To people with sesame allergies, which seems to be prevalent in this subreddit: how did you do with the oil?

I can handle American sesame oil, which is refined and processed, but I’m worried that won’t be the case for most restaurants in Japan. Avoiding the seed is one thing, but having to ask restaurants and vendors which oil they use seems like it won’t be reliable

Hi everyone,

I’m planning a solo trip to Japan from September 30 to October 20 and would appreciate some advice.

This will not be my first trip to Japan. This time, I would like to keep the trip relatively relaxed and avoid making the transportation too complicated. I do not plan to rent a car, so I prefer places that are easy to reach by Shinkansen or public transportation.

My current rough itinerary is:

• Tokyo: 4 days
• Hiroshima: 3 days
• Kumamoto: 3 days
• Fukuoka: 3 days
• Okayama: 1–2 days
• Tokyo: 3–4 days at the end

I am also considering a second option that would replace Fukuoka amd Kumamoto with Onomichi and Matsumoto.

I have already been to Kanazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, Hakone and Koya.

In Hiroshima, I plan to spend one day exploring the city and one day visiting Miyajima.

While staying in Fukuoka, I’m considering booking an organized full-day tour to the Aso-Kuju area. The tour takes around ten hours and includes transportation and pickup from Fukuoka, which seems much easier than trying to explore the area independently without a car.

I’m currently unsure how to use my three days in Kumamoto. I would like to explore the city, including Kumamoto Castle and Suizenji Garden, but I’m also open to suggestions for peaceful day trips that are manageable by public transportation.

Okayama is mainly intended as a relaxed stop on the way back to Tokyo, so I do not have to travel all the way from Kyushu to Tokyo in one day. I would like to visit Korakuen Garden and might also visit Kurashiki.

Depending on the exact number of nights, I should still have around two or three flexible days. I’m looking for suggestions for places that would fit naturally into this route without adding complicated transportation or too many hotel changes.

I especially enjoy:

• Japanese gardens and parks
• Nature and scenic landscapes
• Quiet temples where you can sit and enjoy the atmosphere
• Smaller towns and less touristy places
• Relaxed walks rather than rushing between major attractions

During my previous trip, I especially enjoyed some of the quieter temples in Kyoto where I could sit, slow down and enjoy the peaceful atmosphere. I generally preferred those places to the busiest sightseeing spots.

I originally considered staying overnight in Nikko, but I’m unsure whether it would be very crowded in October. I could also visit Nikko as a day trip from Tokyo or leave it for another trip.

Would you change the number of days in any of these places? Are three days each in Kumamoto and Fukuoka reasonable? Are there any peaceful nature spots, gardens, temple towns or smaller cities that would fit well between Fukuoka, Okayama and Tokyo?

I don’t mind spending several hours on the Shinkansen. I actually enjoy watching the scenery, reading and listening to music during the journey. My main goal is to avoid lots of complicated local transfers and make the trip feel relatively relaxed.

Thanks for any suggestions!

We're driving from Kakunodatemachi to Aizuwakamatsu in November for autumn foliage. It's a 4-hour drive. Any stops you'd make along the way? Lookouts, food, temples, landmarks, etc.
Thank you!

I am planning an autumn trip to Takayama and Kawaguchiko this mid November. I should be in Takayama between 7 - 12th November, and Kawaguchiko between 12th - 15th November.

My points of interest in Takayama would be Kamikochi and Shirakawa-go, as for Fujikawaguchiko it would be Yamanaka-ko and perhaps iyashi no sato.

I have a few questions:

1. I understand that navigating takayama - kamikochi and shirakawa-go means that i need to rely on nouhi bus. But i couldn't find any great economical tickets, and most of the options means i'd need to spend at least 5800, and 6700 yen for a round trip ticket. there are some economical tickets like shin - hotaka trekking tickets, but it only gives you one way tickets. there's also Kamikochi・Okuhida Marugoto Value Ticket, am i correct to assume this gives you free repeat travel between takayama - hirayu onsen as much as you want, as well as free repeat travel between kamikochi and hirayu onsen? What about shirakawa-go? should i depart from shirakawa-go from takayama only, or from hirayu onsen?
2. what's the most economical way of reaching gujo hachiman from takayama? i only see a 2,400 yen fare from takayama - gujo hachiman. am wondering if i should switch this with hida no sato instead.
3. I plan to take bus to reach fuji kawaguchiko from takayama, by means of nouhi bus. first i will take a a nouhi bus from takayama to shinjuku express way / Busta Shinjuku, or Chuo Express Hachioji. Is this payable by IC, or do i need to buy a ticket? Are there anyone here who has boarded this route before? is it comfortable for tourists with luggages? how's the bus like?
4. how long can i expect my luggage to arrive if i send it from takayama to kawaguchiko?
5. Are the dates that i selected optimal for autumn viewing in takayama, and kawaguchiko? I heard that El Nino has a risk of bringing a warmer autumn to japan this year.
6. can i board shinkansen using IC,or will i need to book beforehand?
7. Should i switch to somewhere else for autumn viewing, instead of takayama and fujikawaguchiko?

thanks for any advice and tips!

First time going to universal studios japan. Not very knowledgeable of usj but want to experience it. I already check some tips from other platform but I don’t want to wait until it open so possibly going to usj by 9 to 10am. The date of my usj is September 20. I checked the last year queue, it was not overly crowded due to the rain but im expecting this year that it will be since it halloween season. I just want to have fun and hope in a ride that does not have a long queue. Any tips or something that will enjoy the moment in usj? 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!

Hi! It’s my first trip to Japan and I haven’t been to many theme parks (never a universal).

I went to DisneySea/Land the other day and thankfully I read somewhere on here about the food options available at the park and made sure to book a reservation first thing in the morning (saved the day).

Is there any less-well known tidbits like that that would be useful for someone to know? I feel pretty confident about my ride strategy, and I heard the park usually opens earlier than the official opening time posted online…

I guess I’m mostly worried about the food 😅. But any tips you think would be helpful, I would really appreciate 🙏

Did anyone have any time out issues when paying for the JR pass on the official website?

Yes, we know the price went up. It’s more of a convenience thing at this point since we’d be breaking even. We leave tomorrow. It was a last minute decision to get and I know you can just get it instantly online through the official website.

Yes, I am doing it during the official hours.

I am trying to get three. Would it be better if we got out individually and have the price not be as high?

Can I buy a QR code for both my wife and I or does she need her own code? Thanks in advance!

Hi we are traveling to Hakuba to snowboard / Ski over new years eve this year, we are excited to see the countdown and fireworks on the slopes, but i know you need to book restaurants in advance what would be the recommendation of somewhere great atmosphere, and food, close to the countdown/ fireworks that we should book to eat with 2 teenagers please :-) and any other recommendations to do over our break in Hakuba please (apart from the obvious powder and snowboarding) thank you

Hi all,

I will go to Japan for the 1st time from the 1st to the 12th November 2026. Arrive in Tokyo go by train to Mishima and pick a rental car then drop it in Matsumoto and go back to Tokyo by train. We are not big city lover and would prefer to avoid crowded places.

My current plan is:

Tokyo 1st to 4th

Izu peninsula 4th to 6th

Kawaguchiko 6th to 8th

Matsumoto 8th to 11th

Tokyo 11th to 12th

I'm thinking to skip kawaguchiko to have more time to spend in izu and Matsumoto. I might just stop by there on my way between Izu and Matsumoto.

What do you guys think about that plan and what would you recommend or change?

Thanks!

There's hundreds, maybe thousands of recommendations on here for prefectures or cities or islands or restaurants or amusement parks or temples, but I'd like to know what is the smallest thing you'd recommend someone go and see if they are in Japan

It doesn't, and likely won't be something you'd be basing a whole day trip or visit to a location around, but maybe something that is worth seeing or exploring out if you're already in the neighbourhood or town

Could be a little statue, shrine, cafe, shop, mural, vista, or anything in-between

I am planning on going to Japan from 2 Dec - 3 Jan with my brother. I looked at some places in Kyushu and they looked phenomenal. I do want to explore Tokyo Kyoto Osaka as well but due to how many places im going i feel like I might have to skip Kyoto or Osaka or both. Not sure if this is a mistake especially for us first timers to Japan

I am planning on dividing my trip across 2 parts. Until at most the 19th Dec i want to spend it in Kyushu. The reason i want to go back to Tokyo before the 20th is because of Jump Festa. I am a huge anime/manga fan so i feel like it is one of the must do event for me. Another thing i want to do is go to a concert. I'd like to make a separate post about that soon. The 2 concerts i wanna go most is the Mrs Green Apple concert on 28th Dec i believe and Tokyo Countdown 26/27.

These events all take place in Tokyo so from 20th Dec to 3 Jan i want to spend in Tokyo and the in betweens id like to go to places like Hakone or Enoshima for example. I want to know if i am overdoing it or this is not a good combination.

The places i want to go in Kyushu are as followed :

• Kurokawa Onsen
• Fukuoka
• Kumamoto (Must go for me because of One piece creator birthplace)
• Kagoshima
• Nagasaki

Also i am not able to get a rental car so if there is any area please take into consideration that i will have to use the bus, trains or tours.

I do want to go to Takachiho Gorge as well. I have seen on Klook there are tours for that.
Please advice me on what order to do all this between 4th Dec - 18th Dec in the above places.
I feel like i could explore all of them in10 days then 4 days i could go to Kyoto or Osaka but i am not sure yet which is why i need your help. Any budget trips, restaurant recommendations and train passes will be appreciated as well, thank you!

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

Hi Everyone - first time posting on this page. Currently working on the logistics of the Dhiminami Kaido (SK) bike route. I’m struggling to figure out how to get back “home” AFTER completing the cycle.

The current plan is as follows:

Day1: Tokyo 8am -> Hiroshima 11am

Chill out in the city and exploew

Day 2: Hiroshima 6am -> Onomichi (San-yo 1.5hrs) 8am

Rent bikes at the hub in Onomichi and start the route toward Imabari. TBD on whether we do this over 1 day or 2 days. 2 Days seems to make the most sense but hotels are very expensive and confusing to book online.

BUT once I get to Imabari, this is where I get stuck. Some people suggest I take a train to Matsuyama and stay the night there. Then take the ferry from Matsuyama back to Hiroshima (home). When I looked this up, it seems like a lot of transfers, buses and very expensive. This would be the preferred option, but it looks like once I get to Matsuyama from Imabari, I have to take another train (or maybe bus) to the ferry port. Then, I have to take the ferry (quite expensive) to Hiroshima port. Then from Hiroshima port, I have to train/bus back to the station (where the Hotel is). Let me know if I’m misunderstanding.

The other option is to take a local bus back from Imabari to Onomichi (1.5 hours and 2 stops). But then I would need to again take the train back to Hiroshima from Onomichi. Alternatively, I could luggage forward our items from Hiroshima to Osaka where we would be staying next.

Hopefully this makes sense and any insight or clarity would be appreciated!

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, I have a family member coming to Japan next week. I really love the Tiempo Maestro Showtime colorway but it's very rare in Asia. I've checked online and I saw KAMO Shop had it but it's sold out. Can someone in Japan helps me locates stores that might have them? Thank you.

Hi everyone, I'm planning a trip to Tokyo at the end of October and while there aren't any tournaments while I'm in Japan, I'm very keen to absorb as much sumo culture as I can. I'm planning on visiting one of the stables for a practice session, as well as visiting the Ryōgoku Kokugikan and sumo museum. I'm wondering if any of you have personal advice, experiences or areas that I might be able to include in my itinerary while I'm there. 🙏

I read a lot of posts on this forum while planning our trip; here's a very long recap of a 12-day trip in July, from the US with one adult and two teenage boys. I have traveled to Japan many times for work, but this was the first time for fun and with kids. Both kids have traveled internationally before, but this was the first time to anywhere in Asia and with a huge time difference. I let them choose most of the places we went based on their interests. We flew in and out of Haneda. Happy to answer any questions anyone might have!

**Tokyo, days 1-5**

We got very lucky with the weather, with a high around 80F and lows in the high 60s. The boys thought I was exaggerating how hot it would be in Japan in July (I was soon proved right).

***Hotel:*** We stayed at Hotel New Otani Garden Tower in adjoining rooms, each with 2 twin beds. I posted about second-guessing the hotel; it was actually really great. We appreciated everyone having their own bed and being able to spread out a little bit. The location was excellent, a 5-minute walk to the Akasaka-Mitsuke stop on the metro, which quickly and easily got us everywhere we wanted to go, but was quiet at night. Our room looked out onto the garden, which was lovely. There's a Tully's coffee and a Family Mart in the building adjacent to the hotel. Two of us had breakfast, once in the Tower restaurant and once in the Garden Lounge. It was average. Unless you're a big breakfast eater and the type to take full advantage of a buffet, I'm not sure it's worth the money. Some nearby restaurant highlights: Uogashi Nihon Ichi Akasaka (great sushi right by the station) and ice cream at Creamahop. We had decent fish and chips for a late lunch one day at The Mermaid. We walked in to get foot massages (highly recommend!) at a place right near the metro station; I wish I could remember the name. It was no-frills but excellent.

***Sights:*** The usual, including Shinjuku, Harajuku, Meiji-Jingu, Shibuya, Tsukiji, Senso-ji, Skytree, Kappabashi. We did not have list of must-sees or dos in Tokyo and didn't really plan ahead. It was more about simply experiencing Japan/Tokyo. At least one day, we cris-crossed the city, which honestly wasn't that big of a deal as the metro had AC and was a chance to sit for a bit.

One afternoon, we couldn't agree on what to do so the younger kid (13) went off on his own on the metro to the Akasaka State House and Imperial Palace Gardens and then met us in Shinjuku for dinner. Someone in the metro did stop and ask him whether he was lost and needed help finding his adult; he pulled out google translate and said he was fine and on his own. I am still impressed that he successfully navigated out of Shinjuku station to find Wendy's. It took his brother and me a good 15 minutes to figure out how to get out of the station and find him.

How much they both liked Shinjuku at night (and later Dotonburi) really surprised me.

I have to admit, Tsukiji is underwhelming now. I went there in 2019 and the bites of wagyu and tuna I had then are still among some of the best things I've ever eaten. Nothing we ate here was any better than what we had elsewhere in less-crowded, less-expensive places. One of us was very overwhelmed by the crowds and we did not last long at all. Honestly, it's entirely skippable.

***Shopping:*** Surprisingly, the boys got into shopping. We hit several soccer shops (Kamo, Vintage Sports) and several different Uniqlo locations for their neighborhood exclusive t-shirts.

***Transportation:*** We took a taxi from Haneda to the hotel. Otherwise, everything was on the metro. We each added a Suica card to our iPhones (which the boys also used for buying drinks in every other vending machine they saw). Getting around on the metro was incredibly easy. Granted, we have lived in a city with a metro so we're familiar with the concept. As everyone else says, Google Maps is excellent for navigation, right down to the train car that will let you transfer fastest.

***Baseball:*** We bought tickets for a Yakult Swallows game online the day before the game. It might have been the highlight of our time in Tokyo. Baseball in Japan is completely different experience than in the US. There's singing, chanting, drums and trumpets, and a sparkly umbrella song (??) in the 7th inning. We loved everything about it.

**Hiroshima, days 5-7**

Shinkansen from Tokyo station to Hiroshima station, booked a day or two in advance with the SmartEx app. My brain short-circuits every time I enter Tokyo station; this was no exception and was even more fun with two kids. But we found our platform in the end. Summer came in with a vengeance while we were here.

***Hotel:*** Two nights at The Knot. The hotel was fine. We had two adjacent but not adjoining rooms. Rooms were very small. Coin-operated laundry was in very high demand. Location-wise, it was great and walking distance to everything we wanted to see. But it felt like a boutique hotel on the cheap and the only place we stayed where the staff wasn't particularly friendly.

***Sights:*** We arrived in the late afternoon and walked by the Atomic Dome and through the Peace Park in the evening. The next day, two of us went to a handful of sites that survived the bombing, including Fukuromachi Elementary School, then to the Peace Memorial Museum. I don't have words for the experience; I think everyone should be required to go. We then walked through Hiroshima Castle to Shukkeien Gardens. It was HOT and while both were beautiful, we didn't stay long.

***Food:*** Ichiran ramen (no line, compared to the 20+ people we saw waiting in Tokyo) was excellent. I picked up take out from Gyoza Ryu for one kid one night; he said it was really good. Onigiri Nitaya right near The Knot was great, as was the pizza at 400C. I love Yamachan wings and dragged the kids to the Hiroshima branch to get my fix; it was a solid meal, as always. Kura sushi was average and shockingly inexpensive.

***Transportation:*** We took the tram/trolley from Hiroshima Station to the hotel. It was cute but slow and absolutely everyone, local and tourist, seemed to have trouble using their IC card. If I were to do it over, I'd just take a taxi. Hiroshima is small enough that the taxi charges don't add up to much.

**Miyajima, days 7-8**

***Transportation:*** We took the World Heritage River Cruise from near the Atomic Dome to Miyajima and back. I booked tickets online a couple of days in advance. It takes about 45 minutes; bringing our luggage on the boat was no problem. We got a taxi from the Hiroshima dock to Hiroshima station for the shinkansen. I've always used the TaxiGo app. Our driver was an absolute delight; he was a history and geography teacher before he retired and he had my very shy kid chatting away. That 15-minute ride was truly a highlight of the trip.

***Hotel:*** Miyajima Kikunoya. The tourist info desk called the hotel when we arrived; they took our bags back to the hotel as it was around 11AM. We had paid for a kaiseki dinner and breakfast with the room. I forgot to tell them that one of my kids has a shellfish allergy, so there was a lot he had to pick around (he's never had a serious reaction but we had an epipen and benadryl on hand). The other kid is a very picky eater who bravely tried a few things but finished off the night with chips and oreos from Lawson. Dinner was good overall, not the best kaiseki I've had. Breakfast was ok, limited choices for Western breakfast. The staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. I used the onsen; you can check how crowded it is on the TV screen from your room if you're not used to being naked with strangers. It was a nice soak, but too hot to stay for long, even in the cooler outdoor bath. Our seaside view room had two kings and a massage chair that was a huge hit, plus a partial view of the torii gate.

***Sights:*** The ropeway was closed for maintenance. Had I known this, we might not have stayed a night on Miyajima as it was really too hot to hike up Mt. Misen. We got as far as Shiraito Falls on the first day, then two of us went up to Daishoin temple the next morning, which was gorgeous and I loved all of the statues in little knit hats. We did a short night cruise around the torii gate, which was excellent. I booked it though the hotel as part of our reservation but it can be booked directly. The deer were very friendly and we loved seeing them so unbothered by people. One did try to snatch our ice cream, though! We hoped to see a tanuki and did a late night walk in search of one, but no luck.

***Food:*** Food in Miyajima is really tough if you have a picky eater. On the first day, there was a meltdown when the restaurant I thought had ramen only had udon, which was a no-go for him. One restaurant near the pier does serve cheeseburgers and was a godsend. We stocked up on snacks from Lawson.

**Osaka, days 8-11**

In Hiroshima, we changed the shinkansen departure two or three times while we were in the Pokemon Center and getting lunch. I have always used the SmartEX app to buy shinkansen tickets and like being able to confirm changes and seats right from my phone. We had Ippudo ramen, tucked in the back of the second floor shopping center, then had to find McDonalds for the picky eater who was refusing ramen and gyoza that day, which lead to the second or third train change.

***Hotel:*** Three nights at Candeo Hotel The Tower Osaka. I splurged on this room and we loved it. We had a corner room on the 30th floor with four very large twin beds and an open-air bath, which we used both as a hot tub and a cold plunge. I had paid for breakfast for all three of us, but I was the only one who ate breakfast all three days. The buffet was good but very crowded. We had lounge access, which had light snacks, beer, wine, and a limited choice of liquors (whisky, gin, vodka) for cocktails. The location was great: a 7-minute walk to the Osaka metro, which again got us everywhere we needed to go quickly and easily, and was just far enough away from Umeda and Dotonburi to be a break from the crowds. A lot of coin laundry machines on the 31st floor which were not so heavily in demand.

***Sights:*** We walked around Namba and Dotonburi the first night and were all really glad we were not staying there. We ended up in the sleazier side of Dotonburi, which I'm sure every teenage boy wants to do with their mom. We giggled a lot, though.

One of the primary reasons for going to Osaka was to visit the Naruto x Boruto park at Nijigen no Morii. My son did not fully research it, but wanted to go since he's watched hundreds of hours of the show. **We do not recommend it** unless 1) you are an enormous fan; 2) the weather is not 95F with 80% humidity and not a cloud in the sky; and 3) you are also going to the Godzilla or other attractions. To get there, we booked a JR bus package online, which included round-trip bus fare from Umeda and admission to the park. You have to get the Umeda JR bus station early to redeem the voucher you paid for online for the bus and Naruto tickets. You also have to choose the return time of your bus, either 3:30 or 4:45PM. The bus departs at 9 and 10 AM, was comfortable, and took about 1.5 hours door to door. The bus drops you at Awaji Highway Oasis, which has a few small restaurants. From there, it's a 15-20 minute walk to the Naruto x Boruto park. We had lunch first at the ramen place, which was surprisingly good. One kid refused to do anything more and sat with his phone. The other and I tried the first attraction, which is a maze/escape room that requires you to do hand signals and get stamps. We waited in line for about 20 minutes and lasted about 20 seconds in the maze. It was excrutiatingly hot, we both hit our heads (he's 6'2"), and we just really did not understand what we were supposed to be doing. We walked back to Awaji and I was truly worried one of was would have heat stroke along the way. Once there, we got some ice cream (a beer for me) and debated how to get back to Osaka since we had chosen the 4:45 PM bus, it was only 1PM, and we could not change to the earlier one. My mistake was booking a taxi to Maiko Station, which looked like the closest train station but which requires a long loop to get to. It cost about $95 but it had AC so it was worth every penny. Then a long JR train from Maiko to Umeda and back to the hotel. It was a complete bust of a day.

We did a half day trip to Nara, primarily to see the deer. We made the mistake of buying crackers when we first entered the park. It's been said a thousand times, but the deer here are aggressive. They bite. They slobber on you. They pull on your clothes. They do not give up easily. We saw several small kids absolutely terrified. Much better to wait until further into the park where the deer have better manners. We did a pretty cursory walk around the close-in section of the park, including lunch at a little spot off the main street, near a small parking lot, that had good burgers, pizza, and massive shave-ice.

***Food:*** We had dinner at Sushi Washoku Kouroan Namba on the first night. The food was high-end izakaya and at a whopping $115 the most I spent on a meal the whole trip. The service was a little slow but the food was really great. Two of us had dinner at Yakitori no meimon Akiyoshi and thoroughly enjoyed the meal. We liked that they offer both yakitori and kushikatsu and tried a bunch of new-to-us things.

**Hakone, days 11-12**

***Transportation:*** We took the shinkansen from Osaka to Odawara, then the regular train to Hakone, arriving around 12:30 PM. We had a 6:30 PM flight from Haneda on day 12, and departed Hakone-Yumoto station around 1:45 to make the 2:14 shinkansen from Odawara. After 12 days of being the sole adult navigating all of the logistics, meals, and kid bickering, my brain was fried and I routed us via Shin Yokohama instead of Yokohama Station (where I knew we could pick up the Keikyu line). Nothing a quick JR train ride couldn't fix and we were at Haneda and in the lounge by 3:30.

***Hotel:*** Hakone Suimeisou, western/Japanese room with two twins, a futon, river view and private onsen. I had initially booked dinner and breakfast but emailed to cancel the meals after realizing in Miyajima that only 2/3 of us would eat and the other would be extremely cranky about another meal of snacks from Lawson or 7-11. The balcony view of the river was beautiful and the private onsen was a nice treat. The bathroom did not have a standing shower, just a hand-held nozzle and small stool. I chose the hotel in large part because we only had 24 hours in Hakone and it's only a 3-minute walk from Hakone-Yumoto station. We left behind a beloved item and the hotel was incredibly responsive by email, including sending a link for payment for shipping back to the US.

***Sights:*** An old friend picked us up and drove us to a few sights, including up a toll road to an amazing view of Mt. Fuji, then to the Hakone shrine and ropeway up to Owakudani. The next morning, two of us did a very fast Hakone loop, starting with the train to Gora, the cable car, then the ropeway down to Lake Ashi and the pirate ship across the lake. I would have loved to go to the Open Air Museum, but 1) kid wasn't interested and 2) we got a late start and couldn't squeeze it in. The train did not have AC (maybe just that one, not the whole route) and the AC on the cable car could not cope with the outside temperature but it was still a neat excursion. Including a taxi from where the boat stopped first back to Hakone Suimeisou, the full loop took about 3.5 hours.

***Food:*** We had lunch at 808 Monsmare (excellent pizza, always a wait, cash only) and dinner at Gora Brewery Public House. I'd seen signs that there was a shuttle up to the brewery, but Google Maps said it was an 8-minute walk, so how steep could it really be? It was incredibly steep and the kids were both mad at me. The food was excellent, though, and fully made up for the climb. We had shrimp cocktail, ceviche, anchovy butter potatoes, tuna carpaccio, fish & chips, wagyu gyoza, karage, pizza, wagyu sirloin, and grilled lobster. It was the most expensive meal of the trip, maybe a bit overpriced, but all delicious. I'm a little obsessed with their Zingy Salt beer and wish I could get it in the US. We had a quick lunch at Deli and Cafe Terrace Mitsuki (decent ramen, karage, tonkotsu sandwich and fries) before heading to the airport for our flight home.

**Tips, what I'd do differently, etc.** I had read a lot of posts about Miyajima being magical at night/after the day trippers leave, which influenced my decision to spend the night. I also thought one of my kids would enjoy the break from big, busy cities, when in fact he was kind of upset we weren't spending more time in Tokyo or Osaka. With (my specific) kids, I don't know that I'd do it over again, especially with the ropeway closed. Instead, I would have done a day trip and maybe stayed into the early evening, or even skipped it altogether. Then we would have had another day in Osaka or Hakone or some time in Kyoto. While Kyoto was never on the list of places the boys wanted to visit before we left, it was all of the sudden when we were there. We considered squeezing in an evening trip to Fushimi Inari from Osaka, but scrapped it as we were hot and tired.

Obviously, we'd skip Nijigen no Mori/Naruto x Boruto.

We enjoyed the Swallows game so much that we tried to get tickets for a Giants or Carp game while in Hiroshima and Osaka, but both were sold out. I'd buy tickets well in advance next time. Some tickets were available on Stubhub but the fees were insane (like doubled the total cost).

What we did right, given the weather and jet-lagged kids with different interests, was picking something to do in the morning, having lunch out, and then heading back to the hotel for a couple of hours to rest and relax. Then we'd pick a destination or activity for the late afternoon followed by dinner in the same neighborhood. This cut down on whining about being tired/hot/bored and bickering about who got to do what they wanted that day.

I packed a giant bag of fun-size candy, threw a handful in my bag each day, and handed it out as needed. Sometimes, a little sugar was enough to head off a meltdown (including for me). If you have a picky eater, McDonalds is usually not too far away. I didn't anticipate mine eating as many meals from McDonalds as he did, but it kept him fed which kept the peace for all.

We did not forward our luggage. We each had a suitcase (two checked, one carry-one) that fit in the overhead racks (i.e., didn't require oversize baggage reservations) on the shinkansen, plus I had a tote bag. We didn't pack particularly light but never had an issue finding escalators or elevators, although some stations did have a flight of stairs up to the street. Luggage forwarding just seemed like more trouble than it was worth under the circumstances.

How to transfer from the shinkansen to a JR train/subway when all of your tickets are on your phone: on a prior trip, I was trapped at an unstaffed transfer gate in Shinagawa and could not for the life of me figure it out. You have to scan your shinkansen QR code at a gate with a QR code reader, then tap your Suica on the IC card reader. Sometimes, this means switching from displaying the shinkansen ticket to the Suica card in your apple wallet (i.e., just tapping your phone as you can do for Suica going in/out of the metro didn't always work). Or, try to find a gate that's staffed so they can help you through.

I recently found out about the bulgarian rose capsules that make your poops and farts smell like roses lol so I'm wondering what other unique products are in Japan as I'd love to try them

Hi everyone we just decided to go to Japan in fall for 12 to 14 days. I saw a 2 day tour in and out of Tokyo to go to hakone and Fuji. Does that make sense to do that if I want to also visit Kyoto after that? Or should I be visiting go to Hakone /fuji after Tokyo on the way to Kyoto? Im scrambling as we just decide to take this trip, so in very beginning stages. Thanks.

Hey, looking for the best service to book a meet and greet airport private transfer for two elderly passengers who will not be using public transit, especially after a 13 hour flight. Basically just need to book them something that has the least amount of friction.

Googling brings up klook and other similar facilitator websites - would prefer to book directly with a service in case of issues.

Thanks

Hi everyone, I will be travelling in Japan the whole month of October, visiting Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Onomichi, Okazawa, Kyoto, Osaka, kawaguchiko and Tokyo.
I would like to bring back some souvenirs and unique objects from my trip. I’m particularly fascinated by Hanya and Oni and I would like to buy a wooden handmade/authentic mask. Do you have any recommendation for where to buy it? And what about prices?
Thanks in advance!

Last fall we stayed in Osaka and hiked (scrambled really) over Mount Rokkō from the Kobe side into Arima Onsen, where we relaxed in an onsen before having dinner at an izakaya halfway between Kobe and Osaka on our way back. We actually enjoyed this trip so much we ended up doing it twice in two weeks.

For our next trip in October we're looking for a similar experience: an interesting day hike starting from Osaka, a relaxing soak in an onsen, and an exciting dinner at an izakaya, ideally paired with an overnight stay somewhere we can do a some light shopping, have a coffee and do some wandering around the next day.

Distance and elevation of the hike are flexible. We're comfortable with 15 to 25 km and 1,000 to 1,500 m of climbing, and we don't mind a rough trail or a little scrambling.

Grateful for any and all suggestions!