The Japan Trip Resource Thread!

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

I don't know what to suggest then. TBH they ask for a reason so if you haven't got enough to get by maybe should consider making sure you do before you get on the plane.
I am not trying to be critical but it's in your own interests to enure that you can survive.

My situation is complicated, i am moving to Thailand shortly for 6 months, meaning i need to get my working holiday Visa for Japan sorted before i leave the country (Going to go straight to Japan from Thailand)
Alas i am a little short on cash until my 1st payment from my new job in Bangkok in 6 weeks (when i will be very well off indeed)

So i need to "fudge" something before i leave the country

Otherwise no probs, just save up a couple of months wages and im laughing, but alas not able to do this!!

arghhh

[Darwock]

So have you already been offered the Visa?

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

So have you already been offered the Visa?

No, i will be taking all the doccuments down to the embassy after i can somehow raise ?2500 in "clear capital"

The lack of any payday between now and after i leave for Thailand is proving to be *slightly* problematic........

[Darwock]

Just a word of warning but in the investgations I have made regarding work visas, I was told they would not mail important documents such as certificates of eligibility etc to certain non-EU countries (thailand was specifically mentioned in fact as being too risky).

I'm not certain whether this was from the government perspective or the company perspective (in which case it won't affet you).

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Just a word of warning but in the investgations I have made regarding work visas, I was told they would not mail important documents such as certificates of eligibility etc to certain non-EU countries (thailand was specifically mentioned in fact as being too risky).

I'm not certain whether this was from the government perspective or the company perspective (in which case it won't affet you).

I have also heard they wont mail doccuments to Thailand and so on, thus making it even more imperitive i get this sorted within 6 weeks.


ARGHHHHH!

If worse comes to the worse i will just go on a tourist VISA and find sponsorship with a big Eikaiwa.

A WH Visa would be a real help, tho

[Richard.John]

Maybe your family or friends offer up the cash to cover the Visa application? How much do they need anyway?

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

Maybe your family or friends offer up the cash to cover the Visa application? How much do they need anyway?

Yeahhhh, i dont like asking though, its ?2500 in "clear capital" and im about ?1200 short. Ill come up with something wither its Credit Cards or lending from a kindly soul.

Only 6 months to go!!

eeek

[JU!]

Surely you can take money from a credit card, put in normal bank account thus balance would show enough then pay off the credit card?

[Emir]

Looking for a bit of advice/feedback from the Knowledgeable on the board. Any help appreciated.

Me and the missus are planning to spend 2 weeks in Japan next April. Went to the local Travel Agents yesterday for quotes, etc..

We've been given a price of ?490 for the flight (Man - Tokyo) plus ?160 tax. Been a long time since I've flown anywhere. Is this a fair price?

Once there, we've been thinking of staying in Tokyo (Shiba Park Hotel) for the first 3 nights, getting a rail pass on the fourth day and travelling to Kyoto where we'd stay 5 nights (New Miyako Hotel), before travelling back to Tokyo for the remaining 5 nights.

Obviously we wanna try and visit as much as we can while we've got the rail pass (Mount Fuji is a must), it's just a matter of time spent travelling on trains. Am I right in thinking it'd take up a good day if we were to travel to Hiroshima from Tokyo?

Obviously I want to get some shopping in, but I think I'll limit myself to Akihabara since I don't want to spend too long searching streets.

Anyway, that's a rough plan. Does anyone have anything good to say about the hotels mentioned? They seem nice and cheap.

We did plan to go on some of these package tours (5 days total) but at ?800 they can forget it! Thing is, my Japanese is non-existent. I'm guessing I'll have major problems travelling on trains/buses. The missus is slowly learning, mind. I've got a good 9 months before we go.

So, can anyone recommend anything to do/see that's a must, so we can begin to shape this holiday up.

Cheers in advance you kind bunch.(^_^)

[thebuddahman]

One thing I would mention is that doing a trip from Tokyo to Hiroshima is quite long and if you were only planning on visiting Hiroshima for the day, it's not worth it with the amount of time you would be travelling. Instead I would say, use Kyoto as your base and go from there. When I was there, it was a short train trip, a good amount of time spent in Hiroshima and then a short train back. Definately a more manageable trip

[Champloo]

?550 for the flights is about as good as your going to get, unless you want to take one of those Russia airlines which go at about ?450 from what I've heard. I'm off in a few weeks and I paid the same price almost a year ago, with a 10% discount. The average price is above that in any case, about ?750 I think.

As for travel from Tokyo to Kyoto, I would recommend using the Seishun Juhachi Kippo instead of the rail pass - here. If you going within the time that it is active, then it'll save you a great deal of cash. It does only work for local lines so you'll have to make a few changes getting from Tokyo to Kyoto if you travel during the day, but there is a night train that goes there and back without any changes and works with the Seishun pass, so it's worth having a look into.

Anyways, good luck with the trip.

[Emir]

Thanks for the responses. (^_^)

Regarding the trip to Hiroshima, I think we'll try to go from Kyoto then. Still looking at other places to go. The missus has quite a list of temples she wants to visit, as well as a bit of Japanese Snow Monkey seeing.

Will defo check out that rail ticket.

Cheers guys.

[Anpanman]

I personally wouldn't book any flights yet but wait until nearer the time, but from April this year you can get (all quotes are excluding tax) Emirates into KIX (Osaka Kansai) for ?350 , KLM from May to June are ?370 NRT, China Eastern from Heathrow in May are ?390 but drop to ?310 in Nov, both CES and KLM are 30K baggage allowance.

Last April CES were doing ?330 and Qatar from Manchester into KIX were doing it for ?300 inc 30K.

I've done Hiroshima from Tokyo in a day, went out on the Shinkansen but flew back, train journey was 5hrs 20mins & yes it was smack on time!

thebuddahman's advice is good, get to Kyoto and travel from there, also Nara is a good place to visit and if at all possible get to Himeji Castle, the best one in all of Japan, it's accessible from the Nara, Osaka, Kyoto area.

If you are going to Hiroshima then make sure you get to see Miyajima island and the floating Torii which is just (literally) off the coast of Hiroshima.

Good luck with the planning and please don't hesitate to post any other questions you may have.

[Emir]

Whoa. The missus is ahead of me. She has most of the places you've mentioned in her sights. (^_^)

Is all this stuff nice and accessible, or is a foreigner like me gonna struggle.

[Anpanman]

JR Himeji is easy to get to from JR Kyoto (Super Hakto Express) 89mins non stop, (Shin kaisoku Express) 92mins non stop.

Just walk out of the station and the castle can be seen about a mile away at the end of the long shop filled street leading from the station.
Next door to the castle is a very nice botanical garden.

Miyajima is easy peasy. There are trams in Hiroshima and you can take one to the A-Bomb dome and museum. After visiting get on the same tram you got off (ie don't head back to the JR station) and go straight to the end of the line.

Next door to the tram terminus is the ferry terminal, ferries are run by a couple of companies one of them JR so you should be able to use your rail pass. Journey time is only about 5 minutes or so - the Floating Torii can be seen from landside at Hiroshima as it is so close.
There are also some lovely bits of scenery to see as well as a very nice pagoda and temple - oh and there are lots of bambi's roaming around!