I wish I would've known you lived in Nara. I would've treated you to dinner or something.That's an INTENSE itinerary! But god you're going to some FANTASTIC places, I'm jealous. And I live in Japan!
Hiroshima or Koya...damn, Hiroshima is a pretty heft distance from Kansai. At least, it seems like that compared to Koya.
I've never been to Okinawa, I hope to hear how that leg of the trip has gone!
I can't recommend Nara enough, especially since I live there.
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/nara/ikaruga.html
But Nara is vast...Travelling within Nara can take a lot of time!
Yoshino and Asuka will easily eat a whole day but it is WORTH it!
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/nara/yoshino.html
I guess I will plug my home town too:
It's about an hour away from Tokyo.
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/shizuoka/atami_ito.html
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/shizuoka/izu_kogen.html
TravelGAF my home needs your tourism! Great scuba diving if you're licensed, tasty sea foods, the best green tea in all of Japan, please go.
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Japan Travel |OT| One does simply not visit just once
- Thread starter hwalker84
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RapidCancel
Member
I can't recommend Nara enough, especially since I live there.
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/nara/ikaruga.html
But Nara is vast...Travelling within Nara can take a lot of time!
Can you recommend some other things to do in Nara. I didn't get a chance to go last year, but I'll be there sometime next week this time. All I really have down is to see the deer and go to Todai-Ji temple.
Where are you staying? I stayed at Guesthouse Nara Backpackers and they had advertisements for free Nara tours. Me and a friend I met at the Hostel traveled around Nara with this guy from 10am to 5:30pm.
RapidCancel
Member
We'll be staying in Osaka near Shinosaka Station, so we're just going to head over to Nara in the morning or so.
For anyone who's gone up to Jigokundani Monkey Park in the winter, how deep was the snow? Is there a cheap place I can get snow boots once I'm in Japan? It feels like a waste to buy expensive/nice ones when I'll only be using it once since I live in Texas.
Be advised. If you wear over a size 11 in Japan it's almost impossible to get shoes.
RapidCancel
Member
I'm around size 8/9
I also ordered a jacket last week, but I'm starting to think that it won't get here before I leave on Thursday.I used the delivery service (takkyubin) from Tokyo (Narita) to our hotel in Kyoto, and then from our hotel to Kyoto to Tokyo, and finally from our hotel in Tokyo back to Narita. Narita to Kyoto was about $50 for 3 bags. From Kyoto to Tokyo it was a bit less, and then a similar price from Tokyo to Narita. It was REALLY worth it, especially if you have non-backpack luggage. We had a huge backpack, one smaller roller, and a large roller.
I know you're packing light, but pack lighter. I wish I would've brought less stuff.
Like others have said, the airlines are very accommodating. Cram the hell out of your carry-on--they'll just check it on the plane.
matt360
Member
Will let you know the next time i go there
I live in Tokyo so heads up if you come here
Cool. I'm actually going to be in Tokyo for a couple days in February. I'll be with my wife though, and her father lives in Tokyo so I'm sure we'll be hanging out with him one of the days. I think we'll probably hit up Disney Sea or something, since I still haven't been.
I really, really want to hit up Tanakaya in Mejiro though. You familiar? Maybe we could meet up there, grab a couple bottles, and drink them on the street like a couple of hooligans.
Likewise, yeah, hit me up if you ever find yourself in Hiroshima. Not much to do compared to Tokyo, but it's a nice little city.
For anyone that is going to Japan you MUST arrange to go to Kyoto. Kyoto is very beautiful, really feels like true Japan and it's a lovely escape from the urban city Tokyo.
I have made a video of Kyoto that reflects this. For the video savvy people out there, I've captured the video in RAW which make everything look fantastic. Sorry that I uploaded the video on youtube as I do not have a Vimeo pro account, but I can provide you with a link to download a super high quality version of the video so you can see how great everything looks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKAiFaBvmQ
The original quality is kinda like this:
I have made a video of Kyoto that reflects this. For the video savvy people out there, I've captured the video in RAW which make everything look fantastic. Sorry that I uploaded the video on youtube as I do not have a Vimeo pro account, but I can provide you with a link to download a super high quality version of the video so you can see how great everything looks: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKAiFaBvmQ
The original quality is kinda like this:
So I've revised a little bit and this is what I have so far. We have chosen to go at a time that we might be able to catch some Cherry Blossoms. Would love to chill out in a park somewhere and drink some beer/sake under the trees. Not sure where to do this though. Me and my friend are into nerdy stuff so will be cool to check out the arcades etc.
We have so far been unable to find an Onsen that isn't booked out in Kyoto (a highly rated one).
5 Days Tokyo: Want to check out Tsukiji, Akihabara, and maybe do Fuji. I hear the time of year we are going is bad for visiting Fuji so if that's the case probably will skip this. Our friends want to go to Disney so guess we will be doing that one day too.
6 Days Osaka/Kyoto: Really excited to see Dotonbori at night and experience a ryokan in Kyoto if possible.
After this we have 3 more days before we need to get back to Tokyo. After reading through the thread really want to check out Hiroshima, Nara and Miyajima.
Might do those during the 6 days in Kyoto.
Any suggestions on how to tackle this?
You "must" go and see the gardens in Kyoto. Please go check some of them out in the video I put up.
Great video! I agree about Kyoto--we were there in late November, looks like around the same time you were. The coolest thing in all of Kyoto was the lit-up temples at night. Kodai-ji lit up was so cool.
You "must" go and see the gardens in Kyoto. Please go check some of them out in the video I put up.
Downloading your vid now
Thank you so much! I'm really glad that you like it. I tried to capture of Kyoto as much as possible. Yes, it's a pity we didn't bump into each other in Kyoto; maybe we walked passed each other and didn't realised.
Downloading your vid now
Excellent! Let me know what you think of the super high quality version.
I'm around size 8/9
I think I'm too late responding to this one. Like you, I've moved here to Japan and it's true that there are some things that are troublesome to buy here compared to your home town in respect to clothes, but it's not all doom and gloom as Japan do have specific stores for Western and larger sized people.
I tell you a story...
Due to my leg size (I'm athletic built), I was unable to easily buy the jeans I want back in London (40" waist) without searching throughout the country. Sometimes I get lucky, but many other times whenever I find a 40"W jeans (which I find most of the time easily), the jeans are cut too poorly. Sometimes the legs are too baggy and the crotch is too small and short, sometimes the jeans fit but you can't lift your leg, other times the crotch is too long and the thighs area is too narrow. It's terrible because many store mainly sell up to size 38W, which makes no sense considering that IS the UK and people come in many different shapes and sizes. Yes, I know I could go one size up but often that ends up being a disaster such as the waist area being too big and so on. Now, before I went to Japan, I brought 3 poorly cut jeans (luckily at a cheap price) as precaution for I don't know when I will ever go back to the UK, and, of course, the usual sigma of asian countries (land of the short and small, right?). What a pain...
So, after 2 months of wearing one of my good jeans for the poorly cut jeans were too painful for me to wear, I decided to shop around to see if I can find anything. Then, shockingly enough, I found the jeans I want (Wanglers) and they fit perfectly. Heck, the crazy part is that same store sell the same jeans in different colours and sizes that goes all the way up to size 46W! I really couldn't believe it; I found the jeans I wanted... in a multi-floor department store located near to my home... in Japan... JAPAN. Let me say that again: I found the jeans "I" wanted that fits "PERFECTLY" in a "local" multi floor department store "IN JAPAN". "JAPAN"! Not UK,"JAPAN"! What an insult to the UK. To add insult to injury, I also managed to find another store that sell my trainers/sneakers size (I'm a size 12 in UK so in the US I'm a size 13). When the time come I'll go hunting for a store that will sell jackets and shirts that I like and fit me well and then some.
So basically, what I'm trying to say is that please give Japan a chance. Check out all the stores and do some research with some assistance from the locals, and sometimes just don't give a damn and go hunting in any store. You'll be surprised for Japan truly is NOT the land of the small by any means - excellent!
Valkyr Junkie
Member
Japan is the denim capital of the world, so finding a good pair is no surprise, especially with their preference for vintage cuts.
To bad I'm so much bigger than the Japanese. Nothing fit.
Valkyr Junkie
Member
Pretty much all the brands Antagon mentioned will do up to size 44" waist, as long as you can find the right reseller. Ironically, the American companies that resell these brands typically only carry up to 36" since larger than that sometimes requires a surcharge, aside from the fact that most guys that spend $200-$400 on a pair of jeans tend to be on the smaller side even by Western standards.
MikeHattsu
Member
August and Comiket? I wish you good luck!
Valkyr Junkie
Member
Depends on how familiar you are with summers in the southern US. Add to that the closeness of public transportation.
Damn that would've fit.
OJdaKiller
Member
This can't be the brand of jeans you found in Japan.
RapidCancel
Member
Definitely did some shopping and got some clothes already. Also picked up some new jeans from pure blue japan again just like last year. I just really wanted a specific jacket before I left to come here and they don't sell them here.
On a side note, I just lost my phone in Nara today. It's pretty damn difficult to ask people if they've found a lost phone when you don't know any Japanese. If anyone living there is checking out this thread, any chance for some help? I think I may have lost it on the bus going from KasugaTaisha Honden back to Kintetsu Nara Station, but I had no idea how to find out if they had a lost and found.
super-famicom
Member
There's a chain of stores called Workman that carries construction worker type stuff, here's the website: http://www.workman.co.jp/
It's all in Japanese, but there is a store locater. Here's all the Tokyo locations: http://www.workman.co.jp/shop_search/list.html?ken=13
And I looked at the digital catalog on the website, and they do carry the baggy pants and tabi you're looking for.
Edit-
If you know the bus company, you can contact them. Or you can go back to the bus stop where you got off and talk to the bus driver of the next his that stops there (he lost likely will have a schedule to keep so would only give you a phone number) Or go to Kintetsu Nara station and ask an attendant there. They can direct you to the correct place to contact or make the call themselves and relay the conversation to you. If you have a ticket or anything, I'd bring it with you.
If you don't know Japanese, here's what you should say:
"すみません、[insert date and time of bus ride here] に春日大社本殿から近鉄奈良駅行きのバスに乗ったんですがバスで携帯電話を落としたみたいです。届いてませんか？"
In Romaji:
"Sumimasen, [...] ni Kasuga Taisha Honden kara Kintetsu Nara Eki yuki no basu ni nottan desu ga basu de keitai denwa wo otoshita mitai desu. Todoitemasen ka?
(Excuse me, on [...] I rode a bus to Kintestu Nara station from Kasuga Taisha Honden. But it looks like I dropped my phone in the bus. Did anyone turn it in?)
If you're talking to a train attendant you can show them the Japanese version or read the Romanized version above. They will probably want to double check the time and route of the bus you took, and possibly where on the bus you were sitting. In Japanese, front, back, left, right is 前 mae, 後ろ ushiro, 左 hidari, 右 migi.
They will then contact the bus company and ask them if anyone has picked up a phone and taken it to lost and found. If so, they'll want to make sure it's your phone, so if you know the model and color they'll ask you for that info. It would help if you have the phone number, your ID, and possibly a phone bill to show them that you are the owner. Hopefully this post helps you get your phone back!
Thank you so much! That is exactly the type of store I wanted.
Sure is. I am wearing them right now. Edwin is also a popular brand in Japan but I prefer Wrangler because they can stretch a little.
I'm so glad you enjoyed it. I hope you get to download the super high resolution version I linked you, the quality is higher than BluRay so it should look fantastic if you play it on your TV. I do have more footage available of Akihabara and other areas but I'm contemplating on using them for the way overdue episode of Versus Battlecast that you'll be able to see via the Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC3oF7IIZf9LIyBR424I486Q). I'll think about it more.
For people that is wondering what Histopher and I are talking about, we are talking about this Kyoto video here that was taken in 1080p 14-bit RAW: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZoKAiFaBvmQ
RapidCancel
Member
I managed to convey enough broken japanese/english last night to the person at the nara visitor center to help me out. He actually called the bus station for me to talk to them, but they haven't found it yet. He also gave me their number but told me they only spoke japanese, so I've been asking the reception down at the hotels to call and ask for me. Would you happen to know if Kintetsu nara station has a lost and found as well? In case I happened to drop my phone there. I'm headed back to Tokyo tomorrow so I can't really make another trip to Nara and I leave here on 1/4.
Is there a specific "district" where i can shop for denim all at once rather than visiting stores randomly scatter throughout shibuya/shinjuku?
super-famicom
Member
All train stations should have a lost and found, so go ahead and ask an attendant for help. Hope you can get your phone back!
You shouldn't be that excited. Sounds like an awful trip ( ≖‿≖
Why? Because of the weather?
RapidCancel
Member
I'm already in Kyoto now and I'm bound for Tokyo in the morning tomorrow, chances are I won't be going back to Nara this trip :/
Yes. I hope you get your phone back too. If your phone is a sim card it's pretty much useless for a resident japanese to keep the phone due to the different system, so the most they can do is to use up the minutes if the phone is unlocked. On a positive note, most lost phone would be dropped off at the station so please continue your search to find the phone in the lost and found offices. Please do your best to tell someone to call on your behalf (like you already did) and specifically tell them to tell the office staff to contact all other offices along the train route in hope to find your phone because you cannot speak any Japanese. I can only wish you luck.
Going for comiket alone would be a bad reason but I'm assuming you'll be going for other reasons too. The weather + comiket in that weather though, sickening. If you want to rent my apartment in Ibaraki where it's cooler you can. ¥20,000 per night. Fairly magnanimous offer ( ≖‿≖
Also re: train lost and founds. I lost my ne-net headphone jack plug on Yamanote line like 3 weeks ago. I wonder if they'd have such a small insignificant thing ;_;
Damn. Keep trying as the office will be kind enough to post your phone to you. Otherwise, if you really given up hope because you don't have any Japanese friends to chase for you then please more on...
I hope you contacted your phone company to inform them to lock all phone calls until you contact them again to unlock it if you find your phone.
Going for comiket alone would be a bad reason but I'm assuming you'll be going for other reasons too. The weather + comiket in that weather though, sickening.
If you want to rent my apartment in Ibaraki where it's cooler you can. ¥20,000 per night. Fairly magnanimous offer ( ≖‿≖
For ¥20,000 that got to be one super badass apartment that has everything including a big nature-like onsen.
super-famicom
Member
Oh man, that sucks. I looked up Kintetsu Nara Station's phone number: 0742(26)6355. Maybe you can get someone to call them for you. Ask for the Lost Property Counter (お忘れ物承り場所, owasuremono uketamawaribasho). This may or not be the term they use for Lost and Found, but JR stations use this term.
RapidCancel
Member
Well, the plus side is that I actually still have my sim card. I was using a bmobile data sim card at the time that will expire by next Saturday. I am worried that whoever finds it has access to my email and etc even though I've already changed all my passwords on any app I can remember that I had. I have pictures on there that I didn't get a chance to upload that I would like to keep, though. Plus, the thought of someone going through my phone looking at all my stuff makes me uneasy.
I didn't realize that Japanese phones use a different system than sim cards. It makes me feel a bit better. The area was also highly congested with other tourists though, so anyone could've gotten it.
Would anyone happen to know if there's a number for the lost and found at Kintetsu Nara station?
EDIT: ^Thanks! I'll ask the receptionist here to call them tomorrow and see if they found anything.
I'm glad you are getting support. Stay positive and courteous to everyone you are in contact with. It will go a long way (not just Japan but here and everywhere else too). Crossing my fingers for you to get your phone. Rooting for you.
I've read something about there being a lot of shops, in Ueno, near the railway station but that information is pretty old so might be out of date. Haven't been to Japan myself (yet) so can't really give tips about shops. One thing to keep in mind though its that most denim is pretty expensive. Cheaper then what you would pay for these brands in the US, but 20.000 yen seems to be a pretty common price for the high ends brands. Japan blue should be around half that tough.
Going for comiket alone would be a bad reason but I'm assuming you'll be going for other reasons too. The weather + comiket in that weather though, sickening. If you want to rent my apartment in Ibaraki where it's cooler you can. ¥20,000 per night. Fairly magnanimous offer ( ≖‿≖
I'm only going to a single day of Comiket since all the circles I'm interested in are on the same day, so it will be like 1/15th of the trip.
Plus it's like 35 degrees right now, Brazilians are used to high temperatures.
RapidCancel
Member
Looks like the bus stop still hasn't found anything. I'm going to ask someone tonight to call the Kintetsu Nara station to see if they found anything. Maybe a deer ate it by now.
Ueno is more "market and cheap clothes under the railway arches", so i'm not sure what the likelihood of getting lovely denim is! With the current exchange rate though 20k yen isn't that much of a pain, so i'll definitely be looking to pick something up when i pop back in Easter next year!
Nexus Zero
Member
Hey Japan-GAF
I'm planning a 3-week trip to Japan and have got a preliminary itinerary, what do you guys think?
March 27th - Arrive Tokyo
31st - Nagoya
April 1st - Kanazawa
2nd - Kyoto w/ day trip to Nara
8th - Mount Koya
9th - Osaka
11th - Hiroshima
12th - Miyajima
13th - Return to Tokyo w/ day trips to Kamakura and Nikko
16th - Leave for home
Am I spending too much/little time in any of these places? Thanks!
I'm planning a 3-week trip to Japan and have got a preliminary itinerary, what do you guys think?
March 27th - Arrive Tokyo
31st - Nagoya
April 1st - Kanazawa
2nd - Kyoto w/ day trip to Nara
8th - Mount Koya
9th - Osaka
11th - Hiroshima
12th - Miyajima
13th - Return to Tokyo w/ day trips to Kamakura and Nikko
16th - Leave for home
Am I spending too much/little time in any of these places? Thanks!