The Japan Trip Resource Thread!

[DCharlie]

on the subject of guest houses, a friend stayed in a guest house in Azabujuuban : Guess T House. He had nothing but praise for the place, said it was awesome.

There doesn't appear to be a hard price on the site - but he was paying around 2700 yen a night (14 quid?). You are quoted prices when you apply on the web, but given that price, that's an absolute bargain.

There was no cerfew, free internet, PS2, dvd player, laundry, cable tv etc...

People might want to check it out? AzabuJuuban is a great location too.

http://tokyohostel.com/english.html

[Stelvia]

I'm currently in Japan working right and I'm thinking of taking a holiday next February to Sapporo for the snow festival. Now I'm wondering If it's worth flying up to Sapporo, then working my way back to Tokyo from there. I'd like to visit lots of different places on the way back and see other bits of Japan that are not Tokyo.


Also plan to the same with Okinawa before I leave Japan. Except I'd be able to take in more of the west cities.

[Dogg Thang]

I just have a quick question. I have holiday time coming up real soon. I had planned to motorbike around Arizona or Nevada or something. You know, a road trip. Anyway it looks like I'm not going to get a license test in time which has scuppered that plan. So I need a holiday without my own transport.

So I'm wondering - would Japan be the sort of place I could go on a holiday and survive (and have a good time) on my own and without means of transport?

[SaijoBob]

Japanese public transport is very good, with lots of cities having an underground and/or decent bus service. Taxis cost a fortune, but you shouldn't need them really.

You can get between cities easily with the shinkansen (bullet train). Pick up a Japan Rail Pass (mentioned a page or two ago) to save teh megabucks though.

As for being on your own, definitley best to have a guidebook and some kind of plan in advance on what you want to do. Try to book hotels in advance for peace of mind!

[DCharlie]

if you travel on your own, then maybe staying in a place like Guess T House might be an idea simply because you can then hook up with possibly other like minded travellers?

yeah - Taxis cost a fortune. Getting a taxi from Narita to Tokyo is NOT A GOOD IDEA!

You can wave goodbye to your spending money if you do that!

[dave heats]

I can testify to the cost of Tokyo Cabs, cost me ?95 to Narita just from Ueno. Not much fun watching the meter I can tell you.

Just wondering do you tokyo residents on here rent properties? If so have you got any links? I'm looking at properties to rent at the moment, and have decided I'd prefer to live in a relatively more remote area of Tokyo than pay an arm and a leg every month for location.
I've been on the usual websites, so no sakura house recomendations please ^_^. Just wondering if theres a little known apartment company out there...

[Richard.John]

Japan is a commuter heaven in terms of the quality and quantity of rail and bus networks. The trains are so good here, it's enough to make any Brit,used to BR,cry.

[dc-arena]

When I was in Osaka in January we had a right game trying to find an ATM that accepted UK credit cards. They all had the VISA logo on them, but underneath the logo was written "Japanese cards only".

We got lucky though.That night we were in Namba (Minami) (Nankai station), and went for a meal at this place called Robinson Cruesoes by the canal. English name, Japanese food. It was mint! There was a table of Japanese guys and girls sitting next to us, and they started chatting away. Only one of them spoke VERY broken English. We were talking about general stuff, why we were there etc, and luckily we were with a Japanese friend who could translate when it got difficult!

Anyway, it was about 1.30am and we needed to get back to our hotel, which was at Sakai station (end of the line from Nankai). Trains had obviously stopped, so we had to get in a taxi. No cash machines were giving us joy. Then we saw a couple of the people on the table next to us from earlier, and they were without their English speaking friend, and we were without our Japanese speaking friend too.. lol.. They were going to some place called Music-Box, which sounds mint - I wanna go! However, after about 30 minutes, and about 5 unsuccessful ATMs later, we found one! Hurray!

Scary ****. So yeah, take an ass load of cash with you just in case - don't wanna go through that again.

[Richard.John]

It is odd that that Japanese ATMs don't accept foreign cards (Citibank and Post Office ATMs being the exception). Being in the EU, we are used to foreign tourists and Bureau de Change on every high street, but the Japanese don't have that kind of relationship with their neighbours and most would choose to go to Hawaii or Guam, so they are not really exposed to multiple currencies, which is why banks don't really offer the service in return. That's my theory anyway.

[Dogg Thang]

Cool, so public transport is the way to go. So... what would anyone recommend for a holiday? Just stay in Tokyo or go from place to place? What is there to see or do for someone who would like a new experience but without massive effort so that I actually get to rest up too?

[Darwock]

Scary ****. So yeah, take an ass load of cash with you just in case - don't wanna go through that again.

I'm really nervous about taking a large quantity of cash - we're there for three weeks an anticipating spending ?1000-2000 or possibly more, surely it can't be recommended to take ALL of that in yen cash before you go? But I have no confidence that my Abbey debit card or even my Visa credit card (which I don't want to use) will work anywhere.

[segages]

I would take it as cash without doubt. When I went with my brother last year for just over two weeks, I took all cash and he took some and his credit/debit cards. He spent a good amount of time looking for places to get money out and when he finally found somewhere, there was always a limit on the withdrawal amount. If you're in a small town and need money, you're gonna struggle.

I took around ?1000 and split it up, leaving some at the ryokan (hidden away) and taking most with me. Seriously, I've never felt so safe walking around late night, on the train and subways with or without a load of cash on me. This wasn't just Tokyo either - we went from Tokyo to Fukuoka and back stopping off along the way.

Now for my queries

I'm thinking of going back next year but this time to the Kansai region (I loved Kyoto last time) and so won't be getting a countrywide rail pass. I do want use of the Kansai trains though to visit places like Osaka, Kobe, Nara, Himeji, etc. I'm planning on being there for 2 weeks so I take it there is no problem in taking 3 x 4-day and 1 x 2-day Kansai rail passes? I don't see a place to buy a straight out 2 week pass.

Next is the accomodation. Last time we stayed in Kyoto at the Budget-Inn which was fine. I'm just wondering if anyone else has other recommendations either for Kyoto or Osaka or indeed anywhere else around Kansai. I just want to be able to get around OK. I've also not decided if I'll stay in the same accomodation for the duration or split it up.

Lastly, for now, what gaming delights can I find around Kansai? The time I spent in Kyoto was mainly visting temples, going to Nara and hiring those old bikes to cycle to the nearby bamboo forest.

[dc-arena]

I was only in Japan for a number of days, but it felt safe there, even at night. Obviously I am not saying there is no crime like muggings there as I don't know, and the boys who reside in Japan would know. But I had a few hundred pounds on me at all times (part from when we ran out that night!) and it was cool. Like others have said, you can always leave some in your hotel etc. Our place had a safe for stuff too, but that was work paying it was a posh hotel.

Some days I left my camera, mobile, iBook and cash out on my table in my hotel, and nother ever went missing. I reckon you'd be cool with carrying ?1000 around with you, but I know how you feel about it, I was the same at first thb :|

You might be ok and find an ATM easily, but for backup, I'd carry at least ?500-?700 on you..

[DCharlie]

"I'm really nervous about taking a large quantity of cash - we're there for three weeks an anticipating spending ?1000-2000 or possibly more, surely it can't be recommended to take ALL of that in yen cash before you go?"

simple - take travellers cheques or locate a Citibank before going.
It means going to a bank a lot, but if it makes you feel safer, then that is the way to go.

Carrying around 500 quid etc... it's pretty normal here. it's kind of weird.

I'd feel quite edgy in the UK carrying that cash, but not here.
OBVIOUSLY there are certain places to be careful. Especially Ikebukero, Roppongi, Ueno, Shinjuku....

[Richard.John]

I'm really nervous about taking a large quantity of cash - we're there for three weeks an anticipating spending ?1000-2000 or possibly more, surely it can't be recommended to take ALL of that in yen cash before you go? But I have no confidence that my Abbey debit card or even my Visa credit card (which I don't want to use) will work anywhere.

If your Abbey debit card is Visa, it will work in Post Office ATMs and I assume Citibank machines as well. I say that as I have used my Halifax Visa debit on numerous occasions.