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Holidays

Use our Travel forum for recommendations on everything from day trips to the best family-friendly holiday destinations.

Original poster

japan?

51 replies

DeliveredByKiki · 20/08/2016 17:23

about to book tickets for a 3 week trip to Japan next summer

probably going to do 4-5 night each in Tokyo and Kyoto and that leaves us about 10 days travelling - want to stay in temples on Koya-San, I'd quite like to get up to Hokkaido or North Honshu as there are some incredible festivals up there when we're there...but also want to see the traditional diving women in Kansai THERE'S JUST TOO MUCH TO DO AND SEE!!!

Anyone been with children? Ours will be 5 & 8

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Lucydogz · 22/08/2016 21:33

We're going next month - apparently Summer is unpleasantly humid.

Original poster
DeliveredByKiki · 23/08/2016 02:43

So I e heard but we don't have any choice in the matter - it's winter when it's incredibly cold or summer when it's hot and humid. So we're sticking to mainly the north!

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ShanghaiDiva · 23/08/2016 02:55

I have been several times with my children. They loved Disney Sea and Disney park in Tokyo. There are some Disney partner hotels which are not in the park, but close by and have free shuttles to Disney.
Kyoto is great - load of temples and we took the train to Nara where there are deer roaming the park - dd loved this and it's an easy day trip from Kyoto. The tourist info office was very helpful there and everything is in walking distance of the train station. We stayed in a traditional house in Kyoto (machiya) which we rented through flip key which is part of the trip advisor website.
It is very hot and humid in the summer (I also live somewhere horribly humid) but you do get used to it.

Original poster
DeliveredByKiki · 23/08/2016 03:42

Thanks ShanghiaDiva we live in LA so only Disney we'd do might be disneysea but studio Ghibli is in the top of the list

Do you have any specific recommendations for accommodation at all?

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AttilaTheMeerkat · 23/08/2016 08:45

Ghibli Museum is closed on Tuesdays. You can easily catch a train on the JR Chuo line to Mitaka then you take the Loop bus to the museum.

Tickets have to be purchased in advance; they do not sell them at the museum.

www.ghibli-museum.jp/en/ticket-information/

Do consider visiting both Disney Parks; both are very different to what you have seen already in LA and some of the rides there are unique.

Original poster
DeliveredByKiki · 23/08/2016 16:07

It's more the cost than anything Attila, with accommodation alone setting us back and wanting to get as much out of the 3 weeks as poss (knowing we have to take it slowly with DC being relatively small)

But I'll look into it again - I iust get so annoyed not being able to go on the best rides so never feel like I get my monies worth!

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ShanghaiDiva · 24/08/2016 02:14

Hotels - for Disney sea
www.japanican.com/en/hotel/detail/4484004/

Kyoto - stayed in this house
www.facebook.com/Awa-Machiya-187434421454252/

Statelychangers · 26/08/2016 07:36

We're interested in Japan but I'm worried that it's really expensive - is it London expensive or worse?

BigGreenOlives · 26/08/2016 07:42

From recollection (2011) it was about the same - we really enjoyed our trip. We also went to the hot springs at Gora where there is an amazing sculpture park

TheForeignOffice · 26/08/2016 07:43

I used to live in Japan. Wonderful place. Get your rail passes sorted out in advance and I'd really recommend heading down to Hiroshima too. You'll have a fantastic time.

Notsoskinnyminny · 30/08/2016 19:28

Statelychangers I found the prices for eating out similar to here although the exchange rate is pretty poor at the moment - DD was on her uni year abroad and her rent 'went up' by £100 pm after brexit. Public transport is great and easy to navigate, I probably spent about £80 in a week but she was an hour outside of Tokyo and I went there most days while she was in class.

dontcallmethatyoucunt · 18/09/2016 15:50

Hakone and stay in a traditional B&B with an onsen. Really great being served by the traditional ladies and going in the baths. My friend goes with her kids (who we were visiting).

dontcallmethatyoucunt · 18/09/2016 15:51

Kyoto for 5 days seems a lot. We went on the bullet train and had a couple of days there.

MadameCholetsDirtySecret · 18/09/2016 15:58

I love Tokyo. I'm very jealous.

Lucydogz · 18/09/2016 16:55

We're flying out on 7th October for 3 weeks. Would 3 nights in Tokyo be enough? Where are the best places to stay (and where to avoid). Also we would like to stay in a ryokan during the holiday, but want to keep a fluid itinerary. Do we have to book ahead?

dontcallmethatyoucunt · 18/09/2016 17:36

Tokyo could be longer IMO, we prebooking our Ryokan in Hakone, but not sure if you have to. I think I used a Japanese ryokan site

LeaveMyWingsBehindMe · 18/09/2016 17:40

Ooh I want to go to Japan too. I'm following this for ideas.

EarSlaps · 01/10/2016 16:59

Hiroshima is amazing. The Hiroshima pancakes are delicious and watching them being made is like theatre. There is a famous island just off Hiroshima too, begins with M. Has a floating tori and brazen deer!

Sapporo is beautiful and there are hot springs near. The brewery does cook it at the table lamb- amazing! The sleeper train is good and takes you back to Tokyo overnight.

We went without children in 2008 and found accommodation quite pricey but day to day expenses, especially food, were quite reasonable.

Original poster
DeliveredByKiki · 02/10/2016 07:28

ok you've all convinced me on Hiroshima. My 5 days in Kyoto kind of includes staying up Koya-san

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Original poster
DeliveredByKiki · 02/10/2016 07:29

another related question - I'm thinking of heading out a week or so earlier with DC, but should we go straight to Japan or would you recommend going somewhere else and meeting DH in Japan? I was hoping we could something like Thailand but it's 2 flights and a long journey Thailand to Japan...

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AttilaTheMeerkat · 02/10/2016 09:19

If you flew indirectly you could go to Hawaii and spend some time there before heading onto Japan. I write that as you live in Los Angeles and services to the islands fly from there daily.

RusholmeRuffian · 02/10/2016 09:27

The Island off Hiroshima is Miyajima and is well worth a visit. You can stay in a ryokan there.

NotCitrus · 02/10/2016 10:05

It may be 40 degrees hot - DP and I went to Kyoto and Tokyo in July and it was, and incredibly humid. People asked why we didn't go to Mt Fuji and we answered it wasnt air-conditioned!
However Nara was fab and shady, spent a whole day. Also the romantic train and river rapids near Kyoto - the rapids are mild bumps but the trip down a deep gorge was stunning. We were just thinking it was the first time we'd been 100m from a restaurant all week, when a boat putted up to sell barbecued skewers!
Are your children adventurous eaters? Some baked goods may look like say normal iced buns but hide say tuna and onion inside a sweet donut with icing... We were surprised how little English people knew so very dependent on phrasebooks, but people hugely helpful everywhere.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 02/10/2016 17:13

A lot of Japanese people that you see walking about do not speak much, if any, English. Was forewarned beforehand however. They are very helpful people.

Mt Fuji was a lot cooler (it was foggy) when we visited there in August compared to being at sea level.

MrsBlackthorn · 13/10/2016 07:26

We were in Japan recently - our third trip.

Order a SIM card for your phone. Google maps public transport directions are spot on and it makes getting around SO much easier as few people speak English.

The food is amazing but you need to be a bit open minded about it. It's a difficult place to be a vegetarian (I'm not).