Weekly Japan Travel Information and Discussion Thread – May 26, 2023

22 comments

1. Did anyone else feel that earthquake in Tokyo tonight? i was in Yodobashi Camera Akihabara and all of a sudden the video game shelf started swaying, everyone just carried on like normal

2. Will have to use different trains to go from Nara to Koya San in July.

   Do I need to reserve in advance any of those trains or I will be fine if I simply get my tickets at the train stations on the same day of my departure?

3. I arrived here today. Throwing my experience down bc I know I was searching for similar before I got here.

   Customs/immigration took 6 minutes total, and 3 of that was me figuring out where to go bc it’s not 100% clear (it’s pretty easy, I’m just a moron).

   Most people are fine with basic English, though that’s pretty obvious with any search.

   I’m staying in Shinjuku. If it’s your first time doing a huge public transit system, it can easily be overwhelming. If you have experience with other transit systems (NYC subway, London Underground, etc.) then it should be fine. I found Shinjuku station much more complex, large, and confusing than anywhere in the NYC subway system but it is navigable via just signs.

   I might reply to this comment with other stuff that I would’ve found useful if I come up with anything.

   Main takeaway for me is: don’t stay near Shinjuku station if you don’t have experience with another large public transit system. It is an overwhelmingly large station. If I didn’t go to NYC before this trip, I’m certain I would’ve gotten hopelessly lost.

4. What’s the actual deal on bringing a CPAP to Japan? When I search on the web I seem to get conflicted answers. Some say you can just walk in with one in or some others you need to get the certificate. Wondering if anyone here has had an actual experience with it.

5. What are some things you look for when booking a ryokan? Are there preferred sites to book or find a list of them?

   I am planning to book one in Hakone and am trying to filter for the better ones. Right now, I’m looking things like an open-air onsen, allergy accommodations, included meals, and traditional rooms. It doesn’t seem as simple as just sorting by the lowest price.

6. Last full day in the Kanto area tomorrow (hotel is beside Omiya station). Wanted to ask for any suggestions for a short day trip via Shinkansen? (Tohoku, Hokiriku, Joetsu). Was thinking Nagano, Karuizawa. Is Niigata city worth a quick visit?

7. Does anyone know if souvenir pennies are a thing in Japan? Been collecting pennies for a while and want to get the ones in Kyoto, Osaka and Tokyo.

8. I’ll be staying in Tokyo for 3 days as a layover. Do most of restaurants and shops close early?

9. I booked a plane ticket to japan from end of july till mid august (3 weeks), should i already book hotels or is it okay to plan a couple days in advance when im there during this time of year? (Tokyo – Osaka – Kyoto area)

10. Best place to view Mt Fuji?

11. My comment isn’t showing on the thread not sure what’s going on sorry if this is a dupe:

    Does the Romance Car operate in/out of Odawara station as well as Hakone-Yumoto station?

    Is Takayama walkable or what kinds of transport do we need to see the typical sights there?

12. Hello, what are some recommendations for the best black car services? I like MK but they are sold out the dates I need. Thanks!

13. Can I bring Benadryl into Japan? I can’t find a clear answer. It can cause drowsiness so I’m assuming no?

14. Just saw that the sub JR Pass information page said that “It’s *always* possible to reserved seats on Shinkansen”. While the is correct 99% of the time, there’s a few Shinkansen especially early morning and late at night where it’s non-reserved seating only.

    – Sanyo: Kodama 770, 772, 773, 774, 777, 778, 779, 782, 783, 785
    – Kyushu: Tsubame 301
    – Tohoku: Yamabiko 94, 291, 293, Nasuno 260, 262, 263, 264, 265, 266, 267, 268, 269, 271, 275, 277, 279, 281
    – Joetsu: Toki 480, 481, 491, Tanigawa 400, 402, 407, 409, 411, 413, 415, 417, 470, 471, 472, 474, 475, 476, 477
    – Hokuriku: Asama 699, Hakutaka 596
    – Nishi-Kyushu: Kamome 101, 102, 103

15. Hello! I’m planning to visit for the latter half of November. I prefer a flexible itinerary – besides booking a few nights in Tokyo to start, is it reasonable to do Tokyo/Kyoto/possibly Okinawa without booking hotels in advance during this time? Thank you!

16. Hey yall! I know this question has been asked to death but based on my research and the search function I’ve seen a few conflicting answers

    We’ve got a 2 week trip coming up and so far I’ve only exchanged $500USD for places that might not take card. Some posts say that 80% of places take cards now and I was wondering if people would share some of their experiences on how card friendly the country has become recently

    For reference my card is a visa, since I think that matters 😆

17. Hi guys. I am looking to go to Japan this September and it will be my second trip. I last went back in October when the boarders opened. Hs anything in particular changed in the past 6 months and is there anything that I need know. I haven’t been following the community recently.

    Also, do you think it is too later to book hotel and flights for october?. We are already entering June?

18. Hey all! Im going on an 18 day trip to Japan and Seoul in a few weeks with all the hotels,planes, JR pass etc booked. Would i be able to comfortably eat out, visit attraction etc with a remaining budget of 2000 USD?

    I read online the average tourist spends about 120USD per day in Japan but i really dont think ill even broach the 100 for at least 5 of those days.

    Any input would be appreciated!

19. Hi! I went to Japan for my first time this past March! It was absolutely incredible. I went with a friend. I enjoyed it so much I am considering going solo this October, as that timeframe is too sudden for friends to come with me.

    Is there anything special I need to keep in mind going solo? Any advice from someone who has gone solo? One of the things I am worried about is getting lonely there, but I am open to going out to meet people etc.

    Thanks for any help.

20. Hi! We’re trying to book tickets for Universal in July on the official website, and some express passes, but EVERY single express pass is disabled for EVERY date (not sold out). What’s going on?? And when I tried to purchase a day pass, once I put in my credit card info and pressed enter, the screen went white and nothing happened. Has anyone had this problem before?

21. Do you have to wait in line for Sushi after getting a slot/number? Will they call/text a US number for seating?

22. We’re planning to fly into Tokyo and we land around 2pm, however our first night we will be staying in Osaka.
    Would it be smarter to take a shinkansen from Tokyo to Osaka or look for flights?
    Trying to determine if the time saved would be worth the extra cost. Plus I’m worried about traveling with suitcases during rush hour.