japan

Last modified 2023-10-02 02:24:37 UTC by ubbies#1337 — All History — Edit — Raw

Japan Trip Planning

Travel Dates: Spring 2024 (March - May)

Budget

NOTE: Daniel and his wife did their trip to Japan in September 2023 and altogether they spent under $7k total

• Flight:
  • Economy (1 stop): $1,535
  • Premium (1 stop): $2,356
• Hotel:
  • Tokyo (spa hotel): $200+/night
  • Kyoto:
  • Osaka:
  • Other:
• Buses & Trains: ???
• Food & Drink: ???
• Shopping: ???
• Gifts & Souvenirs: ???

Tips & General information

Before arrival

• FILL OUT THIS FORM!
• We'll be able to claim up to $800 CAN on goods without paying any duty and taxes (see: https://travel.gc.ca/returning/customs/bringing-to-canada/personal-exemptions-mini-guide)
• Purchase travel insurance for flight
• Notify bank and/or credit card company about upcoming trip and dates
• Bring at least $1,000 cash
• JR Pass needs to be purchased before you enter the country
• Japan - Power Plugs & Socket: Travel Adapter Needed?
• Confirm mobile carrier works in Japan before trip or purchase SIM
• Booking hotels: Booking.com
• Book flights through Westjet (non-stop)

Upon arrival

• Use Skylets guest service when arriving at airport

• Buy eSIM or Pocket Wifi (note: you will need to remember to charge pocket wifi and return it when you're done with it)

• Avg Hotel check-in / check-out: 3pm / 11am

• Rush Hour: 7:30am-9:00am & 5:00-6:30pm or 7:00pm

• Restaurants do not open before 10am

• Buses in Tokyo stop running at 10PM and trains stop running 12AM

• Figure out how to get from airport to hotel and back to airport

• Clothes sizes will be different in Japan compared to in Canada. Remember this when buying souvenirs for people.

• Use Pasmo or IC card for getting on trains

• Hotel beds are small and hard, try getting bed that is big and comfy

• Spend 2-3 days minimum in each major city

• Interact with the locals to get recommendations, etc

• DO NOT FOLLOW PEOPLE INTO BARS OR CAFES

• Luggage slots must be reserved for bullet train and there's a limit to luggage size

• Kyoto: Taxis are recommended method for traveling in the city

• Stay in a Ryokan for at least one night of trip

• Stay in Shibuya or Ginza

Before leaving

• Buy a small-to-mid size suitcase for souvenir shopping at Don Quijote on the last couple of days
• Remember to return Pocket WiFi
• Collect all receipts for claiming goods through customs

Links

• Canadian Travel Agents.ca
• Japan Customs website
• Japan Travel Checklist
• Ultimate Checklist for Japan Travel [2023]
• The Essential Guide to 2 Weeks in Japan for First Time Visitors
• Japan Guide
• Travel Japan
• Travel Caffeine
• Japan Travel Planning (Facebook Group) for recommendations on bars, restaurants, etc.
• Klook for WiFi, Bus, and Train passes, etc.

Videos:

• What to Know Before Arriving in Japan - 2023
• JAPAN HAS CHANGED | 8 New Rules + Things You Need to Know Before Traveling
• HOW TO TRAVEL JAPAN 2022 | Answers to the 20 MOST COMMON Questions
• Kim Dao (Youtube)
• Renata Pereira (Youtube) for general travel tips
• How to: Dining Out in Japan | Travel Tips | japan-guide.com

Mobile Apps:

Translation:

• Papago
• Deepl

WiFi and Sim Card:

• https://anyfone.jp/

• https://www.jalabc.com/

• Pasmo and Suica

Books:

• Japan Travel Guide: Things I Wish I'D Known Before Going to Japan
• Eyewitness Travel: Japan
• Eyewitness Travel: Tokyo Top 10

Itineraries:

• The ‘Classic’ Golden Route First Time Japan Trip – Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka 2 Week Itinerary
• The ‘Extended’ First Time Japan Trip Itinerary – Tokyo, Mt Fuji/Hakone Region, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima
• The ‘Japanese Alps’ First Time Japan Trip Itinerary – Tokyo, Kyoto, Japanese Alps and Snow Monkeys

Transportation

Flight

• Avg Duration: ~10 hours (bring books and other items to keep busy)
• Hopper for flight alerts
• Scott's Cheap Flights
• Airport arrival: Haneda in Tokyo is preferred compared to Narita for distance to Tokyo

Buses, Trains and Shopping

• Canadian Duty and Taxes Estimator
• SmartEX - For booking Shinkansen tickets
• JR Pass Calculator (see if a pass is worth it for your trip)
• My JR Pass
• Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) for Shinkansen (buy 2-3 weeks before trip)
• Japan Transit Planner
• Pasmo
• Suica and Welcome Suica for all other trains and shopping (mobile app available)

Limosine and Shuttle:

• https://webservice.limousinebus.co.jp/web/en
• https://www.keikyu-bus.co.jp/
• https://www.pasmo.co.jp/visitors/en/

Luggage forwarding:

• Yamato Transport for shipping luggage across Japan and to your hotel to avoid bringing luggage on trains
• https://www.jalabc.com/

Activity & Sight-Seeing Ideas

• Japan Tours & Trips (September 2023)
• TOP 10 WEIRD 😂 Japanese restaurants that ACTUALLY EXIST!!
• GIGA PUDDING!
• Mogra
• Ride on a jinrikisha (Rickshaw)

Anime Locations / Tourism

• ANIME TRAVEL GUIDE JAPAN | 3 Must-Know Tips from a Local Otaku
• Collabo-Cafe
• Anime Tourism Association (Anime pilgrimages)

Akihabara:

• Owl Cafe
• 5 Best Maid Cafes in Akihabara for First-Timers - Recommended by a Former Maid
• Radio Kaikan
• Super Patato (retro game store)
• Mandarake
• Rashinban

Ikebukuro (feeeeemale Akihabara):

• Animate
• K-Books
• Sunshine City
• Nakano Broadway
• Surugaya
• Shibuya Parco
• Muscle Girls Muscle Girls

Anime theme parks:

• Ghibli Museum / Ghibli Theme Park
• Awaji Island
• Fuji Q Highland (Evangelion ride and more)

Cities & Places

• Tokyo

  • Top 5 Things to do in Tokyo | japan-guide.com
  • TOKYO Has CHANGED: BEST 7.5 NEW Things To Do In TOKYO 2023!
  • Tokyo Station (tip: spend a few hours)
  • Tokyo Metro Gov Office Bldg observation deck
  • Tokyo Tower
  • Tokyo Skytree
  • Imperial Palace and East Garden
  • Shibuya
    • Shibuya SKY
  • Ginza Art Aquarium Museum
  • Shinjuku
  • Harajuku
  • Meiji Shrine
  • Kwagoe
  • Kamakura
  • Nikko
  • Hakone
  • Kawaguchiko
  • Samurai Museum (Tokyo)
  • Bar Jigen (Kyoto)
  • Maharaja Roppongi (Nightclub)

• Kyoto

  • Top 5 Things to do in Kyoto | japan-guide.com
    • Nishiki Market
    • Kyto Museum (Kyto Animation section)

• Osaka

  • Top 5 Things to do in Osaka | japan-guide.com
  • Umeda Sky Building
  • Osaka Castle
    • Suntory Yamazaki Distillery (must book tickets months in advance!)

• Castles

• Shrines

• Temples

• Museums

• Manga & Anime

• Festivals

• Industry & Commerce

• Onsen

• Beaches

• Theme Parks

• Matsumoto

• Takayama

• Gero Onsen

• Shirakawa-Go

• Kanazawa

• Nara (to pet and feed deer)

• Wakayama Prefecture

• Koyasan

• Donquiote

• Nintendo World (Universal Studios Japan)

• Ghibli Park

Shopping:

• Shopping Guide

Dump of Otafest panel

• print hotel receipts/bookings for customs/entry
• avoid smoking hotels, can find nonsmoking hotels.
• Manga cafe overnight??
• Night bus, sleep & go
• luggage forwarding: Ta-q-bin, will move your luggage from hotel to hotel for you.
• storage lockers, 700jpy/day, can be useful.
• premium Japanese airlines are an option.
• cheap flights: Google flights, momondo, skyscanner, flight tracking alerts.
• insurance: travel & health insurance, list of medicine translation, confirm medicines are legal, check pharmacy for the good vaccinations
• buying tickets in advance, many places need to be booked
• Japan Pocket wifi, prebook and pick up at airport. Sakura wifi,ninja wifi
• one night stay at airport hotel might be good
• transit passes, maybe ic card though. Suica good option
• do shopping at the end