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[Living the Dream]

When's the best time to go?
What cities should I check out?
How long should I stay?
Best places to eat at?

Teach me GAF sensei

Money isn't an issue. Bring it on!

 

[44Forever]

I've spent a little time in Okinawa but not enough to give you good advice for a trip. You will love it though, have fun!

 

[Dark Star]

tokyo worth the visit ? or over-rated?

 

[TrainedRage]

When's the best time to go?
What cities should I check out?
How long should I stay?
Best places to eat at?

Teach me GAF sensei

Money isn't an issue. Bring it on!

So I found something super helpful to help discover Japan. This YouTube channel where a guy does walking tours all around Japan, so you can see what its like in 4k for long periods of time. Check these out....




Check out the other creators like him and discover what YOU want to see and investigate!

 

[michaelius]

tokyo worth the visit ? or over-rated?

You can cut it short but as Neogaffer you need to at least make a walk in Akibahara and see all those game shops and geek culture Also there are several nice places to watch around Tokio so you can use it as you operation base and do sightseeing during the day while enjoying Tokio atmosphere at night.

Stuff to visit:

Hiroshima - bomb memorial and Holy Island next to it
Kyoto - all those old temples
Osaka - really cool atmosphere , great aquarium - also nearby Nara is must watch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nara,_Nara
Beppu - this is absolutly amazing place - city built on hot springs
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beppu

 

[DESTROYA]

Maybe it’s a stupid question but is Japan English friendly?
As a person wanting to go that has absolutely no Japanese reading or talking skills.

 

[TrainedRage]

Maybe it’s a stupid question but is Japan English friendly?
As a person wanting to go that has absolutely no Japanese reading or talking skills.

Without ever going there I would say yes. Many people in Japan seem to at the very least understand English. I'm sure many others speak it too. Seems like it would be the second most spoken language but I could be wrong.

 

[Shouta]

I would recommend going in a season that best fits the temp ranges where you live. Japan's weather is pretty all over the place so figuring out when you're must comfortable will let you explore a lot because you'll be on foot and taking a lot of public transportation. The country is pretty English friendly in the major cities but gets a little more difficult the smaller the population gets.

 

[Deleted member 12837]

A couple of pieces of general advice, OP:

Rent a pocket wi-fi. They're fairly inexpensive, and allow you to walk around with high-speed internet without needing to pay crazy international roaming fees. You can also share it across devices (phone, computer, iPad, etc). They've worked everywhere I've traveled, even up Mt. Koya (which is in the middle of nowhere, and at quite a high altitude as well). It's super useful to have Google Maps, translation apps for street signs and menus, the ability to look stuff up quickly for research, etc while you're on the go.

I've used this company twice now and had a great experience. Pick-up and drop-off is very easy:

https://www.globaladvancedcomm.com/

Also, get a JR Pass before you go if you plan on traveling to more than 1 city. I think if you plan on, say, going to Tokyo and Kyoto, it ends up roughly paying for itself (equivalent to a normal round-trip train fare between the 2 spots). Beyond that, it's unlimited travel during the period that it's active (7, 14 or 21 days). I've used this website in the past and it's pretty easy and reliable:

https://www.jrpass.com/

Ugh...now I want to go back : )

So I found something super helpful to help discover Japan. This YouTube channel where a guy does walking tours all around Japan, so you can see what its like in 4k for long periods of time. Check these out....




Check out the other creators like him and discover what YOU want to see and investigate!

Damn, that is *awesome*. It's amazing what a nice mic, a 4K 60 FPS camera, and a stabalizer can do. Those videos instantly made me feel like I was there (I was in Japan just under a year ago and visited a bunch of the spots he filmed). Can't wait for smartphones to start being able to take VR-ready video (if that's even possible).

Maybe it’s a stupid question but is Japan English friendly?
As a person wanting to go that has absolutely no Japanese reading or talking skills.

Yes, especially in the major cities. I don't speak any Japanese and I've been 3 times now and had no difficulty at all.

 

[dolabla]

So I found something super helpful to help discover Japan. This YouTube channel where a guy does walking tours all around Japan, so you can see what its like in 4k for long periods of time. Check these out....

Check out the other creators like him and discover what YOU want to see and investigate!

Man, that's just too many dang people. Don't think I could ever live in a population that big. I'm already a very bad germaphobe as it is.

 

[infinitys_7th]

Man, that's just too many dang people. Don't think I could ever live in a population that big. I'm already a very bad germaphobe as it is.

Japan is a country of germaphobes. It's probably one of the most clean-obsessed countries in the world.

 

[Spooky Scary Skeleton]

Went to back-to-back trip with my friends to both South Korea and Japan. One of the best decisions I made, I had blast in both countries. Make sure to visit southern part of Japan, as that whole region is underappreciated by a lot of Japan enthusiasts.

 

[winterymint]

Went to back-to-back trip with my friends to both South Korea and Japan. One of the best decisions I made, I had blast in both countries. Make sure to visit southern part of Japan, as that whole region is underappreciated by a lot of Japan enthusiasts.

Ugh now I want to go back to South Korea

 

[Makariel]

tokyo worth the visit ? or over-rated?

It's great but sadly very expensive to stay there. I usually rent an apartment just outside of the inner city. I actually spent most of my time in Odaiba, on my pilgrimage to the Gundam statue and engulf myself in all things Gundam at Gundam Front in Diver City.

 

[Makariel]

When's the best time to go?
What cities should I check out?
How long should I stay?
Best places to eat at?

The three cities I liked best so far: Osaka, Nara, Tokyo
Kyoto has a nice old inner city and tons of temples, but it's very difficult to get around the city once you're used to the super efficient public transport in most other Japanese Cities. But definitely worth a trip.
Himeji just for Himeji Castle, the only surviving original castle, the others are all reconstructed (e.g. Osaka Castle).
If you like seafood and sushi, check out the area around Toyohashi. My friends from Nagoya recommended to go there for fresh fish. But beware that it's not a very touristy spot, so most people don't understand English. I was in a fantastic sushi place, where no one could understand me but one of the patrons was calling his sister who speaks english, in order to help me order from the menu. With the help of google translate I even got something resembling a conversation going with some folks working for Toyota. People there are super friendly and polite, don't worry if they look at you funny when you enter and are the only clearly non-japanese person within 10 square miles.

I've not been much in the north. And I still need to visit the snow monkeys. Love the snow monkeys.

edit: sorry for the double post, but my previous post didn't show up for some reason so I thought it just didn't get through or something... just after I submitted this one it showed up for me

 

[Robot Carnival]

When's the best time to go?
What cities should I check out?
How long should I stay?
Best places to eat at?

Teach me GAF sensei

Money isn't an issue. Bring it on!

your first question kinda depends on what you like to see/experience. cherry blossom viewing? early April. snow? depends on the region, December to February. when it's less crowded? maybe late October to November. just don't go during summer unless you want to be a pile of hot wet mess (only exception is if you want to go to Hokkaido up north).

your second question, again, depends on your interest. modern Metropolis? Tokyo. more down to earth? Osaka. looking for some history? Kyoto, and also Kyushu. more fond of nature? Hokkaido or Okinawa.

how long to stay is really a matter of how long you can stay there for before you HAVE to go back. if money isn't an issue for you, go for as long as possible. I would recommend maybe 2 or 3 weeks in the Kansai region (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara, Kobe, Himeji, etc). with the JR pass you can shoot up to Tokyo for a few days in between if you like. use this 2/3 weeks as an opportunity to test the water so to speak and see if you want to dive in even deeper in the future.

as for what to eat, I'm sure there's plenty of suggestions online and on here. but a general rule of thumb is that you don't need to go super fancy. any little shop would usually be pretty good. just try to avoid the chain stores, not because they're bad or anything, but because you should try out something a little more fun. btw, when it comes to food, the Western regions like Kansai, Kyushu, would usually be better.

I'll see if I have some time later on to put down more suggestions. OP, how much do you know/understand about Japan? why do you want to go there? some insight would help a lot with suggestions.

 

[Living the Dream]

Such great responses guys! I’m learning a lot here! My love for Japan started with Nintendo, but I also love the culture as well. I want to experience the big cities as well as the country sides

 

[TrainedRage]

I love Japans aesthetic. It just looks.... comfortable. And gives me a feeling of nostalgia for a country I have never even been to.

 

[michaelius]

It's great but sadly very expensive to stay there. I usually rent an apartment just outside of the inner city. I actually spent most of my time in Odaiba, on my pilgrimage to the Gundam statue and engulf myself in all things Gundam at Gundam Front in Diver City.

It wasn't that expensive when I was there - as long as you don't mind staying in hostels you can find cheap accommodation.

 

[Makariel]

It wasn't that expensive when I was there - as long as you don't mind staying in hostels you can find cheap accommodation.

Compare prices in Osaka and Tokyo and you'll see what I mean, comparable places are just outright more expensive in Tokyo.

Regarding hostels, if you travel as a couple hostels get annoying fast due to the lack of privacy.

 

[NahaNago]

I've spent a little time in Okinawa but not enough to give you good advice for a trip. You will love it though, have fun!

yep , Okinawa is great. I miss the typhoons and military folks freaking out and overshopping every time they get a hint of one coming.

 

[Cybrwzrd]

Compare prices in Osaka and Tokyo and you'll see what I mean, comparable places are just outright more expensive in Tokyo.

Regarding hostels, if you travel as a couple hostels get annoying fast due to the lack of privacy.

If you are travelling lightly and as a couple, love hotels are another cheap way to go.

Also one of the best hotels I ever stayed at in my life was a love hotel in Roppongi (Design Hotel Iroha) - and it wasn't that cheap.

I lived in Japan for a year and a half and have visited at least a dozen times at least since then. Tokyo is a cool city, but I recommend getting out and going to other places. I am partial to Nagoya since I lived there. Osaka and Kyoto/Nara are always nice to visit. I saw Beppu mentioned for hot springs, but I prefer Kinosaki in Tajima. Hokkaido is amazing. I haven't been to Kyushu or Shikoku though.

Asking where to eat is kind of a difficult question. I preferred to just walk around and find something new. It is hard to find a bad restaurant in Japan because there is a lot of competition there and most restauranteurs are dedicated to the perfection of their craft. Some family chains are great and cheap like Bikkuri Donkey, Cocoichiban, Saizeria and Ohashidokoro Genpei. The many different 100 yen Sushi (ex. Kappa and Hama) places are good too on the cheap. Some of the Izakaya chains are great too like Shirokiya and Tsubohashi. This may sound like sacrilege, but I'd even recommend some fast food in Japan. MOS Burger is something I'd go out of the way for. And I have a special place in my heart for Japanese Mcdonalds. Then again, I lived there long enough to not have to cram things into a week.

 

[Robot Carnival]

with the recent devastation from the rain and flood, you might want to re-think on which part of Japan you want to go visit.

 

[DCharlie]

last time i was in Hiroshima (about a year ago) the alarms went off and i had to try to listen to the Japanese alarms blazing at us.....

not a whole lot of fun.

 

[DCharlie]

When's the best time to go?

-- there is a big swing in weather - around June-July it gets rainy, then after that it gets hot and humid as hell.
Its hard to plan - my parents came in december last time and it was pretty much perfect, but depends on your weather tolerance i guess.

What cities should I check out?

-- Kyoto, Osaka, Tokyo are pretty much the staples.
I'd suggest going up to the mountains - again, season depending, places like Niigata are excellent off the chart getaways in Summer (the ski slopes become water parks) , and in winter, the ski scene is great.

How long should I stay?

-- if you can stretch to 2 weeks , that's ideal, but that's a burden. It's best to enjoy japan at a slow pace.

Best places to eat at?

-- doesn't really matter, the food quality here is off the chart.
if you want cheap and cheerful theres a ton of places, my personal fave being chain Kohmen's insanely awesome Kogashi tantan men.... add in the dried garlic extra and it's mouthgasms
other options are available, but in terms of food ? you're good. unless you are an epicure looking for the top end , you won't leave disappointed.