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re: Japan Tips?
Posted on 3/30/24 at 1:07 am to LemmyLives
Posted on 3/30/24 at 1:07 am to LemmyLives
If I need to emphasize it, hand, or take, anything to/from anyone with TWO HANDS. Even if it's a bar bill in a tray.
0
Posted on 3/30/24 at 1:19 am to Audioman213
There are recommendations for Haneda, which is far closer than Narita. However, at least for Star Alliance, you're landing at Haneda before 1100, whereas you're not getting to a hotel in Tokyo from Narita before 5PM. One scenario encourages you to entire fark up your time zone adjustment, the other sucks less. Can you actually resist flopping on the bed at noon if you fly into HND with a hotel in Shinagawa, for instance? I always hit NRT around 1430, got to the hotel around 1700, hung up my stuff, and passed out after dark.
Posted on 3/30/24 at 8:12 am to LemmyLives
quote:
LemmyLives
^^ 100% great tips & advice.
quote:
Tokyo subway riders stand on escalators on the right.
Isn't it the Left, so that the right side is open for those who need to walk/run up the escalators?
quote:
Get a Suica card when you get there.
They're currently very low on the chips that go into Suica cards. In February, you couldn't buy one anywhere. But if you have an iPhone you can add Suica to your iPhone Wallet and use your debit card to add yen to it before you arrive in Japan. You just hold your phone to the card readers and boom, you're good. Everyone in your group will need some sort of Suica. Unfortunately, the Shinkansen (bullet trains) don't accept Suica yet. You can buy Shinkansen tickets at any train station where Shinkansen arrive/depart.
You can add Suica to an Android but I believe you can't add Yen to it until you are physically in Japan.
This post was edited on 3/30/24 at 8:22 am
Posted on 3/30/24 at 8:18 am to Audioman213
quote:
visit Japan + 1-2 other countries
Can't go wrong with Saigon, Vietnam. Stay at the Sheraton in District 1. That place would be a $700 per night stay in the states, but it's only about $200. Tons & tons of shopping, restaurants and historical places within short walking distance. Everything is dirt cheap, and the people are awesome.
Nobody knows the answer to this riddle.. in terms of business class: if you fly to Tokyo, then Vietnam, then back to Tokyo on the way back home, the airfare is literally half the cost vs. flying direct to & from Tokyo. Why is that??
This post was edited on 3/30/24 at 8:24 am
Posted on 3/30/24 at 8:29 am to Naked Bootleg
quote:
Why is that??
I imagine because there's more demand to fly to Tokyo.
The demand is for flying to Tokyo and getting off the airplane, not flying to another place they have no interest in and then getting off the airplane in Tokyo.
People look at this, as why can I fly 100 miles for less than a 50 mile trip, but that's the wrong question.
There are explanations to this in the Internet if you search for it.
This post was edited on 3/30/24 at 8:32 am
Posted on 3/30/24 at 9:01 am to Teddy Ruxpin
quote:
I imagine because there's more demand to fly to Tokyo. The demand is for flying to Tokyo and getting off the airplane, not flying to another place they have no interest in and then getting off the airplane in Tokyo.
But I get off the airplane in Tokyo twice, as opposed to just once. Not sure I follow your reasoning but I’d like to understand it. Even the airline can’t really explain this phenomenon.
Posted on 3/30/24 at 10:45 pm to Naked Bootleg
Thanks everyone, I think I’m going to do 7 days in Japan, 2 in Hong Kong, then 5 in Vietnam!
Posted on 3/31/24 at 7:29 am to Audioman213
That sounds like an amazing trip! 
Posted on 3/31/24 at 9:14 am to Naked Bootleg
quote:
They're currently very low on the chips that go into Suica cards. In February, you couldn't buy one anywhere.
I landed in Tokyo on February 22nd and got a Passmo card at Haneda.
As for the Shinkansen, they have an app now. Thinks it's called Smart EX. We bought all our tickets with that and it give you a QR code to scan at the gates.
Posted on 3/31/24 at 12:13 pm to Woadie
Pasmo worked well last time for me as well. Good to know on the Shinkansen
Posted on 3/31/24 at 5:45 pm to SpartyGator
Lots of great advice in this thread, all of it on point. I am fortunate enough to travel to Japan for work often enough and I’ve spent a few trips in the mountains skiing near Nagano.
As everyone has said, get a PASMO card, (on your iPhone is fine) but be careful they don’t take Visa. You’ll have to load it with American Express or MasterCard.
Both Apple and Google maps are extremely good for getting around the subway system. They both have their quirks, but generally if you find one of the two you like stick with it.
As many of suggested, find a friendly local, the concierge at your hotel is perfect and ask very specific questions. They are extremely happy to help find what you need.
Also, Tokyo is the easiest place to go souvenir shopping for young kids. One cool place to pick up some great food. Souvenirs is in the basement of most department stores, they’ll have a food hall that is impressive and have many really extraordinary food that is packaged to take away.
I am lucky enough to be my family in the beginning of June for 17 days and can’t wait. This will be their first trip.
As everyone has said, get a PASMO card, (on your iPhone is fine) but be careful they don’t take Visa. You’ll have to load it with American Express or MasterCard.
Both Apple and Google maps are extremely good for getting around the subway system. They both have their quirks, but generally if you find one of the two you like stick with it.
As many of suggested, find a friendly local, the concierge at your hotel is perfect and ask very specific questions. They are extremely happy to help find what you need.
Also, Tokyo is the easiest place to go souvenir shopping for young kids. One cool place to pick up some great food. Souvenirs is in the basement of most department stores, they’ll have a food hall that is impressive and have many really extraordinary food that is packaged to take away.
I am lucky enough to be my family in the beginning of June for 17 days and can’t wait. This will be their first trip.
Posted on 3/31/24 at 5:47 pm to St. Pete Tiger
Will add a few more more notes…
You can spend as little or as long in Tokyo as you like, you’ll never see it all. Though in my experience, a half a week in Tokyo is enough to get the flavor of the city, but not be fully immersed.
As others have mentioned, get out of Tokyo and head to the countryside, a day trip up to Fuji would be great or take the bullet train to Kyoto or Osaka. They’re also a bunch of great day trips from Kyoto and Osaka.
You can spend as little or as long in Tokyo as you like, you’ll never see it all. Though in my experience, a half a week in Tokyo is enough to get the flavor of the city, but not be fully immersed.
As others have mentioned, get out of Tokyo and head to the countryside, a day trip up to Fuji would be great or take the bullet train to Kyoto or Osaka. They’re also a bunch of great day trips from Kyoto and Osaka.
Posted on 3/31/24 at 9:17 pm to St. Pete Tiger
quote:
a day trip up to Fuji
At least when I hiked it, (a long arse time ago) the trail wasn't dirt (we started at station 5,) it was essentially crumbled volcanic rock (a bit bigger than gravel.) You need good ankle supporting footwear. Going down was worse than hiking up. You really, really, should buy a hiking stick. You can get them branded at each station (I still have mine.)
Oddest sight on Fuji: Salarymen in suits and leather bottom shoes sucking on oxygen tanks halfway up. It's about as Japan as you can get besides passing out in the street with your laptop, and nobody stealing it.
Posted on 3/31/24 at 10:27 pm to Naked Bootleg
quote:
Isn't it the Left, so that the right side is open for those who need to walk
You might be right, I haven't been invited back since COVID. I paid so much attention to not getting run over by mama-san, I did what others were doing and stopped retaining information. Yet, I can draw a map of Shinagawa and where to find food, ties, and some of the platforms. Do I know how old I am? Gotta think for a sec, lol.
The EU was heavy, heavy contactless payment before COVID. I expected that out of Japan and Korea. But, beware, there are some that will only accept cash. In Japan at least, don't panic, if you swear you'll come back after going to the ATM, they always expect you to come back after going to the ATM. Don't be afraid to offer to leave a watch, a phone, a ring, etc., it will almost certainly be refused anyway.
Posted on 4/1/24 at 10:26 am to Audioman213
quote:
Thanks everyone, I think I’m going to do 7 days in Japan, 2 in Hong Kong, then 5 in Vietnam
One thing I had a problem with in Vietnam: AT&T does not have a cellular partner in Vietnam for some reason. T-Mobile does, not sure about others, but I couldn't use my phone for much unless I had wifi.
Posted on 4/1/24 at 12:56 pm to Naked Bootleg
I simply bought a second SIM card in each Thailand & Vietnam when I did my SE Asia introductory tour there a few years back.
From what I recall in both countries, it was cheap, simple and the service speeds quite good.
For Japan this week I bought an E-SIM via the Airalo app, I obviously am not on the ground there yet, but will report in 2 days if it worked haha.
Otherwise I’ll buy one of those pocket wifi things which also seem like a popular option with tourists from my research.
From what I recall in both countries, it was cheap, simple and the service speeds quite good.
For Japan this week I bought an E-SIM via the Airalo app, I obviously am not on the ground there yet, but will report in 2 days if it worked haha.
Otherwise I’ll buy one of those pocket wifi things which also seem like a popular option with tourists from my research.
This post was edited on 4/1/24 at 12:59 pm
Posted on 4/1/24 at 1:09 pm to Audioman213
quote:
Thanks everyone, I think I’m going to do 7 days in Japan, 2 in Hong Kong, then 5 in Vietnam!
I loved Vietnam, amazing food and scenery, friendly-ish and more genuine locals (compared with the Thais IMHO).
When I went I was in the south, and did Saigon + Mekong Delta, and it was again amazing but from what I’ve seen, read, heard since if I did it all over again I would’ve gone to the the north and done Hanoi + Halong Bay + Nin Binh + Sapa much more stunning scenery both urban and natural from the looks of it.
For Japan, I can’t yet comment from experience but I’ll be there boots on the ground in 2 days. My advice from research thus far though would be to do the “Kansai” region (Osaka/Kyoto/Kobe/Nara) over Tokyo for a more authentic taste of Japanese culture.
It would be a stretch even at, but for Northern Vietnam and Kansai you would probably want (at very least) a week in each region, probably more for northern Nam though, so I’d argue in favor of cutting HK as you’ll already have a lot to see and still only be scratching the surface at best.
But alas not my trip, not my call. Wish you an amazing trip regardless of what you opt for.
If I find any nuggets of wisdom or hidden gems for Japan over the next 3 weeks I’ll try to remember to report them back here.
This post was edited on 4/1/24 at 1:10 pm
Posted on 4/1/24 at 3:43 pm to Audioman213
Get a soapie.
Posted on 4/1/24 at 4:31 pm to Audioman213
quote:
Thanks everyone, I think I’m going to do 7 days in Japan, 2 in Hong Kong, then 5 in Vietnam!
Decided on that pretty quick. Glad the travel board could help! Especially all those who suggested Hong Kong
Posted on 4/1/24 at 4:39 pm to kciDAtaE
Anyone been to Hong Kong since the security crack down before COVID?
All the talk points to it not being the same. Now if you've never been maybe you wouldn't notice, but it's depressing to think about.
ETA: if you go to China. Just assume your devices are compromised if you use them there. A burner isn't the worst idea, but I suppose if you use it to access an account of yours they got you anyway
All the talk points to it not being the same. Now if you've never been maybe you wouldn't notice, but it's depressing to think about.
ETA: if you go to China. Just assume your devices are compromised if you use them there. A burner isn't the worst idea, but I suppose if you use it to access an account of yours they got you anyway
This post was edited on 4/1/24 at 4:42 pm
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