japan

Last modified 2024-02-05 00:03:34 UTC by ubbies#1337 — All History — Edit — Raw

Japan Trip Planning

• Time for traveling: Spring 2024 (May 6-22)
• Number of days total: 16
• Number of days in Kyoto: 2-3
• Number of days in Tokyo: 10+
• Number of days in Osaka: 3
• Fly-out date: May 6, 2024
• Return date: May 22, 2024

Before trip

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)

Planning guides:

• START HERE

Drugs & Medication:

• Guide to Bringing Medicines Into Japan
• Information for those who are bringing medicines for personal use into Japan
• Controlled Substances List
• Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare’s English language website
• Bringing Medication to Japan: What to Know Before You Travel

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:

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

Planning and Tips:

• How Many Days in Tokyo Should You Spend?

• How Many Days in Osaka Should You Spend?

• How Many Days in Kyoto Should You Spend?

• 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

• Bring Canadian souvenirs for in case locals come up to us to chat

• 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 you MUST know before Arriving in Japan | 2024
• 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/

IC cards:

• 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

Etiquette:

• Japanese Etiquette and Manners
• How to bow in Japan and Manners

Traveling in Japan

• Download SmartEX app for booking Shinkansen tickets
• Traveling by taxi is expensive in Tokyo. Just use the train instead
• Japan Transit Planner

IC Cards:

These cards can be used to pay for train passes (except for JR trains) and make purchases in most places.

• Suica: Available at JR East Service Center in Tokyo (info: https://www.jreast.co.jp/multi/en/index.html). Valid for up to 10 years
• Welcome Suica: A suica card made specifically for tourists. Valid for up to 28 days. Available only at Haneda Airport.
• TOICA
• ICOCA
• Pasmo
• Virtual versions of these cards available at https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT207155 (not supported by Android)

JR Pass stuff:

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 and Delivery 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
• Might be best to book separate rooms

Shopping

• Shopping Guide
• Buy a small pouch for carrying change
• Do bulk of shopping on the last couple of days to avoid carrying with you during trip
• TIP: Buy a small-to-mid size suitcase at Don Quijote for storing shopping bags
• Canadian Duty and Taxes Estimator
• Clothes sizes will be different in Japan compared to in Canada. Remember this when buying souvenirs for people

Food

• 15 Most Popular Foods You Have To Eat In Japan
• 40 Japanese Foods You Shouldn’t Miss
• Beginner’s Guide to Food in Japan for tourists
• Japanese Cream Soda
• Buy Soufflé Pudding from Family Mart
• Go to McDonald's
• Go to LiQumu in Harajuku
• GIGA PUDDING!

Destinations and Activities

General:

• Collect Souvenir Stamps from train stations and airports and Goshuin's from shrines and temples
• Ride Hello Kitty Shinkansen / Hello Kitty Shinkansen: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Japan’s Most Unique Bullet Train
• Watch a play or musical based on an anime
• Japan 2023 powerpoint presentation created by Daniel
• 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!!
• Castles
• Shrines
• Temples
• Museums
• Manga & Anime
• Festivals
• Industry & Commerce
• Onsen
• Beaches
• Theme Parks
• List of prefectures annotated with related anime: 47 Anime for 47 Prefectures in Japan
• List of anime annotated with their associated city, grouped by prefecture: ycombinator news #37861230
• Matsumoto
• Takayama
• Gero Onsen
• Shirakawa-Go
• Kanazawa
• Wakayama Prefecture
• Koyasan

Tokyo and surrounding areas

• https://immersivefort.com/en/
• SAMURAI NINJA MUSEUM TOKYO With Experience
• TeamLab Planets 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
• Tokyo Skytree Kirby Cafe (reservation needed)
• Imperial Palace and East Garden
• Donquiote
• Nintendo World (Universal Studios Japan)
• Ghibli Park
• Ueno 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

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

Nara

• Feed and pet some deer in the morning

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!)

Other places to visit

• Hakone
• Yamanashi
• Yokohama

Returning to Canada

• Collect all receipts for claiming goods through customs