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ntan1 posted:yeah I think sendai is normally snowing around then, there's a bunch of stuff to do but winter ends up really being skiing season, unless you are ok with renting a car with snow tires and driving around. Sendai is still generally warm enough that it doesn't get *that* much snow. Probably more than Tokyo but it's not the winter wonderland of Aomori or Hokkaido.
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Nov 18, 2017 03:31
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If you stay near the Pacific you'll probably be fine but a lot of the cool stuff is also in the mountains.
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Nov 18, 2017 10:46
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peanut posted:Just wear a sick mask pee wherever you want. Wherever. I was gonna do as I do in the United States (use women's facilities and avoid anything that requires me to take my clothes off in public) anyway, but this could be some nice extra insurance. I can't see onsen happening at all, though.
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Nov 20, 2017 00:49
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Pollyanna posted:I was gonna do as I do in the United States (use women's facilities and avoid anything that requires me to take my clothes off in public) anyway, but this could be some nice extra insurance. There are onsens with private or family baths. Usually they want a reservation, but if it's open when you show up they'll let you use it.
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Nov 20, 2017 02:45
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I'm at Blacows and there's literally only white ppl here 🤔 last time I was the lone foreigner
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Nov 20, 2017 09:38
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Anyone here ever use Odigo for trip planning and resources? I was watching some Abroad in Japan videos and it got namedropped and it seems like it could be useful for putting our trip together. Still not sure if we're gonna wing it or follow a tour program of sorts, though.LyonsLions posted:There are onsens with private or family baths. Usually they want a reservation, but if it's open when you show up they'll let you use it. Hmmmm...that might work. I'll do some research. My parents would definitely enjoy it, but I'll still have to convince them! You can't wear anything, right? Or can you wear a jumbo-size towel like I see sometimes?
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Nov 20, 2017 17:30
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The body towels are just for tv.
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Nov 21, 2017 04:13
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Nov 22, 2017 02:02
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It's looking like following a pretty loose tour guide would be best for me and my parents' trip to Japan. I think there's gonna be too much of a language barrier for us to wing it like we would a trip to a Spanish speaking country or something. I feel like I really want to plan the trip myself? Cause there's places I want to go and people I want to see? But it's also a lot of work and a lot of coordination getting reservations, travel scheduling, etc. - not the mention that my Japanese is nowhere near good enough to put it all together. Tour guides, even ones like this one, are super loving expensive, though. Given that this would be on my parents' dime I wouldn't mind mooching off them  But I have a feeling this trip would just leave me itching to come back and doing something my own style. At least, I hope...
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Nov 23, 2017 04:01
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There were 26 million tourists who visited Japan in 2016. They'll be completely unprepared for another family of gringos who come waltzing in.
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Nov 23, 2017 04:31
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So, I have been aware of Japan since forever (pokemon and anime became popular about the same time I got my drivers licence in high school) but never really had any desire to go here. Due to a fluke, and my girlfriend wanting to visit Japan since forever, we had 4 "free" days in Japan, all of which we spent in Tokyo, mostly downtown and in their bars from 7pm-3am. The only time we saw the sun was when we had to check out of our AirBnB and catch our ~6pm flight home to the US. One night was spent with the entire Belgian mitsubishi dealership owers, we drank an entire bar out of literally all their beer. Anyways, I had a great time, we're definitely going back again to party again sometime soon; we will do the parks and museums on our third trip when we're old with liver failure. Halloween is totally the right time to visit Tokyo.    Mad props to whoever suggested Don Quixote for costume selection.
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Nov 23, 2017 04:57
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Pollyanna posted:It's looking like following a pretty loose tour guide would be best for me and my parents' trip to Japan. I think there's gonna be too much of a language barrier for us to wing it like we would a trip to a Spanish speaking country or something. Just make a basic itinerary and post it here and get advice. As mentioned, there’s literally 10s of millions of tourists that go to Japan a year and the vast majority of them have no tour guide and are totally fine. It would be a huge waste of money. And you may well find the lack of flexibility to be annoying.
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Nov 23, 2017 06:41
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LimburgLimbo posted:Just make a basic itinerary and post it here and get advice. As mentioned, there’s literally 10s of millions of tourists that go to Japan a year and the vast majority of them have no tour guide and are totally fine. It would be a huge waste of money. And you may well find the lack of flexibility to be annoying. Literally did this ITT this year and it worked awesomely, had basically 3 things planned to do in Osaka and managed to fill 8 days with thread suggestions on the fly whilst already in the country. Just wing it. And get pocket WiFi for the love of god.
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Nov 23, 2017 07:51
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Pollyanna posted:It's looking like following a pretty loose tour guide would be best for me and my parents' trip to Japan. I think there's gonna be too much of a language barrier for us to wing it like we would a trip to a Spanish speaking country or something. Japan is really easy to get around. Get a data plan/travel sim card - you can buy one at the airport. Google Maps will tell you how to get where you want to go.
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Nov 23, 2017 07:57
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Hell yeah you're rockin that ameriflag suit (*≧∀≦*) Tour plan guy... if possible, get a day or two separate from your parents. My first trip was with my dad and it was frustrating with me being the guide, but him having the wallet.
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Nov 23, 2017 10:30
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It's Japan dude. It's travel easy mode. You will have less than zero problems. Google Translate also works fairly well English/Japanese.
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Nov 23, 2017 12:07
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History Comes Inside! posted:Just wing it. And get pocket WiFi for the love of god. Google Fi
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Nov 23, 2017 13:28
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Grand Fromage posted:It's Japan dude. It's travel easy mode. You will have less than zero problems. Google Translate also works fairly well English/Japanese. it's travel easy mode if you're coming from a place like China, or travel normal mode if you're coming from HK or Korea. coming from an English speaking country to Asia for only the first or second time, though, can be really difficult, no matter how nice and friendly and easy we think Japan is. my brother came to Asia for the first time in 2015 when he came to Japan and was pretty nervous for it, I was like "dude don't worry I'll pick you up at the airport, and I'll get us back, it's all good" but I think even having someone with you there can be a stigma there. especially if your only experience of Japan before going is watching the movie "lost in translation" and a few funky YouTube clips. forums user Pollyanna, plan the trip yourself. it's not that difficult, you can definitely do it from your computer that you're probably reading my dumb words on right now. find a place to book hotels or air B&Bs through, save directions, and you can always get train tickets later. and if there's a problem at some point, congrats! you're having difficulties exploring Japan with your parents, which will make for a great story, and you're in like literally the safest country in the world to be having a travel issue in. go for it yo.
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Nov 23, 2017 14:09
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^^^this entire post is predicated on the idea that you are not a class A spergelord who can't function on their own in society. if you have problems doing day-to-day things in your home country and find yourself constantly screwing up everything around you, ignore my post above and book a tour, for God's sake^^^
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Nov 23, 2017 14:10
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Fair points. To be honest, they were the ones that suggested the tour guide - I kinda treated it as "if we're here once, we might as well hit all the sights", but from my research I can't figure out a reason why we would need a tour guide aside from the language barrier. Although I'm not exactly good at speaking Japanese, I can understand it decently well and securing tickets and passes probably wouldn't be hard. The thing is, if this was a trip just for myself, I would be perfectly happy just walking around being a shitlord, getting a Suica card, and taking a look at whatever's around me. But, I'm going to be traveling with a couple doctors in their mid-50s, and they (specifically my mother) tend to really dislike a lack of structure. They don't want to think about the logistics, so they want a tour guide. v v Different audience, really.A potential option is to secure lodging, transportation, scheduling, etc. ourselves and simply hire a local tour guide per city to show us around, to decrease the price a bit. That might be a happy medium and still allow some freedom for me. I'll put together the itinerary. Worse comes to worse, they can do their own thing, I'll do mine, and we'll meet up before we fly back home. One thing is for sure, I'll be back on my own terms.  The Great Autismo! posted:^^^this entire post is predicated on the idea that you are not a class A spergelord who can't function on their own in society. if you have problems doing day-to-day things in your home country and find yourself constantly screwing up everything around you, ignore my post above and book a tour, for God's sake^^^ do you know who i am
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Nov 23, 2017 16:17
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If your doctor parents really want a tour guide then just make them pay for it. Also, ditch them for a day or two if you don't feel like doing something.
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Nov 23, 2017 16:58
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I will probably do that, yes.
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Nov 23, 2017 17:10
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So here's what I'm thinking for 4 days in Tokyo, with one day returning from Kyoto: 4/14~4/15 - Travel In Fly in from the east coast of the United States, land on 4/15 and check into an Airbnb. Recover from jetlag, maybe fit some walking around in while getting used to things. 4/16 - Getting Acquainted Day: Tokyo Skytree, Nakano After waking up, we start to walk around the city and get used to it. First order of business would be to go find Tokyo Skytree, climb up to the top, and take in the whole city Assassin's Creed-style. Then we go down to Nakano to walk around Nakano Sun Mall and Nakano Broadway, do some souvenir shopping and get some food. Night: Shinjuku Once the sun starts to go down, we move over to Shinjuku to see the lights go up and take in the sights! We'll take lots of pictures, definitely. There are a couple restaurants I want to hit up: Takano Fruit Parlor - Outlet of company that specializes in fruits. Has a fruit buffet and cafeteria! Looks really cute, but we should hit it up sometime between 15:00~17:00 (is that correct?). Saiseisakaba - Pub specializing in horumonyaki/motsuyaki. Lots of strange cuts of meat, good for being adventurous. I've heard this one name dropped a few times, but there's various places that do horumon/motsu so it doesn't have to be this one. 4/17 - Asakusa and Shimokita Day: Asakusa In the day, we'll go to Asakusa, the old cultural center of Tokyo, and take in the culture. Specifically, I want to hit up Sensouji which has the Kaminarimon and all the shops on Nakamise. This might be a good place to hire a day tour guide for the benefit of my parents, since they'd love to hear more background information on the old places. Night: Shimokita At night, we'll head over to Shimokita, a commercial and entertainment district. The plan is to walk around and find a nice cafe or bar to hang out in and listen to some live music! Maybe there's a cool show somewhere? Anybody got suggestions? For eating, we'll find something good on the way - trust me. 4/18 - Mostly Fish Morning: Outer Tsukiji Market The inside of Tsukiji Market is basically inaccessible to the layman, and would require you to get up at bullshit o' clock, so forget that. But, apparently the outside has a lot of cool poo poo around it! We can get breakfast there, see what kind of food is sold in Japan and these kinds of markets. Mid-day to Night: Odaiba Odaiba is a man-made island in Tokyo Bay. Think of it as a bayside boardwalk ala Navy Pier or something. It's a very spacious and modern district that caters to youth, and will have a lot of interesting stuff to do:
It's a very good destination for seafood, so I hope you like fish and shrimp. Everything else there will keep us engaged until night-time! 4/19 - Parks and Nerds Day: Ueno and Yoyogi Ueno and Yoyogi are home to a lot of pretty parks and shrines - we'll want to hit up Meiji Shrine, Onshi Park, and Yoyogi Park. There's a few museums that might be interesting (Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, etc.), and this might be a good place to hire a day tour guide ala Asakusa. Ameyoko will be a good place to stop by and take pictures of, and maybe even get some food. Afternoon to Night: Akihabara My parents will probably want to rest up, but I'm gonna hit up Akihabara. I wanna walk around and look at all the nerdery and retro gaming poo poo. Anata no Warehouse looks loving awesome and I can't wait to go there, holy poo poo. Other than that, I'll prolly just walk around, get drunk, and be all night. There's also a bar/cafe called NEWTYPE that came on recommendation from a friend who has connections there...still not sure if I will go, but I'll keep it in mind. 4/20 - Blaze It Travel to Osaka by train or something, check in to some Airbnb. I'll figure out Osaka and Kyoto later. ~time passes~ 4/26 - Travel Out (soon) Travel back from Kyoto to Tokyo via train or something. Check into a 1-night somewhere, walk around Shinjuku, get food, rest up for flying back. This will probably be fairly light, but is there any good one-night stuff I should fill this time with? ----- In terms of eating in Tokyo, we can pretty much just walk around when we get hungry and find something we haven't had yet - so these are just a couple suggestions. What will most likely happen is that we eat at whatever we find interesting along the way and I just gotta keep track of what kinds of food we want to eat But the more out-of-the-way stuff, I want to make sure we hit. We'll definitely do:
----- As far as I can tell, I'm also the only person of my age (27) that will be going on the trip - it's just mom and dad otherwise. For everything that I won't be doing with my parents, I'll be alone. How easy is it to socialize as an expat in Tokyo? I'm not super social or much of a bar hopper, I'm more likely to find a cafe to sit and drink a coffee or beer in, but it'd still be nice to make conversation now and then. Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 21:40 on Nov 23, 2017 |
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Nov 23, 2017 21:24
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That's a p solid itinerary so far, imo. Asakusa doesn't warrant a tour guide, but they might enjoy a rickshaw ride instead.
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Nov 23, 2017 23:00
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Oh and here's my running tab of restaurants I like in Tokyo fwiw: https://foursquare.com/user/53160958/list/restaurants
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Nov 23, 2017 23:05
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fwiw, Asakusa/Skytree are close to each other and those essentially have lines that terminate at Ueno, so you might want to consider splitting up timing differently. Keep in mind that it often takes 30 min to an hour to get across Tokyo as a whole (hour is pushing it possibly). Also my parents are in their 50s and I go on crazy adventures with them in Japan.
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Nov 23, 2017 23:21
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We did an Asakusa rickshaw tour on my birthday. My friend didn't know much Japanese or any of the very famous and important comedians the guide talked about, and I could barely recognize a few names. But it was fun and cool to ride in a rickshaw through a cute neighborhood. Nara has rickshaws, and... some limited neighborhoods of Kyoto? Where else?
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Nov 23, 2017 23:57
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Yeah do Asakusa and Skytree together; Nakano is way the gently caress the other side of the city. Also for Shimokita do some research beforehand; it’s cool but it’s not a massive commercial area or anything, the main commercial area near the train is over in about 5min and a lot of places are small and not obvious. Have a few places in mind from research in cas wandering doesn’t get you anything.
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Nov 24, 2017 01:49
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Oh yeah, Koenji is right near Nakano and might have as much or more of the kind of thing you're looking for from Shimokita.
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Nov 24, 2017 01:51
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Gonna recommend Roppongi Hills City View+Sky Deck over Skytree. It's nearly the same price but it's a better view -- SkyTree is just so high and there's nothing around that even compares. So everything just looks flat.
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Nov 24, 2017 02:20
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Replace Kyoto with Nikko then you are good to go. As much as I like Kyoto. You get more time that way
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Nov 24, 2017 04:12
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Pollyanna posted:The thing is, if this was a trip just for myself, I would be perfectly happy just walking around being a shitlord, getting a Suica card, and taking a look at whatever's around me. But, I'm going to be traveling with a couple doctors in their mid-50s, and they (specifically my mother) tend to really dislike a lack of structure. They don't want to think about the logistics, so they want a tour guide. v You don't need to worry. Everything in Japan is basically geared for and designed to appeal to people their age. They are guaranteed to love it. If they are paying, you might as well stick them on a few bus tours. Japanese old people love bus tours and the format is perfectly calibrated for the enjoyment of old people. There are English tours, too, but I'm not convinced that not speaking Japanese would be a hindrance to enjoying the regular tours, either. I'm telling you, parents always love Japan because it's perfectly suited to people their age. My parents love Japan. My mom roams the neighborhood by herself and yaks it up with the old ladies hanging out in the cafe area of the grocery store and she doesn't speak a word of Japanese. They just show each other pictures of their grandchildren and it all works out somehow.
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Nov 24, 2017 04:30
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Good suggestions here - I decided to make the first full day a SkyDeck/Asakusa in the day, then Shinjuku at night dealio, and move Nakano to the next day with Ueno and Yoyogi being the last day in Tokyo before we go west. I also replaced Shimokita with Koenji. Any suggestions for things to do around Nakano? I still need to fill out the second day a bit in the daytime.ntan1 posted:Keep in mind that it often takes 30 min to an hour to get across Tokyo as a whole (hour is pushing it possibly). I live in Boston, it can get much worse than 30 minutes. caberham posted:Replace Kyoto with Nikko then you are good to go. As much as I like Kyoto. You get more time that way Dad really wants to go to Kyoto and Osaka, is the thing. v  v I'm pretty curious myself, and if I do come back to Japan, my plan is to gently caress around in the Tohoku and Hokkaido regions, so I can always check out Nikko then.ntan1 posted:Also my parents are in their 50s and I go on crazy adventures with them in Japan. LyonsLions posted:You don't need to worry. Everything in Japan is basically geared for and designed to appeal to people their age. They are guaranteed to love it. If they are paying, you might as well stick them on a few bus tours. Japanese old people love bus tours and the format is perfectly calibrated for the enjoyment of old people. There are English tours, too, but I'm not convinced that not speaking Japanese would be a hindrance to enjoying the regular tours, either. I'm telling you, parents always love Japan because it's perfectly suited to people their age. My parents love Japan. My mom roams the neighborhood by herself and yaks it up with the old ladies hanging out in the cafe area of the grocery store and she doesn't speak a word of Japanese. They just show each other pictures of their grandchildren and it all works out somehow. My dad's a cyclist and a hiker and is a lot more chill - I suggested Shimanami Kaidou, but unfortunately it'll be too out of the way - so he's not my concern. I'm more worried about my mom, who is much more like Japan's audience. I'm sure they'll love it no matter what. At least, I hope  (Any non-Shimanami cycling suggestions? Especially near Kyoto/Osaka.) ----- Taking a look at the map, it makes more sense to go Tokyo -> Kyoto -> Osaka, so I'm thinking it would be better to do Osaka towards the end of the trip. Here's my (kind of insipid) Osaka itinerary: 4/24 - Travel from Kyoto Day: Arrival and walking around Travel into Osaka from Kyoto, roughly 1 hour by train. Drop off bags, then go walking around. Interesting sights to see as we settle in could include the Umeda Sky Building - a big, arch shaped building that has become a popular tourist destination in recent years. There's a rooftop observatory, and the underground market is also fascinating. Night: Shinsekai At night, we can travel into Shinsekai, a popular shop and entertainment district with many restaurants and cafes. Walk around and look at the lights, and try and find the Biliken statue! Then, walk towards the Tsutenkaku Tower, climb to the top, and look out on the city at night. 4/25 - An Excuse to Stuff Ourselves Day: Kuromon Ichiba, Osaka Castle, and the Instant Ramen Museum For breakfast, we can hit up Kuromon Ichiba in the morning, an old-style covered market popular with both foreigners and locals. Then we can head to Osaka Castle, and check out the Instant Ramen Museum - because cmon, we gotta. Night: Dotonbori and Shinsaibashi We can cap the visit off with a trip to Dotonbori. There's food stalls and lights everywhere, and if we follow the Tonbori Riverwalk, we'll pass by the Osaka branch of Don Quixote - a variety discount store with its own ferris wheel! The riverwalk will lead us to Shinsaibashi, where if we look around a bit we can find America-mura, a heavily American-themed district that's a major hangout spot for foreigners. ----- What's the most recommended way to get from Tokyo to Kyoto? Is the Shinkansen worth taking? It seems super loving cool, but man, those prices. Can't argue with a ~3hr travel time, though. Also, we gotta do a ryokan. How many nights can you stay at a ryokan? I usually see just one, is two also an option? Pollyanna fucked around with this message at 05:44 on Nov 24, 2017 |
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Nov 24, 2017 05:25
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https://www.contexttravel.com/ This place has tours your parents would probably be interested in if they're footing the bill.
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Nov 24, 2017 08:41
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zmcnulty posted:Gonna recommend Roppongi Hills City View+Sky Deck over Skytree. It's nearly the same price but it's a better view -- SkyTree is just so high and there's nothing around that even compares. So everything just looks flat. I 100% agree and I think it's a little cheaper too. Also, pay extra for the Sky Deck - it's worth it. And make sure to go there during sunset or at least when it's dark and it's a clear day.
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Nov 24, 2017 08:42
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Pollyanna posted:do you know who i am wait, I am from Boston also, am I supposed to know who you are?
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Nov 24, 2017 08:43
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Pollyanna posted:My parents will probably want to rest up, but I'm gonna hit up Akihabara. I wanna walk around and look at all the nerdery and retro gaming poo poo. Anata no Warehouse looks loving awesome and I can't wait to go there, holy poo poo. Other than that, I'll prolly just walk around, get drunk, and be all night. Just want to point out that Anata no Warehouse is out in Kawasaki, about 40 minutes away from Akihabara.
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Nov 24, 2017 14:41
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Foreign Substance posted:Just want to point out that Anata no Warehouse is out in Kawasaki, about 40 minutes away from Akihabara. Worth the train ride though.
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Nov 24, 2017 15:03
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The Great Autismo! posted:wait, I am from Boston also, am I supposed to know who you are? Ask the LAN thread Foreign Substance posted:Just want to point out that Anata no Warehouse is out in Kawasaki, about 40 minutes away from Akihabara. Aw, ballsacks. I was never good at geography. I'll fix that up somehow.
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Nov 24, 2017 18:05
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Pollyanna posted:In terms of eating in Tokyo, we can pretty much just walk around when we get hungry and find something we haven't had yet - so these are just a couple suggestions. What will most likely happen is that we eat at whatever we find interesting along the way and I just gotta keep track of what kinds of food we want to eat -Try and book a reservation at Den, especially if you can get your parents to cover it. http://www.jimbochoden.com/en/ -Tsukiji Inner Market - The wholesale section is open to tourists, though you'd still need to be there in the morning to see anything. No flash photography. Also none of the sushi resturants (Dai, Daiwa, and the others) are really worth waiting 2 hours for.  -Did your friend tell you what NEWTYPE is? Or have you googled it yet? .Z. fucked around with this message at 18:13 on Nov 24, 2017 |
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Nov 24, 2017 18:10
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