Japan Thread Season 3: Updates and share your experience - Part 1

[bluebellas]

how about Osaka?
universal studio and osaka aquarium will be fun for the kids. cup noodle museum shld be fun too coz they can DIY their own cup noodle

Good to hear that. I'll do some research on Osaka first Thanks!

 

[Seumdwa]

Is there any recommendation for ski and onsen resort. Hope it is easy accessible from tokyo via shinkansen.

 

[hkkoh1]

hi guys,
I would be going to Osaka for 14 days during dec/jan. I have a few questions to ask about my trip.
1. i am planning to stay in kyoto for first 9 days(2 days in a ryokan and 7 days in a airbnb apartment) and osaka for 5 days(somewhere ard namba), is it a good idea to spread my days like this?
For my trip, i planned to be a leisure trip visiting some onsen, sightseeing and going for a day ski tour.
2. is there any ski resort nearby kyoto for a day trip to recommend? what are the possible day trips i can go ?
3. if i were to travel ard these places which kind of passes should i get? (i am really confused with all the kansai passes and JR passes etc. )
4. i have a morning flight at 10am, is it possible i travel early morning from osaka (namba area)to the airport on a weekday morning? will there be jam? what time would be the first train and all
Thank you in advance!

 

[valyrian]

hi guys

can give me some guidance on a 8 day 7 night tokyo trip for 2 adults 2 kids (6 and 10) including Disneyland? Will be going in december.

Any experts with some recommendation esp hotel?

budget for hotel 200 per day enough?
foodwise about 500 per day.

Any ideas?

 

[maellability]

Managed to book SG-NRT ANA flight for $645 per person from last week of October - first week of November. Anyone knows if the weather will be nice and if it's possible to catch autumn foilage?

 

[fabianlau]

Wonder can bring my baby 1 year old that time Tokyo will it be too cold ? Thank

 

[vaxvms]

in case u wanna buy mask in japan...

how to choose mask in japan ?

https://www.letsgojp.cn/archives/308764/

 

[vaxvms]

infected case area at a glance

https://www.letsgojp.cn/archives/425718/

 

[juxtaposition]

Choose with these letters

 

[vaxvms]

add 4 more case 19/feb

2月19日，神奈川县新增2例、北海道新增2例确诊病例

 

[vaxvms]

add 1 more 20/feb

2月20日上午，一名居住在福冈县福冈市的60多岁男性确诊，这也是九州地区第一起确诊病例

 

[deodorant]

I did a Sakura trip to Osaka/Nara/Nagoya/Tokyo in Mar/Apr 2023 with my preschooler (3.5 years old).

https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...a-2023-trip-with-toddler-preschooler.6891815/
Full thread on EDMW if you'd like to see.

 

[twosix]

Anyone tried this. Haha.

Sg dun have.

 

[xiao_cai7]

I just back from Japan. First time there with my wife.

Amazing and eye-opener country to visit. Foodie will visit again.

Tokyo, Mt Fuji 5th Station, Lake Kawaguchiko

Summary of my trip

Pros

1. Most disabled/ handicapped friendly city in the world. Disabled toilets are huge, wheelchair friendly. Train platforms, streets have elevated bumpers to aid the blind. Train platform doors, train seats, different music to indicate the incoming train. Different JR stations different music.
2. Clean public toilets everywhere and free. Compared to Europe so hard to find toilets don't say clean. SG 5* hotel also lose them.
3. Polite and friendly people.
4. Quiet environment, especially trains. Compared to SG or China/ HK
5. Efficient rail system. This trip i F&E via trains only.
6. Clean streets, beat any cities in the world.
7. Clean buses and cars.
8. Punctual train arrivals
9. Machines (Train ticketing) have English/ Chinese/ Korean/ iirc Thai
10. Fresh and cheap seafood.
11. Shopping savings after tax free. Tax free shops everywhere.
12. Many things to do and buy. Tokyo station alone is madness. Kawaii !

Cons

1. No rubbish bins. Very bad for foodies. Some vendors were nice help us to take in rubbish after we bought from them. Normally train station platforms have bins. Few days we took our rubbish all the way back hotel.
2. Remember to sort rubbish, plastic/ cans/ general waste even in Tsukiji market.
3. If you eat alot at Tsukiji, prefer to have deep pockets. SGD 6 -10 Oyster/piece. Waygu on a stick SGD 40 onwards. Tuna bowl/sushi/rice from SGD 29 onwards. And prepare to Q.
4. I like the ramen noodles, but the broth is f**king salty. Most noodles/udon they cook hard or chewy, my wife don't like she likes very soft.
5. English proficiency generally low. Those staff in retail mall and train station at max 30%. The one i met had full conversation was a senior lady train staff at Lake Kawaguchiko station
6. Crowded everywhere
7. No place to sit and rest except in F&B and trains. Unfriendly for elderly and kids not on prams.
8. Some stations no escalators, so need to climb. Not to high compared to Paris/ HK
9. Lots of walking
10. Train platforms are huge. Tokyo station/ Shinjuku
11. In cities outside of Tokyo take note of express and local trains. Local trains stop every stop, express train stop major stops and only costs like SGD 2 more. Can't buy express train from ticketing machines.
12. Restaurant/ food shop have no English name, use google Maps.
13. Cash preferred, most useful 100 Yen coins. Food machine and train tickets.
14. Earthquake
15. Expensive and small hotel rooms in Tokyo 11- 12sqm from SGD $160/night. 20sqm> SGD $250 night.
16. You need to take a paid train to reach either Disneysea/ Disneyland, i wasted 30mins walking straight to the mall. Paris and HK Disney were just outside the train station.
17. If you are Disney fan, don't go Disneysea, nothing much to buy as there are more Duffy stuff. We went as only Disneysea is found in Tokyo.

Download Google translate App

If you plan travel out, the JR while pass from Klook is worthwhile. We took the JR lines everyday , while remaining last days we take a mix of Metro/Subway and JR, depending where we go.

Asakusa, Sensoji Temple is not on any JR lines.

On my trip from Tokyo to Toyama, i wanted to self reserve the Shinkansen from the JR Shinkansen machines day before, but requested payments. Since i paid for 7 days JR whole pass, head to the JR Shinkansen office in Tokyo station and have the staff reserve free 5mins job.

 

[zoossh]

hi guys

can give me some guidance on a 8 day 7 night tokyo trip for 2 adults 2 kids (6 and 10) including Disneyland? Will be going in december.

Any experts with some recommendation esp hotel?

budget for hotel 200 per day enough?
foodwise about 500 per day.

Any ideas?

Not an expert here but with kids, less walking is key so locations are restrictive. I think $300 gives more flexibility.

but why food so expensive? Why need to spend 500 a day?

 

[zoossh]

I did a Sakura trip to Osaka/Nara/Nagoya/Tokyo in Mar/Apr 2023 with my preschooler (3.5 years old).

https://forums.hardwarezone.com.sg/...a-2023-trip-with-toddler-preschooler.6891815/
Full thread on EDMW if you'd like to see.

Lol your trip is worth looking at if I’m bringing kids

it’s so difficult and different with kids around

 

[zoossh]

Those visiting Osaka/Kyoto:

i just came back 2 months ago, had a beautiful cherry blossom holiday there.

Mainly if you are into shopping, Tokyo offers more but you can get to shop at Shinsaibashi area in Osaka, can find the typical drugstores, Daiso, Uniqlo, Tokyu Hands and street shops here. Umeda has malls for shopping too. These are the main places people usually go for shopping. There are other malls like HEP-5 etc, it's up to your time and preference to include these too.

Basically, Osaka is another city in Japan, more laid back than Tokyo.

For sightseeing and entertainment, you can visit Universal Studios, theirs is bigger and has more rides and activities than SG! The Aquarium is also very popular. Osaka castle is also a good place for sightseeing esp during spring or autumn.

i stayed at NIKKO HOTEL in Osaka, near Shinsaibashi, location is very good for shopping and eating. It's a small standard but clean hotel and moderately priced. I highly recommend this hotel. It is also very near the train station, less than a minute walk.

Osaka to Kyoto take around plus minus an hour to reach, including the travelling time to train station, buying tickets, walking up and down finding the right directions etc.

Kyoto is a totally beautiful place, if you're into culture, you may like to spend more days here and slowly visit all the beautiful shrines and temples.
A must visit would be Kiyomizudera temple, Sanjusangendo, Hei An shrine, Fushimi Inari.

I love Fushimi Inari, the film Memoirs of a Geisha was filmed there too.

I stayed around GION area in Kyoto and loved that area because it was near Maruyama Park and they had a food carnival there at that time when i was staying cuz it was spring. It was a short walk to restaurants, Pachinko Parlours and you can also walk to their main shopping area called Kawaramachi/Shijo.
Shopping is not as extensive here than in Osaka and Tokyo though.

Please read my blog as i have more detailed info on Japan there.
Have been there 3 times, i have yet to blog about my 3rd trip there but will do so very very soon, meanwhile, hope my travelogue on Japan during my 1st and 2nd trip will help you guys who are going there.

Where is your blog?

I went kyoto twice already but will still go there (with different people) also to catch the Aoi matsuri. Despite of that, there are places that I had not yet seen or places that I think I haven’t had time to slowly enjoy

I find that locations in kyoto are far apart, easily 45 mins apart. Second thing is kyoto is over touristed; I had underwhelming experience at kinkaku so I’m not going to squeeze in the crowd again

1. specifically asking kiyomizu. How’s interior? Worth it? read road leading into it is nice but not inside gates. always see same camera angle of temple on youtube (not spectacular to me) plus I’m not going in autumn. planning a day where I start going early like 645am to 7 plus at inari, then to higashimaya but not into kiyomizu, before catching matsuri near imperial palace by 9. U think this works?

2. for photographing geisha, any tips? I’m thinking joining a show (kamogawa odori) pay for it rather than paparazzi style on the streets leaving to chance. Any better suggestions?

3. for Gion, maruyama, what’s best timing? For Nishiki and pontocho, any shops that’s very special? Did u go murin-an and tofukuji?

4. any places that u think are best and nicest for spending an evening? Scenaries and photo taking wise?

5. I’m spending 3 nights. One of the pm/evening/night I’m going to go osaka dotonburi as colors of the shops are nice for photo-taking. Some recommended tengachaya. Do u know of any hidden gem in osaka for nostalgic or different from the usual touristy locations for osaka preferably one that is easier to assess as I’m staying kyoto as to/fro will burn me 2hrs

 

[deodorant]

Lol your trip is worth looking at if I’m bringing kids

it’s so difficult and different with kids around

Yes. I went to Japan 6 times with wife before this. I can say that maybe 60-70% of that knowledge and experience cannot be applied to a holiday with small kid lol.