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Traveling to Japan!
kime
Queen of BladesRegistered User regular
Queen of BladesRegistered User regular
My wife and I are going to Japan for a week at the end of January. We have plane tickets, but basically nothing else. We've been doing some research on our own on where would be good places to go, how to travel, and anything else that could be important. But I was wondering what advice you all had!
I will know some rudimentary Japanese, but not too much. So yeah, any thoughts or such? Thanks!
I will know some rudimentary Japanese, but not too much. So yeah, any thoughts or such? Thanks!
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We want to do a lot of sightseeing, both natural and anything interesting in the cities. We're planning on trying to hit maybe four cities, a day or two in each, then anything interesting in between or around to fill the gaps.
My wife would be looking for anything delicious foodwise, not necessarily exotic. She grew up in China, though, so has a slightly different palette than Americans and such. She's not picky, but good food is something she wants. I, on the other hand, pretty much don't like food at all, so that nothing really matters to me about that.
We probably are not planning on buying anything too crazy while we are there, if only because the trip itself is already quite expensive. But we are open to any fun experiences, or whatnot, even if it's not the cheapest.
Since will only be there for a week, we want to try to avoid traveling during the day as much as possible. We would rather travel as much as possible at night. Our understanding is that that won't really be a problem, but if there are any thoughts on that we'd appreciate it. Probably mostly via the Bullet Train?
Obviously with only a week, we'd be missing a lot and could probably spend it all in one city. But we'd rather just hit highlights of a few different places.
Lastly, landing and leaving again from Tokyo.
Thanks!
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I stayed there with some friends a few years back at the one in Jimbocho (Tokyo) and it was cheap, clean and friendly. It was perfect for checking out Tokyo.
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Second on that Hostel, was at the one in Ikebukuro it was awesome.
Travelling at night is generally done by bus and isn't particularly tourist-friendly in my experience. But it is very cheap.
One detail: you need to purchase it before you arrive in Japan, so you might want to get working on that now. Locations and details: http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en001.html
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Tokyo is probably best thought of as a transport network between a collection of cities. Each ward has a distinct atmosphere and set of attractions, from the youthful and hip Shibuya, to the elegant and businesslike Shimbashi (where I stayed in Tokyo; the Park Hotel was very nice and right next to the train station). Each ward could be explored for a good few days and still leave plenty unseen, but with a tight time limit, you could bounce around the main ones that sound appealing pretty quickly thanks to the Yamanote train line. Also note that there's a lot of English at train stations, making getting around without knowing much Japanese very easy.
Trains
The first train noted should probably be the N'EX, or Narita Express. It's the easiest and quickest way to get from Narita Airport into Tokyo, and you can easily transfer from Tokyo Station to the Yamanote line (or any other). When you're leaving the airport, you can buy tickets from a little counter, and the multilingual kiosks to buy a Suica card are also there (more on this later). It's a short(ish) trip through Chiba into Tokyo, and an attendant will come through with drinks and snacks.
There are two main train lines to remember in Tokyo itself: the Yamanote and Yurikamome. The Yamanote is a loop around Tokyo, and technically has two lines that run in opposite directions around said loop.
As you can see, it hits all the major wards, and any that it doesn't are easy to reach from the stations it covers. I used this all the time in Tokyo. Note that all Tokyo trains will verbally and visually tell you the current and next stop in both Japanese and English.
Next is the Yurikamome. You might not end up using this - it only goes from Shimbashi to Odaiba and back, and is a completely automated elevated line. It's also cool, cheap, and provides great views of Tokyo Bay. If you're in the area, I do recommend having a quick ride (20m).
Now to actually use these trains, you can buy tickets from the machines at each station, but the easier solution is to buy a Suica card.
These are prepaid cards that can be refilled at kiosks (and there are a bunch of them at every station), the same as most rail cards around the world. They're pretty nifty in that they can also be used for many vending machines and convenience stores, saving you from carrying around a bunch of coins. There are many other cards, most notably Pasmo, that do exactly the same thiog and can be used at all the same places that display the Suica logo. Getting one also means you can look like a natural, as you breeze through the turnstiles with a tap of the card.
Then there's the bullet trains. Note that most carriages are reserved, with only one or two for non-reserved passengers. If you have a valid JR Rail Pass, you can just hop on and go (using the manned turnstiles to show the attendant your pass). They're a pleasant experience, and a Japan trip wouldn't be complete without riding one at least once. Be aware that the JR Pass only covers some bullet trains (like the Hikari), but not others (such as the Nozomi). If you go to Kyoto, your best bet would be taking one, which will be about a five-six hour trip off the top of my head. Hyperdia may help for looking up which trains are available when.
Money
In general, you don't need a lot of money to enjoy Japan, despite the stereotypes. There's a lot to see that doesn't require any entrance fee, and simply getting the chance to see another quite different culture close-up is a great experience in itself. There is one thing to keep in mind though - not all ATMs will accept foreign cards. Your best bet is to track down the nearest 7-11 outlet just in case, as they do have international ATMs available that will accept foreign cards. The good news is that 7-11 outlets are everywhere, so this shouldn't pose too much of a problem. Just don't let yourself get too low on cash assuming the nearest ATM will work. Also, as said before, Suica cards are useful for vending machines and convenience stores, and can be topped up at any train station's kiosks.
Places
Tokyo - it's hard to really suggest something, because each ward is very, very different, and it's not really the kind of place (in my opinion anyway) that has many must-see landmarks (like, say, Rome or Florence). The Imperial Gardens are a nice place to unwind if the idea of strolling through some nice gardens appeals to you (and has some unusual souvenirs regarding the Imperial family for sale), and the Yasukuni Shrine is an interesting place to visit (and a pretty shrine in general). There's a park next to the Park Hotel that was nice as well. The Edo-Tokyo Museum is also quite highly rated, and deservedly so. Your best bet is browsing through the excellent Japan-Guide website, which is a treasure trove of fantastic information. If you're interested in the animated side of things, then while Akihabara is probably worth a visit, it's gaudy as shit compared to the (superior, in my opinion) Nakano Broadway shopping centre.
Kyoto - I can't recommend Kyoto enough. I'm a bit of a history nerd, so the old districts of Higashiyama and Gion interested me a lot, as they showcase Edo-era architecture and urban design. Among the many temples there, Kiyomizu-dera is one of the best in my opinion, though very touristy. Kyoto also serves as a very useful base for wider exploration, though, as it's got direct train lines to Nara and Arashiyama.
Nara - One of my favourite places in Japan. Because deer. Lots and lots of wild deer. Nara itself is a pleasant small town, but a short walk up the hill reveals a number of parks with progressively more deer (and progressively more aggressive deer). By the time you reach the main park, there's hundreds of deer milling about, lots of tourists (mainly Japanese at the time I visited), and lots of cracker sellers. You can buy crackers to feed the deer from various little stalls for 150 yen a pop. Be careful when trying to feed them though, as they can and will chase you down, sometimes in packs, if they suspect you have crackers to give. The sound of the place is often punctuated by shrieks and cries from overwhelmed small children. Even I came out with a few bruises, and got laughed at by a family on a bench after I got chased by a ravenous group. Some nice old architecture there, too. Overall a really lovely experience if you like animals at all.
Arashiyama - Another city reachable by train from Kyoto. It can be divided into two sides, split in half by the rail line. The top half is semi-rural suburb that leads to some lovely Heian-era architecture, a trio of temples, and forested pathways. A lovely little quiet escape, without many tourists at all. Not much to actually do there beyond walk around and enjoy the peace and quiet, though. The southern side is where the tourists go, but I never really did understand why. There's a few souvenir shops and cafes, a large notable bridge, and some nice scenery assuming the weather holds out.
Hiroshima - I couldn't help but feel the city was somewhat maudlin, not just for the obvious reason, but more for the atmosphere and architecture (but this is terribly subjective). Miyajima Island is a short ferry ride from the port there, and was a really fun little diversion. The Okonomiyaki in Hiroshima is also fucking amazing. But, with only a week to kill, it's probably not really viable to go that far south.
Sapporo is usually recommended for winter trips, but there's no way it could really fit into a week-long itinerary.
With a week to kill, I'd suggest hanging around Tokyo (maybe with a day trip to Hakone, Yokohama, Nagoya, or Nikko according to taste if you get bored), then spending two days in Kyoto (with a day trip to Nara), before flying out.
Oh, and I'd suggest either renting a phone while there, using an international travelSIM with data (what I did), or using offline maps on your phone. GPS proved to be a godsend while I was in Japan, making it one hell of a lot easier to work out where I wanted to go. Buying a local SIM for your existing phone isn't all that easy.
If you're on Android, this app is extremely useful for looking up trains. Just select where you are and where you want to get off, and you can get a full schedule.
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@Suriko mentioned Hyperdia -- I'm here to hit you over the head with it. You can tell it where you are and where you want to get to, at any time, with a bunch of restrictions on what lines / passes you're able to take, and it'll show you as many routes as you'd ever want. (Public transport in Japan is seriously amazing and the one thing I miss more than anything.) We couldn't have done Japan without it.
I'm not entirely certain the JR pass will be worthwhile for you. It only becomes really valuable if you're travelling a lot on JR lines and the Shinkansen. You can easily travel around Tokyo without ever touching a JR line, but if you're going around Kyoto etc a JR pass will pay itself off in no time. Make an itinerary, check routes on Hyperdia, find out if it's actually worthwhile before you buy one.
Also -- I don't know how useful this will be for the type of travel you have planned, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention Takuhaibin. It's a baggage delivery service that will take your luggage and deliver it to your destination at whatever time you nominate. We used it extensively during our three-week stay and it never once failed us (the shitty low-budget airline we flew with lost our luggage, but Japan Air, being a class act, delivered it to our hostel a day later using this service). I've since spoken to so many people who had no idea this service existed, but it does, and Japan is a better place for it.
Bring light tops but a really warm jacket, because you'll be experiencing two temperatures: Freezing outdoors and near-furnace conditions in any business. Layering means a LOT of layers to take off and put back on.
Second the above recommendation for a Suica and N'EX. Taking the bus into Tokyo from Narita is a really terrible way to spend two hours, the train is much better. You may well be able to get a combination Suica and N'EX ticket at the same time, and actually the Suica they sell to tourists at Narita are way prettier than the Suica you get from most stations.
Buy Imagawayaki from a street vendor, they're like pancakes full of custard and pretty much you get them in winter and no other time.
I like the Shiba Park Hotel, it's close to the Park Hotel mentioned above. With the yen being in the dumpster right now, why not go a little more upscale than a hostel?
If you're planning to travel at night so you can sleep on trains and not do hotels, remember that Japan is very small and the shinkansen from Tokyo to the Osaka area only takes a few hours.
Also remember that flying from the US to Japan means that you "lose" a day. If you've only got a week, make sure that you actually have a full week.
Credit cards are much more accepted in Japan than they have been in the past but try to carry cash and pay for anything under about Y5000 with cash. ATMs, as mentioned, can be tricky, but post offices have ATMs that have English mode and take foreign cards.
Oh, ATMs stop working at about 7 PM. So there's that. Trains stop running at midnight and taxi rates double, which can be another fun gotcha.
If you're on T-Mobile and have a reasonably recent smart phone you will get free data roaming in Japan. I don't think any other carrier does this.
Free public wi-fi outside of your hotel will be like finding a unicorn. It just doesn't exist.
If you are non-asian and at least try to use some Japanese, you'll get a very positive reaction. You also get to use the blank stare of utter incomprehension; it is an incredibly powerful thing and I occasionally make shameless use of it even though I'm reasonably fluent and go to Japan every year or two so I really shouldn't be falling back on the clueless foreigner act.
The exception being Starbucks, which offers free wifi if you sign up for a free account ahead of time. Generally true, though.
I believe it's actually illegal to sell a SIM card or prepaid phone to someone without a gaijin card. It's a real annoyance as that would absolutely be the cheapest way to go.
Softbank will sell you a prepaid phone without a gaijin card but they can get surly and I don't think I'd spend four hours of a week's vacation finding a store that would do it, especially with the language barrier.
Are you sure? I picked up a Softbank prepaid for a friend a few years ago and my gaijin card was needed for the form.
I'll link episode 1 and if you want to check it out for ideas then it should flow into the others.
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First thing, winter food (spoilered for length/images):
Oden is something you'll see people selling on the street, in restaurants, or in convenience stores. There's a whole variety of items included with the only commonality that its all boiled in a flavored broth. It's really great at making you feel warm.
This is buri, which I've never seen at a sushi place in the US. It's the same fish as hamachi but is much larger (so older).
Ichigo daifuku is probably my favorite Japanese dessert. Should be available all year round, but is usually only available in the winter for whatever reason. Has anko (sweet bean paste) in it but is good anyway.
Nabe is the Japanese take on the Asian hot pot. A lot of restaurants offer a variety in the winter.
Second, places (again, spoilered):
Shirakawa-go (top image) is a World Heritage site in Gifu. It's between Kansai and Tokyo. A little out of the way but worth considering. A common way of doing this (and what I did) is to head out to Hida-Takayama (bottom image) which has some nice traditional architecture, spend the night there, go to Shirakawa-go the following day, then head to Osaka/Kyoto afterwards.
This isn't a specific place, but I don't think any trip to Japan would be complete without a trip to an onsen (hot spring). And if you're going to Japan in winter you should try to visit an onsen with a roten-buro (a bath that's open to the elements).
http://videos.sproutvideo.com/embed/e89bd8bc101de9c560/e0b421c4efd11b2b?type=sd
Yup, I managed to talk a Softbank store into selling me a prepaid phone a couple of years back myself with no gaijin card. I didn't even have a real visa, just the 90 day temporary visitor stamp.
I suspect they may have done it just to get the foreigner out of the store, but the end result was that i had a phone.
It took me several stores before I found one that actually carried the prepaids, though, and that's why I wouldn't recommend it to anyone visiting for a week. I was there for two months and wanted a local number, dangit.
(Fortunately, because I was on an iPhone plan, it included a capped amount of data per diem -- so I wasn't paying the exorbitant per byte fees. All up I was out almost ¥40000 for three weeks' usage. This was the better-case scenario.)
You pay one fee that gets you a lanyard to enter any bathhouse you want as well as a stamp booklet. This is done so that the town as a whole can thrive without competition. You go, put your things away, get naked and chill in natural mineral water. This is not like Korean jimjibangs where water is pumped out and heated. These are real hot springs flowing out of the mountains. When you are done with that, you can spend a night in an inn and sleep on traditional tatami mats and bedding. It was one of the best nights sleep I ever had. You can take a gondola-thingy to the top of the mountains where you can see a temple overlooking the Sea of Japan East Sea. And not only was the food amazing, they brew beers you can only get there. The odd sounding "Crab Beer" is one of their signatures, and it tastes far more delicious than it sounds.
Japan's beers rock so much harder than Korea's.
But yeah, they're pretty harsh on data usage. Even though they cap it at like ￥1500 a day, it takes less than a megabyte of usage to hit the cap. So if you're going to use the phone for data at all, you're going to hit the cap.
If you use WeChat (or WhatsApp), turning on alerts, you don't need voice or sms.
If you need to call a local number, just use your hotel phone. If you need to call an 800 number in the USA, use Skype to call for free from your hotel room. I did the latter in China, when I had to call my bank to unblock my credit card.
I was about to jump in and shout this from the rooftops. Reading through the thread it was painful seeing how people didn't know how to get online. There's no reason at all to get a call plan. Who are you going to call that you can't using a hotel phone? Data only is the way to go.
Any time I've been to Japan these few years, I've always swung by the Sony booth in the airport to pick up a So-Net data only SIM card. Works great, decent rates, and if you're a frequent traveler, you even get to recharge and re-use the SIM on your next visit to Japan before it expires. If you are an astute shopper, you can even get data only SIMs with unlimited data... just severely throttled after a fixed daily usage.
Just make sure your cell is unlocked before you fly.
one time we had to call the hotel because we were running late
there were other times when we were expecting calls from locals and were nowhere near our hotel phone
in short, yeah, there are going to be times when a hotel phone won't cut it
If you need to contact or get contacted by friends or family, just use WeChat/WhatsApp/Line's voice/text messaging feature. I'm sure your friends and family already have one of those apps installed on their phone.
As for calling your hotel, I'm sure you could've found another way. Like using an airport phone or asking to use a restaurant phone. Heck the Line app even lets you call land lines for like 3¢/min, if you buy Line credits.
Also, being able to leave our number at a popular restaurant and getting a call when a table cleared up was pretty neat. Maybe they could have messaged us on an app. Maybe not.
If the Line app works as advertised, then yeah, that sounds alright. But I think it's very naive to say "you'll never need a phone because you'll have a phone in your hotel!", or that everyone you need to contact or have contact you will be using an app. So much easier and more convenient to just give a phone number and know it works.
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Anyway, this is not the time and place to go into this in more detail. For the OP's purposes, it is sufficient to know that in Japan foreign travelers cannot legally rent voice plans, however data only options are widely available.
I would highly, HIGHLY recommend checking out Japan's various couch surfing groups.
You don't have to surf with anyone there necessarily but can post there similar travel questions.
Just about everyone responding there lives in the city's forum you post on, and generally someone's willing to help show you around town for a day or so.
I've used CSing extensively since I first found it years ago and it's been an amazing life-changing experience. Seriously.
For example in South Africa, I forgot to pick up my brother from the airport (he landed a day later) and I didn't realize that the airport completely closes after 8 PM. Lights out. Roads closed.
My CSing host pulled over 5 different taxis to find me one that was trustworthy and wouldn't sell my organs. The cab driver took me to the airport, went through the closed roads, and brought me back to my host's home. Found my brother sitting in the dark on a bench outside the airport. -_-'
Anyway, yeah dude it's totally legit even asking for suggestions on what/how to do things there. Helps you avoid a TON of tourist traps and save tons of $ as well.
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Untrue. Kiosks at the airport offer these services.
I'll repost my advice from the last visiting Japan thread
Due to family illness, this actually had to get postponed for the present, but once we get another opportunity to get out to Japan, all this will be super helpful. Thanks!
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