[Travel] Japan - any tips?

[Mr Bridger]

£5 for an hour of all-you-can-drink pints of gin and tonic in 2003. IF you don’t mind being in a private karaoke booth in Naka Meguro. Right [MENTION=97]Toronto Seagull[/MENTION] ?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

We found that when in Sapporo, karaoke bar all you want to drink but can’t remember how much it was, but it worked thou, don’t usually do karaoke but a few Pistol songs were belted out that night.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

https://youtu.be/wOW4-oWnDPw


Cracking tune

As is this cover (with Sylvian on backing vocals). Echo comments about bullet train to Kyoto, Fuji etc. Stunning.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=copm3jpkpOE

 

[East London Exile]

Had 2 weeks in Japan a couple of years ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. The train network was very easy to navigate and the Japanese wonderfully polite. A great bonus is that tipping is not expected!
Although we did not use it, I understand that luggage forwarding services are often used so you can use the trains without being encumbered with bags - something you may wish to investigate.
All the places we visited have already been mentioned and are well worth a visit.

 

[Robinjakarta]

As responses here show, Japan is great and it's difficult to add to what's been posted. I loved Nara and its park, gardens and deer as much as Kyoto and found Kobe a highly pleasant small city. Okinawa gives a taste of tropical Japan and some great beaches, and short stay foreigners can fly there for approximately USD 100 from elsewhere in Japan, and with their top airlines, too.

 

[Mental Lental]

As responses here show, Japan is great and it's difficult to add to what's been posted. I loved Nara and its park, gardens and deer as much as Kyoto and found Kobe a highly pleasant small city. Okinawa gives a taste of tropical Japan and some great beaches, and short stay foreigners can fly there for approximately USD 100 from elsewhere in Japan, and with their top airlines, too.

Okinawa is great around Easter time. Almost perfect weather. Here's a photo of me in Okinawa at the end of March this year. Stunning beaches with hardly anyone around if you get a ferry from Naha to some of the little islands near the Okinawan mainland.

 

[Kalimantan Gull]

You should go and see these guys up at the Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park near Nagano, or a few other places in Japan

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

This thread reminds me what an incredibly varied country, in many ways, Japan is.

 

[Wrappo]

Went there in 2007. Visit Kyoto for at least two nights. Save money by buying a Japrail pass in UK before you go to get some days paid in advance travel on all rail including Bullet Train. Japanese underground is interesting but look close and you will see legend in English.

 

[Boroseagull]

Was in Japan in May this year and what a fabulous experience it was. The people so polite, respectful, and so, so helpful. Not a single piece of discarded litter to be seen, and neither was a waste bin! Cleanest lorries, just as they've come from the showroom and that's the dustcarts. No ugly scaffold around buildings, it's hidden behind shiny - non graffitied - material. No smoking on the streets in Tokyo (there are fenced off areas for the non-believers). The Skytree in Tokyo is well worth a visit (don't use the visitors ticket booth - it's more expensive although you get priority treatment - rarely needed). The seaport of Yokohama is also an interesting area to visit. The train system - superb. We also visited the lesser known areas in the north island, Hakodate and Kushiro and here the welcome was, if possible, even warmer. Nothing but praise about anything and if I had to make any form of criticism it would be the rather small size of hotel bedrooms. But I must mention that the gents in one of the hotels we used was amazing, you get used to the heated, wash you after, seats - but the public gents in the hotel in Yokohama went one stage further. Upon opening the door hidden lighting illuminated the loo whilst the lid lifted for you, space age technology for sure.

 

[Mental Lental]

But I must mention that the gents in one of the hotels we used was amazing, you get used to the heated, wash you after, seats - but the public gents in the hotel in Yokohama went one stage further. Upon opening the door hidden lighting illuminated the loo whilst the lid lifted for you, space age technology for sure.

A short time after my arrival in England for my summer hols this year, I'm going to have to face the very daunting prospect of actually having to wipe my arse after having a crap. Having not had to do this for about 5 years I'm genuinely worried that I may have forgotten how to do it properly.

 

[Insel affe]

A short time after my arrival in England for my summer hols this year, I'm going to have to face the very daunting prospect of actually having to wipe my arse after having a crap. Having not had to do this for about 5 years I'm genuinely worried that I may have forgotten how to do it properly.

These made me laugh, apparently they are for the Chinese tourists...

 

[4goals]

I have a relative living there, been 3 times and due to go back next year, fantastic place. Everything said so far covers all you need to know.

 

[LamieRobertson]

Perhaps its good the OP isn't looking to go just yet
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44910435

 

[Tokyohands]

This link can help you get your bags sent on to your next destinations, so you can enjoy public transport around Japan without your suitcases.

http://https://www.luggage-free-travel.com/travel/index.php?utm_source=japantoday&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=toppage&utm_campaign=japantoday_banner_entc

 

[Igzilla]

Perhaps its good the OP isn't looking to go just yet
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-44910435

Yes, quite Fortunately, Easter temperatures tend to be more reasonable

 

[RandyWanger]

Spent two weeks in Japan in January, weeks skiing in Niseko and a week in Kyoto and Sapporo. We had a choice of doing Tokyo or Kyoto and decided on Kyoto, think we made the right choice. Really nice place loaded with history, tradition and culture. Only really saw a brief glimpse of Tokyo from the bullet train,

Really liked Japan - interesting mix of modern and historic. Enjoyed the food (sushi, sashimi and shabu shabu beef - breakfasts were interesting as well with option to go native or stick with eggs and bacon), relaxing in an onsen at the end of the day, the politeness and bowing culture and the 20 different types of green tea you could get from the ever present vending machines. The other thing that struck me was the amount of staff everywhere - from hotels to department stores, always plenty of people to help. You're lucky if you can find anybody in some New York shops or hotels.

Only drawback was the 14 hour flight from NYC, not sure how long it is from London

I want to go to Hokkaido. Had friends go off and do seasons up there and it looks amazing. Did you just ski Niseko or have you been to others?

 

[Lyndhurst 14]

I want to go to Hokkaido. Had friends go off and do seasons up there and it looks amazing. Did you just ski Niseko or have you been to others?

We did 2 days in Sapporo as well. Both resorts were really enjoyable with great dry powder conditions - lots of Brits in both areas

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Taipei is worth a visit as well

Regards
JH

 

[half time scores]

If your taxi driver has a little finger missing, tip generously.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

Don't, whatever you do, get it mixed up with China (or you may end up being appointed foreign secretary in the government).

Apologies if fixtures.