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I think Stringent took me to Donki to get some lovely clothes I could get covered in blood after my accident. An Oomomo opened up near me and as far as I can tell it's just Daiso stuff imported for sale here, and the prices don't seem like they're marked up a crazy amount. I love going there for cooking stuff, stationery, and other household odds and ends. It seems way better quality than stuff from the dollar stores it's competing against, and almost everything in there seems to still be made in Japan. Do they still have a decent manufacturing base, or are they just allowed to say that if it's 99% manufactured somewhere else and just packaged in country?
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Jan 27, 2024 10:40
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Food rules require some kind of cooking/flavoring process, not just sorting, to be labeled as Made in Japan. I assume that non-food products at least require partial assembly to qualify.
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Jan 27, 2024 15:27
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Hi thread. I'll be flying in to Japan for a Tokyo-Osaka/Kyoto-Tokyo trip in a couple months, March to April. This will be my first time and it came together somewhat last minute, so I'd like to bother with a whole bunch of questions til then. First, could I ask for a sanity check on these hotels? I'm just happy to have booked something at all, but I'm not sure if there are any major red flags: Saka no Hotel Tretio Ochanomizu - Reviews say this is a somewhat older place, but renovated well and otherwise pleasant enough. Quintessa Hotel Osaka Shinsaibashi - Reviews haven't suggested anything completely alarming about this place, so fingers crossed. HOTEL TOKYO TRIP - Maybe the one I'm most worried about, this looks nice, but a good number of reviews mention that the noise is not insignificant because it's like right by Nippori station. My friend is a light sleeper so it is a concern of ours. Also, it's like, close to a red-light part of the area? lol We plan to be out more or less the entire day everyday, so we just need a place to sleep really. Though with that said, I would like to at least be comfortable enough to sleep off walking around all day.
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Jan 27, 2024 18:02
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RuBisCO posted:HOTEL TOKYO TRIP Yeah you'll be able to hear trains from that distance. They're not that loud, it wouldn't be a huge deal for me and I have a lot of sleep trouble. There is a red light district nearish there and the area southeast is one of the older/poorer parts of town but that doesn't matter. You're not going to get jumped on the street like Kiryu. If anything it's a positive, cool areas to walk around that haven't been redeveloped yet. Also cross the tracks and spend some time wandering around Yanaka, go get breakfast at Kayaba Coffee.
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Jan 27, 2024 18:16
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Grand Fromage posted:Yeah you'll be able to hear trains from that distance. They're not that loud, it wouldn't be a huge deal for me and I have a lot of sleep trouble. Awesome! Thank you, that does wonders for my anxiety. We might still try to find another place but it's real reassuring to know in the worst case scenario it should still be manageable. Also, really appreciate shouting out some points of interest nearby. edit2: wouldnt mind getting jumped BY kiryu at least once RuBisCO fucked around with this message at 18:34 on Jan 27, 2024 |
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Jan 27, 2024 18:26
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If you're worried and want to stay in the same general area, there are a bunch of hotels east of Ueno Station north of Inaricho and you can't hear trains from over there.
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Jan 27, 2024 18:29
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Has anyone ever stayed in the Henn Na hotel? I've heard that they had to get rid of half of their robots - do they still have enough left to make things interesting? And in general, what's the best strategy for finding a reasonably priced hotel with convenient access to the subway? Does anyone know of any noteworthy hotels like that? Also, has anyone ever checked out the imperial palace? I've seen some website describing an application process for tours, but it also said that they don't offer tours going inside. What, then, would I be applying for? Is it worth it versus just looking at the palace from the park?
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Jan 29, 2024 00:54
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If you're just looking for a comfortable place to poo poo and sleep and not an experience, the best thing is to just pick a subway station (preferably on the Yamanote Line for Tokyo) and look around it for the cheapest room at one of the chain business hotels. IMO Sotetsu Fresa Inn is the most reliably nice of them if that's an option, they're all fine though. Independent business hotels can be a roll of the dice, I've had a couple bad ones. I'd recommend the chains.
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Jan 29, 2024 01:14
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Based on my hotel last week (Super Hotel Ueno Okachimachi), I have decided that I would rather walk a few more stoplights distance if it means the bathroom is big enough to have a separate sink and shower. Same rules as apartment hunting: Price, location, layout (choose 2).
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Jan 29, 2024 01:35
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peanut posted:Based on my hotel last week (Super Hotel Ueno Okachimachi), I have decided that I would rather walk a few more stoplights distance if it means the bathroom is big enough to have a separate sink and shower. I liked the Super Hotel I stayed at in Osaka. The bathroom didn't seem any different than a typical business hotel.
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Jan 29, 2024 04:02
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Aredna posted:I have 2 topen tickets in my group for Jimmy Carr on Monday 1/29 (1830 doors, 1930 start) if anyone wants a ticket or to join. They were 8900 each and should be pretty good seats since I bought them early, but they haven't told us seat numbers yet so who knows. 1 open ticket for tonight again. A goon got sick last minute
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Jan 29, 2024 08:39
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Cockmaster posted:Has anyone ever stayed in the Henn Na hotel? Stayed in the Kyoto one late March. The robots are pretty useless, expect to struggle a few minutes before a staff member pops up to help you out. Other than that the hotel was fine. Rooms were larger than expected, everything was clean, great location, I would definitely stay there again. It is pretty barebones, no restaurant and I don't think they offer breakfast, but you can grab amazing croissants at Grandir in the station and it is not like you are short on dinner options either. Cockmaster posted:And in general, what's the best strategy for finding a reasonably priced hotel with convenient access to the subway? Does anyone know of any noteworthy hotels like that? Just hop on Hotels.com or Booking.com, enter your price range and then go to map view. It will show all options in an area, so find a subway station you like and start looking around.
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Jan 29, 2024 08:49
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I recently stayed at a fantastic little hotel in Kyoto. It's in the business district with excellent bus and subway access, just 2 stops from Kyoto station. https://maps.app.goo.gl/1mDLb5hVqHVDcXLX9 Here's my google maps review: The beds are soft and comfortable, and the bathrooms have separate sink, toilet, and shower. There's an excellent restaurant and bar downstairs. A few days per week they do a free food experience in the lobby like okonomiyaki, takoyaki, or wagashi. There's complimentary sake tasting on the counter. I was pleasantly surprised to find so many vegan and vegetarian options on the menu. I'm not vegetarian but I always need to share recommendations with friends.
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Jan 29, 2024 09:06
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peanut posted:I recently stayed at a fantastic little hotel in Kyoto. It's in the business district with excellent bus and subway access, just 2 stops from Kyoto station. Holy poo poo, €40 a night? For what looks like a pretty decent room with private bathroom? When did Japan go from expensive to absurdly cheap? If Japan is what a future of population decline and demographic collapse looks like, then I am super psyched for the future. That €40 a night is not just one random day either, basically every day I select is between €35 and €45. We had an awesome house in Kyoto that was like €60/night/each for the five of us this summer, and I thought that was a steal, but I guess Kyoto is just like... absurdly cheap in general? I can't even stay in Italy for that little anymore.
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Jan 29, 2024 10:37
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I chose IMU because it was close to the office I was visiting, but I will definitely choose it again. My friend has lived here for a few years and still adored this ninja hotel next to the Imperial Palace. https://www.booking.com/hotel/jp/ninja-black-kyoto-gosho-west.html
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Jan 29, 2024 11:26
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Saladman posted:When did Japan go from expensive to absurdly cheap? Hotels have gotten expensive in yen and cheap in other currencies because of the exchange rate. The exchange rate is driving tourism, further driving up hotel costs. Whether it is cheap or not to travel in Japan depends entirely on if you are coming from an international or domestic perspective.
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Jan 29, 2024 13:44
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Gabriel Grub posted:Hotels have gotten expensive in yen and cheap in other currencies because of the exchange rate. The yen is still hovering between 140 and 150 JPY to $1, and about 160 JPY to €1. This is ridiculously weak (the ‘classic’ balance was always about 100 JPY to $1).
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Jan 29, 2024 14:31
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It's about 187 JPY to £1 right now. When I was visiting in 2019 it was like 127 
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Jan 29, 2024 14:49
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Japan's been fairly cheap for a while, but yeah that exchange rate makes it crazy. My hotel right in the center of Kyoto next to a subway station was $25 a night last spring. Not counting the ryokan the most expensive place I stayed the whole trip was $50.
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Jan 29, 2024 17:49
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It felt pretty weird to be there in late 2022 and watch the yen get significantly cheaper over the mere 10-ish days I was in the country.
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Jan 29, 2024 18:05
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Everything is on sale
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Jan 29, 2024 19:50
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So I have 2-ish weeks of holiday I have to take from work before the end of the financial year so I'm planning on a trip to Japan. Since it is a somewhat short-notice/impulse trip (and I grabbbed a conviently-timed Humble Bundle that give me a Lonely Planet guide), I'm planning to follow a suggested itinerary of spending a few days in Tokyo, then a few more in Kyoto, before moving on to Hiroshima and then doubling back to Tokyo. I'm just wondering, since the cherry blossom festival take place in late march, would aiming for booking in early march work out to be cheaper? I realise it's shorter notice, but still, given everything I've heard. Or should I go for it and book late March? I suppose while it's likely pricier, it sounds like something that's worth seeing at least once and I don't know when or if I'll be back. If people have reccomendations for places to stay/eat along the way, I'd also appreciate it. Obviously I have the guidebook, but I don't want to just rely on that. Honestly is it crazy to try and book on such short notice?
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Jan 29, 2024 21:18
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Late march is noticeably more expensive than early march. Also, it is a bit late to be booking hotels for late march, I would expect all the good places to be taken already. You can still probably find some decent places if you aim for early march. For me, while cherry blossoms are nice, I don't find the trade off of being more expensive and more crowded worth it.
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Jan 29, 2024 22:48
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Book now, especially if you're hoping for sakura in late March. It's spring break and everyone is off school and moving to new apartments and jobs. Graduation day is around March 10 (high school and college) or March 24 (elementary and middle school), and the new school year starts around April 8.
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Jan 30, 2024 00:08
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peanut posted:Book now, especially if you're hoping for sakura in late March. It's spring break and everyone is off school and moving to new apartments and jobs. This. School travel and work shuffling season is big. Plus, with how climate change has gone, early March is likely to be sakura season in Tokyo anyhow  Bofast posted:It felt pretty weird to be there in late 2022 and watch the yen get significantly cheaper over the mere 10-ish days I was in the country. I moved to Japan on 2011, and things were stable in the 75-80 range until Abe came into power and was established enough to start Abenomics, which meant quantitative easing. Which basically means printing enough money to devalue the currency from 75 to 100 to $1 in a month or so. Absolute nightmare. Yvonmukluk posted:Honestly is it crazy to try and book on such short notice? Buy the ticket, take the ride. Two months out isn’t too soon.
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Jan 30, 2024 02:49
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When I went last year the Canadian dollar was just at parity or maybe a cent or two over, so it felt so much cheaper than every other year I'd gone. I imagine that by now all the prices have gone up to compensate, but I do appreciate being at or above parity now for the sake of easy math. e: Dang just checked CAD to JPY and it's still in my favour. Too bad all my hotel stays are still 6+ months out so I can't start booking yet. e2: Actually just booked all my intended stays through expedia. Everything is 100% refundable before November so effectively this is super easy way to lock in a price I'm comfortable with. some kinda jackal fucked around with this message at 16:32 on Jan 30, 2024 |
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Jan 30, 2024 03:19
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For my trip I'm stayin at the Hotel Oriental Express in Kamata and the Riverside Hotel Numazu. They seem to be pretty good from the ratings I see on google?
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Jan 30, 2024 15:20
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What stuff do y'all like in Tohoku? We're doing a trip around my sister-in-laws 40th birthday (she's never been to japan before). My partner and her sister will be doing a girl's trip doing all the first-time tourism stuff through Kyoto/Osaka/Hiroshima plus disney etc for the first 8 nights before we link up in Tokyo for the last week. I'll be doing my first ever solo trip, and realising that i've not seen anything in between Tokyo and Sapporo, I'd like to center it around travelling through Tohoku. Ostensibly i'll be planning it around landscape photography but of course still want to check out cool towns/cities/resteraunts/bars etc. Basic plan is to head up to Aomori then back. So far I'm considering checking out Morioka/Mt Iwate, Miyako, Hachinohe, something around the Tadami river, basically any good ways to see/stay near the major mountains. I guess vaguely going up the east coast then back along the west coast? Maybe go check out Hakodate (although it would probably be better to save this for a winter trip to Hokkaido). Kind of struggling with planning it out because there will be a bit of hiking involved, and I don't want to spend every single day on the train. Figuring out where is worth staying more than a night etc. I'm only a day or so into planning but there's just so much stuff I don't know where to start. Any good reason to see Sendai? I'm also considering Utsunomiya as a last stop as apparently there are some great cocktail places there. Please share with me your knowledge. E: will begin this trip on the 2nd of October this year! field balm fucked around with this message at 07:39 on Feb 1, 2024 |
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Feb 1, 2024 06:47
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My ideal trips center around a festival/fireworks/specific event that sets me in a city on a specific day, then I fill in the days before and after with sightseeing along the most logical route.
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Feb 1, 2024 07:08
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field balm posted:Any good reason to see Sendai? I'm also considering Utsunomiya as a last stop as apparently there are some great cocktail places there. I didn't see you mention when you're coming, but Sendai has a baseball team. Our very own zmcnulty has done a writeup on Utsunomiya cocktail culture: https://www.nomunication.jp/2023/04/27/psst-want-to-get-a-cocktail-in-utsunomiya/ I've been meaning to try some of these places out myself, since I don't live too far from Utsunomiya.
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Feb 1, 2024 07:33
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peanut posted:My ideal trips center around a festival/fireworks/specific event that sets me in a city on a specific day, then I fill in the days before and after with sightseeing along the most logical route. I didn't even consider this, looks like Fukushima has a Lantern festival (Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival) on that could be cool to check out! Gabriel Grub posted:I didn't see you mention when you're coming, but Sendai has a baseball team. Oh I thought I put it in the post but I'm dumb. I'll be doing Tohoku I think October 2-10. Thanks for that link, I'll check it out! I'm a bit of a cocktail and whisky nerd. I generally travel with my partner who is really only good for a drink or 2 then wants to do something else. I'm kind of looking forward to just sitting in bars by myself all night. I'm Australian so I don't really get baseball, but I have a great memory of getting okonomiyaki in Hiroshima and the guy cooking our food was just going nuts at the baseball game on the tv the whole time lol.
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Feb 1, 2024 07:42
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Hiroshima and Osaka are known for their passionate baseball fans.
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Feb 1, 2024 07:54
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field balm posted:I'm also considering Utsunomiya as a last stop as apparently there are some great cocktail places there. I liked Utsunomiya. They are apparently known for their gyoza, which... they seemed about as good as anywhere else but the nice part of the reputation is that places will serve variety dishes of like one of each of ten types or whatever. I enjoyed trying the different fillings. The reason I actually went out there though is that they have an old underground quarry that you can tour, which if you're into industrial history was pretty cool. The tool exhibits aren't captioned in English, but they're still neat to look at and the quarry itself was fun to peak into. It's bus-accessible, too. We happened to be stopping in the city to change train lines anyway, but it was a good way to spend a morning. e: I guess I should probably give the name of the place: Oya History Museum Akratic Method fucked around with this message at 09:09 on Feb 1, 2024 |
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Feb 1, 2024 09:07
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Obligatory NIKKO TOSHOGU recommendation.
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Feb 1, 2024 09:13
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Is Google the best site to look for restaurant recommendations while in Japan? I kinda wanna look into some sushi places like..wanna have one really good sushi experience while there you know? Just wasn't sure if Japan has their own TripAdvisor or similar site for food. Still Tokyo planning for July, thinking of seeing what non city stuff to do nearby like maybe some countryside hiking or the like.
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Feb 1, 2024 15:09
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The equivalent you're thinking of is TabeLog (tabelog.com), but last time I checked it didn't really cater to tourists and was a bit of a pain to use without google translate. To be fair to them, I haven't checked in on it in a year. e: Maybe I remembered incorrectly, seems to be fairly easy to navigate with an english section. Yeah, the comments will almost entirely be in Japanese and I'm not sure how they handle reservations if you want to make them through the app, but just to get a look around the area tabelog is probably your best bet.
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Feb 1, 2024 15:45
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Follow this post regarding the Tabelog ratings. I would aim for at least 3.5 though. The most difficult thing would be making reservations at the restaurants. If they don't take reservations, any of the more higher rated places will require you to queue more than likely. Grand Fromage posted:Tabelog doesn't do score inflation, if you're new to it. Anything over a 3 is good, 3.5 is really good, and 4+ is outstanding.
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Feb 1, 2024 15:56
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FWIW, when making reservations through tabelog, a lot of the information has to be formatted the Japanese way so I had to make up fake numbers in some of the fields and enter the correct information in the comments section. That aside, I've been able to reserve through tabelog from overseas without any issue the couple times I did it. That said, unless you're really familiar with sushi, you're probably just fine asking for a recommendation here or something like that. Good Listener posted:Is Google the best site to look for restaurant recommendations while in Japan? I kinda wanna look into some sushi places like..wanna have one really good sushi experience while there you know? Just wasn't sure if Japan has their own TripAdvisor or similar site for food. Your dates already set? I see you said earlier you're coming back the 22nd which would be a shame, because Fuji Rock is the weekend after and always a good time. And I always try to  )
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Feb 1, 2024 16:22
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Thanks for the suggestions y'all~ I guess uh..I'll ask for maybe sushi places you'd recommend then maybe? Like..our hotel is in Kamata but we'll be hitting up Akiba/Shibuya/Asakusa/Yokohama/Kawakura prob Shinjuku uh..probably don't wanna spend like $100 but a $70ish total bill would probably be good lol.totalnewbie posted:FWIW, when making reservations through tabelog, a lot of the information has to be formatted the Japanese way so I had to make up fake numbers in some of the fields and enter the correct information in the comments section. That aside, I've been able to reserve through tabelog from overseas without any issue the couple times I did it. Yea we're there from July 10th through the 22nd. My bad 
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Feb 1, 2024 17:38
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I've carved out the days I'm going to be in Japan, I'm just hammering out the details now. My current plan is depart from the UK Thursday the 29th and arrive in Tokyo the morning of the 1st, then my itinerary is going to be a few days in tokyo, followed by a few more in Kyoto, with day-trips to Nara, Osaka and Himeji, then heading further west to Hiroshima and Miyajima, before maybe stopping off for a day in Hakone before returning to Tokyo to leave on the 15th or March. Basically all the first-time tourism stuff. Does anyone have recommendations for a solo traveller?
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Feb 1, 2024 23:26
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