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Nessus posted:Yeah, like, the Lawson nuggets you can get for 100 yen (did they hike that?) are legit pretty good. I'll fite you. Famichiki or bust
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May 11, 2023 00:33
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| # ? May 31, 2024 17:57 |
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As I get ready to GTFO Osaka on Saturday back to Tokyo I’m reflecting on my stay here and if I’m being honest I don’t think I really understand why I’d really come back vs basing out of Kyoto. I don’t mean to sound like I’m down on Osaka, but it just feels like a little more lived-in Tokyo and.. that’s it? Food’s been great, I had a good time wandering around, but all in all the highlights of being here have still been heading to Nara and Kyoto again. So I think next time I come out west I’m going to head out a little further to Hiroshima, then do my mandatory day in Nara park with the deer before swinging back east. Which is fine. I don’t have to fall in love with every place I go. I’m ready to eat snark for posting that, but I just don’t think I “got” Osaka in my week here. USJ: Super Nintendo World was fun. Small but fun. I went first thing in the morning before they even opened timed entry requirements and it was great. By the time I left it’s was a sea of bodies so TBH if I did a timed entry I think I would have felt it was too crowded. some kinda jackal fucked around with this message at 11:50 on May 11, 2023 |
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May 11, 2023 10:10
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some kinda jackal posted:So I think next time I come out west I’m going to head out a little further to Hiroshima, then do my mandatory day in Nara park with the deer before swinging back east. if you haven't been to Kyushu yet, absolutely go to Fukuoka as well. it is a bit similar w/r/t "scaled down Tokyo" but it's the biggest city in the region so easy to understand. but also Kumamoto or to Oita might be fun trips as well (Beppu if you're interested in onsen, Mt Aso if you want to drive yourself), Nagasaki too if you want the sight of 19th century American and British architecture in some parts of a Japanese city.
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May 11, 2023 11:51
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some kinda jackal posted:As I get ready to GTFO Osaka on Saturday back to Tokyo I’m reflecting on my stay here and if I’m being honest I don’t think I really understand why I’d really come back vs basing out of Kyoto.
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May 11, 2023 13:13
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Kyoto owns as both a tourist and not a tourist.
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May 11, 2023 14:52
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Having lived there for years, I disagree.
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May 11, 2023 15:16
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Kyoto is a pretty comfortable place to live but it really suffers from having bad transit infrastructure relative to it's size which is made even worse by a large amount of tourists. My commute was always a nightmare.
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May 11, 2023 21:13
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some kinda jackal posted:As I get ready to GTFO Osaka on Saturday back to Tokyo I’m reflecting on my stay here and if I’m being honest I don’t think I really understand why I’d really come back vs basing out of Kyoto. Osaka is a way more convenient transit hub than Kyoto for accessing the rest of the Kansai area. For Kyoto to be your transit hub you need to stay around Kyoto station and that area sucks.
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May 11, 2023 21:15
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Japanese cities aren’t suuuuuper homogenous but they do often follow the same pattern of “70s-80s boom era buildings surrounding a Famous Castle” generally and Tokyo being top dog means that everyone else is going to be compared to it no matter what. But yeah Osaka is famously kind of grimy. Some people like that, kind of like New York City’s grime is kind of a character trait. It’d be way worse if Osaka had exactly the same culture as Tokyo but was just dirtier.
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May 12, 2023 05:49
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some kinda jackal posted:As I get ready to GTFO Osaka on Saturday back to Tokyo I’m reflecting on my stay here and if I’m being honest I don’t think I really understand why I’d really come back vs basing out of Kyoto. I was making GBS threads in Osaka for years but kansai is actually nice and charming. It’s also cheaper than Tokyo. I think Osaka needs a few more trips or time to slowly enjoy it. Whereas Tokyo is all presented in a tidy platter and ready. Man it’s japan, always fun to visit but not too appealing peel through the curtain and live long term
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May 18, 2023 01:12
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AHH F/UGH posted:Japanese cities aren’t suuuuuper homogenous but they do often follow the same pattern of “70s-80s boom era buildings surrounding a Famous Castle” generally and Tokyo being top dog means that everyone else is going to be compared to it no matter what. But yeah Osaka is famously kind of grimy. Some people like that, kind of like New York City’s grime is kind of a character trait. It’d be way worse if Osaka had exactly the same culture as Tokyo but was just dirtier. Pretty much this. Tokyo has more upscale areas for shopping/eating/entertainment but Osaka has a raw, unkempt Asian country energy about the whole city. If you like places like Ueno, Asakusa, Shimbashi, Sancha, or Kabukicho, then yeah, you'll probably enjoy the poo poo out of Osaka. But if you prefer Daikanyama, Marunouchi, Ginza, ${area_name} Midtown etc. in Tokyo then yeah do Kobe or Kyoto instead of Osaka.
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May 18, 2023 03:48
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That's what sucks about Korean cities. All the cities are Seoul-lite or Seoul-mini. No unique character or features, they basically look like someone got 1000 cargo helicopters and airlifted a suburb of Seoul to another part of the country or something. I love Korea but holy poo poo I cannot imagine living in a city that's not Seoul, the drab nu-bloc apartments and junky grimy streets and stores but none of the entertainment. At least in Japan if you live in like, Sendai or something, there's pretty unique stuff there that's really only available to see and do in that area.
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May 18, 2023 04:59
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I've been on an extended business trip in Hokkaido for the past few months and man oh man is it tempting to just leave Tokyo and move here permanently. The winters can't be worse than Aomori right?
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May 18, 2023 07:01
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In terms of snow it seems to get slightly less per year than Aomori and winter temps seem roughly the same as southern Sweden. You may find it has fairly long nights and short days at times, though.
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May 18, 2023 09:20
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Japan trip report: spent 2 days in Tokyo. Enjoying Tokyo a lot, yesterday we had a guided tour from a gaijin who has been living here for years. She took us to a Buddhist temple, a Shinto shrine, the shibuya crossing and that place with the vending machine for panties and yaoi shops and the like, as well as teaching us some history. A good guide. Today I visited the imperial gardens and went to Akihibara where I spent way too much time browsing the anime figurine stores. Also went up to the free view of the Tokyo government tower over in Shinjuku. Posting from a "Hub" gaijin-friendly pub. They seated me in some corner behind a wall. Why do you get an assigned table in a friggin pub?  Tomorrow I'll travel to Kawaguchi Lake at the foot of Mt Fuji, where I'll stay in a ryokan.
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May 18, 2023 14:39
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Lol The Hub
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May 18, 2023 15:16
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You’ve seen Shibuya crossing, Tokyo metro building, panty vending machines and Akihabara figurine shops, but the absolute best stop on that tour is The Hub. Brilliant. Order a yard of beer, make some friends and enjoy the people watching.
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May 18, 2023 15:22
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Only been to Hub a few times and thanks to goons with fists full of coupons I don't think I ever paid for a drink there. A+
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May 18, 2023 16:12
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Somewhere there ought to be a list of the various Hubs and what they're known/good for, as they run quite a spectrum. The one in Asakusa for example has live jazz shows. Then some are better for watching the big game. Others are better for uhh playing the game. Granted YMMV at any of them, but 10 out of 10 hub experts agree they're not all the same.
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May 18, 2023 21:29
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The thread's favorite streamer update - https://www.dexerto.com/entertainme...prison-2150463/ Seems like he will be spending a minimum of a few months in prison. quote:Meanwhile, Suspendas is set to spend up to 60 days in the Nepalese prison, according to Moises.
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May 19, 2023 14:38
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Busy Bee posted:The thread's favorite streamer update - https://www.dexerto.com/entertainme...prison-2150463/ just a funny little silly guy
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May 19, 2023 15:37
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If they aren’t charged with sex crimes and get deported, can the US charge them domestically? Sex crimes and murder in USA is extra judicial right? Murder was and is not extra judicial in HK
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May 19, 2023 16:22
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Busy Bee posted:The thread's favorite streamer update - https://www.dexerto.com/entertainme...prison-2150463/ arounds were hosed and outs were found
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May 20, 2023 03:31
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Guys he was just in the wrong crowd!!!! He's a really nice guy I swear!!!!!!!!!!!
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May 20, 2023 05:12
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I think this metaphorical horse is dead, decomposing, and there ain't much other reason to use a baseball bat on it.
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May 20, 2023 08:26
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Midjack posted:arounds were hosed and outs were found I thought I was having a stroke reading this.
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May 20, 2023 23:17
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I asked about Enoshima a while back and finally made the day trip today and I had a great time. I spent half a dozen years in Florida so I have a soft spot for campy seaside tourist towns, but the island itself was super pretty. I laughed at how they did up the cave with a dragon for tourists, but had a blast climbing all the places and getting worn out. Sitting down on the rocky ocean side was so rewarding, just watching crabs bustle around and listening to the water crashing. Probably hung out there for a half hour to 45 minutes recharging with my eyes closed before heading back out. Only bleh spot today was when I ordered a set lunch without realizing I t came with a bunch of other seafood sides. What came out was probably some kind of sea urchin and three giant oyster-thing and they were honestly quite unappetizing visually, and even less appetizing going down, but that’s what I get for not reading the menu carefully because I’m too jozu for school. some kinda jackal fucked around with this message at 11:57 on May 22, 2023 |
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May 22, 2023 11:55
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some kinda jackal posted:I asked about Enoshima a while back and finally made the day trip today and I had a great time. Dang man you timed that perfectly, on a weekend it would’ve been jam packed and the weather was almost perfect for it too. Did you get all the way to the lighthouse/tower? Get swooped at all as well?
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May 22, 2023 12:20
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harperdc posted:Dang man you timed that perfectly, on a weekend it would’ve been jam packed and the weather was almost perfect for it too. Did you get all the way to the lighthouse/tower? Get swooped at all as well? Yeah, I absolutely waited for a Monday during the day to avoid the locals having a seaside weekend as much as possible. It was still pretty crowded but not at all what I imagine it is otherwise. Weather was absolutely perfect today and I somehow managed to not forget to put on sunscreen. Didn’t get swooped thankfully, if you mean getting attacked by birds — I saw a couple of signs for that and was on the lookout 
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May 22, 2023 12:44
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some kinda jackal posted:I asked about Enoshima a while back and finally made the day trip today and I had a great time. I spent half a dozen years in Florida so I have a soft spot for campy seaside tourist towns, but the island itself was super pretty. I laughed at how they did up the cave with a dragon for tourists, but had a blast climbing all the places and getting worn out. Sitting down on the rocky ocean side was so rewarding, just watching crabs bustle around and listening to the water crashing. Probably hung out there for a half hour to 45 minutes recharging with my eyes closed before heading back out. Sounds like a day of Highs and Lows. That's a joke, by the way. A bad one. Sorta. Or not. I dunno. I don't think it is particularly funny.
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May 22, 2023 17:26
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Was supposed to have flown to Tokyo last Wednesday and been there now but at the last minute my cat got really sick and had to go to emergency (he's fine!) so I cancelled everything. Fortunately was able to cancel almost everything with zero penalty. Most annoying thing is that I need to mail back this JR Pass lol so still gotta do that. Intent was to spend several days visiting a friend who has been in Tokyo for several months, then by myself do some little tourist route hitting up Matsumoto (1 day), Kanazawa (1), Kyoto (3), Osaka (2) and back to Tokyo for a few more shopping days before a flight home. Said friend will be set up in Osaka later in the summer until mid October, so haven't thought too much about it but it could make sense to try to schedule a trip in late September, early October where I guess the weather gets a bit less oppressive, and centre my trip a little bit more on Osaka where he'll be staying. It's unfortunate since I've been to Osaka before but hadn't really spent much time in Tokyo and he would have been a good guide. I suppose I could toss my old trip plan and do something a little bit more centred around Osaka and further afield west, or I could try to stick with the original plan shuffled around somewhat. Another mildly lousy thing is that I was really interested in going to a lot of gardens, and they'd really be in their prime now and will be worn out from summer if I visit them in September. Ah well bad luck.
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May 22, 2023 20:05
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My unpopular opinion is that the fall leaves kick the poo poo out of everything else, including the cherry blossoms.
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May 23, 2023 02:39
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facts. my opinion is that the seasonal food is better in fall too, but that is also because i live in the SFBA and we have better spring produce than Japan.
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May 23, 2023 06:37
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Gabriel Grub posted:My unpopular opinion is that the fall leaves kick the poo poo out of everything else, including the cherry blossoms. This is true (and I think even a saying in Japanese as well, maybe that the sakura are for the young and the kōyo are for the old) but they won’t be out in Kanto/Kansai until late October at the earliest, the way weather has been the last few years. Climate change keeps turning spring and fall into speed bumps.
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May 23, 2023 08:05
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There will be some garden stuff in sept/oct (red spider lilies etc) and there's some good autumn festivals (kishiwada danjiri, nagasaki kunchi etc) so you can definitely have a great holiday if you plan it right.
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May 23, 2023 08:25
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slinkimalinki posted:There will be some garden stuff in sept/oct (red spider lilies etc) and there's some good autumn festivals (kishiwada danjiri, nagasaki kunchi etc) so you can definitely have a great holiday if you plan it right. Aaaaaa this makes me kinda sad I'm going in Dec/Jan but at least I get to go at all 
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May 23, 2023 08:30
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bee posted:Aaaaaa this makes me kinda sad I'm going in Dec/Jan but at least I get to go at all There's always going to be something good to do! Even if it's only warming your feet under a kotatsu.
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May 23, 2023 09:10
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Nada no Kenka Matsuri (Himeji City) is usually Oct 14-15 https://www.nadamatsuri.jp/index.html
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May 23, 2023 09:11
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Hopefully my next trip is Oct/Nov next year. I’ve done May consistently and I love it, but I definitely want to see the change in color. Bonus if it’s hoodie or light jacket weather. Today’s cool rainy day made me realize how much I prefer bundling up slightly instead of stripping down.
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May 23, 2023 09:41
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Alright, looks like we have our Japan trip (5 childhood friends) broadly figured out, with the main question now about finding a nice ryokan somewhere convenient. 2-5 days in Tokyo (people arrive different days) 1 day on Fuji 1 day in a Ryokan somewhere 4 days in Kyoto 3-5 days in Tokyo (people leave different days) Kyoto we booked a really nice house for all of us. Tokyo appears to be pretty mediocre for group lodging and we arrive and leave on such different days that it's kind of a hassle to deal with in any case. For the "ryokan somewhere" we're having a little more trouble figuring out, if anyone has good suggestions? We'd look for somewhere between Gotemba and Kyoto, inclusive of either, fairly easily accessible by public transport, and for a ryokan that doesn't require getting a Japanese monk to write a calligraphic epic poem to reserve 3 rooms. Budget up to around $250-300pp/night (so ~$500-600/room) if it's worth it. Someone suggested some amazing ryokans near Matsumoto before, but now that's way out of our route. Matsumoto and that area looks cool but one of us has a hosed up knee and can't hike so we'd feel bad ditching him for multiple days of the trip as we already are for Fuji, and also the weather in late July in the Japanese Alps looks like an absolute dumpster fire of "really hot" "really humid" and "huge constant thunderstorms and lack of visibility". We all grew up in a similar dumpster-fire-bad summer climate so we don't greatly care about the first two but the last one is a dealbreaker. The Japanese Alps might be the most disappointed I have ever been by mountains. They look great in pictures and if you live nearby and have a super flexible schedule I'm sure it can be amazing in summer too, but their reliably-nice weather window for hiking looks to be about as short as the one for climbing Everest. Anyway, I guess I'll go back at some point in my life and do a roadtrip around the Japanese countryside in late spring or early fall.
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May 24, 2023 10:18
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