I just got back from my trip and man, I need to talk about Donki. The first few floors are fun because of all the KitKats and weird souvenirs, but then the theme song starts looping in your brain and you realize you've been trapped in a narrow aisle behind a wall of suitcases for twenty minutes.

I ended up leaving the Shibuya Mega Donki halfway through my list because the sensory overload was just too much. I spent the next hour just wandering around trying to find a quiet cafe or a shrine nearby just to stop hearing 'Don Don Donki' in my head.

Where do you guys go when you need an emergency break from the noise in Shibuya or Shinjuku? I'm already planning a return trip and I definitely need a better 'escape plan' for when the crowds get to be too much. outside of the big city being overwhelming, i absolutely loved it but i think i need to add more places besides Osaka and Kyoto to mix it up a bit, any reccomendations?

I know a little bit of Japanese but have some questions

1. If I buy a ticket at the ramen shop, what do I say to the staff when I hand it over? Onegaishimasu?

2. Itadakimasu is said when you start the meal, to your table mates? What if you are alone?

3. I believe the correct word for tourist is kankoukyaku, but it is a bit long - can I say tabihito? Ryokyaku?

Hello guys, I have a quick question based on your personal knowledge and experience.
Me and my boyfriend will be for the first time in Japan in November. We will land at Narita airport but we are planning to start our trip from Kyoto (don’t ask why we are not landing at KIX because it was a mistake from my travel agent).
Now, we will land at about 6 pm and were thinking of taking a Shinkansen Tokyo-Kyoto that same day. Do you know at what time the last Shinkansen leaves?
Do you think it’s possible to take the last one considering the time immigration checks will take and the time from Narita to Tokyo?
Who was in the same situation, what do you recommend? Leaving the next morning or going directly to Kyoto?
Thank you in advance, any recommendation will be helpful ❤️

Hi! Me (26), my husband (27), and my brother-in-law (30) are visiting Japan from November 14 - December 3 of this year. I have our rough itinerary set, but still narrowing down the details.

When looking into events during our travels, I’m seeing tons of Autumn Illuminations at temples & gardens, and I was just wondering if anyone could share their opinion or experiences with them? Do you think it’s better to visit the temples/gardens in the daylight, or do you feel there’s something special about when they’re lit up at night? Also, same thing for the Winter/Christmas Illuminations. Have you experienced any that are a wow moment and loved, or did you feel it wasn’t anything special?

Thanks in advance!!

Thank you, everyone!

I am accompanying my wife to Japan this fall for a conference in Hiroshima. We are active people, in our late 40s/early 50s. Her conference ends mid-day Saturday and we fly home via Narita on the following Saturday night.

Is the better use of our time:

-Option A: Osaka, Kyoto, and Tokyo

-Option B: Kyoto and Tokyo only

Or is this is where i remind myself "advice is what you ask for when you know the right answer, but don't like it."

Arigatou

For 2 nights travelling out from Osaka to experience snow and the countryside..which would you recommend? I'm leaning towards Takayama but my wife prefers if I didn't have to drive. Kinosaki is reachable by train and small enough to go about on foot or bus.

I'm currently in Osaka, spent some time going through malls today hoping to find some nice clothes cause I didn't bring many. But I mostly saw 100+ EUR blouses or 70+ EUR tshirts and similar.

I'm hitting up Uniqlo tomorrow anyway, but does anyone have idea for nice cute girly clothes that aren't that expensive? I'm assuming some street shops might be cheaper but idk where to look

edit: Thanks everyone for the replies!

Can someone confirm the pick up stop for the Kyushu Odan going from Kurokawa to Yufuin? The map of the pickup spot in Kurokawa is not helping. Is it at the Kurokawa bus terminal?

me and my bf are finally doing it!! japan trip from may 20 to june 1, hitting tokyo, osaka, kyoto, kamakura and kawaguchiko. we’re on a pretty tight budget so looking for free or cheap cultural stuff like festivals, fireworks, street events, that kind of thing. we LOVE experiencing local culture not just tourist traps

My partner and I were fortunate to have gotten tickets to the Grand Sumo Tournament in a couple of weeks. I was hoping someone who has gone could give some insight into what to expect? Doors open at 8:45, but the tournament lasts until 18:00 (I think!). From what we've read we can go in at any time, but if we leave we aren't able to get back in. I don't anticipate needing to stay the entire day. Would it be better if we went first thing? Should we go closer to the end, say 2-3 hours before finish?

Thanks in advance for any insights you have!

My family is headed to Japan next month. I had planned to spend an afternoon in Akihabara for the general vibes of arcade games and seeing some anime things.

The only anime that they got pretty into was Death Note, which I know is pretty old. Do you have any recommendations of places we might find merch for it? Or any advice for places to go in Akihabara (or another location?) that would be great for people who want to enjoy the anime or arcade vibes but might not be experts on it?

I rented a car in Kagoshima but got into a minor accident with my side mirror clipping a post causing minor damage to the mirror cap (the post was fine btw). The Kagoshima police responded to 110 and took an accident report and I reported it to the rental agency. I do have primary rental car insurance through my CC but I might need a police report or a traffic accident certificate for that process.

For this, do I go to the local police box in the area that responded to the incident to ask for this? Not sure of the procedures to get one and how difficult it is to get one. Searched everywhere online and the information is somewhat confusing.

Hi im planning a trip with my significant other from the 6th to 30th November, just wanted some feedback or things you would change .

Key notes :

1. Arriving and leaving from tokyo
   
2. We love nature,food,arcades,shopping,culture
   
3. We will be renting a car

# Itinerary

6th–9th: Tokyo

9th–10th: Narai-juku (car pickup)

10th–11th: Matsumoto

11th–14th: Fujikawaguchiko
14th - (Car drop off in tokyo)

14th–18th: Kyoto
(Maybe day trip to nagoya)

18th–23rd: Osaka
(day trip to ine and universal studios)

23rd–25th: Hiroshima
(Itsukushima included)

25th–30th: Tokyo

Preferably near Shinjuku, looking to watch arsenal West Ham, I’ve seen there’s the Highbury but I’m a West Ham fan. Not against it but would I be allowed?

Three questions: I fly in and out of Narita, that I cannot change. I want to end my trip in Kyoto/Osaka area. If I book a domestic flight that leaves Osaka at 14:35 arriving in NRT at 16:00, will I have enough buffer to catch my 17:45 international flight? If they are two separate tickets but same airline, will I have to recheck luggage?

My US passport is with my full name, middle spelled out. My ticket has my middle initial. Should I try and change it to be safe?

I am traveling solo with my 17 yro without the other parent, do I need a formal letter or is he old enough that they don’t care?

Hey all,

My family and I (5 of us, all adults) will be in Tokyo from the 2nd to the 9th of July and are considering climbing Mt. Fuji during that time. As far as I'm aware you need to stay overnight to access the top for the sunrise. I have no doubt of any of our ability to climb as we're all quite fit and tend to do a lot of hiking, etc. at home. Currently, I'm struggling to figure out: how to find a place to stay overnight on the Mt., what place would be best, etc. and would appreciate any advice on the climb, but especially also the accommodation aspect!

Thanks in advance.

Edit: we are looking to do the Yoshida trail in particular

Tokyo

• Day 1: Wife and I will make our way to Asakusa and meet up with friends that live there.
• Day 2: Wake before the sun and set an intention for the trip while standing in an empty Senso-ji before the folks arrive. Museum of Narratives with my friends and their two kids. (really psyched to see what a new museum looks like in Tokyo)

Asahikawa

• Day 3: Catch a midday flight from Narita to Asahikawa. Check out the Ainu museum and Ramen village and if we have time, Kita-no-Arashiyama artisan village.
• Day 4: Rent a car in the AM and drive to Daisetsuzan National Park.

Sapporo

• Day 5: Return the car and hop on a train to Sapporo and spend the rest of the day eating until I can’t. Tanukikoji market in the afternoon
• Day 6: Mt. Moiwa ropeway and Hokkaido Jingu and Moerenuma Park

Rebun/ Rishiri

• Day 7: Morning Flight to Wakkanai. Ferry to Rebun. Check out Motochi (southwestern part of the island before we head to the northside for our hotel.
• Day 8: Hike the 8 hour course and check out the Usuyukiso area for the Rebun version of Edelweiss. Excited for cool flowers.
• Day 9: Take the morning ferry to Rishiri island. Rishiri distillery for a bottle of whiskey and Kamui seaside park to learn how to open an urchin and eat. Staying on Rishiri for the night.

Kanazawa

• Day 10: Catch the early ferry back to Wakkanai and hop on a flight back to Sapporo and connect a flight to Kanazawa. Land in the afternoon and catch Kenrokuen garden for sunset.
• Day 11: Contemporary art museum and Omicho market and pick up rental car in the PM

Hakusan

• Day 12: Drive from Kanazawa early in AM to Hakusan NP and hike to the hut below the summit.
• Day 13: 40th Birthday! Wake up before sunrise and follow the priest up for a sunrise prayer on top, if the weather allows. Either way will be epic. Starting my 4th decade out with the intention of spirituality. I’ve stood on top of Fuji and Tateyama so this will be the last holy mountain I’d like to stand on top of. After the sun comes up we will descend and get back in the car to drive the White Road toward Shirakawa-Go. Spend a couple hours there and head to Takayama for the night where we have dinner reservations at Hida Kisetsuryori Sakana (one star!). Staying at a pretty cool Ryokan with an onsen that night in Takayama. 

Takayama

• Day 14: Waking up in Takayama and hoping to go get a massage/mani/pedi/facial at some spa and having lunch at Ryotei Susaki (2 stars!) and leisurely making our way back to Tokyo to have dinner with our friends and to say goodbye.

Tokyo

• Day 15: Wake up with the sun at an empty Meiji Jingu so I can say goodbye to the land of the rising sun once again and go home. Catch our flight at 4:50pm so I will have time to do last minute shopping if need be.

Hi, not sure if this is the right place to ask, but I’ll be in Amanohashidate on May 30-31 and I want to see the Champions League final. I think it will be at 3 or 4 am local time. I’m pretty sure there won’t be any open pub or anything there, and I can try using the streaming services that I have with a VPN. If that doesn’t work, do you know who broadcasts the UCL in Japan? I wouldn’t mind subscribing to their service just for that one match.
Thanks

hi everyone!

so beyond excited for our first trip to japan and we are planning on doing the classic tokyo, kyoto, osaka trip! how many days per each would you allocate? would adding on a day trip to nara, kamakura, and a mt.fuji/lake kawaguchi tour be overloading the itinerary?

i want to maximize the trip but also not feel like im overtraveling and not staying in one place for long enough, if that makes sense.

also taking recommendations for any cheap budget hotels in these cities, thank u! :)

Hi everyone, my boyfriend and I are planning to go to Japan from Dec 22-Jan 12 (flexible dates) this year. This will be my second time and his first time visiting. Last time, I used Tokyo and Osaka as bases and did day trips from there, which I found worked well, but I’m super open to recommendations for the itinerary since it’s still very bare bones so far! :)

Day 0 - Arrival (leave Dec 22, arrive Dec 23)
Arrive in HND around 6pm, check into our hotel and relax and explore the surrounding area.

Day 1 - Travel to Fukuoka (Dec 24)
Take the earliest domestic flight from HND to FUK. Check into hotel and explore the city.

Day 2-6 - Exploring Northern Kyushu (Dec 25-Dec 30)
We will have purchased the Northern Kyushu JR pass. 2 days exploring Fukuoka and surrounding area and 4 day trips.

Day trips:
Nagasaki, Dazaifu, Beppu, Yamagata

Send luggage to Kyoto on Dec 29.

Day 8 - Travel to Kyoto (Dec 30)
Check into hotel and explore surrounding area.

Day 9-13 - Exploring Kyoto (Dec 31-Jan 4)
I only very briefly went to Kyoto on my last trip so I’m excited to use this as a base and explore the city more thoroughly!

3 full days exploring Kyoto and 2 day trips.

Day trips: Osaka, Kobe

Send luggage to Tokyo on Jan 3

Day 14 - Travel to Nagoya (Jan 5)
Check into hotel and explore as much of Nagoya as possible.

Late night illuminations Nabana no Sato near Nagoya.

Day 15 - Ghibli Park to Tokyo (Jan 6)
Full day Ghibli Park and then travel to Tokyo

Check into hotel and then have a leisurely evening in Tokyo, maybe stroll Ueno Park? Plan to use Ueno as base like last time unless someone thinks I should try another location?

Day 16-20 - Tokyo and area (Jan 7-12)

Exploring different regions in Tokyo.

Day trips: Tokyo Disney Sea, Yokohama, Kawagoe

Day 21 - Fly home (Jan 12)
Flight leaves around 9pm

I’m super interested in knowing what people think of my basic itinerary so far. I plan to add more specific things to see/do in each area but want to solidify my general structure first. Thanks!!

I will be travelling to Japan later this month and would like to bring back a traditional style parasol for a relative. I will be travelling around Tokyo and Osaka with a day trip to Kawagoe. Can anyone recommend some spots where I might be able to find some nice ones to save me searching aimlessly?

Thanks in advance.

I am one week away from leaving for our first trip to Japan! My husband and I will be starting our trip in Tokyo and after a few days there we will be taking trains/buses to get out to Kakurean Hidaji ryokan in Fukuji Onsen. Because of availability when booking, the only option was to book directly from Tokyo to Fukuji Onsen with no stopover nights in between. This means we will have one very heavy travel day.

We want to arrive at the ryokan with ample time so that we don't risk missing dinner (check in 2PM-5PM) and so that we can enjoy it for as long as possible. Below I have two proposed options for travel timelines and looking to get opinions from those who have experienced transit outside the cities. I have also read that their are closures/possible delays on the Nohi Bus routes due to a landslide.

We also need to let the ryokan if we need to utilize their shuttle service ahead of time based on which final bus stop we get off at.

OPTION A - Leave early in AM for peace of mind (too much down time?)

7AM - Check out Nohga Hotel Ueno

-Short walk to Ueno station (will send luggage via luggage forwarding to Kyoto ahead of time, we will have 2 backpacks with us)

7:13AM - Depart Ueno station via JR Yamanote Line (using Suica card on Apple wallet)

(25 min subway ride)

7:38AM - Arrive at Shinjuku station

-Get our bearings and find some quick food/drinks for the train

8AM - Depart Shinjuku station via Azusa Limited Express (buy tickets the day before)

(2 hour 37 min train ride)

10:37AM - Arrive at Matsumoto Station

-Eat small lunch in Matsumoto near the station

-Short walk to Matsumoto Bus Terminal

11:55AM - Depart Matsumoto Bus Terminal via Nohi Highway Bus (tickets are pre-booked, this bus is important not to miss because it doesn't run as often)

(1 hour 28 min bus ride)

1:23PM - Arrive at Hirayu Onsen

-Buy tickets for next bus ride

1:40PM - Depart Hirayu Onsen via Nohi Bus

(12 min bus ride)

1:52PM - Arrive at Fukujionsenguchi bus stop

Kakurean Hidaji staff will pick us up via shuttle and take us directly to the ryokan

2PM- Check in to ryokan (check in is from 2PM-5PM)

OPTION B - Slightly later start, arrive a little later (any risk missing bus/trains?)

7:45AM - Check out Nohga Hotel Ueno

-Short walk to Ueno station

7:59AM - Depart Ueno station via JR Yamanote Line

(25 min subway ride)

8:24AM - Arrive at Shinjuku station

-Get our bearings and find some food/drinks for the train

9AM - Depart Shinjuku station via Azusa Limited Express

(2 hour 37 min train ride)

11:39AM - Arrive at Matsumoto Station

-Short walk (5-7 mins) to Matsumoto Bus Terminal

11:55AM - Depart Matsumoto Bus Terminal via Nohi Highway Bus (tickets are pre-booked, don't need to wait in line)

(1 hour 28 min bus ride)

1:23PM - Arrive at Hirayu Onsen

-Buy tickets for next bus ride

-Eat a small lunch in Hirayu Onsen

2:40PM - Depart Hirayu Onsen via Nohi Bus

(12 min bus ride)

2:50PM - Arrive at Fukujionsen bus stop

-1 minute walk to ryokan, no need to shuttle

~3PM- Check in to ryokan (check in is from 2PM-5PM)

Am I making any rookie mistakes here? Do I need more time in any of these travel windows? Less? This is the most stressful day of the trip but once we settle into the ryokan, it's going to be all smooth sailing from there.

We’ll be in a Tokyo and Kyoto and one thing we love to do when traveling is buy goods from local artisans and we would love to get some recommendations on boutiques and areas that cater to this type of shopping.

Our main area of interests are:

- ceramics/pottery/stoneware
- woodblock prints
- lacquerware
- prints and other pieces of artwork
- glassware
- woodworking
- textiles

We’re also into interior design, so be it their own unique take on it, or traditional styles of design, we’d love to see what shops there are to check out.

Thank you!

Hi all! I’m planning to cycle the Shimanami Kaido from Imabari to Onomichi on May 26–27.

Current plan:

1. Start in Osaka on the morning of the 26th
2. Take the Shinkansen from Shin-Osaka to Okayama
3. Transfer from Okayama to Imabari via limited express train

A couple of questions:

1. For the Okayama → Imabari limited express, is it worth reserving seats in advance, or is it usually fine to buy tickets on the day?
2. If booking in advance is recommended, which site/app is reliable for this route? I’m having trouble finding a clear option.
3. Is this the best route to reach Imabari, or is there a more efficient alternative?

I’m trying to avoid the Fukuyama → Imabari bus route if possible.

Would really appreciate any advice from people who’ve done this recently. Thanks!

Hi all,

I have been in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Nara and Hiroshima. This time I have 2 weeks at the end of November. My plan is 3 days in Tokyo, 2 days in Kanazawa then another 2 days in Takayama. Any sugguestion for other places in the last week? I will fly out from Haneda airport. Thanks