matt360
Member
Miyarikyuu maybe? Was it near the shopping street or was it up the hill near the park?
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Japan Travel |OT| One does simply not visit just once
- Thread starter hwalker84
- Start date
Miyarikyuu maybe? Was it near the shopping street or was it up the hill near the park?
MikeHattsu
Member
Zoo is good. Got nice pictures of all the animals when we went there. Check out the map PDF download on this website:
http://www.tokyo-zoo.net/english/ueno/
Tokyo Imperial Palace tour was a bit meh. The palace itself is a modern building, so it's better to just visit the Imperial Palace East Gardens for free (which you don't have to book either) IMHO. You can buy some Imperial Palace souvenirs before the tour begins, but if you're not interested in that I don't think I would bother. The Kyoto Imperial Palace tour might be better though?
Oh, yeah. You should check out one of the tourist information offices:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/regional/category/index.html?cat=tic
The ones in Tokyo had a guidebook with maps and coupon discounts when we went there. Got a discount when going to Ueno Zoo when having that. One right there in Ueno too:
http://www.jnto.go.jp/eng/location/spot/tic/keisei_ueno.html
Ah right cool. Ueno zoo might be nice in the afternoon and it's not so expensive either haha. Might be fun to watch people and look at the animals there. We might skip the Imperial Palace tour then and just go for a walk in the gardens. We don't want to visit too many palaces and castles, because I'm afraid once we reach Kyoto we'll be burned out on temples and old buildings.
Valkyr Junkie
Member
Funny story about the zoo. I went there on my first full day in Japan early one morning, and it was packed because of all the cherry blossoms being at peak bloom in the park. While standing up by the railing to the lion exhibit I looked over and saw a really young girl aiming a camera towards me. I was standing next to her parents so I figured she wanted a picture of them, but when I backed out of frame she panned the camera and I realized she was filming or taking pictures of me.
I guess a giant, bearded redhead is more exotic than a lion.
distantmantra
Member
¥9000 expensive?
My daily budget is ¥10.000/day excluding hostel/hotel
so ¥9000 just left me ¥1000 for that day lol
I believe there is a bus and train that will take you right there from Tokyo: http://www.fujiq.jp/en/access/
People that goes to Japan to play nothing but video games and look out for anime will stay thin. People that goes out exploring Japan will get fat. I got fat every time I went to Japan on holiday but I loved every minute of it. Now I live in Japan and I still can't help eating so much yum yum and visit other places. However, I have to admit that Japan are stupidly behind in movie releases (save more on this when I make a rant video) and the people are cold and selfish until they acknowledge your existence via friends, talking to them, etc. In comparison to the UK, many British people are much kinder in respect to acknowledgement of your existence but many Japanese are definitely are not until they acknowledge you. You'll see but don't let that stop you from having fun as a tourist!
RapidCancel
Member
Yes! Great news. See. Be kind to others and you will be rewarded. Let's hope it is not destroyed but at least your made friends during your adventure. Do not lose touch and look after your new if they come and visit you or vice versa.
Thanks! Apparently she's filling out the form right now on my behalf in order for them to ship it over. I'm very surprised on how generous she was in offering to help and even more surprised that the police station would even ship it back to me overseas! Can't wait to go back to Japan in 2015
Thanks! Apparently she's filling out the form right now on my behalf in order for them to ship it over. I'm very surprised on how generous she was in offering to help and even more surprised that the police station would even ship it back to me overseas! Can't wait to go back to Japan in 2015
Fantastic! Good for you. Heh, I hope the lady that helped you is a single hottie.
Heh, best not to think about it but stay in contact with everyone you've met and invite them to come to your side of the pond. You'll be sorted for 2015 if you do that, trust me! Maybe we would hang out if you come over too. We'll see.
Fantastic! Good for you. Heh, I hope the lady that helped you is a single hottie.
Where do you live man? We can hangout some day!
Thanks. Im in Kuki, saitaima. You live near there? I guess Tokyo is alwaya the central place.
Details please
We're going here:
http://www.sumiya.ne.jp/english/index.html
Apparently John Lennon stayed there with Yoko Ono. :V
And maybe we'll go here to:
http://www.hanaikada.co.jp
While in Kyoto make sure to go to the burnt ramen place.
http://uncoveringjapan.com/2013/09/25/good-eats-gogyo-kyoto/
http://uncoveringjapan.com/2013/09/25/good-eats-gogyo-kyoto/
My friend told me to eat this too, I hope it's as good as Butao in Hong Kong
I think I've sorted my transportation budget.
Suica Card, trains from Tokyo to Takayama, rental car, trains from Takayama to Kyoto, Surutto Kansai Card, Shinkansen from kyoto to Tokyo will set me back around 56.940 ¥ (ca. 410 EUR).
JR Pass does not pay off for me.
Are there timetables for the JR trains anywhere online (in English)? I have to time the car pick up.
Suica Card, trains from Tokyo to Takayama, rental car, trains from Takayama to Kyoto, Surutto Kansai Card, Shinkansen from kyoto to Tokyo will set me back around 56.940 ¥ (ca. 410 EUR).
JR Pass does not pay off for me.
Are there timetables for the JR trains anywhere online (in English)? I have to time the car pick up.
Perfect, thanks!
Here are my car advice for everyone. Please copy this down for it is valuable:
- Remember, like the UK, japan drives on the left side of the road. If you are from the US then you may have issues driving from the left instead of right, but at least the traffic lights look near similar. If you have issues driving on the opposite side of the road then please drive extra slowly or not at all.
- If you are a UK driver, please get use to the traffic lights FAST (tip: always look up) stick to 40kph for most roads and 70kph for the highway/motorway. Get use to the slower speed and don't get frustrated (UK's motorway/highway is 80mph max in many areas, which is about 129kph). Be careful.
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Always remember that japan pays tolls on the highway so make sure you go through the green light toll gate and not the ETC unless your car rental also sort out an etc card for you as you need to cash via the green light toll gate. Etc gates you can drive straight through, but the green gate you must stop. Toll charges are not applied to the main road so decide your route carefully.
- Google navigator works brilliantly in japan and believe me, you will need it. Please use that or any other UP TO DATE navigator when travelling. Note that i said up to date.
- Remember, on the Tokyo highway, exits can be on the left AND right. Be careful UK drivers.
- Oh yes, another VERY important case.. look out for people crossing the road on bicycles or by walking, THEY HAVE RIGHT OF WAY, especially on junctions. So on junctions, never immediately drive quickly, always look on all sides of the road for everyone before proceeding.
- Be extra careful driving around narrow areas, people ride or run out on to the road out of no where and believe me, there are many stupid people in japan that thinks the world revolves around them when it comes to the road.
- Have patience... many drivers in japan drive very slow or take awhile to make decisions. This is truly the case with older drivers, so leave your road rage back in your own country if you have it.
- I cannot stress how important it is to drive vigilantly. Ignoring killing, if you hit anyone badly while driving then you are fucked, especially if you are a foreigner. No matter the incident, IF YOU ARE DRIVING THE CAR THEN YOU MUST SHARE RESPONSIBILITY EVEN IF IT WASN'T YOUR FAULT.
- Japan has rail crossings. If you come up to one you MUST STOP. If you don't and you just drive through and the police catches you then you are fucked. Making stopping completely your golden rule, even on the stop sign when there are no cars around.
- Familiar yourself of what yakuza cars typically look like in japan. They are everywhere.
- Japan uses tracking and flash cameras. Please be aware of the difference between the two online so you won't crap yourself immediately when you see one. Research online for they are not obvious to spot unlike the UK.
- Young drivers got a habit of tailgating, wangan midnight and initial d style. Do not be intimidated just get out of their way　for you don't want any issues in japan if you are a foreigner... unless you are awesome but it's not worth it as a visitor.
- Take your license everywhere you go. Never leave it behind, ever!
I guess that is all the advice for now. Other than the above please enjoy driving in japan. For ridge racer fans, please get yourself on the shotokou highway for some ridge city madness, and get yourself to the mountains for some initial d insanity. I will upload a video online soon so you can have an idea what to expect.
Thanks!
WOW. I am going to die, right?
In all seriousness I just need the car to drive from Takayama to Kamikochi/Hirayu Onsen and to Shirakawa Go/Gokayama and be a bit more flexible than going by bus. I am going to be fine, JUST FINE!
You'll be absolutely fine. Think about it... If you think hard and list all the things you have to think about while driving you'll see that the list end up being lengthy. You just don't realise it because you probably been driving for so long. Just add the things I've mentioned to your mind and all will be fine. Seriously check into the ETC card from your car renting company, you'll save money and have more comfort.
As of today Osaka just became the first city in Japan with free city wide WiFi
http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/wifi/
http://www.osaka-info.jp/en/wifi/
MikeHattsu
Member
Interesting. Thanks.
That's super cool! I'll be headed back there myself soon.
Regarding your OP, you know late August/early September is like, the hottest, most humid time of year? Haven't read the whole thread so don't know if it's been mentioned already. If you're not in Hokkaido it'll be pretty brutal!
Edit EDIT: heh of course everyone already mentioned the heat
AND THIS POST IS NEARLY A YEAR OLD carry on, there's nothing to see here >_>RapidCancel
Member
Fantastic! Good for you. Heh, I hope the lady that helped you is a single hottie.
She might be, but I find it better to not know now that I'm engaged
Sounds like a plan, you live at Kuki, Saitaima? Is that more of a suburban area?Hey all, heading to Japan very soon. Just had a question about rail travel. I'm planning on doing the standard Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima visit. My question is regarding rail travel. I was considering Seishun 18 over the JR Pass, but a quick look tells me that I can't use any express/Shinkansen with this? I understand the 5 day usage and was planning on using 2 Seishun 18. Just wanted to see if it was worth it to deal with the longer travel times or just buy a 14/21 day JR Pass. Thanks for any help!
Yup, it is. Tokyo is far too expensive for what you get, especially as i want to build a house in the near future. Kuki is far but building a house is all about getting land first, and thanks to family i managed to get something here. Tokyo is 1hr train ride away but all seems ok so far. Of course, i ideally like to be based on the outskirt of tokyo but since i am not rich, beggers can't be choosers as the saying goes.She might be, but I find it better to not know now that I'm engaged
How long are you stYing in Japan for? If for 2 weeks then get the JR pass.
A little over 3 weeks. I was hoping to squeeze the most out of a 14 day pass if possible though.
Good length of time and your plan is simple and solid so far! Your 14 days JR pass will be abused. Just make sure you show your card to the officers at the station by the ticket gate and you'll be fine. Remember that your pass doesn't give you access to the SUPER FAST Shinkansen but don't worry, you'll be on a fast one anyway. You'll be saving LOTS of money using the JR Pass so you must get it. If you want to save further money then just make sure your last week, outside your JR Pass expiry date, is spend in Tokyo. Also double check to see if you can get a pass that permits you on a metro too if you can. Take advantage wherever and don't hold back.
Let me know if you need any tips.
Fixed2BeBroken
Member
Where to stay: http://www.hotelniwa.jp/english/<---Niwa Hotel l was pretty cool, Awesome service, very clean and nice hotel, and it was very close to the train station which you not only want to use and but learn well. (taxis are ridiculously expensive in Japan, especially in the evenings). When I plan to goto tokyo again I will probably stay there again.
I feel like those tours are a rip everywhere you go, as you can pretty much figure out what the tour is and do it yourself for alot cheaper. If you are a super lazy person, then yea I can see the tour being great, but if you don't mind putting in the research time, then imo, it's just more beneficial to just do the tour yourself.
Travel to different cities: I just pretty much stayed in Tokyo. And traveling in tokyo, like many have said and like I have said, use the train system. It's so cheap and affordable.
Places to go (here is where to go in tokyo, don't know shit about outside of it but I will one day): Roppongi - check this place out for sure as it is American friendly and I am assuming you are american. watch out for the nigerians.
Shibuya - gotta go just to experience the amount of people crossing the street at the main intersection.
Akihabara - Nerd central (i mean, there's a gundam cafe), but they got alot of cool electronic stores here...large scale ones and then the little boutique shops that have cool ass gadgets you will never find anywhere else in the world. You might also find weird ass anime shops with floors dedicated to crazy anime porn. Girls dressed in different outfits asking you to do whatever weird services they offer, etc.
Harajuku - crazy anime cosplay chicks pose near the train station. and then there are just alot of shopping opportunities here. also a cool little temple or whatever.
that's all right now, I'm tired.
So since we're talking about the JR Pass and transportation...
I'm definitely going to Kyoto/Osaka/Nara so it makes the JR Pass worth it off the bat.
But since we'll be there for 9 days... that means a full day (+ 2 half days) of non-JR Pass
Would the N'EX+SUICA and JR Pass be the ideal combo?
In the 7 days of the JR Pass I've planned Yokohama, Kamakura, Ghibli, Kyoto/Osaka/Nara as places to take advantage...
and the JR-Pass-less day to just wander around tokyo.
Would that be the best bang for the buck?
Thanks in advance as always!
I'm definitely going to Kyoto/Osaka/Nara so it makes the JR Pass worth it off the bat.
But since we'll be there for 9 days... that means a full day (+ 2 half days) of non-JR Pass
Would the N'EX+SUICA and JR Pass be the ideal combo?
In the 7 days of the JR Pass I've planned Yokohama, Kamakura, Ghibli, Kyoto/Osaka/Nara as places to take advantage...
and the JR-Pass-less day to just wander around tokyo.
Would that be the best bang for the buck?
Thanks in advance as always!
RapidCancel
Member
NEX basically covers your trip from and to the airport. The Suica works as a rechargable card that you put money into and it'll automatically deduct from it as you go through the rail gates. Suica mainly just saves you time from having to buy a ticket for the rails at the machines. You can also use it to buy drinks from a vending machine or pay at stores that accept it.
As far as the JR pass, just see if it's worth it money wise for you or not.
Fixed2BeBroken
Member
I loooooove my suica card!!!
They have a promotion for Nex + Suica card which saves alot of money on the combo but I think it's for if you're in tokyo for 7days or less? if that's the case OP, it is such a great value! im telling you...get it
They have a promotion for Nex + Suica card which saves alot of money on the combo but I think it's for if you're in tokyo for 7days or less? if that's the case OP, it is such a great value! im telling you...get it
MikeHattsu
Member
Thought that was in Odaiba...probably is one in Akiba. Wouldn't surprise me ha.
Sorted out my itinerary for my trip to Tokyo. Wondering if I should take a day or two and travel to Kyoto. Anyone know any affordable accomodation there?
MikeHattsu
Member
Yeah. There's one in Akiba too. Right next to the AKB48 cafe.
BronsonLee
Member
Woo! That's my hub city for my trip. I'm still going to get a pocket wifi, but it's great to have this option too!
Fixed2BeBroken
Member
Wait wut.....
I'm not getting why you would use wifi-lite over the free wifi being that the free wifi is unlimited technically.
AlteredForms
Banned
There's only one word you need in order to get by in Japan: "Oshiri." Yes, I'm a genius.
So I suspected. Are there any notable places where the JR Pass is unusable
(I imagine Hakone would be one? And I think I read here that in Kyoto buses would be the goto method)