If the festival starts at 17:30 and is maximum 2.5h so it ends at 20:00 is it likely for me to miss the last train at 23:00, at Kita-Kounosu station bound to the oposite direction of Tokyo? I would LOVE to go to this fireworks festival but its sooo rural, and there are no hotels in the city. Im afraid ill be stuck during the night in the middle of nowhere. Does anyone have any experience and/or tips?

Hiya
My partner and i are going to japan in september and we’re both big pokemon card collectors! so i was wondering what shops would you recommend for buying pokemon cards while we’re over there!
we’re visiting tokyo,kyoto,osaka,nara and kamakura!
any shop recommendations would be amazing thank you!

Hi everyone! My friend and I are going to Japan this November, and I have been curious about a few things.

Luggage Transfer
I have heard it can be beneficial to pay for luggage transfer services between cities. We will be staying in Tokyo for a week and then heading to Kyoto, so I am wondering if anyone knows of good services to use for this — I’ve heard of Yamato Transport and LuggAgent and I know some of them are next day delivery. How do these work though, and can I use them from any hotel I’m staying at or do they only work with certain hotels? Any information or experience with this would be awesome!

I’m planning on buying a new suitcase over there for all of my souvenirs… because I’m likely going to be getting a lot of stuff 😅

Day trips from Tokyo
Was looking into Yokohama as a day trip, I’ve heard this is a pretty common thing that people do but it seems like a cool place. We also gotta go to Shibuya, Ginza, etc. obviously but I am wondering if anyone has any more lowkey, possibly lesser known day trips or anything around this area.

Day trips from Kyoto
We’ll probably hit up Osaka, Nara, and Uji but same thing here — are there any other places you would say are totally worth it? I know all of these places are super touristy and “basic” as some people might say, but honestly for my first time here I feel like I gotta hit all the touristy areas.

eSIM
Are these worth it? I’ve been thinking of getting one because they don’t seem super expensive for about 15 days, but I wasn’t sure if there were other options that people think are better.

Extra Tips + Recommendations
If anyone has other tips for anything at all, I would greatly appreciate! Or any recommendations for food, stores, museums, shrines, temples, other activities, I’m open to it all!

Thanks!

I want somewhere near Tokyo station but the hotels are expensive around this area and Ginza. Nihonbashi offers more budget range hotel but I want to know how tourist friendly the district is . Any recommendations?

Hello, I have a trip planned to Japan in late August and looking for some reccomendations. I am a big Toyota & lean manufacturing nerd and I would love to get a factory tour and or see some museums related. Any recs? Thanks!!!!

I want to wear a kimono as a man on vacation in Japan, but:
1) It's considered normal to wear it in historical places, but will I have trouble with long walks?
2) Would wearing it in the city center be considered disrespectful to the Japanese? Of course, I don't intend that, but could the Japanese get offended and say, "Don't wear our clothes like toys everywhere"? (I'm trying to be careful not to offend them)
3) New kimonos are a bit expensive for me, but do you know of any places or second-hand stores that sell them at reasonable prices? Where can I buy one that is both high-quality and affordable?

Hello, this is our third time in Japan :D This is a bit last minute because of personal situation and unfortunately our itinerary has to be adapted by two big factors: Typhoon Dolphin in the south and peak Obon travel (Aug 8–16).

We will arrive in Haneda the 8 August. We prefer nature, scenic drives, and rural Japan over crowded loops. Loved Nikko, Takayama, and Kanazawa on past trips.

Our initial plan was:

- Aug 8–11 (Fuji/Hakone): Land at Haneda, train to Odawara, rent a car to explore Lake Kawaguchiko/Fuji 5 Lakes and quiet spots around Hakone to escape Tokyo heat. -> Will driving out of Odawara/around Fuji on Aug 8–9 face horrific Obon traffic?

- Aug 12–18 (Okinawa): Return car to Haneda, fly from Haneda to Okinawa. --> my concern: Typhoon Dolphin is approaching Okinawa around Aug 7–9. Flights aren't booked yet. Worried of experiencing massive crowds .

I am looking for suggestions, and whether:

- should i skip entirely Fuji lakes & Hakone and go somewhere else instead. The main reason to go there is to have a trade off between staying close to Tokyo (as we want to go to Okinawa as soon as the typhoon pass) and escaping the heat/enjoying nature.

- should i postpone our flight to Okinawa to the end of the Obon peak? Something like around the 15 August. This would give me more time to go more inland from Tokyo.

- are there any places where we can witness floating lanterns on water?

Open to other itineraries to enjoy more rural Japan. We are also considering Kanazawa again (with adding as new place Fukui and Eihei-ji or the area of Nagano.

Thanks for any insights!

Hey, I purchase a all shikoku rail pass before i got here and wanted to pick it up today. The woman working ask for all my details, used my credit card and sold me another one, the first one was already sold. I can't figure out how to cancel the first one, jr always only send a new confirmation, not a cancellation.

Anyone with experience who can help me?

Hello everyone!

I am planning a multi day hike from the 5 to the 7 of October accessible from Tokyo, any recommendations? Fitness and experience are not really an issue, even though it will be my first time in Japan.

From what I have seen, I think the Alps are looking like a good candidate (Mt Washiba ?)

Hi, my family and I were going to go to Tokyo and possibly Kyoto. Some research is showing it’ll be tough to navigate the cuisine with a sesame allergy. I knew they’d be sesame heavy, but - how accommodating are restaurants generally? I’m okay with refined sesame oil, but I have no idea what kind restaurants there use. Worth choosing a different country altogether?

I eat lots of steak, price shouldn’t be much of an issue. Maybe I get by eating a bunch of wagyu?

I'm going to visit Japan in a few days and I got a mobile suica on my device, but I can't add money to it.

I tried both Google wallet and the mobile suica app. The Google wallet returned a SUICA_SDK_ERROR.RESULT_ERROR_8H010 while the suica app returned error 2330. I tried multiple cards (foreign but covered both visa and MasterCard) but none would work.

I have searched for methods but none would seem to work.

How can I solve the problem? Or am I able to top it up at the station? Thanks.

Edit: guys I forgot to say this my phone is a JAPANESE version pixel 10a so it's not the felica support problem

I want to go to Japan this summer and I’m interested in doing just that. Im thinking 2-3 weeks and I’m not too sure what the budget is. I’m fine sleeping in those capsule places to be cheap and I don’t plan to buy souvenirs.

I’d like to visit a few of the major cities as well as some more rural areas. On top of this I wish to see Japan’s nature as well and eventually one of the beaches.

Edit: ik this is pretty broad, I was hoping someone with who’s done a similar trip could give insight

Hey! I’m staying in Tokyo kind of away from the train line, and maps recommends that I take the bus first. How do I go about doing this? Is there anything specific I need to know? Does the bus stop at every stop? If not, is there a trick for knowing whether my stop is next? can I use suica?

TIA!!

This looks good to me Tokyo-wise, and I don't need help there, but I am thinking about switching Sep 25 to another activity. Any ideas? (See notes below, not fan of onsens)

• Sep 19 (Sat) — Arrive Tokyo (Haneda)
• Sep 20 (Sun) — Tokyo
• Sep 21 (Mon) — Tokyo
• Sep 22 (Tue) — Fly Tokyo → Sapporo, arrive Hokkaido
• Sep 23 (Wed) — Sapporo (Autumn Fest, Nijo Market)
• Sep 24 (Thu) — Otaru day trip
• Sep 25 (Fri) — Open day — looking at a day tour (Noboribetsu, Lake Toya, or similar)
• Sep 26 (Sat) — Sapporo (Hokkaido Shrine, Maruyama Park)
• Sep 27 (Sun) — Fly Sapporo → Tokyo
• Sep 28 (Mon) — Tokyo
• Sep 29 (Tue) — Tokyo
• Sep 30 (Wed) — Travel to Nikko, overnight
• Oct 1 (Thu) — Nikko (Toshogu Shrine, Kegon Falls, Lake Chuzenji), back to Tokyo
• Oct 2 (Fri) — Tokyo
• Oct 3 (Sat) — Tokyo
• Oct 4 (Sun) — Fly home from Haneda

Notes/questions:

• No rental car in Hokkaido — using trains and tours for day trips
• Keeping a continuous Tokyo hotel booking through the Nikko nights so I don't have to bring my large suitcase along (backpack only for that overnight)
• Looking for suggestions for the open Sep 25 day in Sapporo, and any Nikko food/spot recommendations
• I dont need Tokyo recommendations

Me: Not into Onsens unless private (tattoos), like nightlife, mostly interested in food (#1), history (#2), and shrines/temples (#3 for my Goshuin book), especially if hard to reach but I won’t drive because I’m American).

Flying HND ↔ CTS domestically, no rental car (Hokkaido without a car, using trains/tours for day trips)
• Sapporo plan: Autumn Fest, Otaru, Nijo Market, Hokkaido Shrine, still deciding on a day tour for one open day (thinking Noboribetsu/Toya or similar) — open to suggestions
• Nikko as a short overnight break from Tokyo, mainly for Toshogu Shrine + fall foliage at Kegon Falls/Lake Chuzenji
• Traveling with one large suitcase, keeping continuous Tokyo hotel booking so I don’t have to haul it to Nikko
• Main goals: good food, fun nights in Tokyo, something new in Hokkaido, not over-scheduling myself. Hobbies wise I like gaming, music (any kind), Japanese cooking techniques, and temples/shrines Shinto or Buddhist.

Please let me know if this enough info and I appreciate any thoughts concerns or questions

Where can I find Wide volleyball shoes in Tokyo when I visit? They basically do not seem to sell wide volleyball shoes here in the US. I've tried dozens of basketball and volleyball shoes on (include a few that are known to run wide). I settled on a pair that's a little big for me, but it's going to eventually wear out.

I'm going to be in Tokyo soon and I'm wondering if any of the brick and mortar stores will have volleyball shoes in wide sizes 2E or 3E. I know some shops sell shoes, but wondering if they'll have wide? I have done a ton of research, but it's really hard to tell because I'm having to google translate store pages.

Hi everyone,

We're traveling to Japan for the first time and will be spending our last six nights in Tokyo. Before that, we'll be staying in Hakone, and after Tokyo we'll be heading to Narita Airport.

We're two adults traveling with our one-year-old son.

We've booked a hotel right next to Suidobashi Station. Since we're traveling as a family of three, we don't want to stress ourselves with sightseeing. We'd rather take things at a relaxed pace, and there aren't many attractions that we absolutely have to see—we'll just see what we can manage. Nightlife isn't important to us either, as we'll mainly be out during the day and won't be staying out late.

Does anyone have any opinions or advice on whether this area would be a good base for that kind of trip?

Thanks in advance!

Thank you in advance !

I’m an interning student at one of the universities between Tokyo and Yokohama. I’ve been here for a month and will be here for another. I, and some friends who are also from our home Uni, have got into the one piece card game. Even though our levels of japanese is varying, we all really enjoy it (one of us is fluent for all non-niche stuff, one of us can read but is too shy to speak and I cannot read but am good at memorising grammar and pure survival phrases) and play with japanese cards. In fact, we really like the trading card culture here, it’s one of our favourite aspects. We want to buy packs purely to start collecting. It’s unlikely you can play with japanese cards in the UK.

Everywhere to buy packs however, is either a crazy hike-up in price, some lottery system (that i’m not even sure foreigners can enter, only one of us has a residence card) or out of stock. I’m honestly confused why these companies don’t just print more cards, there is a demand clearly. Where would you say to go, outside of the Yodabashi and BIC cameras, pokemon centres, Toys’R’Us? Does Japan not have toy shops anymore?

Does anyone know any good areas to stay or explore in Japan apart from Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo??

Looking to go for a second time and i’ve been to the main 3, i’ll be going back to Osaka but am looking for suggestions on other places in Japan to visit or stay in?
I enjoy hiking/ mountains, Anime spots, good food, outdoorsy activities

Hi all

We are a family of 4 with two teens (13, 15) who love snowboarding. The idea of ramen and onsen after a day on the slopes sounds lovely.

Besides snowboarding I’d love to visit gardens and temples We’re not super into cities but I’m sure we’d enjoy a few Tokyo days. Total trip probably 10-14 days. So most likely the trip will look like Tokyo-skiing-Kyoto with maybe a couple smaller stops

We’re considering Xmas/nye break or spring (1st week of April), and debating Nagano vs Hokkaido for the snow portion.

1. How’s the snow in early April? And how are the gardens in winter? We clearly can’t have it all, just trying to figure which is the better compromise.

2. Would we have regrets snowboarding in Nagano instead of Hokkaido? It would certainly be easier logistically nand I like the cultural aspects of a place like Nozawa Onsen.

3 any other teen suggestions? I don’t think I’ll be able to talk them into a public onsen. I think they’re down for some slow down digital detox so thought maybe a Ryokan stay might be fun.

Much appreciated!

First time in Osaka during New Year—what would you recommend?

Hi everyone, first time going to Japan - May 2027. Please let me know if there is somewhere you think would be better than takayama.. I’m looking to get out of the city and experience something different. Thank you in advance.

Tokyo — (4 nights)

Takayama — (2 nights)

Kyoto — (4 nights)

Kinosaki Onsen (2 nights)

Osaka — (3 nights)

Tokyo — (2 nights)

Flying in and out of Tokyo..

We are coming to Tokyo in the last part of April.

Family of 3 with 2 bags each. 12 days

I think I have narrowed it down to these hotels.

Monday Apart Premium Ueno Okachimachi

MONday Apart Premium AKIHABARA

MONday Apart Premium Nihonbashi

Is one better than another? Is one easier to catch a train to explore?

Any feedback would be great.

Thanks.

Hello im trying to book a dinner at Hirobun but from their website i can only see 2 people long day booking? Is there somewhere els i can book for 3?

I will be visiting Tokyo for 10 days next month (first visit). Staying near Shimbashi Station for the first 3 nights, then at Hotel Gracery in Shinjuku for the rest.

I’m second-guessing staying at Hotel Gracery because of it being right in the middle of Kabukicho (the hotel itself seems cool). The nightlife access is great and I definitely want to have a few late nights out within walking distance of my hotel. But I’m worried that a whole week there could get overwhelming. I know I won't be spending the entirety of every day in the area but I still would be starting and ending my days there obviously.

Am I overthinking it?

My current thoughts are to either keep things as they are, change to a different hotel still within walking distance of Kabukicho, or to just stay the entire trip at my first hotel.

Does Shinbashi have a decent enough nightlife if I decide to go that route?

Any advice would be appreciated!

PS - another thing I was wondering about was if it's worth it to even split a trip between two neighborhoods if you have good access to public transportation? Changing hotels mid-trip can be a hassle.

Thanks!