So I'll be visiting Japan soon

Will-O'-The-Wisp

Will-O'-The-Wisp

Cardcaptor
I say soon but I don't mean untill August next year, giving us plenty of time to book it. I'll be going with 2 friends and we've only really got faint ideas of what we want to do, so all advice is welcome! We were looking at spending atleast a week there although if we can afford it, possibly 2.

We first want to land in Fukuoka as we'll be visiting a couple of friends there who're going to show us around the city, and such. After a day or two there, we were thinking of travelling further east to Osaka. Not really sure what the general plan is once we get there, but Dir en grey's from there and we've been told it's a pretty awesome place to visit full stop! After that we'll finally be heading for Tokyo where we'll be spending most of our time. We'll be visiting Akihabara, Shibuya and Harajuku, possibly the national park surrounding Mt. Fuji. I'm just worried we won't have enough time...

What's the best way to travel around from our desired destinations? I've been told been told something about a travel pass (costing around £300) for the shinkansen, valid for about a week or something. Anyone know anything about this or alternatives?

Anyone know of other "must-see" places in Japan? Our very faint plan is open to change and we're still curious on where to visit

What things are their to do in which cities?

Any flight/hotel recommendations?

Vistor DO's and DON'T's while in Japan? Don't talk about the war? (sorry, bad joke. Kudos if you got the reference). So many questions

Thanks in advance for any help!!
 
AUKN meet in Tokyo! Rui and I will be there next August, too, at the very least, although Rui will be hiding no doubt. :-/

This is the train ticket you're talking about that includes Shinkansen: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2361.html

But this is a cheaper alternative only using local trains:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2362.html

Depends how much you want to slum it/lose time to travel/travel at weird times. The Shinkansen-inclusive version is crazy good value if you want to spend that amount of money.

Will post more tomorrow, after I wait for other people to fill stuff in so I don't have to type as much at this time of the morning. ^^;
 
I will be hiding :3

I've been using the shinkansen-enabled JR pass on my last few trips just out of laziness; since the trip is so expensive anyway I decided that I'd rather save the time (to spend it doing more shopping!) than be frugal. I tend to get good value out of it though since I cover a wide area even when staying in Tokyo, and it's very easy to use.

There's so much stuff to do there that it's hard to suggest things. We often go to concerts, which it sounds as though you would enjoy if you're mentioning Dir En Grey. Concerts over there are very foreigner-friendly and there are a lot of them, as well as general music festivals, at that time of the year. The only hard part can be getting the tickets to begin with. If you have friends over there already though it might be easier.

Flights are seriously expensive at the moment especially if you want a direct one. You might do well getting a package deal; I booked mine separately as I am a control freak and wanted a particular hotel. The flights have gone up in price enormously since last time.

I always try to stay in the heart of the shopping areas so I have a good choice of shopping and dining close to hand. A lot of the hotels which are promoted by travel agents are in less convenient areas so make sure you pick somewhere which matches up to your expectations. There are some decent budget hotels with surprisingly good locations if you do your research.

R
 
I'm planning to try and go in about 3 years with one of my brothers (and potentially 2 of my other friends) once he's finished University. I was due to start saving for it this month, but unfortunately a certain company and the dispute they've got me into have put paid to that (was meant to be just shy of £175 in the savings this month :x :cry: ).

At this stage in the game, I've not even started to plan what I'd like to do as yet, although I do have to admit that transport card sounds awesome, and I've seen it recommended elsewhere.

Really trying to make it one of those holidays you only have once every decade or so unless you're uber wealthy, and trying to save up in the region of 2k or so, so we can spend 2-3 weeks there.

Rui, just to ask, you mention package deals, do you have any good recommendations for companies that do good Japan packages?
Ideally when me and my brother go, we'd like to have a reasonable amount of time to loaf around and generally sight see etc, but with so much to do and get lost in, perhaps doing part of it as an organised thing wouldn;'t be such a bad idea.
 
I'm afraid I can't recommend anyone personally but I know Expedia and other big travel agents do package deals on hotels plus flights, and there are services like this which might be of interest (never used them but they are often at events advertising):

http://www.japanjourneys.co.uk/
http://www.jtb-sunrisetours.jp/index.aspx
http://www.popjapantravel.com/

Japan Centre's travel agency does package deals too; I went on one with my Dad a very long time ago but as he arranged it I can't comment much aside from saying we did successfully go there and return :D

http://www.japantravel.co.uk/site/default.html

R
 
I found that if I wanted to stay at a big hotel (which I never do) the packages often ended up cheaper, but if you have the time/confidence to find a cheap and cheerful business hotel (or a hostel if you are less picky) the savings vanish and putting the trip together can be cheaper again.

I was tempted by some package deals when I booked this autumn as the flights are so crazy expensive now that it was very competitive, but none of the hotels in the bundles were as good as the one I went for in the end, so I ended up putting the trip together myself as usual.

R
 
Even if it does perhaps cost a little more for some things, as first time travellers to Japan, and given the amount we're likely to be spending, we might consider some of these options anyway, to make our lives simpler haha.

A sort of half 3rd party organised holiday, half self determined holiday to avoid some of the stresses does sound rather tempting. :D

I'm not normally the sort of person to get giddy with excitement etc, but I've gotta say, when I do sit down and think about this, I do get quite excited.
Even before I was into anime, or anything to do with it, I always watched the gadget shows when I was a little kid etc, so I've always wanted to see Japan, even before my increased interest in some of thier media kicked in.

I'm just hoping costs don't spiral so much over the next few years, we can't get the holiday of a decade we're planning for with our £2.5k each.

Will-O'-The-Wisp said:
Don't talk about the war? (sorry, bad joke. Kudos if you got the reference).
Click to expand...

Que?? ;)
 
Rui said:
I found that if I wanted to stay at a big hotel (which I never do) the packages often ended up cheaper
Click to expand...
I consider "wanting to stay at a big hotel" overpaying for your accommodation in the first place. :p
 
I like little hotels; I'm sworn off hostels etc though forever after a few experiences which were adequate but less than ideal. Fortunately business hotels in competitive areas can be almost as cheap (especially the ones which don't normally try to entice crazy foreign people).

alexrose1uk said:
I'm not normally the sort of person to get giddy with excitement etc, but I've gotta say, when I do sit down and think about this, I do get quite excited.
Even before I was into anime, or anything to do with it, I always watched the gadget shows when I was a little kid etc, so I've always wanted to see Japan, even before my increased interest in some of thier media kicked in.
Click to expand...

I am the kind of person to get giddy with excitement and I can't stop excitedly talking about trips as soon as I decide to make them, even when it's uselessly far into the future to plan things in detail. It's never too early to start writing a list of the things you want to do over there!

I'm just hoping costs don't spiral so much over the next few years, we can't get the holiday of a decade we're planning for with our £2.5k each.
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I would hope that in three years the exchange rates will improve a little, as they're appalling at the moment. Flights will probably still be expensive, but so long as you don't spend as much as I always somehow end up doing I'm sure it will be a realistic goal :)

R, who also didn't get the reference earlier ;_;
 
Business hotels is where I go, generally, given how many little discounts you can get if you are staying the right days and use the same hotel/chain regularly. I don't like wasting money on somewhere I am theoretically only going to sleep, but in the Summer a good shower and air con is required, as well as just enough room to dump all the crap I buy.

Also, alex got the reference, but if you didn't then in turn you wouldn't have understood his continuation of it. :p I have to say, even with your lack of owning a TV currently, it surprises me that anyone of your age (apologies for my presumptuousness, but I don't think you are significantly younger than me) in this country would not get it. Would you also not recognize references from Python or Only Fools and Horses, for example?

I will refrain from giving too specific an opinion on costs in three years' time, since I am not even remotely as optimistic about it as Rui, unfortunately.
 
It went over my head ;_;

ilmaestro said:
Also, alex got the reference, but if you didn't then in turn you wouldn't have understood his continuation of it. :p I have to say, even with your lack of owning a TV currently, it surprises me that anyone of your age (apologies for my presumptuousness, but I don't think you are significantly younger than me) in this country would not get it. Would you also not recognize references from Python or Only Fools and Horses, for example?
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I have never seen even a clip of the latter, though I might get a Python reference as my father was a fan when I was young. My ignorance is quite impressive!

I was a complete bookworm as a child, and almost never watched any television other than cartoons (and Star Trek).

R
 
^
You've never seen Only Fool and Horses!! Do you at least know it's legendary theme song?


Anyway, this thread is actually quite useful for me too. I actually wish to study Japanese at uni, so I think I will have to take the trip at some point lol. These business hotels sound like a good idea, as like Rui I've sworn to myself never to use a hostel again after some less then amazing experiences with them from my teenage years. But yes I too am definitely giddy at the prospect of finally going and experiencing the country first hand... however in terms of where to go and what to do there, I'm not really sure where to start. I guess Tokyo would be a good starting point but there's so much that I'd like to see of the country I know I'd never fit it all into one trip, no matter how epic it was.
 
vashdaman said:
^
You've never seen Only Fool and Horses!! Do you at least know it's legendary theme song?
Click to expand...

I don't. All I do know is that it's about "Rodney" and "Del Boy", though I don't know who they are >_>;

Needless to say I was made fun of a great deal at school for my complete lack of television knowledge. If anything I know more about television now, despite not having one at all, thanks to the internet and people constantly referring to it.

I guess Tokyo would be a good starting point but there's so much that I'd like to see of the country I know I'd never fit it all into one trip, no matter how epic it was.
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I get the feeling your trips would be completely different to mine in content :) but yeah, there's absolutely tons to do no matter what you are into.

Also, you're pre-Uni age? I'm surprised, for some reason I thought you were older!

R
 
Rui said:
vashdaman said:
^
You've never seen Only Fool and Horses!! Do you at least know it's legendary theme song?
Click to expand...
I don't. All I do know is that it's about "Rodney" and "Del Boy", though I don't know who they are >_>;
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Hey, you're in a better place than people who've watched it right to the end. That gives you the chance to watch it all the way to "Time on our Hands" and then stop, leaving it perfect and not spoiling it with the naff specials that followed.
 
Rui said:
I was a complete bookworm as a child, and almost never watched any television other than cartoons (and Star Trek).
Click to expand...
Well, I also didn't watch things such as Only Fools or Fawlty Towers on TV when I was child either, of course, so I wasn't implying that. I was just surprised you hadn't at least come across it in some other way (such as someone making a reference a la this thread) over the course of the last thirty years - it really is quite famous in this country.
 
I don't. All I do know is that it's about "Rodney" and "Del Boy", though I don't know who they are >_>;

Needless to say I was made fun of a great deal at school for my complete lack of television knowledge. If anything I know more about television now, despite not having one at all, thanks to the internet and people constantly referring to it.
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Heh, no worries, I usually equate ones worth to how little TV knowledge they have, anyway (as in the less the better :p ), Only Fools is classic though. I like the idea of not having a TV, TV has destroyed many a person's potential.

I get the feeling your trips would be completely different to mine in content but yeah, there's absolutely tons to do no matter what you are into.
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Maybe some of the stuff would be different, but I'm sure much of the stuff I'd be doing would probably be of a similar vain to the stuff you'd be doing as well, I mean I am still an anime fan after all :p and I'd probably even enjoy seeing some of the concerts of effeminate looking men (if only just to throw my sexuality into a state of confusion :p ) or holograms, when your in Tokyo you might as well I guess...and I might even be able to stop myself from erupting into a rant over such things.....
Also I have to say after reading Motohisa Yamakage's The Essence of Shinto my desire for shrine/temple tourism has somewhat declined, I mean I've never really been one for superficial spiritual tourism anyway, but the way he describes many of the famous Shinto shrines as essentially soulless places- which are if anything only dangerous to visit due to them apparently being magnets for low level vibrational spirits- has to a certain extent dampened any desire I had remaining.

Still there's a lot I want to see though!

Also, you're pre-Uni age? I'm surprised, for some reason I thought you were older!
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Ah, it must have been my glowing intellect and wit that gave you that idea........or was it the surprising amount of bitterness and conservatism I harbor :wink:. No, I not really pre- uni age, I'm 22 so I'm probably closer to post-uni age. Yeah I have taken my time somewhat, but I'm grateful for it to be honest, I've done/studied a surprisingly wide raging number of things since finishing school and wouldn't have wanted to miss out on any of that time to develop myself. But yeah I do have my skates on now though lol.
 
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