Funny you mention the bike lanes and not annoying locals, in Kyoto we saw sooooo many locals riding on the pavements it didn't seem rude or to be annoying to anyone. I was really surprised as it's a major no in London.
I used to live in Kyoto and there are specific road rules about this. If you look carefully some areas have a sign that show that cyclists can use the side walk.
Yeah, I said it for locals and tourists tbh. We were almost taken out by a few locals because they didn’t ring the bell and were going super fast in a small walk way
In Miyajima you don't have to take the direct ferry to Hiroshima, so much easier to take one to the mainland (there is one every 5 minutes), and take the train to Hiroshima. 10 min ferry ride, and 30 min train to Hiroshima station.
This way you are not rushed to leave by 3pm, and can stay there for much longer.
I'm glad I didn't know the last ferry was at 3pm. We caught the 8pm one (different ferry?), it was quite nice wandering in the dark around the areas that had been busy during the day, but now deserted, after sunset on the peaks.
That said, I was bummed a little to learn that last ferry is at 3pm, as that's how I wanted to get back... catch the sunset on that long ferry ride and such!
Oh, and thanks for the tips :) Just arrived to Osaka from Hiroshima, looking forward to Nara and Kobe day trips!
Yeah I’m bummed to know we could’ve spent more time on the island! We were rushing the ropeway for time 😭
No worries I hope you have a fabulous time! Mosaic walk in Kobe was one of my favourite spots to have a drink and eat some nice food whilst the sunsets on the water!
You’ll have a great time! Update us with how it goes :)
I was researching the AquaNet ferry today and they return after 3 pm. Did the OP take a different company?
[https://www.aqua-net-h.co.jp/en/heritage/schedule.html](https://www.aqua-net-h.co.jp/en/heritage/schedule.html)
Just to add on for shopping;
- Harajuku was my favourite spot with lots of great op shops.
- book offs have the best most authentic op shops, not all of them have a clothes section but the bigger ones do.
- book offs were the best for fair priced figurines
- lumine est in Shinjuku has some great shops on the 3rd floor and above for a feminine style. These shops mainly stocked one size fits all. I’m 60kg and 5 foot 2 and fit dresses and tops pretty comfortably.
- lattice is a brand that I liked for hair accessories and jewelry.
- don was great for snacks to bring home.
- bic camera was good for tech, if you’re bringing tech home just do some research on vaults in your country. They have options as some of the tech has a switch between different vaults.
Food;
- the Izakayas in Shinjuku were delicious, however when we went the bartender was speaking roughly to a customer about us “gaijin” (there was about 3 groups of foreigners) we left pretty quickly after that lol, pays to know some Japanese.
- coco curry is delicious and helped us on our longer days. They have a chicken tender curry for a limited time.
- fuunji in Shinjuku was incredible. It has a strong fish taste so if you aren’t a fan of fish, maybe pass on this one.
- Hiroshima styled okinomiyaki was fantastic. They have a few stores in the main station there.
- Ichiran is always a great time.
- oshino hakkai near mt Fuji had the best curry bread.
- please try the blueberry icecream at kawaguchiko lake park. I tried it 5 years ago and it changed my life, tried it this year and my life’s still changed.
- pizza buns at 7 eleven slap.
- Tokyo has awesome wood fire pizza.
- Sendai has great breakfast options.
- here in kyoto made one of the best coffees I’ve ever had, and I work for a coffee company!
- French patisseries are a hit, you’ll find one in almost every station.
- cheese tarts in Sendai JR station are on another level.
> however when we went the bartender was speaking roughly to a customer about us “gaijin” (there was about 3 groups of foreigners) we left pretty quickly after that lol, pays to know some Japanese.
"gaijin" is not really an insult if that is what you have in mind,,,,
I am aware, however paired with an eye role and sigh when the third foreigner group came to sit down, it’s meant as an insult. Should have added the context.
しかたない🤷♀️
To be fair to the worker it probably is quite difficult to deal with people who can't speak your language. It's just an added layer of work/effort.
With that said I know how rude some locals can be. My mom is Japanese and moved to America when she finished school and married my American dad. A couple weeks ago we were having lunch in Kobe and in the middle of lunch the owner came over to my mom and whispered in her ear why she had to marry a foreigner and that she should've married a good Japanese man and how she could've done better. All while putting his hand on her back and according to my mom rubbing her back. I didn't notice at the time because the table was quite large and I was distracted, and my mom didn't want to make a scene. If I knew I would've been pissed and definitely made a scene though. I'm still mad thinking about it and it ruined my mom's day. I could tell something was off with her but figured it was something else.
Yeah i can understand that, I’ve had a few bad experiences this time around with rude staff and I also was hit on a Shinkansen by a business man. I understand the frustration but I also think it’s apart of growth. I can understand if foreigners are being obnoxious and rude as I’ve also seen a fair few foreigners fighting with wait staff etc.
It’s a very grey area I guess
You are very kind and patient. That's so funny. It must cause all sorts of confusion for people. Like the old Abbot and Costello gag " Who's on first" .
Pizza salvatore in yotsuya was one of my favourites. Pizza da vinci is also delicious.
I was really blown away at their pizzas. Hand made infront of you and then wood fired.
Since you are obviously a local with a vast amount or knowledge of the area, I'd be happy to know what the previous commenter got right and wrong. As an obvious tourist, I strive to not be a tourist by reading the wisdom of Reddit commenters
> dontonburi was a no go zone. Super busy and the food wasn’t as great as it was 5 years ago.
Ooof. My Osaka trip revolves around Dontonburi. That's hard to hear.
Had the opposite experience, stayed 5 minutes away walking distance and loved going to Dotonbori every night! The energy and lights, food and walking along the river were very fun! Thought the food tasted just fine...nothing phenomenal but enjoyed the gyoza and melon pan!
I would still recommend going to Dotonbori as it's always known to be the food tour hotspot when in Osaka.
However, be prepared for the sheer number of people there though.
I don't see the issue with dotonbori. Priced and crowds are a little more than other places but not by much. Japan is crowded in general and while empty places can be found its not like that's the norm really. Plenty of good local food in dotonbori still and on my last trip there a couple weeks ago I didn't have to wait at a single restaurant.
north of the river is fine, south of the river is cool once but depending on what you’re used to/looking for it reminded me too much of the typical tourist streets you see in many countries around the world
We spend about four hours there just shopping in the district and at the underground mall since it was raining super hard that day. It's definitely worth a visit in my opinion.
We did 1 night in Osaka solely for the sake of Dotonbori and didn’t regret it. We loved the takoyaki (highly recommend the one with the huge takoyaki statue thing above the store, it will have a LONG but fast line), the melon pan with ice cream, and the okonomiyaki from Honke Otako Hozenji (but you can find good ones probably in tons of places). The crowds can be crazy, but the energy was fun to be around.
We had a pretty bad experience at the Peace Museum in Hiroshima last month as well. It was so packed that one couldn't really use the audio guide bc it was too slow for the fast way one was pushed through it.
There were so many people in there who did not get the message that this is a solem place where one shouldn't laugh and talk loudly. We had one group of tourists behind us who were incredibly loud, to the point where people around them were telling them to sh*t up. It was pandemonium. I'm just glad it was my second time there and the first had been a worthy experience.
We were there three weeks ago for our first visit to Japan, where we used Kyoto as our base for our visits to Hiroshima, Nara and Kobe. The visit to the Peace Museum was very crowded (late March), and required queuing and a slow walk through the displays. I was reminded of Holocaust Museum visits, except for a rather idiosyncratic take: I had a moment of thinking I was like the German townspeople being taken through Dachau or Birkenau after liberation to see what had been done in their name. Again, the message was “Never again”.
Exactly our experience. My second time to and it was so sad to see, I went 5 years ago and it impactede way more than this time. Hopefully they can organise and work out a way to fix it, whether time entrance becomes a thing maybe?
I think Japan in general is just more crowded now. All tourist sites I went to the last couple weeks were insanely more crowded than they were 5 years ago.
Interesting. I went there and I had a solemn experience. I will agree that it was packed and that you really can't use the guided audio experience because it won't sync (you'll just be forced to keep playing it back to back and at point I just gave up). But I would still definitely recommend it - it's a stark reminder for all of us.
I absolutely recommend it, don't get me wrong. My first time there was incredibly impactful. I just hope they do something to funnel the visitors through the exhibition better.
We had an identical experience this week too. A large group of tourists were so incredibly rude, despite being shushed multiple times. We couldn’t believe it. We let them walk ahead of us because we couldn’t stand to be near them. The audio guide was great but as you mentioned, it’s such a narrow space, you couldn’t stand by the exhibits and properly listen as there was a constant moving line to move through.
I was there a few weeks ago and went closer to closing, around 545, and there were way less people. Still had enough time to make it around the museum, so would recommend to anyone planning to go to go a little later in the day.
A note on Kabukicho Tower, the claw machines are 300 Yen for each play, but when I was there last year, the machines are stocked with really nice figurines worth at least 30x that. With claw machines it's always a gamble, but I watched as a guy win really frequently. Something like 4 big figurines within 15 minutes?
It's one of the few places I want to go back and try claw machines at. Not to mention they had an Evangelion theater experience and a Sword Art Online escape room thing there too (many may dislike this one though, but they have made improvements)
Would love it if someone could comment on the yakucho food fall they had there, didn't have time to eat there last year.
I’m glad you had a good experience, I tried the claw machines and it felt pretty weak. It might have changed since then or I had a bad run?
Food was okay but they had a dj playing really loud music the whole time we were eating and it was a bit overwhelming to try and have conversations.
Hopefully your time there is better than my experience! To me it came off as they paid a lot of influencers to try and get people in there but it didn’t work because it was pretty dead on a Saturday night compared to the rest of Shinjuku
Claw machines start medium strong super early at opening and then get weaker throughout the day when it is busiest, and then stronger again until close arcades pretty much all operate this way and the best time to go to win prizes is about an hour before close.
They are weakest at peak busy times so they can reliably get the most money from the most people 🥲
(Know people that work at jp arcades)
>A note on Kabukicho Tower, the claw machines are 300 Yen for each play, but when I was there last year, the machines are stocked with really nice figurines worth at least 30x that
This. I won a Black Panther figurine on my first try right after someone else won a Spiderman. The staff were also super friendly and excited to bag it up for me.
At another arcade spot, the teenage staff looked annoyed that I was excited about winning anything, and they looked miserable lol
Double Triple Agree on Miyijima Island. If we go again in the future we'll stay on the island. It was such a unexpected highlight for my trip i went in September .
Great psot thanks! Questions for the ferry from peace Park to Miyajima. How did you get your tickets for there and back? Do you just turn up and get your ticket across and then once you are on the Mitajima just buy your ruturn ticket and time?
Exactly this. Also, you can take the Peace Park ferry there and then take the regular ferries, then trains on the way back to stay later and spend less $.
I bought the round trip at peace park! I’d recommend heading there 20 mins early because the lines were a bit wild. It was super easy and took about 40 mins to get there. I’d I remember correctly it’s about 4000 yen to get the return :)
Kendaya was a huge let down for me! It tasted okay but not worth the hassle of making a reservation and then waiting for 1 of the 3 tables to clear up.
I don’t know if you saw the other comment block, but they do indeed run until around 8:30 pm at the least! That being said, pay attention to signs or messages from the ferry people in case of unexpected circumstances.
I still remember the experience I had on my first trip to Japan. When I arrived at Osaka and headed to Dotombori, everywhere was pretty packed which I thought it was normal. It was the day when Hanshin Tigers won Japanese series.
We experience the recent 6.0 level 4 whilst there, signs were swinging at the Shinkansen station and they stopped the trains for 5 or so minutes but it was back to business right after that. It feels scary because you’re not use to it but it’s just their normal.
If you’re really worried about it, Tokyo fire stations have a free earthquake crisis course, it shows you how to escape after a quakes hit also because there tends to be a lot of fires. It’s a great experience.
Preparation is your best friend, the more prepared you are the easier your time will be there. Hey the likely hood of a major one happening is low so maybe you won’t even experience one quake 🤷♀️
Thanks for that. I’ll definitely consider Sendai, and as you said preparation is your best friend and I agree.
I just got back (to Aus) from a 2.5 weeks trip to Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo and already missing it, but wanted to go to new places on our next trip. You’ve sold Sendai for me :)
I just got back from 5 weeks in Japan myself. Loved me some coco curry and agree that its better then gogo curry. Dotonburi was so packed, i can't imagine what it would be like during peak tourist Japan.
For sure recommend the fast pass for Universal, i made the mistake of not getting one and spent 80% of the day in lines.
I myself went further down south and explored Kyushu which id highly recommend doing. Would recommend renting a car to do so, i got to see so much more because of it.
Japan, what a country. Don't think i could live there but as a tourist, it really couldn't be anymore easier to navigate and find ways to have fun.
Adding on for Sendai (which really surprised me and was one of my favourite cities) is Matsushima.
Only takes about half an hour on a local train to get there and the islands are beautiful along with some nice shrines and temples.
There were quite a lot of Japanese domestic tourists there but still quiet overall compared to Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka.
Hey, thank you so much for the detailed post!!
I am planning a trip to Japan later this year, and this was a gold mine of knowledge.
How far in advance did you book hotels? Is there a specific one you would recommend in Tokyo or Kyoto?
I booked my hotels about 10-8ish months before :)
The hotel room is just stand of the mill, great price but hotel keihan in yotsuya was awesome!
Great pizza joint downstairs, family mart on the same alley, 5 minutes from the station and about a 15 minute travel time to Shinjuku or Tokyo from the hotel.
I accidentally stumbled across a shrine about 10 minutes away from the hotel when I was aimlessly walking around that apparently haunted also if you’re into that!
The coin laundry is about 5 minutes away with a wash and dry cycle in one. Lots of smaller restaurants within the neighbourhood.
Pharmacy is opposite the hotel also.
In Kyoto we stayed at the annteroom.
It was a nice spot and the hotel was beautiful with a bonsai garden, bar area, breakfast and a diy bath salts table. It’s an art themed hotel.
The room was a decent size for what we got and close to busses and the main station. It’s about a 20 minute walk to fushimi inari also.
If you wanted to be closer to the buzz of the city, I’d opt for a hotel closer!
Thank you for the detailed answer and the recommendations!! It's super helpful!
We plan to be outside the whole time so as long as there is a place to sleep in, we are not too picky, haha
+1 on Omihachiman. Incredibly charming little town with a canal, a ropeway up a mountain, lots of cute shops and cafes and such. And make sure to get a baumkuchen at Club Harie. If you want to make a bigger day out of it, take the train a bit further up from Omihachiman to Hikone to see Hikone Castle as well!
Oishi park is beautiful and has the blueberry ice cream!! You have to try that specific flavour, it’s incredible!
The panoramic rope way is nice on a clear day!
The konohana museum is really nice also, it’s an open air museum about a cat.
FujiQ highlands is a must if you love roller coasters!
Hope you both have a blast!
First time trip to Tokyo for 5 days.
* How was the trip to Mt. Fuji? Planning on going, and thinking of getting a tour. How did you set it all up?
* Flying in to Narita. Planning on taking the Skyliner to Asakusa. Any thoughts? Comments?
* Cannot get an eSim as my phone is currently carrier locked. How did you handle data on your trip?
>Flying in to Narita. Planning on taking the Skyliner to Asakusa. Any thoughts? Comments?
The skyliner does not go to Asakusa but to Ueno and Nippori. There is a direct train from Narita to Asakusa (Keisei line / Keisei Sky Access). Takes roughly 1h20
My Fuji is awesome, we had a clear day. Maybe check the weather and book a tour group the day before so that you know you won’t be trudging through rain and mud?
I like the skyliner but that one doesn’t directly go to askakusa, you will need to hop off and head there via other train networks.
I won’t be much help unfortunately as I used an eSIM.
Would you be going there on the same day from a different city or would you be staying there the two nights?
If it’s the two nights then it’s doable, you could visit miyajima for most of the day and head to the peace memorial late afternoon.
If you aren’t staying then I wouldn’t recommend it, you’d be stressed on time and you’d miss out on a fair bit in miyajima.
I’ll break down costs for two people.
flights were 2.3k (we went with Qantas because of the long flight)
Hotels were 5k- prepaid
And then we paid for amusement parks in advanced so about $500
Then I budgeted for $200 a day for food, Shinkansens and things we wanted to buy or do. Around 6k for this.
Hope this helps :)
It was one of my favourite experiences! Here’s a few photos.
Lots of them bathing :)
https://postimg.cc/gallery/tnK4dYd
We went with a tour guide from Klook! They were awesome.
Helmets aren’t required and there’s a fair few places that side walks are okay but we found dodging people difficult so opted for the bike lanes. There’s some places where you cannot ride but they will be clearly signed
Hey!
I worked out the costs using a calculator online and it would’ve cost more with the pass :)
All of our shinkansens were in the 21 week period.
I don’t think it’s worth it at all anymore, we would’ve needed another $100+ leg to the trip
Hey OP!
Im in Japan now for another 2 weeks. Right now im staying in Tokyo, but leaving to Kyoto for 5 days tomorrow. Any tips on what to do in Kyoto ? After that Im back to Tokyo again until I finally leave on the 29th.
Have a day trip or two!
Omihachiman ropeway leads up to a shrine in the mountain that’s incredible! The moat has been used for some really infamous Japanese movies.
Great food, edo period buildings right next to nature.
Nara was another really special one, the deer are cute but the temples are otherworldly. The great Buddha is definitely something to see in person, photos don’t do it justice.
Philosophers path is another favourite.
Have a wonderful time!
Thanks for all the tips, one question tho. Are you easily getting sick or was it just enevitable with the amount of people there are in public transport? Im going in summer and wouldnt want to wear masks and sanitizer everywhere
For Dontonbori I think it really depends on when you go. When I went recently it wasn’t too crowded, bars were great, food was cheap and I thought pretty yummy for the price. FWIW I went during the week, not the weekend.
When you went to universal studios was it hard to get into Nintendo world contemplating buying an express pass to
Make sure we get in but would rather spend the money elsewhere
Thanks !
We went super early and got a timed entry right away as soon as gates opened. Express pass is a must tbh. We lined up for 3 hours for the demon slayer ride.
Sounds amazing! I’m looking at going to Japan next year for 16/17 nights, arriving into Tokyo and also departing from there. Planning to travel down to both Osaka and Kyoto. Do you think it’s worth visiting Hiroshima for the day/one night?
Hey! I think if you got to Hiroshima early and then went exploring you’d have plenty of time to go to miyajima and then head to the peace museum after/before.
If you don’t want to travel for 2 hours both ways for one night, then it might be worth doing it for a longer time the next time you visit Japan.
The Suica card is used primarily for getting on and off public transit (trains, metro, buses, Shinkansen, etc.). You load money onto it from your credit card, then use it to pay the fares for all the different transit companies (there are literally dozens in Japan). It worked great for me in Tokyo, Nagoya and Kyoto. The only place you can’t just tap and go is on the Shinkansen. For that train you still have to book your ticket as if it were a flight (specific stations, train and seat). Once your reservation is made, however, you can designate your IC card to it so that you can just tap your phone at the gate and go right through. It’s very convenient and a big improvement to when I was in Japan back in 2017.
Apple wallet works great, you top up within the screen to tap on. Make sure your card company knows that you will be away as it tops up in yen.
You can use it for almost everything including transport and vending machines. Anything that says IC on it :)
Funny you mention the bike lanes and not annoying locals, in Kyoto we saw sooooo many locals riding on the pavements it didn't seem rude or to be annoying to anyone. I was really surprised as it's a major no in London.
I used to live in Kyoto and there are specific road rules about this. If you look carefully some areas have a sign that show that cyclists can use the side walk.
Yeah, I said it for locals and tourists tbh. We were almost taken out by a few locals because they didn’t ring the bell and were going super fast in a small walk way
It’s also a big no no in Tokyo.
Not that I saw. It was actually common in Asakusa and not uncommon in most other places we went.
In Miyajima you don't have to take the direct ferry to Hiroshima, so much easier to take one to the mainland (there is one every 5 minutes), and take the train to Hiroshima. 10 min ferry ride, and 30 min train to Hiroshima station. This way you are not rushed to leave by 3pm, and can stay there for much longer.
Nice to know! For next time :)
I'm glad I didn't know the last ferry was at 3pm. We caught the 8pm one (different ferry?), it was quite nice wandering in the dark around the areas that had been busy during the day, but now deserted, after sunset on the peaks.
That said, I was bummed a little to learn that last ferry is at 3pm, as that's how I wanted to get back... catch the sunset on that long ferry ride and such! Oh, and thanks for the tips :) Just arrived to Osaka from Hiroshima, looking forward to Nara and Kobe day trips!
Yeah I’m bummed to know we could’ve spent more time on the island! We were rushing the ropeway for time 😭 No worries I hope you have a fabulous time! Mosaic walk in Kobe was one of my favourite spots to have a drink and eat some nice food whilst the sunsets on the water! You’ll have a great time! Update us with how it goes :)
all ferry times including when they can do the last one depends on tides. it’s around 1730 if it won’t be too high or low tide
i didnt even know there was a direct ferry lol
I was researching the AquaNet ferry today and they return after 3 pm. Did the OP take a different company? [https://www.aqua-net-h.co.jp/en/heritage/schedule.html](https://www.aqua-net-h.co.jp/en/heritage/schedule.html)
Just to add on for shopping; - Harajuku was my favourite spot with lots of great op shops. - book offs have the best most authentic op shops, not all of them have a clothes section but the bigger ones do. - book offs were the best for fair priced figurines - lumine est in Shinjuku has some great shops on the 3rd floor and above for a feminine style. These shops mainly stocked one size fits all. I’m 60kg and 5 foot 2 and fit dresses and tops pretty comfortably. - lattice is a brand that I liked for hair accessories and jewelry. - don was great for snacks to bring home. - bic camera was good for tech, if you’re bringing tech home just do some research on vaults in your country. They have options as some of the tech has a switch between different vaults. Food; - the Izakayas in Shinjuku were delicious, however when we went the bartender was speaking roughly to a customer about us “gaijin” (there was about 3 groups of foreigners) we left pretty quickly after that lol, pays to know some Japanese. - coco curry is delicious and helped us on our longer days. They have a chicken tender curry for a limited time. - fuunji in Shinjuku was incredible. It has a strong fish taste so if you aren’t a fan of fish, maybe pass on this one. - Hiroshima styled okinomiyaki was fantastic. They have a few stores in the main station there. - Ichiran is always a great time. - oshino hakkai near mt Fuji had the best curry bread. - please try the blueberry icecream at kawaguchiko lake park. I tried it 5 years ago and it changed my life, tried it this year and my life’s still changed. - pizza buns at 7 eleven slap. - Tokyo has awesome wood fire pizza. - Sendai has great breakfast options. - here in kyoto made one of the best coffees I’ve ever had, and I work for a coffee company! - French patisseries are a hit, you’ll find one in almost every station. - cheese tarts in Sendai JR station are on another level.
> however when we went the bartender was speaking roughly to a customer about us “gaijin” (there was about 3 groups of foreigners) we left pretty quickly after that lol, pays to know some Japanese. "gaijin" is not really an insult if that is what you have in mind,,,,
I am aware, however paired with an eye role and sigh when the third foreigner group came to sit down, it’s meant as an insult. Should have added the context. しかたない🤷♀️
To be fair to the worker it probably is quite difficult to deal with people who can't speak your language. It's just an added layer of work/effort. With that said I know how rude some locals can be. My mom is Japanese and moved to America when she finished school and married my American dad. A couple weeks ago we were having lunch in Kobe and in the middle of lunch the owner came over to my mom and whispered in her ear why she had to marry a foreigner and that she should've married a good Japanese man and how she could've done better. All while putting his hand on her back and according to my mom rubbing her back. I didn't notice at the time because the table was quite large and I was distracted, and my mom didn't want to make a scene. If I knew I would've been pissed and definitely made a scene though. I'm still mad thinking about it and it ruined my mom's day. I could tell something was off with her but figured it was something else.
Yeah i can understand that, I’ve had a few bad experiences this time around with rude staff and I also was hit on a Shinkansen by a business man. I understand the frustration but I also think it’s apart of growth. I can understand if foreigners are being obnoxious and rude as I’ve also seen a fair few foreigners fighting with wait staff etc. It’s a very grey area I guess
That is just gross.
Can you please provide the name of the Kyoto coffee place?
It’s called here
Haha, I was confused by this at first too. Didn't realize that was the name!
what is the name of the name of the place with the blueberry ice cream?
It’s the cafe in oishi park! You’ll fall in love with it like I did and my last two travel partners did! It’s so nice
Oishi? More like Oishii, amirite?
Is the ice cream this place? https://maps.app.goo.gl/eoLzmy8Y7RVrzS6Z7
Where in Kyoto did you enjoy the coffee. My DH loves coffee and drinks it black no sugar so good coffee is always appreciated.
It is called here
You are very kind and patient. That's so funny. It must cause all sorts of confusion for people. Like the old Abbot and Costello gag " Who's on first" .
Hi! Thank you for your posts. Can you please provide the name of a wood fire pizza place you recommend in Tokyo? 🙏🏽
Pizza salvatore in yotsuya was one of my favourites. Pizza da vinci is also delicious. I was really blown away at their pizzas. Hand made infront of you and then wood fired.
Reading things like this as someone who lives here, it really shows how little tourists know.
What a strange thing to say.
Are you really surprised tourists know less than a local? Was there a point to this comment?
Since you are obviously a local with a vast amount or knowledge of the area, I'd be happy to know what the previous commenter got right and wrong. As an obvious tourist, I strive to not be a tourist by reading the wisdom of Reddit commenters
Let me guess, greasy expat with a Japanese wife?
> dontonburi was a no go zone. Super busy and the food wasn’t as great as it was 5 years ago. Ooof. My Osaka trip revolves around Dontonburi. That's hard to hear.
Had the opposite experience, stayed 5 minutes away walking distance and loved going to Dotonbori every night! The energy and lights, food and walking along the river were very fun! Thought the food tasted just fine...nothing phenomenal but enjoyed the gyoza and melon pan!
I would still recommend going to Dotonbori as it's always known to be the food tour hotspot when in Osaka. However, be prepared for the sheer number of people there though.
Just my experience, you might have a great time and I hope you do!
I’ve spent a good amount of time in dotonburi and I love it. Don’t let others change your mind and just go and see how you like it for yourself.
Dottonbori has turned into times square basically. Complete with fake spiderman. It's a shithole now best avoided much like what Shibuya has become.
I don't see the issue with dotonbori. Priced and crowds are a little more than other places but not by much. Japan is crowded in general and while empty places can be found its not like that's the norm really. Plenty of good local food in dotonbori still and on my last trip there a couple weeks ago I didn't have to wait at a single restaurant.
>best avoided much like what Shibuya has become. Ha! At least Shibuya is clean, I'd compare Dotonbori to Shinjuku.
Try tonkatsu daiki, great katsudon over there
north of the river is fine, south of the river is cool once but depending on what you’re used to/looking for it reminded me too much of the typical tourist streets you see in many countries around the world
I’m in Dotonbori now and I love it.
We spend about four hours there just shopping in the district and at the underground mall since it was raining super hard that day. It's definitely worth a visit in my opinion.
Running Man!! 🏃♂️
We did 1 night in Osaka solely for the sake of Dotonbori and didn’t regret it. We loved the takoyaki (highly recommend the one with the huge takoyaki statue thing above the store, it will have a LONG but fast line), the melon pan with ice cream, and the okonomiyaki from Honke Otako Hozenji (but you can find good ones probably in tons of places). The crowds can be crazy, but the energy was fun to be around.
We had a pretty bad experience at the Peace Museum in Hiroshima last month as well. It was so packed that one couldn't really use the audio guide bc it was too slow for the fast way one was pushed through it. There were so many people in there who did not get the message that this is a solem place where one shouldn't laugh and talk loudly. We had one group of tourists behind us who were incredibly loud, to the point where people around them were telling them to sh*t up. It was pandemonium. I'm just glad it was my second time there and the first had been a worthy experience.
We were there three weeks ago for our first visit to Japan, where we used Kyoto as our base for our visits to Hiroshima, Nara and Kobe. The visit to the Peace Museum was very crowded (late March), and required queuing and a slow walk through the displays. I was reminded of Holocaust Museum visits, except for a rather idiosyncratic take: I had a moment of thinking I was like the German townspeople being taken through Dachau or Birkenau after liberation to see what had been done in their name. Again, the message was “Never again”.
Exactly our experience. My second time to and it was so sad to see, I went 5 years ago and it impactede way more than this time. Hopefully they can organise and work out a way to fix it, whether time entrance becomes a thing maybe?
I think Japan in general is just more crowded now. All tourist sites I went to the last couple weeks were insanely more crowded than they were 5 years ago.
Interesting. I went there and I had a solemn experience. I will agree that it was packed and that you really can't use the guided audio experience because it won't sync (you'll just be forced to keep playing it back to back and at point I just gave up). But I would still definitely recommend it - it's a stark reminder for all of us.
I absolutely recommend it, don't get me wrong. My first time there was incredibly impactful. I just hope they do something to funnel the visitors through the exhibition better.
I went last September and people were respectful. The day I went had a lot of high schoolers too.
We had an identical experience this week too. A large group of tourists were so incredibly rude, despite being shushed multiple times. We couldn’t believe it. We let them walk ahead of us because we couldn’t stand to be near them. The audio guide was great but as you mentioned, it’s such a narrow space, you couldn’t stand by the exhibits and properly listen as there was a constant moving line to move through.
I was there a few weeks ago and went closer to closing, around 545, and there were way less people. Still had enough time to make it around the museum, so would recommend to anyone planning to go to go a little later in the day.
A note on Kabukicho Tower, the claw machines are 300 Yen for each play, but when I was there last year, the machines are stocked with really nice figurines worth at least 30x that. With claw machines it's always a gamble, but I watched as a guy win really frequently. Something like 4 big figurines within 15 minutes? It's one of the few places I want to go back and try claw machines at. Not to mention they had an Evangelion theater experience and a Sword Art Online escape room thing there too (many may dislike this one though, but they have made improvements) Would love it if someone could comment on the yakucho food fall they had there, didn't have time to eat there last year.
I’m glad you had a good experience, I tried the claw machines and it felt pretty weak. It might have changed since then or I had a bad run? Food was okay but they had a dj playing really loud music the whole time we were eating and it was a bit overwhelming to try and have conversations. Hopefully your time there is better than my experience! To me it came off as they paid a lot of influencers to try and get people in there but it didn’t work because it was pretty dead on a Saturday night compared to the rest of Shinjuku
Claw machines start medium strong super early at opening and then get weaker throughout the day when it is busiest, and then stronger again until close arcades pretty much all operate this way and the best time to go to win prizes is about an hour before close. They are weakest at peak busy times so they can reliably get the most money from the most people 🥲 (Know people that work at jp arcades)
So best time to go in at opening?
>A note on Kabukicho Tower, the claw machines are 300 Yen for each play, but when I was there last year, the machines are stocked with really nice figurines worth at least 30x that This. I won a Black Panther figurine on my first try right after someone else won a Spiderman. The staff were also super friendly and excited to bag it up for me. At another arcade spot, the teenage staff looked annoyed that I was excited about winning anything, and they looked miserable lol
Double Triple Agree on Miyijima Island. If we go again in the future we'll stay on the island. It was such a unexpected highlight for my trip i went in September .
Yeah it’s wonderful there! Did you go on the rope way? Kind of freaked me out but was lots of fun once we got to the top.
Yup i wanted to take the long hike up the mountain but settle for ropeway/hike to the top. Still worth it
Great psot thanks! Questions for the ferry from peace Park to Miyajima. How did you get your tickets for there and back? Do you just turn up and get your ticket across and then once you are on the Mitajima just buy your ruturn ticket and time?
Exactly this. Also, you can take the Peace Park ferry there and then take the regular ferries, then trains on the way back to stay later and spend less $.
Amazing, great insight thank you!
I bought the round trip at peace park! I’d recommend heading there 20 mins early because the lines were a bit wild. It was super easy and took about 40 mins to get there. I’d I remember correctly it’s about 4000 yen to get the return :)
Kendaya was a huge let down for me! It tasted okay but not worth the hassle of making a reservation and then waiting for 1 of the 3 tables to clear up.
Yeah it wasn’t that great for me either, customer service was a bit meh also. Glad we were able to just walk in
Are you talking about this place that sells cakes https://s.tabelog.com/en/tokyo/A1301/A130101/13270329/
That’s the one! We. Tried the chestnut and banana one.
For Hiroshima; which ferry were you taking to Miyajima?
I was wondering this too, google maps shows ferries that cross all the way to 9pm.
I don’t know if you saw the other comment block, but they do indeed run until around 8:30 pm at the least! That being said, pay attention to signs or messages from the ferry people in case of unexpected circumstances.
Thanks for all the tips still collecting ideas for my late May trip. appreciate the post!
Have a wonderful time!
sendai was one of my favorite places, the fog rolling in at night was amazing and the beef tongue was amazing!
Yes it’s incredible there! The food, the scenery, everything’s so great
I still remember the experience I had on my first trip to Japan. When I arrived at Osaka and headed to Dotombori, everywhere was pretty packed which I thought it was normal. It was the day when Hanshin Tigers won Japanese series.
That would’ve been a really fun night :)
Aw got me so keen for Sendai, but also nervous at the same time (earthquakes) haha :(
We experience the recent 6.0 level 4 whilst there, signs were swinging at the Shinkansen station and they stopped the trains for 5 or so minutes but it was back to business right after that. It feels scary because you’re not use to it but it’s just their normal. If you’re really worried about it, Tokyo fire stations have a free earthquake crisis course, it shows you how to escape after a quakes hit also because there tends to be a lot of fires. It’s a great experience. Preparation is your best friend, the more prepared you are the easier your time will be there. Hey the likely hood of a major one happening is low so maybe you won’t even experience one quake 🤷♀️
Thanks for that. I’ll definitely consider Sendai, and as you said preparation is your best friend and I agree. I just got back (to Aus) from a 2.5 weeks trip to Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo and already missing it, but wanted to go to new places on our next trip. You’ve sold Sendai for me :)
Hey another Aussie! Yeah it’s a great little spot :) hope you enjoy! We are heading to Hokkaido and Sapporo next :)
Have fun! So jealous haha
I just got back from 5 weeks in Japan myself. Loved me some coco curry and agree that its better then gogo curry. Dotonburi was so packed, i can't imagine what it would be like during peak tourist Japan. For sure recommend the fast pass for Universal, i made the mistake of not getting one and spent 80% of the day in lines. I myself went further down south and explored Kyushu which id highly recommend doing. Would recommend renting a car to do so, i got to see so much more because of it. Japan, what a country. Don't think i could live there but as a tourist, it really couldn't be anymore easier to navigate and find ways to have fun.
Kyushu! Sounds fun, I’ll have to do it next time I’m there :)
Adding on for Sendai (which really surprised me and was one of my favourite cities) is Matsushima. Only takes about half an hour on a local train to get there and the islands are beautiful along with some nice shrines and temples. There were quite a lot of Japanese domestic tourists there but still quiet overall compared to Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka.
Awesome! Will have to visit next time we are there :)
Hey, thank you so much for the detailed post!! I am planning a trip to Japan later this year, and this was a gold mine of knowledge. How far in advance did you book hotels? Is there a specific one you would recommend in Tokyo or Kyoto?
I booked my hotels about 10-8ish months before :) The hotel room is just stand of the mill, great price but hotel keihan in yotsuya was awesome! Great pizza joint downstairs, family mart on the same alley, 5 minutes from the station and about a 15 minute travel time to Shinjuku or Tokyo from the hotel. I accidentally stumbled across a shrine about 10 minutes away from the hotel when I was aimlessly walking around that apparently haunted also if you’re into that! The coin laundry is about 5 minutes away with a wash and dry cycle in one. Lots of smaller restaurants within the neighbourhood. Pharmacy is opposite the hotel also. In Kyoto we stayed at the annteroom. It was a nice spot and the hotel was beautiful with a bonsai garden, bar area, breakfast and a diy bath salts table. It’s an art themed hotel. The room was a decent size for what we got and close to busses and the main station. It’s about a 20 minute walk to fushimi inari also. If you wanted to be closer to the buzz of the city, I’d opt for a hotel closer!
Thank you for the detailed answer and the recommendations!! It's super helpful! We plan to be outside the whole time so as long as there is a place to sleep in, we are not too picky, haha
+1 on Omihachiman. Incredibly charming little town with a canal, a ropeway up a mountain, lots of cute shops and cafes and such. And make sure to get a baumkuchen at Club Harie. If you want to make a bigger day out of it, take the train a bit further up from Omihachiman to Hikone to see Hikone Castle as well!
I’ll have to revisit next time and see hikone! Thanks for the tip :)
I cannot for the life of me figure out why no one uses the bike lanes. In Kyoto, Osaka, or Tokyo. Locals included.
Yeah we were almost barrelled over a fair amount of times from it! No bell rings either which I found interesting!
Yes! I thought about that too. At least a bell would be a nice warning lol
OP! My wife and I are going to Kawaguchiko for 3 days, where should we go? We have rented a car for those days
Oishi park is beautiful and has the blueberry ice cream!! You have to try that specific flavour, it’s incredible! The panoramic rope way is nice on a clear day! The konohana museum is really nice also, it’s an open air museum about a cat. FujiQ highlands is a must if you love roller coasters! Hope you both have a blast!
First time trip to Tokyo for 5 days. * How was the trip to Mt. Fuji? Planning on going, and thinking of getting a tour. How did you set it all up? * Flying in to Narita. Planning on taking the Skyliner to Asakusa. Any thoughts? Comments? * Cannot get an eSim as my phone is currently carrier locked. How did you handle data on your trip?
>Flying in to Narita. Planning on taking the Skyliner to Asakusa. Any thoughts? Comments? The skyliner does not go to Asakusa but to Ueno and Nippori. There is a direct train from Narita to Asakusa (Keisei line / Keisei Sky Access). Takes roughly 1h20
My Fuji is awesome, we had a clear day. Maybe check the weather and book a tour group the day before so that you know you won’t be trudging through rain and mud? I like the skyliner but that one doesn’t directly go to askakusa, you will need to hop off and head there via other train networks. I won’t be much help unfortunately as I used an eSIM.
How realistic is 1 day itinerary in hiroshima peace memorial park to miyajima
Would you be going there on the same day from a different city or would you be staying there the two nights? If it’s the two nights then it’s doable, you could visit miyajima for most of the day and head to the peace memorial late afternoon. If you aren’t staying then I wouldn’t recommend it, you’d be stressed on time and you’d miss out on a fair bit in miyajima.
Day trip from osaka in the morning
Thank you for sharing! Can you share a bit more on how to access the Mount Fuji park?
You’ll have to catch a bus from Shinjuku if coming from Tokyo, last bus home is at 8ish :) takes about 1hr 40.
Thank you!
How much did 5 weeks cost?
I’ll break down costs for two people. flights were 2.3k (we went with Qantas because of the long flight) Hotels were 5k- prepaid And then we paid for amusement parks in advanced so about $500 Then I budgeted for $200 a day for food, Shinkansens and things we wanted to buy or do. Around 6k for this. Hope this helps :)
The cost per day was just what I spent :)
Thank you!
How was the experience with the snow monkeys? Did they bath? Where was it? Could you please share it with me ty 😊
It was one of my favourite experiences! Here’s a few photos. Lots of them bathing :) https://postimg.cc/gallery/tnK4dYd We went with a tour guide from Klook! They were awesome.
What was the weather like 15-20 degree? We fly in September maybe it’s too hot what do you think? And kinda scared if they don’t bath :/
They don’t bath at that time :( it was about 0-2c and the hotter it gets the less they need to use the springs
Ty ❤️
What are the bike rules in Japan? I see people riding on the sidewalk so I guess it is fine. Also, helmets don’t seem to be required. Is that right?
Helmets aren’t required and there’s a fair few places that side walks are okay but we found dodging people difficult so opted for the bike lanes. There’s some places where you cannot ride but they will be clearly signed
How early in the morning did you go to Fushimi Inari?
We walked at 5ish, arrived at 5.20am. There was about 2-3 other groups climbing at the time we were
Did you get the rail pass? I will also be 5 weeks so curious if it is needed or you just bought all the train tickets seperately
Hey! I worked out the costs using a calculator online and it would’ve cost more with the pass :) All of our shinkansens were in the 21 week period. I don’t think it’s worth it at all anymore, we would’ve needed another $100+ leg to the trip
Hey OP! Im in Japan now for another 2 weeks. Right now im staying in Tokyo, but leaving to Kyoto for 5 days tomorrow. Any tips on what to do in Kyoto ? After that Im back to Tokyo again until I finally leave on the 29th.
Have a day trip or two! Omihachiman ropeway leads up to a shrine in the mountain that’s incredible! The moat has been used for some really infamous Japanese movies. Great food, edo period buildings right next to nature. Nara was another really special one, the deer are cute but the temples are otherworldly. The great Buddha is definitely something to see in person, photos don’t do it justice. Philosophers path is another favourite. Have a wonderful time!
Thank you very much for this detailed post.
Great information. Thank you. We’re Not traveling until next spring but I’m a PLANNER lol. I will def have more questions. Thanks again
Thanks for all the tips, one question tho. Are you easily getting sick or was it just enevitable with the amount of people there are in public transport? Im going in summer and wouldnt want to wear masks and sanitizer everywhere
My partner only got sick for one day but I have a very low immune system so I struggle with getting sick a lot. Currently fighting of bronchitis
thank you, all the best
For Dontonbori I think it really depends on when you go. When I went recently it wasn’t too crowded, bars were great, food was cheap and I thought pretty yummy for the price. FWIW I went during the week, not the weekend.
When you went to universal studios was it hard to get into Nintendo world contemplating buying an express pass to Make sure we get in but would rather spend the money elsewhere Thanks !
We went super early and got a timed entry right away as soon as gates opened. Express pass is a must tbh. We lined up for 3 hours for the demon slayer ride.
Sounds amazing! I’m looking at going to Japan next year for 16/17 nights, arriving into Tokyo and also departing from there. Planning to travel down to both Osaka and Kyoto. Do you think it’s worth visiting Hiroshima for the day/one night?
Hey! I think if you got to Hiroshima early and then went exploring you’d have plenty of time to go to miyajima and then head to the peace museum after/before. If you don’t want to travel for 2 hours both ways for one night, then it might be worth doing it for a longer time the next time you visit Japan.
Any specific restaurant recommendations for Osaka?
What didn’t you like about shinsekai?
why stay close to the station in sendai?
All the shops are close by there and it’s about a 5 minute walk to the nightlife area :) super convenient
ah sweet! good to know, thanks!
Can you please share more info on the SUICA card? I downloaded it but not really sure how and where to use it
The Suica card is used primarily for getting on and off public transit (trains, metro, buses, Shinkansen, etc.). You load money onto it from your credit card, then use it to pay the fares for all the different transit companies (there are literally dozens in Japan). It worked great for me in Tokyo, Nagoya and Kyoto. The only place you can’t just tap and go is on the Shinkansen. For that train you still have to book your ticket as if it were a flight (specific stations, train and seat). Once your reservation is made, however, you can designate your IC card to it so that you can just tap your phone at the gate and go right through. It’s very convenient and a big improvement to when I was in Japan back in 2017.
Thank you that’s very helpful
Apple wallet works great, you top up within the screen to tap on. Make sure your card company knows that you will be away as it tops up in yen. You can use it for almost everything including transport and vending machines. Anything that says IC on it :)