Japan 2016 (Looking for Tips and Tricks)

[Schaengel]

Hello everyone,

 

I'm going to Japan for 2 weeks from  26th February to 10th of March  and am looking for general tips and tricks

 

At the moment I'm planing to spend most of the time in Tokyo and ad 4 days in Kyoyto (traveling via night-bus). I already got a contact in Tokyo via my university but would love to hear tips frrom people that have been over there already.

I already found a hostel that I like and all the transfers so it's more about general tips and cool nerd stuff (so far I have only schedule the Ghibli-Museum and "Pokemon-Center" for Tokyo).

 

So looking forward for all the information I can get (I'm reading "lonely planet - Japan" at the moment to specify my planing more).

[RisenPhoenix]

Get a suica card.  It'll make getting on the subways and buses a helluva lot easier when you're in Tokyo.  And if you want, you can load it up and a lot of places will let you use it to pay with, so you're not getting charged a conversion fee using credit or debit cards.  Also if you can swing it, a 2 week JR pass is useful if you're going to be beyond Tokyo.  Pretty much gives you free reign on any of the trains across the country.

 

Also, speaking of credit cards, make sure your card has the Chip and Pin system on it, otherwise you won't be able to use your credit card at all.  That being said, Japan really prefers people using cash in stores, so you might be better off just withdrawing a large amount of money from an ATM and calling it a day.  When I went last May I did that accidentally, but it kind of saved me in the end.  (Fun fact, ATMs in Japan will pretty much let you take out the equivalent of $1000 USD.  Thankfully the exchange rate when I went meant I only withdrew ~800 USD from my accounts.  But that money lasted me the remaining 1.5 weeks of my trip, including paying for an expensive night at an onsen.)

 

I'd say get a portable hot spot, as well.  Free Wifi just isn't a thing, and if you don't have a data network it can be a bit tricky navigating around.  Also, Google Translate is amazing, and will translate kanji if you don't read it already.

 

Speaking a few key phrases like "I would like to order X please" and please and thank you are useful.  And excuse me.  Excuse me is huge.  If you aren't constantly saying "Sumimasen," you're doing something wrong.  When I went I downloaded an app with phrases to be safe.

 

More fun stuff... Hit up Ramen Street in Tokyo Station.  There are a bunch of museums and gardens, too, that were all just amazing.  Pretty much go to the tourist traps, which are well worth the trap part.  Eat lots of food.  Definitely try to make it to an onsen, even if it's just to soak.  But if you can get away with spending the night in one, it's pretty awesome.

 

Really I just enjoyed walking around and being in a new environment and seeing the cultural sites.  Because I'm a dork.

 

Have fun!

[Schaengel]

Get a suica card.  It'll make getting on the subways and buses a helluva lot easier when you're in Tokyo.  And if you want, you can load it up and a lot of places will let you use it to pay with, so you're not getting charged a conversion fee using credit or debit cards.  Also if you can swing it, a 2 week JR pass is useful if you're going to be beyond Tokyo.  Pretty much gives you free reign on any of the trains across the country.

 

Also, speaking of credit cards, make sure your card has the Chip and Pin system on it, otherwise you won't be able to use your credit card at all.  That being said, Japan really prefers people using cash in stores, so you might be better off just withdrawing a large amount of money from an ATM and calling it a day.  When I went last May I did that accidentally, but it kind of saved me in the end.  (Fun fact, ATMs in Japan will pretty much let you take out the equivalent of $1000 USD.  Thankfully the exchange rate when I went meant I only withdrew ~800 USD from my accounts.  But that money lasted me the remaining 1.5 weeks of my trip, including paying for an expensive night at an onsen.)

 

I'd say get a portable hot spot, as well.  Free Wifi just isn't a thing, and if you don't have a data network it can be a bit tricky navigating around.  Also, Google Translate is amazing, and will translate kanji if you don't read it already.

 

Speaking a few key phrases like "I would like to order X please" and please and thank you are useful.  And excuse me.  Excuse me is huge.  If you aren't constantly saying "Sumimasen," you're doing something wrong.  When I went I downloaded an app with phrases to be safe.

 

More fun stuff... Hit up Ramen Street in Tokyo Station.  There are a bunch of museums and gardens, too, that were all just amazing.  Pretty much go to the tourist traps, which are well worth the trap part.  Eat lots of food.  Definitely try to make it to an onsen, even if it's just to soak.  But if you can get away with spending the night in one, it's pretty awesome.

 

Really I just enjoyed walking around and being in a new environment and seeing the cultural sites.  Because I'm a dork.

 

Have fun!

Woah thanks for all the useful information.

I will definitly take a look at the suica and see if it fits my needs (manly for Tokyo)

 

What do you mean by portable hot spot? I was planing to get a Iijmo-card for my hope and hope that will do the trick...

 

Ramen-Street sounds awesome I will try to work that into my schedule (typical German behavior ...your traveling you need a schedule I'm a little shocked by myself XD). I hope I can stay at an onsen when I'm in Kyoto, will try to figure that out the next days.

 

Can you recommend some apps that are useful over there, specially for navigating in Tokyo?

 

Thanks for the information, the more I'm preparing the more I get excited already

[RisenPhoenix]

Woah thanks for all the useful information.

I will definitly take a look at the suica and see if it fits my needs (manly for Tokyo)

 

What do you mean by portable hot spot? I was planing to get a Iijmo-card for my hope and hope that will do the trick...

 

Ramen-Street sounds awesome I will try to work that into my schedule (typical German behavior ...your traveling you need a schedule I'm a little shocked by myself XD). I hope I can stay at an onsen when I'm in Kyoto, will try to figure that out the next days.

 

Can you recommend some apps that are useful over there, specially for navigating in Tokyo?

 

Thanks for the information, the more I'm preparing the more I get excited already

 

Oh, if you're in Tokyo DEFINITELY get a suica.  They use that for EVERYTHING.  Costs 10,000 yen to get/charge one, and I used that 10,000 over a span of 2 weeks just using it for buses and subways.

 

Portable hot spots are cellphone network devices that shoot out a Wifi signal for your phone/laptop.  I rented one for something like $80 for the two weeks, and it saved my skin a lot, if only for Google Maps and Translate.  I used it sparingly, pretty much turning it on between spots, when I wanted to get from point A to point B.  But it helped my ability to be a bit more confident on wandering, since I knew if I got lost I had an easy way to figure out where I was. (Also, I don't speak Japanese, so I couldn't just wander up and ask for directions.)

 

Kyoto is also awesome.  There's a place called En tea house, which is totally touristy, but will show you how the Tea ceremony works.  It's also right next to the Gion district, which is one of the oldest districts in Japan. (Also now very touristy and SUPER expensive. But worth a walk through.  Also, I saw three real geisha at night.  Do not approach, give them plenty of space, and all the respect in the world.)  Probably could find an onsen there pretty easily, too, on the outskirts.  Also buses are the better mode of transport in Kyoto I felt, rather than the subway system

 

For navigating, you can pick up maps pretty easily at all the subway stations, which I thought was better than any apps we were told to download.  And if you have google maps, all navigating apps are useless.  That's why I said grab a hot spot.  Even the apps pretty much require a cellphone/Wifi signal.

[Schaengel]

@RisenPhoenix

Thanks again,

I think I will do mainly the things that you mentioned for Kyoto sounds realistic.

 

Speaking of realistic I have some timing questions, maybe you can help.

I'm planing to try and see two "districts" per day (Asakusa & Ueno (mainly the national museum), Harajuku & Shibuya(on a sunday so I can enjoy the "nerd culture"), Rappongi & Akihabara (the only two one one day with some distance in between, but since I'm not that interested in shopping I think I won't take to long in Akihabara), Tsujiki (Fish-market)& Marouchi (hope to get the chance to see the Imperial Palace).

 

Do you think that's realistic ( I have 2-3 things maximum per district that I would like to see because I don't want to stress myself to much, it's vacation nonetheless.

 

I still have 1 and 1/2 days in Tokyo open (the halve day because I will try to go to the Tokyo Verdy Game and 1 day because I think that getting Tickets for the Ghibli-Museum will probably not work out) so if you see something that will probably not work out I can still split two days

[RisenPhoenix]

Honestly, I didn't plan a thing when I went there.  I knew I wanted to see temples, I knew I wanted to see museums, and I knew I had to train in a few locations.  Besides that, I kept my two weeks pretty loose, so my time table sense isn't the greatest.  But I will say Tokyo is HUGE and getting around it takes a while longer than you'd expect.  Also, be early for the trains.  And round down.  Those things appear on the dot, and leave a moment afterwards.

[Zorch]

 

Also, speaking of credit cards, make sure your card has the Chip and Pin system on it, otherwise you won't be able to use your credit card at all.  That being said, Japan really prefers people using cash in stores, so you might be better off just withdrawing a large amount of money from an ATM and calling it a day.  When I went last May I did that accidentally, but it kind of saved me in the end.  (Fun fact, ATMs in Japan will pretty much let you take out the equivalent of $1000 USD.  Thankfully the exchange rate when I went meant I only withdrew ~800 USD from my accounts.  But that money lasted me the remaining 1.5 weeks of my trip, including paying for an expensive night at an onsen.)

 

 

Yes.  For your own sanity and survival, carry cash.  Most places that aren't hotels/train stations(or the occasional higher-end restaurant) don't do credit.  Whether you change it on the way in or pull it from an ATM, cash is king in Japan.

 

Also, you should be aware that not all ATM's in Japan take cards based in the USA.  My general experience is that 7-11 stores are pretty ubiquitous there, and most of them have ATM's that will work with a Visa check card or similar debit/ATM card.

 

I lived in Japan for 1 1/2 years, but I expect that my experience was a great deal different from yours may be as I was travelling for work.  But above all else, carry cash - trust me on that much.

 

Also, if you're up for a fun challenge(and are feeling pragmatic), you could try learning a bit of Katakana.  Katakana are Japanese phonetic characters used to pronounce foreign words that do not have a direct translation to Japanese.  Potentially useful in restaurants and a few other venues.

[ItazuraPanda]

EDIT: Sorry I posted this after your trip! I hope you had a great time!

 

I'm so glad you're travelling to Japan, it's a wonderful place and exceptionally pretty. 

 

I agree with both statements above, getting a SUICA card for Tokyo is a great idea especially since you're not staying long and will need quick and easy travel - but again, as above, buses are much easier in Kyoto (be warned, you get on one door and then pay for your travel when you exit the other door, it can be a little confusing at first). Also, Zorch is right by saying that cash is much more important than card. A lot of Japanese stores and restaurants don't have card machines and if they do they're rarely used. 

 

I went to Kyoto when I traveled there, and stayed there for 2 weeks. There's a lot to do! That being said there are a few things you should definitely check out above the rest. 

• Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Temple) 
• Fushimi Inari-taisha (Thousand Gate Mountain - I don't think that's the exact translation but that's what I remember it being) 
• Kiyomizu-dera (Don't remember the translation - very historic) 

Kyoto is in the middle of mountains so it's very picturesque and "old-fashioned". This does also mean that the people are also like that, so you'll see people walking around in yukata and you will see Geisha if you're in the right area - but do not approach them or try to take pictures/talk to them. If you have any tattoos - cover them at all times! Perhaps in Tokyo you can get away with it, but definitely not in Kyoto. The same goes for the slight prejudice I encountered there, it seems that they don't particularly like sitting next to foreign people and prepared to get stared at a lot (I'm very pale, almost ghostly, and I got stares everywhere I went). 

 

Cycling is huge in Kyoto, if you hear a bell move the the left (or the 'walk path' indicated on the floor) to allow cyclists to overtake you. Most of the time they'll be on the pavements and not the road. Listen out for that bell! 

 

It's extremely useful to learn the odd phrase, as you'll get someone who can't (or refuses) speak English and it can be hard to get a point across. My suggestions to learn would be:

• Where is the toilet? 
• Do you speak English? 
• Can I buy this? 
• It's delicious/It's pretty
• If traveling with a friend the term 'Betsu Betsu' means 'Split the bill in half' which they are happy to do. (I think!)
• Tabehodai = all you can eat. 
• Try to learn 'left' and 'right' in case you ask for directions. 

I hope you have a great time! 

[Rin Asami]

I plan to go to Japan someday. I loved reading all the suggestions and tips.

 

Schaengel, I hope you had a fantastic time on your tip and saw all that you wanted to!

[Schaengel]

On 21.3.2016 at 4:39 PM, ItazuraPanda said:

EDIT: Sorry I posted this after your trip! I hope you had a great time!

 

I'm so glad you're travelling to Japan, it's a wonderful place and exceptionally pretty. 

 

I agree with both statements above, getting a SUICA card for Tokyo is a great idea especially since you're not staying long and will need quick and easy travel - but again, as above, buses are much easier in Kyoto (be warned, you get on one door and then pay for your travel when you exit the other door, it can be a little confusing at first). Also, Zorch is right by saying that cash is much more important than card. A lot of Japanese stores and restaurants don't have card machines and if they do they're rarely used. 

 

I went to Kyoto when I traveled there, and stayed there for 2 weeks. There's a lot to do! That being said there are a few things you should definitely check out above the rest. 

• Kinkaku-ji (The Golden Temple) 
• Fushimi Inari-taisha (Thousand Gate Mountain - I don't think that's the exact translation but that's what I remember it being) 
• Kiyomizu-dera (Don't remember the translation - very historic) 

Kyoto is in the middle of mountains so it's very picturesque and "old-fashioned". This does also mean that the people are also like that, so you'll see people walking around in yukata and you will see Geisha if you're in the right area - but do not approach them or try to take pictures/talk to them. If you have any tattoos - cover them at all times! Perhaps in Tokyo you can get away with it, but definitely not in Kyoto. The same goes for the slight prejudice I encountered there, it seems that they don't particularly like sitting next to foreign people and prepared to get stared at a lot (I'm very pale, almost ghostly, and I got stares everywhere I went). 

 

Cycling is huge in Kyoto, if you hear a bell move the the left (or the 'walk path' indicated on the floor) to allow cyclists to overtake you. Most of the time they'll be on the pavements and not the road. Listen out for that bell! 

 

It's extremely useful to learn the odd phrase, as you'll get someone who can't (or refuses) speak English and it can be hard to get a point across. My suggestions to learn would be:

• Where is the toilet? 
• Do you speak English? 
• Can I buy this? 
• It's delicious/It's pretty
• If traveling with a friend the term 'Betsu Betsu' means 'Split the bill in half' which they are happy to do. (I think!)
• Tabehodai = all you can eat. 
• Try to learn 'left' and 'right' in case you ask for directions. 

I hope you have a great time! 

Thanks for the tips even though they came a little late I appreciate it-

37 minutes ago, Rin Asami said:

I plan to go to Japan someday. I loved reading all the suggestions and tips.

 

Schaengel, I hope you had a fantastic time on your tip and saw all that you wanted to!

Definitely go there! It was awesome and I will travel there again for sure. If you're interested in some of my travel story's you're welcome to take a look in my February challenge thread, that turned in a travel thread

[curryfiend]

@Schaengel

Wow I'm so happy you got to go there, it has been too long since I've been. Many years ago I was an exchange student and I got to go to Osaka and then attend high school for a few weeks in Katsuyama.

 

What was your favorite part? I miss the fresh air and peacefulness out in the country (the family I stayed with lived near the mountains/rice paddies). I seriously felt like I was in a Miyazaki movie. Oh! And wasn't the city like SUPER CLEAN?! I always thought that was awesome about that country.

[Schaengel]

 

@Schaengel

Wow I'm so happy you got to go there, it has been too long since I've been. Many years ago I was an exchange student and I got to go to Osaka and then attend high school for a few weeks in Katsuyama.

 

What was your favorite part? I miss the fresh air and peacefulness out in the country (the family I stayed with lived near the mountains/rice paddies). I seriously felt like I was in a Miyazaki movie. Oh! And wasn't the city like SUPER CLEAN?! I always thought that was awesome about that country.

Favorite part? The food! XD also it is just such a peaceful feeling that you get there. I just meet nice helpful people (lucky me) and everything is clean and organized.

I loved Kyoto, even more than Tokyo because it wasn't that stressful. I definitely want to travel to Osaka someday (also Hiroshima, Sapporo and some other parts too)

[Vibrantella]

We are considering visiting Japan in spring 2017, so these are very useful tips, and I'll make sure to check out your travel thread too, @Schaengel.  I'll ask questions after I've done that!

[tinywonder]

Hi!  I am going to lurk on this thread and read it all when I get a moment, but I am headed there in a couple weeks, I'll info-dump on your (in a somewhat organized fashion) when I return!

You can order a Suica card or Passmo card in advance, but there's really no need, they are available at the airports.
Make sure you book your Ghibli ticket before you go!

And that's all I can think of for now!

More soon!

[tinywonder]

Ohp.
This happened a year ago.
I'll learn soon.
Care to infodump on me before I go in a couple weeks?

[Schaengel]

9 hours ago, tinywonder said:

Ohp.
This happened a year ago.
I'll learn soon.
Care to infodump on me before I go in a couple weeks?

Like you said, you can get your suica with no problem at the airport.

If you're traveling on a budget you can find some day/3day traveling passes in some places (for example in Tokyo my hostel offered them and in Kyoto you can get them at the railway station)those can not be used on all lines but realy can help keep the cost down (and getting arround is expensive there...I spend around 150€ on my suica in a little over two weeks there (that's what I spend in Germany in more than a month)).

 

If you want to visit ghibli I found it easier to get the card in Japan then from outside ( a friend of mine working in a travel agency found out why: Ghibli has a limited number of tickets per day. This contingent is split in half (50% to buy in Japan, the rest to buy from the rest of the world) so if you want to get your ticket from say...Germany  you need to plan at least 3 month of waiting time. In Japan you can get them in some of the supermarkets (if you understand enough of the langue) or at one of the tourist informations (they are awesome for tickets in general.)

 

I'll add some more information over the next days if you like. Where in Japan are you going?

[tinywonder]

On 12/9/2016 at 1:45 AM, Schaengel said:

Like you said, you can get your suica with no problem at the airport.

If you're traveling on a budget you can find some day/3day traveling passes in some places (for example in Tokyo my hostel offered them and in Kyoto you can get them at the railway station)those can not be used on all lines but realy can help keep the cost down (and getting arround is expensive there...I spend around 150€ on my suica in a little over two weeks there (that's what I spend in Germany in more than a month)).

 

If you want to visit ghibli I found it easier to get the card in Japan then from outside ( a friend of mine working in a travel agency found out why: Ghibli has a limited number of tickets per day. This contingent is split in half (50% to buy in Japan, the rest to buy from the rest of the world) so if you want to get your ticket from say...Germany  you need to plan at least 3 month of waiting time. In Japan you can get them in some of the supermarkets (if you understand enough of the langue) or at one of the tourist informations (they are awesome for tickets in general.)

 

I'll add some more information over the next days if you like. Where in Japan are you going?

Hello!
Thank you for the info! I have my rail pass, Suica card, and Ghibli ticket already (I've been planning this trip for months and if I ever feel a little down, as it's been a rough year for me, I just do a little Japan prep for my New Years in Tokyo!).  I am off to the bank today to pick up about 50,000 yen, maybe more (I exchanged $500 USD at my credit union for the lowest exchange rate), though I fully expect to be withdrawing more when I am there.
Right now I have a hotel in Tokyo (near Ikebukuro) for the entire 12 days of my trip, but I plan to ditch my stuff there a bit and go to Kyoto and hopefully one other city I haven't decided.  I wish I could visit the Kaze no Denwa (Wind Telephone), which is not a super well known thing, I suggest googling it, but it's in Ootsuchi, which is very from Tokyo and I think I won't be able to make it.
I'd also love to go to the abandoned Nara Dreamland, but with my poor and basic Japanese, and no local guide, I think I'd be more likely to just end up arrested.  I'm going to hit up plenty of shrines because it's the New Year, especially the Maneki Neko shrine, any Kitsune shrines, and every Tanuki shrine I can fine.  I'm also going to the Robot Restaurant, because it's insane. I'm taking my new 360 camera, which should only add to the insanity.  I am going to make a shared Flickr album with photospheres of my trip through Japan, which should turn out pretty cool if it works.  I'm going to do most of my souvenir shopping around NewYears and buy random fukubukuro, and see what we end up with.  I'm also meeting a friend there from Spain who is buying fabric and accessories for her job at Harajuku, so I'll tag along with her.
My last day I plan to stay out all night, visit Tsukiji Market around 3:00am, watch the fish auction, eat a final sushi breakfast and take the train or a taxi (why not, it's my last day) to Haneda and catch my flight out at 8:30.

 

There are tons of plans floating around in my head, but those are some of the points... any suggestions beyond them?