that they will also have a shower or bath; please check to make sure that they have shower/bath checked off. Also, if your trip is just going to be Tokyo + Kyoto, don't bother with a JR Pass. Use Hyperdia for the train scheduling and Google Maps is spot on for directions.
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Jul 14, 2017 22:22
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I did a Europe trip with Contiki in my early-mid 20's. It's an organized tour for 20-35 year olds. I knew 0 people, had never travelled internationally, was broke, and didn't have any friends to go with. Best decision I could have made. It was a two week party-and-get-laid trip through Europe. There were walking tours you could take or opt-out of, anytime on the way to a new city there was a several-hour bus trip where you could listen to the guide talk about what to see, then when the bus arrived, you got your hotel key and you could go do whatever you wanted. It was a nice mix of travelling alone and taking a group tour. For the young and not well-travelled, I recommend it.
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Jul 14, 2017 22:26
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like a cigarette should posted:I was thinking about a week and a half, two weeksish. Tokyo and Kyoto are top of my list, but I'm pretty sure they're top for most lists. No tats, so no worries about the springs. As a starting point for research you could do something like: Fly to Osaka, stay a few days: - Day trip to Nara - See Osaka castle - Go see the instant ramen museum - Go see the Glico man - Visit some of the shopping streets - Gain 10 pounds from eating things Hop over to Kyoto for a few days - Gain more weight from eating things - Go see the temples - Maybe book a night at a Ryokan Bullet train over to Tokyo for a few more days - Gain even more weight from eating things - Spend time at the various neighborhoods. - Visit Tsukiji outer market. And inner market if it's still open. Eat things, gain weight. - Go visit arcades: Joypoplis on Odaiba, Anata no Warehouse as call outs - If your are in love with Ghibli movies, Ghibli museum is an option. But you need to buy tickets months in advance or pay a markup. Having said that, I went and didn't think it was worth it. -Visit Niwa no Yu or some other hot spring mega complex in Tokyo. Other ideas - If you like the idea of a tour two suggestions: 1. Look into day tours that are only a few hours. 2. If you really want a good multi-day, guided experience, go check this site out: http://www.foodstorytour.com/tour-calendar Only problem the fall tours are probably all booked out at this point. And it's expensive ($1500 - $1800 depending on the tour), or at least I think it's expensive. I've never taken any tours besides her's so I have no comparison. - Look into traveling out to an Onsen Ryokan for a night - Take a cooking class edit: added Tokyo suggestion for onsen .Z. fucked around with this message at 23:02 on Jul 14, 2017 |
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Jul 14, 2017 22:28
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If you fly into Osaka, I can recommend you a really good and cool Airbnb host in Kobe. :x
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Jul 14, 2017 22:34
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Airbnb also offers ～Experiences～ now. Traveling alone is good, you can just wander down pretty streets or hide from the weather in a museum all day. The only downside is you can't try your buddy's order in a restaurant. Couch Surfing, AirBnB and hostels will give you a chance for some one-day travel friends and advice about local shops.
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Jul 14, 2017 22:47
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.Z. posted:As a starting point for research you could do something like: I did this a couple months ago almost to the tee, minus the hot springs stuff and plus a bunch of random stuff like Yakazaki distillery tours and it was a good A+ trip. I p much exclusively travel alone and have done so in SEA, China, Japan, and Europe and Japan is by far the easiest. It's insane how convenient the country is, and well set up for weirdo solo travelers, so don't let being solo turn you off.
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Jul 15, 2017 02:15
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Goons are also very nice people if you reach out to them ahead of time. That's how magna found good restaurants. He's got good friends showing him around. Tokyo kyoto is the way to go. SKIP OSAKA
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Jul 15, 2017 07:30
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Moon Slayer posted:Japan really needs to move up one timezone, this whole "getting light at 4 a.m." thing is ridiculous. Magna Kaser posted:I'm glad this wasn't just me. When I was there last month on multiple occasions I woke up to a bright sunny day and saw it was like 4:45. Stringent posted:It sucks. Especially because its fully dark by 7pm. Stumbling Block posted:Dark by 7 pm isn't that big of an issue for me though it getting dark by 4:30 pm, and that's during autumn, is. Holy poo poo, is this why people always wake up and sleep really early in anime and stuff? I thought it was just me being a goonlord.
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Jul 16, 2017 00:02
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Kids are out by 7:30 to get to school by 8 and the rest of the family matches that. I'm ok with early sunrise but darkness at 5pm in winter sucks
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Jul 16, 2017 01:05
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Fair enough. I forgot what it was like in high school. For a theoretical vacation, is May~August still a good time to do a trip, or is there a better time of year to schedule something? My parents have expressed an interest in visiting and they've been looking to me for ideas/advice, so I might have to play tour planner or something.
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Jul 16, 2017 01:13
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Definitely May (or October) if you can manage. July/August are hot as balls and walking around with backpacks, and cicadas and frogs at night... my parents came around then and were miserable.
peanut fucked around with this message at 01:26 on Jul 16, 2017 |
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Jul 16, 2017 01:19
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We're from Florida (my parents still live there, anyway), so lovely temperatures aren't so strange to us. Then again, it does suck to walk around in that weather. I had hoped to come up around festival time or something cause that poo poo sounds uber cool, and 'cuz Obon is celebrated on my birthday outside of Kanto.  But that's me being selfish.Are there concerns besides weather to think about (availability, too many tourists, tourist-unfriendly sights/activities)?
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Jul 16, 2017 01:35
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Early-Mid August has festivals but you'll also have trouble booking hotels. The weather is like Florida but without a car. Maybe like Disneyworld, with lots of Chinese tourists.
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Jul 16, 2017 01:42
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caberham posted:SKIP OSAKA Is Osaka really so bad that it's not worth spending a day or two there? Pollyanna posted:Fair enough. I forgot what it was like in high school. If you can swing April, you could plan a trip for full cherry blossom blooming. 2018 forecast hasn't been released yet though: https://www.kyuhoshi.com/japan-cherry-blossom-forecast/ That said, May will also be nice. Wisterias and pink moss will be blooming, so you can go visit the parks or target the festivals that are meant for those flowers. Just don't book for the first week of May as that is Japan's week long holiday, Golden Week.
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Jul 16, 2017 04:58
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.Z. posted:Is Osaka really so bad that it's not worth spending a day or two there? Osaka is cool, ignore Cabe he hates anything outside of the Yamanote line.
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Jul 16, 2017 06:31
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If you can handle some flexibility in your schedule, while in Tokyo: 1) Go to Kawasaki, preferably a weekend, during the daytime (okay technically it's Kanagawa but whatever) 2) Buy some beers at the combini 3) Drink on the street and people watch for a few hours If you enjoy that experience, certainly, spend a couple days in Osaka.
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Jul 16, 2017 13:02
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zmcnulty posted:If you can handle some flexibility in your schedule, while in Tokyo: Last time I did this we had some nice gentlemen show us how much of their pinkies they were missing!
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Jul 16, 2017 15:20
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hello dead gay thread I brought you a gift from the Eastquote:Zdravo, my name is Druže Ken.
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Jul 18, 2017 12:18
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peanut posted:hello dead gay thread I brought you a gift from the East  Ken-Sama!E: quote:The wind blows. It is 7 in the morning, Ken-sama woke up to the cold morning. He got up, and went to the bathroom to wash his face. Ken-sama live in a traditional Japanese house, he only rent a room though. The old couple is nice enough to let him stay in their house. Pththya-lyi fucked around with this message at 12:36 on Jul 18, 2017 |
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Jul 18, 2017 12:29
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.Z. posted:Is Osaka really so bad that it's not worth spending a day or two there? That guy's a moron.
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Jul 18, 2017 22:11
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Hello thread, I am going to Japan from October 16th to the 27th and I have a question: If I am only going to Tokyo and Kyoto + small trips to surrounding areas ( Examples: Nara, Nikko and Kamakura.) should I get a JR pass and if so should I get a 7 day or 14 day?
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Jul 19, 2017 15:21
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Nah. You need to use the Shinkansen for two round trips for it to pay for itself.
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Jul 19, 2017 15:25
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You can get by with a one-week pass if you lump your cities efficiently (use it for Not Tokyo.)
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Jul 19, 2017 15:33
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Also consider the lesser-known Tokyo Wide Pass. Covers the entire Kanto area, 10000 yen for 3 days. And you can just show up and buy one, no dealing with the Exchange Order. That will cover any JR in/around Tokyo, including Nikko and Kamakura. Keep in mind that both JR and Tokyo Metro have single day unlimited tickets as well, which are useful if you'll be riding trains and subways within Tokyo a lot. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 01:36 on Jul 20, 2017 |
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Jul 20, 2017 01:32
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goth smoking cloves posted:Hello thread, I am going to Japan from October 16th to the 27th and I have a question: If I am only going to Tokyo and Kyoto + small trips to surrounding areas ( Examples: Nara, Nikko and Kamakura.) should I get a JR pass and if so should I get a 7 day or 14 day? Advice so far is good, but you can use Hyperdia to price all your tickets to see if a pass is worth it.
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Jul 30, 2017 00:24
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Lon Lon Rabbit posted:Didn't get the shot I was after but it was still a really cool spot so thanks for the rec. That's a cool shot, though
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Aug 2, 2017 12:51
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So, I'm going to be in Tokyo from September 17th to September 27th and want to check out the sumo tournament. I found this site: http://sumo.pia.jp/en/vacant/va09.jsp and this PDF http://www.sumo.or.jp/pdf/honbasho/2017_sep_leaflet_en.pdf They both show some days in, like, different colors than other days. Like, some are darker in the PDF. Are those like, finals or something? Is there a benefit to going to see those? Also, any tips on booking these tickets? It looks like they go on sale this Saturday (Aug 5th) and have an English site, but do the sell out super fast and I have to book the minute they're available or something?
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Aug 3, 2017 21:35
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Those are just weekends/holidays.
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Aug 3, 2017 23:04
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Weekends/Holidays sell out but as a tourist I'm confident you can buy weekday tickets at a convenience store after you arrive.
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Aug 3, 2017 23:42
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Is there an equivalent to the Kansai thru-pass for Kanto? Google keeps suggesting the JR East pass but that doesn't include the subways and buses etc. as far as I can tell, whereas the Kansai one was literally everything that wasn't a JR service.
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Aug 4, 2017 16:04
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http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/pass/tokyo_free.html https://www.kotsu.metro.tokyo.jp/subway/fare/otoku_free.html That's the closest, covers subways buses and JR within a certain area.
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Aug 5, 2017 01:13
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I'm going to be in Tokyo for 3 or 4 days at the start of October with wife and kids (two 6 year olds and a baby). What are some must see family friendly sites? The missus definitely wants to go to the Ghibli museum so if there are some other things in that general direction that I could plan a day around that would be great.
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Aug 10, 2017 02:46
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I'm looking into Yokohama Sea Paradise as a less tiring Disney alternative...
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Aug 10, 2017 04:54
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