Hey everyone going to Japan in less than a month and would love some tips on doing Japan on the cheap.
So far hopefully visiting the following places
Any tips of cheap eats/accommodation would be awesome. Also any 'must see' attractions.
Cheers.
Also bring your 28 Degrees Card! The only issue was I found it quite difficult to withdraw cash as many of the ATMs did not accept it. The ones I found that worked were the 7 Bank ones, which are found in some 7-11 stores.
If you want cheap breakfast snacks, you can go to the 7-11 stores. Their burgers, pancakes, pastries are pretty cheap.
Also, grab a Suica Transport card. You can buy it from some JR Stations. Costs 2000 yen with 1500 yen of credit. Saves you heaps of time buying tickets/fare adjusting.
ATM access depends on your bank. Ask them before you go. Cirrus will work just fine, but you need to find the right ATM. Citibank is usually compatible.
If you want cheap breakfast snacks, you can go to the 7-11 stores.
Maybe but why go to Japan and then eat the crummy food served up in a 7-11? Eat Japanese food! You can eat at 7-11 when you get back to Australia
Costs 2000 yen with 1500 yen of credit. Saves you heaps of time buying tickets/fare adjusting.
Hard to see how this is really better than buying a JR ticket before you get on. You still have to recharge anyway. Far adjustment doesn't take that long.
If you want cheap breakfast snacks, you can go to the 7-11 stores.
Maybe but why go to Japan and then eat the crummy food served up in a 7-11? Eat Japanese food! You can eat at 7-11 when you get back to Australia.
food in 7-11/Sankus/AMPM/etc convenience stores is half decent. a lot of traditional snack foods like rice balls or steamed buns (like O-marn = steamed bun filled with sweet azuki bean paste)
The food in Japanese convenience stores is nothing like the food in Australian convenience stores. They have a full range of traditional food, packaged for portability and convenience: yakisoba, tonkotsu, karage, onigiri and lots of other things I can't remember the names for (cheap too). The food itself is also of a very high quality. It's not at all like getting a warm Four & Twenty meat pie in a 7-11 here.
If you need food on the go, don't be afraid to load up for a train trip or hike with convenience store food.
Though having said that, even the local donburi or family run ramen shop over there is excellent.
Generally, the food everywhere in Japan is excellent. In Sydney I can take or leave the Japanese food here, in Japan I could eat it every day and never get sick of it.
Agree completely with i5318008…
There no way you can compare 7/11 in Aus and 7/11 in Japan. Conveneient stores in Japan have an awesome range of snacks and foods. Both hot and cold. On arrival on our last trip to Japan arrived at the hotel around midnight and then went out to find the closest FamilyMart, 7/11, MiniStop, Lawsons… whatever… they all have some subtle or unique differences.
But ofcourse there are way more options then just the convenient stores. Highly recommend the street vendors, especially at the tourist locations, many will have a narrow road/path that leads to a temple/shrine/castle, along it will be jammed packed with food stores (soverners too) but the food from these places is fantasic and if your like me and love to eat great japanese food (anything Ive had Australia does not get close to great) you can try lots of different things…. Okonmiyaki, takoyako, all sorts of yaki-niku, sweets…. making myself hungry now.
And finnally, the best restauarant experinces will come from finding a completely random little place by straying of the main strips and into the smaller places in the alleys and laneways.. takes a bit of courage to just wonder into a small place not knowing what is inside, but rarely you will be disoppointed with what you find.
Tokyo - Besides your list, Odaiba is worth the trip. Not sure Disneyland is though.
Osaka - Dotomburi in Namba, at night you get the neon brigde.
Kyoto - Kiyomizu, exetremely pictourous temple with awesome view over the city.
For ATM's Post office is your best friend. They accept the biggest range of cards in Japan and for a reasonable fee too. Also post office atms are all over the place, just ask the front lobby of your hotel for the closest one.
AFAIK at the end of your trip, if you return your suica, you get your 500 yen back minus a 100 yen processing fee I believe. Stayed in Japan for a month, the convenience of it is just worth it.
In Akihabara, if you like electronics you should check out Yodobashi Camera. Massive place and if you bring your passport you can claim back 5% tax. They have a huge section of headphones that you can try. Bought my Audio-Technicas from there.
Heyyy thanks for all those tips!! Do you know if the 'Suica Transport Card' works on subways? Ill be getting a JR pass for the 2nd week of my trip. Its too expensive to get 2x2 week JR passes for me and the missus. 1st week ill be mainly just around Tokyo. Did you just load up your 28 Degrees card with cash?
+1 for 28 Degrees card. load up with as much u need, but take a bit of cash for emergency!
Yep. I loaded my card up with cash, but I would bring some cash as well. Don't want to be hunting around for an ATM that accepts the 28 degrees in an emergency. Most of the time you can just charge things to the card and then use cash only when cards aren't available.
Yep Suica works pretty much everywhere in Tokyo. So that's all you need for the first week. Its pretty easy to buy and load up from the Kiosks, just load up the English instructions on the screen. But you can only purchase the Suica from the main stations. Pretty sure you can get it from the airport.
Although not a budget restaurant, you should check out reviews of the restaurant Ninja Akasaka. It was an amazing experience.
Is there anything to look out for on the ATMs that accept the 28 Degrees card? ie logos etc
Check out this link: is the website for 7Bank. Theres a pic of the logos and an ATM locator (there's many). http://www.sevenbank.co.jp/intlcard/index2.html
If you need info on what trains to catch to where, and how much, etc. check out http://www.hyperdia.com/
It integrates subways, shinkasens, etc.
that's excellent that they have atms in 7/11s now. when i lived in Japan you could only use foreign cards in post offices. in fact 7/11 didn't even have ATMs even for domestic cards. nor could you pay by card.
but yeah, you can use foreign cards in the post office ATMs.
My rule is to look for a post office. Solves all card related issues. I can almost guarantee you that if the post office ATM doesnt work, it wont work unless you find a very specialised ATM.
Generally alot easier to find. I believe every post office has an ATM. (and it runs in english too!)
I see you mentioned you are bringing the missus, so that scratches capsule hotels off the list as they generally are all single sex (male). If you are looking for a bargain, it won't be in Ginza. ;)
Fish market was awesome. Nothing like the markets in Australia. It's a working fish market with a huge amount of seafood. It's amazing to see what the fresh seafood in Japan looks like compared to what we get. Be prepared as there's blood all over the place. I got splashed with blood walking through. If you are really keen, you can see the tuna auctions but it's very early in the morning.
From what I can recall in Osaka:
Umeda Sky Building- huge building with view at the top. Wasn't too impressive.
Osaka Castle- Interesting castle with a bit of history.
Hiroshima was another highlight if not one of the best highlights of the trip. The memorial museum is fantastic and highly emotional. Hiroshima is famous for Okonomiyaki, pancake things, well worth trying.
Oh, remember you can only get JR passes outside of Japan so make sure you get them before you leave.
I usually go to my library before I leave on a trip, and borrow a Lonely Planet guide to wherever I'm going. Saves on buying a book and they usually come with maps.
Yeah we were thinking of going to Hiroshima, just depends on time. There is just way too much stuff to do im finding it hard to make a proper itinerary so I can cram everything in.
So far ive organised;
1st Week
- 3 nights at a Disney partner hotel (2 days spent at DisneyLand and DisneySea)
- 3 Nights in Ginza (kyobashi to be exact) and then im torn between staying in Akihabara or just visiting for the day (Im a massive tech head)
At this point the first week is almost over and there is so much I still wanna see in tokyo.
2nd week
- JR pass kicks in, travel on bullet train to Osaka/Kyoto/Hiroshima
Not sure how long I want to spend down here as i still want to visit Shibuya and Harajuku back in Tokyo.
Should I spend more time in Tokyo area or down south in Osaka/Kyoto/Hiroshima?
Thanks Guys/Gals
Hi m0nkey,
Any particular reason why you want to stay in Ginza area? I stayed in Shinjuku on my 10 day trip around Japan and thought the place I stayed at was amazing value considering accomodation in Japan/Tokyo can be quite pokey.
http://www.tripadvisor.com.au/Hotel_Review-g1066457-d1418991…
per night starting about 10,000 yen when I booked for a studio room that had cooking appliances and laundry facilities downstairs. Lawson's (7/11 equivalent) and Yoshinoya walking distance.
You can easily do day trips to Akiba, (maybe in the morning, go somewhere else, and come back at night to see how different it is?). Shibuya and Harajuku can also be done in one go (ie. Hachiko statue, Shibuya crossing, Meiji-Jingu Shrine). Also if possible come during saturday or sunday when teens dress up in cosplay for the experience :)
Transport - An alternative to Suica worth considering is the Tokunai Day Pass (about 800yen) which gives you 1 day access to the JR trains. This for me was less of a hassle. However, you can't use this to travel to Maihama (Disneyland complex) so is really only in play after you've done Disneyland/Sea.
Shopping - Definitely check out Daiso in Takeshita Dori (whole street of shops) in Harajuku opposite from JR Harajuku station. Everything is essentially 100yen. good for cheap souvenirs and Japanese knick knacks. The market in Asakusa is also good for souvenirs and Japanese handicrafts that's not too expensive.
there are so many things i want to write but feels like im writing a novel here lol. drop me a pm for more stuff if you think any of these infos help you in any way?
cheers
I guess I choose to stay at Ginza next because there are a few attractions there that I want to see (Fish market, Sony Building, Ginza shopping District) and its on the same train line as the one that leaves from Disneyland/Sea. Im trying to stay off the trains as musch a possible so we dont get lost lol.
This is where we are staying in Ginza area, Brand new hotel http://www.agoda.com/asia/japan/tokyo/sotetsu_fresa_inn_toky…
after discount got it for $368 for 3 nights which I think is awesome value. Right near the main Tokyo station for easy access to our next destination (which I havent decided yet..) Akiba or Shibuya for a few nights, alternatively head down to Osaka. Im a bit stuck at that.
So do you reckon Akiba, Shibuya and Harajuku only need a day trip?
hotel doesnt look too bad :). which room did you book? can tell you from the pic itself that the area on semi-double room would be 17m2 which is standard for Japan but tiny compared to hotel rooms around the world. i would personally pay a bit more to get more space but thats just my 2cents
walking distance to JR Tokyo is definitely a benefit as you can then just jump on the shinkansen to go to Osaka/Kyoto/Hiroshima. But also mind you that most (if not all) attractions in Tokyo are pretty much between 5-15 minutes journey by train. So where you stay in Tokyo should really be a matter of which area you'd like to stay in most rather than ones that are closest to where you want to go. Their trains are very efficient and you'll get the hang of it after a couple days (all colour coordinated with both Japanese and English signs). You would just have to make sure you know which exits to take in the big stations (eg. Shinjuku, Shibuya, Tokyo). Otherwise, the people are generally pretty friendly and helpful in my experience.
Shibuya and Harajuku can definitely be done in one hit and you don't necessarily have to spend the night in the area to get the most out of it. Akiba on the other hand depends on the person. I spent about half a day but there are people who can spend an entire day there. I would play it by ear and see how you go.
Booked a room with a Double bed for that price.. I was pretty stoked :D
From all the help I've decided from that hotel to;
1st Day at Fish Market/Sony Building/Ginza Shopping area.
2nd Day at Shibuya, visit Hachiko statue & Shibuya crossing then go to Harajuku Takeshita St.
3rd Day Go to Akiba say 2 nights and explore there.
Then off to Osaka/Kyoto/Hiroshima for the last week.
Sound ok?
Hiroshima's a must visit, for a different serving of culture. The Peace Memorial Museum was very emotional.
Akiba does not warrant 2 days in my opinion. If you have the spare day, visit Odaiba, ikebukuro or take a daytrip out of the city. In fact unless you are quite heavily into anime / moe culture, akiba probably does not take up more than half a day. However if you are into it, then take your time exploring all the small streets off the main street, you never know what goodies you'll find.
hmm seems like ill be changing my plans then… argh
Whats good to see in Odaiba, ikebukuro?
Odaiba is kind of an island in Tokyo Bay has some pretty cool views, Fuji Tv, alot of shopping areas- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odaiba (sums it up pretty well).
Ikebukuro i guess is another hsopping area so prehaps you dont need to visit if your already going to a few of those.
I forgot to mention Asakusa which is a temple not far from Ueno and Odaiba which has quite a few souvenir shops. (plus you can ferry to odaiba from there i believe).
Other places you can consider as a day trip out of Tokyo: Hakone (can see mt fuji on a good day), Yokohama, Nikko, Fuji-Q (if you are into intense rollercoasters)
There's no point 'staying' in Ginza. Find a hotel somewhere you like in Tokyo, that's preferably near a train or subway line, and then use the train to get around. Everywhere is accessibly from everywhere else in the city. You will get bored of Ginza after a few hours. Akihabara will take more than a day to see it all. Then you can walk up Chuo Dori to get to Ueno. But it's a shame to go to Tokyo and only see Ginza and Akihabara. You should get around much more.
And UGH Tokyo Disney. Fine for a day, but why go for longer? There's so much more interesting stuff to see even in Tokyo itself.
You can walk from Shibuya to Harajuku. That's the kind of thing you should be doing in your first week. Ginza will bore you.
Ok good advice, ill be staying in kyobashi near the tokyo station so if we get bored we can jump on the train. Check that link I posted above and tell me what u think.
Edit: Location https://maps.google.com.au/maps?q=Sotetsu+Fresa+Inn+Tokyo+Ky…
If you want a night life, Roponggi is the best place… tokyo tower is also somewhere there.
I used this website to plan my itinerary http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e623.html
Staying in Osaka and doing day trips to Hiroshima and/or Kyoto may be worth your while as they take about 1 hour on the Shinkassen once your JR pass is activated. Otherwise staying in Kyoto would be a nice change of pace from the hustle and bustle of Osaka/Tokyo. Yokohama is also easily accessible from Tokyo.
Osaka:
Universal Studios if you like theme parks?
Namba/Dotonbori - a must see shopping and eating complex (especially at night). This is where the iconic Glico running man is. Also maybe try Fugu (blowfish)?
Hiroshima:
Hypocenter - where the atomic bomb first strike Hiroshima
MIyajima - secluded island http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3401.html
Kyoto:
Gion http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3902.html
Golden Temple http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3908.html
One of the accommodation options you should look at is a "love hotel"
Especially in Osaka there are some good ones :)
http://www.chapel-hotel.co.jp/hotel/h057/price/
Much nicer than a small room with a semi double bed
But things to remember
We stayed in a few, always clean generally king sized bed, nice bathroom etc
Oh and of you really want to try something unusual try and Internet cafe
Here's an example post here
http://taylordavidson.com/writing/2009/07/21/sleeping-at-an-…
You can get private rooms, food etc. not the most comfortable sleep option but it's something to keep at the back of your mind
Have a read here about more unusual options to get zzzz's
http://injapan.gaijinpot.com/play/travel/2012/04/26/10-free-…
I'm going there in a few weeks too.
anyone knows where to get a SIM card for my phone and a decent internet connection? 3G wimax or similar?
I researched this a couple of years ago but lost all the info :-(
As far as i know its pretty expensive for data in japan. You have to rent a sim/wimax/phone they dont have throwaway ones like we do. Im just going to stick to the internet in hotels. Ive got an offline map app for the iphone to help navigate. Hopefully that will be enough
Actually its not expensive.
See:
www.econnectjapan.com
Data Sim 1gb/30days - about 4100yen. Plus they deliver to your hotel and when your done on your trip, no return necessary. You just throw it out.
thanks Neil. now to check whether my galaxy nexus works on those frequencies. they don't use voice in Japan? that SIM is data only
I was thinking about using "Travel Sim" before leaving. Their call rates are pretty decent but purchasing the sim is a bit pricy
I just came back from Japan a while ago and my GNex worked great on those frequencies (oh, and btw there's more GNex covers available in Japan than Australia, as far as I looked anyway ;))
As for voice though, Japanese legislation is very particular about restricting mobile voice services to people with some sort of residency status in Japan - i.e. not tourists. You still do get the monstrously overpriced prepaid phone types from the airport and such, but no SIM cards you can actually put in your own phone. (Even bmobile, recommended below, had to put a 1-year minimum on their talk + data SIM)
It's very possible to have a good time in Japan without ever needing actual voice services, though - mobile data that lets you access maps in particular would be MUCH more useful. Don't count on free wi-fi; Japan's still catching up with the rest of the first world in that arena.
As for getting in touch with individual people, ask for their "keitai mail" (mobile email) and just send emails from your own address. That's what they have in Japan instead of SMS. And many people seem to generally prefer emailing to calling anyway.
I'm going in Dec too. Ah cool! Too bad they are expensive. I dunno what I'll do. Wonder how much it costs for the instore version (3months).
bmobile, when i researched this last year it was by far the best option http://www.bmobile.ne.jp/english/index.html
most of the others companies require you to sign contracts or purchase phones to go with the sim card. You can also find bmobile in the airport or have them deliver to your hotel once you order it.
Alternatively you could rent a phone when you get to the airport.
wifi is anywhere and is for free.. but your problem is the SIM, you really cant get one there unless you'll rent.
I lived in Japan for 4 years. 18 months in tokyo.
Kamakura south of Tokyo is very cool (old town) whilst north of tokyo is Nikko (very historic old town - former capital of Japan ).
Get a ferry from Palette Town -big shopping mall- to Kasai Rinkai Park
Tokyo has the Hato (pigeon) bus which is a hop-on hop-off tourist bus. pretty groovy.
In Tokyo take a suburban train out to the suburbs and get off at a random stop and walk around. That appealled to me alot when I was there. I lived at Baraki Nakayama on the Tozai line and loved checking out how people lived.
Go to an Onsen.
cheapest accomodation in Tokyo is staying in an internet cafe. they have privacy booths and you sit in a nice comfy recliner chair. it's about 1300yen for the night. if Iwas travelling there by myself then thats what I'd do.
PALETTE TOWN??? Do you to choose a Pokemon? :P
+1 on Onsen
Went to this one in Odaiba a few years back after a day at Tokyo Disney; was great soaking in the hot spa after running around all day
http://www.ooedoonsen.jp/higaeri/english/index.html
It's semi-theme park type; got food inside as well so didn't need to find another place for dinner
I'm going to Japan for about 2 weeks.
Going to do Kyoto/Nara/Hiroshima/Akita/Osaka in 1 week then 2nd week will be all tokyo.
Is it better for me to just get 7day jrail pass for 1st Week and then live with a suica for the 2nd week in Tokyo?
I believe the jrail pass is only really worth it if you take a few Shinkansen trains, if staying within a city it doesn't really make up its cost, is that correct?
Thanks.
That is more or less correct, unless you're planning to hop around the city extensively every day (which is not impossible in Tokyo). I'm pretty sure I did the same thing that you're thinking about, for a Japan trip with a similar travel schedule.
Though if you're doing day trips around the Tokyo area make sure you factor that in too, and the cost of the express train to the airport on your way home.
Depends on what you are doing in Tokyo, if you have any side trips to nearby cities (Hakone, Yokohama etc) then it may be wort considering. 1 week in Tokyo is approximately 2000-3000yen in train fees from my experience.
Just make sure in your 7 day rail pass it covers you going from Osaka -> Tokyo (probably your most expensive shinkansen trip) even if it means that on the first day you do not use it.
been to Japan a few times now
this is my experience of it all:
Tokyo DisneyLand/Disney Sea: not yet but soon someday as waiting for the kids to grow up a little more, also there is sanrio land if you're a hello kitty fanatic like me. and universal studios at osaka is awesome too
Ginza Shopping area: over price brand stuff. better to go shibuya and shinjuku and stay away from roppongi unless you want to go out clubbing and get harassed by scammers
Tsukiji fish market: make sure you go early as they close at 2 or 3pm and i think its closed one day too
Sony Building: saw, took pic then moved on, plus saw tokyo sky tree but unless you stay a whole day there, you get given a ticket to come back at a later time (ours was 3hrs later) to actually line up again to go up lol
Akihabara: i agree this is overrated but i do love the Gungnam cafe there and the 'maid cafe', particularly 'maid dreaming' awesome experience. you cannot take photos, but cash up before you go there. its so cool if you into that
Shibuya: cool for food and shops
Harajuku: go on sunday for the dress up but it's packed, so go on another day for shopping, i found it cheapest here to shop in japan for cool stuff as you can haggle a lot of the prices
Osaka: go to shinsaibashi for the most awesome shopping experience ever, just imagine, a 'suburb' of shops. you WILL get lost so bring a compass lol. also i fell in love with yodabashi next to the train station. good shopping experience there as well. there are more girls dressed up in shinsaibashi then harajuku too but they dont like you taking photos of them lol
Kyoto: good for castles/shrines etc but its all buses to get around. best tourist map too
as for 7-11, they also have family mart/ lawson etc. we went nuts there everyday as its not like ones here. food is fresher and you can buy alcohol and drink on the street.
internet: go your own as unless they have free wifi at few places (not counting maccas or starbuck cos you need a account with them and to read jap to sign up) they don't give out 'prepaid' as its a law government thing they won't allow you
never stayed there on the cheap so i can't advised you on that sorry
thats what i can remember so far so any other questions….
Everything you need to know in terms of attractions all over the country, how to get to different places and how much it will cost.
Although it has "hostel" in the name, it also covers hotels, minshukus, and a whole range of options. The reviews by other travellers are invaluable.
Internet tip: if you're bringing a laptop, also bring your own Ethernet cable! Also, there are quite a few Apple stores around the major cities (hint hint).
If you're planning on catching a shinkansen more than a couple of times, a rail pass is invaluable and will pay for itself after a few trips. Normally the bullet train is expensive. Remember you can use it on almost all JR trains (and buses).
Will tell you what to catch to get to pretty much any station/stop in Japan (by public transport), how much each section costs and what times each service leaves/how long it takes.
Finally, Japanese convenience stores (Lawson, 7-11, etc) are awesome for food, snacks and drinks (even alcohol). Hit them up often.
For attractions, check out ticket reseller shops like Daikoku-ya. They aren't actually legal, but I don't ever see the police making them shut up shop. They sell attraction tickets at around 30 to 50% off. They even have food vouchers, e.g. like 50% off a McDonald's meal, etc. and discounted transport tickets. It helps if you can read and speak basic Japanese, but it's not a requirement…
If you like museums, in Tokyo and the Kansai region, they have the "Grutt Pass" booklets. For one fee, you can visit about 50+ museums for either free (most of them) or discounted.
also look in to rooftop beer gardens.
In summer some department stores have an all-you-can-drink-and-eat deal.
about 2000yen (cheaper for women). nomi-ho-dai it's called.
buffet plus open tap beer.
all you can drink Japanese beer!!!!!!!
oishiiiiiiiiii, nei!
check out this link-
http://tinyurl.com/8dzcpsd
If the shakeys pizza chain is still as popular in Japan as 2 years ago I would be heading there - at least one night.
I vaguely remember one in Osaka the food was pretty ordinary, but they had a drinks package that was cheap as given the price of wine in Japan
2 hours of unlimited wine .. We found out why they call it Shakeys the next morning.. MONSTER hangover :p
I am also going to japan in November and thank you for these helpful tips. Anyone knows if I can travel to other cities from Tokyo by Shinkansen and return back in the same day? How long does it take from Tokyo to Osaka, Kyoto? Thanks
I was wondering this also
Tokyo to Osaka and Kyoto (3 hours-ish each way) would take too long for a within-day trip… You'd get there and stop for a meal, maybe fit in one attraction and would have to go back to Tokyo!
Probably Yokohama (30 mins) or Nagano (1.5hrs). There's a few smaller cities on the various shinkansen that depart from Tokyo that I'm sure have some interesting/touristy attractions.
If you want to just stay in Tokyo, there are lots of places closeby that aren't "big cities", but will feel quite different from the hustle and bustle of typical Tokyo.
Depending on who your flying with, alot of my friends (and myself included) start at one end (say Tokyo) and leave at the other (Osaka). It is not feasible to goto Osaka and back for one day. Ideally, you should plan for a 2 or 3 day trip to Osaka + Kyoto (within 30mins of each other by Shinkansen) if not longer.
It's possible. I'm doing this. I'm catching the earliest shinkansen from Tokyo and getting to Osaka around 9:30. Then leaving Osaka around 6-7 and get back around 11
Oh one other thing this is a slower and date restrictive alternative to the rail pass - but worth keeping in mind
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seishun_18_Ticket
Oh and I second Lawson - they have microwaves where you can heat their meals - eating in Japan can cost a LOT!
And look for the restaurants that are packed with salary workers at lunchtime - they know where to eat :)
Although it may be standing up!
As someone said above, use http://www.hyperdia.com/en/ for all your train timetabling - just remember to unclick Airplane and Nozomi. Tokyo to Osaka and Kyoto is 3+ hours, not really an easy daytrip from tokyo, probably worth staying in Osaka or Kyoto as well.
To eat try the 500 yen coin restaurants found around most major train stations. You can get free miso soup and a nice curry rice or beef strips with rice. Its fast service for the people on the go. You can also get cheap snacks at the 100 yen shops. For accommodation you should at least try staying once at a traditional Japanese inn and a capsule hotel they aren't that expensive.
Thoughts on visiting Okinawa?
A few things I'd like to mention:
Tsukiji - If you want to actually enjoy the auctioning and fresh sushi etc, be prepared to wake up around 4 (or earlier depending on how long it takes you to get there) and get there as soon as possible.
Ginza - Keep your shopping here to a minimum if your on a budget. Things tend to be very pricey, you can find equivalent items in other locations generally for cheaper. In fact I'm not sure why you chose to stay here as it is probably the most expensive area to stay in (note the amount you save both time and money wise from travel is not worth the extra in accommodation).
Akihabara: No longer really an electric town (electronic stores still exists) but rather the current trend is Maids. Definately worth visiting a maid cafe once just to experience it. (Recommendation: @home cafe has what I'd consider a very typical maid cafe experience albeit a bit expensive).
Shibuya + Harajuku: Definately a combo trip. At harajuku station, on one side you have takeshita dori (the famous harajuku street), on the other side you have the Meiji Shrine. Also close by is Shinjuku (2 stops away from Harajuku). It may however be hard to visit all 3 places in 1 day.
Overall Travel : You may wish to consider a JR pass (unlimited travel on JR lines including Shinkansen that isnt Nozomi). This must be bought OVERSEAS however so if you are travelling alot then this is well worth it. http://www.japanrailpass.net/eng/en001.html has all the info you need.
Kyoto: I'd advise 2 days here unless you are fine with only seeing some of what Kyoto has to offer. On the east, Kiyomizu Temple is a good starting point, allowing you to walk up following the path to some of the other temples. One thing to note, travelling is done ideally by bus in Kyoto. Just hop on from the back, pay when you exit from the front. Subway travel is quite frustrating in the city of Kyoto.
Osaka: A few locations here to visit, the castle of course should be on your list. For general shopping as well as to see the famous glico man, Namba is the place to goto.(but be prepared to be lost in here, very hard to navigate the first time around). Umeda is the other shopping district, however I found that to be similar to Shinjuku and other areas of Tokyo.
By the time you visit Akihabara, if you still do not know who AKB48 is, you definitely will do by the end of the day!
Some tips:
ATMS: Go to 7/11 with 28 degrees card. Problem solved. No further discussion required.
Disneyland: Beg, Lie, Cheat and steal to avoid going there during the Japanese school holidays and on weekends. Any time you go will be insanely busy but you are completely mad to go there during school hols or weekends.
Internet: Leave your phones on roaming (turn data roaming off). Hire out a pocket wifi, we used global advanced communications. Battery lasts about 4 hours, so buy a 5000Mah USB battery pack from any of the big electronics chains such as Bic Camera, they are not hard to find.
Trains: If you get the JR pass, use Hyperdia, select JR only and exclude the nozomi/hayabusa trains. Use this in conjunction with your mobile internet above to have a super flexible, super easy trip. Hyperdia is also useful for getting around Tokyo (don't use JR pass in Tokyo, its a waste, so you don't need to select any special options in Hyperdia)
Food: Yep 7/11 is perfect for breakfast. Also means you can get straight on the road/subway and not waste any time in your hotel with breakfast.
Also, the cheap ricebowl chains are your friends.
Google maps is great, and if you have internet as above, enter the following in google maps to be taken to the nearest location:
セブン-イレブン - Seven Eleven
ファミリーマート - Family mart
ローソン - Lawsons
すき家 -Sukiya (rice bowls)
松屋 - Matsuya (rice bowls)
なか卯 Can't remember reading (rice bowls)
吉野屋 Yoshinoya (rice bowls)
モスバーガー Moss Burger
ロッテリア - Lotteria (burgers)
カレーハウスCoCo壱番屋 (my favorite! Japanese curry house)
All of these chains above are at least as common as mcdonalds, if you are anywhere in central Tokyo there will be one near every station.
Cheap accomodation in Tokyo: Try Sakura Hotel Ikebukuro
Wow good stuff! cheers
My gf and I spent 2 weeks in Japan a year ago - one we discovered Sukiya we smashed it so hard. Open 24 hours and easily less than $5 for a solid bowl of rice and delicious, delicious beef.
I also kept a spreadsheet of all my expenses for the time we were there (including food and snacks, everything) if anyone is interested. Let me know and I'll put it up somewhere.
Spreadsheet?????
Are you related to real family man?
id like to see it
I'm interested as well.
I would also like this information
Where would you guys suggest is the best area to stay for access and value?
I'm of the opinion that the Sakura hotel in ikebukuro is best for Tokyo.
Ikebukuro has 10+ lines intersecting it and is on the all important Yamamote circle line.
I've been to Japan twice and the best places i can recommend to stay are the series of accommodation called K's House. Their single/double rooms are much better than some of the hotels I've stayed in and all the staff speak english very well! Happy Japlanning!
I need help with deciding how to split up a week in Osaka, Kyoto and Hiroshima
Where do I spend the most time?
Where to spend the least?
Is it better to base yourself in one of those places and take day trips or spend couple days at each?
Thanks so much in advance
Assumption: You have JR pass and is using it at this point.
With a JR Pass, Moving between Kyoto and Osaka is pointless (it takes under 30mins by shinkansen). Depending on how long you plan on staying in Hiroshima, it is possibly a good idea to book a place to stay there.
7 days, I'd have 2 days in Kyoto (allows you to do almost all of the major sightseeing with proper planning beforehand), 2-3 days in Osaka and 1-2 days in Hiroshima. You may also wish to take 1 day for Nara. Check Japan guide for places you wish to visit and split your time based off that.
If you are just staying in this area (West), you can get a Kansai Surutto Pass (google it). This allows a few days of unlimited travel, including Shinkansen. It's significantly cheaper than the JR Pass (less options of course) and can be bought within the country and also includes some attraction entry discounts as well.
Nara is definitely recommended for the first time traveller. Very touristy, but it's all part of the fun!
Ikebukuro is a great place to stay in Tokyo. I have previously stayed at the Sunshine City Prince Hotel, but for a more authentic and less touristy experience, try
http://www.wmt.co.jp/en/location/higashiikebukuro/index.html
The Flexstay Higashi Ikebukuro Inn is literally a five minute walk from Sunshine City and five minutes to Otsuka station in the opposite direction. It's worth staying there so you can walk pass the hundreds of roses on the way to the station. Cheap too.
Flexstay also has a hotel in Shinsaibashi in Osaka. Right in the middle of the action. Equally as cheap. Fantastic staff and clean rooms.
Guys if i have 5 days in japan which city would you go to and how long?
I am thinking osaka 1.5 day
Kyoto 1.5 day
Tokyo 2 days
Is that enough? Or if theres a city i should visit please do tell me! I am not interested in theme parks (USJ/disneyland) but more towards sightseeing, shopping and good food!
I personally think 2 days is too short for Tokyo. You will either have to miss a lot of sights or rush through it all. But you don't want to cut the other cities any shorter as well. My only conclusion is to stay at least 7 days in Japan :P and bump up Tokyo to 3-4 days.
If you look on Japan-Guide there are many sights in Tokyo and that will easily take more than 2 days.
I spent 9 days in Tokyo and its still not enough.
I spent 10 days in Tokyo alone and it wasn't enough! Going back to do Tokyo for 8 days and Osaka, Kyoto etc for 7.
How come noone has mentioned Fuji Q Highlands?! Worth the price of admission for Eejainaika roller coaster alone!
Totally awesome theme park if the weather is good :D
From memory I think it's about 90mins via coach from Tokyo…from all accounts it's better than Disneyland as far as rides go!
As usual, avoid weekends and school holidays :)
Is that on the same line that goes from tokyo to osaka? ie the bullet train?
No, you have to catch a bus or a the special privately-run train to get to Kawaguchiko.
I can't second stonedewok's comment enough. Fuji Q is an awesome park. I went there solely to ride Eejainaika, because it's the same as X2 at Magic Mountain in Cali, USA.
いらっしゃいませ
Irasshaimase
いらっしゃいませ
その原料を行う場合は、Jaz バーゲンに行きます。
I live out of 7 11 went i live there. they best place to eat.
You can enter either Disneyland or DisneySea on certain days of the week after 3pm or 6pm for only 3600 - 4900 yen :) visit the calendar on the website for specific dates
Check out the beer breweries. You may need to book though.
But you get 3 free drinks if you do do a tour, it's free to do the tour, well it was when I went in 2008/2009.
It's pretty easy to figure it out when you get there. Or just ask most people are usually pretty friendly. I have to say to Fuji-Q was a lot of fun. Get there early before it opens and smash out as many rides as you can before the crowds!!!
If you don't a bit of a scare, its got one of the better haunted houses I've been to with real live actors.
Also for Tsukiji fish market, check the times, we spent three and a half weeks in Japan and the day we planned to go it was bloody closed! But that's our fault for leaving it to the end. Overall we spent about 1 week in Tokyo running around, a lot of people say to get out and see stuff but Tokyo itself is freaking brilliant so we changed our plans to spend a few more days there instead.
If you like food you could go to Kobe to, EAT Kobe beef in Kobe:) But there got all sorts of special breeds there that are just as good or on par. But it's for bit of novelty, I mean you're going there for a holiday so splash out a bit.
Harajuku is a lot of fun, go on a weekend to see the freaks.. I mean cosplay
Either way you are definitely going to have fun.
Great thread guys. I am going skiing in Niseko in Feb. I am having 2 nights in Tokyo on the way back. I am travelling with 2 mates. For those that have been there, where is the best area/s to stay (dont need specific hotels) and what would you recommend with 2 days in town. We are all 45-50 yo guys on leave passes from the respective wives. A little bit of culture, maybe a sight or 2 or just some great bargains would be good (I collect automatic watches so a great domestic model Seiko Prospex etc would be good). None of us have any idea about Japanese language so anything too complicated will be intimidating.
Stay somewhere that is on the Yamanote train line, which is the most useful one for tourists. We stayed in Cerulean Hotel last time in Shibuya for few nights. Its not too cheap but when sharing it was reasonable. The rooms are quite spacious by Tokyo standards and the rooms have quite a nice view of the city and Mt Fuji if you are on the right side.
You should definitely check out the shops in Shibuya, see the Shibuya cross walk at night (which is extremely busy), the Starbucks in Shibuya is pretty good as well. Shinjuku and Harajuku are just next door to Shibuya.
Check out Akihabara for an afternoon, go to Tokyo Tower at night or the Tokyo Sky Tree for a view of Tokyo.
I didn't find too many bargains in Japan, maybe I just shopped at the wrong places. Only ended up buying stuff that I couldnt find back in Aus.
Might I ask how much you have spent overall in your stay at Japan and how long you stayed(anyone that has gone).
I'll be concise.
I stayed there for a fortnight.
Stayed in 5 star hotels everywhere, except kyoto; where I tried Ryoken accommodation.
AMAZING. traditional, about half the price, double the space, and generally (IHMO) better positioned.
If you can handle the slightly firmer bed that is a futon on a tatami floor (I loved it, best sleep EVER), skip the expensive hotels and stay in family run traditional accommodation.
needs decent booking ahead of time though. I found my one through flightcentre and it was STILL the cheapest accomm I had.
Could you give a replicable example of what that type of bed feels like, ie pile 10 towels on a hardwood floor and lay on that, so that peeps will have an idea of how firm it is? I think the more junk in the trunk, the more the need for a soft bed otherwise the spine gets out of alignment.
We had mediocre experiences with hard beds in our most recent trip, which spanned from Kobe to Tokyo. I’m talking about real beds, not futons. We stayed in mainly 3 to 4 star hotels all booked via Hotels.com. In terms of hardness, it’s as if you were sleeping on a very thin mattress on top of a plank. It’s okay if you sleep on your back, but not really if you like to sleep on your side. Our most comfortable experience was actually at traditional room in a Mr K’s house, where we doubled up on the futons :P
Maybe the 5 star hotels are better, however I do have to say that the time prior I went to Japan, where I stayed in cheaper business hotels booked via Flight Centre, I don’t recall having an issue with bed hardness at all… Maybe you have to request for a soft (Western-style) bed and Flight Centre does this for you?
I slept on a futon (not american futon)on tatami the 4 years I was there.
I liked it. folding it up every morning and stashing it in the cupboard. your bedroom becomes a room for other purposes. I barely used the other room in my house except for when guests stayed.
there is a big difference between sleeping on a futon on traditional tatami Vs modern tatami (foam core). traditional tatami feels better somehow.
You definitely have to try out a capsule hotel. There is one called Green Plaza in Shinjuku it is quite close to the JR station. Definitely a unique experience, you can bring your laptop and connect to the LAN via cable but the area where you can do that is in the smokers lounge. It costs around 4000 yen for a night if I recall correctly. You get a discount coupon upon checkout which brings it down to around 3300 yen for your next stay.
If you are going to Kyoto, you should join a tour. It was definitely worth it. I think it cost $120 for the day. Having a guide definitely helps! Also, it may be hard to get in to the palace without a tour.
If you ever wanted to go to a concert, there are a few "ticket reseller" shops around the place. One in Harajuku and several others around Ueno, Shibuya. If you go to the shops on the day of the concert you might be able to score some cheap tickets. Got one for half the retail price last time, but usually you pay rip off prices.
Odaiba is a must see place I think. Plenty of really nice buildings and places. You can cross the Rainbow Bridge via Monorail which is really nice.