Japan

[Onlylurking]

DH is having a 'special' birthday next year and has always wanted to go to the Far East, particularly Japan. We would love to go but I am a little worried about attempting this with 10 year old DS. I don't think coach tours would work and I'm not sure how we would cope independently, not knowing any Japanese. Also wouldn't want to share family rooms all the time as past experience of this isn't good.

Does anyone have any suggestions?

A friend went a few years ago - I'll ask him when it is a decent hour and I can phone him

Thanks, I would be grateful.

Japan is very very safe. My DH and I went independently when I was 3 months pregnant. (So no children). We didn't know any Japanese either. I know how to read Kanji, but that's only useful for spotting place names. We did the standard Tokyo to Kyoto with a Lonely Planet guide book. We spent about a week, and we didn't have enough time for a trip to Mt Fuji. We went to Nikko, which is a day trip.

Our plans before going were just hotels in Kyoto and Tokyo, and flights. We bought train tickets at the station using the auto ticket machines. There are english on some of the maps. I've also taken buses but that is a lot be harder I imagine. (I use the Kanji on the bus stops to know when to get off). The only time I need to talk to someone to buy tickets is for the shenkensen return (between Tokyo and Kyoto), and also for the day return to Nikko. The train staff were very very helpful.

As for english, the hotel staff can speak english so you can get some help from them. Food is quite easy because they always have plastic models of them outside the shop. We just gesture to the staff to go outside and point at the food. (I assume you have some understanding of what Japanese food is, and know your katsu don, sushi, tempura etc). Sushi trains are very easy too since you just grab what you want and there's no need to get the staff to understand you!

Hotels are very small so I don't think they can fit 3 in a double room. I don't know anything about family rooms, but hopefully someone else can help.

One thing about Japan (and also Korea) is that people are very helpful towards tourists. In both countries, I've ordered food blindly pointing at random items on the menu. Or bought bus and train tickets with just the destination name, and without knowing prices. I don't even know how to say numbers in either languages, and just give them a bunch of notes to pay for things. I don't think I've been ripped off at all during my time there.

Has anyone self catered? Not sure what kind of accommodation is available other than tourist hotels.

Can't help with self catering either. But we booked ours directly from

www.sunroute.jp/SunrouteTopHLE.html

It's one of the big chains in Japan.

Oh another odd thing is that I somehow seem to remember not all the machines accept mastercard/visa. Japan has their own system for credit cards iirc. We have to get cash from the post office ATM. We can pay the hotel with our cards however. So it's just a bit inconsistent. Make a note of where the post offices are near your hotels before you leave in case you are stuck with your card without enough cash!

I would stick with hotel accommodation. Serviced apartments are available but are usually only rented long term.

Most Japanese ATM machines do not accept foreign issued cards. Even if they display the Visa and Mastercard logos. most only accept Japanese versions of these cards. Also 24 hour ATM machines are extremely rare.

Re cash machines, we mainly used the ones operated by Citibank as they have some branches in Tokyo. ATMs at Japanese postal offices are linked to the international Cirrus and Plus network which makes things far easier. 7-11 stores also have ATMs that accept overseas cards.

I did ask my friend, he just started going on about how much he loves Japan

I would reconsider taking a tour, or at least take some day tours. We
We visited Tokyo for 5 days 4 years ago. It was wonderful but we were bloody exhausted by the end of it from the effort of trying to understand a very different language and get around a highly confusing city. I think we would have got more out of it if we'd perhaps taken a couple of organised tours of parts of the city.

And to caveat, I lived in London and we've visited many bother major cities without problems. Tours are not something we would usually do.

Hi,
We're not usually 'tour' people, but (pre-DD) DP and I went to Japan for 3 weeks, and did a tour for 2 of those weeks. The company we went with has changed their Japan tours, but these are the current ones they do: www.imaginative-traveller.com/search/japan
We found it helpful to be able to relax and let the guide do the organising of trains, etc., but by the end we could manage it ourselves. We spent the last week travelling about a bit more by ourselves (organised the three week rail pass - it seems expensive in advance, but so worth it, and you are saving a fortune). The railways are fab - and the bullet trains a real experience, and a great way to see the country.
We stayed in a mixture of hotels and ryokans (traditional Japanese guesthouses) - this was a fab experience. The facilities were all very good, and in a couple of the hotels, there were pretty good self-catering facilities - ie. microwave, kettle, toaster. Enough to do breakfast/a snack.
We stayed in a couple of the sunroute hotels - I'd second them as being reasonably priced, and of a decent standard. In Tokyo, we stayed in the Sunroute Asakusa, which was well located for the underground, and being walking distance to some interesting places - including Ueno park, which has some fab museums, galleries and the zoo!
I think your son will have a great time - where in Japan are you thinking of going? Are we able to help with suggestions?

Hello,

I live in Japan, not far from Tokyo. It is very safe for children here, they walk alone to school from the age of 6 and some kids use buses and trains alone from that age too.

There is loads to do for 10 year olds. Disney Sea has the rides for older children, think Indiana Jones type rides or Disneyland for gentler rides.

Kidzania is fun but needs to be prebooked.

Tokyo Sky Tree recently opened and has a big aquarium at the bottom.

Science museums are very hands on and popular with my kids.

If you are staying near Tokyo, Kamakura and Nikko are good day trips for temple seeing.

Don't bring travellers cheques , the banks won't know what they are. Bring cash and cards.

There is a train pass you can buy outside of Japan to tour Japan with, my brother used it and had no problems.

PM me if you want anymore info.