Hi guys,

Im 18 year old, first time doing solo trip to Japan.
First of all im a huge car guy and plan on going Tokyo to rent a car from Toyota.

However I need help in choosing the right locations to drive to so i wont be trapped in Tokyo city jams.

I will be staying there for about 6D 5N. Hence should I rent a car throughout my trip or only 2-3 days?

Some of the places I plan on exploring based on my research:

Yokohama
Kamakura
Hakone
Hakone turnpike toll
Lawson Kawaguchiko station
Atami
Shizuoku
Tokyo city

Please feel free to add on other scenic places worthy to visit!

I also need an opinion on choosing a hotel, should I hop around different places if no, which is a good hotel with free parking and reasonable prices.

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated, im still doing my research as well. 🙏🙏

Hi all, I'm planning to go to Japan next year January, and it'd be my first ever solo trip! I'm a fan of both nature and city as I find joy in peace and shopping. I won't be renting a car so my destination has to be somewhat convenient. I'm thinking about Fukuoka but I'm not exactly sure whether it's the best place to go.

I'm also intrigued to try out new things, unique experiences, meeting new ppl and making friends. Pls drop some recommendations!

Additionally, I'm a strict vegetarian, so going to a rural area might make finding suitable food a bit more challenging. That said, my priority is still having the best experience and I'd rather choose a fun destination even if food options are less convenient.

I’m a stupid 19-year old. Forgive me.

I purchased some Japanese KitKats and ate them here. How can I pay the tax now?

I am an American, I will be traveling to Japan in November with myself and three other friends. We all travel together regularly, though this will be the first time we’ve visited a country where English is not the native language. I am often described as charming/friendly, and when we all travel together, it’s a big joke that I am our group representative. My three friends are big introverts, so talking to customer service, getting directions, ordering/bookings are all done by me.

Generally this responsibility does not concern me, since I am confident speaking to strangers, but I am getting anxious for this trip. I recognize that I do not know the language very well, also that there will be differences in social cues and taboos.

I generally try to greet strangers with a genuine smile, eye contact, and a warm greeting. When we visited the UK, I felt as if people were very receptive to my approaches, and elderly people especially would compliment me on being friendly and polite.

This may be a silly question, and I may be over thinking things, but will my “charm” translate well between cultures? I have been learning very basic words and phrases in Japanese so that I do not approach anybody expecting them to speak English, is there any other advice that you would have for the “group representative” in terms of being friendly and polite? Are there any subconscious social norms that an American may say/do that we be disrespectful in Japan?

Hi everyone!

I'm a 23 yo girl and I'll leave for Japan in the end of december, for a couple of weeks. I have planned the whole trip already (Tokyo-Kamakura-Takayama-Shirakawa Go-Kanazawa-Kyoto-Nara-Osaka). I am super excited, but I am thinking about the packing, the shoes and the clothes.

I'm allowed to bring 1 40L backpack with me, with a max weight of 7kg. I was wondering if you guys had any recommendations for a nice comfortable backpack that is going to work well for the trip. I'm also thinking about the shoes and the clothing. I was thinking about a pair of gore tex Salomons for the shoes, but I'm really not sure about the clothing. Do you have any tips/recommendations for clothing for a winter trip? thank you in advance!

Hello!

I'm currently planning my first time trip to Japan for end of october-start of november. I'm pretty anxious in general, and would love to join a tour of some description for maybe the first couple days or so to make it easier on myself to acclimate. Does anyone have any recommendations for websites/pages/companies that I could look at? I've looked at JapanTravel so far and thats it.

I'll fly into Narita, and for probably the first day after arriving I already know I'll sleep for a fair while, and then look around the hotel area (not yet booked) to get familiar with it, but then I really would love to have some sort of guide to look around and introduce me to places. Especially if they have any knowledge on the historical side of things!

Furthermore, I'm a cook and would looooove to do some sort cooking class in either Tokyo/Osaka/Kyoto or a neighbouring area, but have no idea where to even look for that sort of thing.

Any advice or ideas are welcome!

I don’t rly like consumerist areas but anything else is fair game I also prefer hidden gems and very rural area if anyone know any good spots

Hi there,

I’m hoping to catch some baseball in the first week of October. I know the Postseason starts after this and the regular season finishes before this. I’ve read that there might be make up dates for weather during this week. My question is when are these releases and how hard is it to get tickets to them?

TIA!

Hi!

I have booked to go to Japan early march, We are staying the whole of the trip in Tokyo for 8 Days. Currently in the process of sorting out some kind of itenary, but I dont want to go too overboard or it will just stress me out haha especially since this is also my first holiday abroad with my s/o 😅 Just looking for some reccomendations for any good areas for day trips from Tokyo, that are fairly easily accessible? e.g train only? We were looking at doing the area around Mt Fuji via an excursion express but I’m not too sure if it will be very visible around the time we are going.

Also, is it worth buying a rail pass beforehand, like one of those ones you can get unlimited travel for a certain area from? Or do those usually end up working out more expensive than just travelling with a suica card :)

Thanks!

I got to experience Japan a little differently than most people get to this last week.

My band went on a little 6 show tour in mostly Tokyo but also a couple other places off the beaten path.

One of those places was Nagano. We played a punk show in a small venue that ended up being the best show of the tour. Everyone was really excited to talk to us, despite none of us knowing any Japanese and no one at this show knowing any English.

There was a guy who was a big fan of one of the opening bands, and he was particularly interested in talking to me and we did our best using Google translate. I noticed he left the show for about 20 minutes at one point, and when he came back, he handed me a little tin container.

"Famous Nagano souvenir", is what he told me when he handed it to me, and I used Google lense to read the ingredients and saw that it was like a chile type seasoning.

I thought, "oh cool", thanked him a bunch, put it in my bag and forgot about it until I was unpacking our bags today.

And I don't know why, but when I saw it, I cried a little bit.

This man is at a show to see his favorite local band and starts talking to me. Then takes his time and effort to leave, and go buy this spice (that I later looked up and has been being produced in Nagano since 1736), to give to some American band that he's been chatting up.

What an incredible gesture. It's such a small moment that I looked right past when it happened, but now that I'm home, I can't stop thinking about it. It was just an incredibly thoughtful thing to do, and has cemented Nagano, Nagano City as a place that I love and will cherish my memory there (the big crowd who chanted for an encore doesn't hurt either).

This isn't really a recommendation, more than it is a tale to not take any little moments for granted.

My band had an amazing tour and got to talk to so many locals in the local Tokyo/Yokohama/Nagano music scene.

And there were so many small moments like that, that I'm just remembering now that I'm home, that I wish I appreciated more while I was there.

Sorry for my niche little story in your travel sub!

Hi everyone!

Me and my girlfriend are currently thinking about taking a second trip to Japan, the trubbel is that she can only be off work between June 16th to August 6 (plus-minus a week or two if she uses her paid vacation that she saved)

June and July is rainy season, July and August is hot as hell, and August has typhoons. But even soo, I’m really excited to go back! Is it ideal, no. But we do what we can when we can.

My question is, when should we plan on going if we would like a 3-3,5 week long trip within this time span? Or at least close to it?

We would love to see some festivals and fireworks, but from my understanding they are in July or August which are the hottest moths.

We will probably stay in Tokyo for at least 5 days, visit Hokkaido for maybe a week, see Nikko, Sendai and maybe Aomori. It would be awesome to go back to Osaka as well, but I would love more suggestions on places to visit or things to do in the hot, rainy summer season.

Thank you all so much in advance 🙇‍♂️

Hi,

What are the best options to rent a car to go from Tokyo to Nagoya (Toyota) or Osaka? I'm planning for 2 days in September but the prices seem to be quite expensive (£100 / $133 / 21,000Yen) a day

We will need a car seat for the 2 days also.

The plan is to go from Tokyo to visit Mt Fuji and stay in an Onsen near the area one night, then the next day travel down to Toyota in Nagoya to visit some friends.

I would also like to go to visit small towns / villages also.

Thanks

Sam

Visited Kyoto, Tokyo, and Osaka a few years ago and fell in love with the temples in Kyoto. Hoping to head back and see more of Japan, but looking for recommendations on less touristy areas to visit/stay in if we are more interested in visiting shrines/temples

Hi everyone!

Me and 3 others are heading to Japan soon, and I wanted to ask you all — if we visit TeamLab Planets at 9 AM and then head straight to Tsukiji, will we be getting there too late in the day? I've heard some shops close by 1 PM, but we'll probably arrive around 11:30 AM-12 PM at the latest. What would you recommend — should we just move Tsukiji to a different day instead? Or does the timing still work?

Thanks in advance!

I have my trip to Japan in 1 week and I have tried to buy the jr hokuriko arch pass but my credit cards do not allow it either by klook or by the official jr east website, does anyone know if it can be purchased at the offices in Tokyo?

Hi all,

We are a couple and are planning our first trip to Japan. We would love to explore the culture and are big time into hiking. We are also looking forward to the red/yellow foliage colours.

Our tentative itinerary is:

Dates: Nov 8th - Nov 20th
Land and return from Tokyo

Land in Tokyo and head to Fujikawaguchiko - spend 3 days (do lots of hiking with views of Mt. Fuji)
Travel to Kyoto via the Shinkansen - spend 3 days exploring the city and villages (eg. Nariai-ji Temple)
Travel back to Tokyo and spend 4-5 days - mix of Tokyo city and day trips to Hakone, Nikko, Kamakura

Few questions:

1. What are some recommended hikes for the foliage season that would be efficient to travel to (not too far away from Tokyo/Kyoto)?
2. Any mountain huts that might be open in the season?
3. Any recommended Ryokans that wouldn't break the bank in Kyoto/Kawaguchiko? (< JPY 25-30k per night)?
4. We would want to do 3-4 amazing easy-moderate hikes (some options: Mt. Takao, Mt Kintoki, Chureito Pagoda, Shiraito Falls). Any suggestions on what to include for November? Is it possible to do these as day hikes from our base in Tokyo/Kawaguchiko
5. Optional thought: We came across the free stopover promos by ANA and Japan Airlines that claim we can take 1-2 domestic flights in Japan to other cities and that wouldn't add to our cost of a round trip from India to Japan. Any places we can travel to and spend 1-2 days that are recommended (hiking, nature, experience) - a few options in mind - Okinawa: for blue whale shark snorkeling, Kyushu for volcano hikes

Thank you in advance (sort of overwhelmed by so much that Japan has to offer and having less than 2 weeks feels short but want to make the most of the time and explore the best for a first trip) :)

Which shops should I consider for shopping in for bringing back gifts etc. Looking for somewhere reasonably priced and good quality. Primarily looking for food (such as snacks but also ingredients as I love cooking). But I hear Japanese stationary is good so things like that as well would be interesting.

Planning to go to Soy&Co Naturally brewed soy sauce Since 1879 for some soy sauce but open to suggestions.

EDIT: MEANT TO SAY FOR TOKYO

What's your top priority when picking a place to eat while traveling?

Whenever I travel, figuring out where to eat is honestly more stressful than it should be. I'm hungry and just can't decide where to go.

So I'm curious how everyone else picks. If you had to rank these five, what order would you go in?

1. Type of food (what you're in the mood for)
2. Ratings (Google, TripAdvisor, etc.)
3. Whether you can get a table right now (no wait)
4. Price
5. Distance (how close it is to where you're standing)

Personally I usually check ratings first, but then I show up and there's a huge wait and I end up bailing and going somewhere else. And even if a place has great ratings, if it's too far I just give up on it.

What order do you all go in? And if there's something not on this list that matters more to you, let me know that too.

Hi, my full name as it appears on my passport doesn't fit on the eplus jp registration form (my first and last name fit but not my middle name, but my middle name appears on my passport). I know some people have just left out their middle name and it worked, but the concert I'm hoping to attend is a bit bigger and I believe they'll be quite strict with ID checks (K-Arena). Did anyone have a problem with this? Has anyone tried emailing them about this?

Hi everyone! I’m planning a 12-night trip from Nov 8–20 and was wondering if these dates are a little too early for autumn foliage.

Current itinerary:
Kyoto
Kōyasan
Takayama
Magome
Himeji
Kawaguchiko

Possible day trips:
Ohara
Kurama–Kibune

Since some of these places, especially Kōyasan and Takayama, are at higher elevations, I’m wondering if Nov 8–20 is a good window overall, particularly for Kyoto.
Should I keep this itinerary as is, or would it be worth pushing the trip back by about a week? If I do push it back, will I end up dealing with significantly larger crowds that outweigh the foliage benefit?

Thanks!

Hi! American here, planning a trip for late October. I will be flying into Osaka and slowly making my way towards Onomichi to do the Shimanami Kaido. Afterwards, I’m going to stay around that region (Matsuyama, Hiroshima, etc.)

I’m deciding where I should fly out of for my return trip back to the US. Hiroshima (HIJ) to the US is about $250-300 more expensive than flying out of Osaka (KIX). And it’s only about a 2.5-3 hour train ride from Hiroshima back to KIX, so very doable. The journey would cost about $70-80, so I’d still be saving $200. I’m leaning towards choosing KIX considering the considerable savings and minimal downsides. Does that seem like a good idea or are there any concerns that I’m missing?

Hi all! I am planning a trip towards the end of August - I have been researching and have tried to curate my trip to my interests as opposed to going to super touristy places. i am not super jazzed about teamlabs, i'd rather check out temporary art exhibits in tokyo focused on fashion, design, zines etc., and have visited disney and universal in america, dubai and europe already. I am however super excited to shop and buy something from MANY categories (vintage, beauty, kitchenware, matcha, healthy snacks, refa... to name a few!)

I am also trying to be smart about neighborhoods - sharing a quick summary of my itinerary below

Day 1 - Land in, check out a Sasugaya store, Senso ji, Nakamise Dori, get dinner. Don Quijote trip 1
Day 2 - Meiji Jingu, Watari Museum, Omotesando, Harajuku
Day 3 - Museums in Tokyo Midtown, then rest in the hotel till evening. Go to Yoyogi park with a beer and snacks, people watch, then go get cocktails at SG bar
Day 4 - Koenji and Shimokitazawa for vintage shopping (would love some reccos here). Shibuya at night for views, dinner, and finish at mega don qui.
Day 5 - Daikanyama - I want to check out bookstores and vintage mags (Tsutaya). Evening would be nakameguro and Kappabashi (family of kitchen enthusiasts), and finish with a nice omakase
Day 6 - Akahibara for nintendo shopping, and then ginza later for people watching and stationery.
Day 7 - Rest/buffer day.
Day 8 - Shinkansen to Kyoto, check in to Onyado Nono. Onsen, dinner, rest.
Day 9 - Fushimi Inari super early, grab some matcha, walk through Kiyomizu-dera, Sannen Zaka, Ninnen Zaka, and do a tea ceremony. Evening dedicated to Gion, Shirakawa Canal, Pontocho Alley
Day 10 - head to Nara, feed some deer, take some picturs, wrap up by 12 m.
Day 11 - Kyoto to Osaka, checkin, go to Amerikamura, Orange Street, Street food dinner
Day 12 - Day at leisure in Osaka, gift shopping, drugstores. Evening will be izakaya, muscle bar (my mother and i would have a great laugh at the men's muscle bar haha), 1 more cocktail bar, head back to hotel
Day 13 - Evening flight out of KIX. :(

I'd love to know if this is a sensible itinerary given my goals, and if i am getting a good deal of culture in as opposed to just shopping. And would love some good store and restaurant reccos.
I am also travelling w my mom, so would be great to know if I am biting off more than I can chew here - she does need breaks whil walking which I have tried to account for.

Deeply appreciate all help!

I understand that there probably isn't a definite answer on this, but on the chance anyone has any experience with this, do you find it to be cheaper to grab a taxi from the airport or would is it more cost effective to grab an uber?
yes i know i could take the train, and i plan to travel that way while there, but with my luggage after a 14 hour flight, i want to grab a car to my hotel.
Just wondering if there is any significant price differences between the two options? I find when I get an uber leaving from JFK, it can sometimes be suprisingly affordable.

edit: some extra info, i will be flying into HDN. its my first time in japan!
i understand that the train system is fantastic, and i plan to only use that while im there.
but like most people, the trip getting there will take about a day, and i'll be leaving my house around 3 AM to start the journey.
i dont mind splurging a bit for convenience/comfort. the airport limo sounds like a great happy medium!

We'll be travelling from Beppu on a highway bus.

Kumamoto or Nagasaki?

2 nights before heading to Fukuoka. As in 1 dat travellimg there, 1 full day for activities and exploring then 1 day for travelling back to Fukuoka.

Child aged 6.

If Kumamoto - would you recommend driving there from Beppu? Are there car rental companies thatll let us pick car from Beply and drop off in Kumamoto? Or the the bus still cheaper?

​

Hi everyone,

We're a couple, both 35, travelling to Japan for the first time this October, and we'd really appreciate a sanity check on our plan.

What matters most to us: we do **not** want to tick off a sight list every day. We'd rather see less and actually arrive somewhere – sit in cafes, wander neighbourhoods on foot, and have half days doing nothing at all. That's why we deliberately picked only three bases instead of five.

**Basics**

- Flying from Vienna on 6 Oct, landing at Narita 7 Oct at 08:50 (overnight flight)

- Departing Narita 22 Oct at 11:10

- 15 nights on the ground, no rental car, everything by train

- Mid-range budget, comfortable walkers, no kids

**Current plan**

- 7–12 Oct: Tokyo (5 nights) – first day written off entirely for jet lag

- 12–15 Oct: Hakone (3 nights, ryokan with onsen) – deliberate downtime in the middle

- 15–20 Oct: Osaka (5 nights)

- 20–22 Oct: Tokyo (2 nights, because of the early departure)

Kyoto is planned as a day trip from Osaka. We put Hakone before Osaka so we can continue west from Odawara by shinkansen instead of backtracking. We also plan to forward the big suitcase from Tokyo straight to Osaka by luggage courier so we only carry a small bag into the mountains.

**Our questions**

1. Is this pace actually relaxed, or are we fooling ourselves? Where would you cut more?

2. Is one day enough for Kyoto – or is that exactly the point where it gets stressful, and we'd be better off with two slower days or an overnight stay?

3. Which areas in Tokyo and Osaka are good for simply wandering with no agenda? We prefer neighbourhoods, cafes and back streets over observation decks and queues.

4. Ryokan recommendations in Hakone for mid-October – Gora or Sengokuhara? And how far in advance do we need to book?

5. As first-timers: what would you do differently on your own first trip – especially, what would you leave out?

6. Is the JR Pass worth it with this pattern, or are individual tickets cheaper?

Thanks in advance for any advice!