The Japan Trip Resource Thread!

[Escobar]

Okay, a tatami room in Kyoto for Y1000 per night.. are they comfortable or really thin or anything?

[r3z]

Cheers. Tatami rooms are ok.. you'll have a futon (mattress) to sleep on so it won't be too hard (depending on how thick the futon is!), but still essentially sleeping on the floor - it's what I'll be using at my friend's house for the next few months while I'm over there!
At that price it'll likely be pretty small room as well, but it is a very cheap price.. whereabouts is it located?

A bit off topic but are you in China or have a visa already?.. been reading that they've tightened up the application procedure because of the Olympics and you now need to provide your itinerary (flight/accomodation reservation details), when applying which is a pain as I wanted to sort out the visa before going to Japan and buy the ticket over there as booking reasonably priced airline tickets from here is next to impossible

[Escobar]

I found another for 1000 a night, in a dorm with proper bunk-beds (eight person). It's in Ikko I think.

I'm in Singapore right now but I have a three month visa, so I'm good to go. If you're a UK resident, you don't need a visa for Japan.

Well, you could go to Hong Kong (OasisHK just went into administration though), get the 20 hour train to Shanghai and the two night ferry to Osaka, if you want it cheaper and want to visit more places on the way.

[r3z]

I don't really want to travel about en route as my trip is mainly just to visit friends in Japan, but I thought I'd take a short holiday to China while I was there as I didn't get around to it when I was living in Japan last year. One friend is also currently studying in Shanghai until the start of July so I thought I'd go out and visit her while she's still there as well.

Flights to China from Japan shouldn't really be that expensive tho.. another friend of mine goes often and says it should be about ￥40-45000 (about 200 quid) return, but it doesn't look possible to book at that price online. English flight search sites only come up with prices at GBP350+ and when I checked JAL/ANA directly they actually quote ￥190000 (GBP950!) for online reservation - the cheaper prices are with Chinese carriers, but you can't book Japan-China flights on their English sites, and their Japanese sites (and other Japanese travel sites quoting cheaper prices) don't offer online reservation..

[Escobar]

The ferry is less than a hundred quid..

[r3z]

If I was going after mid-July I'd consider the ferry as Seishun 18 Kippu will be available, but otherwise it ain't cheap travelling Tokyo-Osaka and I don't have any reason to go out that way to make it worthwhile. I believe there are overnight coaches at around 3500 yen but personally I find them uncomfortable and can never get any decent sleep on them so usually lose the next day.

[kryss]

I've had a quick check but couldn't see when the schools were normally closed. Are they closed during Sept/Oct?

School summer hols are in August, although the school year runs from April to March.

Just got back from Hawai'i yesterday and used the new Re-entry pass holder immigration section. No queues and walked through in about 3 minutes. Sweet.

[Bort]

Cheers Kryss.

Just read the whole thread over the last few days. Cheers to everyone who has posted over the years.

Apart from needing to PM Darwock to find out a bit about his trip to the GP, the only question I have is about the guest visa.

I can stay up to 3 months by default on a guest visa but I'd have to go to immigration to get the extra 3 months. Has anyone gone for the extra time and is it just a case of asking and they'll just give it to you or would you have to jump through some hoops?

[Richard.John]

Many years ago I extended my Tourist visa by three months. Shouldnt be any problem but they might ask why that's all.

[Jushin-Thunder-Liger]

The ferry is less than a hundred quid..

Indeed it is, i went "overland" Bangkok - Tokyo last month and took said ferry, it was deathly quiet however, like a ghost ship.

ANYWAY, does anyone here work work in IT in Japan? I am an MCSE/CCNP/nWo 4-Life etc, based in Bangkok and looking to move to Nihon.

Any contacts would be great

Thankssssss


ahhhh i am just remanicing about my 1st trip to Japan now, what happy days they were!

[Darwock]

Cheers Kryss.
Apart from needing to PM Darwock to find out a bit about his trip to the GP, the only question I have is about the guest

Feel free! You can ask me on here too if they are pretty general questions, the info might be useful to other people too (I realise this ain't the motorsport thread though).

One point is that obviously when I went to the GP in 2005 it was held at Suzuka.. and this year it will still be at Fuji - so I can't tell you too much about getting there and so on!

About your weather questions - September/October is actually the tail end of the typhoon season, so weather can be pretty unpredictable. Most typhoons seem to follow a set path around Japan which usually starts near Okinawa/Kyushu, takes a wide berth around Kansai/Shikoku and comes back to hit Tokyo and Tohoku before disappearing. In that sense Suzuka is pretty safe from disruption but Fuji might be a little more vulnerable. In any case you will need to be prepared and take decent waterproofs to the race. When it does rain here it rains HARD.

Temperature at that time of year is pretty moderate though. The Kansai summer is hell on earth - the heat peaks around August.

[IanE]

Indeed it is, i went "overland" Bangkok - Tokyo last month and took said ferry, it was deathly quiet however, like a ghost ship.

Hey, do you remember if there were power points on the ferry? And.. places to buy food? RMB or Yen only? I have RMB but won't have Yen until I get there myself and considering this route seriously right now.

I have my laptop you see, and can play DVDs no problem so could easily pass my time with Sopranos and whatever!

[JAPJAC]

Soon visitors will find it very hard to enjoy the novelty of buying fags from a vending machine as you will need an ID cardo.

[IanE]

Novelty? You have been able to do it for years in bars and pubs! Heh.

[Anpanman]

The Kansai summer is hell on earth - the heat peaks around August.

Ha ha, indeed it is.

I joined the wife over there last Aug/Sep, was helping out father with the rice harvest and lugging 35 kilo bags about in that heat almost gave me a coronary.

Although we aren't in exactly in Kinki, we're on the edge and that part of the world does get a bit oppressive heat wise.