Travelling to Japan, May 1st Timer with 11YO Son

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  Hybroid on 12/01/2020 - 18:35

  +2

  The eccentricity of Japan is part of the appeal and fun. Don't stress about it, learning the ropes is part of the adventure.

  There's a JapanTravel subreddit where people post itineraries daily and obtain advice on them. Would suggest trawling through there. You have plenty of time to plan something out.

  Here's a Japan Rail Pass Calculator you can use to see if it's worthwhile for you. Wasn't for me due to length of time so didn't bother.

  That many cities within one week is a lot train travel and would question if you have enough time to take it all in or would be far too rushed.

  Yokohama is an easy half-day trip from Tokyo. The main attraction is the Arcade Warehouse but I believe that's closed down now. Hakone could be a day trip too or ideal for Ryokan stay.

  I would recommend spending few days in Osaka with day trip to Kyoto and another day trip to Nara. You can also do Kobe/Himeji Castle from there. Hiroshima is then ~3 hours from Osaka, night or two then ~5 hour train back to Tokyo.

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  capslock on 12/01/2020 - 18:44

  +4

  Since you want to stay in Tokyo for 4 nights do that then activate your rail pass, see the rest of Japan, finish up in Osaka for the theme park then buy a separate flight or train ticket back to Narita.

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  sjtem3 on 12/01/2020 - 19:31

  +1

  The trip sounds fabulous already! I wouldn't stress about how to fully optimise it - the reality is that you can't experience it all in one trip, so just try to choose your poison (as it kind of sounds like you've begun doing!).

  The intricacies of the culture and what you're worried might complicate your trip are truly unlikely to be a major problem - they're so very used to tourists that you're unlikely to offend, and even the complex sounding things like the tokyo metro just begin to make sense once you're using them. My advice re: metro and navigation is to make sure you have internet access and google maps with you - either by sim card or renting a pocket wifi. We found google maps invaluable for the tokyo metro because if you put in where you want to go, it calculates what station and when to be there without a glitch. Super easy.

  Kyoto and osaka make great bases for exploring most of the region if that's of interest. Himeji is worth checking out IMO, as was Mt Koya for us, and Nara - but make sure you do what you want to do. If you're headed to hiroshima I can't recommend miyajima enough - it was a lighthearted pitstop between frenzied temple-viewing for us, and I found it so enjoyable.

  JR pass is tricky - if you want to optimise then you need to know first what you want to do, then calculate from there. Good luck.

  We found Airbnb to be superb from start to finish.

  As a side note, I've heard great things about studio ghibli, etc (but never went myself). I only mention it in case it's of interest to your son or yourself.

  Pick a sample itinerary that seems ap[pealing (but keep it simple) then adjust days here and there once you start prospectively filling the days. The trip will take shape naturally, and the KR pass decision will become clearer.

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  AdosHouse on 12/01/2020 - 21:44

  +2

  If you are just doing Tokyo and Osaka, ditch the JR Pass and just get a tap on and off card for getting around. And if you are using QFF points, you can book a Jetstar Japan flight from Tokyo-Osaka and use your points.

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  Cluster on 13/01/2020 - 00:49

  I would give the capsule hotel a miss. A hotel room is not much more and oh so much more convenient.

  Consider adding Akihabara in Tokyo onto your itinerary if your son (or yourself!) likes anime.

  • 

    AdosHouse on 13/01/2020 - 01:34

    +1 for Akihabara. Grew up with good ol Cheese TV and my daily dose of Digimon, Pokemon, and DBZ. I could barely fit all the DBZ figures in my bag, and there was plenty of space when I got there.

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  Porker on 13/01/2020 - 11:03

  +1

  Single rail purchases might be cheaper than getting JR pass if not travelling across the country multiple times.

  Also, double check the capsule hotel to see if they'll let you have two next to each other (assuming you are the father). They may randomly assign capsules to different areas and different floors, unless the have family capsules. Great experience! And also be aware that generally men and women are kept on different floors, and at least for the place I stayed at, the male showers were communal - so definitely no privacy (this was definitely a bit too overwhelming for me on my first night in Tokyo after a long flight).

  EDIT: But capsule is just about experience - as above mentioned, it's only slightly cheaper than getting a hotel room for two.

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  Sophie1990 on 15/01/2020 - 22:06

  +1

  Hi Gray,

  To make the most of your JR Pass, travel as much as you can. This pass only pays off if you have in mind going on long-distance trips. About the activation, my advice is to choose the date you start traveling on those long-distance trips. For example, if you arrive in Japan next May 1st, and you plan to make trips from May 4th, then choose the 4th. The starting date doesn't have to be the same day as the exchange date. It just has to be within 30 days of the date in which the exchange is made. Keep in mind that the date cannot be changed once your JR Pass is activated. Here are the places where you can activate your pass: https://www.jrailpass.com/faq/japan-rail-pass-exchange-offices

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  graygray on 18/01/2020 - 14:41

  Thanks everyone for the advice. I think we are armed with a few good tips to make our trip, a great one. Thanks again

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  Cathski on 18/01/2020 - 18:23

  +1

  We prebooked tickets to a baseball match at Tokyo Dome and it was the highlight of our trip to Japan. We're not baseball fans but it was wonderful to go to an event that japanese people clearly loved. Look at Japanball Travel if you're interested.