Japan Planning Thread Part 2

[Takoneko]

This is a thread for anyone planning a trip to Japan. All budgets and styles of trip are welcome.

I got so much out of the first thread and would love to be able to continue the conversation with everyone who has been so helpful.

I fly tomorrow morning!

First Thread

Oh and some lovely ceramics/ bowls too!

I always buy umbrellas, stationery, Shiseido, Curel, Tsubaki, furikake, socks.

@2025istheyeari You’re in the final
countdown now. How exciting!!

Some of the things that I love to buy in Japan are:
Biorè sunscreen
Pitas throat lozenges that you stick to the roof of your mouth.
soothing foot patches
Bath salts
Konnyaku jellies
Jagariko potato snacks. These are amazing! I particularly love the “salad” flavour.
Little hand towels.
Wagashi and other traditional snacks.

I’ve just booked my flights for next Easter! We had to compromise on flying direct on the way back because I just couldn’t justify the cost. So we’ll be flying JAL direct on the way there and then via Helsinki on the way back, with the long-haul leg operated by JAL and the short haul leg by Finnair. The stop in Helsinki saved us just under £800 without compromising on airline for the long-haul bit. I really love the fact that we don’t have to share a row with a seatmate in the JAL 787 economy, so was loathe to switch to another airline. We’ll need an extra night in an airport hotel in Haneda, but it still felt like a no-brainer in terms of cost.

Anyone stayed in a Haneda airport hotel before and have any recommendations?

I’m ordering some Yen, and doing E-suica and e-sims. Have I forgotten anything?

Do I need to book the trains in advance? Wha/ the best way to get train tickets? Thank you.

@QueenMabby which trains are you planning to take?

No need to book in advance but some people like to for the Shinkansen. We just booked ours on the day and liked the flexibility it gave us.

We need a train from Tokyo to Hakone and then from Hakone to Kyoto. Kyoto to Osaka and then Osaka back to Tokyo. Plan to ship our big cases from Tokyo to Kyoto and just take cabin bags to Hakone but need to take them with us on the other trains.

How big are your big cases? The overhead spaces for luggage on Shinkansen is bigger than you might expect. Most standard sized check-in cases are fine without needing to book them as oversized baggage. As long as the dimensions for each case are under 160cm (when you add height, width and depth together), you don’t need to make any special arrangements.

The trains that I’ve taken between Osaka and Kyoto weren’t Shinkansen and they were really busy when we took them. I think that will just be a bit awkward with big cases and I’d try to take that train in the middle of the day to avoid the busier times. It’s not a real problem though.

You should be fine on the Hakone trains with cabin bags.

I don’t think there’s a need to book any of those journeys in advance. The trains are so frequent along those routes. You can if you want though.

JR (including Shinkansen) - https://global.jr-central.co.jp/en/

Odakyu line- https://www.odakyu.jp/english/

The websites are down for overnight maintenance but should work if you tried in an hour or two.

@Takoneko that’s great news! Booking the flights is a bit nerve racking but glad you’ve sorted it. Enjoy the planning for next year. How many times have you been to Japan?

I've pre-booked booked our Tokyo to Osaka Shinkansen online although I understand this is not necessary.

Green car was less than a tenner more each. CD seats to see Fuji and large luggage seats at back of carriage.

Says to print the QR code which seems odd (we're Android).

Well done on finding flights at an acceptable price point @Takoneko.

This will be our fourth trip.

We went way back in 2008 and then Easter 2024, 2025 and now 2026.

Thank you@Takoneko. The cases are coming down from the loft next weekend so I’ll get the measuring tape out! Exciting to hear you’ve booked the flights for your next trip.

Last question (for today!). Can anyone recommend a good adaptor plug for Japan? Will my hairdryer work?

Depends on if your hairdryer is dual voltage. If it’s not then I definitely wouldn’t bother taking it with you. It will either not work at all or will work poorly on the much lower voltage. If it’s dual voltage, then in theory it should work ok. I’ve always just used the hotel hairdryers.

Japan uses the same two-prong plugs as the US, so adapters are easy enough. We didn’t even take plug adapter, just a couple of USB charging blocks with US plugs that we had already. Not these exact ones, but this sort of thing.

@Takoneko Have a great trip and fun planning! We stayed at the Villa Fontaine Grand Hotel at Haneda and it's pretty much the only in -terminal option but it's also very good for an airport hotel. Definitely a happier and better kempt place than the Sofitel at Heathrow terminal 5, but similar set up, albeit bigger. It's massive, with an onsen/spa, gym and many shops and restaurants all operated by Villa Fontain. It's less than 5 min walk to the check in in the morning. Check in/out all via machine so really quick.

@QueenMabby For the luggage, our big rolling duffles fitted on the Shinkansen racks but I couldn’t lift them up (or even safely down). So it’s not just about size, but also weight. Luckily DH was fine doing it.

For Hakone, @Booksaresick we loved this AirBnB. Private onsen, lovely host, interesting Japanese style breakfast and all styled impeccably. It’s a short bus ride from Gora. https://www.airbnb.com/l/B4Ih9NLR

Thanks both! Forgot I bought those feet warmers and heated eye masks last time too. Some interesting things to add to the list! Love the socks with big toes, mine have worn out, so thanks, will be adding those as well!
@Takoneko we stayed at JAL west wing last time, near some convenience stores and a taxi from the terminals. We landed late which is why we stayed. Villa Fontaine sounds much nicer though!! So glad you managed to book flights. Happy planning!

Can anyone recommend the best way to get from the Tokyo Bay Area to Haneda very early in the morning (6ish)? Thanks.

@QueenMabby From a lot of hotels in that area the most convenient would usually be the limousine bus, but they don’t normally start running until closer to 7am.

From some hotels (like the Intercontinental Tokyo Bay), the Asakusa line train is a good option and they generally start running about 5am.

Failing that, it will have to be a taxi.

I'm planning on buying our sunscreen in the drugstore when we get there and just bring one bottle to start us off. I'm right in thinking it's no more expensive than the uk aren't I?

I’m flying to Japan in October and other than buying flight tickets I’ve done nothing so will go through this thread to plan an itinerary. I’m thinking Tokyo , Kyoto and Osaka as main places to stay . Very excited .

@Riverswimmers Just bring whatever you already have to hand. Don’t buy any new before you go. Sunscreen in Japan is excellent and generally quite a lot cheaper than the U.K.

@hattie43 Welcome to the thread! October should be a really nice time to visit. How long will you be there for?

@QueenMabby the quickest non-taxi option is the limousine airport bus. The earliest bus leaves Tokyo Bay from Shione no machi bus stop at 5:00 am and arrives at Haneda T3 at 6.00am. Best to look at their website and to buy tickets in advance.

Thank you. We need to be at the airport by 7 so that would work.