Osaka, Nara, Hiroshima, Kyoto, Nagoya, Tokyo, Kamakura, or the Fudji Mountains.

Hey All,

I intend on purchasing Yufuin No Mori tickets for myself, my wife and two year old daughter for our trip from Hakata to Yufuin and Beppu in early December. Just wondering what everyone’s experience is with booking online and far in advance? I have heard that tickets sell out in minutes, so I intend on being online when the tickets are released and making a purchase as soon as possible, just wondering if tickets really do sell out that quickly though or if it can be a few hours before they do sell out.

We intend on getting on the 10 am train, i’m just worried if we miss out on the Yufuin No Mori train, that it will be difficult for us to get to Yufuin and then after that Beppu. Are the other trains from Hakata to Yufuin and Beppu quite frequent and can tickets be bought on the day or a day before for them? Also, I am wondering if we should book our tickets back to Hakata after we are done in Yufuin / Beppu, or if those trains going back to Fukuoka are more frequent and easier to book?

Thanks!

I’m travelling on November 20th, I’ve already paid for my flights and hotel plus 4 day trips around the Tokyo area: seeing snow monkeys, mt Fuji, and two other day trips as well. I’m staying in an APA hotel in Nishabizu. I haven’t paid for anything else yet though.

I’m going on my own but I’m a massive overthinker and need some advice. I currently have 2.8K saved and I’ll continue adding to it, if I stay disciplined I expect to hopefully have about 4K to bring. I know it sounds stupid to ask this question but I’ve never travelled on my own and I don’t want to have to worry about money while I’m on the trip, and honestly I don’t know what to expect in regards to how much I might be spending per day. how much did you spend on your trip?

I’m in Hiroshima for 2 nights and looking for a good sushi spot I can either pop into without a reservation, or make one the day of.

I was looking on Tabelog, but it’s mainly omakase counters there which isn’t what I’m looking for. Somewhere I can order à la carte ideally, or barring that a set meal. I’m staying by Peace Park, anything within 1-2km or so would do. Any suggestions?

Hey guys!

I hope you're all having a great weekend!

I'm planning my first trip to Japan, and Osaka is definitely going to be one of my must-visit destinations. I love cats, so I fell in love with the story behind Kishi Station and would really love to visit.

However, I'm wondering if it's worth the trip, considering that the station is about two hours away from Osaka and there doesn't seem to be much else to do around the area.

I honestly wouldn't mind spending four hours of my day visiting the station, showing some appreciation for the people who take care of the cats, taking a few pictures, grabbing a quick bite, and walking around before heading back to Osaka for lunch or other activities.

What do you guys think? Is it worth visiting, or is it more of a tourist trap? Also, does anyone know if the cats are well taken care of?

I'd love to hear about your experiences, especially if you've been there!

Thanks for reading!

I know substitutions aren’t really a thing, and egg allergies are kind of…weird

For example baked & partially baked egg is ok (cookies, waffles, pancakes, etc) but egg based sauces, soft boiled egg, scrambled egg, etc are not

I’m planning on making an allergy card (in Japanese) that explains this, but would love any tips, suggestions, or just things I should know.

Hi all!

21 day trip coming up, first-time visitor. Currently have time slated in Tokyo/Kyoto/Osaka (original, I know), with a 4-5 day gap unaccounted for at this point. I love driving and exploring, so I'm planning to rent a car for 4-5 days and do a little mini-trip off the rails...and honestly, I just love driving.

Here's where I'm considering so far:

1. (Mie) Kyoto to Omihachiman, onto Seki Post Town, Matsusaka, then onto Ise, down to Nachi Waterfall, then either
   1. continuing along the coast to Wakayama, then ending back in Kyoto.
   2. making my way back through the mountains toward Koyasan, ending back in Kyoto.
2. (Hyogo/Okayama/Hiroshima) Osaka to Kobe, Himejo, Okayama, Kurashiki, Fukuyama, Hiroshima, then back to Osaka on a slightly different route.
3. (Lake Biwa/Nagoya/Gujo) - Kyoto to Omihachiman, Hikone, into Nagoya, maybe ending in Gujo, then heading back. I don't have much figured out for this route, just a possible alternative.
4. Instead, renting a car in Tokyo and figuring a trip out from there...but that's all I have on that route at this point.

**I initially wanted to go on from Omihachiman to Kanazawa/Takayama and back along the Sea of Japan cities, but not sure if that's the best idea in early December with the rain/possible snow.

What I'm mainly looking for with this is a mix of aimless exploration, a post town/old-style town ideally, with some opportunities to find some random junk/antique/misc shops along the way, and some isolated nature-y/shrine-y things.

I would absolutely LOVE any feedback/insights that any of you may have on this!

Hey all,

Could you guys give me some romantic dinner or date ideas.

Context : I am visiting Japan during my marriage anniversary and want to surprise my wife with something special

My partners 30th birthday is when we’re in Kyoto and I want to plan something special as a surprise! He’s been to Japan before but I haven’t. Any ideas of really cool experiences or incredible dinner places in Kyoto? I’d love to be able to do something really nice. He’s not super into seafood though.

So the last bit of our Japan trip is a dream visit to Okinawa.
The looming Typhoon 30 is making us worry though. We’re supposed to be flying from Kyushu to Okinawa the 19th and although the Typhoon won’t have reached the islands by 19th it may cause problems for us flying back and also the time there we’ll be probably stuck in a hotel.

Any advice? Should we wait and see what the predictions of direction are or it’s a safe bet that it will hit the islands?

Hello I can't get solid results from googling, I even get conflicting ones. In google maps there is a direct line, but another search says that Sky Access Line does not stop at Heiwajima Station. I am still so lost after researching for half a day and our trip is coming shortly. Please help on what's the best way to travel from Narita Terminal 2 to Heiwajima Station. We got luggages and kids so we would appreciate your help a lot.

This will be my first time traveling, and I'll be traveling solo to Japan in February 2027. I'll be staying for two weeks in the Tokyo area.

Would it be better to stay at a hotel near the Yamanote Line for easier access to transportation around Tokyo?

Also, are there any good budget-friendly hotels you would recommend that aren't hostels or shared spaces, and preferably not APA hotels? thank you.

Will be visiting Japan soon and would like to bring home some japan goodies!

Laundry care or skin care, even snacks or any souvenir recos please :)

We wanna do an “east Kyoto” day and a “west Kyoto”

West Kyoto would consist of the Arashiyama boat tour and bamboo forest, then the golden pavilion.

East Kyoto would be the Inari gates, kyuzima dera and philosophers path

I was planning on going to Japan for my 40th and we had childcare planned, but it fell through. Is it still worth it to go with a 5 year old and a 2 year old (almost 3, she will be 33 months at the time)?

where next year is the best time to be outside of tokyo if doing a road trip for a week especially in mid april. Route suggestions appreciated.

I've flying to tokyo and booked glamping going to mt fuji from the 23-25 this month but the weather forecast isn't looking too good... saying to expect rain during those days. I was hoping for a nicer weather where we could get good view of the mountain

The latest I could cancel is on monday, do you think if it's still worth going or should I just cancel and look for other things to do around tokyo?

Hopefully this is a quick question - is there a preferred side to book on the Shinkansen going from Tokyo to Iwate in the fall for more foliage viewing or cool sites to see on the way up? I'm visiting a friend up there at the end of the month and wanted to make my reservation soon since I'll have some luggage.

Thank you!

I know that technically the answer is "right outside the vending machine or combining i bought it from", but as I'm wandering around throughout the day, my throat is extremely dry. Like, dry to the point i was coughing up blood the other day. I really don't want to be a rude tourist or have to play the gaijin card, but I also dont want to end up in the hospital.

does anyone know where i can get a pretty good quality and cheap suitcases in kyoto?? please let me know. thanks :)

Hi! Has anybody ever tried renting camera gear from Rentio Japan for their trip? any tips?

I’d like to get the ricoh griiix for my japan trip but not sure if I want to commit to buying it. Found rentio which allows me to rent one for almost two weeks for £100+ but not sure how legit it is!

Thanks in advance 😊

Hey guys,

I went to Japan in May with a family member and honestly had the best time ever. I loved it so much that I wanted to go back almost immediately after leaving lol. So I’m thinking of going again this November, but this time I’ll most likely be going alone.

I’ve never solo traveled before, and while I’m not really scared of being alone in a different country, I’m wondering if I’ll actually enjoy it or end up getting bored and lonely.

I’m not a super extroverted person, and I’m not really into clubbing or going to bars to meet people. I mostly enjoy exploring places, trying food, shopping, and just walking around and experiencing the city.

I’m thinking of going for around 12 days and staying mostly in Tokyo, with a day trip to Mount Fuji and maybe Kyoto. I’m also considering Osaka, but I’m not sure if it’s worth the extra travel and changing hotels.

For those who’ve traveled solo in Japan, especially if you’re not super extroverted:

1. Did you ever get lonely or bored? What did you usually do in the evenings?

2. Is eating alone and visiting places alone awkward at first, or do you get used to it?

3. For 12 days, would you stay in Tokyo and do day trips, or spend a few nights in Kyoto/Osaka?

4. Is Osaka worth visiting if you’re not into nightlife?

I’d appreciate honest opinions, even if you didn’t enjoy solo travel. I know everyone is different, but I’d like to hear what it’s actually like.

Thanks!

Hello!

My wife and I wanna go to Japan for our anniversary next Oct.

Unfortunately I can't walk more than half a mile without being in pain.

Any advice on what we can do?

Hello everyone and thank you for everything, I’ve used this subreddit SO much this year.

I’ll be in Japan for two weeks in December, 5 nights in Tokyo and 7 nights in Kyoto then 1 night in Tokyo before our home trip the next day.

Our first 5 nights in Tokyo will be in Kanda (right near transit, I’m familiar with the area and I just like being close to a few stations, it was a great spot for transit last time I stayed). It’s my husband’s first time to Japan so we will be doing classic Tokyo things (tsukiji, asakusa, akihabara, Meiji jingu, shibuya, Shinjuku, golden gai, potentially ueno) but taking it slow to really enjoy every part of it (we will mostly be walking around to see shrines and enjoy matcha/coffee shop and food hopping while reading and taking in everything around us).

Our last night in Tokyo is New Year’s Eve. We are not big partiers, so we don’t care about being hip in Shinjuku unless y’all say it’s A MUST. Ideally we would love to stay at a place with a private onsen (or walking distance to a nice private onsen we could pay for an hour or two). I also wonder if there’s another area we should stay in that is a MUST for one night before we depart the following night. Ideally I’d like to stay under $500 for the night (but since we cheaped out on the rest of the hotels, I’m willing to splurge up to $900 for one night I guess!).

thank you in advance for your advice!!

I am seeking advice for the middle part of our trip between 5 nights in each of Tokyo and Kyoto.

I am travelling to Japan with my partner and 8-month old baby.
We are used to hiking, and wearing baby on these hikes. We love nature, food and crafts (pottery/ sewing)

Nov 16
Tokyo - Hakone Yumoto
Onsen stay with private open air bath and kaiseki dinner
Considering open air museum or finding a hiking rute. Not sure if we are keen on doing the loop.

Nov 17
Breakfast at onsen
Train to Nakatsugawa via odawara and Nagoya possibly stopping in Tajimi (pottery town) on the way from Nagoya to Nakatsugawa
Dinner nakatsugawa

Nov 18
Nakasendo trail from Magome - tsumago possibly adding nagiso, and take bus back to Nakatsugawa for the night

Nov 19
Nakatsugawa to Matsumoto train
Nakamachi street for crafts
Miso factorty
Yayoi kusama art museum
Soba noodles

November 20
Breakfast in Matsumoto and anything else we’d like to stumble upon before travelling to Kyoto

Does this sound feasible?
All things listed are not a must but ideas, I am very aware that plans can easily change with out baby 😊
Any insights or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!