Japan tips and advice please

[ihatethecold]

My DH has said he would love to go to Japan. Im not so keen due to the long distance and not really knowing much about Japan apart from Tokyo.

I have been thinking we could stop off in HK. Ive wanted to go back there for a long time.

When is the best time to go to Japan? Where to stay? Tokyo? Kyoto?

Olympics and the rugby world cup will need to be avoided due to a price increase I would imagine.

Is it easy enough to organise myself or should I use a specialist company or TA like Trailfinders?

Thanks

Posted too soon!

I get the rail passes here:

www.japan-rail-pass.co.uk/

They supply pocket wifi and Suica cards as well. They also sell a service whereby you can call an English speaking helpline at any time but honestly you won't need it.

I don't buy the business class because being used to British trains then standard class seems pretty damned comfy! Power supplies and plenty of leg room at each seat usually. If you go Green class you do also have to book seats in advance whereas for regular class you can book but most trains have some open seating. Booking seats is easy - you can do it at the stations, again using the medium of Google Translate to help.

This app is free:

[https://www.navitime.co.jp/pcstorage/html/japan_travel/english/]]

And really useful - you can plan your journeys on it, you can tell it to give you a journey covered by the rail pass and it also has current information on eg line closures due to local problems. Its also useful to take into the booking office to show the route you want.

As said upthread, Ryokans can be booked online. Meals in Ryokans are usually set meals but they will cater for dietary needs (I'm a veggie, this wasn't an issue for them). There are also some nice Japanese small hotels which are Japanese style, have Onsens etc but are not full Ryokan.

I agree with the advice to get a guidebook, read some blogs, see what appeals to you and then just book it yourself along a logical route. Autumn colour is probably slightly cheaper than cherry blossom time and may not need booking so far in advance.

If either of you are veggie/dietary restrictions I'd also recommend the HappyCow app - its very useful to help find food outlets which cater for veggies/vegans and allergies.

Come back to the thread when you have some places in mind!

Thanks you.
I love scenery and views so I really would prefer to see that rather than built up cities.
Tokyo doesn’t appeal to me but my DH really wants to see Tokyo.

This may be a silly question but does japan have nice beaches and sea.
I love the seaside and would love to incorporate a few days there if possible.

May was around 28 degrees in Kyoto and out of preference we would prefer April, but prices might be higher. I have no doubt Autumn colour would be amazing. Definitely avoid high summer. Again Lonely Planet has tips on when to go and blossom season is later in the Alps for example.

I have no doubt you can organise everything yourself but we felt we needed help in booking a first trip and were prepared to pay a premium for this. Next time I won’t need it!

I echo the comment about the size of stations. We left luggage in Tokyo Central Station and then panicked about finding our way back to it! It’s huge and has several floors. However, it’s all part of the experience.

There are beaches on the mainland and this area is a popular get away from Tokyo

Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, Shimoda is a beach area with places to eat drink etc. There are others dotted around

But the best beaches are in Okinawa Prefecture, which is in the very most southern tip of Japan. Lots of places to swim, perfect crystal waters and some fabulous sandy beaches on different islands. Been island hopping there and it was fantastic.

Its a flight down from Tokyo which takes about, three and a half hours. As a foreigner you can get cheaper flight prices with either ANA or JAL, cannot remember which one but only booking direct with the airline. Getting the train takes too long

Thanks. I really like the sound of the islands of the southern island.

We made it to a few seaside places, including Shimoda. There are special trains (Japanese people love trains as much as British people do!) which have the seats placed the other way, ie lengthwise instead of crosswise in the carriage - so you can enjoy the view of the coast from the windows.