- My Forums
- Tiger Rant
- LSU Recruiting
- SEC Rant
- Saints Talk
- Pelicans Talk
- More Sports Board
- Fantasy Sports
- Golf Board
- Soccer Board
- O-T Lounge
- Tech Board
- Home/Garden Board
- Outdoor Board
- Health/Fitness Board
- Movie/TV Board
- Book Board
- Music Board
- Political Talk
- Money Talk
- Fark Board
- Gaming Board
- Travel Board
- Food/Drink Board
- Ticket Exchange
- TD Help Board
Customize My Forums- View All Forums
- Show Left Links
- Topic Sort Options
- Trending Topics
- Recent Topics
- Active Topics
Started By
Message
Japan Trip advice ... Tokyo, Kyoto (Osaka?)
Posted on 1/3/25 at 9:31 am
Posted on 1/3/25 at 9:31 am
My wife and I look like we are finally pulling the trigger on Japan trip we have talked about for years. My wife is always scanning for deals all over the world and found a crazy mileage redemption business class all the way in November that was too good to pass up. So for now we have a hold on those flights.
I have already done some research on a Japan trip in the past, so I am not without a clue, but I do think other opinions from those that have already been are more beneficial than research.
The current thought process is first 3 nights in Tokyo (we arrive at like 6 in the evening Tokyo time), and then 5 nights in Kyoto, with a morning trip to Nara and perhaps an afternoon night trip to Osaka.
I know a lot of people would say do 2-3 nights in each of Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, so my question is...is that necessary? I'd prefer to not stay in 3 places if possible. Every vacation we have done where we have stayed in 3+ places in 8-10 days has seemed like a whirlwind...but we have done it so I am open.
Where would you stay in Tokyo? Shibuya, Shinjuku or Ginza? Or elsewhere?
Would you use Kyoto or Osaka as a base of op after, or stay in both (at first blush, Kyoto appeals to me a lot more than Osaka, but I am open).
Hotels? Restaurants? Side trips?
Thank you sirs
I have already done some research on a Japan trip in the past, so I am not without a clue, but I do think other opinions from those that have already been are more beneficial than research.
The current thought process is first 3 nights in Tokyo (we arrive at like 6 in the evening Tokyo time), and then 5 nights in Kyoto, with a morning trip to Nara and perhaps an afternoon night trip to Osaka.
I know a lot of people would say do 2-3 nights in each of Tokyo, Osaka, and Kyoto, so my question is...is that necessary? I'd prefer to not stay in 3 places if possible. Every vacation we have done where we have stayed in 3+ places in 8-10 days has seemed like a whirlwind...but we have done it so I am open.
Where would you stay in Tokyo? Shibuya, Shinjuku or Ginza? Or elsewhere?
Would you use Kyoto or Osaka as a base of op after, or stay in both (at first blush, Kyoto appeals to me a lot more than Osaka, but I am open).
Hotels? Restaurants? Side trips?
Thank you sirs
7
Posted on 1/3/25 at 10:01 am to Fun Bunch
It depends on what you like. For me, 2 days in Kyoto is good enough for me. I rather spend more time in Tokyo. Where you stay is determined by what type of vibe you want and what you like to see and do. I based myself in Osaka and took a day trip to Kyoto and the next day took a half day trip to Nara. In Tokyo, it's the same with what type of vibe you want as well, but you can pretty much stay anywhere that's near a subway line for convenience. Shibuya and Shinjuku for night life, Ginza for shopping, Akihabara for anime stuff, Asakusa for more chill and historic vibes. I personally stayed in Akasaka. It's more of a chill salary-man vibe and was central to a lot of things I wanted to do.
Posted on 1/3/25 at 10:08 am to phoshizzle
That's interesting. I've seen a lot of people say that Tokyo is so massive and overwhelming, only spend maybe 2 full days there (1 day to see Modern Tokyo and 1 day to see Ancient Tokyo) and gtfo, or spend a LOT of time there, no in between. And to spend more time in Kyoto or Osaka.
Thank you for your thoughts.
Thank you for your thoughts.
Posted on 1/3/25 at 10:35 am to Fun Bunch
Three places in ten days is a whirlwind, especially in Japan with the travel time between cities. I think your Tokyo/Kyoto plan is fine. Skip Osaka unless something specific calls to you there. Kyoto is a better base for Nara. For Tokyo hotels, Shinjuku is super convenient, but Shibuya is trendy and fun.
Posted on 1/3/25 at 10:55 am to Fun Bunch
Be sure you buy the Japan Railpass before you go. You'll get unlimited rides for the week, including the bullet train from Tokyo to Kyoto/Osaka. You can only use it for the Japan Rail lines within the cities, and it can be confusing as there are many railway companies, but there are always people there to assist. Consider taking the limousine bus from the airport to your hotel (depending on the hotel, they'll take you directly there).
We went in 2019 and stayed in Shinjuku at the Hyatt for 4 nights then went to Kyoto for 3 nights and stayed at this really cool ryokan"ish" boutique called Hotel Imagine. We had our teen boys with us, so didn't get to adult much. But all I'll say is it's overwhelming. We went in blind and just winged the whole trip. Had a great time though. The concierge at the hotel will be your best friend, they are very helpful.
We didn't go to Osaka because we wanted a break from a huge city after 4 nights in Tokyo, but crowds were just as thick in Kyoto.
We went in 2019 and stayed in Shinjuku at the Hyatt for 4 nights then went to Kyoto for 3 nights and stayed at this really cool ryokan"ish" boutique called Hotel Imagine. We had our teen boys with us, so didn't get to adult much. But all I'll say is it's overwhelming. We went in blind and just winged the whole trip. Had a great time though. The concierge at the hotel will be your best friend, they are very helpful.
We didn't go to Osaka because we wanted a break from a huge city after 4 nights in Tokyo, but crowds were just as thick in Kyoto.
Posted on 1/3/25 at 11:29 am to runforrestrun
isn't the JR Pass way overpriced now? I don't think it's even worth it anymore unless you going all parts of Japan in a week. Depending on how your trip is structured and where you fly in and out of, you may only need 1 bullet train pass which is like $100 or you can take a domestic flight which is cheaper. The subway rides in the cities are cheap.
Posted on 1/3/25 at 12:52 pm to phoshizzle
Now my wife is bringing up S Korea because the miles are half the miles for Japan (alternatively flying to Seoul and then immediately to Osaka)
I don't know jackshit about Korea for travel to be honest
I don't know jackshit about Korea for travel to be honest
Posted on 1/3/25 at 1:22 pm to phoshizzle
Back when we did it in 2019, the pass for a family of 4 costs about as much as a round trip ticket from Tokyo to Kyoto. Not sure what is costs now.
Posted on 1/3/25 at 1:37 pm to runforrestrun
I looked into it about a year ago when I was first researching and I didn't feel the rail pass made sense for me
Posted on 1/3/25 at 1:38 pm to Fun Bunch
I visited last May. I'll look back at the itinerary to make any personal suggestions.
Most importantly, the best convenience was adding an mobile IC card, the Suica pass, directly to my Apple Wallet, and adding money. There is also the Pasmo. Just make sure your Apple Wallet is set up with a credit card to load the pass. They offer physical Suica/Pasmo cards, but it would have been a PITA constantly refilling at the stations handling cash. We did that at first and quickly changed strategy to the Apple Wallet.
The Suica/Pasmo can be used for most modes of transportation across Japan, along with general purchases. It was extremely convenient gliding my phone across the stall to access subways or simple purchases, almost like Apple Pay. I couldn't imagine fiddling with tickets (or losing tix) with how efficiently people moved. Even easier, you did not even have to open the app, simply just swipe your phone to access the Subway and go. We used it for subways, buses and a couple trains. For trains, I want to say we still bought physical tix to guarantee availability, espec the bullet trains.
To add it, go to your Apple Wallet, hit the plus sign on top right, select transit card, and looks for the Suica/Pasmo. I don't believe there is much of a diff between the two.
Most importantly, the best convenience was adding an mobile IC card, the Suica pass, directly to my Apple Wallet, and adding money. There is also the Pasmo. Just make sure your Apple Wallet is set up with a credit card to load the pass. They offer physical Suica/Pasmo cards, but it would have been a PITA constantly refilling at the stations handling cash. We did that at first and quickly changed strategy to the Apple Wallet.
The Suica/Pasmo can be used for most modes of transportation across Japan, along with general purchases. It was extremely convenient gliding my phone across the stall to access subways or simple purchases, almost like Apple Pay. I couldn't imagine fiddling with tickets (or losing tix) with how efficiently people moved. Even easier, you did not even have to open the app, simply just swipe your phone to access the Subway and go. We used it for subways, buses and a couple trains. For trains, I want to say we still bought physical tix to guarantee availability, espec the bullet trains.
To add it, go to your Apple Wallet, hit the plus sign on top right, select transit card, and looks for the Suica/Pasmo. I don't believe there is much of a diff between the two.
This post was edited on 1/3/25 at 1:42 pm
Posted on 1/3/25 at 2:41 pm to phoshizzle
quote:
It depends on what you like. For me, 2 days in Kyoto is good enough for me. I rather spend more time in Tokyo. Where you stay is determined by what type of vibe you want and what you like to see and do. I based myself in Osaka and took a day trip to Kyoto and the next day took a half day trip to Nara. In Tokyo, it's the same with what type of vibe you want as well, but you can pretty much stay anywhere that's near a subway line for convenience. Shibuya and Shinjuku for night life, Ginza for shopping, Akihabara for anime stuff, Asakusa for more chill and historic vibes. I personally stayed in Akasaka. It's more of a chill salary-man vibe and was central to a lot of things I wanted to do.
Opposite for me. Much preferred Kyoto to Tokyo. And actually enjoyed my time in Osaka more than Tokyo. Agreed that 3 places in 8-10 days is too many.
Posted on 1/3/25 at 3:28 pm to Fun Bunch
This is actually what I did in April 2024 during cherry blossom season. 2 week trip; We flew into Seoul (South Korea) Spent 3 nights here, then flew to Osaka and stationed there for 4 nights. One of the days, left very early to Nara (1 hr train ride from Osaka) and spent about half a day here. Probably all you will need in Nara if you go early and beat the tourists that comes on those huge bus tours. While we were leaving one of the temples at around 10 am, there was a massive swarm of people coming in. Another day we did a whole day trip to Kyoto and then the rest of the time spent around Osaka. After Osaka, we took a bullet train to Tokyo for a week and where we will fly home from as well. For me, I like cities more and the historical sites get boring to me after awhile. I guess you can say I like the fast paced cities more like NYC, Bangkok, and Tokyo. I also travel for food so usually these destinations will have more concentration and variety of good dining. It's probably not everybody's cup of tea and some people rather soak in that cultural vibe or go off the beaten path or whatever they want to call it, but I travel mainly for food with a few touristy sites and things mixed in.
Posted on 1/3/25 at 4:01 pm to Fun Bunch
Heading to Japan in a few weeks. We’re entering via Tokyo and exiting via Osaka. Our current plan is 3 days in Tokyo. Staying in Ginza. Then heading to Hiroshima. Will overnight there and see the sights before pushing off to Osaka. We’re going to stay in Osaka and do day trips to Kyoto and Nara. We’ll use the evenings and one or two free days to explore Osaka.
I’ve not been to Japan before; but, know several that have. Most say Osaka is cool; but, it really appeals to foodie types. So it’s a take it or leave it for most.
I’ve not been to Japan before; but, know several that have. Most say Osaka is cool; but, it really appeals to foodie types. So it’s a take it or leave it for most.
Posted on 1/3/25 at 9:34 pm to Fun Bunch
What we did isn't for everyone, but we had about 8 full on the ground days in Japan last April.
Landed at Haneda and was on bullet train to Kyoto within an hour of landing.
One day in Kyoto we trained to Nara, then to Osaka, back to Kyoto. Made for a fun day.
Then trained back to Tokyo at midpoint and based activities from there then flew home.
I fly on points so sometimes can't fly in and out of different airports which would cut down on some transfers.
My wife loved Osaka because it was ridiculous I'm the way she imagined Japan would be
Landed at Haneda and was on bullet train to Kyoto within an hour of landing.
One day in Kyoto we trained to Nara, then to Osaka, back to Kyoto. Made for a fun day.
Then trained back to Tokyo at midpoint and based activities from there then flew home.
I fly on points so sometimes can't fly in and out of different airports which would cut down on some transfers.
My wife loved Osaka because it was ridiculous I'm the way she imagined Japan would be
This post was edited on 1/3/25 at 9:39 pm
Posted on 1/3/25 at 9:36 pm to wiltznucs
quote:
We’re entering via Tokyo and exiting via Osaka. Our current plan is 3 days in Tokyo. Staying in Ginza. Then heading to Hiroshima.
Did a similar trip, except pushed to matsuyama before heading back to Osaka.
We largely “skipped” Tokyo on our trip and just spent I think two nights there at the park Hyatt almost out of necessity. Spent 5 days in Kyoto and loved it. For us visiting the shrines was just like one long walk through the park. We love just strolling across a city and Kyoto seems particularly well suited for that.
But to be honest we made the choice to skip Tokyo for no real good reason other than you can’t do it all.
My other thoughts:
1. Any other place I would say 3 cities in 8 days is too much, but transportation in Japan is so good and easy you won’t lose time to unforeseen delays, and frankly the trains are fun to take
2. The only “bust” for us in Kyoto was arashiyama and the bamboo forest. It was fine, but enjoyed core Kyoto more. Again that’s just one guy’s opinion and others probably love it.
Posted on 1/3/25 at 9:40 pm to ned nederlander
Ya, that area is far from tourist way side of Kyoto it takes all day.
Posted on 1/3/25 at 10:11 pm to Fun Bunch
We are doing Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto as we speak. Rounding out week 2.
JR pass didnt make sense for us. Kyoto is an hour away on the regular JR line so maybe 5 bucks each way so we opted for a single shinkansen ticket and then local trains to and from. If we had a really dense regional site seeing itinerary we might have justified the 7 day pass and hit the sights hard. 14 days is just a ripoff. IC card makes travel around Japan just a tap at a turnstile and it's very cheap
We didn't really like Kyoto, felt like a theme park version of what japan should be (way too much tourist trap shopping, and temples are great but you do get templed out).
Unpopular opinion but we liked Osaka more than Tokyo. Slower pace, liked the food better (cheaper, more beef oriented), it's more working class of a city.
Edit: In Harajuku now. A 6.5 ft white tranny strutting the streets here in that Japanese cutesy maid type clothing. Maybe skip this neighborhood
JR pass didnt make sense for us. Kyoto is an hour away on the regular JR line so maybe 5 bucks each way so we opted for a single shinkansen ticket and then local trains to and from. If we had a really dense regional site seeing itinerary we might have justified the 7 day pass and hit the sights hard. 14 days is just a ripoff. IC card makes travel around Japan just a tap at a turnstile and it's very cheap
We didn't really like Kyoto, felt like a theme park version of what japan should be (way too much tourist trap shopping, and temples are great but you do get templed out).
Unpopular opinion but we liked Osaka more than Tokyo. Slower pace, liked the food better (cheaper, more beef oriented), it's more working class of a city.
Edit: In Harajuku now. A 6.5 ft white tranny strutting the streets here in that Japanese cutesy maid type clothing. Maybe skip this neighborhood
This post was edited on 1/4/25 at 2:03 am
Posted on 1/4/25 at 6:36 am to Fun Bunch
Tokyo is so massive and overwhelming, you’ll never see all of it. That said, it’s a cool cosmopolitan metropolis and I think a solid full three days is a pretty ideal amount of time to spend there for a first time “taster” I would stay in Ginza or Shinjuku to be a bit closer to the action, getting around the city (even with their hyper efficient metro system) can be costly in time.
For the Kansai region, I agree Kyoto is a good base, a good mix a modern bustling city and pristine Japanese tradition, culture and history. I think for Kansai region you’ll want a full five days, ~3 days for Kyoto, 1 day for Nara and 1-1.5 day(s) for Osaka.
If you have time Hakone, Nikko or Hiroshima could be options for one additional stop outside of the Kanto (Tokyo) and Kansai regions.
For the Kansai region, I agree Kyoto is a good base, a good mix a modern bustling city and pristine Japanese tradition, culture and history. I think for Kansai region you’ll want a full five days, ~3 days for Kyoto, 1 day for Nara and 1-1.5 day(s) for Osaka.
If you have time Hakone, Nikko or Hiroshima could be options for one additional stop outside of the Kanto (Tokyo) and Kansai regions.
This post was edited on 1/4/25 at 6:39 am
Posted on 1/4/25 at 12:44 pm to Fun Bunch
I lived in SK and can help answer questions if you have any
Posted on 1/4/25 at 4:14 pm to keakdasneak
Sure. Tell me about Seoul? Where to stay, where to eat, what to see.
Page 1 of 2
Popular
Back to top
Follow TigerDroppings for LSU Football News