Japan travel tips

[JR 500系]

Congrats! Is V2 coming anytime soon?  :)

 

The Mrs has given me dis-approval of Japan V3 unless the V2 trip is super memorable, and all other countries she wishes to visit are covered (like Europe), so like 5-10 years later from next year...

 

All the more spurring me to get the Green pass this time, and to spurge more on hotels and food.... 

[katoftw]

V2 wont be for a while I think.  Maybe 18 months away.  Aim for a Japanese spring.  Will be dictated by cheap flight offers and funds at the time.  So maybe 18 months away, so anything plus 12 months from that point, so 30/42/54 months away.  The aim is 18 months, but who knows.  the kids were a handful, so really like to go when they are older and not so crazy.

 

As for your V2.  If it is you last trip to Japan for the unforseeable near future.  Extend it.  Change the flights back a week and make up some bulldust about flights being changed and this was a cheaper option etc.  I really should have done the same for my trip, and visited Hiroshima.

Edited November 6, 2014 by katoftw

[miyakoji]

18 months from now is roughly when JR West's new museum will open. Sounds like a good time to go :)

[JR 500系]

I really hope to extend this, but it's near impossible for the following reasons:

 

1) My absence from work for more than 14 days. My boss would probably bomb Japan for this....

2) My wife's absence from work for more than 14 days. Her boss would probably bomb Japan for this too...

3) My flights are a promotional offer from Singapore Airlines (SQ). It's REALLY cheap (for SQ that is), and NO extensions are allowed and max number of days is 14 days.... I got lucky and managed to squeeze in the 15th day into the promotional terms. (9th flight in, 23rd flight out)  

4) Money. More days will equate more hotels and meals, which means more cash. There is never enough cash to go around....

 

All in all, I really don't see myself nor the Mrs going Japan in the next 10 years, or even more when a child comes along. Unless of course due to job opportunities... Hence the temptation to cover even more on V2...

 

The JR West Museum will be a good magnet for V3 Miyakoji san, as there will be a 500 series on display ~ I bet the museum will even have the N700 on display by the time I go, with even newer models on the rail then...

[lurkingknight]

is your wife a foodie? we're structuring our next trip based on places we want to eat. lol.

 

It's just that good.

 

What would your wife classify as memorable? it's not like you're bungie jumping into ravines and skydiving over tokyo if that's the kind of memorable she wants. :P

 

It doesn't seem like a country to go wild in, it's a subdued intrigue is what I would describe it as. 

[bikkuri bahn]

it's not like you're bungie jumping into ravines and skydiving over tokyo if that's the kind of memorable she wants. :P

 

It doesn't seem like a country to go wild in, it's a subdued intrigue is what I would describe it as.

 

http://www.bungyjapan.com/en/index.php

 

subdued?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dRuPp0bkAnU

Edited November 6, 2014 by bikkuri bahn

[lurkingknight]

I forgot about that one. lol. Do they still allow that to happen? remember them showing vids when I was a kid on the sports network on slow news days.

 

There's also the fertility festivals where they carry the giant penis to the temple... but those generally aren't popular among most women... depending on how convservative their values are lol

Edited November 6, 2014 by lurkingknight

[katoftw]

I've started planning the second trip for locations and sites to see.  The first trip was a whirlwind trip without much deveation from the Tokaido/Sanyo/Kyushu Shinkansen lines.  Really good first trip to get a taste of Japan and see the well known sights.  But this time I'd like to deviate away from the masses. Tottori, Amanohashidate, Oitu/Lake Biwa and Toyama/Kurobe.

 

But also like to do some towns/buildings I missed out on from the first trip.. Train Museum @ Omiya, Yokahama, Odawara/Hakone, Osaka, Steam Museum @ Kyoto, Hiroshima (Mazda Factory + Miyajima), Yufuin, Beppu, Nagasaki and Kagoshima (Sakuajima + Ibusuki).

 

Plus some not high on the list to do but would like to go to are Okayama, Fukuyama, Shikoku, Nagoya and Shizuoka.

[JR 500系]

is your wife a foodie? we're structuring our next trip based on places we want to eat. lol.

 

It's just that good.

 

What would your wife classify as memorable? it's not like you're bungie jumping into ravines and skydiving over tokyo if that's the kind of memorable she wants. :P

 

It doesn't seem like a country to go wild in, it's a subdued intrigue is what I would describe it as. 

 

Well, she's not exactly a foodie, but even so, Japan doesn't really have the food she likes so it WILL be hard to entice using food. She does however love scenery and flowers, so anything memorable will be something like nice scenery along a slow train ride, and beautiful flowers in the spring or white snow ski park in the winter for her. Hence our V2 trip is based mainly on flowers and stuff like the Ashikaga Flower park and newly decided Huis Ten Bosch park in Nagasaki.

 

 

I've started planning the second trip for locations and sites to see.  The first trip was a whirlwind trip without much deveation from the Tokaido/Sanyo/Kyushu Shinkansen lines.  Really good first trip to get a taste of Japan and see the well known sights.  But this time I'd like to deviate away from the masses. Tottori, Amanohashidate, Oitu/Lake Biwa and Toyama/Kurobe.

 

But also like to do some towns/buildings I missed out on from the first trip.. Train Museum @ Omiya, Yokahama, Odawara/Hakone, Osaka, Steam Museum @ Kyoto, Hiroshima (Mazda Factory + Miyajima), Yufuin, Beppu, Nagasaki and Kagoshima (Sakuajima + Ibusuki).

 

Plus some not high on the list to do but would like to go to are Okayama, Fukuyama, Shikoku, Nagoya and Shizuoka.

 

Nice, I smell V2 coming! Usually, V1 is to get a taste of the country, and can get very hasty and rush, like my V1 which I made a terrible mistake taking trains to Hokkaido which cost us a day up and a day down. I really should have landed in Hokkaido instead...

 

Yokohama Ramen Museum is a nice place, you should check it out, bet Mrs Kato will love it: http://www.raumen.co.jp/english/

 

I'm doing the Toyama-Tateyama route, Beppu, Odawara/ Hakone and Hiroshima in this trip, so I hope to update you more once I get real life experience on them. Wife is looking forward to the Huis Ten Bosch park in Nagasaki so much! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auGQgFz8CmM

[Jensen]

Well, she's not exactly a foodie, but even so, Japan doesn't really have the food she likes so it WILL be hard to entice using food. She does however love scenery and flowers, so anything memorable will be something like nice scenery along a slow train ride, and beautiful flowers in the spring or white snow ski park in the winter for her. Hence our V2 trip is based mainly on flowers and stuff like the Ashikaga Flower park and newly decided Huis Ten Bosch park in Nagasaki.

 

 

 

Nice, I smell V2 coming! Usually, V1 is to get a taste of the country, and can get very hasty and rush, like my V1 which I made a terrible mistake taking trains to Hokkaido which cost us a day up and a day down. I really should have landed in Hokkaido instead...

 

Yokohama Ramen Museum is a nice place, you should check it out, bet Mrs Kato will love it: http://www.raumen.co.jp/english/

 

I'm doing the Toyama-Tateyama route, Beppu, Odawara/ Hakone and Hiroshima in this trip, so I hope to update you more once I get real life experience on them. Wife is looking forward to the Huis Ten Bosch park in Nagasaki so much! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=auGQgFz8CmM

 

Some of my trip based on food too! Especially in Japan with their local specialise food each places! Shame she can't be entice by it. Miyazaki mango and beef, Hirosaki apple, Morioka noodles and etc, really love it there. 

 

JR500 you could try Furano Flower Field in Hokkaido, been told the lavender field is a must see sight!

 

I've started planning the second trip for locations and sites to see.  The first trip was a whirlwind trip without much deveation from the Tokaido/Sanyo/Kyushu Shinkansen lines.  Really good first trip to get a taste of Japan and see the well known sights.  But this time I'd like to deviate away from the masses. Tottori, Amanohashidate, Oitu/Lake Biwa and Toyama/Kurobe.

 

But also like to do some towns/buildings I missed out on from the first trip.. Train Museum @ Omiya, Yokahama, Odawara/Hakone, Osaka, Steam Museum @ Kyoto, Hiroshima (Mazda Factory + Miyajima), Yufuin, Beppu, Nagasaki and Kagoshima (Sakuajima + Ibusuki).

 

Plus some not high on the list to do but would like to go to are Okayama, Fukuyama, Shikoku, Nagoya and Shizuoka.

 

I've already started thinking the next year trip (never too early), and I haven't started the coming trip over new year yet!

Having first hand experience will definitely help you plan for you next trips!

 

You mean Otsu? I'm going there on my upcoming trip and maybe Amanohashidate sand bar too if we have time, will let you about the place later.

 

Did you manage to go to JRC museum?

Any tips for Kyoto and Nara? I'm planning to rush on the Sagano railway after dropping my luggage from my long haul from UK. Did you get your ticket on the day? I don't want to miss out as I arrive on the 29th Dec morning (last operation until March)

[katoftw]

Sagona Railway tickets can be prebooked at any JR booking office in Japan in advance.  If you are booking on the day, then you have to go to Torroko-Saga station.

[Jensen]

Thx for the info, 

 

Will hope I've the chance going on it.