An island nation in East Asia known for many aspects of its unique culture and having one of the world's largest cities, Tokyo as its capital.
12
votes
1answer
138 views
Japan's snow road: Where is it and when to visit?
In the Internet I found interesting pictures about Japan's snow road. It seems that there are at least 10 meters of snow on this road.
Unfortunately I couldn't find out where in Japan this road is ...
11
votes
1answer
286 views
Is there any way to get a ride on the new Japanese Maglev train in Yamanashi?
I know it is an experimental test track but was wondering if anyone knew how one might be able to ride the Yamanashi maglev train on one of its test runs?
6
votes
1answer
131 views
More creative snow festivals than Sapporo snow festival
The Sapporo snow festival was pretty good. There was lots of delicious food stalls, information booths, and I even signed a petition calling for the return of Japan's "northern territories" (the ...
8
votes
2answers
470 views
Is Tokyo Metro accessible to people with movement disabilities?
A friend of mine will be travelling to Tokyo for a week or two, and since she has a certain movement disability, she was concerned whether the Tokyo Metro has appropriate accessibility facilities ...
6
votes
2answers
622 views
Subway, train or both when travelling around Tokyo
We will spend a week in Tokyo in april and I am now looking into the best way to get around the city. The subway seems to go everywhere but there are also normal trains connecting most places. How ...
6
votes
2answers
664 views
How to buy tickets for a sumo wrestling game?
We are curious about sumo wrestling and would like to visit a game while in Tokyo. According to Wikipedia the big tournament happens 6 times a year but not in April when we are visiting. So what other ...
5
votes
4answers
307 views
Jogging in Tokyo and Osaka
I'm not a huge fan of jogging on crowded sidewalks even in the US, and I expect many sidewalks in Tokyo and Osaka will only be more crowded.
What locations in these cities would you recommend for ...
7
votes
4answers
1k views
Is there luggage storage at train stations in Japan?
We will travel around Japan by train and will make a few shorter stops with only a nights stay so it would be handy to be able to drop the bags at the station while doing some sightseeing before ...
5
votes
2answers
441 views
Health retreats in Japan
I am looking for health retreats in Japan. Specifically places that offer meditation (not necessarily zen), healthy food, a relaxing environment and beautiful scenery. I would like to stay somewhere ...
1
vote
1answer
69 views
Recommended quiet neighbourhoods to stay anywhere in Japan? [closed]
Planning to go to Japan to experience life as a local and looking for a place to stay for a week that feels very homely. An area where there is full of mom and dad type shops but is not too remote ...
1
vote
2answers
245 views
What to see in Kobe and Tokyo?
I found out only yesterday that my company is sending me to Japan to Kobe this Saturday, for two weeks. I'll be working all day but in the evenings I'll have some time to sightsee. What would you ...
8
votes
1answer
297 views
How to avoid having my drink spiked in a bar
How do I avoid being the victim of drink spiking in a bar? (As in spiking to steal money or commit credit card fraud, not for sexual assualt)
Presumably I should avoid places promoted by touts from ...
5
votes
1answer
83 views
Can group tours help you see more of remote regions of Japan, such as Tohoku?
I'm going to Japan by myself in February, and I'm thinking of spending about a week visiting the Tohoku region.
Wikitravel mentions that some train services can be infrequent, with buses being a ...
3
votes
1answer
143 views
Karaoke for solo travellers
How can solo travellers do karaoke in Japan?
Are there places where you can meet random strangers and do karaoke with them?
Failing that, are there places where you can pay people (presumably female ...
4
votes
1answer
375 views
How common are onsen that require swimming costumes in Japan?
I assumed that you don't need a swimming costume when going to an onsen, but I came across this page mentioning that some places require swimsuits (it mentions Tokyo ones require them more than rural ...
10
votes
3answers
213 views
Is it usual for Japanese sentos to offer cheap overnight stays like their Korean counterparts (jjimjilbangs) do?
Japan and Korea both have similar concepts of communal bath houses. In Japan they are called sentos and in Korea they are called jjimjilbangs.
In Korea it is usual that jjimjilbangs offer very cheap ...
5
votes
1answer
213 views
Looking for micro breweries in the Tokyo area
We will spend a couple of days in the Tokyo area and it would be really fun to visit a microbrewery there. So I am looking for microbreweries in the area or places that serve their products.
(photo ...
6
votes
1answer
140 views
Cheapest place to buy a JR Pass
I realize that the cost of the pass itself is fixed, in yen. However, I see that travel agents often add extra costs, in the form of "delivery fees" and "processing fees" etc ($15 for delivering a ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
Are there electrical plugs and/or wifi in Japanese shinkansen?
Do the Shinkansen trains have wifi? How about electrical plugs?
If it depends on the train, these are the ones I'll be taking:
Hikari 546 (Hiroshima->Shin-Kobe)
Hikari 470 (Shin-Kobe->Tokyo)
Max ...
8
votes
2answers
824 views
How much should I fear golden week in Japan?
I am planning a vacation to Japan, and currently have two possible plans. In plan A I leave well before Golden week (on 4/24). In plan B I leave during the first weekend of golden week (4/28, on ...
4
votes
3answers
153 views
Is researching dating tips for a specific country worthwhile, useless or counterproductive?
I'm planning on visiting Japan for two weeks. While dating isn't the purpose of it, I hope to socialize a bit with people my age, including some apres-ski, and wouldn't mind if it resulted in dating.
...
8
votes
2answers
422 views
Getting around on Kyushu (Fukuoka, Nagasaki and Beppu)
We are thinking about taking shinkansen to Fukuoka and then visit Nagasaki and Beppu (possibly some place in the mountains as well) and probably stay a night or two in both places. Then back to ...
10
votes
1answer
114 views
Can I learn ski jumping in Japan?
Since visiting Calgary Olympic Park and seeing their exhibit on ski jumping within the ski jumping tower, I've wanted to have a go at the sport, and Japan is the closest country to me (along with ...
7
votes
2answers
248 views
Sacred mountains in Japan?
I read about a sacred mountain in Japan that was not Fuji. You know - the kind with monasteries all around and nice hiking in the hills. So now I wonder if this is a common concept in Japan? And what ...
8
votes
1answer
204 views
Car rental in Japan
Is it possible to rent a car in Japan with a Swedish drivers license? What is the traffic like? I figure that there is not much use in driving in the Tokyo or Osaka areas. What are the options for ...
8
votes
1answer
191 views
Snorkeling in southern Japan?
Are there any good snorkeling sites around Kyushu in southern Japan? Is it warm enough to do this in April? (Context: newbie snorkelers... one or two days. Preferably not an island outside of Kyushu.)
...
8
votes
2answers
159 views
How can I travel to Japan from mainland Asia by ship?
I'm planning my trans-mongolian/siberian trip and I'll end up in Beijing. I want to know if it's possible to reach Japan without flying (ideally Tokyo).
11
votes
3answers
172 views
Accommodation in Tokyo for a party of four
We are going to Japan in the beginning of April and we are looking for good accommodation in Tokyo and Kyoto for two adults and two teenagers. We would like interesting options that take us into the ...
13
votes
2answers
607 views
Bringing a camping knife to Japan
And before you ask, YES, it is for camping.
I have travelled to Japan a couple times and enjoyed it. I know Japan law allows knifes of a certain size (under 6cm the last time I checked, but I'll look ...
2
votes
0answers
536 views
Differences in mentality of Japanese and Korean people [closed]
What is the difference between Japanese and Korean people, from the mentality/behavior perspective? Please list as many differences as you know, or provide link to a good article/discussion, as I ...
10
votes
1answer
263 views
Camping near a beach, not far from Tokyo
I am looking for a place to camp (tent, coming by bicycle or train), at walking distance from a beach, and not far from Tokyo.
Any recommendation?
I have found a few lists of camping addresses, but ...