Any tips on Japan?

deathronan

Hi,

Im booking flights to Japan for the month of June, starting off in Tokyo and working my way around from there. I was wondering how much money realistically will i need for a month and wheres the best places to check out

Benedict XVI

deathronan wrote: »

Hi,

Im booking flights to Japan for the month of June, starting off in Tokyo and working my way around from there. I was wondering how much money realistically will i need for a month and wheres the best places to check out

Not sure how much money you need but do not be put off by people telling you it is very expensive

Tokyo is no more expensive than any other major capital and some places are more expensive than others

Example
there is a place in Tokyo called Reppongi (sp) which is the main place that foreigners and tourists go out and socialize, it is very expensive, however there is another place call Shinjuku that is mainly frequented by Japanese and is far cheaper

Get a Japan rail pass, it will save you loads on train travel.

deathronan

Benedict XVI wrote: »

Not sure how much money you need but do not be put off by people telling you it is very expensive

Tokyo is no more expensive than any other major capital and some places are more expensive than others

Example
there is a place in Tokyo called Reppongi (sp) which is the main place that foreigners and tourists go out and socialize, it is very expensive, however there is another place call Shinjuku that is mainly frequented by Japanese and is far cheaper

Get a Japan rail pass, it will save you loads on train travel.

Cheers mate, i was thinking of goin over with about €1000 hopefully

gary the great

To be honest i found Tokyo way way cheaper than Dublin...was actualyls hocked at how cheap it actualyl was.

Hardly anyone speaks English...but they may have a few words.

Deadlyplace, defo go to Shinjinku, great place to just walk around.

deathronan

gary the great wrote: »

To be honest i found Tokyo way way cheaper than Dublin...was actualyls hocked at how cheap it actualyl was.

Hardly anyone speaks English...but they may have a few words.

Deadlyplace, defo go to Shinjinku, great place to just walk around.

if its way way cheaper than dublin, then id say ill be alright.

cheers

killbillvol2

Keep your fingers crossed that they devalue the yen before you go. It's about 30% stronger against the euro than it was 6 months ago so things aren't as cheap as they were.

It's not an expensive country really. As a previous poster said, get a rail pass before you go.

unreggd

killbillvol2 wrote: »

get a rail pass before you go.

Defo

Dont understand that policy but you'll save LOADS

and u can get one thats valid on the bullet train, 2 hours from tokyo to Osaka!

bobbbb

And prepare to get lost a lot. The signs are impossible to read - just squiggles and only the young people speak English (some of them).

deathronan

bobbbb wrote: »

And prepare to get lost a lot. The signs are impossible to read - just squiggles and only the young people speak English (some of them).

i can see that happening alright

dohc

Your so lucky i was there for the world cup best place ever really wanna go back too.I am heading to thailand for the summer might try fly from there if its cheap

staker

was there myself on a stopover.
when the women step out of your way to leave you first up the escalator for example, take the lead as they will insist emphatically.(i'm a man obviously)

hold the chopsticks by the wider ends(made a total ape out of myself in a restaurant)

try and take a european driving licence,they don't recognise the irish one.(at the toyota test track anyway)

the humidity is stifling in june,bring only light clothes.

all in all a very safe place(tokyo). enjoy your trip.

jim o doom

hey OP - I'm going to be in japan for three weeks myself in june - starting off for a week in hong kong (china) and then osaka, tokyo and kyoto (week each, not sure what order) for my honey moon..

Yeah so for the OP and myself now piggybacking on his request; anyone know any cool places to go/visit? we're going to be checking out temples and all sorts of stuff over there, but suggestions are always good!

c4cat

unreggd wrote: »

Defo

Dont understand that policy but you'll save LOADS

and u can get one thats valid on the bullet train, 2 hours from tokyo to Osaka!

Yep!!! imagin the same train on the Dublin - Belfast line that would be done in 25 mins instead of the 2.5hrs it takes on the great enterprise service and thats with an upgrade done on the fecken line just 3 years ago

Benedict XVI

jim o doom wrote: »

hey OP - I'm going to be in japan for three weeks myself in june - starting off for a week in hong kong (china) and then osaka, tokyo and kyoto (week each, not sure what order) for my honey moon..

Yeah so for the OP and myself now piggybacking on his request; anyone know any cool places to go/visit? we're going to be checking out temples and all sorts of stuff over there, but suggestions are always good!

Koyoto is full of temples, about 2 hrs on the train from Tokyo

I would also recommend Hiroshima, not just for what happened in August 1945 but it is also a hopping city.

The train between Tokyo and Hiroshima goes through Kyoto so you could get off there for a visit.

Tristram

I'm booking flights to Japan soon, looking for economy from Dublin to Narita. Anyone have any advice on who to go with? Would be much appreciated!

ilovemybrick

Cash is king in Japan. Lots of places don't accept cards.
Also lots of the ATMs only work during business hours and Irish laser/atm cards work in certain machines only. Look out for 7/11 shops as they usually have atms that accept cirrus stamped cards.

Food is wonderful but certain kinds of food take a bit of acclimatisation.

The train system is wonderful and most (if not all) signs are in english as well and most stations have at least one member of staff who speaks passable English.

Do some reading before you go and be prepared to explore. Tokyo itself is amazing. Smoking is forbidden on the street except in certain areas (usually beside subways and public squares). Though it is not forbidden most Japanese people do not eat on the street. Talk to people if you can I remember when I went to Tokyo one guy saw I was writing something in my diary and asked if I spoke English and then showed me around a temple for about two hours.

Also in Tokyo go to Harajuku it is a crazy mish mash of fashion, music and culture. Expect to see some crazily dressed people.

glaston

Enjoy

I plan on going some time.
From what I hear: dont worry about slurping but always be polite!!


http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-use-chopsticks-5

petethebrick

Tokyo can be a bit expensive but there are lots of cheap options. There are lots of all you can eat/drink bar type places where work out at about 15-20 euro per hour. If you drink like I do then these places are great value for money

timmyotoole

Going over in end of march with airfrance, goes from dublin to paris , then paris to narita. I booked the flights a while back so they were around 600 euro return. Reason i went with them is the brother has used then 3-4 times now going to and from japan, as hes working over there now. Only issue hes had was the last trip they lost his luggage but they found it eventually and got it back to him.

Only bit of advice is it will be very very warm over there in the summer. I myself know i wouldnt be able to handle it

And what was said earlier, the trains are expensive. So get the rail pass thingy over here before you go, i have to get one myself. Theyll save you a fortune, as youll be using the trains a lot.

TheIrishGrover

Going again this year. Loved it.
Thought it was round about same price as Dublin. Not cheap but not as insanely expensive as its rep.
Get your rail pass.
Miyajima island off Hiroshima is beautiful. HUGE "Floating" Tori http://www.flickr.com/photos/theirishgrover/2365223505/in/set-72157604270323772/ (Try to see when tide is in). Rail pass gives access to the ferry.
When getting the train from Tokyo to Osaka keep an eye out the windows: Shortly after leaving Tokyo, if the weather is clear, you can get an AMAZING view of Mt. Fuji.. Took this at 200KPH: http://www.flickr.com/photos/theirishgrover/2367306222/in/set-72157604277075397/
In Tokyo: Shibuya Junction (That mad crossroads you see in Lost In Translation. Busiest pedestrian crossing in the world.)
Studio Ghibli animation museum in Mitaka (About 30 mins from Tokyo on local train) if you have any interest in Anime (Ticket must be purchased in advance of entering country but it's cheap)
Kyoto is a tourist trap but still essential to see. You'll have about 500 photos of temple gates etc with the reverse swastika by the end of day 1.
As somebody said above, Hiroshima obviously has a history that makes it essential to see but it's also a hopping place. Had great fun there at Karaoke. I'm going to Tokyo/Osaka next time in May so I'll fill ya in about Osaka. Supposed to be deadly too. Enjoy man

deathronan

Tristram wrote: »

I'm booking flights to Japan soon, looking for economy from Dublin to Narita. Anyone have any advice on who to go with? Would be much appreciated!

I booked mine yesterday with Air France €650 return flying out form Shannon

Tristram

deathronan wrote: »

I booked mine yesterday with Air France €650 return flying out form Shannon

That's a great price. I almost don't believe it.

deathronan

But does anyone know how much a month in Japan will cost you roughly, im talkin cheap hostels, rail pass already got and possibly two weeks in Tokyo adn the other two checkin out the other major citys. Would you get by on a grand?

suirsider

If you want cheap flights you could check out aeroflot. We flew via moscow for about 300 sterling. **** airline though. Very cramped. If you are staying for a month check out short term letting instead of hotels. You will save a packet. We only payed around 20 euro a night in 2002 in tokyo. Worth looking into. As some others have said a rail pass is a must. we paid about 300 euro for a months pass including the bullet trains. If you travel around at all you will make you money back very quick. Try and get to hiroshima. Its amazing. Not much of a city but a journey worth doing because of its history.

deathronan

where does one get this rail pass?

suirsider

I think you can get them through Irish Rail in abbey street, Dublin. You will need your Passport as they cannot be bought by Japanese Residents.

NextSteps

I was in Japan for 3 weeks, it was one of the best holidays I ever had. A few tips, off the top of my head -
*Do try to learn some Japanese before you go. Try taking a course or download some lessons from japanesepod101.com or similar. It really helps and makes things much more enjoyable. (and it's a fun language)
* Do stay in a traditional ryokan for a few nights. Hang the expense, it's worth it when you consider that you'll have a Michelin-standard dinner, the best service ever, and a huge breakfast.
* The food is incredible. Try everything!
* One of the places we most liked was Nagano, where you can stay in the temple complex itself. Very atmospheric.
* People are very polite and very helpful. If you're stuck for something, ask.
* The crime rate is practically zero, which makes everything very relaxed - you're not subconsciously worried about your belongings, as you might be in, say, Italy.
* The shopping is incredible. I really enjoyed wandering around the kitchenware departments of big shops, just looking at the gadgets.

Have a blast!

JæKæ

Hey lads,
I'm off to Tokyo on Monday. I was trying to get a rail pass online before I head.
I'll only be in the greater Tokyo area.
Would this ticket do the trick, or is it only a one day pass? It's 3500 yen.
http://www.jreast.co.jp/e/suica-nex/index.html

Richard Roma

I'm very jealous of all of all you who are heading there, it's a great country.

Was there two years ago, budget-wise, it's a bit cheaper than Ireland for food,drink,accommodation. As an earlier poster said though the JPY has increased in value by 30% against the Euro in the last few months which will effect your wallet commensurately.
My suggestions of cool things do are:

Go to Harajuku (in Tokyo) on a Sunday to see the Harajuku girls. Then head into Yoyogi Park (close by) for a stroll. There's always loads of randomness going on including the weird teddy boy dancers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-G1Yh1BsZ8

Go to Tsukiji fish market early (around 6 AM) and watch people haggling over prices. The restaurants close to it sell the best sushi in the world

Stay in a capsule hotel one of your nights. I stayed here: http://www.asakusa-capsule.jp/english/

Go to the bar in the Park Hyatt Hotel one night for a drink. It's where Lost In Translation was filmed. There's amazing views from it too

Go to an Onsen at some stage

Avoid Roppongi. Its the yuppy district,all huge shopping centres and RonBlacks-type poser pubs. Shinjuku or Shibuya are far more authentic.

Tokyo is a great city but most of the best cultural stuff is down South. I'd recommend spending a lot of time in Kyoto.

Go to Mount Koya (Koyasan). It's a few hours away from Kyoto by train. Its the home of Shingo Buddhism in Japan. It has the most amazing graveyard you'll ever see and you can stay overnight in a monastary there.

Get Kobe beef over there. We went to a restaurant in Kobe called A1 for it. It was about 40 quid each for our meals but worth it for the nicest food I've ever eaten.

Go to the Gion district in Kyoto to see the Geishas running around the place.

Spend a day in Hiroshima and do a day-trip from there to Miyajima (as mentioned by one of the previous posters).

As everyone else has said, get yourself a JR railpass from Trailfinders. Bring a Haruki Murakami book with you to read on the journeys.

Hope that helps. Feel free to PM with questions