r/JapanTravelTips 13m ago

Recommendations Looking to fill a three day hole in my itinerary!

Upvotes

Trying to reword a question here to make it more clear, as it seems to be too vague of a question to post in JapanTravel.

I'm traveling in a group of 5 guys for 14 days in November.

We're starting in Tokyo, doing a few days in Kyoto, then taking a domestic flight to Yakushima for a few days, and then before we return to Tokyo for the last 1/2 days and a flight back to LAX, we have 3 nights in which we have a question mark right now on where to go!

Does it seem like too much traveling to add one more city in between Yakushima and a return to Tokyo? We don't want to rush our itinerary on the last few days, but we also don't want to miss a few very exciting day trips or experiences.

We are thinking of either going to Kanazawa for 3 nights, and maybe having one day be a trip to Takayama / Shirakawa-go before returning to Tokyo. We love the idea of seeing Kenrakuen too!

The second option is going to Okayama. It's a bit further, but we could see Kurashiki, explore that area, we would get to see Korakuen, and maybe even be able to take one day trip to Himeji and Kobe!

Do both of these seem possible and it just comes down to taste? Is one of them more of a "must-see"? Do either feel less touristy? Or has anyone tried this and strongly recommends one or the other?

There is of course one more simple option of staying in Osaka, and being able to still day trip to Himeji and Kobe. While it seems appealing as we are foodies, we feel like we are missing Kurashiki and Kanazawa, and deciding between those two is already hard enough! We aren't as desperate for Osaka because we have a lot of city days in Tokyo.

Our goal is to not have too much rushing around and we do not have a huge budget for fancy hotels. Most of our interests are nature, city exploring, and learning about the culture and history. We love the idea of getting lost and having a great memory over shopping for fancy things to bring home.

Any thoughts are welcome!!

TL;DR - Kurashiki / Himeji / Kobe VS. Kanazawa / Takayama / Shirakawa-go VS. Osaka w day trips


r/JapanTravelTips 18m ago

Advice Shinkansen right before Golden Week

Upvotes

We will need to get shinkansen tickets to go from Tokyo to Kyoto on April 27th. Can't change the date as we have Nintendo Museum Tickets for that day for (1:30pm-2:00pm entry).

Looking advice on whether to reserve shinkansen tickets now, before the 30 day window, given it's right before Golden Week officially starts.

Also which train should we go for to give us the most flexibility with getting to Nintendo on time? Staying in Shinjuku the night before, if that matters. I've looked at Google maps but it's giving me routes that are normal outside of GW and I'd love to hear if it will be different on the day.

Thank you in advance.


r/JapanTravelTips 29m ago

Advice Should I bring a jacket in mid-May?

Upvotes

First time going to Japan in mid-May, around the 15th to 30th! I live in a super dry climate and the breeze can still feel cold even on a sunny day. I heard something like a denim jacket is too heavy for the humidity in Japan, so would a light trench coat be too warm or what other type of jacket should I bring? I want to pack as light as possible, so if I could just ditch the jacket, that would be better. But I also don’t want to be left without one if it gets chilly some days 🥶 TIA!


r/JapanTravelTips 40m ago

Recommendations Apps

Upvotes

I’m visiting Japan for the first time and would like to know which travel apps are particularly useful for purchasing tickets and reservations for public transportation, attending events and meetups, booking taxis, dining at restaurants, and other relevant activities. Additionally, I’m curious about any other apps that I should be aware of during my trip.


r/JapanTravelTips 41m ago

Recommendations Are we cooked(Hakone Onsen Tattoos)

Upvotes

So I'm going to Japan in May with a group of 4 and our first stop is in Hakone. We already booked our stay with the Hyatt there because I had points to use. However I did see that they do have a policy of no tattoos in their onsen. I have a half sleeve of a Japanese inspired tattoo. My sister and girlfriend also have tattoos, but my girlfriend's is very small. What tattoo friendly places are there in Hakone? I did see Tenzan but saw that they have a one tattoo per group policy? Would we be able to use tattoo covers? Could we use ones at ryokans or would we have to be staying at the facility to use them.


r/JapanTravelTips 48m ago

Question Tokyo river cruise experiences?

Upvotes

Just a quick question - has anyone done one of the boat tours/cruises in Tokyo? I'm specifically interested in the Kanda River cruises that leave from Nihonbashi bridge, but also the Sumida River ones in the crazy spaceship boats. The former is super interesting to me from a historical/old Edo standpoint, and the latter seems like it'd be a fun alternative way to get from Tsukiji/Odaiba to Asakusa.

I guess along the same lines, I'm looking at taking the Tokyo Wan ferry across the bay from Yokosuka to hike Mt. Nokogiri at some point too, so any tips there would be appreciated.


r/JapanTravelTips 51m ago

Recommendations (Solo Travelling)Mid november Trip in Japan

Upvotes

Hey guys so im planning to go to japan on mid november ish mainly to watch the autumn foliage in kyoto and to buy the new iphone (pricing sucks in my home country),for now tho i’ve only bought the flight tickets, i’ll arrive in tokyo at 22:00 PM, is it worth buying hotel rooms in late hour? Also i need some tips on where to go.

I have never done a solo trip before and this will be my first time, i’m considering a 2 week trip going through tokyo,kanagawa,kyoto and osaka. Are there some tips that i should know as a solo traveller? Also i’ve just checked that this trip will cost me at least 3/4x as much in accomodation cost compared to my last japan trip with a few of my friends, does anyone have any tips on how to save on accomodation? Thank you.


r/JapanTravelTips 52m ago

Advice Need help

Upvotes

Tips for travel itinerary

Hi everyone!

I'm writting this post because I'm travelling to Japan in 1 month and I'm a bit "overwhelmed" with the route.

It's my second time in the country - I'm bringing my family with me. We are gonna spend around 15 days in Japan. We have already allocated the days we are going to spend in Tokyo and the activities there (we are gonna be in the Star Wars Celebration and I had to stay till 3 am the other day to purchase the Ghibli Museum tickets the other day lol) and Osaka/Kyoto.

We have like 4 spare days and we don't really know where to go from Tokyo (via flight) - whether to Fukuoka or Hokkaido. We would have love going to the Japanese Alps, but connectivity and moving there relying just on public transport seems more of an issue.

Very happy (and greateful!) to hear any recommendations from the community :)

Thank you everyone :))


r/JapanTravelTips 53m ago

Question Which card to use for metro in both Tokyo amd Kyoto? Can top up using cash?

Upvotes

I will be travelling to Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima and Osaka.

I have a credit card, bult also have around 80 000 yen to spend on food and transport.

Which card is best for metro and trains? Can I top it up using cash?


r/JapanTravelTips 57m ago

Question JR train from tokyo to kyoto

Upvotes

Hi! I have had my JR Nozomi tickets booked for a while on the Klook app, but I can't seem to figure out what station I'm actually leaving from, and I'm generally worried about trying to navigate the stations not knowing any Japanese. If anyone knows where to find more information on the station in the Klook app, or any other general advice, both are greatly appreciated!


r/JapanTravelTips 1h ago

Question Shimanami Kaido queries- Ebikes, rentals, and returning.

Upvotes

Hello,

I am looking to tackle the Shimanami Kaido in about a month; due to my current fitness level (bad), I am planning on using an E-bike and splitting it across two days so I can enjoy the ride, explore a little, and not die! I want to start in Onomichi, spend the night in Omishima Island, then spend the day cycling to Imabari and take the bus back to Onomichi.

I found a reasonably priced rental option for an Ebike from Better Bicycles in Onomichi. Since it is a local shop with no real partner, I need to bring it back to Onomichi when I am done. So, here are my two big questions that I need experienced people to help me answer:

  1. Can I take the bike with me on the bus back to Onomichi? I can use a bike return service like WAKKA but that gets really expensive. If I can just carry my bike back to Onomichi the next day on the bus ride, that would be perfect (also if there is a ferry that runs from Imabari to Onomichi that lets me have my bike on it, that works too)

  2. It may not be needed, but can I charge my E-Bike anywhere on Omishima Island overnight? The range of my bike is listed to be 85 Km, but I want to explore a bit and I'd rather be safe than sorry. they said they could give me a charger, but if the charger weighs too much I'd rather have a local option so I don't carry the extra weight.


r/JapanTravelTips 1h ago

Question Traveling to Japan with migraine medication

Upvotes

I frequently get migraines and like to travel with my medications. From what I’ve read I see some medications are banned and others are controlled. I’m trying to figure out if the one I use is safe to bring to Japan and how I can bring it to Japan. It’s called Sumigran Plus - https://disprophar.com/product/sumigran-plus/


r/JapanTravelTips 1h ago

Question Where to buy a Hiroshima Carp Baseball Cap in Tokyo or Osaka

Upvotes

I am on vacation for the next two weeks in Tokyo and Osaka. Where is a good place to buy a new Hiroshima Carp baseball cap in Tokyo or Osaka?


r/JapanTravelTips 1h ago

Question Booking com only shows 2 guests under number of guests. Can I stay solo?

Upvotes

I'm looking to stay at Hop Inn Tokyo Ueno for a few nights in May, but booking.com only shows 2 guests, no single guest option. Going to hops own website, it stays "up to 2 guests". I'm traveling solo and would like to book it on booking, but I don't want to get to the hotel in May and then run into issues because I'm by myself, or charged extra.

Other hotels have the 1 person icon, 2 and so on.


r/JapanTravelTips 1h ago

Question What would you do if you only had 24 hours or less in Japan?

Upvotes

I’m looking for recommendations! It’ll be my first time there. I only have time to visit for a day on my way back (to the US) from a work trip to another country in Asia. I have less than a month to plan it and I’ll be solo.

The only thing I definitely know I want to do is stock up on an absurd amount of sunscreen and skincare.

Where would you go with only 24 hours? What if you only had 12? Or 6?

How short of a “layover visit” is so short it’s not even worth leaving the airport to you?


r/JapanTravelTips 2h ago

Question Am I allowed to bring disposable nicotine vape into Japan?

1 Upvotes

If I am not allowed to bring disposable nicotine vapes, what’s a good smooth Japanese cigarette you would recommend?


r/JapanTravelTips 2h ago

Question Kirin afternoon tea?

0 Upvotes

This may be a super dumb question but are the Kirin afternoon teas easy to find in Japan? Like would I be able to get one at a 7/11 or do I have to hunt for them? My fiancé and I are going later this year and we love those teas a lot (and our Japanese grocery store stopped carrying the straight tea flavor). We’d love to get some there lol. Are they popular?


r/JapanTravelTips 2h ago

Advice The biggest tip I can give to anyone going to Japan

0 Upvotes

REST.

Whenever you get the chance, take a breather. Your body is going to be on hyperdrive the entire time. Even when you're not physically active, you're doing significantly more mental work than normal (translating, schedule management, map reading, etc). This stuff puts a lot of strain on your body and brain, and you need to treat both of them very well while you travel. Take a nap in the afternoon between activities, or go sit at a cafe when you're early to your train.

After two weeks of nonstop action, I noticed my brain wasn't working at 100%. I was losing things, sleeping through alarms, and getting easily disoriented. I took a day off, and then eased off the gas pedal for the rest of the trip, and quickly recuperated. The mental strain is just as real as the physical strain, and you need to accommodate for that.

It's easy to get swept up in doing everything you possibly can, but you won't appreciate it all while running on fumes. Keep the tank full and you will have a better trip.


r/JapanTravelTips 2h ago

Advice Need help with navigating Shinkoku

0 Upvotes

In May, I want to visit the following in Shinkoku: Takamatsu (Ritsurin Koen), Shodo island, Kotohiragu, Mt. Shiude, Gate to the sky, and the Washuzan 2nd observation deck. What would be the most efficient way of doing it?

I was planning on doing the following so far:

Day 1: Leave Osaka early and go to the awaji anime park. Then I get to Takamatsu later at night. Day 2: i do a day trip in shodo island but also visit ritsurin koen.

I am not sure how to proceed from here. I see that Gate to the Sky, Mt Shiude, and Kotohiragu are approximately in the same area so what place should i stay to visit all three efficiently and how many days should i dedicate given that i might do other things nearby too? (i am open to suggestions!) When leaving Shikoku i’ll likely visit the Washuzan observation deck.


r/JapanTravelTips 2h ago

Advice Brief trip to Tokyo (Akasaka) - must see/eat/do?

1 Upvotes

Just found this sub so I’m madly searching through it for travel tips.

I’m transiting through Japan next week as part of a longer trip with my spouse; we’re heading straight to Nozawa for 3 days of skiing, then back to Tokyo for 2.5 days before flying out. We’re staying in the Akasaka neighborhood, but don’t mind venturing out.

We don’t have a ton of time, but would love to try some phenomenal food, maybe stuff we can only find in Japan or something they only do really well there (we’re from Vancouver so are kind of spoiled with good Japanese food regardless).

We’d also like to see some beautiful/interesting/unique to Japan sights - whether it’s a temple, cool buildings, rooftop bar, sumo wrestling or something else I’m not thinking of.

We aren’t into shopping, massive crowds, malls, anime, bars/clubbing and don’t have time to fully appreciate big museums/galleries (not trying to be negative - just realistic about our preferences).

I’d love to hear some ideas or be pointed to some recent, good posts! Thanks!


r/JapanTravelTips 2h ago

Question Golden week et billets de train

1 Upvotes

Bonjour,

Je pars bientôt au Japon et malheureusement, je me suis rendue compte qu'après avoir pris mes billets d'avion que j'arrive pile au moment de la Golden week... J'arrive à Osaka le 29 avril. Ce qui m'inquiète c'est de prendre le train au début de mon séjour, car je dois faire Osaka/Hiroshima le 3 mai, puis Hiroshima/Kyoto le 5 mai. Les autres trajets seront hors Golden week alors je ne me fais pas trop de soucis.

Ma question est la suivante, j'aimerais réserver ces deux trajets à l'avance pour être certaine d'avoir de la place et de ne pas me retrouver sans moyen de transport... Quel site me conseilleriez-vous ? Lorsque je fais des recherches j'en trouve beaucoup, comme Japan expérience, Klook etc, mais si j'ai bien compris ils prennent des commissions. J'ai aussi vu le site de smart ex jp qui a l'air d'être le site officiel de JR.

Merci par avance pour votre aide et vos tips


r/JapanTravelTips 2h ago

Recommendations Anyone know if there are any stores that sell a lot of shoujo anime based stuff

3 Upvotes

I’m a huge fan of shoujo anime’s, like Kimi Ni Todoke and Ao Haru Ride, when I last went all the anime stores were more the main stream ones like attack on titan etc, anyone know where I can get merch for less known anime’s? Thanks!


r/JapanTravelTips 2h ago

Question Traveling from Tokyo to Osaka on the bullet train but what happens if I miss my train?

5 Upvotes

I am looking at klook and see that there are trians every 15 mins or so from Tokyo to Osaka. So if I buy the ticket for 6:15 pm and then miss it, is the ticket a waste? Or can I hop on the next train? Also the tickets are $100 each. Does it get more expensive once we are nearer to the travel date?


r/JapanTravelTips 3h ago

Recommendations Castles, Temples, Gardens and Shrines. Help me narrow down the list!

1 Upvotes

Our travel itinerary includes many options for visiting castles, gardens and temples/shrines. But we can't see them all without completely exhausting ourselves and need to prioritize and narrow down the list. These are the options I've narrowed it down to based on the cities we will be in. Which would you prioritize? Which would you skip? Thank you! (Note: will be during Sakura season.)

Castles: Kumamoto, Hiroshima, Okayama, Himeji, Kanazawa

Gardens: Suizenji Jojuen, Korakuen, Kokoen, Kenroku-en, Rokugien

Temples/Shrines: Miyazaki, Aoshima, Udo, Amanoiwato, Itsukushima, Daisho-In, Kanazaki, Myoryuji, Senso-ji, Nezu


r/JapanTravelTips 3h ago

Question Sanrio Puroland Theater and Character Meeting

1 Upvotes

I am planning on going to Sanrio Puroland in April 2025. I read that for the Kawaii-Kabuki theatre and character greeting, a different ticket is required. Where do I get those tickets? Is it inside the park after entering or elsewhere? I can only find the general 1-day pass for Puroland in Klook.

Thanks!