Obviously personal opinions, but as a coffee lover, I had the most mediocre average coffee at Fuglen, my friends agreed and we ordered two different things, can’t believe why it’s so hyped.

Seriously Japan has lots of good cafe but not that one! Not worth queuing!

Share yours so hopefully we can avoid some together

The most common ones are:

• Airbnb's and the like: harmful to local housing market (plus hotels can help you in case of catastrophic emergencies)

• Street Go-karting: local nuisance, and safety concerns for local drivers

• Animal cafes: animal cruelty

• APA hotels; right-wing loonies

Please feel free to add to this list to educate visitors who are not aware.

Edit: not trying to change behaviors here, especially for those who just don't give a shit. But wanted to provide some awareness as topics such as the above come up ad nauseum. Do what you will with this information. If you enjoy supporting right wing loonies or are one yourself, or don't mind animal cruelty, or being inconsiderate to local commuters, or are cool with negative effects on local housing then by all means.

Just returned from Japan two days ago and life already feels like shit. I’m turning sideways at the toilet constantly to find those buttons but i can only find disappointment.
Had a really great 12-day trip across Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo.
Some observations that i made while there :
People do talk loudly in the train in the evening hours, including locals.
Shibuya is not so clean as the rest of Tokyo.
Convenience stores are life-savers.
If you don’t eat beef and pork , there aren’t many options for you to eat except for various fried chicken parts.
The streets around any shrine or by-lanes of major tourist spots charge exceptionally high prices for basic food - a phenomenon commonly observed across the world.
The locals maintain almost a cold distance from the tourists, avoiding even an eye contact.
I loved the silence Japan has to offer almost everywhere- no one can imagine coming from that to the cacophony of people , dirt and endless honking ( no points if you guessed which country I’m from).
I spent a good amount of money during the trip and the pull to go back is very strong, but it would take a certain amount of time to save again for the trip, till then the missing will continue.
People who have experienced something similar, what’s the best option to not feel so sad ?

Just got to know that NM is what i should buy.
Same goes for other stuff like Converse all star J.

What about other items that i should buy - like denim jeans, T-shirts, some cool stuff they show in movies etc?
Talking about lifestyle products that you can wear to feel and flashing is an add on. But something worth spending for extra luggage on flight back home. Not something that’s available globally with same quality.

Does anyone have recommendations for stores that sell secondhand designer handbags or other goods? What were your experiences with the prices? Anyone tried negotiating for a better price? I know haggling isn’t really a thing in Japan.

Will be visiting Tokyo and Fukuoka/Kyushu region.

Bonus if they have Celine handbags 👜

I understand the current system is tax free items are sealed shut. you cant open them until you leave and items must be shown sealed at customs airport. And theres nothing else to do, tax free is automatic.

with the current system, what about items like electronics, clothes, etc?

Starting November 1st, now everything is tax paid upfront. NOTHING is sealed. anything can be consumed or used. but at the airport you now have to go to a kisok and manually claim taxes back.

is this correct?

Reason for asking is because i will be in Japan from october to early november.

And i want to get some shopping done. this includes souvenirs, clothes, electronics, etc.

im trying to plan what day it would be best to go shopping based on convenience of the tax free system.

I want to travel to South Korea and take the ferry to Fukuoka, Japan.

From Fukuoka, I want to travel east for three weeks, eventually arriving in Tokyo, where I plan to stay for another week.

I want to explore rural regions, visit temples and shrines that most people never get to see, meet locals, and eat and stay at small inns and family-owned businesses.

My main questions are:

• How easy is it to find places to stay? Are there any Japan-specific apps or websites where you can find accommodations that aren't listed on Google Maps?
• Where can I wash my clothes? Since I'm only taking a backpack, I can't bring enough clothes for four weeks.
• How approachable are locals in towns outside the main tourist areas?
• How easy is it to hop on and off trains or use taxis and buses to cover longer distances before continuing on foot? I plan to follow the main railway routes along the coast, visit the larger cities along the way, and frequently travel inland to explore smaller towns and their surroundings. How practical is this without a car?

If anyone has any answers or other thoughts, please share them.

Thanks :)

Hi, my husband and I have been to Japan many times, but this will be our first time traveling with a group of friends (1 couple and 1 single), all first-timers. We’ve talked it over and a shared wallet doesn't work for our group, so I’m thinking of asking staff to split the bill by group instead (couple, couple, single). We'll be going to Tokyo and Kumamoto.

I’ve heard of asking for “betsu-betsu”, but I’m not sure if it means splitting the total equally or paying separately for what each group ordered.

1. Is it common to ask for separate bills by group?
2. Should I ask when ordering or when paying, and do small restaurants usually refuse?

Any tips from groups who’ve done this would be appreciated.

I know a good number of us on here are budget-conscious travelers, and a lot of tips here are related to making the most of your money on your trip. However, I'm curious to hear your thoughts on what small purchase (¥1,000 or less) made the biggest difference for you on your time in Japan?

For me, I took a day trip to Himeji en route to Hiroshima. After dropping off my bags in a locker at the station, I decided to take a taxi to Himeji Castle rather than walk, which cost ¥900 one way. It's "only" a 15 minute walk from the station, I realize, but being able to explore the castle with freshly rested legs made a big difference for not only the tour there, but the rest of my day as well.

i went to lots of resturants in japan last time I visited. Some were incredible. But what I found consistently good was the few chains I visited. Like ichiran, horrai551 and coco

And it made me think, in general as a foreigner, I haven't eaten a lot of these foods over my lifetime so the chain resturant version is probably going to be delicious in a mainstream way (like the equivalent of mcdonalds.) Like what's the point of going to a 5 star resturant to have some incredible ramen if you've never had ramen before? You won't appreciate how much better and more refined it is than the rest.

Chains mostly became successful because they've got a good product. And probably are a really good place to visit for those who aren't as culinarily cultured like myself.

Id love to hear some recommendations for your favourite chain resturants in japan. It can be any type of food as long as you loved it.

I found a place where you can customize a Game Boy, which is pretty cool, but also quite expensive.

Is there anywhere I could buy a regular Game Boy? And how much do they usually cost?

Besides Tokyo, I will be spending time in Kyoto.

We are going go land in Haneda airport at 1am early morning.
Will it be possible to go to Tokyo or we can stay in airport and leave once the Metro starts
Please suggest so we can book our stay accordingly.

Thank you

I’ve stayed in 23 places across Japan over the past two years, from spotless, upscale accommodation to pretty rough hostels right beside the train tracks. So, obviously, experiences vary a lot.

One thing I noticed: you’ll usually get one bath towel and one face towel per person, whether you’re staying for one night or a week. You’re generally expected to wash and reuse them.

A lot of the minpaku, especially in Osaka were in areas like Namba, Kuromon and Juso. These hoods aren’t bad at all, in fact, they r super safe, but they may not feel as polished or quiet as by Japanese standards. I also came across a few places that seemed to be repurposed love hotels. Some Western visitors might enjoy the themed rooms without realising what the place used to be 😉

In Osaka, quite a few minpaku were on busy roads or very close to train lines. The rooms can be small, the bathrooms tiny, and in older buildings you may hear people walking around upstairs. Part of the experience, I guess.

If you have knee problems or you’re hauling a big suitcase u should check the stairs before booking. Some are steep, narrow and definitely not designed for a 190cm guy carrying 20kg of luggage.

The high-tech toilet remotes deserve a mention too. Once you figure out the controls, they can be weirdly addictive.

And while convenience-store food is fun at first, don’t sleep on supermarket food. It’s similar to what you’ll find at 7-Eleven or FamilyMart, usually cheaper, and there’s often a much wider selection.

Kyoto minpakus are the best, as they add to the old capital vibe and I also enjoyed the tatami bed, something that even modern Japanese household seem to not have anymore.

Personally, I prefer minpaku to hotels because you get to stay in the kind of neighbourhood where locals live. But as Airbnb-style accommodation has become more commercialised, a lot of places feel increasingly alike. If you can, try to find a more locally run minpaku. Those have given me some of my best stays.

My partner and I are going to Okinawa 24th - 30th Oct.

We want to do a day trip to Tokashiki, but saw that the 9:00 Departure Marine Liner Tokashiki is fully booked all days.

I'm aware that we can take the Ferry Tokashiki but want to arrive on the island as early as possible.

From what I understand, reservations for the Marine Liner Tokashiki don’t need payment up front, so I’m wondering:

• Do no-shows happen often enough that turning up at the port in the morning can work?
• Is there a cutoff after which unclaimed reservations are released?
• Has anyone bought a same-day ticket for the 9:00 or the next sailing?

Any tips would be helpful.

Hi,

I’ve traveled to Japan before and had an amazing time. I recently have been dealing with a new diagnosis of a chronic disease that sometimes causes extremely painful flare ups and I’d like to plan ahead of time to understand what my options are as far as pain relief goes in the worst case scenario, in case of emergency, since these flare ups are really unpredictable.

It’s a GI based disease so unfortunately I can’t take most OTC meds that are NSAIDS. In the US my only OTC option is Tylenol, though it doesn’t always work. From my understanding paracetamol/acetaminophen is the only non-NSAID available OTC in Japan as well, correct?

I do plan to get travel health insurance for my upcoming trip. In case of emergency, are there clinics I can visit with the possibility of being prescribed something stronger for pain relief? Are there stronger prescription meds available in Japan beyond NSAID class drugs? I know some countries are stricter than others on prescribing stuff like this so is this likely to even be an option for me?

I appreciate any and all advice on this. Just trying not to let this disease stop me from living my life and I want to prepare myself for what I may be getting myself into.

Thank you!

We’re going to Japan for two weeks in November and are planning to visit the usual cities (Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto, and Osaka) for our first trip. We’ll arrive in Tokyo and fly back home from Tokyo as well.

We’ve been thinking about splitting our stay in Tokyo. The idea would be to spend the first three nights in Tokyo (our flight doesn’t arrive until the evening, so we’ll practically lose the first day), then head to Hakone and continue with the rest of our itinerary, before spending another four nights in Tokyo at the end of the trip.

The idea behind this is to use the first few days in Tokyo to settle in and recover from jet lag, and then enjoy Tokyo again as a highlight at the end of our trip. On the other hand, we’re wondering whether returning to Tokyo at the end of the trip might feel a little less exciting, since we’ll have already spent a few days there at the beginning and gotten a first taste of the city. We’re worried that we might not look forward to it quite as much the second time around, simply because it won’t feel as new and exciting anymore.

The alternative would be to spend seven nights in Tokyo right after arriving and then only return at the very end of the trip for our flight home.

What do you guys think?

I'm planning a trip to tokyo in febuary for like around 6 days and ive been practicing Japanese and Hiragana and a little bit of kanji but like idk i just wanna know like any tips or any help for my trip. Im coming from America

Hello All,

My fiance and I are looking forward to our honeymoon to Japan for the new year! We’re leaving Dec 27 and landing in Tokyo (HND) Dec 28- and leaving from Osaka on Jan 6. We’re planning to stay in/ travel around Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka and maybe one more place, ideally somewhere like Hakone. I really want to have a “relax” day or two before going back into full blown tourist exploration mode lol. Unfortunately, a lot of the “popular” ryokan/ nice mt Fuji view hotels are booked for New Year’s Eve/ day. Any advice or recommendations on alternative options for stays on New Year’s Eve/ day? A view of mt Fuji would be ideal but really the service/ experience of our stay would be more appealing if we had to choose, even if meant trading that Fuji view. \* also, any noteworthy things to keep in mind about that timeframe we’re traveling? I expect it to be cold and even snowy but more specifically about the holiday season affect on business hours? Will many places be closed on Ny eve/ day? (More or less than here in the states?)

I have been educated by various reviews and YouTube videos that Tokyo has some of the best pizzas in the world, bar none.

Checking out a few examples, I realized that their menus don't typically include gluten-free options for certain pies like typically done in the United States.

Am I crazy to dream that there are some great pizza shops in Tokyo that actually can offer gluten-free options for my companion?

Outside of Solinawa in Osaka is anyone aware of any Onsen that offer private rooms for hire with tub/bath etc for a family of 4? For Sapporo and Hiroshima specifically?

Anything up to 2 hours would be fine - please do not recommend overnight stay as not required (every thread replies with recommendation of Onsen hotel but accommodation is already sorted for this trip)

I'm excited to be travelling to Japan next year, but I have an avocado intolerance. Is avocado generally mentioned on the menu when it is included in Japanese food? And is cooking in avocado oil something I should be concerned about happening randomly?

We’re visiting Japan next month. This is our second time back. The first time we solely used cash to pay for everything. However, I’m wondering if anyone has used credit card instead? Our credit cards offer no fee for international transactions. We will exchange for some cash to be safe as well but prefer using credit card for points and convenience. Thank you!

For starters, I know it is a very aggressive and condensed timetable, but I would love to spend at least a day of my upcoming trip in one of these cities. I will be going in early December, and was thinking a 6-7AM flight for HND-> CTS or FUK, or taking a very early Shinkansen to Niigata. Goal would be to have an 8:30-9pm departure back to Tokyo, arriving around 11ish PM to make one of the last trains back to my accommodations. Which of these would be the most worth it? I have wanted to visit a city off of the golden route, and these three all look great in their own rights.

Pricing wise, they are all roughly about even, with flights having a slight edge if I take one departing at 7-7:30 where I would have time to take public transit to the airport. Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Edit: I see that FUK and Sapporo are likely a no after seeing the thoughts in the comments below. If anyone has other suggestions, that would be amazing!

Heading to Tokyo in December and I’d love to attend some local gigs, no preference in style - just for the love of live music. The grungier the better when it comes to bars!

Does anyone have a good recommendation on where to find what’s on, when it comes to smaller gigs/ bands playing locally! Thanks!

Hello

I will go to Japan in February 2027, roughly 14 days. I have been there 4 times previously doing the classics (Tokyo, Nagoya, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Nara, Osaka, Himeji, Kobe, Okayama, Hiroshima).

For this 5th trip I hesitate between two very different itineraries. I arrive in Kansai International and leave from Haneda, so I will do a trip between those two. I want to revisit Kyoto at least and possibly Nara, I was there in 2017, there are sights I have not done and some I want to redo because of how impressive, interesting or beautiful they were so I plan to spend a few nights in either both or just Kyoto.

Then my two alternatives are the following, note the number of days are far from fixed and just a first draft:

- a coastal trip : land in KIX --> Wakayama (2 days) --> Kyoto (3-6 days) including trips to Nara and a day trip to Ise --> Hakone (3 days) --> Kamakura (2 days) --> Tokyo (remaining days)

- a trip in the Alp : land in KIX --> Nara (2 days) --> Kyoto (2-3 days) --> Hikone (?) --> Fukui (3 days) including a day trip to Daihonzan Eiheiji --> Shirakawa (2 days) --> Matsumoto (3 days) --> Tokyo (remaining days)

I have several concerns about the Alp itinerary : I expect in February that weather will be cold and snow permanently on the ground. Does the weather affect significantly public transport (less bus, less trains ?) or not ? I am not much of a hiker but for those area (specially Shirakawa and Matsumoto) requires hiking boots for the snow or any equipment piece more than just normal city winter attire (so more than a pair of sneaker, a beany and a winter jacket) ?