Weekly Japan Travel Information and Discussion Thread – June 28, 2024

16 comments

1. I have been to japan for 3 weeks in december of 2022, and am planning another 3 week-ish trip over christmas/new year this year.

   Last time I was there, I made a mistake of zipping around Japan only seeing the main sights in each location which makes planning another trip difficult so I would welcome suggestions on where to go next time. I have already visited:

   * 3 days in Sapporo
   * 3 days in Osaka
   * 2 days in Kyoto
   * 1 day in Hiroshima city + 1 day in Itsukushima
   * 2 days in Kanazawa
   * a daytrip to nagano
   * a week in Tokyo (mainly the more central parts like Ueno, Shibyua, Tokyo station and the surroundings) and the following daytrips
   * Base of mount fuji
   * Nikko

   I will probably try visiting the Sendai and Aomori prefectures, but am not sure how much time that would take and what else to fit into my trip so I’m looking for suggestions

2. I still have my Suica card from my trip in April, and im returning to Tokyo again end of september/Beginning of October, will it still work? Can I just add funds to it without getting a new one and I’m good to go?

3. I heard the Suica card system has changed a bit and allows mobile cards now. When I was in Japan last year we had a Sanrio collab welcome suica card. Is that still an available option to purchase at the airport? I will be going later this year in November.

4. What do you recommend to buy for hot and humid weather? :). Any like cool fans or mister umbrella?

5. I’m able to visit Japan for two weeks and need to choose between August 1st-15th or September 5th-19th, or whether to forget it and choose a better time in the next two years. So:

   * August 1-15
   * September 5-19
   * Hold off and book at a future date

   I’m wondering if experienced travelers could tell me which choice is best, or perhaps the least miserable weather-wise. I’m from SoCal and can deal with heat, but I’m getting cold feet hearing about the humidity.

   The climate data shows August to be the worst month, but many posts here show that September is brutal as well. It also seems hit or miss and some people get lucky.

   I had a full trip booked earlier this year, landed in Japan in February, but had to fly home for a family emergency immediately. So I really want to take this trip but don’t want to regret it because I was impatient. Would be visiting Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto/Sapporo.

6. [deleted]

7. [deleted]

8. Has anyone visited Lotte Arai resort for skiing? What’s the best way to get there via train from Kyoto? Actually what’s the best way to buy and search up train schedules for Japan?

   My friends and I are going in January 2025 and have no idea how to get around from Tokyo to Kyoto to Lotte Arai. How much are train tickets usually?

9. Planning to spend 3 days 2 nights in Sendai (doing stops at Shiogama and Matsushima). Is it recommended to stay 1 night in Matsushima or should I just stay the whole time in Sendai?

10. I’m visiting Japan for the second time for two weeks in late September (17-30). Right now my plan is to be in Sapporo from the 17th to the 21st with one overnight stay at Jozankei Onsen, Sendai from the 21st to the 25th (with half-day trips to Yamadera, Hiraizumi, Matsushima, and possibly Hirosaki. I’m considering combining Matsushima with either Yamadera or Hiraizumi since according to Google Maps, Matsushima is only about a 1.5-2 hr train ride from each), Takayama from the 25th to the 27th, and returning to Tokyo from the 27th to the 30th with a day trip to Nikko. I’ll be taking domestic flights to get between my base cities but I’m wondering if this would be too much?

    Originally my plan was just to do Hokkaido and Tohoku and then return to Tokyo the last three days, but my mother also really wanted to see Shirakawa-go so I tried to fit in a 3 day stay in Takayama before going back to Tokyo.

11. A potential stupid question but I thought I’d check.

    I’m re-entering Japan as a tourist on the 11/11/24 and leaving on the 25/11/24 having recently visited in May 2024 (2nd to 10th).

    I’m a UK citizen so no visa but is there any issues upon returning 6 months later?

12. I have a question about Japan E-visa. I’m a Chinese citizen staying in the US with F-1 visa. I plan to fly to Japan and then fly to China. When I am applying for the E-visa, do I need to buy air tickets and reserve hotels first? Can I apply for E-visa without buying them?

13. I was planning on going camping near Lake Motosuko to see Mt Fuji, but the weather sucks. I’m debating just taking the L and going back to Tokyo, but that leaves me with 2 days with an empty schedule before I have to leave. After Kyoto, I am kind of tired of temples and street food. Anything I should consider doing over the next two days on short notice?

14. I’m looking for advice from those who have been to Daikoku PA around January week of Tokyo Auto Salon. Since the event starts on afternoon friday, im planning on renting a car 24h on Thursday for a hakone road trip and stopping by Daikokufuto at night before I get back to my hotel.

    I’d like to know what are the chances of car meets happening there on a weekday night instead of the weekends. Perhaps if it’s higher since it’s around the time a car show is happening. I am hoping to take some photographs there and meet fellow car enthusiasts

15. Hi there everyone. My mom and I are on vacation in Japan, and she thinks that Japanese women have incredible make-up and stylish clothing, and wants some for herself. Can anyone of you point me towards a place where I can buy the sorts of clothes Japanese women wear, as well as their make-up?

16. We’d like to send our luggage from Kyoto to Tokyo, but I just found out our hotel in Kyoto cannot help with Takkyubin. Any gotchas with us sending 5 carry-on size suitcases from a nearby FamilyMart? Will the staff there help with filling out the waybills in Japanese?