Tell me about your trip to Japan...

Westcoastwild

DIS Veteran
Joined
Jul 26, 2016
Where did you go? How did you find restaurants? Did you bring cash with you, use ATMs, or survive on credit/debit? What was your daily budget?

What would you do differently if you could do it over? What advice would you give a first timer? How many days did you need for the parks? Did you stay on property or elsewhere? How far is Disney from Tokyo? How easy is it to reach from the city? (I went to Paris this year and it was super easy to reach Disney from the city center as a day trip. Wondering if I can do the same in Tokyo.)

My main focus would be elsewhere- I love art, history and nature. But naturally I'd have to start my trip with Disney :jumping1:
 
Those are a lot of great questions! Most of the answers can be found on in other posts from the experts on this site as well as great sites like TDR explorer and Tripadvisor. Lonely Planet also has some of the best guides to Japan if your main focus is not Disney. Have fun planning and have a great trip!
 
That's a lot of questions.

I've been on multiple trips to Japan. I've stayed at the following locations: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kanzawa and Fukuoka. But, I've been to plenty more locations on day-trips, including: Nara, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Kobe and Koyasan.

If it's your first trip to Japan, then depending upon how much time you have, you may want to stick to the just a few cities (with day-trips), for example, Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Or maybe even just Tokyo and Osaka (and visit Kyoto from Osaka on a day trip).

Finding restaurants can be hit or miss. The vast majority of restaurants either have plastic models of their meals or a menu with colour pictures on it. So, finding something to eat can be easy if you're not fussy or can be a little tricky if you're a fussy eater. Worst case scenario, fast food restaurants like McDonalds, KFC and Burger King are pretty common. And they have their own local versions as well, like Mos Burger.

We predominantly use credit card, but generally withdraw a small amount of money from an ATM once in the country for those few times when we need to pay in cash, especially the entrance fees to temples, shrines, etc. A supply of cash is also handy for using the various vending machines. And cash is also useful for adding money to your train travel card. I'd always carry cash, but it doesn't need to be a huge amount.

I don't think I'd do anything differently - live and learn! For a first time, I'd recommend taking it slow and leaving plenty of time to embrace new and unexpected possibilities as opposed to scheduling every day of your entire trip. Also, although the trains are wonderfully efficient, it can still take longer than anticipated to get from place to place so leave plenty of travel time. And the train stations can be pretty overwhelming, so leave plenty of time for transfers especially if you have your luggage with you.

For the parks, I would recommend at least three days. If you're planning on visiting during a busy time, then you may want more time. If you're going at an incredibly quiet time, then two days may be sufficient. But, I don't think Tokyo Disney really has "quiet" days.

The first three times, we stayed in Tokyo (e.g. Shinjuku) and trekked to and from Disneyland each day. On our most recent trip, we stayed at the Hilton in Tokyo Bay. It was glorious being able to simply catch the monorail back to the hotel. Much better than an hour (or more) long trip on at least two trains. I'd consider a split stay - Tokyo Bay for Disneyland and then transferring to somewhere else when you explore Tokyo.

Depending upon actual location, Disneyland is around 45 minutes to an hour (or more) away from Tokyo by train. The trains are pretty easy to navigate. As noted, you can easily do Disneyland as a day trip from Tokyo, but to conserve your energy (to maximise your time in the parks), you may wish to stay closer so that you can get more rest each night.
 
Please feel free to answer any of the questions you feel like answering. I have a guide book and I'm researching other places as well. I'm just trying to figure out a basic itinerary, because there is so much information out there, and I don't have a cohesive idea of the order the trip should go in. So essentially, this is a fishing expedition. Also, I figure given this is Disney, there are likely to be fellow geeks here, so I was hoping for some pop culture ideas too.

I do know:

I don't want this to be just cities. I'd prefer an emphasis on traditional Japan rather than modern Japan, but I do like modern art and of course what to get a feel for the country as it is today. I like to shop and eat and hike. I really do need nature time.

I probably have about a month.

One of my chief questions is about the time of year. I would like to experience one of the festivals but I don't know which one. Does it cool down at night, or is it more like Florida? What's the rain like? Drizzle or deluge?

I am not a picky eater, but I like good food. So no Burger King, or conveyor belt sushi (although perhaps latter is better quality there).

I've read that it's a cash economy and that many atms don't take US cards, so I'm a bit worried about that.

Any ideas for a ryokan stay? Or other unique lodging? My budget is flexible but mostly plan to stay in hostels.

Is the Hilton, as well as the parks in general, like the us parks in terms of pricing and crowds? That is, would it be better to go on a weekday, or would it not make a difference? What about fireworks and shows? (Florida does shows every night, CA only does some on weekends).

I would specifically love recommendations for museums. I know I'm going to the National Museum and Ghibli. But I'm lookin for any terrific museums to go to- I'm a museum nerd.

Are pins a thing at Tokyo Disney? How is the food?

I guess what I'm chiefly wondering is this: is it more like California in which I can show up and wing it, or does it involve ADRs and advance planning like Florida?
 


That's a lot of questions.

I've been on multiple trips to Japan. I've stayed at the following locations: Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Kanzawa and Fukuoka. But, I've been to plenty more locations on day-trips, including: Nara, Nagasaki, Hiroshima, Kobe and Koyasan.

If it's your first trip to Japan, then depending upon how much time you have, you may want to stick to the just a few cities (with day-trips), for example, Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Or maybe even just Tokyo and Osaka (and visit Kyoto from Osaka on a day trip).

Finding restaurants can be hit or miss. The vast majority of restaurants either have plastic models of their meals or a menu with colour pictures on it. So, finding something to eat can be easy if you're not fussy or can be a little tricky if you're a fussy eater. Worst case scenario, fast food restaurants like McDonalds, KFC and Burger King are pretty common. And they have their own local versions as well, like Mos Burger.

We predominantly use credit card, but generally withdraw a small amount of money from an ATM once in the country for those few times when we need to pay in cash, especially the entrance fees to temples, shrines, etc. A supply of cash is also handy for using the various vending machines. And cash is also useful for adding money to your train travel card. I'd always carry cash, but it doesn't need to be a huge amount.

I don't think I'd do anything differently - live and learn! For a first time, I'd recommend taking it slow and leaving plenty of time to embrace new and unexpected possibilities as opposed to scheduling every day of your entire trip. Also, although the trains are wonderfully efficient, it can still take longer than anticipated to get from place to place so leave plenty of travel time. And the train stations can be pretty overwhelming, so leave plenty of time for transfers especially if you have your luggage with you.

For the parks, I would recommend at least three days. If you're planning on visiting during a busy time, then you may want more time. If you're going at an incredibly quiet time, then two days may be sufficient. But, I don't think Tokyo Disney really has "quiet" days.

The first three times, we stayed in Tokyo (e.g. Shinjuku) and trekked to and from Disneyland each day. On our most recent trip, we stayed at the Hilton in Tokyo Bay. It was glorious being able to simply catch the monorail back to the hotel. Much better than an hour (or more) long trip on at least two trains. I'd consider a split stay - Tokyo Bay for Disneyland and then transferring to somewhere else when you explore Tokyo.

Depending upon actual location, Disneyland is around 45 minutes to an hour (or more) away from Tokyo by train. The trains are pretty easy to navigate. As noted, you can easily do Disneyland as a day trip from Tokyo, but to conserve your energy (to maximise your time in the parks), you may wish to stay closer so that you can get more rest each night.


Would you explain the monorail, please? Where does it stop in relation to Disney and the Hilton? I looked it up but did not see any mention of Disney...unless I was looking at the wrong website! You mean the Tokyo bay monorail, right?
 
If you're after more "traditional" Japan, then places like Kyoto and Kyosan may float your boat. But, I like my creature comforts, so we've never ventured too far away from cities except on day-trips.

In terms of hiking, other than getting to the "city" by train, we normally walk everywhere instead of trying to navigate buses "door to door" so there is a degree of in-built "hiking". Otherwise, I found Japan Guide (http://www.japan-guide.com/) to be an excellent resource for finding and selecting hikes. They can be a little hit or miss. And depending upon your chosen "hike", be prepared to find vending machines and other amenities along the way (which I like, but someone seeing unobstructed "nature" may not be as fond of).

In terms of the weather, I imagine that would vary depending upon the time of year. I was most recently there in April and it did cool down considerable at night. Nothing too dramatic, but definitely an outer layer (or two). It really depended on the wind levels. As for rain, in my experience there is all sorts. It can "pour" all day. It can "drizzle" all day. It can do both. We'd just check the weather each morning and if rain was forecast, we made sure to take two small umbrellas and waterproof jackets.

I'm not sure how to guarantee good food. Maybe try Tripadvisor when looking for restaurants? We're pretty casual when it comes to food as we're never quite sure where we'll be when hunger hits, so that's not something we personally plan. Sushi isn't really popular in Japan.

I'm not sure if ATMs take US cards as we're Aussies. We've never run into any major trouble, but we have "international" credit cards. As mentioned, we rarely were forced to use cash. If you're concerned, then just carry cash. There is no need to worry about thieves and pickpockets in Japan - they're incredibly honest. The locals would happily get up and leave their purse / bag on the seat to use the bathroom when on bullet trains. And on our most recent trip, the man next to me on the local train was happily counting what appeared to be his weekly wage in the open and in a manner when anyone could have quickly grabbed it from his hand and jumped off at a station. So, other than the inconvenience of a thick wallet, there is no real issue with carrying plenty of cash.

No ideas for ryokans - I like my creature comforts too much!

I think the Hilton is cheaper than some US Disney hotels. I would check out the "good neighbour" hotels at Tokyo Bay and sign up for their email alerts for sales.

LOL. The crowds at Tokyo Disney at on another level. It's hard to explain. The crowds are far larger than any I've experienced in the US. But, they're also more ... organised / polite / orderly / respectful. It's hard to put into words. You must go on a weekday to avoid the crowds. Fireworks are crowded, but due to local politeness, you can normally get a good view as the front four or so rows are required to sit down. Many of the shows require a ticket, which is only available through a lottery (and we've never had any luck with the lottery). If they're important to you, try to go to the first show of the day which doesn't require a ticket. I'm not sure if the fireworks are every night. They are subject to the weather. Because Tokyo attracts a high number of people ALL the time, I presume that they're on every night - but I could be wrong.

I can't recommend the following website highly enough for all of the Tokyo Disneyland planning: http://tdrexplorer.com/

I can't recall any particularly memorable museums, except for Ghibli. The Noodle Museum in Yokohama was kind of interesting, but more due to its oddity than content. The Edo-Tokyo museum was pretty interesting. There was an open air folk village museum in Takayama which was interesting, but it's basically just a collection of buildings which may not be the kind of museum you mean.

Pins are not really a thing at Tokyo Disneyland. They do have pins, but the selection is far less impressive than in the US. They're trying to boost interest in the pins and had some pin trading days recently. But, the pins all seem to be quite generic and finding one with the name of the park and year of visit (as a souvenir) can be a challenge.

The food at Tokyo Disney is almost universally amazing. Perhaps smaller portions than in the US, but great quality and fair pricing for the "sets" which typically come with the main meal, small salad, small dessert and drink. It's easily the best food out of any Disney theme park for me.

Visiting Tokyo Disneyland requires advance planning if you want to achieve a lot during your visit. The table service restaurants do require reservations, which can be a challenge unless you're staying at one of the official Disney hotels. Without planning, it would be easy to have a less than wonderful day at Tokyo Disney in terms of the number of rides.
 


Hey I haven't been yet but for Ghibli Museum make sure you're aware that tickets are released on the 1st of each month for 3 months in advance - so 1st - 30th September will be released on 1st June. Each country has its own booking policy and website and they go fast - within the day for weekends and within the week for less popular days.

Other museums we have on our to visit list include the Samurai Museum, ****amachi Museum and possibly the Tokyo-Edo.
 
Also hilariously the Disboards blocked the name of that museum because its a swear word that starts with an S and ends in a T. The English would be Downtown Museum.
 
Between 1999 and 2010 I went to Japan on average 2 or 3x a year. I've never lived in Japan, but I've been at least one day of every month and I have many friends who have either lived in Japan or still live there.

I've stayed overnight in: Aomori, Sendai, Towada City, an onsen near Towadako, Morioka, Sakata, Zao onsen, Tokyo, Hakone, Nagoya, Takayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Kainan, Tanabe, Koya-san, and Hiroshima and taken lots and lots of day trips.

Please feel free to answer any of the questions you feel like answering. I have a guide book and I'm researching other places as well. I'm just trying to figure out a basic itinerary, because there is so much information out there, and I don't have a cohesive idea of the order the trip should go in. So essentially, this is a fishing expedition. Also, I figure given this is Disney, there are likely to be fellow geeks here, so I was hoping for some pop culture ideas too.

I would highly recommend japan-guide.com People there go everywhere from the "typical" trip to Japan to some really out there places. They were terrific in helping me find buses between Tsuroka and Yamagata.

There are a lot of different types of pop culture in Japan. What sort of things are you specifically interested in. I keep wanting to go to the ninja village near Nagano, but we always run out of time. I've thought about the Iga-Ueno ninja village as well. I collect Asian fashion dolls, so I have made the pilgrimage to Licca Castle, have attended various doll events in Japan, have gone to Tenshi no Sato in Kyoto. I've also done some anime activities and attended a few events geared towards fans. I've been to the Toei movie park in Kyoto which has a very old time samurai movie flavor and we went to Osaka Universal last June. There are some great art museums. I wanted to go to the Open Air Museum in Hakone, but it was raining. The Miho Museum is supposed to be amazing, but I've never made it. Naoshima island is a huge modern art installation but again I've just not had time to make it there. Travel times in Japan can be longer than one would think because making train transfers can be harder than one would think. I wanted to visit the karst caves near Yamaguchi, but making the bus connections is just really hard!


I do know:

I don't want this to be just cities. I'd prefer an emphasis on traditional Japan rather than modern Japan, but I do like modern art and of course what to get a feel for the country as it is today. I like to shop and eat and hike. I really do need nature time.

There are great rural places you can get to. I really enjoyed Towadako, hiking Haguro-san, Hiraizumi, Hirosaki, and Takayama. I also loved all 3 of the big gardens of Japan, along with Ritsuin and Himeji's garden, I think it's Kokoin? Spectacular. Most places are a mix of old and new, very few places are just old unless they have very small populations. More rural places can be harder to get to. They also might be rural for a reason, aka barely accessible in Winter.

The Oirase stream hike is lovely, but can get crowded. I would love to someday climb all 3 Dewa Sanzan, I've only done Haguro. I've done the hiking trail down Misen in Miyajima. I've heard the Kumano hiking trail is superb from my friends. I am not a hardcore hiker though.

I probably have about a month.

Next you need to think about a budget. Some places are more expensive than others and particularly depending on what you want in accommodations. When I was younger, I was more willing to stay in tiny rooms with shared facilities, then I graduated to business hotels, and now I like a few luxury hotels.

One of my chief questions is about the time of year. I would like to experience one of the festivals but I don't know which one. Does it cool down at night, or is it more like Florida? What's the rain like? Drizzle or deluge?

In January, unless you are in Kyushu (probably)/Okinawa it's cold. Tokyo and Osaka are cold. They range from sort of cold to temperatures around freezing cold. Some places are well heated and some are not. Tokyo has been known to get a dusting of snow, same with Kyoto. Tohoku and Hokkaido are SUPER cold and snowy and lots of roads are closed.

In February, again it can be pretty damn cold. Sometimes it can get into the 40s and towards the ends of the month the 50's in the sun, but it can still be cold. At the end of February to early March the ume start to bloom. It's the start of hanami and the best ume viewing is Mito.

In March, it's generally quite pleasant. I feel like 50's and 60's. You get ume, momo and at the end of March sometimes sakura depending on location and elevation. Again, in Tohoku and Hokkaido this is still snow season and lots of roads are closed and you can ski. You can get rain but not torrential.

In April, sakura is blooming somewhere in Japan pretty much everyday. You can go chasing it, places in Tohoku will get their sakura at the end of the month during Golden Week, one of the big vacation times in Japan. However, higher elevations in Tohoku CAN get snow in April. I got caught in a blizzard near Towadako around April 25 in '09. You can get rain, but usually not torrential.

In May, I think the temperatures are also great and there are more flowers to view. I'd say 60's and 70's. You can get rain, but usually not torrential.

In June, you get the rainy seasons. If a typhoon comes through, yes you can get buckets like in FL. It happened to me, luckily we were doing karaoke that day. June can be really hot or cooler because of clouds and rain. It's a great time to see hydrangea. Temperatures don't vary much in lower areas.

In July, it can be hot, as in very hot, but the hot weather means snow has melted off most mountains and you can climb them. Fuji-san climbing season starts and lots of hiking areas are open to the public and super popular. It can also be rainy. The a/c is not like in FL or Houston, where you need to wear a jacket, no place I've been has been over air conditioned. And yeap more rain. It does not cool off at night in lower areas.

In August, it can be hot, like very hot. Not as bad as Orlando in August, but as bad as NYC. It's a popular hiking time. See July.

In September, it can start hot, like August but then cool down as the month ends.

In October, I think the weather is great. October tends to be dry and back to 50's and 60's. The snow hasn't come in too much and lot of things are still open. Plus it's the start of momiji season.

In November, it's like October and another favorite time to visit. It's usually dry in October and November. Momiji is in full swing.

In December, it starts not so bad but can get cold. I've had a dusting of snow in Kyoto at the end of December. I didn't enjoy being in Japan for New Years. Everything except a few areas near Harajuku in Tokyo closed down.. for several days. So no mail, lots of closed restaurants, lots of closed shops... I didn't think it was a lot of fun. I wouldn't do it again unless I was staying somewhere I could cook for myself.

If I remember correctly, there are festivals Spring-Fall, you just have to pick a festival and try to attend it. The biggest festivals, things like Takayama and Neputa in Aomori and some of the Kyoto ones can be insanely crowded. Hotels will book up. Someone on Japan-Guide last year was trying to find anything in Aomori for Neputa. Fukuoka also has a pretty awesome festival, I've seen the floats from it.

I've read that it's a cash economy and that many atms don't take US cards, so I'm a bit worried about that.

Credit cards are being used so much more now! You can finally use them for charging tiny amounts at convenience stores. They also now take Discover. ATMs can be weird about foreign cards, some have limits. In general, the ATMs at Post Offices tend to like foreign cards. I remember a touristy area of Kyoto had a machine that specifically took foreign cards. Cash is important depending on where you are shopping or eating. It is much harder to find ATMs if you are further out in the countryside.

Any ideas for a ryokan stay? Or other unique lodging? My budget is flexible but mostly plan to stay in hostels.

The best ryokans unless they are in a weird location cost a lot of money. I'm a picky eater, so a lot of ryokans are not for me. I have stayed in a disappointing one in Koya-san. The room itself was huge, but smelled like mothballs and the bath was nothing to write home about. The best ryokan I ever stayed in wasn't ridiculously expensive, it was in Oyu onsen I think, outside of Towadako, but I have no idea how you'd reach it without a car. I stayed in a not super fancy ryokan in Zao. I picked it for the baths. I've also stayed in a lower end ryokan in Hakone. If you have tattoos, you will not be able to enjoy the public baths unless they specifically allow tattoos. It can be hard to find a place that does. I don't have one, and my love of Japanese baths is going to keep me from ever getting one. Hakone is one of the best places to try a ryokan because there are a lot and they are all used to having foreigners. Hakone looks relatively traditional. I've always wanted to do a few of the hikes there. Japan-Guide mentions a ryokan owned by a foreigner between Nagano and Karuizawa in a small more traditional town.

Is the Hilton, as well as the parks in general, like the us parks in terms of pricing and crowds? That is, would it be better to go on a weekday, or would it not make a difference? What about fireworks and shows? (Florida does shows every night, CA only does some on weekends).

The parks are crazy crowded on week ends and holidays. I personally, think Tokyo Disney is a great value (as is Osaka Universal) compared to the US parks. Children's park tickets are significantly lower priced than the same ticket would be in the USA.

I would specifically love recommendations for museums. I know I'm going to the National Museum and Ghibli. But I'm lookin for any terrific museums to go to- I'm a museum nerd.

If you go to Osaka, the Osaka Museum of History is amazing and really well done. I admit, I am a big garden person, so I've done more of those.

I guess what I'm chiefly wondering is this: is it more like California in which I can show up and wing it, or does it involve ADRs and advance planning like Florida?

I've only done Tokyo Sea before, but from my limited experience I would say it's a combo of both? They've recently changed ADR policy, but it's still not crazy like WDW with the 6 month booking window. But it does take some advance planning just because it's very crowded. Part of it is just, well people in Japan love Disney and it is close to a city of 13-37 million depending on what you count as city borders. On the bright side, I went to Osaka Universal last year in June. I did pay extra ~4500 yen, for 4 Fps for specific rides. (They don't have a FP system otherwise) With two ~4500 yen cut to the front of the line passes for 4 rides each and tickets, the cost was about the same as 1 adult+ 1 child regular admission to Universal FL. I'd heard from two friends who had been before about insane lines and crowds, but we didn't have a problem thanks to going when the park opened and using our passes. I would go back, but my daughter was scared of most of the rides there lol I'd love to go Nagashima Spa Land but it is closed when I am near Nagoya this year. ~.~

I think CA might not have fireworks every night because they are in a fire prone area and until recently were in severe drought. Last year was particularly wet, at least in Kansai. I've never seen the Katsuragawa so high!
 
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Between 1999 and 2010 I went to Japan on average 2 or 3x a year. I've never lived in Japan, but I've been at least one day of every month and I have many friends who have either lived in Japan or still live there.

I've stayed overnight in: Aomori, Sendai, Towada City, an onsen near Towadako, Morioka, Sakata, Zao onsen, Tokyo, Hakone, Nagoya, Takayama, Kyoto, Osaka, Kainan, Tanabe, Koya-san, and Hiroshima and taken lots and lots of day trips.



I would highly recommend japan-guide.com People there go everywhere from the "typical" trip to Japan to some really out there places. They were terrific in helping me find buses between Tsuroka and Yamagata.

There are a lot of different types of pop culture in Japan. What sort of things are you specifically interested in. I keep wanting to go to the ninja village near Nagano, but we always run out of time. I've thought about the Iga-Ueno ninja village as well. I collect Asian fashion dolls, so I have made the pilgrimage to Licca Castle, have attended various doll events in Japan, have gone to Tenshi no Sato in Kyoto. I've also done some anime activities and attended a few events geared towards fans. I've been to the Toei movie park in Kyoto which has a very old time samurai movie flavor and we went to Osaka Universal last June. There are some great art museums. I wanted to go to the Open Air Museum in Hakone, but it was raining. The Miho Museum is supposed to be amazing, but I've never made it. Naoshima island is a huge modern art installation but again I've just not had time to make it there. Travel times in Japan can be longer than one would think because making train transfers can be harder than one would think. I wanted to visit the karst caves near Yamaguchi, but making the bus connections is just really hard!




There are great rural places you can get to. I really enjoyed Towadako, hiking Haguro-san, Hiraizumi, Hirosaki, and Takayama. I also loved all 3 of the big gardens of Japan, along with Ritsuin and Himeji's garden, I think it's Kokoin? Spectacular. Most places are a mix of old and new, very few places are just old unless they have very small populations. More rural places can be harder to get to. They also might be rural for a reason, aka barely accessible in Winter.

The Oirase stream hike is lovely, but can get crowded. I would love to someday climb all 3 Dewa Sanzan, I've only done Haguro. I've done the hiking trail down Misen in Miyajima. I've heard the Kumano hiking trail is superb from my friends. I am not a hardcore hiker though.



Next you need to think about a budget. Some places are more expensive than others and particularly depending on what you want in accommodations. When I was younger, I was more willing to stay in tiny rooms with shared facilities, then I graduated to business hotels, and now I like a few luxury hotels.



In January, unless you are in Kyushu (probably)/Okinawa it's cold. Tokyo and Osaka are cold. They range from sort of cold to temperatures around freezing cold. Some places are well heated and some are not. Tokyo has been known to get a dusting of snow, same with Kyoto. Tohoku and Hokkaido are SUPER cold and snowy and lots of roads are closed.

In February, again it can be pretty damn cold. Sometimes it can get into the 40s and towards the ends of the month the 50's in the sun, but it can still be cold. At the end of February to early March the ume start to bloom. It's the start of hanami and the best ume viewing is Mito.

In March, it's generally quite pleasant. I feel like 50's and 60's. You get ume, momo and at the end of March sometimes sakura depending on location and elevation. Again, in Tohoku and Hokkaido this is still snow season and lots of roads are closed and you can ski. You can get rain but not torrential.

In April, sakura is blooming somewhere in Japan pretty much everyday. You can go chasing it, places in Tohoku will get their sakura at the end of the month during Golden Week, one of the big vacation times in Japan. However, higher elevations in Tohoku CAN get snow in April. I got caught in a blizzard near Towadako around April 25 in '09. You can get rain, but usually not torrential.

In May, I think the temperatures are also great and there are more flowers to view. I'd say 60's and 70's. You can get rain, but usually not torrential.

In June, you get the rainy seasons. If a typhoon comes through, yes you can get buckets like in FL. It happened to me, luckily we were doing karaoke that day. June can be really hot or cooler because of clouds and rain. It's a great time to see hydrangea. Temperatures don't vary much in lower areas.

In July, it can be hot, as in very hot, but the hot weather means snow has melted off most mountains and you can climb them. Fuji-san climbing season starts and lots of hiking areas are open to the public and super popular. It can also be rainy. The a/c is not like in FL or Houston, where you need to wear a jacket, no place I've been has been over air conditioned. And yeap more rain. It does not cool off at night in lower areas.

In August, it can be hot, like very hot. Not as bad as Orlando in August, but as bad as NYC. It's a popular hiking time. See July.

In September, it can start hot, like August but then cool down as the month ends.

In October, I think the weather is great. October tends to be dry and back to 50's and 60's. The snow hasn't come in too much and lot of things are still open. Plus it's the start of momiji season.

In November, it's like October and another favorite time to visit. It's usually dry in October and November. Momiji is in full swing.

In December, it starts not so bad but can get cold. I've had a dusting of snow in Kyoto at the end of December. I didn't enjoy being in Japan for New Years. Everything except a few areas near Harajuku in Tokyo closed down.. for several days. So no mail, lots of closed restaurants, lots of closed shops... I didn't think it was a lot of fun. I wouldn't do it again unless I was staying somewhere I could cook for myself.

If I remember correctly, there are festivals Spring-Fall, you just have to pick a festival and try to attend it. The biggest festivals, things like Takayama and Neputa in Aomori and some of the Kyoto ones can be insanely crowded. Hotels will book up. Someone on Japan-Guide last year was trying to find anything in Aomori for Neputa. Fukuoka also has a pretty awesome festival, I've seen the floats from it.



Credit cards are being used so much more now! You can finally use them for charging tiny amounts at convenience stores. They also now take Discover. ATMs can be weird about foreign cards, some have limits. In general, the ATMs at Post Offices tend to like foreign cards. I remember a touristy area of Kyoto had a machine that specifically took foreign cards. Cash is important depending on where you are shopping or eating. It is much harder to find ATMs if you are further out in the countryside.



The best ryokans unless they are in a weird location cost a lot of money. I'm a picky eater, so a lot of ryokans are not for me. I have stayed in a disappointing one in Koya-san. The room itself was huge, but smelled like mothballs and the bath was nothing to write home about. The best ryokan I ever stayed in wasn't ridiculously expensive, it was in Oyu onsen I think, outside of Towadako, but I have no idea how you'd reach it without a car. I stayed in a not super fancy ryokan in Zao. I picked it for the baths. I've also stayed in a lower end ryokan in Hakone. If you have tattoos, you will not be able to enjoy the public baths unless they specifically allow tattoos. It can be hard to find a place that does. I don't have one, and my love of Japanese baths is going to keep me from ever getting one. Hakone is one of the best places to try a ryokan because there are a lot and they are all used to having foreigners. Hakone looks relatively traditional. I've always wanted to do a few of the hikes there. Japan-Guide mentions a ryokan owned by a foreigner between Nagano and Karuizawa in a small more traditional town.



The parks are crazy crowded on week ends and holidays. I personally, think Tokyo Disney is a great value (as is Osaka Universal) compared to the US parks. Children's park tickets are significantly lower priced than the same ticket would be in the USA.



If you go to Osaka, the Osaka Museum of History is amazing and really well done. I admit, I am a big garden person, so I've done more of those.



I've only done Tokyo Sea before, but from my limited experience I would say it's a combo of both? They've recently changed ADR policy, but it's still not crazy like WDW with the 6 month booking window. But it does take some advance planning just because it's very crowded. Part of it is just, well people in Japan love Disney and it is close to a city of 13-37 million depending on what you count as city borders. On the bright side, I went to Osaka Universal last year in June. I did pay extra ~4500 yen, for 4 Fps for specific rides. (They don't have a FP system otherwise) With two ~4500 yen cut to the front of the line passes for 4 rides each and tickets, the cost was about the same as 1 adult+ 1 child regular admission to Universal FL. I'd heard from two friends who had been before about insane lines and crowds, but we didn't have a problem thanks to going when the park opened and using our passes. I would go back, but my daughter was scared of most of the rides there lol I'd love to go Nagashima Spa Land but it is closed when I am near Nagoya this year. ~.~

I think CA might not have fireworks every night because they are in a fire prone area and until recently were in severe drought. Last year was particularly wet, at least in Kansai. I've never seen the Katsuragawa so high!

The CA thing is due to city noise ordinance (although there are frequent cancellations due to fire danger. That's why I was wondering about Tokyo- because of population density.

It was mostly for onsen that I wanted to stay at a ryokan. So since
you're a fan, I'd love it if you elaborated on that!

I basically have July or August or December. I never can travel in October or May, sadly. I went Europe over December, and I loved it, but it did limit my ability to do what really like to do, which is wander outside and explore parks and architecture and people watch.

Again, since your thing is gardens, I'd love it if you elaborated on your favorites (or least favorites). That's a major reason I want to go to Japan. I love the Japanese gardens in the US. And botanical gardens in general.

I am definitely starting at hostels because I do want 3-4 weeks. I prefer long trips, and that long in any kind of hotel makes it too expensive. But often I'll book a special hotel here and there for the experience and to get a full bed and private bath once in a while. I'm struggling a bit to find hostels, and I'm not sure if they are less popular in Japan or if transit makes it unnecessary to stay overnight in some places.

I like food. I really like food. And that's usually a big part of my budget. I want to eat at places that are good and not tourist traps. Although that turned out to be not a problem in Europe- much less processed food and the tourist traps were obvious.

When you say it's a mix of old and new- are there old town centers like there is in Europe? I'm trying to get a sense for what makes a good location in terms of lodging.

Does Japan guide have a forum? I did not notice one but you make it sound like they do.

Thanks!
 
The CA thing is due to city noise ordinance (although there are frequent cancellations due to fire danger. That's why I was wondering about Tokyo- because of population density.

As far as I know they seem to have some sort of show most nights. I personally loved World of Color in CA. I've only been to Sea once before this upcoming trip and we left after dinner. I'd had it with lines and we made the mistake of staying in Ikebukuro and the trip took much longer than anticipated. I would definitely recommend splurging to stay as close to Tokyo Disney as possible if you're going to go.

It was mostly for onsen that I wanted to stay at a ryokan. So since
you're a fan, I'd love it if you elaborated on that!

Do you have tattoos? If you do, it will be hard. Onsen are amazing and relaxing. I personally prefer ones that are outdoors. I've wanted to go to Kusatsu to try their rotemboro but the bus trip is 2 hours. ~.~ There are lots of onsen, some are open to day tripper so you don't need to stay at a ryokan or hotel to enjoy them. Certain places have more than others. If you're not comfortable being naked, Yunessun is the recommended venue. I'm not sure what you want to know? There are lots of onsen. Zao has an amazing rotemboro. I'm going back to the Associa Takayama just for the 2 floors of onsen. Not all ryokan have onsen (most in Kyoto don't) but all onsen have ryokan and hotels. lol Hakone is a very popular onsen near Tokyo so it gets a lot of foreigners and has lots of onsen. Hotels can have onsen too or can have sentos (and Sento is like an onsen the water is just heated by artificial means rather than coming out of the ground hot. I stayed at a famous sento in Towada city.) A bunch of the APA and Dormy chain hotels have sentos. So do a few Mitsui.

So here are examples of what I like in an onsen:
https://d233tsjqri9sf7.cloudfront.net/files/kanko/1900/1900--7c14f625a283c729ec9744ddf6c07db1.jpg

http://topicstock.pantip.com/blueplanet/topicstock/2008/08/E6911723/E6911723-6.jpg

https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/07/eb/bc/0e/caption.jpg

I basically have July or August or December. I never can travel in October or May, sadly. I went Europe over December, and I loved it, but it did limit my ability to do what really like to do, which is wander outside and explore parks and architecture and people watch.

The problem is: July and August are good for hiking, you can do all sorts of hikes, but the cities will be hot and humid and July and August tend to be big vacation times for the Japanese so prices are higher. Cheaper places will have poorer a/c, so if you're sensitive to things like that it will be a problem. Disney parks are also very popular. However, there are a bunch of big festivals in the Summer. I've heard Neputa in Aomori is amazing.

December will limit your hikes. Norikura and Kamikochi and even possibly Oirase are going to be closed for snow. I heard you can do Haguro-san all year round, but no idea what snow will be like then. But again, it's all in what you want in nature and hiking. I consider the hike between Kibune and Kurama a fun hike, you might think it is too short and too easy. You can still move around at the beginning of the month, but it will get cold. To me, 32 with a dusting of snow is manageable, but it might not be to you. I also live in the Northeast. *shrugs* Like Agent 86 [/] I like my creature comforts now.

[quote]
Again, since your thing is gardens, I'd love it if you elaborated on your favorites (or least favorites). That's a major reason I want to go to Japan. I love the Japanese gardens in the US. And botanical gardens in general.
[/quote]

I like the 3 big gardens: Kairakuen (Mito), Korakuen (Okayama), and Kenrokuen (Kanazawa.) I also like Ritsuin (Takematsu), and Kokoen (Himeji.) I love Katsura Imperial Villa (reservations a must in Kyoto.) Maruyama Park is nice (Kyoto) and the hydrangeas pretty much everywhere in Hakone are to die for in June. Shinjukugyoen (Tokyo) is also a great park, but not sure what it is like outside of Hanami. Most temples have a small garden attached... I like the wisteria in Uji attached to Byoudo-in. I remember Sakata was lovely in Spring and I went to a botanic garden in Hakone.

[quote]
I am definitely starting at hostels because I do want 3-4 weeks. I prefer long trips, and that long in any kind of hotel makes it too expensive. But often I'll book a special hotel here and there for the experience and to get a full bed and private bath once in a while. I'm struggling a bit to find hostels, and I'm not sure if they are less popular in Japan or if transit makes it unnecessary to stay overnight in some places.
[/quote]

There are hostels. Japan-guide forum might be able to help. I've never really stayed in them and I don't plan to start. I need my private space. The closest I've done to hostels are the Kimi Ryokan in Ikebukuro, a god awful place in I think minami Nakano which was the worst place I have ever stayed, and another terrible ryokan in Kyoto. Just because something is called a ryokan doesn't mean it is elegant, high class or has a bath. This place in Kyoto was the pits. I think the Kimi has a sento though. Depending on your budget there are also a lot of business hotels, where you can get a single w/bathroom for 5000-7000 yen a night. Business hotels tend to be tiny, but are convenient and clean.

Lots of people day trip. With a rail pass you can go surprisingly far on a day trip if you leave early enough. I've day tripped from Kyoto to Fukuoka. I've also used the Japan Air Pass to fly from Nagoya to Hakodate. I then headed south with lots of stopovers. Please note, unless you pack really light, the more you move, the more stuff you need to move with you. Sometimes you can find a place for a large suitcase on the shinkansen (bullet train) but sometimes you are stuck with it next to your feet. On local buses, there is no place for large bags or even sometimes small bags. I would never stay somewhere only accessibly by bus in Kyoto if I have a bag with me. Those buses are tight and during tourist season, packed.

Japan Guide is a great place to research destinations and then you can see what is really possible. Not everything is. I was trying to figure out how to do the karst in Akiyoshidai with Iwakuni and Miyajima and make it back to Kyoto in time for 8:00 pm check in and it is just too hard! There are two hikari shinkansen an hour between Kyoto and Tokyo, but the buses to Akiyoshidai are nowhere near that frequent, even though the trip is only 45 minutes.

[quote]
I like food. I really like food. And that's usually a big part of my budget. I want to eat at places that are good and not tourist traps. Although that turned out to be not a problem in Europe- much less processed food and the tourist traps were obvious.
[/quote]

I find overall the quality of food in Japan is super high, the portions are just really small. Touristy places tend to sell speciality items which are sometimes limited edition. I don't remember any place the food was truly bad. Heck, I even like Japanese Starbucks better than US Starbucks because it's not as sweet. If you eat a lot it will get expensive quickly, particularly depending on where you eat. I'm a picky eater with a huge dietary restriction so I am probably not the best at advising on places to eat. I also now travel with a picky 6.5 year old with dietary restrictions. Even with the huge increase in foreign tourists, I find touristy areas never really feel like traps except for maybe Tokyo Tower, but the tackier things there are easy to resist. Most tourist shops just seem like souvenir shops and they mostly sell things specific with a certain area.

[quote]
When you say it's a mix of old and new- are there old town centers like there is in Europe? I'm trying to get a sense for what makes a good location in terms of lodging.
[/quote]

Sometimes? Japan doesn't have as much zoning as Europe lol so when you arrive in Kyoto, you can see some of the temples, but also plenty of ugly concrete buildings. Though I love Kyoto Station's funky modern architecture. So Hakone has some traditional looking building and some ugly concrete buildings. Sometimes the ugly buildings house beautiful ryokan though. Some places are known for their traditional pre-1800 architecture, like Kakunodate.

For me, a good location for lodging is near public transportation, preferably a train or subway station. Who wants to have to walk 15 minutes to the subway/train in the morning and then another 15 back in the evening after you've spent the day sightseeing and are carrying your shopping. I like walking around, but at the end of the day I want to get back to my hotel quickly and easily. I also like places near a "good" station, aka one that gets lots of frequent transportation. Higashi Nakano got subways once every 10-15 minutes vs. Nakano itself gets trains every 3 minutes. I don't like staying near local buses because there is less English on buses, they tend to be slower than trains/subways, and they tend to be more crowded. I only pick staying near a bus station if there is no rail transportation (like Zao) in which case I wanted near the bus station. (the bus was also not like the local buses in Kyoto and under bus storage like airport buses and highway buses.) Kyoto is the big place where you want to avoid being far from an actual station.

[quote]
Does Japan guide have a forum? I did not notice one but you make it sound like they do.

Thanks![/QUOTE]

Yes, they do. [URL]http://www.japan-guide.com/forum/quedisplay.html[/URL]

I don't agree with all the posters there but they can be helpful. A lot of people there know Japanese very well and so are helpful if you want to try to go more off the beaten path, though a lot of the most heavily touristed places are still deeply rewarding destinations.
 
I probably have about a month.

I am not a picky eater, but I like good food. So no Burger King, or conveyor belt sushi (although perhaps latter is better quality there).

Any ideas for a ryokan stay? Or other unique lodging? My budget is flexible but mostly plan to stay in hostels.

I guess what I'm chiefly wondering is this: is it more like California in which I can show up and wing it, or does it involve ADRs and advance planning like Florida?

A month! Nice!

Conveyor belt sushi is definitely better quality in Japan than in the U.S. One of the best sushi I've had was at a conveyor belt place in Tsukiji Fish Market. We knew nothing about the place beforehand, but saw a line of people outside and decided to join the line.

I love ryokans! The one we stayed at in Hakone, we had to take their private funicular into the mountain to get there and it had an outdoor onsen facing the river you could reserve for private use. This was almost 10 years ago though, I just looked it up and unfortunately, looks like they've closed. :( We also stayed at a ryokan in Miyajima called Momiji-so. That one is still open and getting good reviews, they don't have an onsen though.

Our more recent trip last year, we stayed at Tsurukame Daikichi in Nikko. They have shared onsens, which we didn't get a chance to go to (!). Too tired from too much food every night. :laughing:

To made an ADR at TDR online in English, you would need to stay at a Disney hotel. There are lots of good counter service places though, some with great theming.
 
Where did you go? How did you find restaurants? Did you bring cash with you, use ATMs, or survive on credit/debit? What was your daily budget?

What would you do differently if you could do it over? What advice would you give a first timer? How many days did you need for the parks? Did you stay on property or elsewhere? How far is Disney from Tokyo? How easy is it to reach from the city? (I went to Paris this year and it was super easy to reach Disney from the city center as a day trip. Wondering if I can do the same in Tokyo.)

My main focus would be elsewhere- I love art, history and nature. But naturally I'd have to start my trip with Disney :jumping1:

Check out the link to my TDR TR below if you like
 
Ghibli Museum is AMAZING!! We had planned on a few hours but ended up spending most of the day there until almost close. Its such a fun little quirky museum. We are planning on going back to Tokyo in 2021 and Ghibli is definitely on the list for a return trip.
I enjoyed Japan but I plan on going back in winter when its much cooler. We did not enjoy the feeling of the heat and humidity (and I'm from TX).
We found the food prices to be reasonable. We liked Genki Sushi for cheap (about $1.15/plate) but really good sushi. Its all done on conveyor belt.
I will say we honestly did a lot of the touristy things because we were only there for a few days (came off a cruise ship and stayed for a weekend before returning home to the US). When we return I'd like to do more local things and see more of the different areas.
 
Following along.

We are trying to decide between a trip to Paris or Japan. I'm leaning toward Japan because I've already been to Europe, and honestly if I'm going back to Europe, Paris isn't at the top of the list. Also Disney Sea looks amazing. I love the ocean and anything ocean themed. Plus, I've been following along with a Texan in Tokyo for a while now. Japan just looks amazing! I just need to convince the rest of the group.
 
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We are trying to decide between a trip to Paris or Japan.

One point for Japan would be how safe it is. I think with Paris you need to be on the lookout for pickpockets or scammers. Japan, on the other hand, is the type of place where if you lose your wallet, it's very likely you'll get it back with all the money still inside. While at a food court, we saw someone leave their purse on the table while they went to a stall to get food. :eek: Not something I'd feel comfortable doing, but it's nice not feeling like I need to be on guard or look over my shoulders.
 
One point for Japan would be how safe it is. I think with Paris you need to be on the lookout for pickpockets or scammers. Japan, on the other hand, is the type of place where if you lose your wallet, it's very likely you'll get it back with all the money still inside. While at a food court, we saw someone leave their purse on the table while they went to a stall to get food. :eek: Not something I'd feel comfortable doing, but it's nice not feeling like I need to be on guard or look over my shoulders.

I mean personally I think it the choice was between Paris and Tokyo then Tokyo wins every time. I do not like Paris, it's actually my least favourite capital in the world and I don't get the hype (though I'm succeptible to Disneyland Paris' charms). For safety, cleanliness, service and an out of this world experience then Tokyo can't be beat.

I agree about what other posters have said about the humidity - we went in September and it hit 36 degrees some days. I was drenched in sweat and had to carry baby wipes everywhere. I'm quite glad someone from Texas found it hot because as a Londoner I thought maybe I just wasn't acclimatised.
 

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