Trip to Japan?

jyl · jyl's Garage

The Japan-knowledgeable of you, help me think out a trip to Japan.

Time of year? Where to go? What to see?

Interests are eating and food, exploring towns and cities, sleeper cabin train or ferry, skiing, mild day hiking, coastline.

Prefer to stay somewhere for 3-5 days at a time. Don’t need or want luxury, but comfortable is good. Family trip w/ 1-2 young adult kids. 3-4 weeks available. Not much of a shopper.

Zero Japanese language skill.

Have been to Japan for a week long ago - mostly a business trip to Tokyo, Osaka but took myself to Tsujki (?) Fish Market and Ginza, also went to Kyoto, big regret is didn’t eat in small holes and stalls except at Tsujki.

WPOZZZ · 05-17-2025, 06:12 PM

Book a stay at a ryokan. Fall, winter and spring are nice, esp if you are there for cherry blossom season. Summers are disgustingly humid and sweaty.

vash · vash's Garage

I am going in November. going to be kinda cold I think. but better than hot!! my bud sweated balls a few months ago.

I am going to hit (Tokyo) Shinjuku again, or maybe Ginza. I want to eat things. wife and I will take a train to Osaka, because my favorite brand of fishing gear is made there. MegaBass!! i will hit a few tackle shops, and knife shops. (my poor wife).

I am currently going thru hotels. the prices are all over the the place. Shinjuku seems cheaper than Ginza. I havent even looked at Osaka, but the train there is about $100 as far as I can tell.

I too have Zero Japanese, except a few phrases. I can say a blessing to the food, for instance. ha!!

but wife and once ended up in the middle of a blue collar neighborhood while looking for a Samarai shrine. the menus have pictures. we just pointed at things.

We will work Japan into our Taipei trip. just do it. will you get lost? yes. will your feel lost in a restaurant? absolutely!. the underground subway? can you point west? no way!. that place is a blast.

LWJ · 05-17-2025, 06:21 PM

My wife, who has a super power in travel planning is planning a trip in September. If you want to chat with her, shoot me a DM. She will have many ideas.

masraum · 07:12 PM

It's been a long time since I was in Japan, but I can tell you that you have to go to Harajuku I think it is the most active in the weekends. That's where all of the kids hang out. The Kawai girls, the bands and guys that dress like 50s greasers, the fashionistas, music people. Lots of trendy restaurants, clothing stores, music shops, etc...

Find a good onsen or maybe a variety in different locations.

I also think it would be part of a great experience to stay in some Ryokans.

"Japanese inns, known as ryokans, offer a unique and traditional accommodation experience. They differ from Western-style hotels in several key ways, including their focus on traditional Japanese hospitality, often including elements like tatami mats, futon beds, and onsen (hot spring baths). Ryokans also typically offer multi-course kaiseki cuisine as part of the stay"

Kyoto would be high on my list of places to go as well.

It gets cold-ish in Japan in the winter, not super cold because it's surrounded by water (except Hokkaido/Sapporo, which does get very cold)

The summers, especially in the south are warm and muggy.

Seahawk · 06:25 AM

I’d start with watching James May “Our Man in Japan”.

Seriously.

My son went to language school in Japan and thought the series was exceptional. He wishes the series had aired before he spend three months in Japan.

Have fun.

onewhippedpuppy · 05-18-2025, 04:03 AM

Our Man In Japan is phenomenal. I’ve only done an overnight in Tokyo so I have nothing to add. I really enjoyed my brief experience and would like to go as a tourist.

vash · vash's Garage

my first time in Tokyo was maybe October. got off the plane and thought to myself, this is COLD!! we immediately hit up a store and bought thermal underwear and puffy jackets. a UNICLO. I had to buy something like XL, since Japanese sizes are like origami tiny. I still have the puffy vest. the zipper is opposite what we do here domestically. drive me nuts, but that vest comes with memories.

just go, and open your mind to new experiences. Korea is next for us.

masraum · 05-18-2025, 11:28 AM

You NEED to figure out a way to visit the airport is Fukuoka!

(so you can get one of these AWESOME bags)

Seahawk · 05-18-2025, 11:39 AM

My parents lived near FUK for three years. One of my sisters was born there, so...

masraum · 05-18-2025, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Seahawk

My parents lived near FUK for three years. One of my sisters was born there, so...

LOL! Your parents took it as a directive.

Now JYL has a mission!

sc_rufctr · 05-18-2025, 06:03 PM

I haven't been to Japan but I'd love to go!

Also, I liked movies "Black Rain" and "Lost in Translation".

stealthn · 05-19-2025, 05:03 AM

Another good series on YT is: Abroad in Japan - British guy who lives there has all “what to do” kinds of videos.

mgatepi · 05-19-2025, 05:13 AM

We are also planning a family trip to Japan this fall. Our current plan is 4 days in Tokyo and 5 days in Kyoto. Leaving early November and staying 9 nights. I have been to Kyoto in November and it is awesome! Cool but not cold! Summers in Japan can be horribly hot so fall I think is best. Luckily I have friends living in both areas to help us. It will be my wife and I and our 3 sons along with their wives. Big group and we are budgeting $30K....might not be enough..... but the FX is in our favor currently.

masraum · 05:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgatepi

but the FX is in our favor currently.

When we live in Japan, the rate fluctuated between 200 and 250 yen to the dollar. There was a place off base that was an all you can eat place where they had a selection of meats, veggies, and sauces. You'd collect what you wanted and then you cooked the food at your table. It was 1000¥ per person, so for our family it was $12 for all you can eat. Those were the days!

I think it's ~150¥ right now, so that's actually not bad compared to the many, many years where it hovered around 100¥ to the dollar sometimes even dipping down into the double digits.

mgatepi · 05-19-2025, 07:27 AM

I can remember the 98 to 110 days but I never knew the FX was in the 200's!! What year was this?

IROC · IROC's Garage

I travel to Japan 1-2 times per year so have been many times. I don't really have much to add as I am always there for business. I go to an area a couple of hours north of Tokyo right on the coast.

For me personally, the initial "hey this place is really cool because everything is so different" quickly turns into "I'm sort of tired of the place because everything is so different". Where I go (Katsuta, Mito, Tokai area - Japan Particle Accelerator Research Complex) not many people speak English and I speak very little Japanese beyond the usual greetings and what comes in handy for me - "Excuse me" and "I'm sorry".

But everyone is really nice and I am amazed at how safe the place feels. Young children walking (and taking trains) to school with no adult supervision at all. Things like that. I also really appreciate the whole "respect" culture in Japan - like not talking on trains or being very quiet if you do have to talk.

The food is really good (even for a backwoods East Tennessee guy like me). Some stuff is very exotic (a kind way of saying disgustingly weird) but most everything is good. Stay away from the Monk Fish Soup. Pro tip. I've had raw horse twice and it was awesome both times. Also raw beef tongue (shabu-shabu). I have pictures.

IROC · IROC's Garage

The Japanese love vending machines. This one was in my hotel. I bought a beer (for about $3):

Horse sashimi (excellent - I had eaten most of it before it occurred to me to take a picture):

masraum · 05-19-2025, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mgatepi

I can remember the 98 to 110 days but I never knew the FX was in the 200's!! What year was this?

We were there for ~ 5 of the years from '78-'85.

I found this online.

masraum · 05-19-2025, 10:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IROC

I travel to Japan 1-2 times per year so have been many times. I don't really have much to add as I am always there for business. I go to an area a couple of hours north of Tokyo right on the coast.

For me personally, the initial "hey this place is really cool because everything is so different" quickly turns into "I'm sort of tired of the place because everything is so different". Where I go (Katsuta, Mito, Tokai area - Japan Particle Accelerator Research Complex) not many people speak English and I speak very little Japanese beyond the usual greetings and what comes in handy for me - "Excuse me" and "I'm sorry".

But everyone is really nice and I am amazed at how safe the place feels. Young children walking (and taking trains) to school with no adult supervision at all. Things like that. I also really appreciate the whole "respect" culture in Japan - like not talking on trains or being very quiet if you do have to talk.

The food is really good (even for a backwoods East Tennessee guy like me). Some stuff is very exotic (a kind way of saying disgustingly weird) but most everything is good. Stay away from the Monk Fish Soup. Pro tip. I've had raw horse twice and it was awesome both times. Also raw beef tongue (shabu-shabu). I have pictures.

I'm sure that you get along just fine since you're frequently there. It's interesting that you (and us when we were there) run into so many folks that don't speak English, because when I was there (and I don't think this has changed) English was a required class in school for something like 8 years. So they have all been taught. But if they don't use it and haven't spoken it with native English speakers, they probably find it easier to not speak English.

When we were there, we found that a lot of time writting something down (printed) and showing it to them was better understood than trying to say it to them. We went down to find "sanding sealer" once for a project (pinewood derby, I think) and the guy just was not getting what my mother was saying. THen she wrote it down and he immediately said "sanding sealer". But it was obvious that the way that he said it and the way that my mom said it was different enough that was why he didn't understand her.

We found that Japan was super safe and clean, and the people were super polite and many were very friendly.

I remember being on a trip to visit another town once, my parents and I and another family with a kid my age. We stopped at a place for lunch with the fake plastic food in the front window that you would point to. Someone at the table got a bowl of soup with their food, and found an eyeball in their soup, LOL. Needless to say, they didn't finish the soup.

Fortunately, there's plenty of not-weird food it Japan too.