Japan travel tips
- Started
- Last post
- 24 Responses
- Aa77
Going to Japan for 2 weeks in April during Cherry Blossom festival....I'm still working on my general itinerary, but plan to spend my first week in Tokyo, but also plan to go to Kyoto, Nara & Nagano (snow monkeys).
Are there some other places that I should try and hit or some sites that are off the beaten path worth seeing? any recommendations on some great ramen, yakitori, and sushi to try would also be appreciated.
I also plan to go to a baseball game...thinking of seeing the Yomiuri Giants as I am a Yankee fan so I can pay homage to Hideki Matsui.
Also, I live in NYC and bike everywhere, it seems that Tokyo is fairly bike friendly if you are accustomed to city riding, would you recommend renting a bike for some of the days I am there? seems like it would be a good way to get around and see a lot of the city.
Arigatō
- desmo0
Damn, lucky you! Jealous!!
I have no tips. Sorry. Ha!
- antimotion0
Great off the beat path restaurant for some curry in Tokyo:
http://www.cafehaiti.co.jp/Review:
http://www.tripadvisor.com/Resta…Nice sweets spot in Nara - eat in the little cafe upstairs - has only like 2 tables -
http://www.kasiya.jp/tenpo/index…Wife and I had the sweet beans with mochi/zenzai and tea - (kind of a sweet soup)
They also make sweet rice crackers with really beautiful paintings of flowers, scenery, etc printed on them.Kyoto is cool for riding bikes - there's a bunch of temples / shrines in main part of city, but you can bike to others - or just take bus from Kyoto station - really simple.
- chuparosa0
I spent 10 days is Tokyo and Kyoto in September. My advice to you is to learn the addressing system. If you cannot decode an address, you will never figure out where you are or where you need to go.
Also, if you can rent or use your smart phone you will be better off in trying to navigate around but get a good map for sure.
There is a monkey park in Kyoto (Arishyama) where you can see monkeys up close. You must climb up the mountain to see them. Same goes for the Fushimi Inari temple. If you are planning on going there (it is amazing) it is a very long climb to the top.
The Japanese are elegant. Don't dress too casually. Also people will gladly help you if you are lost but I did not find many people that spoke English enough to converse. Learning a few key Japanese phrases will be of great help.
If you do take the bus in Kyoto, note that some lines are free if you have a Japan Rail Pass.
I'm vegan and nearly starved to death while there so I have no restaurant recommendations but food is not generally found on street level but in multiple floors in buildings.
Hope that helps!
- thank you...heard about addresses...planning on renting a portable wi-fi...def will look into that park and temple too. thanks!
Aa77
- thank you...heard about addresses...planning on renting a portable wi-fi...def will look into that park and temple too. thanks!
- zarkonite0
I'm going to Osaka and Tokyo in March... if anyone has fun stuff to do in Osaka as well please share =) It's much appreciated!!
- colin_s0
i spent last april in japan, and hit tokyo, kyoto, nagoya, osaka, hiroshima, nara, nagano and a few other spots.
- truth about dressing properly. i was backpacking light so i basically had 4 shirts and a pair of jeans with me, so after a couple days i went and bought a suit jacket just to be passable on the street.
- since both people here are going in march/april, obviously the cherry blossoms are what to see; shinjuku gyoen in tokyo is where to go. osaka has a couple nice parks but i was there a little after the season had passed. kyoto, well, they're just about everywhere.
- in tokyo, the fish market is hard to see the action for unless you're up for getting up around 5 am (even then it's crowded) - BUT any sushi joint is going to have the freshest sushi you'll ever taste for a breakfast meal (try to eat between 8 and 10, just because).
- i don't know if i'd call tokyo bike friendly per se, but i live in portland so my version of that is a little skewed. either way, wherever you are in japan you can rely on public transit. it's alphanumeric + color based, so it's easy to understand visually, and always on time (and relatively cheap).
- go to the skytree in tokyo. i'm afraid of heights, but even the price tag is worth going up to the very top. however, there's a more free version of that at the main government building (i am spacing on what it is called - it's a 10 min walk southwest of shinjuku's main train station and there's even an underground walkway direct to it, however above ground you'll see some crazy architecture. anyway they let visitors up to the 45th floor for the view).
- go to harajuku if you want clothes. go to shibuya at night if you want a real "lost in translation" type experience. ikebukuro is a great sort of mid-size suburb sect of tokyo and can give you the feeling of the city when it isn't so dense / congested / bright.
- kyoto is quite bike friendly, which is good because it's the only major japanese city that doesn't have a rail system and relies solely on bus. (the train station, however, is fucking incredible). i'd head up philosopher's path, i bet that's crazy when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. it's also right by a castle whose name i am currently blanking on, but that's because there are shit tons of castles in kyoto. this one, however, at the top of philosopher's path, has a really nice walking tour and is only a couple bucks.
- kyoto is a really nice place, but if you're going that far south it might be worth it to hit up osaka, which is easily my favorite japanese city. hostel 64 is a designy yet super cheap spot to stay, there's a great aquarium next to one of hte largest ferris wheels in the world.
- as far as other fun osaka stuff, it's a 30 minute train ride from kobe so if you want to try actual kobe beef at a kobe restaurant, well, i had a $50 steak that was quite worth it, holy moly. also there's a lot of history there to check out based on the earthquake of '95, as well as it's actually kind of run down in places which is a weird juxtaposition from most of japan.
- i also had the best sushi of my life at a spot called fujimoto, but it was a tiny one room joint off a side street. all i can say is that it's near hostel 64 and moppen-bar , but i'll check and see if i can find it on google earth for more accurate directions.
for anyone going to japan: http://www.japan-guide.com/ is your friend. in prepping for the trip i checked that site daily, just to absorb as much information as i could.
it is good to have a smartphone on you but there will also be maps on the street. i have a really good inherent sense of direction so it was pretty easy for me to get around, but some of the first nights in new cities i'd get lost as a motherfucker. (pro tip: in major cities, find apple stores or american conglomorates, they usually give out free wifi. most japanese places do not.)
i'll post more as i think of it
- prophetone0
super jelly, seriously need to live in tokyo for a while. and buy lots of vintage robots and drum machines.
- Frosty_spl0
Don't try and find specific places other than hotels or parks. I just stumbled upon everything.
Yokohama is pretty cool and worth checking out too. 30 min train ride from Tokyo. The bay is pretty cool, and there is a park right there.
- i_monk0
If you see one garden or temple you've pretty much seen them all, so don't stack your itinerary with them.
You're going to Kyoto and Nara, but not Osaka? You'll miss the insanity of Dōtonbori.
Also we have a Japan thread, check it: http://www.qbn.com/topics/618655…
- autoflavour-1
stay away from Fukushima .. and probably avoid eating the fish
- Nathan_Adams0
Chuo line is where it's at, especially Kichijoji and Inokashira Park. Also, Naka-Meguro is really nice, and close walk to Daikanyama where the excellent Tsutaya T-Site is.
- T-site was the only place I saw people with pet dogs. Lots of very rich people in this area. Would recommend Ivy Cafe.chuparosa
- Miguex0
Good deals on these if you buy 2 or more at the airport!
Just kiddin, I'm jelly too
- Peter0
> Are there some other places that I should try and hit or some sites that are off the beaten path worth seeing?
If it's off a beaten path why would it be worth seeing compared to the alternative? Especally here, where beaten paths equals greatness. They don't stand in line for nothing :)
Hidden treats are a bit of a hit-and-miss anyways. But really, if you're here for 10 days you'd probably get more out of seeing the bigger and greater stuff than some obscure place that offers something slightly different yet less of it.
So go with the big ones.
...A day in Shibuya.
Another in Akihabara.
Shinjuku could offer some fun in Kabukicho, or in the surroundings (golden gai, piss alley, 2-chome), but I wouldn't go for cherry blossom viewing there as someone previously suggested. The crowd is stale, the park close 5, and you're not really allowed to bring in booze. Unlike, say, Ueno or Yoyogi park. Shinjuku park has a neat pond though. But again...if you've only 10 days.......a day for your hanami (load up on booze).
A day in Harajuku. You'd be walking like silly.
Maybe another out in Odaiba. They're a pretty neat onsen out there I'd recommend.How many days are that?
> any recommendations on some great ramen, yakitori, and sushi to try would also be appreciated.
Want the picks that Japanese take?
Check out tabelog.com using a translator.Some faves that doesn't take a daytrip to find (because really, with only 10 days you shouldn't devote a day or even half trying to find this one particular eatary that some dude on internet had (among the 1000s other available places). So...
Ramen:
- Jangara
You can find this (previously voted 1 in Japan) place at some stations you'd likely be by anyways. Perhaps while checking out "Electric Town" (Akihabara), or clothes/people in Harajuku, they've stores in both places. Ginza also have an shop, if you're into fansy shopping.
http://www.kyusyujangara.co.jp/s…Yakitori
- Piss Alley.
Hard to find a place in Tokyo that feels more genuine to Yakitori than this place.
There are tastier places for connesiours, sure, but when you're in this atmosphere it's nothing you really think about.
It's by the station in Shinjuku. Ask for (and google before you go): Omoide Yokocho.Sushi
- Manten sushi
Someone recommended the fish market already, and I'd go with that too. But will recommend something else as an option, because I personally don't think the fish-market is worth a whole days visit. Find the place pretty boring. So a trip to just have sushi is a bit of a strech when on a schedule.
Anyways, BOT, this place inside of Tokyo station is supposedly one of the best in the country. If you youtube it you'll find some documentaries about it which adds to the experience.
http://www.manten-sushi.com/Last but not least, remember it's perfectly fine drinking in public, and most convenience-stores have them beers.
- A day in Akihabara? I wouldn't waste my time.Nathan_Adams
- thanks for this...all those food spots are already getting me hungry
Aa77 - Aki is more fun at night. When shopping, don't miss the crazy mirrored escalator at tokyu plaza, ometesando i think.chuparosa
- Also my husband loved ordering from the atm noodle shops. Punch in your order at the atm outside, pick up inside. His fave was in ginza oddly.chuparosa
- zarkonite0
I'm going to the Ghibli Museum, and also going to check out the Giant Gundam that's somewhere in the harbor.
- pango0
if you like cats.
- autoflavour0
you like synths?
- ApeRobot0
i wish to go there so bad, for so long......
- pang0
I watched a program that had a Japanese restaurant where you can get served by a monkey wearing a human face mask (pretty freaky, huh). The monkey understood Japanese commands from the owners.
If this is in the area, it could be one to check out...?
- e-pill0
THE BANDAI MUSEUM
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ban…
if you love diecast giant robots then this place is for you.
- chuparosa0
Sorry I keep responding to this thread. Can't help myself....
IMHO, not all temples are the same. At Meji Temple, I was lucky enough to see a buddhist wedding procession. Something not commonly seen at temples I believe. At Fushimi Inari the grounds are wild and not manicured. There is something about this temple...the climb, the foxes...can't put it into words. Almost like Buddha is watching you. I actually heard people quietly chanting in prayer here. Many other temples did not have people worshipping. I also heard some of the loudest and craziest sounding cicadas in the woods during my climb to the top. Ryoan Ji Temple had beautiful manicured grounds almost like a botanical garden and you could really feel a contemplative nature here. This was a place I would have sat and meditated at for sure but during my time here it was extremely hot. We stayed at the Shunkoin Temple while in Kyoto. The temple is located within a gated zone with a ton of other temples. This area was the only place I saw monks about in traditional clothing. If you wander within many temple grounds, rather than stay on the regular paths, you will be rewarded with little treasures like hidden monuments and stunning views. Just remember to be very respectful at the temples and perhaps read up a little bit on etiquette.