The Japan trip resource thread 2.

[briareos_kerensky]

Also recommend the snow festival in February, but expect it to be busy.

Not going to a cold place during winter when I live in Switzerland :P I'll be heading there in September, I'll try to visit Sapporo when the food festival is on.

[Anpanman]

We've booked ours for next year (soon to be this year). As always can't wait.

It's been a while but here we are with a new Life in Japan video. There's much to see ! It will also give you an idea of how bad the rain can be in August and September!

Ace stuff, excellent video, loved every minute of it.

[Yakumo]

We've booked ours for next year (soon to be this year). As always can't wait.



Ace stuff, excellent video, loved every minute of it.

Cheers. Glad you liked it.

[Finsbury Girl]

My son and his school mates are visiting Japan later in January, I'm very jealous!!

[Yakumo]

Lucky him. Make sure he brings warm clothes. Japan is quite cold in January. Could get as low as 1 or 2 degrees Celsius or even minus depending on where he's going.

[Wools]

Almost 1 month to my 2 week trip to Japan and getting very giddy.

I only had 1 last thing to sort, and that was some planning around a Suica card. However, just watched Cakes with Faces very helpful video and she said that Suica are releasing an Apple Wallet / iOS version which is brilliant. Saves needing to top up our card at a machine with physical cash.

[Anpanman]

Nice one Wools, we have about three and a half months before ours.

Just bought some more cash a week or so ago and received some of the new 5000 Yen notes.

[briareos_kerensky]

Can't wait for my trip there next year. I've requested to bring a couple of extra vacation days from this year to the next, so it'll be a 25 days long vacation (including the two days for getting there and going back, so 23 sleeping in Japan). Hopefully hotel prics will be lower in 2026 than in 2025 without the Expo

[Wools]

Nice one Wools, we have about three and a half months before ours.

Just bought some more cash a week or so ago and received some of the new 5000 Yen notes.

Very nice, incoming soon! Have you got your hotels booked and anything planned?

[Anpanman]

Very nice, incoming soon! Have you got your hotels booked and anything planned?

Thanks, we're visiting family as my wife is Japanese so for the most part it's doing the daily living bit and helping with the cleaning, washing, shopping and anything else that we can do. Last year we emptied an outhouse and took it to the tip.

We're planning on going to Kanazawa for a couple of days, I've never been on the Thunderbird train so I'm looking forward to that. Daughter will probably go to a theme park like USJ, wife will be catching up with her friends and while she's out I'll be going to photograph some planes probably at Fukuoka.

What about you, what are you getting up to?

[Wools]

Thanks, we're visiting family as my wife is Japanese so for the most part it's doing the daily living bit and helping with the cleaning, washing, shopping and anything else that we can do. Last year we emptied an outhouse and took it to the tip.

We're planning on going to Kanazawa for a couple of days, I've never been on the Thunderbird train so I'm looking forward to that. Daughter will probably go to a theme park like USJ, wife will be catching up with her friends and while she's out I'll be going to photograph some planes probably at Fukuoka.

What about you, what are you getting up to?

Sounds like a lovely, family focused trip! Hope you and the family have an epic time out there, and looking forward to seeing your photos on the Photo Thread here! I was consisting taking my Mirrorless Camera out to Japan but not sure whether to leave it behind and be more in the moment, taking snaps on my iPhone. May still crumble and take the A7 III though!

We’re booked in for 11 nights at Hotel Groove Shinjuku and then 3 nights at Mitsui Garden Hotel Jingugaien. Nothing actually solid booked in yet, it’s Sarah and mine’s first ever time in Japan and I know so much about the place through games and Film, along with watching so many travel documentaries, it’s enough for us to to just be there! So we’re going to spend a lot of the time exploring areas of Tokyo around the Yamanote Line, shopping, trying food and walking everywhere.

I’m excited most about Akihabara with Super Potato and all the electronic snoops, exploring the old Sega Arcade now named GiGO, visiting Tokyo Skytree and Tower, the Imperial Palace, Bunny Cafe’s, Marc Newson’s Tokyo Toilet, there’s so many specific places and shops, we’re going to be occupied!

As for further afield, we’re thinking of a Tea Ceremony class, Samurai lessons, train ride and the Nintendo Museum but tickets aren’t looking good, so may miss that. There’s so many options in Japan but we’re trying to stay located in Tokyo and surrounding regions, mindful that you can do too much and miss the country you’re in, while you’re in it! But want to plan 2 longer train rides to Kyoto and 1 place north of Tokyo (Forgot the name) that is more traditional to get the 2 sides of Japan.

4 weeks! 🥳

[Anpanman]

Sounds like a lovely, family focused trip!

Thanks again. You know what, I had it in my head you had been a number of times before. If this is your first you will have a great time believe me. I'm looking forward to your pictures as well.

Hope you can get some tickets for the Nintendo museum but nevertheless you've got a great itinerary there, hope you have a wonderful trip from start to finish.

[Wools]

Thanks again. You know what, I had it in my head you had been a number of times before. If this is your first you will have a great time believe me. I'm looking forward to your pictures as well.

Hope you can get some tickets for the Nintendo museum but nevertheless you've got a great itinerary there, hope you have a wonderful trip from start to finish.

Thanks mate!

Yeah, first time. I wanted to go back in 2001 after talking with friends about going to Japan as we had left College together, 2 close mates said they really wanted to go as well. I got super excited and started to work out the sums, purchased a Time Out guide and then went to a travel agent. Weeks later, I went for dinner and a pint with them, bringing along the books I picked up as a surprise to kick off our holiday planning... That evening I slowly came to the conclusion they didn't want to go to Japan as they didn't have the cash as they were going to University. Whereas I had already started working and had some cash together. Broke my heart, that did.

Never took a Japan trip seriously again after that, as either I didn't have the cash or when I did and me and a friend / partner / Wife were planning a holiday, Japan was either too expensive or we wanted a beach style holiday instead. It only came to the front of my mind during the pandemic in 2020 as I started to watch travel shows on YouTube and Podcasts as a way to explore while we were locked down in 2020. When we ventured out in 2023 and 2024, we went to The Algarve for their beaches and hotels and the UK for an adventure style holiday in The Forest of Dean, mountain biking, riding horses and living in the woods! But last year, the company I worked for were seemingly on the rocks (Heard stuff through the grapevine and we had 3 months of late payslip payments) but rather than be cautious, I said to Sarah; Shall we go to Japan? It just felt like, if this company goes tits up, I'm going to be in savings mode and be looking for work, shall we book while all is well? Probably not the best idea but it really made me think that time is precious, I'm hitting 40 and I've always wanted to go.

Can't wait.

[huxley]

Wools
You dont need to bother with the app by all accounts, just search add card on your phone and select the Suica card and fund it with apple pay.
The suica app is in Japanese atm (tip from work college)

[Wools]

Wools
You dont need to bother with the app by all accounts, just search add card on your phone and select the Suica card and fund it with apple pay.
The suica app is in Japanese atm (tip from work college)

Thanks for the tip.

I was aware that a Suica card was almost essential as a quick way to pay for train tickets and vending machines, but hated the idea it has to be topped dup with physical money at pay machines.

In the video I posted above, Amy mentions that Apple Wallet has supported Suica cards for a few years, but the new iOS App (Welcome Suica Mobile) seems more foreigner friendly. I attempted to sign up yesterday but the App said as I'm in the UK, it can't be used as I have to physically be in Japan to use the App!

For the way you're suggesting, do you know if I can use a digital Suica card, or do I still need a physical card?