I'm going to Japan! Any Recommendations?

Off-Topic
#1

Hi all I’m new here! You may have seen me posting a little.

Anyway I’m off to Japan for a little over a month and I haven’t travelled in a good 10 years so basically I have no idea what I’m doing but going for it anyway! Which is why I’d love to here what you guys have done if you have been or if you have any tips or tricks to help me not crash and burn…

Currently I’m leaving on the 18th or March flying into Tokyo, then on to Nagato, then Kami for a week or so, followed by Shimokitayama for the Sakura Festival (it’s a tiny village but I hear the sakura are amazing there and it’s not too crowded). I’m then planning on heading back to Tokyo to explore there more thoroughly, ending the week with the 15th KeyFes and then I’m really not sure where I want to go!

Spring seems like it will be an amazing time to be there but I’m not really sure what to expect outside of what I’ve read.

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#2

If you’re going to Nagato via Shinkansen, I assume you’ll be getting a JR pass? Because if you aren’t, you really should! I’m honestly not familiar with Nagato nor Kami (is that the same Kami in Saitama), but I would highly recommend going to Kyoto to visit Fushimi Inari or Kiyomizu Dera. Since you’ll be in Nara, it’s just an hour away from Kyoto!

Tokyo is a very bustling metropolis, and there are so many places you can visit. Aside from the usual Akihabara, Ikebukuro is a nice place as well, and it has an Aquarium and Planetarium~ You can also go to Tokyo Sky Tree and get a good view of the city (and they also have a planetarium and aquarium lol). Since you’re there during the hanami season, you can go ahead and visit many of the numerous parks there. The rest of Tokyo is all heavily dependent on your interests. Harajuku for fashion, Shibuya for music, Shinuku for nightlife, and so on.

As for not how to crash and burn, well… You can generally play the gaijin card and people won’t look down on you so much :stuck_out_tongue: Most of the things that they put on the internet is true, though. Don’t be noisy on trains, don’t litter, don’t stand in the middle of the road, etc etc etc. The bottom line is; be very self-aware and considerate. There is no such thing as “oh it’s just a little thing, people won’t mind” in Japan. They do mind, and it helps to be aware.

The trains are also mighty confusing! Even if you use an app like hyperdia, and you know what line you should take, there are two directions that that line goes and you may not know which direction is the right one and which platform that direction is on. Don’t hesitate to look up a station list so that you know which direction the station you are going to is in. Usually they mark directions using the end stations of the line, so look up what the end stations of that line are.

One thing to note is the language. A lot of people say it helps to learn a few basic phrases when going to Japan but, to be honest, any of those basic phrases that one would learn, most Japanese people already know in english anyway. So if you say “sumimasen” or you say “excuse me” they will know the difference. What WOULD be helpful to learn are kanji that you can find in signs. Kanji for station, left, right, up, down, floor, numbers, yen… stuff like that.

Other than that, enjoy! I’d say make sure to appreciate more than just the anime, but the fact that you are going to places such as those means that you already plan to do so XD

5 Likes
#3

Pepe is someone you can trust on that. I remember going to some of the places he mentioned, even though I have some bad memories about Kyoto thanks to the youth hostel, where I stayed suddenly not accepting credit cards. It’s a really nice city though and I recommend going there if you have the opportunity. I couldnt fully explore it because of money issues, because of what happened.

All I have left to say is have fun there.

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#4

Thanks! It’s great to get some knowledge from someone who’s living there.

I was pretty set on getting the rail pass but honestly when I calculated it all up the 21 day pass was actually more expensive than the train journeys I plan to take. Although I may actually get a 7 day one to cover the train journeys from the airport to tokyo, tokyo to nagato (shinkansen) then taking a coastal train to Kami.

Kami is the town Air’s town is based off and other than that and KeyFes (maybe a little browsing in Akihabara) I’m really just going to experience the country and culture. I’m also really only going to Nagato so that I can take a slow coastal train to Kami. I honestly want the train rides to be a significant part of experience.

As for Kyoto, I’d love to have a look but I feel like it’s going to be overcrowded in spring! It would be really great to go there after Tokyo though.

Thanks for the advice @Pepe and thank you @EndOfRefrain I will!

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#5

Hmm that’s actually the best idea! Once you’re in Tokyo, you won’t have much need for the rail pass. It’s really only useful when travelling loooong distances

Ahhhh yes you have a point. But it’s because it’s even more beautiful! Well, the places I mentioned don’t have much foliage so perhaps it’d be less crowded (unlike more garden-y locations such as Kinkaku-ji). But no pressure, it’s just a personal preference of mine XD

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#6

yeah, I had a train pass on my first trip and it was really useful as I went down to Miyazaki, so that would have been pretty expensive otherwise, but I have to say Miyazaki is a nice city and Beppu is a good visit if you love onsen. The town is full with all kinds of hot springs, which I sadly couldnt experience, since I am really bad with heat and hot water.

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#7

I ended up outside of Sunshine City in a game of Geoguessr, and have wanted to go ever since. Parts of it are really pretty~

Go on a Sunday, and then go on a weekday.

This is why I wouldn’t want to spend long in Japan. I’d get people complaining at me all the time, especially as a frequent cosplayer…
Don’t do, or act, or wear, anything that is capable of getting attention, because it’ll be too distracting, and people will find it disrespectful. Oh, and be careful where you eat. There’s a big case of Misophonia throughout Japan basically.

Oh oh, and make sure you have really good maps of any areas you want to spend time in, and of the train lines.

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#8

I hadn’t really given onsen much thought but I know it’s a big thing in Japan, I may have to have a look!

Noted! I’m looking to explore Tokyo as thoroughly as I can.

I know Sundays is when everyone dresses up in classic Harajuku style, but what happens on weekdays?

The only thing I’d be doing that would attract any attention would be filming a bit here and there. Obviously I wouldn’t be filming anyone without their permission, but do you think anyone would care in general?

Thanks for the replies you guys, there’s just so much to think about and every bit helps :slight_smile:

#9

Go to the ice cream theme park in Sunshine City, Ikebukuro, Tokyo.

#10

It’s when you have the luxury of shopping without having to elbow against other people :wink: I usually go on a saturday when it’s not an extremely large amount of people compared to sunday, but you do see a select few harajuku fashiongoers.

Nah, I’m sure they wouldn’t. You see the locals filming interesting stuff with their iPhones every now and then.

(also I typed this post daaaays ago but it didn’t post for some reason and discourse saved the whole post for me lol)

#11

@Pepe Hi Pepe, I plan to visit Japan next year, and I intend to attend some anime/game events while I am there. Do you know where I can find news on the latest anime/game events happening in Japan before I go? Thanks!

#12

I stumbled upon these two sites just recently, and they should help :slight_smile:


http://www.koepota.jp/eventschedule/

Though I guess they are mostly for lives rather than events

#13

Thanks! Really appreciate it! Animetas includes time-limited exhibitions as well, something that I would really love to check out ^^ By any chance would you know of any websites that have an updated list of the many doujinshi events happening in Japan?

#14

That I do not know >_< I guess the smaller ones are really interest-specific, so if you have a specific interest (like Key) then you have to look around for the doujin event for that series (e.g. Keypoints)

#15

I’m actually planning on going to Japan for Winter Comiket this year! Anyone have any tips for that? I’m also thinking of making a side trip to Kyoto for a few days. Any advice on navigating Kyoto? Does it have good public transportation?

I’m also excited about spending New Years there. I want to visit a shrine on New Years Day just like real Japanese people do :3 Is it true that the Emperor gives a speech every year on January 2? I really want to see that.

#16

Oh wow sorry you guys I was away all weekend and didn’t realise this had more replies! Great to see I’m not the only one going.

Okay great I’ll give it a look when I get back to Tokyo for Key Fes :slight_smile:

Oh that’s good, I’m just using a DSLR too so most people will probably just think I’m taking photos.

From what I’ve heard Kyoto has very good public transportation, it seems to be the norm for Japan’s bigger cities (though @Pepe could probably give you a better idea than I can).

A friend of mine was there for new years this year and went to (I think) the biggest shrine in Japan where 2 million people showed up to! I honestly cannot comprehend 2 million people in the one place but if you do experience anything like that, good luck!

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#17

Get pocket warmers XD

As all of Japan, Kyoto has decent public transpo. Unfortunately, the train system isn’t as diverse as Osaka or Tokyo so you may be taking the bus more often to easily reach some destinations

Oooh good luck with the crowds XD Not sure about the Emperor’s speech, though!

#18

So I’m flying out tomorrow! I have Tokyo accommodation booked but nothing else because everywhere else I go requires either a Japanese residential address to book online or requires phone booking (as far as I’m aware I can get help booking over the phone in Tokyo, can anyone confirm?).

Also, I realised that just barely fitting my laptop and three cameras in my carry on, I have no weight allowance for books. Does anyone have any recommendations for surviving a 7 hour flight? T_T

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#19

Personally, last long flight I went on I downloaded some light novels on my phone beforehand and just read those, so if you can download books that’s always an option. Other than that… with no books? I hope you’ve got some interesting stuff on your computer, and that its battery life isn’t terrible. Are you sure you can’t transfer a camera to your luggage to maybe free up some carry on room? I’m assuming you’ve considered that, but still.

If all else fails, the only thing you can really do is try to sleep/think. I’ve never been able to sleep on flights, though, so I’m not sure how well that’d work for you. Hopefully you don’t have any loud babies or anything. Those can make flights torture. Hopefully the long plane rides goes decently for you, just hang in there!

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#20

Thanks! And I’ve got plenty of interesting stuff on my laptop it’s just battery life I’m concerned about. As for any cameras going in my checked luggage, considering how I imagine the baggage loaders handle the checked luggage I just didn’t feel at all safe with placing a delicate camera in there.

Honestly though, I think I may have room for a book, I just wanted to be 500g below the max weight limit for carry on to be safe but I’m sure I can fit one somehow.