OFFICIAL TRAVEL GUIDE: JAPAN

[W)taps]

 

[drewdioxin2345]

depends on where you are. Osaka I had an awful time live mapping with my global service so I would stop in somewhere that had wifi tonge t my bearings, screen cap map directions, or simply wander(which to me is part of the fun). not sure how it is with the mobile routers.

 

[W)taps]

Here's my list for what i wanna do in tokyo so far.. im a huge streetwear fan so yea... 

gonna dedicate 1 day to disneyland as well.. i'll be there for 7 days

This list isnt including any historical sites as i'll make that list later. Any other cool shops to hit?

I was thinking about getting a reservation to Jiro's son sushi joint since it holds 2 michelin stars.. yall think its worth it?

I def wanna go to hashimoto for their rice and eel as well which i plan on doing.

Also, im thinking about getting an airbnb in shibuya rather than shinjuku since all the stores i wanna go to are near by... not sure because I heard shinjuku has a lot more shops and the classic lights/street is there as welk.. any thoughts?

 

[HNL HI]

definitely need a whole day at Tokyo Sea, the line for splash mountain was 3 hours long

 

[W)taps]

depends on where you are. Osaka I had an awful time live mapping with my global service so I would stop in somewhere that had wifi tonge t my bearings, screen cap map directions, or simply wander(which to me is part of the fun). not sure how it is with the mobile routers.

thanks for the answer. repped. hopefully its good in tokyo lol

 

[drewdioxin2345]

 
Here's my list for what i wanna do in tokyo so far.. im a huge streetwear fan so yea... 

gonna dedicate 1 day to disneyland as well.. i'll be there for 7 days

This list isnt including any historical sites as i'll make that list later. Any other cool shops to hit?

I was thinking about getting a reservation to Jiro's son sushi joint since it holds 2 michelin stars.. yall think its worth it?

I def wanna go to hashimoto for their rice and eel as well which i plan on doing.

Also, im thinking about getting an airbnb in shibuya rather than shinjuku since all the stores i wanna go to are near by... not sure because I heard shinjuku has a lot more shops and the classic lights/street is there as welk.. any thoughts?

Harajuku for fashion, Shinjuku has some really rad shops for models, toys, books, etc. 

I would def check out the michelin star sushi if that is your thing. There is a michelin star ramen-ya in that area as well but you gotta get up early to snag your timed ticket. 

AirBnB I cannot say enough positive things about. You meet great people from all over and it is hella cheap. I would really find a place that is easy access to the trains, not just because it is close to your shopping. it is easy to get to and from if you have access to the rail system. Don't get too overwhelmed, which is easy with it, because even Japanese get lost in Shinjuku station from time to time. It is very Labrynthine.

 
thanks for the answer. repped. hopefully its good in tokyo lol

Tokyo has installed more hotspots in prep for the olympics and more are showing up everyday. 

 

[tsamshox]

-Pocket Wifi!

- 7/11 food

- Use Trays

- Toilets are [emoji]128293[/emoji]

- Rome2Rio

- No garbage cans anywhere

- Dontaburi for shopping in Osaka

- JR Pass necessary

- Matcha everything

 

[childsplay]

^ all of that and you have to do the maricart tour but you need an international drivers permit. def one of my highlights from my recent trip. but a day trip to kyoto....that even possible 

 

[drewdioxin2345]

-Pocket Wifi!

- 7/11 food

- Use Trays

- Toilets are [emoji]128293[/emoji]

- Rome2Rio

- No garbage cans anywhere

- Dontaburi for shopping in Osaka

- JR Pass necessary

- Matcha everything

1: Yes, unless you are with T-Mobile, I switched just for the unlimited data internationally. 

2: 7/11 food is not bad, but you can eat cheaply elsewhere. If you are on the go alot, Konbini will be a life saver for sure. 

3: Out of courtesy never hand the money directly over to the cashier if possible. You will probably get a free pass but it will become habit over time. 

4: Robo toilets are super dope. I finally came around to the bidet function. Feels clean man.

5: I am curious about this, info?

6: Recycling is though, so if you bring trash, make sure you are either going to somewhere that has waste facilities or know that you are going to be responsible for your waste when you get back to your staying quarters. Also, don't litter. real D move. 

7: Dotonburi is pretty cool in Osaka, there are a ton of shops surrounding though that are just as cool. Vinyl figs/vintage toys, card shops, vintage clothing. If you dig tattoos check out 3 Tides, they have a shop inside, and Invasion Club in Osaka as well. I got to meet Hori Benny who runs Invasion club. Amazing art and awesome merch. His wife speaks very little English but she was super sweet and he hung out with me for about half an hour talking about tattoo culture and finding work in Japan. Awesome guy!

8: JR Pass is a life saver especially if you ride the Shinkansen. If you ride it at least 2 times it pays for itself. You may be able to purchase them upon arrival now. Suica/Pasmo cards also come in handy to pay for rail systems.

9: Seconded and repped haha.

Day trip to Kyoto is truly difficult. Some amazing sights to see like Fushimi Inari, Sanju-san Gendo, Arashiyama, Kinkaku-ji, Nijo-jo, and Kyomizu-dera to name the bigger ones. Especially if you walk as much as I do when I visit lol. I can usually hit a couple of them per day, but depending on the day it gets crowded and the weather can hinder you. Always pack an umbrella. 

 

[fenixconnexion.]

I need to go to Tokyo one day. Posting in this thread for future reference

 

[kevenmayne]

This thread is awesome!

I am going to Tokyo in February, I haven't looked up anything at all, but cant wait to find out stuff to see haha. I will read this thread when I get a chance. I'm going just because I'm running the Tokyo marathon, but want to go for around 10 days or so. I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up going by myself though, but I'm fine with that. The main thing I'm worried about is the language barrier.

 

[drewdioxin2345]

This thread is awesome!

I am going to Tokyo in February, I haven't looked up anything at all, but cant wait to find out stuff to see haha. I will read this thread when I get a chance. I'm going just because I'm running the Tokyo marathon, but want to go for around 10 days or so. I'm pretty sure I'm going to end up going by myself though, but I'm fine with that. The main thing I'm worried about is the language barrier.

Language barrier in Tokyo won't be AS bad as it would be in a smaller city/area. You certainly will run into people that just do not speak english at all, usually the older Japanese, but even then some phrases to learn that are truly helpful would be:

how to say thank you (arigatou gozaimasu)
where is blank ( ___doko desu ka)
excuse me (sumimasen)
how much (ikura desu ka)
please ( onegaishimasu)
sorry (gomen or gomen nisai)

those can carry you far, trust me. I have studied Japanese for 3 years (by no means fluent) and those save my *** nine times out of ten. Once you become immersed you pick it up quickly as well. I would suggest Duolingo, Memrise or Tofugu for practcing on your smart phone on some free time. they teach you the hiragana, katakana, and kanji so reading, sentence structure, pronunciation, and words/definitions and they are all free.

As far as sites in Tokyo, the Tokyo Tower is really cool ( I have still not been myself yet), Ueno Zoo just had a baby Panda born so if you have never seen Panda, that is something really cool to see. Asakusa Shrine is awesome and in a cool February, the food stalls and people will be a treat. You could go to Korakuen Hall and see Pro Wrestling if you are a fan. It is a storied building that has hosted some amazing matches from some of the most well known global wrestlers of all time. Tokyo Disney and Disney Sea, Tokyo Dome city has a bunch of stuff to do around, and if I recall also has a zoo close. Meiji Shrine, Yoyogi park where all the sub cultures hang out on weekends, and the Tokyo Sky tree are all options as well.

 

[W)taps]

just booked an airbnb thats a 5 min walk from shibuya station. so much things I wanna do so now i gotta start planing forreal.

 

[usabasketball08]

What is a good amount of time to stay in Tokyo? I'm thinking 5 days/nights but can do 7-8 nights if necessary. I've never been out of the US smh

I need to gameplan and come up with some things to do.

 

[slab_diaz]

What is a good amount of time to stay in Tokyo? I'm thinking 5 days/nights but can do 7-8 nights if necessary. I've never been out of the US smh

I need to gameplan and come up with some things to do.

7-8 days seem good, include some day trips outside the city. yeah you should plan accdngly, so you can avoid wasting precious time.

 

[W)taps]

yall is $2,500 good enough for spending money? this isnt including the plane ticket or airbnb.. already got those paid off.

strictly for eating, transportation, shopping for 7 days. i do plan on going to disney world and kyoto for a 1 day trip if that makes a difference.

i been reading around that you can get around tokyo with just $70 a day if you wanted to so im kinda assuming I should be good...?

 

[drewdioxin2345]

yall is $2,500 good enough for spending money? this isnt including the plane ticket or airbnb.. already got those paid off.

strictly for eating, transportation, shopping for 7 days. i do plan on going to disney world and kyoto for a 1 day trip if that makes a difference.

i been reading around that you can get around tokyo with just $70 a day if you wanted to so im kinda assuming I should be good...?

Not sure the rates on Tokyo Disney, I would check those first. Also, the theme park food and stuff are quite expensive so plan that accordingly. The good thing is in Japan you can bring backpacks and snacks and they don't flip out at the parks. That is what I did when I visited USJ.

Depending on what and how much you tend to eat, you may be safe. I tend to eat one decent meal a day, drink 3 liters of water a day, and then may snack or have some sweets when I hang out with family/others. I would estimate I spend 15 bucks a day on food on avg.

What are you looking to buy/bring back? Uniqlo sells really affordable, decent quality clothes, and if you are hitting up thrift shops that saves a ton. If you are looking to purchase charms form the Shrines/temples, they run anywhere from 300 yen upwards to 1500 or 2000. Also know that it is customary to present 50 yen or more to the shrines/temples if you intend to pray so I keep all those separate so I can just go and pray/offer and not dig through my change purse. Do bring a coin purse of some sort as Japan still heavily does paper/coin money. Larger places will accept credit card (though definitely learn to ask or pay attention at the cashier counter for if they do) but make sure you get paper money when you arrive. Make sure you change money there and not here, the rate is better. Most large department stores, post offices, and train stations have a currency exchange as well as the malls.

Do you have your JRail pass yet or Suico card? Trains usually avg a couple hundred yen so a suico/pasmo card or a jrail pass is the way to go. Though the JRPass is pricey, if you ride the Shinkansen twice it pays for itself, allowing you to take a day trip to Kyoto or Osaka.

 

[W)taps]

Not sure the rates on Tokyo Disney, I would check those first. Also, the theme park food and stuff are quite expensive so plan that accordingly. The good thing is in Japan you can bring backpacks and snacks and they don't flip out at the parks. That is what I did when I visited USJ.

Depending on what and how much you tend to eat, you may be safe. I tend to eat one decent meal a day, drink 3 liters of water a day, and then may snack or have some sweets when I hang out with family/others. I would estimate I spend 15 bucks a day on food on avg.

What are you looking to buy/bring back? Uniqlo sells really affordable, decent quality clothes, and if you are hitting up thrift shops that saves a ton. If you are looking to purchase charms form the Shrines/temples, they run anywhere from 300 yen upwards to 1500 or 2000. Also know that it is customary to present 50 yen or more to the shrines/temples if you intend to pray so I keep all those separate so I can just go and pray/offer and not dig through my change purse. Do bring a coin purse of some sort as Japan still heavily does paper/coin money. Larger places will accept credit card (though definitely learn to ask or pay attention at the cashier counter for if they do) but make sure you get paper money when you arrive. Make sure you change money there and not here, the rate is better. Most large department stores, post offices, and train stations have a currency exchange as well as the malls.

Do you have your JRail pass yet or Suico card? Trains usually avg a couple hundred yen so a suico/pasmo card or a jrail pass is the way to go. Though the JRPass is pricey, if you ride the Shinkansen twice it pays for itself, allowing you to take a day trip to Kyoto or Osaka.

thanks for the info.

how much area does the JR pass cover? in tokyo, i just need to get around shibuya, shinjuku, disney land, and roppongi hills.
will a 7 day JR pass be worth it?

also get I ride the shinkansen to kyoto with it?

 

[drewdioxin2345]

thanks for the info.

how much area does the JR pass cover? in tokyo, i just need to get around shibuya, shinjuku, disney land, and roppongi hills.
will a 7 day JR pass be worth it?

also get I ride the shinkansen to kyoto with it?

JRpass covers all green line JR trains, the Narita and Haneda Express trams from and to the airport, a ferry at Hiroshima, and some buses if I recall. It should cover everywhere you need to go.

As far as the shinkansen, it covers all bullet trains other than the Nozomi super express and Mizuho express. there are 5 different types if I recall. The Hikari is the one you will find running the most. All you have to do is go to the JR counter, tell them the Shinkansen train time and number and they will book you a ticket and seat, unless you want to risk open seating (depending on time of day/destination that can be a losing proposition).

As far as worth it, like I said, if you are doing a day trip to Kyoto, it pays for itself right there as shinkansen tockets can run you 100 bucks or more 1 way.

 

[DCAllAfrican]

 

[W)taps]

leaving for tokyo next friday and im seeing that its gonna rain the whole week im there..

i know a 10 day forecast is hit or miss.. but im PRAYING it doesnt rain when im in tokyo

 

[stuntman mike]

on one of my tokyo trips it was raining super hard and i forgot to zip my backpack all the way. the umbrella was channeling a river into the gap. when i opened my pack, there was like a gallon of water in it and my nikon was ruined. it gets crazy on the packed, busy streets with all the umbrellas out.

 

[W)taps]

Good news, its only gonna rain 2 days im there. The other days are clear

Anyone ever been to tsuta ramen place? Might make my way there. Also gonna go to Disneyland Tokyo since i never been to a disney theme park.
A lot of shopping and a kyoto trip. I'll try to take as much pics as I can for da gram

 

[williamontana]

Was in Japan for two weeks in September. I was impressed by how clean Tokyo was. Got to check out Kyoto and Osaka as well, the Umeda Sky building was dope! Food was amazing of course, probably the best two weeks of eating in my life

 

[stuntman mike]

Anyone ever been to tsuta ramen place? Might make my way there.

i took my wife and 4 year old son there. it's super close to the sugamo station on the yamanote line - like a one minute walk. i think we went there before 8am to get our tickets (one per person, 1,000 yen per ticket that gets refunded to you when you come back later to line up). the tickets were for noon so we returned there around 11:45 and jumped into the line. there are signs telling you how to line up and everyone is crammed into this small space at the entrance to some apartments. took us about 30 minutes to get inside and get our noodles and i recommend it if you like shoyu ramen. my son really, really liked the broth. if you enjoy your meal, they sell a tsuta instant ramen bowl at the 7-11s or at least they had em when i was there.

we're currently planning a possible trip back there for jan and i'm pretty excited.