Dublin to Japan

ThatOtherGuy

Hey guys, as the title says, I'm planning a trip to Japan. I don't know yet exactly when, I'm aiming for sometime within the first half of '20, preferably the first quarter and I'm going for between 10-12 days.
I've been doing a ton of research, I study hiragana and katakana whenever I can using flash cards (and no, I'm not going to even attempt Kanji), but there are a few questions that I really need to know the answer. For what it's worth, I've flown twice before, both times on weekend trips to Paris. This will be my first really solo trip abroad (both times I went to Paris, I saw a mate who acted as a guide)

1a) I have a nut allergy and an epi-pen. I know I can fly with it on a flight leaving Ireland as long as a I have a doctor's note, but what about the return trips? Will my Irish GP note suffice?
1b) Related to my nut allergy, how bad is Japanese food in terms of allergens? I avoid nuts, tree nuts, seeds and mustard. Does Japan have similar food packaging laws as to here, do they say not just that the allergen is present but also if the item is produced on a line where allergens are common, or in a factory etc? Are Japanese restaurants friendly towards requests to avoid allergens?

2a) Which airlines are recommended? I know I have to get a connecting flight somewhere else. My preference is to get it in London, as obviously everyone speaks English there and in case I run into any problems, I don't want language to be a barrier.
2b) Let's say Brexit happens by the time I leave for my holiday, the UK is once again an independent nation. Would there be any issues with me coming from Ireland, an EU nation, or would it be perfectly okay to get off my plane, wander around the airport to find the flight to Japan?

3) Should I use a travel agency or book everything myself? If an agency, recommendations?

4) Hotel recommendations? Last night I was looking at a few places. At the top of my list are number one Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba and number two Tokyo Marriott Hotel. The main thing that sold me on them were the photos that showed exquisite views

5) Things I can do or see within the 12 days? What I have firmly down to do is Mt Fuji, the Imperial Palace and Akihabara, but nothing else. I'm not against seeing the rest of the country.

Greg81

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=110038247

BobbyBobberson

Did not realise the UK had lost its independence. I must look that one up.

In relation to stopover, english is no problem in any of the airports on the way to Tokyo.

bbbbb

I would avoid the larger airports like heathrow and Charles de Gaulle.
We flew with lufthansa via Munich (out) and Frankfurt (back).
I don’t speak any German.

cdeb

It sounds like you're - well, I don't know if you're overthinking things or underthinking them, but you're definitely coming at it from a slightly unusual angle.

On airports - pretty much any major European airport is going to have all signage in both local language and English. Navigating your way around, say, Frankfurt without speaking German is going to be similar to navigating your way around Dublin without speaking Irish. Any airline which flies from the EU to Japan will be fine.

But if you're worried about going through a German airport because you don't speak German, then Japan is going to be a whole new ball game. Learning hiragana and katakana before going is probably kind of like only learning the vowels before going to England. In terms of restaurants, many will have plastic models of their dishes in the front window - something like this - but it's obviously hard to tell from that if there's nuts in it. English is surprisingly little spoken in Japan and I would say if you ask any waiter/waitress if there's nut allergy issues with any particular dish, they won't know what you're talking about. By way of example - I went into McDonald's when I was there (I know; the shame!) and the staff got out a paper menu for me to point at. They weren't confident at all in understanding me ordering "A Big Mac Meal" when the Japanese for Big Mac is Bigu Macu. They will almost certainly be able to advise on allergy info in English or purely in katakana

On general travel, I wouldn't bother with an agency. Book hotels online. Get a Japan rail card before you arrive (can't get one in Japan, unless they've changed the rules since I was there). Sort everything else out when you get there. If the nut allergy issue is serious, then maybe booking on a group tour would be an option - at least then there's a tour leader who can advise on allergies.

On things to do - Japan is great. The National Museum in Ueno is a must. Stay in a capsule hotel (assuming you're male). Take a few hours to just wander around Tokyo - Shibuya, Akihabara (Electric Town), Asakusa. Try out a karaoke bar. But obviously don't limit yourself to Tokya - time your trip to coincide with one of the big sumo festivals. Head to Hiroshima. Maybe travel to the north to Jigokudani to the hot springs with the monkeys.

On hotels - you won't be looking at the views that often; you'll likely be out and about. Once it's within your budget and near a train line, you'll be grand. Tokyo is very big, so try and get central - it will save time.

ThatOtherGuy

Thank you cdeb.

English is surprisingly little spoken in Japan and I would say if you ask any waiter/waitress if there's nut allergy issues with any particular dish, they won't know what you're talking about.

Even if I ask in Japanese, or have my phone use Google Translate for it? Do they not have the same concerns about allergens as we do?

They will almost certainly be able to advise on allergy info in English or purely in katakana

Hmm...not entirely sure if it would be safe for me to go then...? What about general food items I might purchase elsewhere? From a food stall or from a shop? My standard practice here in Ireland is ask the vendor - if they're not sure, don't buy it. If the packaging makes literally no mention of nuts or any of my other allergens, then try it. Is there law in Japan about mentioning nuts etc?

Get a Japan rail card before you arrive

I've been looking this stuff up, and apparently there's two prominent cards. There's a JR card and a SUICA. Should I get both?

cdeb

ThatOtherGuy wrote: »

Even if I ask in Japanese, or have my phone use Google Translate for it? Do they not have the same concerns about allergens as we do?

Even if you learn the specific phrase or have it in your phone, will you understand the answer?

ThatOtherGuy wrote: »

Hmm...not entirely sure if it would be safe for me to go then...? What about general food items I might purchase elsewhere? From a food stall or from a shop? My standard practice here in Ireland is ask the vendor - if they're not sure, don't buy it. If the packaging makes literally no mention of nuts or any of my other allergens, then try it. Is there law in Japan about mentioning nuts etc?

I have no idea what the law in Japan is on stating allergens - I assume there is something - but again, the issue is you being able to communicate with the vendor. Even if you know the katakana and hiragana characters, that'd be like trying to read a package knowing only the vowels. English really isn't spoken by many Japanese at all; it's one of the things I found most surprising there.

In both cases, you'd probably get the gist if you had the phrase saved into a phone or something - but I'm just confused how you don't want to transit through a non-English language airport, but seem ok using a computer to ask a health-related question.

ThatOtherGuy wrote: »

I've been looking this stuff up, and apparently there's two prominent cards. There's a JR card and a SUICA. Should I get both?

A SUICA appears to be basically a Leap Card. A JR card is a tourist-orientated (almost) unlimited rail ticket for a set price; it's very good value if you're going to do more than two rail trips while you're there (e.g. Tokyo to Kyoto and back)

Marcusm

ThatOtherGuy wrote: »

Thank you cdeb.



Even if I ask in Japanese, or have my phone use Google Translate for it? Do they not have the same concerns about allergens as we do?


Hmm...not entirely sure if it would be safe for me to go then...? What about general food items I might purchase elsewhere? From a food stall or from a shop? My standard practice here in Ireland is ask the vendor - if they're not sure, don't buy it. If the packaging makes literally no mention of nuts or any of my other allergens, then try it. Is there law in Japan about mentioning nuts etc?


I've been looking this stuff up, and apparently there's two prominent cards. There's a JR card and a SUICA. Should I get both?

If you were sensitive to being in Paris without the friend and have a serious food allergy then I do not think that Japan is the place for you. I have been there 4 times and only on the last time when I was continuously with my partner did I actually enjoy it. This is despite the fact that I like my own company and for 20 years travelled for pleasure and business around the world - easily up to three months a year across all continents. Japan is not set up for non-Japanese speakers and many products, including food products will have little to no guidance in English. Even in very high end restaurants it is common to see “no English spoken here” and they mean it. Because of the size of the population, there has been a lot of industrialisation of food in Japan which means minor cross contaminations could be common. Go with an organised tour group if you want to have access to someone to verify the food you are eating. First quarter of the year is also a poor time to visit because of the relatively cold weather. Mid April to June and then from Sept-Oct is best. (I have been in August, February and May.)

As regards flights, definitely do not rule out Heathrow - multiple connection options, consider also Finland/Scandinavia.