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Listen, only Pollyanna’s vacation plans are valid, they deserve to go to Japan unlike all those other imaginary Western tourists.
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Jul 23, 2022 20:20
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| # ? May 11, 2024 11:14 |
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 Don’t put words in my mouth, you drat well know that’s not what I meant.
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Jul 23, 2022 21:15
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This is almost a different topic but I immediately get suspicious of anyone who throws random Japanese words into their online writings when they could just say "isolationist" or whatever There's a certain performative "I've earned this" vibe about whatever the topic they're discussing when they do that. So maybe that's why he's teasing you and insinuating that your plans are more valid? I dunno (cue speaking Japanese in a thread about Japan? Oh how awful!!! yam yam yam)
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Jul 24, 2022 00:41
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your mom
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Jul 24, 2022 01:05
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anata no mama-san
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Jul 24, 2022 01:09
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My plan was to finish up at my current job before my planned trip in October, I'm reluctant to move it yet because I really don't want to work here longer lol. I think the only promising thing is that these big waves have also coincided with the reopening of the country in every other country that had low rates previously to letting people back in (ie australia). Will probably have to call it by the end of august or so I think.
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Jul 24, 2022 01:47
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It seems like Japan did a pretty good job keeping their population safe until the start of the year. But since then they seem to be doing about the same as anyone else. I'm not sure how much worse their economy is doing than elsewhere but 135 yen to 1 usd seems, to me, like they could be doing much better. Ultimately, just about every person on the planet is either going to get covid or carry it as some point. It sucks but it's the new reality. Trying to hide from it doesn't seem to work any more. If anything, Japan is going to create its own variants the longer they avoid the rest of the world. For all I know, this is already happening. I really wish more of the world took Japans attitude from the beginning and really tried to squash this. Alas.
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Jul 24, 2022 01:49
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Waltzing Along posted:It seems like Japan did a pretty good job keeping their population safe until the start of the year. But since then they seem to be doing about the same as anyone else. I'm not sure how much worse their economy is doing than elsewhere but 135 yen to 1 usd seems, to me, like they could be doing much better. Yeah, I'm from Queensland Australia, and we literally went from a lock down over one case to ahh gently caress it open the floodgates. It sounds bad numbers wise, but the current wave is less deadly and there should be much higher levels of vaccination soon. You have to cop it sometime, the question is just how far do you tank the economy before hand.
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Jul 24, 2022 01:52
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Waltzing Along posted:It seems like Japan did a pretty good job keeping their population safe until the start of the year. But since then they seem to be doing about the same as anyone else. I'm not sure how much worse their economy is doing than elsewhere but 135 yen to 1 usd seems, to me, like they could be doing much better. It was one part gradual opening (with a heavy dose of workplaces requiring people to come in - I know I'm lucky mine has allowed remote work more and longer), one part feeling safer thanks to vaccinations, and one part just people tired of being cooped up and locked down. And even despite more travel during Golden Week and after, and despite having some people from overseas start to come in, things were going fine through early June. It was about that time when there were discussions of "do we need to keep masks 100% of the time," especially as some suggested kids need to play without masks on outside in the summer because it's too hot! (Citation needed here, naturally). So the real Overton window on "what can you do in this time of COVID" began sliding even more towards normalcy, especially regarding going out to bars/dinner/etc. Combine that with a variant that apparently is able to spread like wildfire, and you have this unbelievable increase over the last week or so. Fortunately, it seems like hospitalizations and deaths are also low, and though I do have three shots I still don't want to risk too much, especially as it's not like this variant can't give you long COVID. I'm hoping it burns itself out as fast as it sweeps through, but I don't know.
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Jul 24, 2022 04:38
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Pollyanna posted:The government should poo poo or get off the pot with the guided tour restriction. They’re getting the worst of both worlds right now - no experienced and familiar tourists, no expat family visits, no immigrant labor, no independent or cultural event business, few corporate business travelers, yes rando American and British dopes on leashes making loud noise and stuffing trains at commute hours. The guided tours are probably exactly what Japan wants, rich people who go on tour groups to nice hotels and probably do a lot of shopping. They do a lot more for the economy than an experienced traveler who knows cheap places to stay and eat.
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Jul 24, 2022 10:11
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til the japanese yen is tied to allowing tourists in the country and not allowing tourists in is breeding new variants of covid. crazy poo poo.
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Jul 24, 2022 16:05
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field balm posted:Yeah, I'm from Queensland Australia, and we literally went from a lock down over one case to ahh gently caress it open the floodgates. Omicron (and the subsequent even more infectious variants) really changed the game. Unless you were an absolute dolt (  ) you could control the OG strain.Ba.5 is measles levels of infectious (R015). The original strain was like HIV or Cholera or Flu (R03) and Omicron was like smallpox or polio (R07). It's just not going to be contained/prevented at that level without some extreme measures.
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Jul 26, 2022 05:39
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El Mero Mero posted:Ba.5 is measles levels of infectious (R015).
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Jul 26, 2022 08:28
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Charles 2 of Spain posted:Nah this is a big misconception. That high estimate came out a week or so ago from a former WHO epidemiologist, but you're right, it looks like there's some back and forth on it now . Most of the disagreement is around whether the growth in transmission of b.a5 is due to immune evasion or inherent transmission. Um, i don't think anyone's saying that b.a.5 is being spread slower or at the same rate as earlier still circulating variants though. The main debate is around which of the two bad reasons is the explanation why. If it's immune evasion that's bad news for the vaccinated/exposed. If it's inherent transmissibility that's bad news for the unvaccinated. Seems like it might be a mix of both. But yeah, if it's immune evasion that's driving it the old (non-vaccine) precautions should still be effective at least.
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Jul 26, 2022 21:10
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Am I remembering correctly that there's a regular poster in this thread who's really into ryokans and has been to a lot of locations all over Japan? I'm looking at taking a trip to Kyushu and would like to stay a week in a relaxing and quiet place. Ideally near the southern coast. Would love some suggestions. (I know about the current travel rules. This is long term planning for when the restrictions are hopefully lifted.)
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Jul 27, 2022 16:29
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QuasiQuack posted:Am I remembering correctly that there's a regular poster in this thread who's really into ryokans and has been to a lot of locations all over Japan? It's not near the coast but I know someone who runs a really nice place in Takachiho: https://shonenjitemplelodge.com/en/
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Jul 27, 2022 23:06
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LyonsLions posted:It's not near the coast but I know someone who runs a really nice place in Takachiho: Takachiho Gorge is super nice. I’ve never been able to go down to the water in a kayak, it’s always been just after heavy rain when I visit. Awesome spot though. In the area too I’d recommend finding a spot in Aso, one of the most beautiful areas I’ve ever visited. If you are into onsen Ureshino I’m Saga is very nice but don’t expect much other than onsen, a few conbini, nice family run restaurants and of course beautiful country. I don’t have any specific spots that come to mind for Kagoshima as it’s a pretty large city. Ibusuki is an hour or so down the coast from there and is famous for volcanic sand bath.
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Jul 28, 2022 00:52
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i've heard of ureshino onsen in the context of it is getting a shinkansen station on the line between takeo onsen and nagasaki in the fall
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Jul 28, 2022 01:17
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Jerry Manderbilt posted:i've heard of ureshino onsen in the context of it is getting a shinkansen station on the line between takeo onsen and nagasaki in the fall It’s a chill spot. It’s a bit expensive because it has a good reputation among locals/Asian tourists. As such I’ve only done day trips but I really liked the outdoor bath here: Shiibasanso Hot Spring https://goo.gl/maps/JiywZSodSDCWZxVN7
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Jul 28, 2022 02:16
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LyonsLions posted:It's not near the coast but I know someone who runs a really nice place in Takachiho: That looks like a wonderful place. I'm certainly considering it. I've been looking at a few places in Ibusuki as well that look nice. I'm thinking of spending a week in the southern part of the island and then a week in Fukuoka with some day trips to nearby locations. I enjoy a good soak but I'm no onsen fanatic, so that's not a big part of my planning. Does anyone here think November is too optimistic for solo travel? I'd really like to watch some sumo while I'm there.
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Jul 28, 2022 10:24
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On the topic of ryokans/onsen I’m starting to put together plans for a trip and would appreciate recommendations for the mid to high end stuff. Requirements are English/foreigner friendly, in room private onsen, and ideally in a place that’s not too far from Tokyo/Osaka with touristy stuff in the area for a day trip. Last time I went to Madoka no Mori in Hakone and really liked it but am considering trying something new this time around.
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Jul 30, 2022 23:17
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I took a chance and booked a trip from November 5th to the 20th. Everything is either freely cancelable or moveable so I'm not to worried about any delays in the borders opening for solo travelers. Although it will sting of I miss it on sumo. I ended up doing pretty much the opposite of my initial plan by booking a stay at Kurokawa onsen after being completely smitten by the towns look and atmosphere. I'll be spending 5 nights there before returning to Fukuoka for the rest of the trip. I'm excited 
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Aug 2, 2022 14:03
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Five nights? Ever been to a quaint onsen town before? Everyone travels differently etc. but I'd probably be bored after the second night. And I like onsen an awful lot.
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Aug 2, 2022 22:38
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Takes a while to scrub the crud of the west off.
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Aug 2, 2022 23:27
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i think i'd have went insane if i had to spend five nights at the onsen resort i stayed at in atami and at least atami station lets you get on the tokaido shinkansen to somewhere exciting
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Aug 3, 2022 00:03
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https://twitter.com/hikosaemon/status/1554236985534910466?s=21&t=wyoTHIwLUxKnOugRwrHUbA you guys better stop threatening and actually go to Japan right now so the politicians can have the tourism numbers go up.
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Aug 3, 2022 00:13
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zmcnulty posted:Five nights? Ever been to a quaint onsen town before? Everyone travels differently etc. but I'd probably be bored after the second night. And I like onsen an awful lot. Seconding this. Onsens are great and all, but sitting around and staring at things gets boring pretty quickly. Even if that sitting around is in a nice hot spring. And places like Kurokawa don't really have anything else to do, maybe a hiking trail. Heck you might find yourself regretting more than one night if you are solo traveling.
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Aug 3, 2022 00:16
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Ailumao posted:https://twitter.com/hikosaemon/status/1554236985534910466?s=21&t=wyoTHIwLUxKnOugRwrHUbA you guys better stop threatening and actually go to Japan right now so the politicians can have the tourism numbers go up. Wonder if they’re purely counting tourism visa numbers, in which case lol. It’s Japanese summer and westerners don’t love group tours the way Japanese people do. And individual tourist visas (aka “back to normal”) aren’t allowed yet either. It’s so dumb.
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Aug 3, 2022 00:53
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Ailumao posted:https://twitter.com/hikosaemon/status/1554236985534910466?s=21&t=wyoTHIwLUxKnOugRwrHUbA you guys better stop threatening and actually go to Japan right now so the politicians can have the tourism numbers go up. Nah. Dad and I called off the trip - we’ve been waiting too long for the return of individual travel, and the package tour groups restriction would spoil it for us. I was hoping to hear restrictions lifting by end of June, but early August with no news is too close to our start date for comfort. Maybe another year.
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Aug 3, 2022 01:08
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Yeah I'll give it till mid September otherwise I'll begrudgingly go somewhere else lol
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Aug 3, 2022 01:50
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I’m trying, NHK I’m trying  Keeping May hopes alive
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Aug 3, 2022 02:08
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Jerry Manderbilt posted:i think i'd have went insane if i had to spend five nights at the onsen resort i stayed at in atami and at least atami station lets you get on the tokaido shinkansen to somewhere exciting I also thought that was way too long but thought I might have been missing something.
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Aug 3, 2022 02:08
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5 nights in Kurokawa is definitely way to long and way too expensive. If you really want to dig into deep vibes two nights tops imo. You could tour around to other nearby onsen spots and have a better time imo. The little strip of shops and onsen at Kurokawa are charming but I was fine with the day pass. I paid like 1200 yen and got three tickets to try whichever baths I liked.
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Aug 3, 2022 02:21
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I need five nights in a row to swim in warm, salty pube water. Don't judge.
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Aug 3, 2022 02:26
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 how about a bath in sake too, take the joetsu shinkansen up to niigata prefecture
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Aug 3, 2022 02:38
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Ailumao posted:https://twitter.com/hikosaemon/status/1554236985534910466?s=21&t=wyoTHIwLUxKnOugRwrHUbA you guys better stop threatening and actually go to Japan right now so the politicians can have the tourism numbers go up. There are a lot of people on gaijin twitter who post things they claim to have seen on the news, and because very few English speakers watch or are even capable of understanding Japanese news, they can get away with claiming they saw all kinds of poo poo on TV.
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Aug 3, 2022 03:18
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Gabriel Grub posted:There are a lot of people on gaijin twitter who post things they claim to have seen on the news, and because very few English speakers watch or are even capable of understanding Japanese news, they can get away with claiming they saw all kinds of poo poo on TV. This is true but I don’t think Hiko is one of them?
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Aug 3, 2022 03:19
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I'd believe that NHK did a story on the guided tour program not being successful. I don't believe that NHK is unaware of the border restrictions on tourism. They are free to post a video or link next time they have a sensational claim about what is in the news. News and talk shows are on a lot in my house, and I have seen some absolutely ridiculous claims about what is going on in Japanese media on gaijin social media. People will believe anything if it gives them an excuse to be exasperated with Japanese people.
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Aug 3, 2022 03:50
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Welp, this thread exploded. Haha. Don't worry about me, doing nothing is exactly why I'm traveling. I need a destresser. It won't be my first time doing something like this either so I know what I've signed up for.
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Aug 3, 2022 05:07
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| # ? May 11, 2024 11:14 |
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having 5 days of no obligations and just sitting in the bath sounds like a good time to me
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Aug 3, 2022 09:06
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