|
Hello All. I will be visiting Japan for ~2 weeks march 13-25. Specifically, I will be staying in Kariya (Aichi Prefecture) for business. This will be my second visit, and I'm looking for some things to do and place to eat in Nagoya. My previous visit was December of 2012, in which I visited Nagoya Castle, Atsuta Shrine and the outdoor shopping center called Osu Kannon. A little bit about me... I'm an Engineer, I don't know Japanese beyond 'hello' 'thanks' etc., I like to drink, but I don't much care about partying, I like fancy food and would like to try new stuff. I'll have the weekend of the 19th to do whatever I want, probably staying in Nagoya. -- so although my stay is long, I only really have 2 days to do anything fun. My questions! 1) Any recommendations on food or stuff to do in Nagoya that I haven't done yet? Or even Kariya for that matter (seemed like a small town with no tourism, so probably not)... The Castle was under heavy construction when I visited in 2012, so maybe it's worth seeing now that it's complete? I'm not sure. 2) Wifi rentals- are there recommended services? I found this place with a quick google search and they say they can ship it to my hotel, which seems nice. https://www.rentalwifi.com/ 3) It sounds like I will miss out on the Cherry Blossoms, will I see any bloom before I leave on the 25th? Thanks for your time reading this.
|
#
¿
Feb 16, 2016 17:47
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 14:52 |
|
|
Phone posted:You'll probably miss out on the cherry blossoms, I was there last year until the 31st and nothin' was popping. I actually work for Toyota Material Handling and didn't make it to the Toyota Museum last time I was there. I'll put that high on the list. As for Bmobile, my phone isn't on their approved list. I use a Xperia Z3V (V is the Verizon Release) so I imagine I have all of the bands necessary to function in Japan, but will my phone need to be unlocked or something? I'm pretty much illiterate when it comes to technical phone stuff.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 16, 2016 19:32
|
|
|
teddust posted:You are too early for Cherry blossoms, but you should be able to hit the end of plum blossom season. The Nagoya Agriculture Center(https://www.google.com/maps/place/N...6bc334d05e76b7f) has a beautiful plum grove. Really liking that agricultural center suggestion. I've been around farming my whole life in Indiana and keep a small garden myself. It would be interesting seeing traditional Japanese plants and farming. I just found out the guy I'm visiting Nagoya with saw the castle a month ago, so I'll probably have to pass on it for this visit and just do stuff we haven't yet. A lot of suggestions for Kyoto, so I'll keep that open as an option, but I do plan to make a 2 week Tokyo/Kyoto trip dedicated just for vacation at some point in 2017 with my wife. Currently saving up $, Miles and vacation days for that to happen, though. RE Kariya: Yea that's the feeling I got on my last visit. Sounds like I'll be working 'Toyota Hours' (working 8 am - 8 pm) so I likely won't have any time to spend beyond just getting Dinner in Kariya, anyway...
|
|
#
¿
Feb 18, 2016 19:03
|
|
|
TWSS posted:My partner and I just snagged a flight that will put us in Japan from March 8th to 22nd. She's really interested in traditional Japan and is super-excited to see the temples in Kyoto, but I have a massive fetish for JDM cars (I have an '85 MR2) and would love to check out engineering/technology museums in addition to the more traditional stuff. I'm interested to hear any recommendations you might have. They kinda sneak fish and bean product into a lot of stuff. Is like Fish stock a problem or just eating like big chunks of fish? There's plenty of pork and chicken to eat, but sometimes they can still be prepared with fish or bean. Maybe look into some sort of card that indicates your food needs?
|
|
#
¿
Feb 19, 2016 20:04
|
|
|
 Uh you can get by eating stuff from grocery stores. Alternatively, there are like Italian and French places to eat, but that doesn't seem like its in the spirit of a vacation to Japan. Just bring enough epipens for each meal.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 20, 2016 03:00
|
|
|
Although I haven't been to Kyoto or Tokyo yet, the popular opinion is Kyoto for history, Tokyo for modern activities and nightlife.
|
|
#
¿
Feb 25, 2016 22:50
|
|
|
I posted a few pages back asking for tips on my 2 week visit to Nagoya starting this Saturday. Well there's a 95% chance that it will balloon into a 4 week visit to Nagoya for work + 1 week of vacation in Kyoto or Tokyo in which my wife will fly out to meet me. So, now that I'll have weekends to kill in Nagoya, where my goons at? I'll be there from March 12 - April 9.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 10, 2016 16:24
|
|
|
Himeji Castle is between Kyoto and Hiroshima, right? I'm gonna do 6 days in Kyoto with 1 or 2 days set aside for day trips to Himeji/Nara. Apparently they have an unlimited 2 day pass for that section of rail that can get you to Himeji and Nara. I think there are other day trip destinations from Kyoto, maybe combine a stop at Himeji with an evening in Osaka? I'm still in the planning stages of my own trip, but those are ideas I've had that you could apply to your own trip. extravadanza fucked around with this message at 00:05 on Mar 15, 2016 |
|
#
¿
Mar 14, 2016 23:56
|
|
|
3 days into my 4 week work trip at an engineering office and I already can't stand the 12 hour work days.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 16, 2016 11:22
|
|
|
Sheep posted:That's likely because you're confusing working with the appearance of actually working, a common mistake. Japan has the worst GDP generated:hours worked ratio of the G7 nations for a reason. Even more surprising when I see employees clock out, only to return to their desks and continue working off the clock. Really, a lot of the people I'm working with over here are very hard workers, but boy do they sweat the small stuff sometimes.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 17, 2016 14:47
|
|
|
Stopped by Critical Hit in Nagoya tonight for a few drinks and some Mario Kart. Great bar if you want to play some classic games. Thanks for the recommendation, Phone. Will probably return before I continue on to Kyoto on April 10th. Maybe we will run into each other there...
|
|
#
¿
Mar 26, 2016 17:41
|
|
|
Phone posted:Glad you liked it! I'll be there tomorrow (Monday) night. Unfortunately I won't be in the city today (Monday). I'm actually working about an hour outside of Nagoya and staying in a hotel in Kariya. Will maybe stop by this weekend though... I'll be heading into town for the Inuyama Festival most likely.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 28, 2016 09:43
|
|
|
April 1st I'll be at a traditional businessman drinking party in Kariya. Our fates are simply not to play drunk Mario Party together.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 29, 2016 02:25
|
|
|
Robot cafe and golden gai are at the top of my Tokyo experience wish list if I ever visit...
|
|
#
¿
Mar 29, 2016 09:33
|
|
|
Enjoy those goddamn robots. Wish I could go. 'Tourist traps' in Japan are still pretty great IMO.. Only 2 more weeks until my week in Kyoto seeing ALL of the tourist traps.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 29, 2016 11:33
|
|
|
yo .Z. we probably passed each other at that Sakura spot. I was also there Saturday. Question... Kaiseki meals worth the $100+? I would consider myself a 'foodie' kinda, but I also could see the value in just passing on the fancy meal and gorging myself on sushi and ramen for cheaper.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 3, 2016 11:51
|
|
|
Knuc U Kinte posted:I get my meals from Family Mart. Currently eating my breakfasts and weekend lunches at Sunkus or Bellmart because my cheap company only gives me $10 each for breakfast and lunch.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 3, 2016 12:49
|
|
|
Ah, yea I saw the forecast Friday night , so I did Sakura+Inuyama on Saturday. Would definitely recommend the Inuyama festival to future visitors, it was quite the experience... one of the lanterns even caught fire lol. Here's a picture. http://i.imgur.com/vgpR0ws.jpg extravadanza fucked around with this message at 00:41 on Apr 4, 2016 |
|
#
¿
Apr 4, 2016 00:34
|
|
|
photomikey posted:
The kid will absolutely love Nara. Feeding the Deer is pretty great and Todai-ji was easily one of my favorites. I would just plan to skip Osaka entirely, although I've not actually visited it myself. I spent 5 days in Kyoto and 1 in Nara in April 2016 and still felt like there was a lot I hadn't seen. As far as kid-friendly activities go (similar to feeding deer)... There's a spot on the west side of Kyoto to feed monkeys. It's at a beautiful spot overlooking the city, but you have to climb up an (IMO) fairly lengthy trail. Nothing compared to Fushimi Inari, but I had to stop and take a seat for a few minutes on my way up.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 6, 2017 15:39
|
|
|
photomikey posted:Osaka has no draw to me and it's really just a backup plan. I assume Nara will take most of a day, I just don't want to be leaving Nara at noon and think "what now?", so Osaka is Plan B. Actually, now that I only have one full day in Kyoto, I will probably just return to Kyoto if that were to happen. I felt like Nara took a whole day. When we saw Nara it went like this: leave the hotel in Kyoto by 8am.. Train to Nara arrives at 10:30.. Walk to the deer, see deer and feed the deer.. Get lunch at 12ish. Head to todaiji, spend 2 hrs there. Walk back the train, depart at 3:30. Arrive in Kyoto at 5:30 and start thinking about dinner. IMO the monkeys felt like less of a tourist trap than many other shrines and stuff because it wasn't swarming with Chinese tourists. I think that's because there's monkeys in China already? At the end of the day, if you want to feed some monkeys, it's prob worth it, but if you want to see some shrines, go do that! The monkeys are also by the famous bamboo forest, arashiyama(def a tourist trap, but very cool) and the, IMO, very underestimed temple, Otagi Nenbutsuji. The little stone guys at Otagi Nenbutsuji are awesome and the grounds are very tranquil. There were probably only 5 other people there sharing the grounds with us. extravadanza fucked around with this message at 03:38 on Mar 7, 2017 |
|
#
¿
Mar 7, 2017 02:55
|
|
|
Sand Monster posted:Is it common to find many that do not? It seemed like a lot of them didn't, when I was booking an Airbnb for Kyoto last April. It's weird, but make sure you confirm there is a shower when booking an airbnb in Japan!
|
|
#
¿
Mar 16, 2017 16:32
|
|
|
Tea.EarlGrey.Hot. posted:I'm visiting my friend in Wazuka, a teeny mountain village southeast of Kyoto. I'm planning to be there May 3rd - 12th, give or take a day. Cheapest flights I can find land in Nagoya, which I thought would be fun to check out. Is there anything cool between the two of them? I'm open to just about anything. I like good food, temples and shrines, and just wandering around. I love onsen too, but maybe it's not as enjoyable when it's hot as balls out. If you are interested in Castles, the Nagoya-area is home to 2 of the 12 surviving 'original' castles in Japan (many have burned down due to war, some have been rebuilt). 1) Hikone Castle is kinda in between Nagoya and Wazuka. It's got a ridiculously adorable mascot, Hikonyan.  2) Inuyama Castle on the North side of Nagoya. This Castle has a wonderful spring festival in early April. Although, not an original - Nagoya Castle is quite impressive and offers a nice view of the city. Also, Phone mentioned some good museums in Nagoya. I especially liked the Toyota Technology Museum. Critical Hit Bar is pretty sweet too and the bartender/owner is very friendly. Definitely stop by if you end up spending a night in Downtown Nagoya and you like video games. To be honest, Nagoya is a business city, with not much to see for tourists. You will be close to Kyoto, which has much more to see than Nagoya.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 27, 2017 16:03
|
|
|
ALFbrot posted:well that link is extremely unsafe for work Extremely glad I chose to switch to mobile for that. Just had a feeling, ya know.
|
|
#
¿
Sep 20, 2017 16:32
|
|
|
Sorry, Italians only drink espresso and wine. No water allowed in Italy.
|
|
#
¿
Jun 1, 2018 15:35
|
|
|
It's been 1.5 years since I visited this thread last, but I'm returning to Japan for business March 11-20. Are there any goons in Nagoya? This is like my 4th trip to Nagoya so I'm not so interested in the (few) touristy things they have available and more interested in getting some good food and beer. Also considering just hoppin' on a bullet train to Tokyo on the 16th to spend Saturday and Sunday seeing the city.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 6, 2019 15:44
|
|
|
If an 'authentic' experience is no foreigners, I guess I got a fairly 'authentic' experience spending 6 weeks in Kariya, Aichi on business - a relatively unknown city about an hour outside Nagoya. Employees took me out 3 or4 of the nights for barbecue, a kaiseki meal and some ramen (it was a particularly busy time of the year). I guess if you want authentic, work for a japanese company with it's headquarters outside of a major city. Or just hop on a train to a smaller town where nobody speaks any english.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 7, 2019 21:53
|
|
|
ntan1 posted:Technically not authentic either and more like a client obligation thing although it will be closer to the real deal. Yeah the kaiseki one was very much a formal welcome dinner that seemed like an obligation, but the other dinners with bar hopping afterwards were just with the work group that I was working alongside (couple other young guys and our supervisor for the project) and felt much more ordinary. It was great! The other couple dozen days on my own were great for people watching at local eateries. Nobody there really spoke any English because it wasn't a major city but they were all so inviting and tried really hard to communicate with pointing and basic yes/no language. It feels so weird spending weeks where everybody is on the same page except you because of the language divide. When I sat down at a bar midway thru my trip and the bartender actually spoke great fluent English I had the weirdest sensation of relief, even though I really had gotten along just fine because everybody had been so kind to me along the way. peanut posted:I like izakaya and alcoholic drinks
|
|
#
¿
Mar 7, 2019 23:30
|
|
|
On the topic of meeting rando Japanese... Visited a local ramen restaurant in previously mentioned 'smaller town' and sat down next to an older (50-60) salaryman. He asked if I was from America, yep. Started telling me about his Jewish Rabbi friend from America who was apparently teaching him about slang like Dong, Clam, Tatas, etc. So he asked me for some slang terms, which I shared. Anyway he ended up paying for his meal, conversed in japanese with the owner of the restaurant and left. I got up to leave 10-15 minutes later and found out he had paid for my meal. Sooo, that was interesting.
|
|
#
¿
Mar 8, 2019 01:58
|
|
|
Comrade Fakename posted:Thanks for your replies to my query earlier. From what people said, I think Hakone looks cool, and Nara seems like an obvious choice if I'm also going to Osaka and Kyoto. I'm now thinking of an itinerary like this: Your trip plan looks amazing and will totally work out great, I'm sure. You know what you will enjoy better than us randos on the internet. It's a lot of train time, BUT train time is fun and a tourist experience on its own! If you want to consider some changes, here's my thoughts: Through my work I spent a few months in Nagoya between 2014~2019. It's obviously not a famous city for tourism, but it's not *terrible*. Because of that, Nagoya's attractions generally don't have the crowds you have to deal with in Tokyo and Kyoto. You have 8 days in Tokyo already, which is quite a lot. Consider this? 8 May - Arrive in Tokyo 9 May - Leave early to go to Nagoya -> Ghibli Park. Spend day there and then spend night in Nagoya (this is already fairly set in stone as this was the only day I was able to get for GP) 10 May - Day in Nagoya (Options: Toyota Museum, Nagoya Castle, Shopping Osu Kannon, Atsuta Jingu) 11 May - Nagoya -> Osaka 12 May - Day in Osaka 13 May - Leave early to Kyoto, short train ride 14 -17 May - Kyoto (Work in a day trip to Nara somewhere - there and back in 1 day) 18 May - Train to Tokyo 19-27 May - Tokyo, with a trip and overnight stay to Hakone somewhere in the middle. 28 May - Fly home. I'm probably the only person advocating for a day in Nagoya because, really, it's not a tourist destination... but if you're gonna be there anyway for ghibli park... extravadanza fucked around with this message at 17:58 on Apr 4, 2024 |
|
#
¿
Apr 4, 2024 17:56
|
|
|
Teriyaki Koinku posted:I mean, sure. But I'm still trying to figure out how it works since it seems kind of obtuse even in English. Like I don't even know if they sort restaurants by kaiseki or not. I can't see an option for it even under the extended cuisine options. If you are staying in a nicer hotel with a concierge? If so, might just try to offload reservation making to them if possible. I bet even business grade hotels in japan will book restaurants for you too, they are just so dang eager to help however they can.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 9, 2024 23:27
|
|
|
Wonton posted:Shrines: It should go without saying, but make sure to tell your banks you are traveling to Japan. I say that it should go without saying but there I was in Japan trying to get cash from an ATM and being told the transaction was declined. Having to wait til 9pm in Japan to call my credit union to tell them that i'm traveling was a bit of a drag.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 15, 2024 16:46
|
|
|
|
| # ¿ Apr 29, 2024 14:52 |
|
|
There's a pretty neat little retro gaming bar in Nagoya called critical hit run by an American expat. Haven't been there in over 7 years, but it was always nice to visit when I was over there working, if you're into that kinda thing.
|
|
#
¿
Apr 21, 2024 01:26
|
|