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Airbnb and hotels are cool and good. Buffet breakfast at a decent hotel is dreamy. Sukiya breakfast sets are also dreamy.
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Jan 12, 2023 14:38
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Wonton posted:Yeah I know airbnb are cheap and can be convenient and 99% you are fine. I've had pretty good experiences staying in Airbnb's in Tokyo - bigger space, better location, cheaper, self check in / check out etc. Never had to deal with any bullshit cleaning fees / living like a house guest to be honest. Now that I think of it, I've had one bad experience staying in Airbnb's out of the 50+ stays in 20+ countries and that was in Tokyo. Booked this Airbnb for a few nights because it had good reviews, was relatively affordable ($50 a night), own apartment and a stop away from Shibuya. The listing was advertised as "Modern" - there was nothing modern about it, it was your typical Japanese home from the 60's and smelled like mold. They advertised as having WiFi but was actually a WiFi hot spot that didn't get more then 5 MB/s. You could "unwind in the jacuzzi" but of course the jacuzzi was your typical 60's Japanese hot tub. You entered the Airbnb and there were 3 air fresheners to try and cover the smell of the mold. I complained to the host of the WiFi and he randomly came to the Airbnb without messaging me and just reset the hotspot there and said it was fixed. I left after 1 night. Busy Bee fucked around with this message at 14:47 on Jan 12, 2023 |
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Jan 12, 2023 14:42
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Busy Bee posted:I've had pretty good experiences staying in Airbnb's in Tokyo - bigger space, better location, cheaper, self check in / check out etc. Never had to deal with any bullshit cleaning fees / living like a house guest to be honest. owned
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Jan 12, 2023 16:58
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also, i'd like to hear the op's description of a "typical 60's Japanese hot tub", i could amuse a lot of friends with that.
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Jan 12, 2023 17:03
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Stringent posted:also, i'd like to hear the op's description of a "typical 60's Japanese hot tub", i could amuse a lot of friends with that. You have no friends.
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Jan 12, 2023 17:42
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Stringent posted:also, i'd like to hear the op's description of a "typical 60's Japanese hot tub", i could amuse a lot of friends with that. you sound like a fun person at parties
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Jan 12, 2023 18:06
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Busy Bee posted:you sound like a fun person at parties He's literally not invited to parties anymore by people who know him irl.
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Jan 12, 2023 18:07
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Man_of_Teflon posted:Me and my partner are going to Japan from Jan 31st-Feb 12th and are looking for suggestions! In regards to taking a Kendo class I can put you in touch with someone I know in Kameoka (town near Kyoto) who trains if that would be helpful.
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Jan 12, 2023 21:57
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DC Murderverse posted:We leave our AirBNB on Sunday so we have to be out by 11, and the plan was to take the train straight to Kyoto to our new AirBNB but I saw that there’s a forest near Atami where cherry blossoms are already blooming that is very convenient to our train route, so we want to take some time there before we hit Kyoto. I know global warming is getting ridiculous, but surely there are no cherry blossoms in January?? I hope they are actually plum blossoms, which are still worth seeing! because otherwise, uh, that can't be good.
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Jan 12, 2023 23:47
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LyonsLions posted:I know global warming is getting ridiculous, but surely there are no cherry blossoms in January?? I hope they are actually plum blossoms, which are still worth seeing! because otherwise, uh, that can't be good. I am no arborist so I dunno for sure, but here’s a picture. They were super early bloom, and most of the trees were still bare but there were a few like this.  We said gently caress it and just tripped down to Atami yesterday instead of stringing it on our travel later so we didn’t have to worry about baggage stuff. Acao Forest is having some sort of Cherry Blossom Festival from now until the end of February. I thought it was a little early too (which, honestly, kinda was) but the rest of that place is a super nice garden with lots of different flowers and a great view of the ocean with the castle off in the distance.
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Jan 13, 2023 00:01
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What’s the difference between peach and plum blossom? Is it 桃花？
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Jan 13, 2023 00:04
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LyonsLions posted:I know global warming is getting ridiculous, but surely there are no cherry blossoms in January?? I hope they are actually plum blossoms, which are still worth seeing! because otherwise, uh, that can't be good. There are early and late blooming varieties. Somei yoshino trees are the famous spring bloomers. Kawazu is one type that blooms earlier, yaezakura is a type that blooms later.
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Jan 13, 2023 00:30
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DC Murderverse posted:I am no arborist so I dunno for sure, but here’s a picture. They were super early bloom, and most of the trees were still bare but there were a few like this. That’s a type I haven’t seen before. Phew. Carry on, goons.
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Jan 13, 2023 02:25
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Wonton posted:What’s the difference between peach and plum blossom? Is it 桃花？ 梅 plum bloom around February, peach are more like April-May
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Jan 13, 2023 04:28
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Err so family with toddlers (3 and 6) Shinjuku Station or Shibuya Station? Both stations are pretty good from a rail connection perspective?
lol internet. fucked around with this message at 07:18 on Jan 13, 2023 |
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Jan 13, 2023 07:10
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They're both big busy confusing Yamanote line stations so no real difference. You can figure out what other rail lines are best for the places you want to go and see if one station has more of those than the other, I guess. They're not far apart enough that it matters much.
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Jan 13, 2023 07:40
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lol internet. posted:Err so family with toddlers (3 and 6) Shinjuku Station or Shibuya Station? Both stations are pretty good from a rail connection perspective? I would say ikkebukkuro if you are on a family budget. Or ueno is you are flying in from Narita. But it’s easy enough to get around town.
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Jan 13, 2023 07:43
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lol internet. posted:Err so family with toddlers (3 and 6) Shinjuku Station or Shibuya Station? Both stations are pretty good from a rail connection perspective? They’re two of the biggest, busiest, most confusingly laid out stations in the metropolis. They sprawl. If you’re using a stroller, you might find the joy of going up and down elevators multiple times to get to train tracks. Is this for finding a ‘hub’ to stay near? I’d hold my nose and choose Shinjuku because there are more of the 4* international chains nearby, but would also look at Shinagawa - it’s also on the Yamanote Line, with direct connections to Haneda and Narita, and a much simpler layout.
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Jan 13, 2023 08:00
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I hate Shinjuku station so much. I have been lost every single time I have gone there without exception. Shibuya is a lot better now after the revamp.
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Jan 13, 2023 09:31
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Anyone know a place in Tokyo or Osaka that has particularly good karaage? I've never had bad karaage but there's got to be some specialists around.
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Jan 14, 2023 06:07
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Wonton posted:I would say ikkebukkuro if you are on a family budget. Or ueno is you are flying in from Narita. harperdc posted:They’re two of the biggest, busiest, most confusingly laid out stations in the metropolis. They sprawl. If you’re using a stroller, you might find the joy of going up and down elevators multiple times to get to train tracks. Finding a hotel/budget is not an issue. I am flying into HND. We are in Tokyo for maybe 5 or 6 days. On days we want to take it easy, it would be nice to step outside our hotel and not venture too far to people watch, shop, eat, etc. My biggest challenge realistically is my son being allergic to almost everything. He probably can't eat the food at any restaurant with the exception of rice and bland protein. It would be nice to bring them out in the evening time as well not every night but at least once. I don't want to automatically lock them up in their hotel room as soon as 5 hits. For example I do want to goto Sensoji Temple probably at night. Also I will most likely get a taxi or something coming in from the airport, and going to the high speed rails. More question on Taxis. Looks like infant/toddler seats are exempted ? So I can sit a 3 year old on my lap? Also is it normal for passengers to sit in the front of taxis as well in Japan? Is there an uber link app for Kyoto and Osaka? I understand there is one in Tokyo but it is not as popular. lol internet. fucked around with this message at 07:36 on Jan 14, 2023 |
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Jan 14, 2023 07:05
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lol internet. posted:Finding a hotel/budget is not an issue. I am flying into HND. We are in Tokyo for maybe 5 or 6 days. On days we want to take it easy, it would be nice to step outside our hotel and not venture too far to people watch, shop, eat, etc. My biggest challenge realistically is my son being allergic to almost everything. He probably can't eat the food at any restaurant with the exception of rice and bland protein. It would be nice to bring them out in the evening time as well not every night but at least once. I don't want to automatically lock them up in their hotel room as soon as 5 hits. For example I do want to goto Sensoji Temple probably at night. Okay, so a couple different points as well based on what you've updated here:
Mister Chief posted:I hate Shinjuku station so much. I have been lost every single time I have gone there without exception. explain 'after,' the work on the JR side is going to last for a couple more years  both it and Shinjuku really are the Stations of Theseus at this point
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Jan 14, 2023 08:08
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harperdc posted:explain 'after,' the work on the JR side is going to last for a couple more years Ginza line is a lot better.
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Jan 14, 2023 09:02
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lol internet. posted:Err so family with toddlers (3 and 6) Shinjuku Station or Shibuya Station? Both stations are pretty good from a rail connection perspective? I wouldn't want to walk through either station with children. Ueno would be my choice if you have to pick somewhere on the Yamanote to get a hotel. All of these stations are essentially commuter stations but Ueno is less busy and has more hotels that are close to the station that aren't shady. You also have a big park and a museum within walking distance. Shinjuku is slightly shady and Shibuya is just kind of boring right now. Ueno is also good if you plan to take Shinkansen trips. It is 3 stops from Tokyo station if you want to go to the west, and useful if you want to go north.
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Jan 14, 2023 10:36
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Get pictogram allergy cards in Japanese and English. When service staff see a physical card printout, everyone becomes more serious. Oakwood premier services apartment near Tokyo station, it’s a great central location, there’s a kitchen for you to cook for your kids if you want, and a dryer/washer. There’s the ginza line nearby to take you to asakusa sensoji (night time, go during dusk, but beware that all stores are closed). The other end of ginza line also takes you to shibuya. And if you ever want to go to shinjuku there’s the fast jr Chuo line from Tokyo station. There’s also a department store nearby with a good food selection. Heck their foodhall for takeout is also quite impressive. If you want to take a taxi , I think for a similar price k look offers a luxury 7 seater Alphard van pickup. Or take the keikyu metro to shimbashi or nihonbashi
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Jan 14, 2023 12:50
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Booked 2 nights in Onomichi to break up the travel inbetween Fukuoka and Tokyo. Looks chill, might try and ride a bit of Shimanami Kaido.
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Jan 15, 2023 06:08
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Tokyo question: is there any easy way to book multi-bedroom apartments for 6 people? Or is group travel just like, not a thing in Japan? There are basically no listings on AirBnB in Tokyo, but oddly not actually zero so I guess it's restricted but not outright banned? I don't really care about AirBnB, but we'd prefer somewhere we can hang out all together and chill on our phones or whatever in the morning and evening, so that everyone doesn't have to retreat back to a hotel room and hide, and that's more private than trying to use some hotel common area. We could rent three studio aparthotels in the same building if they have decent-sized living rooms, but even for that I see only a handful of aparthotels in the entire city and that's still kind of non-ideal since it requires sending "u up?" to a group chat every morning and figuring out where to meet up, vs. just being able to walk into the living room when you wake up. For instance, "Hundred Stay Tokyo Shinjuku" hosts 6 people in one apartment, but there's one bedroom with 6 beds in it. The main issue for sharing everyone to one room is the huge differences in people's preferred sleep/wake times, and one guy snores like hell. For budget up to like 100k-120k yen/night for the group would be fine, I just see barely any choice at any price point.
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Jan 16, 2023 17:16
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Saladman posted:Tokyo question: is there any easy way to book multi-bedroom apartments for 6 people? Or is group travel just like, not a thing in Japan? There are basically no listings on AirBnB in Tokyo, but oddly not actually zero so I guess it's restricted but not outright banned? I don't really care about AirBnB, but we'd prefer somewhere we can hang out all together and chill on our phones or whatever in the morning and evening, so that everyone doesn't have to retreat back to a hotel room and hide, and that's more private than trying to use some hotel common area. We could rent three studio aparthotels in the same building if they have decent-sized living rooms, but even for that I see only a handful of aparthotels in the entire city and that's still kind of non-ideal since it requires sending "u up?" to a group chat every morning and figuring out where to meet up, vs. just being able to walk into the living room when you wake up. I see a decent amount of Airbnb options in Tokyo - which time frame are you looking at and for how long?
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Jan 16, 2023 17:52
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kill the snoring guy then you only need room for 5
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Jan 16, 2023 18:19
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Tokyo apartments are small. The amount of 3+ bedroom apartments in Tokyo are very limited in the first place.
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Jan 16, 2023 18:42
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Busy Bee posted:I see a decent amount of Airbnb options in Tokyo - which time frame are you looking at and for how long? Late July, 4 or 5 nights. I see like 6 places total in Shinjuku when I search for 5 adults for 5 nights 22-27 +/- 1 day. I guess we could also get a 2 br and then a couple of us get a nearby hotel. Lots more options for 2 br, but still less than I’d expect for a huge city. Nice has 369 places for 6 adults available for those dates. For a similar sized swath around Shinjuku I see 7. If I drop to 2br that adds another 11 places. The snoring guy is also super unfit so he might die on the Fuji hike I posted about a couple pages ago, so the “three beds in one room sucks" issue might resolve itself shortly into the trip.
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Jan 16, 2023 19:47
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Saladman posted:Late July, 4 or 5 nights. I see like 6 places total in Shinjuku when I search for 5 adults for 5 nights 22-27 +/- 1 day. Look in more residential areas that will have bigger apartments. 3-bedrooms are a luxury to start with, more so in Shinjuku-ku. Try Setagaya, Kawasaki, etc. instead.
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Jan 16, 2023 21:07
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Extremely central, 2500 usd/night lol https://vacation-stay.jp/listings/83234 East corner of Tokyo, 100 usd/night https://vacation-stay.jp/listings/87487 Next to Skytree, 500 usd/night https://vacation-stay.jp/listings/242508 Nice Japanese house w garden near Waseda 400 usd/night https://vacation-stay.jp/listings/81151
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Jan 16, 2023 23:20
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Man, I stayed 4 nights at the mitsui garden premium jingu Mae, which is right next to the national stadium, and there was a decent bath advertised. There was a oedo line station right next to the hotel, and sandwiched between 2 JR stations. Looks good on paper, bigger room, cheaper price, next to a park for running, next to aoyama, walkable-ish to Shinjuku Holy poo poo was I wrong. If I had a shared bike it would be fine but everything felt far. that place was loud because of the train tracks even after moving hotel floors and different side of the building. Oh and there’s no convenient stores around the block, got to go to the train station. Aoyama gets dead quiet too soon (well it was winter) and all the leaves are gone. I still prefer ginza/shimbashi/kyobashi. It’s just so much easier getting around town. Actually I just hate the o-edo line. It’s deep down and makes getting in/out/transfers a miserable experience. Then there’s the incomplete loop where you have to switch platforms walking up and down some stairs, just to transfer for another 2 ducking stops. If I’m going to ropponi, I rather take the hibiya line or a ducking bus. Ugggh it’s the dame-do line. So do beware if you move to a more residential area, it’s not “as convenient” as conventional tourist areas.
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Jan 16, 2023 23:52
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peanut posted:East corner of Tokyo, 100 usd/night Besides the size this right here is the authentic living in Japan experience, location-wise. Off in a local corner of Tokyo (almost in Chiba) about 40 minutes from the center of the city, but still super dense. It’s the real deal. Lmao at the Azabu one though. Also Wonton rich people and businesses live in Aoyama, that’s why it was so quiet.
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Jan 17, 2023 00:23
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Everyone’s got to commute to work, doing it during your vacation really blows. Not earning a salary and dealing with 8am Shinjuku or some other commuter train crush for consecutive days makes you feel dumb.I think it feels extra wrong when you are going as a group. I was riding the local sobu line in kanda and overheard a tourist family of 6 heading towards the ghibli museum in Mitaka. I actually became a busybody and told them that they can get to the ghibli a lot faster if they just switched to the chuo line. “ITS OK WE GOT PHONES AND THIS IS COOL, THANKS” I felt bad for the kids just sitting there. I think I was really unlucky with the azabu hotel because I was advertised in a quiet nice location yet the hotel was kind of noisy with the train tracks. And I was at the edge of aoyama so I still had to walk quite bit to cut through the neighborhood and go to shibuya. Definitely doable on a nicer or a warmer day, but -5 winter is a bit of a buzzkill, it’s almost typical japan where everything closes at 8. Aoyama and daikanyama are like those rich neighborhoods where you might as well get around with a car/bike/bus. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice to walk along nice quiet neighborhoods, finding charming coffee shops, restaurants and looking at some neat architecture. I would complain a lot less if I was in setagaya. But edge of Azabu? That would be like renting a home in the rear end end of Beverly Hills and you have no car. For 4 days which is an eternity.
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Jan 17, 2023 05:20
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Saladman, try oakwood premier, you get a nice serviced apartment with kitchen, washer, and living room, you can have your friends hangout and have a sense of normalcy and unity. Heck, just sneak some guests to sleep on the couch if you want to save money. I spent too many days in Japan without a kitchen and without a driver’s license and got grumpy a little grumpy at the end of the trip. Highly recommend this place crisp.co.jp when you want some vegetables
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Jan 17, 2023 05:26
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Thanks, Oakwood looks exactly like what I was looking for. I guess we'll have to figure out what part of the city to stay in, but nice to know that even in the center there is something in the style and budget, especially if we get two and shove one person on each couch. Why were you grumpy without a driver's license? Everyone I've ever seen recommends not driving around Japan, except Hokkaido. I already got the Japan-specific IDL just in case (I was anyway getting a different IDL and figured it was worth €15 to have the option) but so far none of our tentative plans make it very useful. I'm not worried about actually driving, but it just seems not very helpful except for potentially saving money (since we're 6). I like driving though and can read kana and once knew a lot of kanji (then forgot them all) but would learn and recognize certain important ones quickly, so I'm not really worried about signage or the practicalities of driving. I doubt we would be out of the apartment/hotel area before like 10am so I don't think we'd have to deal so much with rush hour crushes but yeah I'd rather spend more money and not have to take a commuter line 30 minutes into [wherever] every day. Good to know about vacation-stay.jp, thanks! Will have to check that further too.
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Jan 17, 2023 12:33
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Try oakwood premier in Otemachi hands down. You are right next to Tokyo station. There’s the basement with all the restaurants, a department store with groceries on the expensive side and all the metro lines you can take. Oh and there’s also a bunch of souvenir shops, whether it’s Tokyo bananas, Tokyo butler, Pokémon store, etc. Tokyo station is way better than shinjuku station because it’s for regional tourists. If you want charming machiya alleyways there’s still a bit of that when you walk towards kanda and north of Otemachi.
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Jan 18, 2023 03:38
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Driving in japan: Cars are great for last mile access, and a enormous time saver in the rural areas. The countryside also have very limited train schedules. Nicer national parks, and nicer ryokan are only accessible by car. The smaller Shinkansen stations or the terminal stations offer car rentals which makes regional travel a breeze. As for cost, I think 4+ people makes driving quite attractive and 6 is the magic number - rent a 7 seater and you still have room to store your bags. Japanese highways and roads are quite well maintained and people are not aggressive, driving is really easy. Even Tokyo is quite tame compared to Boston /NYC/ SF. Traffic is busy in the sense of lots of roads to choose but orderly- not busy in the sense of everyone tailgating you and road raging. Where in japan should you start considering renting a car? Anytime you go into the mountains and away from the main Shinkansen lines. Even Kyushuu is very much car dependent. However some towns do have crazy campaigns where you can hire a taxi driver at some ridiculous price for half a day or X hours. Heck, my brother in law rents a car when he is staying in shibuya and drives to Shizuoka for work.
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Jan 18, 2023 04:01
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