Weekly Japan Travel Information and Discussion Thread – March 15, 2024

27 comments

1. Ghibli museum question. We were able to get tickets for 4pm next month but I saw some folks saying there may be a line later in the day as the museum is not time restricted.
   Should we plan to line up at 3 then? Cant find much info on this. Anyone have some insight?

2. Hello all!

   Does any Uniqlo in Kyoto offer customization (embroidery) service?

3. Hello, I recently realized that the latter part of our Japan trip dates (April 22 – April 30) overlap the start of Golden Week. We booked accommodations in Tokyo first (April 22-25) and then Kyoto (25-29) from where we plan to take day trips to Nara/Osaka.

   My question is, should we switch the order we visit Tokyo/Kyoto? I’ve seen some comments indicating that Kyoto may be more crowded relatively than Tokyo during Golden Week. The accommodations can be cancelled, I’m just wondering if re-structuring the trip is worth the hassle.

4. Can I get a Pasmo/Sucica from Ikebukuro Station?
   I wont really be needing an IC card until after the first day so thought I could skip lining up at the airport and pick one up the next day at our closest major station which will be Ikebukuro eki. Would it be less of a hassle that way or should I jsut grab on our way through Narita? Android user btw.

5. [deleted]

6. I’ll be visiting Tokyo later this month with my girlfriend and I am considering a 2 night romantic getaway to Nikko. I have two questions.
   1. My girlfriend thinks we should rent a car, but I’m not sure. Any recommendations?
   2. And if anyone can suggest a glamping-style place to stay, I’d be most appreciative.

7. Staying in Kyoto during Golden Week? Need opinion on hotel area

   So first, I know. It’s gonna be crazy and miserable. If we could stay elsewhere we would, but we can’t. So, we have two options, we can either stay at a hotel basically at the Kyoto Station, or stay in Higashiyma Ward. I know the stations will be packed, we do have one day free and was gonna daytrip, but is it better to stay near Kyoto Station or stay in Higashiyma. Will that be more tolerable? Dates are 4/26-5/3

8. Has anyone been to shimokitazawa during golden week? Need to know if its super busy or not thag bad. Appreciate it!

9. Anywhere in Tokyo with a lot of Cherry blossoms right now? Ueno had 2 trees
   Thanks!!!

10. Is the climate and snow still cool/cold in Hakuba valley? Wanting to possibly spend a day or two there near the end of this month. Being able to see the snow monkeys would also be a plus!

11. Hello guys I need some help on time management for my flight back to LAX to Narita on United Airlines, if I am going to check in a small suitcase that a bottle of sake and some other unrelated souveniers, how early should I be there? The flight departs at 5:55pm and boarding begins at 5:05pm I am about one hour and 15mins away. And I want to know what time I should leave to be able to get everything done on time. Your help is much appreciated

12. Hey folks getting unclear answers online. I am looking to buy an Apple Watch (Ultra 2) in Japan to make use of the tax free status. I’m reading that Apple stores don’t do tax free to foreigners. Are there other options?

    I’m asking because in my country, that purchase would incur higher exchange + a 12% tax on top of that. So I’m trying to buy it outside if I can

13. Hello! I am trying to fill up the Visit Japan Travel website and on the flight details, I am a bit unsure. My CX flight from Manila to Tokyo is via Hong Kong. There are 2 legs (MNL-HK, HK-NRT) , do I indicate the last leg for flight details or our country original embarkation ? Halo

14. I am traveling to Japan for the first time between 25th March to 2nd April ( Tokyo, Hakone, Hiroshima, Osaka, Nara, Kyoto).

    Please advise on the expected weather conditions (rain, cold) during end of March and what clothing, footwear etc to pack accordingly.

    Also, will it be too cold in March end to wear spegahetti tops and mid length skirts ??

    Thank You

15. Is there still good snowboarding snow in Hokkaido mid April?

16. Hello, I plan on visiting japan in a few weeks and have seen the news about the measles concern lately rising in japan?

    Should I be worried about it and cancel my plans or would it be still safe to travel still.

    I want to ask before I make any hasty decisions

    Thank you 🙂

17. I want to buy korean skincare products like sunscreen from Skin1004, Innisfree, Roundlab, and i was wondering if Osaka Japan has those brands. I tried doing some looking online but can’t find if they are available

18. I will be in Aomori in mid December for a few days and I’d really like to visit Lake Towada, Oirase Stream and Mount Hakkōda but from what I’ve read public transport doesn’t really go to Towada during the winter. I don’t want to rent a car so is my only option a taxi/Uber or is there another option I’m unaware about?

19. I will be in the Kyushu 九洲 area, from 4 to 10 April. Is there any cinema in that area showing Godzilla -1.0 with English subtitles?

20. I’m hooked on Mozuku seaweed after trying them in Okinawa! Where can I find some dried ones in Tokyo? I’m going to stockpile on them 

21. Hi all, me and my friend are coming to japan this summer for a holiday, I wanted to ask if there are any tips for the rainy season, other than bringing appropriate clothes, making back up plans for our planned trips, etc.

    We’ll be staying 4 weeks, starting from Hokkaido making our way down to Tokyo for a week at the end of June, I have read that Hokkaido should be mostly OK during the rainy season (little to no rain), but as we make our way to Tokyo I expect the rainy days to be prevalent…

    What is the rainy season like? Is it a whole day affair where it rains non-stop or is it usually changeable weather (rain, then sun, then rain again)

    Sorry for any errors, English is not my first language.

22. **Traveling to Japan and Want to buy a Camera for the experience -**
    **Tips on the purchase please?**
    I’m traveling to Japan tomorrow. I want this specific easy vlogger camera kit:
    Sony – Alpha ZV-E10 Kit Mirrorless Vlog Camera with 16-50mm Lens – White
    [https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-alpha-zv-e10-kit-mirrorless-vlog-camera-with-16-50mm-lens-white/6473809.p?skuId=6473809](https://www.bestbuy.com/site/sony-alpha-zv-e10-kit-mirrorless-vlog-camera-with-16-50mm-lens-white/6473809.p?skuId=6473809)
    I could technically buy it while here still states side. But I know sometimes Japan has better shopping prices and tax-free opportunities.
    Can someone help me figure out where to buy this?
    Would it be better to get it here in the USA ($800 ish + storage)?
    Or should I get it in Japan, and if so where from?
    Can anyone confirm a location in Tokyo that has it in stock and maybe tell me how much it is??
    I would really appreciate it. This is my first international trip and I’m super excited but don’t want to stress myself out with researching where to buy this. So I’m calling upon researchers, travelers, and the community to help enlighten and advise me~
    Thanks~

23. This rule doesnt seem clear. Is it 180 days in consecutive 365 days, or 180 days in a year (reseting at the start of a new year?)

    I am planning on going to Japan in May 2024 for two weeks.

    I have been in Japan in October 2023 for two weeks.

    It´s been like 6 months, but the stamp on the passport doesnt have a date of departure stamp, just the arrival one with the 90 days dates.

    Will i be denied entry?

24. Hello! I am looking to hike Kumano Kodo in mid April.. I am having trouble booking through the official Kumano travel website.. so I looked up the recommended accommodations and booked via booking.com instead.

    Does anyone foresee problems with hiking the trail this way since I didn’t book via the official website? Any advice? Thank you!!

25. what would a realistic budget be for around 3 weeks in Japan?

    I want to go there again sometime between late august and late september of this year. I’ve been there before so I know that whatever the guides online say about the costs doesn’t apply to me much as I am more on a budget and I know I can survive well without spending too much. I don’t plan to do many activities as I mainly want to go back and meet up with my friends. sure, getting dinner, some drinks or going to karaoke with them is a must, but I know myself and my friends and we will look for rather cheap places.

    I would love to stay in Kyoto as most of my friends are located there, but the prices for accommodations are quite expensive so I’m thinking of maybe just staying in Osaka as they have some budget hotels (don’t wanna spend too much time there anyway so I don’t care about it being super pretty or whatever. just need a place to sleep and shower, the rest I can do elsewhere)

    so, I see everything from 40€ to 150€ per day and I can’t really tell what would be realistic. I’m really good with the cheapest accommodation as long as I have a private place to sleep and a shower accessible. don’t really eat 3 meals per day and I already kind of know what kind of food I like so I don’t need to go out and waste money on trying out new things

    does anyone have an idea? or maybe tips on how I can properly calculate so I can already start properly planning the budget? it stresses me out not knowing how much I need to save up

26. Hi, my girlfriend and I are going to japan next week for the first time.
    We will land in Haneda and I plan to buy a pasmo passport for each of us.

    We plan to visit the cities Tokio, Osaka, Hiroshima. Nagasaki, kyoto and Nagoya with day trips to Nara, koyasan, miyajima and iwatayama.

    Can we use the pasmo passport in all of these regions or is there a better alternative.

    Plus…my girlfriend is kind of a pro when it comes to travelling and she never used her smartphone outside of the WLAN in her hostels.
    Is it doable to get around without having a Router or sim card for japan? Are there a lot of free hotspots in case you need one?

27. Are there any sites like Eventbrite where I can find events in Japan?