Perth/Japan with 14yr Old Son?

• 

  Forfiet on 19/01/2016 - 23:09

  http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=2482875

  http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/japantravelfaq

  http://www.japan-guide.com/

  I'll try and add some more particular stuff later, but this is usually always a great place to start…..

  Edit: Here is another with the manga/anime side: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2070.html

  • 

    linoc66 on 20/01/2016 - 01:38

    Thanks Forfiet, bit of research there, all very time consuming this planning stuff compared to just booking a plane ticket, throw the backpack over the shoulder, and go where those you meet along the way lead you…

    • 

      Forfiet on 20/01/2016 - 07:46

      You can do that too… just take note of the some basics, you don't need to go over the whole country! Maybe just go to say tokyo, book a place and work it all out when you get there.

      All I'd worry about is travel to japan and home(dates included), An initial place for accommodation, basic budget for the trip and info such as knowing the ATM`s you can use(http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/japantravelcurrency) and possible portable WiFi internet for information on the go (http://whirlpool.net.au/wiki/japantravelinternet).

      Anyway good luck and don't worry too much otherwise it's no holiday!!!!

• 

  captobvious on 19/01/2016 - 23:28

  +1

  Leave him in akihabara with some money. He' ll be right

  Go to the snow. Nice resorts in nagano. A few stays that are traditional. Sleep on the floor kind of places

• 

  altomic on 20/01/2016 - 00:18

  +3

  lived there for 4 years. 18 months in Tokyo, 2.5 years in Sendai.

  just Tokyo would entertain for a month. so much to see. a place at night is so different by day. I worked in Ginza for 18 months and at 2am it was so totally different to 2pm.

  accommodation should be with a Ryokan. this is like a bulk homestay experience which is usually a family run business. i.e. a huge house with multiple bedrooms/shared bathrooms. this is more of a "traditional" experience and I highly recommend it (it's what I'll be using when I go there again in July). This is usually a traditional futon experience - sleep on the floor/tatami (which is how I lived in Japan for 4 years). book through the english website http://www.ryokan.or.jp/english/ very good and easy and has telephone support if required.

  if you want to see traditional/out of the way stuff - yes, rent a car and drive and don't really follow a map. just drive. most towns have ryokans - keep the above websites number to call if you're lost and looking for accommodation. if you are lost and still looking for a accommodation - "sue me ma san, rio-can doc-koo dess car?"

  some of my best rural experiences were when I was driving around and completely lost -e.g. following an overgrown paved road through the mountains to stumble upon some isolated and seemingly empty village. good times.

  Tokyo disneyland is interesting. it represents post modern japan and it's struggle with internationalism and westernization. I met many japanese who were huge fans of disneyland e.g. 20+ visits.

  traditional stuff to see around Tokyo - kamakura (south of Tokyo -south of yokohama) - former capital of japan durring medievil times. Nikko -north of Tokyo - also a former capital of Japan. (capitals of Japan moved from west to east over centuries)

  drive through Chiba prefecture (east of Tokyo) it's interesting surf beaches, rice paddies, forrests and Shinto (japanese budhism) temples atop of mountain tops.

  climb mount fuji - you can do it in 10 hours but it will leave you feeling it for a couple of days.

  I could speak for a week on stuff to do and my experience. though I feel I didn't do much for the time I lived there.

  respond if you want any further tips or have questions.

  • 

    Forfiet on 20/01/2016 - 00:30

    "sue me ma san, rio-can doc-koo dess car?" despite understanding what you are saying, I tried reading that as a literal romaji text and was confused….. had to laugh :)

    • 

      altomic on 20/01/2016 - 00:46

      read it as english. yeah, it's tough to get around Japanese pronunciation. despite 4 years of in-country living I could never get my ears around "tzu" and "tsu".

      trying to englisize japanese pronunciation (for me) is a little difficult as I experienced multiple dialects. and combined with my french canadian/chinese roots is complexing.

      english as a third language and then trying to explain Japanese in English gets confusing.

      • 

        vitastic on 20/01/2016 - 01:04

        +1

        Trying to change English to katakana can be even worse… especially when you forget that it should be with an American accent :(

      • 

        Forfiet on 20/01/2016 - 01:12

        oh don't get me wrong the way you wrote it works….. I was just being to literal when I read the words…. example (sumimasen) sue me ma san… Besides I can't speak or read it either, just know random bits from Japanese tv shows and the anime/manga bits…. :P

      • 

        altomic on 20/01/2016 - 01:18

        @vitastic: true that. "Melbourne" was incomprehensible as "Melbourne/mel-bin" to Japanese, but as "Mell- Bornn" with an American twang was readily understood by Japanese.

      • 

        vitastic on 20/01/2016 - 15:16

        @altomic:

        Or margarine. When I spend too much time in Australia I forget how the American's pronounce it and then it just confuses my family/friends >_<

  • 

    linoc66 on 20/01/2016 - 01:42

    Thanks altomic, good onya for living that lifestyle rather than getting someone preggy at 16 and bludging on the dole etc

    Bit late in the nite to research now but I like what you've explained

    • 

      altomic on 20/01/2016 - 02:00

      thanks. get some sleep, digest and then post any questions/queries tomorrow.

      but really and truly, just rock up to japan and go semi-random with travel. you'll be right.

• 

  vitastic on 20/01/2016 - 00:52

  Rainy season is between early June to mid July. It's not particularly bad but it's a bit of a gloomy season to be in Japan.
  After the rainy season, Japan is then incredibly humid :(.

  On the 7th of July, we have the Tanabata festival which is a unique cultural experience if you can handle the number of people.
  July also has the Gion festival in Kyoto with the main parade on 16th-17th.
  Late July also has the fireworks at the Sumida river in Tokyo and the Tenjin festival in Osaka.

  Generally speaking, July is a pretty festive season but the summer holidays start from mid July so it can be a bit busy. June is a bit boring and nothing really happens >_>; but those are pretty major cultural events if either you or your son is interested :).

  As for stuff to do together, as you mentioned before, there's always skiing. My previous career was in that industry but I think it's an easy option for people of all ages and experiences to do together. If you head towards Nagano and stick to the traditional resorts, you get to enjoy the snow and experience some of the culture at the same time (and it's also usually cheaper). In April the snow has settled down and you'll have a lot of sunny days. You won't get powder but it opens a lot of other doors to actually enjoying the place (as much as other people enjoy the powder, sitting on a chairlift in a blizzard was never my definition of fun). It also lets you get away from the hustle and bustle of the city without your kid getting bored :P.

  If you want an experience that you can only get in Japan but want to go to the country side, I would suggest taking the train to somewhere completely out of the way. You can land in Tokyo and head north and that'll basically take you to snow country. If you head west, it'll take you to Kyoto/Osaka. Head south from there and you can head back into the country side and even cross a massive bridge to get you to Shikoku (the little island that's shaped like Australia). I'd even go so far to say that it'd be more fun travelling by train and just enjoying the sights between your stops. That and trains are fun.

  In the cities, things that your son may be interested in:

  • Pokemon Centres: Osaka, Tokyo… + other major cities http://www.pokemon.co.jp/gp/pokecen/english/
    I personally think they're not that great but bragging rights to saying you've been to a Pokemon Center is pretty hard to beat…
  • Electronics/Manga/Anime districts
    There's usually one in most cities but Tokyo has Akihabara and Osaka has Nippon-bashi

  I suppose if you're happy to let me know more about what sort of things you two are interested in, I can make a few suggestions :).

  • 

    linoc66 on 20/01/2016 - 01:50

    Thanks vita, great info, July activities sounds great, thanks for adding the dates so i have something to plan around.

    Sons school starts back on the 19th July so could prob push it out to the 17th, don't mind him missing the last week before holidays but the 1st week back could be crucial which I doubt his mum (my ex) would allow.

    Not too fussed about rough weather, will be similar here in Perth but colder.

    • 

      ms_caz on 20/01/2016 - 10:31

      Just check he doesn't have exams in the last week before the holidays because this might throw your plans into disarray if you plan to extend the holiday by missing the last week of term.

• 

  Grillman on 20/01/2016 - 20:15

  +1

  I think you will have to suffer the lights and bustle of the city, haha, as well as enjoy the quiet areas.

  Have you checked out Airbnb for decent accommodation prices?

  I think you can spend the majority in and around Tokyo, but also head to areas like Enoshima and Mt Fuji for some nice relaxing and beautiful days, as well as other areas people have mentioned.

  Definitely have to experience Harujuku/Yoyogi park(preferably on a Sunday) and Akihabara, your son will love these places, you might even want to go back another day.

  Tokyo Imperial Palace and gardens is also awesome.

  Odaiba will be a cool day out.
  Odaiba is a man made island in Tokyo which now is home to many cool places: Toyota Mega Web which is a kind of interactive Toyota museum, you can see all sorts of new and old Toyotas and sports cars, sometimes F1 and other cool cars, your son can drive mini Toyota cars on a track and you can test drive a variety of cars(4x4s, Wagons, Vans, Luxury etc) on their track outside.

  Some other places there are the Museum of Maritime Science, National Museum of Emerging Science, Odaiba Seaside Park, Fuji TV Building and also a gigantic Gundam statue.

  If you do head there it could be a cool surprise and experience for your son to travel there in this: Himiko Water Bus http://img.amiami.jp/images/product/main/132/TOY-SCL2-19623.…

  Tokyo Studio Ghibli Museum.

  Honestly I think there is too much to mention so you should keep badgering people for information, haha.

• 

  jaybo on 31/01/2016 - 21:04

  did you end up getting all the info you were after? i've just spent a few weeks researching stuff myself, heading over for a ski trip in about 3 weeks so my brain is in a state of information overload at the moment!

  given your description of Bali and the "you buy, you buy" mentality of the vendors there, i think you may actually enjoy Japan, the culture is one of patience and respect… this will be my first trip but i've got some friends living there, and from all the stories i'm really, really looking forward to it as i think i'll really enjoy the fact that people actually have respect for everyone else… so despite tokyo being quite busy, i anticipate that it'll actually be relaxing in a way as people wont just be walking into you or being assholes like they do in most big cities :)

  airbnb seems to be a good source of accommodation in bigger cities like osaka & tokyo, will likely end up booking a place in osaka through airbnb though i have some accomodation in tokyo sorted out through a friend of mine who runs some hotel apartment type things (shameless plug - http://www.1-3rd.com/ )

  transport wise i'm looking at getting a 2 week japan rail pass as it works out cheaper for our train fares - my friend and i are doing tokyo > hakuba > osaka > hiroshima > osaka > tokyo - so if we paid for those fares individually it'd add up to more than the 14 day rail pass, and this way we can do a few extra little trips here & there without worrying.

  let me know if you're still confused or looking for advice - like i said… my brain's in information overload at the moment, so happy to impart some knowledge if it helps!

  • 

    Grillman on 10/02/2016 - 00:01

    That respect goes out the window if you are on an escalator or the stairs at a train station, someone will annoyingly clip you and not look back, lol.

• 

  em on 31/01/2016 - 21:27

  Don't forget Studio Ghibli :) it's amazing!

  Tokyo Zoo was great.

  We caught a bullet train then some local trains and stayed at a Ryokan in Tsumago and did a lovely hike to the next village where we went back down the mountains. He'd love it, very traditional, authentic and picturesque.

  • 

    purplelady on 15/01/2018 - 13:46

    Can you tell me which Ryokan was it please? Thanks!