Japan Planning Thread 3

[Takoneko]

Hi!

This is a new Japan Planning Thread for when our last one is full.

Feel free to ask any questions here related to travel in Japan, regardless of budget or style of trip.

I had a digital suica card on my Apple phone and it was very easy. However because my DH and I share an Apple ID we couldn’t both get one so we would have needed to get a physical card and we just never got round to it. It was driving me mad trying to work out how to do it with Apple. There was only one issue where we had to use a different exit than planned at a station. But yes if we had been travelling anywhere off the beaten track it might have been more of a problem.

Back again looking for help, if we’d like to do 2/3 day trips from Tokyo would we be better buying a rail pass? Thinking Somewhere near Mt Fuji, possibly Lake Kawaguchi as recommended by @Actnaturallyand then Kamakura or/and Kanawanza as recommended by several of you. I just priced up one return journey from Ueno to Kanawanza for the 3 of us and it is coming out at £487?!!! Perhaps I’m being naive, that’s the first time I’ve actually looked at ticket prices. Thanks as ever to @Takonekoand all of you lovely vipers.

@Fuckingfuckssake Kanazawa is lovely, but it’s not a day trip from Tokyo. It’s a five hour round trip by high speed rail. That’s why the price is so high.

Kamakura is a day trip destination and is in Kanagawa prefecture, which sounds similar… perhaps that’s where confusion has happened?

Kawagoe is another day trip that I’ve done from Tokyo. It’s got a cool little old town with lots of little sweet shops and restaurants and some lovely temples and shrines.

We’re also planning to visit Sawara and Narita-san on a day trip from Tokyo later this year.

You shouldn’t need rail passes for day trips from Tokyo. Regional rail passes can be good value for Shinkansen travel depending on the rest of your itinerary.

Thank you @Takonekoyour advice is invaluable, I’ll have another think and then be back with more questions no doubt!!

@Fuckingfuckssake to get to lake Kawaguchi we went by bus. Although there is a train station (in fact the bus drops you off at the train station), when planning, we found it wasn’t as fast and efficient as the bus, as there’s not a direct train. The bus was very cheap (2200 yen, about £10), less than 2 hours, and was really comfortable. The added bonus for us was that we were doing one way with luggage, so we could chuck the suitcases in the boot of the bus and relax for the whole journey.

We got the bus from shinjuku station, though they also have buses from Shibuya. Shinjuku has the reputation of being really vast, busy and confusing, which is true, but the bus station was pointed out by a very long arrow painted on the floor that we just s had to follow. Once you’ve found the arrow, it’s really easy. The bus station was very efficient and easy to use - overall I think the Japanese systems were all very efficient and simple to use. I think 4 or 5 bus bays, the number time and destination on a big screen at the head of each bus bay. 2 drivers to check your ticket and make sure you don’t get on the wrong bus. The bus made a couple of stops in Tokyo, and then it was direct to Kawaguchi, but made a few stops around Kawaguchi. And in summer months it also carries on to one of the Fuji stations if you want to climb!

We found the early buses sold out with day trippers, but we went at lunchtimish and it was empty.

This website has the tickets and info

Hi New to the thread, thank you for starting it!

I'm planning a trip to Japan at end of May for 12 days, travelling with my partner and 9 momth old baby. We've never been before and are planning an itinerary of Tokyo -Hakone - Kyoto - Osaka - Tokyo.

I've been given some advice about travelling with baby e.g. apps to find nursing rooms, and we're trying to pack as light as possible, but I think will still have quite a lot of stuff (yoyo travel buggy, travel cot, some toys etc).

Does anyone have any experience of hotel luggage forwarding? I've heard this is very good in Japan but chat gpt has suggested it may not work for parts of our trip. The hotel we've booked for Hakone is somewhat remote (near Lake Ashi) and it suggested the luggage may not arrive same day. Just wondering if anyone had any experience of using these forwarding services? Or any other general advice about Japan travel with a baby?

Thanks 😊

@Fuckingfuckssake we also got the bus to Kawaguchiko but we got our bus from the bus station at the 'back' of Tokyo station.

@Actnaturally how did you get on in Korea?

@razzledazzle10

I’ve not travelled with a baby but there’s a lot of good infrastructure for kids in Japan. Public toilets for women almost always have a chair in the corner of the cubicle for a baby to sit in while you use the loo. It also seems really common for tourist attractions, malls and department stores to lend strollers at the entrance.

I have used luggage forwarding and it isn’t normally a same-day service. Your luggage will arrive the day after you send it and for the airport you have to send it two days before you want it to arrive. If you’re only staying in Hakone for one night, you should forward as much luggage as you can straight to Kyoto and take as little stuff with you as possible to Hakone for the night.

Thanks @Takoneko that's all really helpful!

@Specialnameforanoutingthread I've been meaning to write a message to you, but I think I’m so sad about being back home I’ve avoided the topic.

I was absolutely blown away by Korea. I’m not sure what I was expecting, I don’t know if I had any expectations. We didn’t have a lot of time there, but we saw Busan (the cruise was amazing, wish we could do it in summer so we had light later), and then bullet to Seoul. I am in love with Seoul. It’s so big yet so spacious. I loved the craziness, the space, the understreet shopping centres, the fact you cant follow a map as you end up at an uncrossable road. The meat eaters LOVED the food. Seoul tower at sunset was amazing.

Basically, we loved it and we will be going back! We had way too little time there!

Thank you for all of the advice re the cruise and Seoul. The airport limousine bus in particular was invaluable!

@Specialnameforanoutingthreadand @Actnaturallythank you both so much for the input, lots to think about.

How quickly do I need to book Tokyo Disneyland? It's exactly 60 days next week or can I wait closer to the time?

I’d wait until closer to the time and book once you have an idea of the weather. It doesn’t usually sell out in advance.