Japan Travel Forum

Hello

Since it's made in Japan and not as well distributed in Europe as in the US, I'd like to take advantage of a trip to Japan to go to Akihabara and see if I can get a Planex MZK-W04NU wifi router.

For those of you who know the area well, what stores would you recommend for this type of product?

Thank you.

Hi,
I will be in Tokyo for 3 nights at end of March next year and then go to Kyoto:

Three questions:

1) Is there a fast train from Tokyo to Kyoto and how long does it take / how much does it cost?

2) As I only have 2 days in Kyoto before my flight back from Tokyo Narita, I was thinking of taking the overnight train from Kyoto to Tokyo Narita so I can spend more time in Kyoto - is there a train from Kyoto to Tokyo Narita at night - my flight from Narita is at 10am next morning?

3) I definately want to spend 2 days in Tokyo and then 1-2 days in one other place (to see the traditional Japan) - is Kyoto the best town or is there another?

Thanks

Hi! I will be in Tokyo next Mon-Fri and travelling by myself. Open to suggestions on what to do, where to go and also meeting up so please feel free to contact me.

Hello fellow travelers -

I've been to Japan twice and visited various places (Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Miyajima, Osaka, Kobe, Shirakawa, Nagoya, etc), so when I am now going back for the third time, I'd really like to get to know Kyushu. I'll fly to Fukuoka and have almost 11 days to explore around. I have planned the following things so far:

Day 1 - Fukuoka
Day 2 - Nagasaki
Day 3 - Some smaller places around Fukuoka like Iizuka
Day 4 - Kumamoto & Aso
Day 5-6 - Beppu and Usuki
Day 7 - Sumo and shopping
Day 8 - Karatsu
Day 9-11 - OPEN

Any good suggestions for open days? Or would you replace something on my list? I've read conflicting info about visiting the southern part of Kyushu in November - some suggest that it'd still be nice, others suggest not to go at this time of the year. I'd appreciate any help very much!

Happy travels!

I have heard about the 18 meters Gundam in Tokyo and with a bit research, i found that it is in Odaiba. However, I have no clue how to get there and if the model is permanent? As i plan to visit Tokyo in April 2010, I really want to make a visit there. If you could please help me out, I will be very grateful. Thank you in advance!

-Som

Should we visit both Takayama and Kanazawa or only one and if so which? we will only have around 17 days for our trip , and otherwise will be in Tokyo, Kyoto and HIroshima.Travelling by train its doable but maybe better to spend more days in one location.. thanks

Hi there,

I have 5-6 days in Japan this coming December (mid dec). I am flying into Tokyo, flying out of KIX.

I plan to skip Tokyo this time as I have been there a couple times. I wonder if there are any suggestions... I have the following questions:

1) how many days are needed for Hiroshima and Miyajima island?
2) I've never been to Kyoto, is 2-3 days enough? Are there surrounding area that I should visit?
3) Is Kyushu worth going? Is 2-3 days enough?

I'm still debating which area to visit... so any suggestions are welcome~~

Hello

We'll be travelling in Japan this November by flying into Tokyo and catch the train to Kyoto the same day to spent about five days there, then on to Hiroshima for a couple of days, and then head back to Tokyo for about five days before flying home.

I know that JR only manages the Yamanote in Tokyo, which it means that we'll have to take a local pass to use the metro + bus lines, so I guess the JRPass isn't that useful in Tokyo. But that might not be true for the rest of the trip.

For those of you who have done the same trip, would you say buying a two-week JRPass makes sense, or should be get local passes in each city instead?

Thank you.

Hi,
We will be staying near Ueno station for 2 days in November and traveling to Akita for 3 weeks. Can anyone recommend some things to see and places to eat? We like just about everything and are excited about visiting Japan.
Thanks,
Snowiris

Hello

Since credit cards aren't as widely used as over here, I'm only allowed to withdraw in the whereabouts of €200/week using my plain Visa, but I'm reluctant to travel with a lot of cash, even to safe Japan... I guess the only option left is that of traveler's checks.

For those who have travelled to Japan recently, is it more interesting financially to have the TC denominated in Euro on in Yen? Are the commissions in Japan very different from bank to bank?

Thank you.

We are planning to visit Japan in July which I understand is low season.So do we need to book hotels ahead or can we just wing it?
thanks

Does anyone know the number to catch a taxi from my house to the JR station?

Hi!

appreciate if someone could provide info on travelling between Nikko and Nagano (the Monkey hot springs)... I've looked thru the JR East shinkansen and rail maps, can't find any good/convenient way to get from Nikko to Nagano... any direct trains/buses between these 2 places?

thanks! :)

I am visiting Tokyo and wanted to see Mt.Fuji/Kyoto.

Is it cheaper to try to plan these out myself on the JR Rail or to go on a day tour?

Hi All, I am planning to travel to Tokyo from 26 Dec - 5 Jan. However, I'd really like to know how the weather would be like, what kind of clothes to pack. I'm going free and easy and would need to plan an itinerary. Would really appreaciate if you all have some great advices! E.g. where can I head to from Tokyo.. perhaps I'd like to do a 2-3days farmstay at a mountain etc. Or some skiing..
Thanks alot!

I'm thinking of taking a domestic flight from Osaka to Hokkaido (one-way)and have a couple of questions:

1. Is it easy to book a flight at the airport on the day itself?

2. Which airport will be be (departure and arrival airport)?

3. I understand there close flight intervals in the morning and evening hours and lesser in-between. Is that true?

Thanks.

I will go from Norway to Tokyo medio Decembre this year. The trip will include a visit to Kirin, the foreigners graveyard and Yokohama Archives of hitory. Maybe the Ramen Museum as well. I am interested in food and drink history and the early Yokohama history.

Are there other places I should consider to visit. Can I spend the evening in Yokohama and get back to Ueno rather late or should I try to get a place to stay in Yokohama. (I know one day in Y. is little, but will hopefully get back.)

Hi,

Have anyone used this following hotel reservation service before?

http://en.hoteljapan.com/

Is it reliable?

I plan to transfer from a hotel in Shinjuku to Disneyland resort WITH 1 big luggage and 1 kid.

If I were to take a train on a Sunday from Shinjuku station around afternoon, how crowded would the train station be? What is a better option to go about doing this transfer to minimize the hassle?

Appreciate your advice. Thank you.

Hi all,

i am due to arrived in tokyo at ard 3pm on a Friday, do you think if i will be able to book a night coach using my JR pass to kyoto?

any advice?
thanks.

Hello,

The four of us will travel in Japan in mid-november, to spend 5 days in Tokyo, 5 days in Kyoto, a couple of days in Hiroshima/Miyajima, before heading back to Tokyo to catch our plane back home.

Considering that local passes are available in the different cities and that JR lines in Tokyo are very limited (Yamanote and the Shinjuku-Tokyo line), I was wondering at what point it makes sense to get aJRPass, and whether to get the Green or Ordinary version.

http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en001.html

I was thinking of getting some kind of five-day pass while in Tokyo, and only stamping the JRPass only once we left Tokyo, but I'd like to make sure JRPass is really useful to visit areas around Kyoto, head for Hiroshima, take the ferry to Miyajima, and go back to Tokyo (either through Shinkansen or by going through Shikoku for a change).

Thanks for any tip.

Hello

I need to find accommodations for four people in Tokyo, Kyoto, and Hiroshima for our trip in November. I'm looking for budget solutions with individual rooms (two people in each room), so hostels/dormitories are not an option for this trip.

Does someone know of a good, up-to-date document that would provide a list of accommodations for that type of price range in those cities, preferably with website/e-mail (I can read Japanese, but I'd rather places where they're used to seeing gaijin) so I can make reservations before leaving for Japan?

Thank you for any information.

I am considering a visit to Japan and am intrigued by the Ryokan lodgings as well as using local trains everywhere. On the Ryokan web site (or at least the one I looked at) http://www.ryokan.or.jp
it has a page labelled "Stories on Ryokan experiences - written by foreign journalists and others"
However on clicking to the page it seems that there is nothing.
This gives me some foreboding. Does it mean that foreigners who have visited the Ryokan have not had good experiences?
Please tell me that I am joking and it's a great idea.

I am traveling in Japan for 3 weeks and will only be taking the Shinkansen only twice, from Tokyo to Kyoto and back. All other train journeys will be on smaller branch lines from Kyoto to Mount Koya and then to Nara which are short distances.

So despite the fact a return from Tokyo to Kyoto is the same as a 7 day pass, as my return date is beyond this time period is it worth me getting a JR pass or paying individually for tickets. I have used this website: http://www.hyperdia.com/ and added the total and it seems to be cheaper overall. Do prices change or is this a reliable site to go by?

Thanks as ever.

please help me, I'm trying to find a night bus that goes from Tokyo to Nozawa-Onsen in Nagano and I can't find anything, would prefer night bus instead of having to take shinkansen,
thanks

Interested in long term fully furnished mansion/apartment/hotel for a month in Sapporo in mid-June to mid-July, 2010. Could be a studio or 1-bedroom. Would like western type accommodations with washer/dryer, ice box, microwave, stove, AC/heater, etc. Not interested in luxury accommodations, but something clean, safely located, near super markets, transportation, etc. Budget around 100,000 Y/month including utilities. No "key" money. Any suggestions? Mahalo and Aloha.

Flying into Narita airport-- cannot seem to find if i can take a tour
from Narita to Mt Fugi- ,would just like to do a day trip if possible and least expensive--

Hi, there!
I'll visit these 2 cities for a few days each, end of October, and I was wondering if anybody knows places worth seeing and/or taking photos of, beyond the classic spots which are included in most tours and guidebooks, where I'll try to go anyway.
I can't really tell what exactly they could be, possibly everything, comunity situations, strange people, habits, weird places or bars, nature, architecture...
Could be from high class to deep bottom ...
I understand it is a wide subject, but this open way may bring up interesting issues which the newcomer (myself!) could not know to ask for.
Many thanks to all!
Nikos

I will be in Japan in the last week of Dec. Is it correct that some of the Castles (Osaka Castle, Himeji Castle) would be closed during those period? What about Nijo Castle in Kyoto and other castles?

Hi all Japan experts out there,

We will be spending 10 days in Japan starting 2 Dec. It's our 10th Wedding Anniversary.

Planning to spend 4 nights in Kyoto, 2 nights in Tokyo. For the remaining 3 nights, Hokkaido seems too far away and not worth the travel.

Will Nagano be a worthy substitute? We are from the tropics. We can't ski nor snowboard. But some beautiful snow scenery, some fooling around with the snow and some onsen would satisfy us. (has the snow arrived by then?)

Any expert opinion?

Thanks.