Reply With QuoteI’m planning on going in August. If they want general advice there’s loads of videos on YouTube. They’re fascinating to watch even if you’re not planning on going.
A friend's 24 y/o son and his girlfriend have just booked flights and hotel in Japan (in October). They still suffer from the optimism of youth, and I'm not sure how much they've researched. A quick Google suggests that no visa or innoculations are required, but does anyone have a tips or advice that will be useful?
She's a graphic artist, they're both interested in Manga, and that's the main focus of their trip.
I’m planning on going in August. If they want general advice there’s loads of videos on YouTube. They’re fascinating to watch even if you’re not planning on going.
They have enough time to gain some reasonable profficiency in Japanese, I'd have thought that, above everything else, will make a huge improvement to their enjoyment of the trip.
October is a good time of year, usually beyond the sub-tropical humidity of summer but before the cold winter.
For travel requirements, see here https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-ad...y-requirements
It changes all the time, so they should check a week before they travel too: I have had colleagues caught out when they realized (at the time…) that they did need a visa, and that it took a week to obtain one from the Japanese embassy.
Japan is a big place, so it depends on their plans and where they intend to stay, but being 24 years old and full of youth's optimism is a great start. Not sure if they wish to travel around, but if they do, Japan's train network is vast, clean and punctual. Plus there is some kind of foreigner visitor ticket you can obtain *before* arriving that makes it cheap to travel. Worth checking if this is still available, as you can’t buy it once you are in Japan.
Within Tokyo, if that is where they are staying, the rail and underground network is similarly excellent, and pretty cheap. Installing the “Suica” app would help, as then it’s touch and go on the underground and many trains, as well as shops.
On that area, Japan has dozens of epayment systems but not so many that are familiar to those abroad. Apple Pay works, as does Revolut and Wise. But you'll find places that only accept cash too, so best to arrive with at least ¥10,000 in your wallet. Don’t get a taxi from Narita (if that’s where you land) as it will cost a fortune. Take the Narita Express (train) to a major station or the “Limousine Bus” (it's just a coach) which stops at many of the larger hotels.
Apart from that, endless manga shops, exhibitions and so forth, but probably best to check nearer the time what’s on and make a plan. It's a safe country to wander around, so you can get away with being spontaneous if that’s your mood, but if there is something specific, please ask.
TT
…and if renting a vehicle, know that “Kei” cars are *very* small
https://youtu.be/dFcjBzaQLyQ
I can’t iterate the need to take cash as above.
Also if on a budget, don’t miss the last train or a taxi will be crippling.
Internal flights are cheap.
Tourist travel passes can work out a good deal depending on your plans.
Ramen is food of the gods.
Street sign have English on them these days
Akiabara for games
Be respectful
Enjoy and embrace the culture, it’s a wonderful fascinating place
Buy some decent denim and people watch at ueno market. I can recommend Hinoya
There is something for everyone all depends on what your into.
I am itching to go back, I wang to go on a a fancy train tour and missed out on sumo last time.
Last edited by Middo; 10th January 2023 at 11:03.
Sorry to hijack the thread but my wife is going to Tokyo at the end of February for work. She has colleagues locally who will no doubt be able to help, but the TZ hive is usually spot on so a few questions if I may:
- she would like to take part in a tea ceremony and to a ikebana class (English would be VERY appreciated).
- I would like to buy a bracelet for my GS SGBX095. Is there an address that will make it worthwhile? I also need to get the battery changed for the same. Can it be done locally within a fortnight? (Yes, I know it can be done here both by Seiko and by myself)
TIA
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Any Seiko / GS shop can order the bracelet, but if your wife is near Ginza, try the GS Boutique (https://www.grand-seiko.com/jp-ja/storesinfo/10143) or Wako (https://www.wako.co.jp/en/) which is about 200m away. They might have it in stock (and will fit it).
Likewise they should be able to do a battery change. Or somewhat hidden in the Kokusai Building near Hibiya (walking distance from Ginza) is the Seiko Service department, on the 2nd floor (first floor in English format…). They fixed my Tuna and couldn’t have been more helpful.
If she is elsewhere, just try asking at any Seiko dealer. (You'll likely need to have a local along as not many people speak English) or at a general store such as Bic Camera, Yodobashi Camera or Tokyu Hands most of which have staff onsite to offer battery changes, but not pressure testing.
I'm not an expert on Ikebana nor tea ceremony, but I will ask a friend.
TT
Fabulous place and they will have an awesome time. I am an artist, so one of my main interests is also manga, anime and toys. I could write a giant guide, but nothing that isn't readily available online (Akihabara and Nakano Broadway for all geeky things).
I think for ease of moving around the most practical things are pocket wi-fi, which is very cheap, while roaming is insanely expensive, Suica card to load up with money as you use it for the subways, but can also pay for a lot of stuff in shops with it and at vending machines (which are everywhere!), and of course your passport for Tax Free shopping! If they plan on moving around Japan then rail pass. Very affordable, but you can only get it outside of Japan if you are a tourist.
One thing they should consider is, if they are staying in Tokyo, which area they want to stay in. The sheer size of it is staggering and you want to stay somewhere with easy access to things you are interested in. We always stay in Shinjuku as it's mostly directly connected to everything we tend to do. I find this point probably the most important as we've stayed in Roppongi before, but it would take at least two hours each day going back and forth. Same for Ginza, I love going there for a day or two, but wouldn't want to stay there full time as it's further away from all the nerdy stuff.
My friends in Tokyo consider the different areas to be completely different cities both geographically and culturally, and they do feel like it. This is mostly due to them all being entertainment districts targeting different audiences. I love them all for totally different reasons, but it can feel like you are in completely different worlds from one to the other.
Cash is still king there. The currency exchange in the airport is usually the best you'll come across, but they are all much better than you would get here for instance as long as you don't go to Travelex, which always has terrible rates. Going after the pandemic in November they were very short of GBP, but by October that should be fine.
It's a super safe country but they have some peculiar crimes, especially towards women. A few years ago there was a guy who would walk up to women in subway stations and push them to the ground. Nothing else, but very distressing. As it happened, we actually had an encounter with him... But anyway, due to issues like that they have subway cars which are women only at rush hour.
I don't speak Japanese, but tend to go a couple of times a year, sometimes for work, and have never had much issue getting around.
Tokyo Disney SEA is the best! The best Disney park in the world, and I've been to all of them, except Shanghai.
There was a huge thread on the very subect on here maybe a couple of years ago which had some top recommendations.
Worth a search.
Just to reiterate what others have said about cash. A lot of bank cards don’t work with the network in Japan but I recall 7/11 being a key place to withdraw!
For travel I suggest they get the Japan Rail Pass which is only available to foreigners and invaluable. Their transport network is amazing.
I’d recommend hiring a pocket wifi for the trip, it’s much better than relying on roaming.
Tokyo is totally mental and amazing but I suggest going a bit further afield, like Kyoto. Hiroshima is also a really nice place and the a-bomb museum there is sobering but a must visit for anyone I think.
Visiting a ryokan is also recommended! We didn’t do the islands but I’ve heard they’re also very good.
Japan is one of my favourite places, they’ll have a great time.
Thank you all. TZ once again proves itself to be a treasure trove of useful information.
Its a place very high up the “want to visit” list !
Sounds like they will have a great time !
I would start with James May in Japan.
Kidding aside: there are tons of interesting vids on YT about traveling in Japan. The overnight trains/boats with sleeping cabins are miniature Orient Expresses! Looking at these vids, it's an interesting way to cover the country. You wake up in a completely different part of the country. Often even with a different climate.
I guess that, after reading Adigra's posting, the 'differences' between parts of the country must be an even bigger experience than another part of Tokyo.
I wouldn't mind seeing a lot of photos when they've returned!
At Adigra:
Yes please! Even when the information is available. I'm under the impression that your view on things (including visualization of this guide) can be refreshing, so to speak!I could write a giant guide,
I was really drawn to post by the mention that the travellers are interested in manga, as that is an area of interest I know a lot about, everything else I am a bit of an idiot at. My wife is an expert on hotels and travel. I suppose my wife and I are very odd travellers as we are like children lucky to be able to indulge at a high level. Japan is like a wonderland for people like us. In November we travelled with three empty bags (on top of two full ones) just to bring back toys and other stuff we're into (we were buying Christmas presents for actual kids).
There are things I didn't think worth mentioning as they are going at the wrong time, but I follow Sumo and have been to many tournaments. It's one of the coolest and very Japanese things to do, but requires quite a bit of planning if you want to have decent seats.
Of course, many things are very different depending on the budget, but I really do recommend taking the train to Kyoto and Osaka (they are very close to each other). Two very different cities and I was shocked at how different the people were from Tokyo, from fashion to just behaviour. And the food is very different too. Street food anywhere in Japan is amazing!
The biggest downside (for tourists) in Japan is just the level of bureaucracy. Just buying something in a shop requires so much work and extra people, wrapping, handing over, etc. that what should take 5 minutes often ends up taking 20. Add tax refund to that, and you can spend an extra hour just on admin. It's really fun and fascinating at first, but after a while it just a drag.
Anyhow, the nerdy stuff, or otaku, I can write a bit more about it later, but I should add that Japan is famous for cancelling and closing things at the height of popularity, so things change quite rapidly and recommending something now might be pointless for October. They also always make things far less available than they could, so popular things are always sold out and they seem to take pleasure from telling you that you can't have it even though they still have it on display. This why a lot of things are booked so far in advance. Someone mentioned special trains (Evangelion, Hello Kitty, etc.), well, I've never been able to get tickets for those as they are gone before I ever learn about them. There are special exhibits all the time, but as a tourist your window is very limited, so you have to plan far in advance. We have local help, and still miss out on some things.
One of those you have to plan for, but is well worth the effort and is a must for any lover of anime is the Ghibli Museum. It's a wonderful place.
Has anyone been to any of the Islands? Was thinking a week in the city followed by a week on the beach on Ishigaki?
Sound feasible?
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^^^ thanks for this!^^^Originally Posted by adigra
As noted above, the Japan Rail pass is excellent value for money and provides a great way to get about.
Kyoto, Nara and Hiroshima are all well worth a look if you are in Western Honshu. I also enjoyed going to see one of the Sumo tournaments back in the day - truely unique.
Lots of good tips from the more extensive posts above. Nikko and Kamakura are both doable in day trips from Tokyo and allow a change of scenery from the city.
Finally a hike up Mt Fuji in the summer to arrive to watch the sunrise followed by a visit to an Onsen also made a memorable weekend.
It’s a great place to visit, and significantly easier these days with gps in your phone. Getting lost with only a Lonely Planet guide used to add to the adventure, but I suspect those days have passed… street signs in kanji were tough going.
I’ve always harboured a desire to visit Japan and very nearly chose is as my destination of choice for my 60th birthday but it fell through.
As others have said, it’s a vast country and needs a huge amount of planning to make the most of the time there, so I considered doing one of the many tours that pretty much take you to all the places that would be of interest. I know this takes away some of the spontaneity out of it but it also avoids the potential for disappointment at missing out on some of the places to see.
One day……..
I did this a good few years back and loved every minute of it, crazy how it was legal to go through Tokyo in a go-cart/ sorry mario cart ! Obviously do your due diligence as their are a few operators doing the same thing.
As above did the ‘karting’, it was excellent and certainly a good way to see a lot of different places.
I visited Tokyo and Kyoto on my visit, we did the bullet train between and it was a fab way to see Fuji as we passed and was very enjoyable - it is expensive though, we did the green car (first class effectively) and it was more expensive than a business class flight equivalent.
We paid for a guide in both places, we were on a tight schedule for our trip so wanted to get the most out of it. Both were excellent, neither cheap but we saw and did so much I would never have considered.
Really important unless you can read Japanese:
1) Google Translate using the camera feature is invaluable.
2) have a portable USB charger as using Google Translate and the camera drains your phone battery fast.
3) as mentioned earlier, a local wifi SIM card is a lot cheaper.
There are very few English signs to navigate. I laughed that even the Tourist offices at the train stations have loads of flyers of places to go… ALL in Japanese. :-). Amazing place. Even better food. Beautiful and fascinating country.
On phones and internet access, I use Mobal. It's cheap, and connects to the giant SoftBank cellular network. There are many other services. This one has an interface in English though, which you might find useful. The company gives “the majority of profits” to charity.
Referal link (saves you and I ¥1000) https://www.mobal.com/friends/633bffa419607
Non referal link https://www.mobal.com/japan-sim-card/
TT
I'd be visiting for similar reasons! Been reading manga and watching anime since I was 14 (I'm now 43!). I would love to see the life-size RX-78 (or RX-0) but not sure if it's still on display.
The original RX-78 was replaced with the Unicorn a few years ago and that is still on display in Odaiba. I thought it was incredibly impressive until I got to see the new moving one they put up in Yokohama. I was completely blown away by the range of motion and the overall setup. The whole show takes 10 minutes and the Gundam steps out, gets down on one knee, the hands and fingers move, the torso bends, the cockpit opens up, etc. It was unbelievable. Sadly I think they are taking it down this spring (but I think the Unicorn is staying).
That's bloody brilliant!!The original RX-78 was replaced with the Unicorn a few years ago and that is still on display in Odaiba. I thought it was incredibly impressive until I got to see the new moving one they put up in Yokohama. I was completely blown away by the range of motion and the overall setup. The whole show takes 10 minutes and the Gundam steps out, gets down on one knee, the hands and fingers move, the torso bends, the cockpit opens up, etc. It was unbelievable. Sadly I think they are taking it down this spring (but I think the Unicorn is staying).
Friend suggested
https://www.sogetsu.or.jp/e/ Ikebana (modern)
https://ikebanaluxe.com/lesson/index.html Ikebana (Tradional - may need a Japanese speaker to help)
https://wabunka-experience.com/en/ Ikebana and Tea Ceremony courses
Hope that helps
TT
Thank you, much appreciated.
'Against stupidity, the gods themselves struggle in vain' - Schiller.
Booked 2 weeks in August.
Osaka > Kyoto > Tokyo > Kamakura.
Any recommendations on are “must do’s” would be great. Food I’ve got covered.
The Peace Park in Hiroshima is worth a visit
Go to a huge Pachinko Palace - truly astounding places. Get a load of balls, and sit down.
Try and catch a Japanese Drum Troup performance (like Kodo, Wadaiko Ichiro etc)
Have changed this slightly with Tokyo broken up in two rounds either side of 5 nights on Okinawa.
Anyone been to Okinawa before? Food/Drink seems surprisingly cheap.
Depends where, stay away from little America. Internal flights are cheap there.
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