Going to Japan

I

Ins@nity

reverse the earth
Jan 20, 2007
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I'm headed to Japan pretty soon. Gonna be backpacking it alone.

I haven't worked out what exactly to do yet, mostly just exploring blindly.
Anyone got any tips? Some travel suggestions and things to see would be nice.
 
If you are travelling a lot by train, especially long distances, an ordinary pass can save you a lot of money. They are convenient as well, no need to cue up for tickets. Very good for 'blind' exploring, just go to the station, jump on a train and jump off wherever the mood takes you. Or, if you are feeling a little more organised, you can reserve seats for free as well.

The main drawback is that they are only valid on JR lines. Some places are more conveniently reached by private lines, but you would have to pay to use those.



Edit For comparison, taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto and then Kyoto to Tokyo is only slightly less than a one week ordinary pass.
 
Gaiarth said:
If you are travelling a lot by train, especially long distances, an ordinary pass can save you a lot of money. They are convenient as well, no need to cue up for tickets. Very good for 'blind' exploring, just go to the station, jump on a train and jump off wherever the mood takes you. Or, if you are feeling a little more organised, you can reserve seats for free as well.

The main drawback is that they are only valid on JR lines. Some places are more conveniently reached by private lines, but you would have to pay to use those.



Edit For comparison, taking the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto and then Kyoto to Tokyo is only slightly less than a one week ordinary pass.
Click to expand...
Seems like the JR pass will justify its cost after just 2 or 3 train rides.
Awesome.
I'm not one to plan too much in advance. The JR pass seems like it will give alot of freedom. I'll definitely get one. Thanks.
 
I envy you!

One day I want to go to Japan too!

Unhappily, until today, I never left Rio de Janeiro... :...:

However, I think if I went to Japan, I would die of cold... Here in Rio it is common the temperatures of 40Celsius ... In Japan ,I think, makes even 0Celsius ... :frozen:

I don't get to understand HOW somebody can survive in a cold of 0Celsius ... :shiver:
 
'Sup? I live here so can definately give you a few pointers. Wanna know where to go? That depends on what you wanna see.

If you're gunning for Japan Inc then head to Tokyo for sure. Check out the Sony building to see what inventions they're planning in the next 5 years - that's always fun. Go to Ginza and see the trendier side of Tokyo. Go to Akihabra for the electronics and to Harajuku and Shinjuku for the cosplayers. They'll let you take pics if you genuinely respect them and ask them nicly and in a non-patronising way. Don't expect too much of "traditional" Japan here if that's what you're looking for.

If you want the ancient ways and the cobblestone streets, get your ass to Nara. It's a lot quieter and quainter than Kyoto - as the latter has just far too many tourists to ever be considered secluded and private in any way. Check out the Daibutsu (Grand/Great Buddha) in Nara Park, and feed the deer for fun.
By all means do go to Kyoto too. People are forever frequenting Kinkakuji (Golden Pavilion) and Kiyomizudera (Kiyomizu Temple) but it's for good reason. They're very pretty. Other, more secluded destinations include Nijo-jo (Nijo Castle) and Fushimi-Inari Jinja (Shrine) to name just a few.

If you've got loads of time and cash to spare, check out Miyajima by taking a ferry from Hiroshima. Hiroshima itself sucks several donkeys simultaneously however Miyajima is truly beautiful. Especially Ikutsukushima Shrine (those famous red torii shinto gates in what appears to be the middle of the sea).

If you've got any other questions then fire away. :hero:
 
fhc said:
I envy you!

One day I want to go to Japan too!

Unhappily, until today, I never left Rio de Janeiro... :...:

However, I think if I went to Japan, I would die of cold... Here in Rio it is common the temperatures of 40Celsius ... In Japan ,I think, makes even 0Celsius ... :frozen:

I don't get to understand HOW somebody can survive in a cold of 0Celsius ... :shiver:
Click to expand...

I think that's quite a problem for anyone that live in hot climate. you see I'm also from a quite hot country. but now I'm in Japan and now it's winter!! :cry: How can I get out from this mess!? wear lot's of clothes! But still cold... I wonder how japanesse can endure such cold.

By the way, you the one who will go to Japan soon. Are you going sightseeing? or going to stay quite a time? I'm not living in tokyo but quite near. Maybe I can show you around, If my free time match. :dribble:
 
I want to visit Japan but I wouldn't want to live there. Ok, maybe I do but I need to learn the language a lot better than my shitty rudimentary understanding of it! :why2: I hope you have fun there though! =P
 
Man your lucky, although i dont know the language i adore the culture and the people... i mean from what i have seen it just interests me!!! I myself would either take a friend that knows the language or hire a translator cus to learn the language would take a while and isnt easy...
 
I'm probably going there next year =D I'm taking some Jap classes since the past year, but my spoken language and reading skillz still sucks >_>

Everyone had said to me that Japan is a expensive as hell place to live, so I'm kinda scared, mostly because I'm still a student... and since I'm going without full comprehension of the language, I don't know if I will get a better job than a dishwasher XD

Also, I'm going to a design college in there. Hope that the language barrier will not ruin everything, since I'm going to spend a year in Japan.

So... I will hang a bit more on this topic X3 I have no idea of what are the main places and... other stuff. Seriously, I just don't know ANYTHING important about the country T_T
 
Thanks for the input guys.
What I'm gonna be doing is mostly just exploring randomly. I never even considered going to Nara so that's a for-sure now.
I also wanna get off of Honshu and onto the other islands while I'm there so the rail pass will definitely come in handy.
I am going in summer (a few months away) so it will be nice and warm.
 
Ins@nity said:
Thanks for the input guys.
What I'm gonna be doing is mostly just exploring randomly. I never even considered going to Nara so that's a for-sure now.
Click to expand...

Yeah man, Nara is great. Remember - Nara Park and the Daibutsu (Great Buddha Statue).

Ins@nity said:
I am going in summer (a few months away) so it will be nice and warm.
Click to expand...

Actually, no - it'll be DISGUSTINGLY humid. Hot and humid to the point where you'll drench your clothes in sweat 5 minutes after venturing outside.
:abandoned: :donotwant:

On the other hand, the rain makes everything a lush green so the countryside looks lovely then - as well as the chirping of the cicadas making the place seem even more "Japanese".
 
Yeah, I only went once to Japan in the middle of summer and it was really uncomfortable. We went walking for miles every day and spent a small fortune on keeping hydrated (thank goodness for vending machines everywhere.). Of course, I'm a Brit so maybe it's just the fact that high heat and water in the air that isn't just rain is a foreign concept to me...

I have to second Nara, and the sights mentioned In Kyoto. Kiyomizudera is especially nice once you get away from the main temple and into the grounds. Also, if you do go to Miyajima, find the small back trail to climb up it. It's harder work than the main pathed pathway, but you get far fewer people on it and it's more interesting to walk along.

And, if you are going west, you might want to consider stopping off at Himeji for a couple of hours to see the castle. It's truly a splendid sight.
 
have fun in Japan! :bye:

I plan on going there as soon as I graduate from my university but since it'll be summer by that time, maybe I'll wait for milder weather. I live in a mild Mediterranean climate so I wouldn't be used to the humidity at all. :exhausted:

Would someone happen to have recommendations on a plush ryokan? I'm going to stay here (the link) for a day or two and I'd like to stay at another nice ryokan. The maximum I'm willing to spend per day is $500 USD.

I've looked around online but maybe an opinion from someone who resides in Japan would be awesome. :grassdance:

http://anonym.to/?http://japaneseguesthouses.com/db/hakone/hakoneginyu.htm
 
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