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Sold on that idea. Thanks 
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Jan 28, 2020 00:06
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How come in-country flights in Japan are cheaper than the Shinkansen? I heard one Youtube creator comment that she flies from Tokyo to Osaka because a round trip plane ticket is often cheaper than a one-way Shinkansen ticket. If it wasn't for the JR pass I might be planning on doing that for my trip.
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Jan 28, 2020 00:25
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Japanese transportation pricing is bizarre and all over the place. Look up how much just a loving intercity bus costs, it's nuts. And taxis. I'd rather pay more for the train to avoid flying, but it is dumb how expensive the Shinkansen is. It's like 4x the price of the KTX in Korea, and it's not that much nicer. Korea's not really any cheaper overall than Japan anymore, either.
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Jan 28, 2020 00:33
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LCCs have dropped prices way down. But having gone to Narita to go to Osaka once, you waste so much time going to and from airports that if you can swing a reserved seat, and if you’re staying centrally, it makes more sense to train. Tokyo to Hiroshima or Fukuoka makes more sense to fly IMO.
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Jan 28, 2020 01:03
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Rotten Red Rod posted:How come in-country flights in Japan are cheaper than the Shinkansen? I heard one Youtube creator comment that she flies from Tokyo to Osaka because a round trip plane ticket is often cheaper than a one-way Shinkansen ticket. If it wasn't for the JR pass I might be planning on doing that for my trip. You need to factor in time and money and inconvenience of getting to the airports and having a specific schedule as well. Also Shinkansen much more roomy and comfortable. For longer trips the plane is often cheaper even then, but for a lot of trips the Shinkansen is better on the whole.
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Jan 28, 2020 01:07
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Airports are in the middle of nowhere. Shink drops you off in the middle of where ever you’re going.
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Jan 28, 2020 01:11
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trains are more fun than, and are cooler than, airplanes (which are also cool). ergo, choo choo
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Jan 28, 2020 01:11
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There is still a smoking car on some of the Tokaido shinkansens, so I can reek of booze, old men, and cigarettes when I arrive at my destination. edit: supposedly there will be luggage inspections for the shinkansen starting by July, but only if the bomb-sniffing dogs rat you out zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 01:24 on Jan 28, 2020 |
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Jan 28, 2020 01:20
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Well that's fine, it still takes much longer to check in at the airport though. Check out is much quicker, the only thing that's slows you down is waiting for your luggage if you have checked in luggage. My trip to Okinawa and Osaka last year I was at the bus stop within 25 mins of leaving the plane. Same experience with Fukuoka and Hiroshima before that. Though with the coming Olympic and increase traffic and security measures, that may not apply anymore. Stumbling Block fucked around with this message at 10:33 on Jan 29, 2020 |
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Jan 29, 2020 02:49
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captkirk posted:I can't remember the name of the sento I went to when I was in Kyoto (it had Showa era wood carvings). Sounds like Funaoka. They're apparently completely fine with tattoos
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Jan 29, 2020 20:10
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slinkimalinki posted:Sounds like Funaoka. They're apparently completely fine with tattoos Looks like it might be, I walked there after dark so I don't remember if the outside matches up but the pictures of the carvings look familiar. It was a cool place. I recommend it. The westerner I met there said they were cool with tattoos but I didn't find that out until afterwards when we went to grab dinner.
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Jan 29, 2020 20:44
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Assuming I have used a rail system before and speak English but not Japanese, am I going to have trouble navigating Tokyo's rail system, getting from Narita airport to a hotel in Shinjuku? I'm meeting a friend, and don't want to ask him to escort me from the airport if I don't need to. Didn't have any problems meeting up with him in Taipei (bused from the airport).
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Jan 30, 2020 01:41
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Tokyo's rail network is kind of a confusing mess but everything is in English. You shouldn't have a problem, I think there's only one train switch to get from Narita to Shinjuku. Pick up an IC card at the airport and it'll work on all the various company systems that are mixed together.
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Jan 30, 2020 01:52
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If you take the Skyliner you have to transfer at Nippori. The N'EX Airport Express goes directly to Shinjuku but costs 4,000 yen. Unfortunately, in both cases you end up at Shinjuku Station, so you might want your buddy to help navigate that.
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Jan 30, 2020 02:00
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sale on Banksy art posted:If you take the Skyliner you have to transfer at Nippori. It also put the fair at 2,700 yen, which isn't that much less than the N'EX, it seems like.
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Jan 30, 2020 02:20
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Thanatosian posted:Is Google Maps pretty reliable for navigating Tokyo trains? It is yeah. Works well on buses too.
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Jan 30, 2020 02:36
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Thanatosian posted:Yeah, Google Maps recommended Skyliner to Nippori and a transfer. Is Google Maps pretty reliable for navigating Tokyo trains? Yep. Google Maps is a good shout. Also, once you’re someplace with WiFi, download an offline map. Other tip for Shinjuku: Exit Numbers/gate names. Clarify where you’re meeting and when all else fails, use screen shots of Google Maps to confirm with your friend. They’ll be in yellow boxes with black text on Google Maps and listed as such on maps on the platforms. Coming from JR, make sure you know *exactly* which exit you need as some are inaccessible from other sides. Using the department stores as guide posts is also a decent move.
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Jan 30, 2020 03:49
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https://www.therisingwasabi.com/man-survives-78-days-on-wild-berries-looking-for-shinjuku-station-exit-27k/
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Jan 30, 2020 04:11
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Stringent posted:It is yeah. Works well on buses too. Generally works on busses but some update back in 2019 hosed up a lot of the bus stop data apparently. Recall hearing they stopped paying for one of the Japan map companies’ data or something and maybe that’s why. Can’t remember anywhere in Tokyo being that bad but was just in Kyoto and it was usually off on the exact location of the bus stops, which is a potential visitors should be aware of.
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Jan 30, 2020 04:19
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In my area, the bus routes are correct, but the times are always wrong.
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Jan 30, 2020 04:26
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yeah i was getting wrong bus times a lot back in november
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Jan 30, 2020 06:26
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Thanatosian posted:Assuming I have used a rail system before and speak English but not Japanese, am I going to have trouble navigating Tokyo's rail system, getting from Narita airport to a hotel in Shinjuku? I'm meeting a friend, and don't want to ask him to escort me from the airport if I don't need to. Didn't have any problems meeting up with him in Taipei (bused from the airport). The key thing to know is that there are actually multiple train systems in Tokyo (and some other cities). Sometimes, they are integrated in one station, more or less (or, at least, the stations are very, very near each other). Sometimes, some stations will only be serviced by one system but not by others (or some combination). So if you're looking for Roppongi on a JR map, you won't find it - it's only serviced by Tokyo Metro. That kind of thing.
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Jan 30, 2020 08:58
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I used the Navitime app to help me get around by rail, select the station you're at and which one you want to go to and it gives you every possible option including platform number, which can vary depending on if limited express and such are running. I only got "lost" twice and it wasn't even actually being lost, it was because I wasn't paying attention. Missed my stop once and ended up on the wrong platform once.
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Jan 30, 2020 20:15
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Yeah, I find the google maps interface too bloated for simple point-to-point transit in Tokyo. I don't need a map of all 7 floors of shinjuku station or nearby izakayas or to be reminded that I once got hammered at an obscure bar there or how to get there from my office. Just let me know how to get from station A to station B. Google maps is useful if you don't know which stations are close to where you currently are or your destination, but if you already know that, I think it's too clunky.
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Jan 31, 2020 00:56
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zmcnulty posted:Yeah, I find the google maps interface too bloated for simple point-to-point transit in Tokyo. I don't need a map of all 7 floors of shinjuku station or nearby izakayas or to be reminded that I once got hammered at an obscure bar there or how to get there from my office. Just let me know how to get from station A to station B. Google maps is useful if you don't know which stations are close to where you currently are or your destination, but if you already know that, I think it's too clunky. Google Maps is alright for non-Japanese speaking tourists because if you use it to say “take me from point A to point B” it’ll show various methods. Also, downloading an offline map can be a godsend if you don’t have (or want to be careful about) using data. It’s also likely something many (goon) foreign tourists will already have on their phone. Hyperdia is good if you want a station to station guide once you know what you’re doing. Same with Navitime, though my experience with that is mostly their train app in Japanese. Google Maps has a use case; it has some limitations, but still can be useful for some tourists.
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Jan 31, 2020 01:51
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i forget which leapfrogged which recently... there was a massive upgrade in the japanese maps by either apple or google and i can't remember if the other one hit parity...
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Jan 31, 2020 01:56
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Yeah, I mostly use Apple Maps now.
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Jan 31, 2020 02:01
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drat, the future is now https://twitter.com/Kanjo/status/1219917501439438848?s=20
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Jan 31, 2020 02:03
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Apple maps doesn't work well in super inaka, fyi. It thinks that all roads are wide enough for cars.
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Jan 31, 2020 04:46
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I'm kind of insane when it comes to planning, and I blame having a minor in geography. I create a .xml file in Google Earth on my laptop that has all destinations, points of interests, planned restaurants, train stations closest to everywhere I plan on visiting, etc etc etc, organized into folders by day, that I then upload to my phone and open in the app. I can open the folder for the day I want and see everything I need for that day, while using location to see where I am so I can navigate the streets without issue. If I wanted I could draw in paths and shapes but I haven't gotten that crazy yet. Although I have downloaded a bunch of custom icons to use in place of the standard pins. So restaurants are marked by a smiling bowl of ramen, shrines have a torii gate, temples are a pagoda icon, observation decks are a skyscraper, etc etc etc.
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Jan 31, 2020 05:23
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peanut posted:Apple maps doesn't work well in super inaka, fyi. It thinks that all roads are wide enough for cars. In fairness, so do many car navigation systems.
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Jan 31, 2020 05:25
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On my trip, we were only lost once going station to station, it was on the first day because we couldn't find an English map. Someone approached us to translate after about 20 seconds of looking confused. But we stuck with JR due to the pass, so that made things easier. We did however get lost trying to find the right exit for the direction we were trying to walk nearly every day (in Tokyo and Osaka).
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Jan 31, 2020 06:36
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Revisiting SIM vs WiFi again for a second — is there a decent provider that sells service via e-SIM rather than physical SIM card that I need to swap in? Maybe my google-fu is weak but right now I’m not seeing much that compares to buying a regular SIM. Ideally I could just land in Haneda and use my iPhone to load an app and buy an e-SIM without any swappy-swappy.. E: I guess what I mean is, I found some places that sell eSIMs but still nothing that compares pricewise/bandwidth-wise to just buying a phy SIM. E2: Actually I guess Japan doesn’t offer e-SIMs yet? https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209096 — not sure what it is that I was finding. Maybe the “global” providers? Anyway, ignore me, thx. some kinda jackal fucked around with this message at 21:37 on Jan 31, 2020 |
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Jan 31, 2020 21:30
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Martytoof posted:E2: Actually I guess Japan doesn’t offer e-SIMs yet? https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT209096 — not sure what it is that I was finding. Maybe the “global” providers? Anyway, ignore me, thx. Yeah I haven’t seen them. Which isn’t shocking considering all of the low-cost options are built off of Docomo, and they don’t either.
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Feb 1, 2020 00:52
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Confirm. You could rent a wifi egg instead.
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Feb 1, 2020 00:54
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I already reserved a router, I'm just playing around with the idea of cancelling and relying only on my phone since I guess I can just tether my iPad and laptop off that if I need to. I was sort of against the idea because I didn't like the thought of running down the battery on my phone to provide data services, but then I realized I'm already using my phone all day anyway for directions etc, carrying a power bank with me, and using that to juice the phone and router depending on which one needs it. The router is literally unnecessary and just one extra thing to charge. So as long as there's no "no tethering" thing with SIMs then I'm good to go. Wonder if there's something I'm missing in this equation.
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Feb 1, 2020 01:26
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do you need a phone and an ipad and a laptop and a power bank as you walk around during the day
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Feb 1, 2020 02:06
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Martytoof posted:I already reserved a router, I'm just playing around with the idea of cancelling and relying only on my phone since I guess I can just tether my iPad and laptop off that if I need to. If you have an unlocked gsm phone, bmobile is great for a SIM card. 3500 for 7GB over 3 weeks.
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Feb 1, 2020 02:22
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peanut posted:do you need a phone and an ipad and a laptop and a power bank as you walk around during the day A phone because the PC version of Instagram sucks, an iPad because the phone's screen is too small for Youtube, and a laptop because the app versions of Lightroom suck? I'm actually not entirely joking, I can see wanting to also have a laptop if you want to do anything semi-serious while on the road (DSLR photo editing, blogging, or anything office-related). But even then, if I'm on vacation, I'd probably leave it in the hotel room.... As for the iPad, no idea how that is useful when you have the other two. zmcnulty fucked around with this message at 03:37 on Feb 1, 2020 |
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Feb 1, 2020 03:33
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I've got a bunch of people who want to live vicariously through me so I capture everything twice, phone and DSLR, and I only go to my hotel to sleep really, so I carry my power bank all the time. I don't bring my laptop out with me during the day but will process photos at night in bed before I'm ready to sleep. My plane carry-on is always heavier than my checked bag because I keep all my gizmos with me when I fly. I used to do the gopro thing too, but lost interest in that a couple years ago. Now I'm one of those assholes with a phone gimbal.
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Feb 1, 2020 15:42
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