japan

Last modified 2023-10-02 03:42:49 UTC by ubbies#1337 — All History — Edit — Raw

Japan Trip Planning

Travel Dates: Spring 2024 (March - May)

Before trip

• REMINDER: FILL OUT THIS FORM BEFORE FLYING!
• 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)

Booking flights & hotels:

• Booking hotels: Booking.com

• Book non-stop flights with Westjet (add-on travel insurance)

• 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

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:

• What to Know Before Arriving in Japan - 2023

• 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

• 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:

• 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

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

During trip

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)
• Purchase Pasmo or IC card for getting on trains
• Take train from Narita airport to Tokyo

Times:

• Rush Hour: 7:30am-9:00am & 5:00-6:30pm or 7:00pm
• Avg Hotel check-in / check-out: 3pm / 11am
• Restaurants do not open before 10am
• Buses in Tokyo stop running at 10PM and trains stop running 12AM

Tips:

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

Traveling in Japan

• Buy Pasmo or Suica or Welcome Suica cards for non JR trains
• Download SmartEX app for booking Shinkansen tickets
• Traveling by taxi is expensive in Tokyo. Just use the train instead
• Japan Transit Planner

NOTE: Buying a JR pass might not be worth it unless we plan to travel a lot by bullet train for long distances

• My JR Pass
• Japan Rail Pass (JR Pass) for Shinkansen (tip: buy 2-3 weeks before trip)
• JR Pass Calculator (see if a pass is worth it for your trip)
• Luggage slots must be reserved for bullet train and there's a limit to luggage size

Limosine and Shuttle services:

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

Luggage forwarding services:

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

Lodging and Accomodoations

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

Shopping

• Shopping Guide
• Canadian Duty and Taxes Estimator
• Clothes sizes will be different in Japan compared to in Canada. Remember this when buying souvenirs for people

Tips:

• Buy a small pouch for carrying change

Destinations and Activities

General:

• ANIME TRAVEL GUIDE JAPAN | 3 Must-Know Tips from a Local Otaku
• Collabo-Cafe
• Anime Tourism Association (Anime pilgrimages)
• Visit Gundam Factory in Yokohama
• Ghibli Museum / Ghibli Theme Park
• Awaji Island
• Fuji Q Highland (Evangelion ride and more)
• Japan Tours & Trips (September 2023)
• TOP 10 WEIRD 😂 Japanese restaurants that ACTUALLY EXIST!!
• Try GIGA PUDDING!
• Castles
• Shrines
• Temples
• Museums
• Manga & Anime
• Festivals
• Industry & Commerce
• Onsen
• Beaches
• Theme Parks
• Matsumoto
• Takayama
• Gero Onsen
• Shirakawa-Go
• Kanazawa
• Wakayama Prefecture
• Koyasan

Tokyo and surrounding areas

• 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
• Donquiote
• Nintendo World (Universal Studios Japan)
• Ghibli Park
• Go to Mogra
• Ride on a jinrikisha (Rickshaw)
• 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
• 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

• Taxis are recommended for traveling around Kyoto
  • Top 5 Things to do in Kyoto | japan-guide.com
    • Nishiki Market
    • Kyto Museum (Kyto Animation section)

TIP: Spend a half day in Nara to pet and feed some deer (located between Kyoto and Osaka)

Osaka

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

Returning

• Remember to return Pocket WiFi
• Collect all receipts for claiming goods through customs