Travel Japan

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revo333

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from memory the 7 day was priced at the value of a single tokyo osaka return on standard bullet train

get the hyperdia app on your phone and get an exact price of your intended travel

Have worked out my train travel will be about 90 aud plus the metro cost to get around Tokyo so the bullet pass i won't need.
 

SonOfScray

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Has anyone here done a day trip to Hakobe/Mt Fuji from Tokyo?

Thinking of doing a bus tour understanding that there is a chance of no views of the mountain if conditions are no good. Like the look of the rope way and boat ride on the lake.
 

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Sep 9, 2012
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Has anyone here done a day trip to Hakobe/Mt Fuji from Tokyo?

Thinking of doing a bus tour understanding that there is a chance of no views of the mountain if conditions are no good. Like the look of the rope way and boat ride on the lake.
Personally I'd take more than a day. There are some wonderful ryokan around Lake Kawaguchiko if you wanted to stay the night.
 

SonOfScray

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Personally I'd take more than a day. There are some wonderful ryokan around Lake Kawaguchiko if you wanted to stay the night.
Yeah, I think that might be the logical option. I'm a bit stretched for time and travelling with my three year old so the day trip is probably asking a lot of her too. On the bus at 9 and the Shinkansen back to Tokyo at 8 I believe.
 

revo333

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Yeah, I think that might be the logical option. I'm a bit stretched for time and travelling with my three year old so the day trip is probably asking a lot of her too. On the bus at 9 and the Shinkansen back to Tokyo at 8 I believe.

Was thinking of doing a day tour but after reading reviews it's too hit or miss for the money.

Some people have suggested doing this instead, Wake up early in the morning and check the weather and if it looks clear go here instead to get this view https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e6917.html
 

chargers 09

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Looking at going back for the whole month of April- only thing stopping me is potentially not having anyone to go with.


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revo333

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I have just experienced my first taste of Japan although it was only 5 days in Tokyo.

For future reference to those who come in here like i did looking for tips for their first trip to Japan, i thought i'd share some of my own...

- Have a plan B from Narita Airport to Tokyo, My Narita Express train got cancelled and i had to use another train company at night.

- I experienced train delays everyday so don't expect perfection like i did.

- If you are on a budget, the food from 7/11 is cheap but delicious and good quality, they even microwave it for you.

- Don't panic at the train station and stay calm, even some Japanese i saw found it confusing and panicked.

- If you hop on a train and are not confident it is the right one, look at google maps and click on the station you are at, you can look at the line you are on and see if the station you want is on it.

- If you want to see Mt.Fuji wait until you arrive and hope for a day with little cloud cover and then take a train early in the morning on that day. I was very lucky with only one day of my stay having little cloud cover. I got a great view and pictures at a place near Shimoyoshida station. It only took up 4 hours of my day unlike tours that take up a whole day and are expensive.

- It's true what they say about the Japanese people however i saw a few awkward exchanges with tourists holding maps asking the locals for directions with the Japanese person not understanding english to well. Let them be and get a pre paid sim so you use a map on your phone to find your way.
 
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I have just experienced my first taste of Japan although it was only 5 days in Tokyo.

For future reference to those who come in here like i did looking for tips for their first trip to Japan, i thought i'd share some of my own...

- Have a plan B from Narita Airport to Tokyo, My Narita Express train got cancelled and i had to use another train company at night.

- I experienced train delays everyday so don't expect perfection like i did.

- If you are on a budget, the food from 7/11 is cheap but delicious and good quality, they even microwave it for you.

- Don't panic at the train station and stay calm, even some Japanese i saw found it confusing and panicked.

- If you hop on a train and are not confident it is the right one, look at google maps and click on the station you are at, you can look at the line you are on and see if the station you want is on it.

- If you want to see Mt.Fuji wait until you arrive and hope for a day with little cloud cover and then take a train early in the morning on that day. I was very lucky with only one day of my stay having little cloud cover. I got a great view and pictures at a place near Shimoyoshida station. It only took up 4 hours of my day unlike tours that take up a whole day and are expensive.

- It's true what they say about the Japanese people however i saw a few awkward exchanges with tourists holding maps asking the locals for directions with the Japanese person not understanding english to well. Let them be and get a pre paid sim so you use a map on your phone to find your way.

I rarely use the narita express. Limousine bus is a better way to get to your hotel.
 

basashi

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Never had a problem with the Narita express, though the bus is the better option if you are not staying near Shinjuku as it does stop at more places.

Another good option is the Keisei Skyliner to Ueno. Depends where you are staying. Cheaper than Nex
 

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I honestly have no idea where I'd want to go in Japan. I'm keen to just check out the big cities, visit some guitar shops for some Japanese Fenders, electronic/hobby stores and maybe go to the mountains/ check out some spas.
Well no doubt you'll spend some time in Tokyo then:
  • Nagi Ramen specialises in a seafood broth and it's absolutely incredible. It's served with a sheet of pasta and I couldn't recommend it more. You can find it in Golden Gai.
  • Kagari is in Ginza and can be found in an underground train station. This place has (two?) Michelin stars and there will always be a line, but it's worth it. Chicken broth ramen.
  • I think Afuri has a few outlets, but the one I went to was in Harajuku. This place seemed to emphasis citrus more than other bowls I had, and was pretty solid. Really popular but I'd have the two aforementioned ahead of it.
Personally I'd stay away from Ichiran (huge ramen chain) - I thought it was crap but others seem to rant and rave about it. My rule of thumb would be checking out train stations and finding ramen places in there - they tend to be really good. I also found that any place with a ticket machine system was good too.

As I said, if you let me know where you want to go I can recommend more
 

Bigjobss

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I had the same experience with Ichiran, just meh for my taste.
One tip that never really failed me was to go a street or two off the main street into the alleys and look for food.
 

Ishikawa

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Well no doubt you'll spend some time in Tokyo then:
  • Nagi Ramen specialises in a seafood broth and it's absolutely incredible. It's served with a sheet of pasta and I couldn't recommend it more. You can find it in Golden Gai.
  • Kagari is in Ginza and can be found in an underground train station. This place has (two?) Michelin stars and there will always be a line, but it's worth it. Chicken broth ramen.
  • I think Afuri has a few outlets, but the one I went to was in Harajuku. This place seemed to emphasis citrus more than other bowls I had, and was pretty solid. Really popular but I'd have the two aforementioned ahead of it.
Personally I'd stay away from Ichiran (huge ramen chain) - I thought it was crap but others seem to rant and rave about it. My rule of thumb would be checking out train stations and finding ramen places in there - they tend to be really good. I also found that any place with a ticket machine system was good too.

As I said, if you let me know where you want to go I can recommend more

Afuri cold yuzu ramen was awesome, had it in their Naka Meguro store on a very hot day - perfect.

Haven't tried the other you mentioned but did not have a bad meal in Japan, food lovers heaven. Will keep an eye out next time.
 

crafty_bernardo

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Going to Ichiran is like going to McDonalds. There are plenty of other great ramen places. In saying that McDonald’s probably isn’t the best example because Japans Mcds is great. Lmao


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Sep 9, 2012
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Going to Ichiran is like going to McDonalds. There are plenty of other great ramen places. In saying that McDonald’s probably isn’t the best example because Japans Mcds is great. Lmao


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Yeah something about Jap McDonald's chips is 1000x better than everywhere else.
 
Apr 18, 2011
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Just got back from Tokyo for the rugby. If you get a chance to come to Japan around Halloween do it, just a huge party, absolutely awesome. Shibuya was absolutely rammed everyone dressed up, zero aggro or any problems that I saw. Then went to a Halloween party in Roppongi, 2000 yen ($30ish) all you can drink all night. Had a ball.
 

Silent Alarm

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Going over the first time in February I reckon. I haven't seen snow.

Pretty cliché sort of thing these days, every cashed up bogan is heading to Japan instead of Thailand and these days it seems there's an unfounded smugness for these sorts... aka the New York City, Paris, and Greece and 'doing Barcelona' but nowhere else tribe.

Anyway, three weeks. Give us a trip.

I want good food, a mix of the intensity and the calmness, not really fussed at all about snowboarding (ain't my scene), and beer and saké. Places to both relax and take in the tranquility and areas where I can sink a heap of piss, hang out all night, and eat sick food. Shopping, architecture a bonus.

Cheers!
 

Silent Alarm

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Also... Lost In Translation is one of my favourite movies. Has anyone done the 'pilgrimage?'
 
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Also... Lost In Translation is one of my favourite movies. Has anyone done the 'pilgrimage?'
It's a fine movie but it's depictions of the Japanese are sometimes jarring. It's significant that few Japanese have any regard for this movie despite the protestations of Sofia Coppola.
Let me have a think about your broader questions SA and I'll answer a bit later.
 

Silent Alarm

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It's a fine movie but it's depictions of the Japanese are sometimes jarring. It's significant that few Japanese have any regard for this movie despite the protestations of Sofia Coppola.
Let me have a think about your broader questions SA and I'll answer a bit later.
It uses Japan well in one way – as a backdrop – but most Japanese people are used as 'r for l' jokes in it, for sure.

Still a painfully special movie for me. I can remember watching it as a teenager on a stinging hot laptop and crying over how real it was. Ah well. For another day.
 

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