Japan Travel Forum

Hi guys!

Just wondering if there is any smart card system in Tokyo for using the public transport (JR and Metro), like "Oyster Card" in England? or we have to buy individual ticket?

I don't think the JR pass is useful for us as we will be only visiting the metropolitan area in Tokyo.

Thanks!

My wife & I will visit our daughter in Busan. We wanted to take a trip during Chusok to Japan. We would like to take an international express ferry since it is close to our chosen hotel - the Commodore. What place would you recommend going to visit? We can leave 10/2 AM and will need to return 10/5 PM.

Ken

Hi everyone,

Just wondering how can I go to Garden Walk Outlet from Disney Sea? Thanks so much!

Hi Vts

This is my first time to Japan and we are not good in Japanese language.
Thus, we are currently doing some study on our itinerary.
We hope you can advice us on our itinerary and few others questions.
The more we do study the more tension and nervous we are. Thinking of the language barrier and the tight budget that we are having.. OMG....... I need help!!!

In our itinerary:-

We had plan to spent 2 days in Hyogo area. We plan to spent 1 day in Arima onsen and Mt Rokkosan (有馬温泉ー六甲山). Do Vts recommend us to go to Arima-rokko? Is these places is more for locals than tourist? Or there are more interesting place in Hyogo to visit? And we have another １day in Kobe city and Himeji, is there any special spot in kobe city that we must visit? We also plan to go for a restaurant name Fisherman Market in Mosaic. Is this restaurant ok?

We had also plan in 2 days in Kyoto. We plan to spent 1 day in Kyoto city for city tour. Another 1 day in 嵐山 arashiyama. However, now is not autumn, thus is arashiyama ok to visit? Any others interesting places in kyoto area that we should go?

We also have 1 day reserved for Nara city. Btw, there is a hanabi show in wakayama from Sept 20 - 22. We thinking of going. But do Vts think it is worth to ok? This is because we will need to travel from kyoto to wakayama city if we want to go.

Lastly we have 2 days for osaka. 1 day for universal studio and another one day for osaka city. It is ok? Or we should put more time for Osaka city?

We are looking forward to see the traditional and unique side of Japan people.
We also interested to visit the local market to see the life of japanese people. Any recommendation? Btw, is there any night market in Japan which selling foods and local specilaties?

During our booking, we doesnot aware that our trip crash with Japan september golden holiday week. Although we manage to secure our hostel booking. But we are worried on the crowd which is waiting for us. Is there any advice for us during our travel in golden week time?

Btw, as it is golden week, there are some promotion going on for day pass and entry tickets to tourist site. is anyone know of any webpage link in english? I found about the promotion news in JR webpage but all in japanese which i vcant understand. Please help.

We will be in japan from 17th till 24 sept? Any Vts is there during tha time? We can meet up and travel together..


OH. I am so nervous.... probaly becoz i like japan so much and i had high expectation for it... I really worried i screw up my Japan trip..... :(

I'm interested to see the Jidai festival in Kyoto this October. I would imagine that all hotels there would be either fully booked or impose higher room rates. Therefore I was wondering if Osaka would be a cheaper and practical alternative, considering the travel time and cost between the 2 places?

Thanks for any replies.

This festival begins ,I believe, on 14 October 2010. On that day we leave our Kyoto hotel and fly out of KIX at 11:00 PM. How feasible would it be to try to go from Kyoto to Himeji and on to KIX by flightime? Has anyone experienced this festival? Train times seem doable as I begin to investigate, but I have never been to Japan before, nor to any such event. Are there really large crowds? Could transport be a problem? Or is this too much to try to do and still be at the airport around 9:00 PM. Any opinions and insights would be appreciated. Thanks.

We plan to stay 1 night in Shirakawa-go, and would like to book either Koemon, Magoemon or Hisamatsu. I have contacted japaneseguesthouse, but they informed me that they do not work with these ryokans.

Can someone recommend me a website or email address where I can make the booking.

Thanks

Sandy

Hi,
I'm meeting my son in Kyoto for his 21st birthday, can anyone suggest a special place to go/ thing to do to make it extra memorable?

Will be in Tokyo from 28 Nov to 6 Dec and need advise on hotel at Shinjuku area for 2 adults and a child (9 yrs old). Just need a place that is near station and not too expensive. Thanks!

We will be going to Tokyo in October. Can anyone recommend a park/garden/place we should not miss in order to get a great view of the autumn foliage?

Good day!

I just would like to ask if it is possible to reserve the gymnasium inside the school compound here in Hiroshima?

If somebody here knows a little knowledge regarding about this, please kindly help me and give suggestions on where and whom should I ask from the school.
Schools located at Naka ward is much preferred.

We are trying to make tournament but we are having difficulties trying to reserve from sports centers.

Thank you very much for the help.

Tschuss!

I have decided to buy a 7 day Green Car Railpass for my 14 days in Japan.Can anyone please advise me where the green cars are on the Shin.. Trains are they at the front or can they be anywhere.I believe they have a Green clover flower on them

Is there any problem converting Australian dollars to yen at banks in Japan and are there many money exchanges.Because of the inability to use ATMs easily, I am planning to take a mix of Yen and AUD.

Cheers

Hey guys,

I'm planning to go to Japan early next year with a friend and whilst I'm not really the type of person to go to night clubs and pubs etc I'm sure my friend will drag me along.

Anyways, I was wondering what type of clothing is expected of people who go to night clubs? I generally just like to wear a flat colored tshirt (I'll be picking up an Icebreaker before leaving) and some dark pants.

Am I expected to wear more formal clothing? If so, do you have any suggestions for good travel clothing that fits the dress code? Keep in mind that I'm trying to pack ultralight. :-)

Thanks in advance.

Is skiing available in October?
Does it snow in October?

I am told it is easier to carry cash yen, especially when traveling outside urban areas. If I were to cash 8000 Swiss Francs (about 8000 US$) is it best to cash outside Japan, at Narita or at a major Tokyo bank.
Thank you for your help.

Is there ample storage for you suitcase when travelling on trains in Japan do you put the case on a rack above the seats like usual

Everybody advises to travel in Japan by rail, but nobody really explains why. Most of the people say that they were advised to do so by others. Can someone, who knows life in Japan, explain what problems I can expect if I drive around?

When reading travel guide I constantly see that it is necessary to take a bus to your destination and to change several rail lines. So, if travel by train, with JR Pass, I will have to:

1. Pay ~$1000 for 2 people, 2 weeks
2. Constantly carry my luggage with me, leaving it in storage lockers
3. Searching for bus stops and routes, that are in Japanese
4. Wait for a bus there and back.
5. Take a taxi to the hotel and back, and to many sightseeing places.
6. Train is faster but if add time from hotel to train station, from station to hotel, it, probably, will not be that much of a difference.

OTOH, if driving I will have to:
1. Pay the same $1000 for 2 weeks rent
2. pay for gas
3. find parking spots (how difficult it is and how much ovenight parking costs?)
4. pay tolls (how much, say from Tokyo to Nikko?)

Probably, I'll have to spend $800-1000 more with a car but I will be able to easily go to more remote places, not think about luggage and schedules, moving in more direct routes, stopping wherever I see something nice...

What are your thoughts?

Hi everyone,

I would be grateful for your learned advice regarding the below proposed itinerary for a 2 week trip to Japan in October 2009:

Date>> Travel to>> Visit>> Sleep in

3 Oct>> Tokyo>> Tokyo>> Tokyo
4 Oct>> Tokyo>> Tokyo>> Tokyo
5 Oct>> Fuji>> Fuji>> Tokyo
6 Oct>> Kawagoe/Kamakura>> Kawagoe/Kamakura>> Tokyo
7 Oct>> Nikko>> Nikko>> Tokyo
8 Oct>> Matsumoto>> Matsumoto>> Matsumoto
9 Oct>> Takayama>> Takayama>> Takayama
10 Oct>> Nagoyaa>> Takayama>> Nagoya
11 Oct>> Nagoya>> Nagoya>> Kyoto
12 Oct>> Kyoto>> Kyoto>> Kyoto
13 Oct>> Kyoto>> Kyoto>> Kyoto
14 Oct>> Kyoto>> Bambu Forest>> Kyoto
15 Oct>> Kyoto>> Nara>> Kyoto
16 Oct>> Kyoto>> Himeji>> Kyoto
17 Oct>> Kyoto>> Kyoto>> Tokyo

Do you think the above route is realistic/do-able?

Do you know any particularly nice hotels in Matsumoto and in Nagoya which are close to the relevant rail stations?

Is Japanrail's website and the Hyperdia search engine reliable?

Any advice/comments you may have regarding the above will be most appreciated.

Many thank in advance
RV

Having trouble finding reasonable priced room for two and can't afford a fancy Onsen. Anyone know of a ryokan or hotel in the area please?

I plan to travel on the same day from Hiroshima to Takayama on the train with my Rail Pass.Does anyone see any problems here.I plan to change at Nagoya for the train to Takayama

My wife and I will be in Japan for 2 weeks in second half of October. After reading guidebooks and recommendations, I think we will visit Nikko (with Gunma-Ken), Kamakura, Fudji-Hokone, then Kyoto, Nara, maybe Takayama, maybe Hiroshima.
The route is open.

A few questions:

1. We want to see "old" Japan, exotic, temples, gardens, nature. We don't care about skyscrapers and techno-wonders. Is there any very good place that we should not miss that I had not named above?

2. I read about Tokyo and I am not really sure what to do there. I have tall buildings and Sony here, in New York. Am I missing something or Tokyo is just another big city and can be safely skipped?

3. Important decision: travel by rail or rent a car? My concern with rail travel is that it looks like to get to most interesting places we will have to take a bus from a rail station, i.e. search for it, wait for it, figure out where to get off, or to take a taxi and pay a lot. Is it the case? Also, we will have to constantly think where to leave our luggage.
Car rent for 2 weeks costs nearly the same as a JRpass for two, so the money difference is only in gas/tolls/parking vs. taxi/bus
How difficult it is to find a free parking in smaller towns? How much parking typically costs?

4. I arrive to Narita at about 6pm. Is it realistic to go directly to Nikko or to Kamakura? Or I must go trough Tokyo in any case? Is there a direct bus from airport to Nikko?

Is it possible to get to Nikko from Narita Airport without going through Tokyo?
Is there, perhaps, a direct bus?

If I rent a car in Narita, how long it will take me to reach Nikko?

Does it make sense to rent a car for a day or two in Nikko instead of going by buses to onsens and places to see? Will I have to pay for parking at each place? How much?

How much does bus cost? Is there such thing as an unlimited day bus pass?

Could you suggest a nice ryokan that is centrally located with a friendly staff? I am -not- looking for a budget place, I need a place that is very clean, comfortable, peaceful (but not at the expense of being far from transportation). I also prefer not to be using shared bathrooms, rather have my own bath. Perhaps I should not say prefer - I don't want to share ;-)

It would be a plus if the place had a reservations system where you can reserve with a credit card and had a good cancellation policy. Because sometimes I need to cancel my travel I would prefer not to have to pay up front. At least, the option to pay with a credit card is welcome.

Also, any comments on the food or otherwise would be welcome. I've done a little checking around and it seems there's a big range of differences, some offer private facilities, others do not.

I was looking in the keihan train page and saw that there is a train that goes from Kyoto to Nara, however, it seems you need to take a bus after the train drops you off.

Is there any other transportation from Kyoto to Nara that does not involve a transfer?

Once in Nara, is the area walkable - so would this make a good day trip from Kyoto?

I will be making a short trip to Japan (six days). My plans are mainly to visit Tokyo and Kyoto, mostly Kyoto. Once in Kyoto I may want to go to Nara for a day, but it looks like you take something called Keihan railroad for Nara.

Given that I will only use a round trip from Tokyo to Kyoto - is this worth the trouble of buying the Japan Rail card?

Is there a web site with the schedule for the fast trains from Tokyo to Kyoto?

We have one day t osee the main sites of Toky, temple, japanese garden, tower etc We will be on foot, can some one pleae do up a oitinery and how to get there from each place for me? Our base is Tokyo Disney and I wantot wend the night atthe second hand record shops :)

Thanks

They say the 2nd-hand Louis Vuittons are the cheapest in Japan, is there any truth to this, where can I get them?

I have been reading the Hints and Tips and there is an overwhelming number of warnings regarding getting your yen before arriving in Japan. Is this correct? I do have a bank that will exchange - only pain is having to make a more accurate estimate of what I'll need to bring ... whereas using an ATM provides some flexibility.

So ... for this location, rules are different re. ATM - exchange before leaving?

I found the following gallery regarding a "full day from Tokyo" and I wonder if anyone has any suggestions on how to get to this boat without a car, and if anyone recognizes the Ryokan - sure would like to follow the same itinerary:

http://www.pbase.com/zulakitten/hakone__suwa

Is it possible to get back to Tokyo early - or should I go from there to Kyoto?

If anyone has taken a similar organized tour, would be great to hear - but please I'm not looking for tour solicitations.

Any hints/tips welcome.