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Travel Japan

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Sttew said:
I spent 10 days in Japan in September. First time there. 10/10 experience. The Japanese are so humble and proud (unlike certain mainland neighbours). For anyone thinking of Japan as a holiday destination here are 10 bloody good reasons to go there (I love top 10 lists!!):

1. In September the time difference is 1 hour, so no jet lag!
2. The food! We did not have one bad meal. My favourite was okinimyaki served at an okinimyaki restaurant.
3. The juxtaposition of old meets ultra modern. Japan is steeped in rich history, but it has also embraced the future like there's no tomorrow.
4. Value for money. In September 2014 the exchange rate was about 95 Y to the dollar. It's still about that making it affordable.
5. Kyoto - the old capital of Japan. Any trip to Japan must include Kyoto. It is a vibrant historical city no bigger than Adelaide! Osaka is only about 10 minutes from Kyoto on the bullet train.
6. The public transport - unbelievably clean and efficient (remember to buy a JR. pass in Australia)
7. Jetstar now flies direct to Japan from Melbourne. I'm sick of international flights only leaving from Sydney. At the moment Jetstar is offering 2 for 1.
8. Photographic opportunities - they abound everywhere.
9. Sumo wrestling - it only happens a few times a year and tickets go quickly. What a blast. Blink and you'll miss a fight, as they only last a few seconds. But the posturing and banter that precedes the fight is as good. An Australian sports commentator called the fights for English speaking spectators and he explained the intricacies of the sport.
10. Alcohol - I was expecting Japan to be like other Asin countries. Expensive alcohol. Not so! Beer was cheaper than in Australia, and in Kyoto we came across some of the cutest wine bars.
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Hi Sttew,

thanks for this. We are heading to Japan in April, can't wait. Am staying pretty close to Mitsui Garden Hotel, so will be sure to check out some bars and restaurants around that area.

How difficult or easy did you find the public transport to navigate? Also, finding your way from stations to hotels/ryokans?
 
Admiral Motti said:
Hi Sttew,

thanks for this. We are heading to Japan in April, can't wait. Am staying pretty close to Mitsui Garden Hotel, so will be sure to check out some bars and restaurants around that area.

How difficult or easy did you find the public transport to navigate? Also, finding your way from stations to hotels/ryokans?
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Kyoto has a very efficient underground system. Otherwise we used taxis which are inexpensive. Its a flat city so east to walk around. Also, the railway station (an amazing building that you must spend time exploring) is like a central hub for everything.

Make sure you go to a restaurant / bar called Shuto Yanagino, Sanjo Shinmachi-dori Nishi-iru, Nakagyo-ku. Its hard to find but worth looking for. It is named after the owner who speaks perfect English and will explain the food to you and match it with wine . You will never find a more minimalist restaurant bar - no signage, nothing on the walls, no food or drinks on display, just a long timber bar.
 
Admiral Motti said:
Hi Sttew,

thanks for this. We are heading to Japan in April, can't wait. Am staying pretty close to Mitsui Garden Hotel, so will be sure to check out some bars and restaurants around that area.

How difficult or easy did you find the public transport to navigate? Also, finding your way from stations to hotels/ryokans?
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Amazing time to be in Japan. Cherry Blossoms are in full swing so make sure you have a decent camera packed.

The people are the nicest people you will come across. One thing that will blow your mind is the lack of English spoken there. We arrived around midnight and grabbed at safe snack at the nearest McDonald's to our hotel. No English spoken!
 

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Leaving today after 10 days. Only hit Hakuba and Tokyo, but even 5 days wasn't close to enough in Tokyo.
 
Slowly booking accomodation, will be staying in Ginza (Tokyo) the first 4 nights then Shinjuku (Tokyo) the last 2 nights before heading home, have about 10 nights in between to fill. Osaka for about 4-5 nights is a plan and I want to stay at one of those spa bath resorts around Hakone, which I believe can be reached via the cable cart around Mt Fuji.

Any tips of places to stay in those spots or another city/town to visit for a few nights?
 
juss said:
Slowly booking accomodation, will be staying in Ginza (Tokyo) the first 4 nights then Shinjuku (Tokyo) the last 2 nights before heading home, have about 10 nights in between to fill. Osaka for about 4-5 nights is a plan and I want to stay at one of those spa bath resorts around Hakone, which I believe can be reached via the cable cart around Mt Fuji.

Any tips of places to stay in those spots or another city/town to visit for a few nights?
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When staying in Shinjuku, make sure you visit the Golden Gai district at night time - Its a series of narrow laneways in the area known as Kabukicho packed with over 200 of the tiniest bars and eateries. Most of the bars would be lucky to seat more than a few customers. Not all welcome tourists, but when you find one that does it is an experience. My wife and I found one that did and we were rubbing shoulders with a Japanese version of Ernest Hemingway!

What hotel are you staying at in Ginza?
 
Sttew said:
When staying in Shinjuku, make sure you visit the Golden Gai district at night time - Its a series of narrow laneways in the area known as Kabukicho packed with over 200 of the tiniest bars and eateries. Most of the bars would be lucky to seat more than a few customers. Not all welcome tourists, but when you find one that does it is an experience. My wife and I found one that did and we were rubbing shoulders with a Japanese version of Ernest Hemingway!

What hotel are you staying at in Ginza?
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Mercure Hotel in Ginza
 
Sttew said:
When staying in Shinjuku, make sure you visit the Golden Gai district at night time - Its a series of narrow laneways in the area known as Kabukicho packed with over 200 of the tiniest bars and eateries. Most of the bars would be lucky to seat more than a few customers. Not all welcome tourists, but when you find one that does it is an experience. My wife and I found one that did and we were rubbing shoulders with a Japanese version of Ernest Hemingway!

What hotel are you staying at in Ginza?
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Kabukicho eh? Haha. Osaka = Marriott (new one). Sensational.
 
juss said:
Slowly booking accomodation, will be staying in Ginza (Tokyo) the first 4 nights then Shinjuku (Tokyo) the last 2 nights before heading home, have about 10 nights in between to fill. Osaka for about 4-5 nights is a plan and I want to stay at one of those spa bath resorts around Hakone, which I believe can be reached via the cable cart around Mt Fuji.

Any tips of places to stay in those spots or another city/town to visit for a few nights?
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I second Golden Gai, it's definitely worth checking out. Lots of fun to be had there. The National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo is brilliant, if that's your kind of thing. Kamakura, a lovely town about an hour out of Tokyo, has some great temples to see, plus the Great Buddha statue.

As you're staying in Osaka for 4-5 nights, that's perfect for day trips to Kyoto and Nara, which are about half an hour away by train. If you like your whisky, the Yamazaki distillery is between Osaka and Kyoto. There are daily tours that end with a tasting of about five whiskys. Mmm.

As for another city to visit, Hiroshima and Itsukushima are well worthwhile.
 

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mickelboy182 said:
Thinking of heading to Japan for my next trip, love the culture.
How hard is it to get around and do things with limited Japanese?
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I don't speak a word, and had no trouble anywhere when I visited in September last year. Occasionally I'd need to point to a map when trying to get directions.

In Tokyo, they are improving English signage in readiness for the Olympics. Its not perfect. We'd be in a subway heading for a particular exit and all of a sudden the English signage disappeared.
 
Sttew said:
I don't speak a word, and had no trouble anywhere when I visited in September last year. Occasionally I'd need to point to a map when trying to get directions.

In Tokyo, they are improving English signage in readiness for the Olympics. Its not perfect. We'd be in a subway heading for a particular exit and all of a sudden the English signage disappeared.
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Haha that's the worry, don't want to miss out on too much simply because of being unable to read signage etc.
 

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I was just there for almost 3 weeks.

Interesting country. So respectful in some ways, and utterly disrespectful in others. Beautiful though - and was not as busy as I thought it would be within cities.
 
sivart said:
where is the best area of Tokyo to stay?
Shibuya, Hibiya & Roppingi have been recommended to me
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Literally anywhere as the train system is amazing and you can be wherever you want in a quick time.

We stayed near Akihabara (electronics district) which was 5 mins from the sumo area, and about 10 minutes from Shinjuku/Shibuya.
 

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