Japan General

Bumping so people see this. People are still posting in the old thread which is well past bump limit.

>>1243294
I got you back OP watch this.

Kyoto is shit.

Going back to Japan in January, any ideas on where I can find a Tebori tattoo artist in Tokyo and relative pricing?

What's the best way to get tickets for the Ghibli museum?

>>1243332
Sacrifice a goat to the Gods. Idk if you're in Japan you use a little ticket ordering terminal thing in Lawson stores, but they're always sold out way far in advance.

>>1243332
https://l-tike.com/st1/ghibli-en/sitetop
you can buy tickets from here, you're bum out of luck if you're going in may tho

Anyone in Japan right now? Do the locals seem to be fearful of North Korea?

>>1243188
Wow, these blond Japanese chicks give me all sort of weird feelings.
Would it be possible to find some willing to dominate me using strap-on?

>>1243353
very, the whole world is shivering in fear of the mighty supreme leader!

>>1243341
Fuck.
Would Travel agencies be a better option? Or would that be overpriced as shit for no gaurantee?

>>1243345
Seems like once they go up I'll probably be fighting for them. I need 6 tickets. how fucked am I

>>1243357
well the person organising my school trip went through JTB and got 44 tickets, so idk. Its not like its impossible to get them man, you just need to get in quickly

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>Japan's sex industry is almost completely inaccessible to foreigners who do not speak Japanese

Why tell lies? walk around anywhere near love hotels in Osaka and eventually you'll find hookers approaching you (it's obvious what they are hinting at with what they are wearing).

I had to bat them off when I was over last time for a semester, and I was a 19yr old fresh faced student at the time not exactly your run of the mill salary man.

Not that you need hookers, go bang some xmas cakes on interpals or facebook groups anons

>>1243361
>*Almost completely inaccessible*
>He thinks random freelancers are even 5% of Japan's sex industry

But I mean, feel free to walk up to any deri health or soapland and blabber in English and see how far you get.

No one said it's not accessible at all. That's why those links are there.

Why are you so dense?

>>1243353
>Anyone in Japan right now? Do the locals seem to be fearful of North Korea?
I would say life goes on as usual here. Probably water cooler talk, but not much more than that.

>>1243354
>Wow, these blond Japanese chicks give me all sort of weird feelings. Would it be possible to find some willing to dominate me using strap-on?
http://galdeli-ikb.com/top/
If you can speak Japanese. Some girls probably won't see foreigners period even if you can, but some might so it would be worth a try.

>>1243357
Don't really know. I live here and I've only ever tried the Lawson way and failed. Haven't tried a lot though. It's not impossible obviously I think you just have to buy way in advance.

>>1243364
>random freelancers are even 5% of Japan's sex industry

You know that BS laddo

no need to get salty over whores, I've seen plenty of them with my own eyes and it's not exactly hard for a foreigner to get some action.

On the contrary with love hotels etc it's easy modo

>>1243370
Huh?

All I'm saying is whatever you've seen is only a tiny fraction and most of it is objectively inacessible

>it's not exactly hard for a foreigner to get some action.

No one said it is.

Any itineraries you guys recommend or sites with itineraries based on nearby specific train lines.

I'm going to be going in with a bunch of other people and need to whip out a list that is preferably walking distance from Yamanote line since it would be where our lodging is, that is good for a few days ~4-5.

Thanks.

>>1243370
He's not wrong. As a gaijin, you will be denied entry into damn near every titty bar and pink salon, most delivery health shops, and pretty much every soapland outside of Yoshiwara. Freelance hookers outside of love hotels in Osaka, and Tabita Shinchi, are two of the few parts of the sex industry that gaijin have access to. Doesn't mean it's hard to wet your willy, just that you'll never see about 95% of Japan's sex industry unless you're Japanese.

>>1243406
If you possess literally zero Japanese ability this is true.

There are some places that will turn you down no matter what your Japanese ability is, but most places simply want to make sure you can understand the instructions and the girl.

>>1243361

What Facebook groups?

>>1243389
basically everything in Tokyo is accessible from the Yamanote train line. If it aint then it's only 1 or 2 connections away. Just do whatever looks interesting.

Hey /trv/. Going to Japan in less than a month with my girlfriend.

9 days. First 2 in Tokyo, next 2 in Kyoto, next 1 in Osaka, next 1 in Hiroshima, and last 3 in Tokyo again. We have a JR Pass of course and we have airbnbs in every city.

We know that's cramming a lot into 9 days, but we wanted to get a good taste of both modern Japan and classical Japan.

Tokyo days 1 and 2: Odaiba, Akihabara, Ikebukuro, possibly Nakano Broadway
Kyoto day 1: Kyoto Railway Museum, Kiyomuzidera, Gion
Kyoto day 2: Niji Castle and Nishiki Market. any other suggestions?

Osaka: No specific sights here. Just gonna go downtown, denden town and dotonburi.
Hiroshima: Peace Park and Miyajima.
Back to Tokyo: Shinjuku, Shibuya, any other suggestions?

yeah, we know we're cramming a lot into 9 days, but do you think we can make it work?

Thanks friends.

>>1243357
>I need 6 tickets. how fucked am I
Pretty fucked if you're limited to a specific set of dates. I was happy to get one ticket when waiting for the April tickets to be unlocked. My main problem was that I kept losing connection. Presumably because the site was overloaded. Maybe you'll have more luck, though.

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What are you experiences with revolut ? Is it worth it ?

>>1243448
I mean, I wouldn't personally. You'll be moving from place to place constantly, having to check in-and out, carrying your luggage around each time and then having to "force" yourself to go out each day, because you only have that day there.

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Will 2000 u.s dollary do be enough for me to travel around japan for a month ish? i've already bought the plane ticket

>>1243502
This. Just stay in Tokyo and take a couple day trips out. I'm ending my trip now, had 2 nights in Hiroshima (one on Miyajima and one in the city itself) and 2 nights in Nagasaki. Just not enough time. I wish I'd had two more full days for both cities.

>>1243413
There is also girls' preference too. Basically establishments are only worried about communication with the girl and understanding the rules. They are a business and their mindset is certainly not "hurr we don't want foreigners fucking our women." They just want your money. But some girls themselves won't see foreigners and the place will tell you if it's "NG".

>>1243448
Pretty hectic but probably alright if you've packed light. I'd make the Osaka day a day trip from Kyoto if you haven't already booked lodging. Would cut down on hauling everything around.

Unless you're really weeb or you're interested in finding more vintage western toys like Star Wars, I'd really skip Nakano broadway. It's just a shopping mall and generally Akihabara lite without the atmosphere and not nearly as big. Akihabara itself is sufficient.

Also, try to coordinate the locations of these things to maximize efficiency. (For example, if you are set on going to Nakano broadway go on the same day you want to go to Shinjuku as Nakano and Shinjuku stations are right next to each other).

>>1243519
Assuming the 2000 U.S. is what you have after lodging expenses as well then it is possible. Your budget will be less than 100 a day but certainly possible.

>>1243188
>21 day Pass: 59,350¥
christ that's expensive

>>1243579
for what you get it really isn't. JR pass works on some buslines as well IIRC

>>1243519
depends on
>how much you want to travel without using your feet
>how much you eat
>where you plan to stay

>>1243579
The passes are generally poor value unless you're literally travelling cross country

>>1243591
Or poor planning, honestly a 1 week pass is probably good enough if you plan properly.

>>1243593
It depends on your plan really, the passes are only worthwhile in my opinion if you're travelling between cities a lot. Just travelling within Tokyo for example wouldn't make the 7 day pass good value for money

>>1243594
True, however there are people who buy a pass for the time they are there and basically stay in tokyo or <location> most of the time.

I thought I needed a 2 week pass then I redid my traveling on a few routes and realized I could do fine with a 7 day pass

>>1243596
I used a 3 week pass. Payed for itself despite a fuckup on my part of not getting it before I went to Fuji-Q. Went Tokyo-Nikko-Sendai-Kyoto-Hiroshima-Nagasaki with a bunch of day trips to places like Aizu, Hiraizumi, Lake Biwa, Himeji, and so on.

>>1243590
>>1243570
without lodging about 15/30 days, i'll be going around tokyo to visit old friends and goto hokkaido to pay respect someone. I was offered a place to stay hokkaido but it's a little awkward staying with him.
I can probably sell some of my guns and bring the spending fees up to 5k usd if its necessary

>>1243502
>>1243560
>>1243570
Good advice, thanks all. Sadly all of our lodging is already booked, but we did spring and reschedule our flight home to give us one extra day. I think we'll spend it in Tokyo since there is so much to see and do there, and although we'll be rushed in Hiroshima/Osaka, we'll rest easier knowing we have a whole extra day in Japan to do whatever.

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I recently won a 5k USD scratch off ticket. How long could I make that last over there? And, also when is a good time to actually go?

I'm not doing too much with my life right now, so i'm not opposed to quitting my shitty job, telling my family brb and getting on a plane.

>>1243632
Honestly m8 I'd just go to Thailand or something. For your purposes your money will go a lot farther. You could probably even pick up a shitty English teaching job to supplement. 5000 grand will last you like less than 2 months in Japan assuming part of it has to go toward lodging.

Gonna be in Hokkaido over December this yeat. Any of you faggots gonna be around?

should I get enough yen for my first hotel in my own country or just get it at an atm in japan?

Anything car related that's worth checking out in Tokyo?

>>1243724
shit son, why you goin up north?

Currently in Japan, Osaka.
Planning on going to Universal Studios Osaka tomorrow.
Ive checked a couple crowd calenders and both say itll be quiet but i dont know if i should trust them because its Golden Week and I figured everyone will be heading to Disney and USJ.
Ill be soloing it so singlerider lines ill be using but i still want to see the harry potter world, i dont want to shell out the money for an express pass so should i just leg it there when the gates open and wait in line?

>>1243761
Go to the waterworld one. It's insane

>>1243752
Snowboarding. Gonna spend 10 days in Tokyo though

>>1243724
I'm applying to work a season somewhere in hokkaido, is there anything to do other than snowboard ? Anything to see in particular ?

>>1243725
Well you will need cash to get from the airport to tokyo, so have some yen on you.

>>1243733
I personally would vouche for fun2drive-japan they have English website and you get to live your JDM dreams bro.

Hey guys, I'm headed to Japan and S.Korea next month and I have a 7 hour period from where I land at Narita from Seoul and when I depart for home. I've been to Narita Airport before and find it rather boring but perhaps I haven't seen everything that is on offer there. Is it possible to go into Narita City and do anything there to kill the time? And what is there to do in Narita?

>>1243775
Nah m8 there's nothing out there. Sorry to say.

>>1243772
Wew, it's not cheap but that looks pretty sick. Defs gonna give it a shot sometime, thanks.

>>1243775
there is a huge temple area with nice gardens in Narita as well as a nice walking street with shops and restaurants leading to it

>>1243761
P.s
I understand you can buy tickets via Loppi machine in Lawson stores but are they in every Lawson store or just select few.

Side note, why are there so many family marts/lawsons close to eachother? I walked past a family mart that was literally opposite another family mart on the other side of the street.

>>1243789
Thanks, did a little Google and found that the temple area looks a bit like Yanaka or Gion.

>>1243792
more ore less yeah, but if you have time to burn, it's a nice trip. Other options are going a bit further to see the rice fields

so Im in Tokyo for a few days, and i just realized it's Golden Week, so how fucked am I in getting into shit like Square Enix cafe? Could I possibly get in if I show up super early?

>>1243790
>Side note, why are there so many family marts/lawsons close to eachother? I walked past a family mart that was literally opposite another family mart on the other side of the street.

Welcome to Japan, m8. How are you finding the vending machines?

I'm spending 6 days in Osaka. I was planning a day trip to Kyoto and a day trip to Nara.

Is the nightlife any decent in Kyoto or Nara? I've read on this general before that everything closes really early in Kyoto in the evening.

>>1243896
Osaka is better for nightlife. Kyoto has some bars that are nice, but it's not really a city to go partying

>>1243896
Kyoto is complete shit at night. Doing a day trip or trips is the best way to do it. Osaka probably has the best nightlife in Japan, I enjoyed it more than Tokyo.

I've heard that Kobe is a shithole worth skipping completely. Is this true? I hear Osaka is worth it.


My plan was to do a day in Kobe and a Day in Osaka, and enjoy the beaches there this summer. I heard that place has nice beaches, but if kobe is meh then I might look up another place between osaka and hiroshima.

>>1243896
Unless it's for a specific reason like you're visiting someone who lives there, 6 days is quite excessive for Osaka. I'd take the day trip to Nara to see the deer park and Todai-ji, but I'd take two days for Kyoto.

>>1244031
>Kyoto is complete shit at night.

Bit of an overstatement. Gion is not. Gion in Kyoto is decent nightlife. Not super bangin' with clubs and stuff but Gion has a ton of cool and interesting bars to discover all along the river there. It's certainly worthy of a night out there.

Nara I don't really know, I'm guessing not.

I'd actually recommend Gion for night but otherwise just stick to Osaka for that.

>>1244032
I've heard that Kobe is a shithole worth skipping completely. Is this true? I hear Osaka is worth it.

God no! Who the hell told you that. Kobe is very nice. Kobe is a "shithole"? Jesus, who says these things. Is anyone capable of speaking not completely in distorted superlatives...

Kobe is nice. Check out Kitano-cho on the hill. Lots of old western style buildings from the Meiji period. Beautiful place. Also Harborland.

I'd go as far as to say that just in terms of passing the day, Kobe is a more pleasant place than Osaka.

>>1244042
Gion is highly exclusive and very pricey. Kyoto has no nightlife stop lying.

>>1244044
"Highly exclusive?" The fuck? It's just a bar street.

Excellent, another thread descended into trolling over Kyoto. When will you guys learn, just ignore him.

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So I've paid for my airfare, lodging, and rail pass. Will $50 a day cover meals, daily expenses, and activities? Should I bump it up a little?

How's the sex life

>>1244108
I'd bump it up a little. Between a couple square meals and trainfare it will be evaporated quickly. Depending on the day it would be enough, but I'd definitely bump it up. to like $75 a day. Have more than enough, and whatever you don't use, fine. Better than not having a enough.

>>1244111
>>>/SEA general/

Anyone got a recommendation for place to stop for a night between Sapporo and Niigata? I want o make my way south but not spend 12 hours on the train at once.

I'm hopefully going to be going to Japan with my university, but as part of the application I need to write about why I think it would be good for me. I know I'd enjoy it because I'm a weeb and the culture interests me but what else can I write that will make me appear desirable?

Are there any gay clubs/spas in Japan, specifically Tokyo?

>>1244118

Hakodate? There are a few cool things to see here and it is where the Shinkansen starts, so it is a pretty natural stopping point.

>>1244133
Meant outside of Hokkaido, sorry. I will have 8 days left on my JR Pass when I leave Sapporo and I want to use it to get to Kansai.

>>1244128
It really doesn't matter what you write for those things, you can just bullshit your way through it
>I'm a hardworking and diligent student. I believe living and studying in Japan would be a thoroughly worthwhile experience for me as an opportunity to expand my horizons and gain an appreciation for another culture and way of life, whilst also furthering my academic studies and language abilities. I am also very interested in the history and culture of Japan and so I'd be motivated to put in my best effort and take as much out of this experience as I can

>>1244145
Yeah I'll go for something like that, cheers

What is a typical day trip itinerary for Hiroshima/Miyajima?

>>1243188
Visiting Japan for 2nd time this summer. Already went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Nara, Tokushima, Koya-san and Wakayama. Am planning on revisiting Tokyo and Kyoto again, but am looking to fill up my other 3 weeks with at least a visit to Miyajima, a climb of mount Fuji and possibly Osaka. I would like to possibly visit some local beer breweries and possibly a sake brewery. Anyone got any tips/must sees? Am open to completely different places or other tourist spots that are worth the visit. Maybe some good natural onsen or mountain/beach locations with ncie blue waters.

>>1244179
>Kyoto again

Why

>>1244183
Too little time last time. Missed some of the temples I wanted to see and wanted to visit Gion during day. (even though at night was cool) Any other suggestions to substitute Kyoto with? :)

>>1244187
You already mentioned Miyajima and Osaka, but Fukuoka is nice too, much different from Tokyo and Osaka, try Hokkaido in the north, during the summer it won't be packed with skiers and snowboarders.

>>1244188
Thanks !

I'll be going to Western Japan in 2 months, and I was wondering if there are any good places to go in Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Nagasaki aside from the obvious places. I'm also going to Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Kobe but I'll be going with a Japanese friend so I'm about set for this part of the trip. Still, any recommendations are welcome.
Also, I'd like to go to some kind of remote and comfy onsen/ryokan in the mountains if that exists. Any recommendations?

>>1244179
I would recommend Kyushu, it's doable in two weeks (I did Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto (though I would skip since the castle is closed after the earthquake), Beppu,Aso, Kurokawa and Kagoshima). Would also recommend Okinawa, in particular the Ryukyu island around Ishigaki if you want quiet, lonely beaches with nice landscapes and friendly people

>>1244220
Thanks for the advice! Will certainly incorporate some of it in my travel!
Any idea of the costs and best way for getting to Okinawa from Kagoshima?

>>1244228
there is a ferry, but it's rather expensive and slow. I would recommend taking the Bullet train back to Fukuoka (you should get a regional rail pass for Kyushu if you are there) and then fly out from there with Peach (budget airline).

So I'd 3 nights in Kyoto too long? I'm not too picky about night life, since I'll be with some good friends so as long as we can find some decent bars to drink at until 1 or 2am I'll be content.

2 full days in Kyoto seems long for a guy that doesn't love temples. Any suggestions on what I should do instead of just temples in Kyoto?

>>1244258
Arashiyama, Fushimi Inari hike, try to catch a Geisha/Meiko at Gion (not literally). You could do a day trip to Nara/Osaka one day as well

>>1243353
it's time to stop posting, Kim

open question: how did you plan and commit to your trip to Japan (if you've been on one)?

I'm a poor 20 year old college student and life just seems too unpredictable to take a month out for a trip, but I want to go so badly before i get older and more tied down. For example, I'll save up a certain amount for a trip fund, and then my car will have some expensive issue and i'll have to dip into those funds to repair it, or i'll register for classes and then not have any time for anything besides school and work. And going with friends is definitely not gonna be able to happen since we all have different schedules as well, some even planning on moving soon.

Is it just not my time? Should i just say fuck it and drop everything for a month? What is the best itinerary maker that would give me some sort of structure if i were to do that?

appreciate any replies

>>1244455
I always start my trips by buying the ticket first, then work out the details.. It's way more motivating once you've invested money into it.

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>>1244258
I was there 5 nights and still had things I wanted to do. Depends on what interests you though. Fushimi Inari hike at the crack of dawn was great, as was the rail museum. I also did a day trip to Hikone castle, one to Nagashima Spa Land. Ate every night in the Gion area, just following my nose into places where the food smelled good.

>>1244455
Just do it. Life is short. 1 month will not kill you. I dropped my studies more or less for about 2 years. Traveled a lot. Then picked up my studies and got a job. Now I am more stuck than ever.

I would like to buy a Hakodate One-Day Tram & Bus Pass during my day trip around the area, but all the sites I've searched for didn't list where I can buy it, it just says "Get on the bus or tram". So I can just pay for the pass when I get onto the tram?

I wanna bring a laptop along with me, problem is I'm gonna stay at a hostel and I'm super paranoid about my 1k+ gaming rig getting snatched cos it does look pretty to any outsider, I know it's Tokyo but are hostels really that safe?

>>1244591

don't show it, keep it in your suitcase and you'll most likely be fine

in japan you need to be wary of foreigners, not so much of the japanese

>>1244455
>Get your passport
>start browsing kayak daily
>book it when it goes low

You're not going to back out of a plane ticket.

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Anyone got any tips for Ishigaki?

Guys I just arrived and I already pissed off a train station attendant and someone almost died and fell on my suitcase. Also tfw still no gf
I might just hide in my hotel for 3 weeks

>>1244626
>Going during one of the busy times of the year
Smart move

>>1244455
>>1244540
Hell doesn't even have to be a month. Take 2-3 weeks off in the summer and see how damn easy travel can be.

Is it better to travel to Shirakawago from Osaka or Tokyo?

I'm thinking of maybe leaving from Osaka and the. heading to Tokyo from there to cut back on transit times, but I don't know. Any good advice for seeing Shirakawago? I kind of want to stay at koemon, I'm just not sure if it would be boring to devote too much time to this place.

How do the locals in Tokyo treat an average gaijin white man?

>>1244626
>traveling to Japan during Golden Week
Good job, you done fucked up.

>>1244670
They're reasonably polite, but let's face it, there's so many gaijin in Tokyo, you're part of the background. Outside of Tokyo, is where things have the potential to get interesting.

Back in October, a couple friends and myself paid Japan a visit. We took a day trip out to Gifu to hike up the mountain and see the castle. We stopped at one of the rest areas alongside the hiking trail to grab a cigarette and appreciate the view. This elderly couple that we passed a while back caught up to us, and with no prompting, they offered us each a tangerine, big smiles on their faces, very happy, like seeing a group of gaijin absolutely made their day.

>>1244676
Obaasan wanted that gaijin chinchin

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>>1244620
yeah. Shiraho Friend House is hands down the best hostel I ever stayed in. The owner is amazing, knows everything about the island and the atmosphere with the guests is very chill. There are frequent BBQs, live music performances, small tours to see the night sky full of stars (though the rooftop of the hostel already offered the most breathtaking night sky view I have ever seen).

As for Ishigaki itself, I recommend getting a rental car if possible, as buses are kind of unfrequent and not that reliable time wise in general. But you can usually just hail down a bus in the middle of the road as there are virtually no cars. Ishigaki city is pretty interesting, has some nice restaurant and bars and is the hub to see other islands (can really recommend Kuroshima, skip Taketomi. Haven't been to Iriomote but it's probably nice). My favorite spot on the island was Mt. Nosoko which offers a fabulous view of the island (pic related). Kabira Bay is overrated and overrun by Chinese tourist groups, would skip. My favorite beach was crystal beach (don't know the official name but Hiro the owner of the above hostel should know). If you have any other questions, feel free to ask

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>>1244680
and this is a picture of the beach, apart from the popular beaches the beaches are pretty lonely

>book flight and hotel
>medical shit comes up
>only have 500 bucks for a week

How fucked am I? Will I even be able to eat?

Anyone going in late May?

>>1244726
yes me

>>1244684
$500 bucks on 7 days, not counting hotel and flight? Are you just staying in one city? If so you're great, maybe only eat one decadent meal a day and pregame on rice beer shit.

>>1244751
what, i thought hookers were expensive in Japan?

>>1244752
Thailand is for sex tourism, not Japan.

What DIDN'T you like about Japan?

I didn't like how in most restaurants my friends and I got seated in the very back, near the toilets. I also hated the lack of bins.

>>1244785
I didn't like how many smokers there were. It was bearable in Tokyo because most restaurants are nonsmoking or at least had a nonsmoking section, but I had a hard time particularly in Kyoto and Nagasaki finding places to eat at night where I wouldn't have to deal with smoke.

>>1244742
Want to meet up somewhere? I'm going alone and it'd be nice to do some things for multiple people.
I've got a jr pass

>>1244874
Sure, I'll only be in Tokyo though as I'm only there for around a week. Do you have anything where I could message you?

>>1244849
Asthmatic with seething hatred of smoke and smokers here, this is quite relevant to me, can you say anything more? What are Japan's smoking laws? I'm used to total prohibition on smoking in indoor public places, getting even a whiff of smoke puts me in a foul mood. I'll be mostly staying in tokyo when I go, you say that's not such a problem?

>>1244477
>>1244540
>>1244612
>>1244629
i see, i guess it's just like anything else where the first part is the toughest, and then it gets easier after that. I've always worked better under pressure so next time I see a cheap ticket i'll have to go for it.

a few other questions if you guys dont mind:
>reservations about going alone? I've never even traveled outside the state alone before, it seems pretty daunting. I have a phone and everything but i have no idea who i'd turn to if something went wrong.

>best time to go? If the opportunity arises, I'd like to see the Sakura trees mostly. I also love the snow though. i think hot summer would be the time i'm least interested in, but i honestly know close to nothing about japanese seasons. any particular months that would be best?

>any particular youtube videos / playlists or anything thats essential to read before going? (culture, pricing, travel etc related)

>>1244680

Awesome, thanks for the info. I'm there for a few days and mainly expect to spend the days visiting an island each (so, like, day one Ishigaki, day two Kuroshima, day three Iriomote). Is that decent or are the islands too big or too small to make a day out of?

And I assume the islands are mostly nature and hikes, yeah?

Lastly, what's the nightlife — bars, izakaays and the like — like on Ishigaki? Or is it better just to chill at the hostel, have a drink and chat to people there?

>>1244940
>Awesome, thanks for the info. I'm there for a few days and mainly expect to spend the days visiting an island each (so, like, day one Ishigaki, day two Kuroshima, day three Iriomote). Is that decent or are the islands too big or too small to make a day out of?

Ishigaki is big enough that it warrants 2-3 days. The biggest draw are its beaches so you should plan one day or so just to get to a remote beach, do some swimming, snorkeling (maybe diving if you're into that). Kuroshima is really tiny, with 200 or so people living on it and the highest elevation being 15m. But it was really comfy to visit, just bike around on completely empty roads and soak in the tranquility. Also one of the most interesting things I ever saw was a rain cloud where, because the island is so flat, you could see exactly the edge where the rain was starting and ending. Can't say much about Iriomote as I haven't been there but it's the largest island of them all so a 1 night stay might certainly be interesting. 90% of the island is covered in mangrove forests though and is inaccessible.

>And I assume the islands are mostly nature and hikes, yeah?

You can do hiking on Iriomote and Ishigaki and there are also Kayak tours in the rivers. The biggest draw of these islands are the beaches though.

>Lastly, what's the nightlife — bars, izakaays and the like — like on Ishigaki? Or is it better just to chill at the hostel, have a drink and chat to people there?

I would recommend the second thing yeah. There are some Izakayas and bars in Ishigaki City, but unless you're staying there (which I wouldn't recommend as there are so many nicer areas outside of the city) you're going to have a hard time coming home later at night.

>>1244785
Definitely the lack of bins, as well as lack of benches. I've got a bad back so I needed somewhere to take a 10-20 minute break every couple hours of walking around and I didn't want to sit at a restaurant/coffee shop every time I needed to take a seat.

Me, I just moved to Hokkaido because I hate turning around when I've arrived somewhere. For some reason I only move forward.

Anyway I love the culture, love the good, couldn't recommend Sapporo enough to anyone looking to travel. It gets up to about 70-85 degrees and you can still see snow on the far off mountains, this place is something else.

Only problem is I'm a bit lonely. If there's any gaijin looking for a Japanese speaking perma-weeb, lmk.

I am thinking at the moment
I might be a ugly socially autistic loser
But at least I am not a weeb or sexpat, so things could be worse

Also my legs are really sore from walking

>>1244936
I have not read their smoking laws, but from what it seemed smoking in public spaces outside of designated smoking areas is illegal. People do still smoke outside of their shop/office building on sidewalks, but from my experience that wasn't often. There a couple were times when foreigners were walking around while smoking, but both these occurren es happened in Gion at night in Kyoto. I figured they just didn't know any better.

Restuarants will follow one of 4 variations:

1. Shop is nonsmoking only.
2. Shop is smoking allowed.
3. Shop is nonsmoking until a certain time (izakays that are open for lunch and early dinner generally do this, nonsmoking or at least a nonsmoking section until late evening and then smoking is allowed anywhere on the premises).
4. Shop has traditional smoking/nonsmoking sections. In a lot of places there isn't much separation between these, but it depends on the size of the restuarant.

Hope that helps. Tabelog was great for giving me nonsmoking places to eat, my only real trouble came when my first and second choices were full up and I had to follow my nose to find food.

>>1244997
cool, thanks for the advice

How is Japan in July? Looking at just doing the usual Tokyo-Osaka-Kyoto.

I just got back during the winter and would love to go back in the summer time. Granted, I do come from a hot climate where summer is generally 35C so I'm - not - that fussed by the hot.

Is it okay to go to a restaurant yourself? I chickened out and got my dinner from 7/11 today.
Also can I go to one in a T-shirt and shorts?

Here is a rough draft of my trip. Any constructive criticism is welcome.

Day 1: arrive late, find hostel, sleep
Day 2: Tokyo national museum
Day 3: Akihabara
Day 4: Mt. Takao, Shibuya at night
Day 5: Zojo-ji, Grand lodge
Day 6: Aoikigahara forest
Day 7: Kyoto various temples and shrines
Day 8: Kyoto - kibune-kurama hike
Day 9: Nara
Day 10: Shirakawago from Kyoto
Day 11: Shirakawago to Tokyo
Day 12: Tenranzen hike
Day 13: Shinjuku
Day 14: chill half the day, fly back that night

>>1245000
Hot and humid but nothing too terrible, especially if you're used to a warmer climate.

>>1245005
>Is it okay to go to a restaurant yourself?
Uncommon, but perfectly fine.
>can I go to one in a T-shirt and shorts?
Depends on the restaurant.

>>1244915
[email protected]
>>1244978
See above

>>1244937
If you lost your passport, contact the embassy of your country. If you get injured, see a doctor/hospital, just make sure you have insurance and some basic sentences in Japanese (language section in travel guides). Any other thing, just fend for yourself. What is the worst that could happen? Just make sure you always have a cell phone or at least some numbers with you separately so you can always contact someone. I think the most you will need is common sense. ;)

Where can I find gyarus?

>>1244937
Once you go on your first trip everything becomes much easier. I kinda did similar, I saw flights cheaper than I'd ever seen them so I booked then built from there. I sacrificed my free time, some school time, and a ton of misc. expenses in preparation only to come back with half the money I'd taken (and I really tried to spend more.)

If you go during sakura season it gets expensive. You can try going in late March, that way you can go north and get snow and you might get to see a few sakuras as well. February is also a good month, I think it's a bit cheaper but you wont get any sakuras.

http://www.japan-guide.com/ use that site and browse around for any questions you have.

>>1244455
Mate, I'm a 29yr old grad student about to graduate and have worked a basic data entry job at a hospital for 5 years (during which I traveled to UK, Brazil, Argentina, and China during my paid and unpaid vacations).

Don't feel too pressured to travel unless you have a reasonable concern that you will get tied down in the near future (e.g. getting someone pregnant or having to take care of a suddenly ill family member *fingers crossed that it doesn't happen*).

Judging by your financial situation, if you're fine backpacking or going on a low budget, by all means do it. Traveling at different financial periods in your life makes each experience all the more unique.

Alternatively, have you ever considered studying abroad for like a quarter/semester? You can get scholarships/financial aid for that so you might not even have to spend much of your money at all.

There is a room with a basin separate from the toilets here. The guy told me it is for washing your face. Can I clean my teeth there too?

>>1245116
Shibuya

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>>1245146
I made a trip in early-mid February. Sure, I missed out on the Sakura season, but I was there just in time for Ume (plum) blossom season! It's just as pretty as sakura, but without all the crowds and inflated prices.

Pic related, plum blossoms at Yushima shrine.

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>>1245116
>Where can I find gyarus?

Best bet I'd say is actually to go to the beach during the summer. Saw a fair share at Sun Beach in Atami. I also noticed classic gyaru style seems to be a little more prevalent still in Osaka than it is in Tokyo. Maybe Shibuya clubs still. Took this pic in Shibuya last year. Funny how a lot of gyaru have kids now.

Btw m8 you're not going to smash.

>>1245217
Why no smash?

>>1245225
Because you don't know Japanese and Gyaru only like Gyaru-o or Japanese Chads really.

>>1245225
Imagine Masuhiro Milquetoast coming to America to fuck a goth girl.

>>1245232
>>1245232
Bingo. Though a more apt description might be Masahiro Milquetoast trying to a fuck a Jersey Guidette material girl or a sorority Stacy in America.

Look, it is certainly not impossible. I hesitate to even relay this story because I just got done saying it's not going to happen--I have hooked up with a gyaru but really very very rare partially lucky situation involving me knowing enough Japanese and I guess the planets being in personal alignment or whatever.

>>1243364

There are a couple in Tokyo, and even one or two that don't price gouge for foreigners. You gotta do some research though.

>>1243324

Not sure about Tebori style, but I do know that Three Tides in Shibuya is pretty great. They do charge more for the more traditional Japanese tats though.


Anyways, is anyone an English teacher? I'm looking at an "International Studies" aka Asian Studies degree with a Japanese minor. I imagine all I can really do with it is teach English, right?

>>1245258
>1245258
>There are a couple in Tokyo, and even one or two that don't price gouge for foreigners. You gotta do some research though.


This doesn't go against what was said at all though.

>Japan's sex industry is almost completely inaccessible to foreigners
>almost completely inaccessible

Not

>completely inaccessible

>>1245264

Is it really a problem if there are fine places that will take you?

>>1245258
>Anyways, is anyone an English teacher? I'm looking at an "International Studies" aka Asian Studies degree with a Japanese minor. I imagine all I can really do with it is teach English, right?

If you become an N1 holding turbo weeb you can work for a Japanese company and live a suicide inducing life of overwork but h-hey at l-least you're not an E-English teacher.

>>1245275

I mean, teaching English wouldn't be bad if there were upward mobility. Maybe embassy work is viable with that type of degree.

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Just got back. It's annoying even though I walked a good 100Kms in 5 days and did as much as I could,I feel sad I didn't do more. Great experience

>>1245267
Not sure what you're getting at exactly but I don't give a shit if there are foreigner friendly sex establishments. I'm certainly glad they are limited--god help us if Tokyo became like Pattaya--but I don't care.

I think the comment was made simply because questions about prostitution are annoying particularly when it's about something so restricted. We only want to say "go to Yoshiwara" so many times.

>>1245267
Oh sorry, I'm this guy.
>>1245309

>Is it really a problem if there are fine places that will take you?

I see what you mean now. For most people's purposes who would end up going, it's probably going to be "fine" and you'll be satisfied. I'm just saying Japan's water trade is so fucking pervasive and foreign visitors do not even have anywhere close to a fraction of the choice (or quality of girls) that Japanese men (or to a lesser extent foreigners who can speak Japanese) have.

There is literally a deri health place in my neighborhood that specializes in all women with huge tits. I've seen a tall girl specialty place in Chiba and so on.

Many places hire AV actresses who are beautiful (and expensive). None of these places will serve foreign Johns who can't speak Japanese.

I'm not even into pros, I'm just saying.

>>1245279
Theres a hard ceiling on salary unless you get a masters in English. Outside of that the bachelor's degree you got means nothing, so long as you got a degree

I'm travelling to Tokyo with 7 other people after I finish university for about 2 and a half weeks and looking into where to stay. With so many of us I'm thinking a serviced apartment or guest house would be ideal for our stay. Anyone have experience with group accommodation? Am I stupid and would multiple hotel rooms be better?

>>1245010
please respond

>>1245010
nice thanks for sharing

How well can one live as a hobo in japan for a couple of months? Basically sleeping in parks/the woods and only eating cheap shit whilst travelling around the country.

>>1245429

No.

>>1245430
k.

So this site says it can find me a round trip to Japan from Mexico City at $14,942 Pesos (around $790 Dollars)

Plus it says it can find me a good hostel for $499 Pesos ($25 Dollars) which includes breakfast.

So if I wanted to stay 14 days, it'd be like $1140 Dollars for the round trip, plus lodging and all my breakfasts.

Do you think that is a good deal? Considering that traveling to Mexico City from where I live would cost me only like $100 Dollars.

TL;DR: Round trip + lodging + breakfast = $1440 USD is a good deal?

>>1243332
>>1243357
I bought a tour from Viator online. It was $55 per ticket, but easy to get and they just have you meet at a hotel, bus you to the museum, and drop you off after giving you a ticket to get it.

>>1245385
No response because there's not much to say. It's an alright itinerary. Are you planning to climb Mt. Takao? If not then squeeze that in on your way to Suicide Forest maybe.

>>1245454
That's a great deal. Do it.

Found a bunch of really cool themed love hotels.
and read that they aren't really safe. How fucked am I as a foreigner if I stay in these old fuck hotels? Keep reading up on their dangerous (for prostitution and being gang ran I think?)

>>1245519
>and read that they aren't really safe. How fucked am I as a foreigner if I stay in these old fuck hotels? Keep reading up on their dangerous (for prostitution and being gang ran I think?)

Are you reading this in Japanese. Sounds like Japanese.

Love Hotels as an institution exist because of prostitution m8. So it's laughable to list the hotel being used for prostitution as a concern. They're all used for prostitution.

As far as being gang run maybe, but it's a non issue.

Not sure what you think would happen. You'll fine, dude.

>>1245308
Same here. Now its my last 10th day and i barely can feel my feet from all the walking. But there was still soooo much to see i just dont want to board the plane. Plus im going back to a literal shithole city.

>>1245010
>>1245385
Should be watching anime from Day 2 on. Day 1 should be akihaballahuakbar

>>1245495
I was planning Mt. Takao on a separate day. Is it better to squeeze them into one day? That would save me some trouble.

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>>1245522
Yep, read it in Japanese. I assumed it was just because of the prostitution thing, which isn't really a concern to me. Thought I'd ask around here for a second opinion because when you see so many articles say "beautiful place but dangerous!" it does make you raise an eyebrow.

I'm very annoyed about how hard themed ones are to find (because themed hotel = prostitution apparently)

>>1245531
I was just scratching myself and realised how big my leg muscles have gotten from all this walking. Now I'm a T-Rex

>>1245536
>Thought I'd ask around here for a second opinion because when you see so many articles say "beautiful place but dangerous!" it does make you raise an eyebrow.

Kek, never underestimate Japanese people to exaggerate things.

How many times have I wanted to tell someone, "honestly, this isn't that sugoi m8."

>>1243768
My friend is going to be there around the same time, doing a stint on the lifts up the fields.

>>1243752
Snowboarding

>>1245258
>Anyways, is anyone an English teacher? I'm looking at an "International Studies" aka Asian Studies degree with a Japanese minor. I imagine all I can really do with it is teach English, right?

Im an Asian studies (conc Japanese) major that got a *real* job at a Japanese company in the states. I'm quitting because i got accepted into JET tho ironically enough.

You can get the same jobs anyone with any degree that isn't a hard science can get. Japanese companies will just be more willing to give you the time of day.

Just remember it's literally as boring as any other soul sucking office job, it's just boring in Japanese. I'd suggest majoring in what you actually want to do and minoring in Japanese. If you don't know yet, work a few real jobs and figure it out.

>>1245535
I've never been to Takao actually, but maybe you could see it on the way to Kawaguchiko and sleep there if there's options for trains or buses from one to the next.

>>1245380
Airbnb m8.

I went with 3 other friends and we just did airbnb. Great experience. Cheap.

any tips on shipping boxes of weeb stuff home?

>>1245601
Try the post office.

how exhausing would i be to go to tokyo during comiket?

Is it worth the experience or is it just hell on earth?

>>1245574
Thank you so much for this blessing

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with a budget of $0-$80 per night in kyoto what kind of places are best for me? anyone got ideas? Other than Airbnb (that's my backup plan)

>>1245655
Comiket kinda sucks, unless you are really into some smaller artists. It is a queuing simulator for anyone bigger and they will run out of merch if you do no queue.

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>>1245454
I paid $1500 for my round trip ticket.. just tickets.. think about it for a second.

>>1245670
mfw Australian and paid $2000 for 14 days including flights and rail pass and I though it was expensive

Sup
Planning on going for a vacation with my family (5 people) around fall.
10 days (maybe 12, the tickets haven't been ordered yet)

Here is the general plan right now-
2 days in Tokyo
1 day in Osaka, and then walking 2 days the kumano kodo pilgrimage trails
4 days in Kyoto, one of which will be a day trip to nara and another to a track on my hiei nearby.
As you can see, we are pretty nature oriented, but also want to see what the cities has to offer- is that a solid plan overall?
Any arrangements that should be made now rather then later? Ordering tickets and stuff like that.
Thanks in advance folks.

>>1245678
4 days Tokyo, 2 days Kyoto.

>>1245679
ATM, its 2 days Tokyo 2 days kyoto, I'm sure we can spend weeks in both but you gotta give time for the hiking part

>>1245678
Don't stay in kyoto, stay in osaka and make a day trip there. Will save you on food and accommodation, plus you can go out and do things past 9pm at night if you want in Osaka.

Sup guys

I want to know , how is working in IT in Japan ?

I'am a developer.

Thanks in advance guys !

>>1245689
Fantastic to terrible depending on your qualifications, language ability, and luck.

>>1245655
if you like Cosplay, it's pretty cool (in summer at least if you don't mind scorching heat). If you are into anime general (especially currently airing stuff), you can find some interesting merch. You can check it out for one day imo

If anyone has read the wizardchan poster who was homeless in japan for 3 months:

I want to do a bikepacking trip similar to that. I'm a semi-experienced innawoodser and cyclist. Should I try to buy a bike there or should I bring my own via plane? Mainly I want to do wilderness and coastal areas. I would do hostels for cities, but in country areas is it okay to sleep outside? I would probably be on hiking trails at least part of the time. As for wildlife, my only concern would be the hornets. Does peppermint oil work for them?

Wizardchan poster did the southern islands. I am interested in either Shikoku pilgrimage path or doing northern area, maybe a path from alpine route (NW of tokyo) through Nikko (N or Tokyo) and up to Sanriku coast (NNE of Nikko).

I'm spoiled with fullcarbon bikes. mamachari would be heavy for me, which is why I might prefer to bring my own, also for ideal bag/crate setup. wizardchan poster said the bike served as a horse and improved his quality of life drastically, that his feet hurt to walk all day and the bike solved it by carrying the packweight for him. I'm not wanting to ride a bike on mountains too much, if going down i would hold the brakes and going up would walk it, I am a flatlander, but only the alpine route section looks bad for altitude change. But my question would be can bikepacking work in japan in general, can i take it on trains and such or find bike routes? Sorry if this is a stupid question. Japan is appealing because low crime, safe, lots of water available, and mountains+coast+forest mix. If you tried bikepacking in America you would get hit by a car or eaten by a bear.

>>1245752
Taking a bike on a train in Japan is not ok (unless it's a folding bike and it's in a case / bag).

Of course, if you don't give a shit about being an incredibly inconsiderate asshole you can do it anyway and see if their desire to avoid drama is outweighed by their rage.

After visiting Tokyo, fuji 5 lakes, Osaka and Kyoto, I will have a 8 to 10 days left that I want to spend in more rural areas (without thousands of tourists), but still accessible with JR pass
Should I go to Gifu prefecture, Shikoku or Kyushu?

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>>1245771
There's some lines that allow fully assembled bikes, usually during specific times (eg. weekends or mid-day) and for extra fees

Broken down bikes should be as okay as folding usually.

>>1245771

Oh, okay. I take my bike on trains here without problem, I thought they might have a bike area on them as well. I could just cycle out of tokyo and around the whole way, I guess. On flat-ish ground I could go 30-40 miles a day easily so long as I can always get water. Hilly areas maybe 15-20 miles a day. This is for leisurely travel. Would you know if hiking trails would be suitable for a mountain bike, and can I sleep outdoors without being harassed/arrested? I am used to roughing it.

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>>1245670
>>1245671
tfw i'm a burger and I only paid around $750 for my ticket, that's half of the reason I pulled the trigger to go

>>1245777
Broken down bikes are only allowed if they're fully contained in a bag

What are the best place for night views/pictures of Tokyo ?

>>1245836
Skytree or the Mori building in Roppongi Hills

>>1245788
I'm a burger and I paid $3500, but that was business class.

>>1245726

Where are some good places to work as a programmer with middling Japanese skills?

>>1245601
You can usually get cardboard boxes for free at a grocery store.

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What is Japan General's opinion on /jp/?

>>1245900
The board? I'm not interested in anime or idols so I don't go there.

>>1245900
Like 2 good threads in a sea of shit. I really want a Japan board.

>>1245901

I get it. When people find out I'm into Japan, they immedietly ask which animes I watch. None.

>>1245901
pretty much this. I AM a huge Japanophile though.

>>1245879
Use those skills to look it up.

>>1245689
Salaries are dismal compared to the US, why do it?

>>1245788
>>>1245670
>>>1245671
I paid $570 for my tickets. Only a week long trip though

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Is ¥200k enough for say a month, not including accomodations? Probably 2 weeks Tokyo, and 2 weeks elsewhere. I'm not huge into partying so booze probably won't be a regular expense.

>>1243188
These girls are ugly and I hate looking at them.

Lets max out this thread as quickly as possible.

>>1245689
>IT
>dev
Does not compute

>>1245932
>m-muh nadeshiko
Low test numale beta detected.

>>1245924

Use my coding skills to look up jobs, when someone here might know and have suggestions already?

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I dont want to leave Nippon senpai...

I'm going to Japan next month, and staying in Tokyo. Wanna visit a zoo or aquarium, what's the best place in tokyo?

>>1245951
My uncle got a job at Sony as a programer which offered him to go to nippland, for some reason he did it and now he gets his japanese citizenship soon after being there a decade or so.

>>1245909
heard of 2chan?

>>1245932
agreed

I've looked this up this myself and I'm pretty it's fine but I just want to check here as well. I'm going to potentially be traveling to Japan on holiday in a few months, but my current passport is going to expire soon so I'm getting a new one.
Does your passport have to be valid for 6 months when you enter? I know some countries have this as a restriction. I'm from Australia if that makes a difference.

I didn't really think of this earlier but I've bought a nice knife elsewhere and I walked past a knife store in Nara that claimed it had a 700year old tradition plus some well-endowed stores in osaka. and I thought maybe I could start a small knife collection. Are there some well known places in kyoto or elsewhere though? Because I don't intend to go back to those places just yet.
Also is there somewhere I can buy cheap walking shoes in big gaijin size? Mine just decided to give up

What are your opinions on Nara?
I'm wondering if there's some truth to what the kyoto guy says, although I haven't been there yet. I mean most of Nara is quite pretty but with the giant Buddha - don't get me wrong, in itself it's quite impressive - but the mass of tourists plus the long row of souveneir stores with priests/monks /whatever they are reduced to cashiers inside the temple itself really cheapened the experience. And I'm thinking if much of kyoto is like that then it's not gonna be great

How is the food selection in Tokyo? Asking as your stereotypical American who loves eating and does so like a pig. I love pizza, hamburgers, barbecue, chicken, wings, doughnuts, you name it. What can I expect of Tokyo on that regard? How does it fare against, say, NYC?

>>1245951
You aren't going to be able to find a good job.

>>1246041
Besides Japanese food--casual restaurants of Chinese, Indian curry, Thai, Turkish kebabs and Italian are the most commonplace. In most cases if you've been to one such restaurant you've been to them all though they are generally quite good and they are everywhere so very convenient. Italian restaurants generally offer somewhat ho-hum pasta and actually pretty good Neapolitan style pizza (pretty authentic but at several times what it would cost in Italy). There is a small chain of three restaurants owned by Americans that offers decent Chicago deep dish pizza. Pretty good just not enough cheese.

You'll find small burger shops too with passable faire. They're not bad but just nowhere near as big, juicy and flavorful as a burger in the states. If you need a burger that bad literally go to Outback Steakhouse, that will probably be the best you'll get. (I had great burgers in Yokosuka but the place was owned by a fat American black guy). It's cute how Japanese people eat hamburgers with a paper sleeve thing (and fries with chopsticks or a fork).

Japanese food selection doesn't really need to be discussed. I mean come on.

Tokyo is well known as a Michelin restaurant Mecca, the lion's share of which are Japanese or French.

In terms of overall food experience, Tokyo is up there with NYC. Obviously NYC has a bit more diversity and does American food better, but they are both fantastic food cities.

Honestly m8, if you're looking to stuff your face with wings and doughnuts in Japan you might just want to stay in the states...

>>1246069
Thanks.

Anyone from EU got JR pass from OP link? I'd like to know how fast the delivery is. Leaving next Sunday, so if I order today would I be able to get it in time or just forget shinkansen trips and stay in Tokyo and nearby areas?

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>>1245954
You never have to leave, sen pai!

>>1246041

Please don't go to Japan and eat like you did at home. Try everything new.

do jap girls call the police if you grab em by the pussy or is this acceptable behavior in tokyo

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Is travel insurance a meme?
This is my first time traveling internationally alone for 21 days. Japan seems safe as fuck, but you never know.

>>1246144
My international credit cards provide travel insurance, so I didn't buy any.

>>1246130
it's pretty common

I'm going fairly soon and I like plain food. Absolutely plain. no sauces on it, hate mayo the most, hate fish... how fucked am I and what are some useful phrases I can learn that will ensure I have plain food? Or do you think they'd be insulted?

I'm going to Japan for 18 days in July, and I have a few questions for /trv/.

1) How long does it take to go through customs? I'm coming from the US, having a layover in Toronto, then going to Tokyo. I know pretty much nothing about going through customs, so any info on what happens step-by-step would be helpful. What happens if I buy a bunch of stuff in Japan and want to bring it back?

2) Is it possible to see Koya-san in a day trip from Osaka and still see enough for the trip to be worth it? I'll be spending 8 days in Osaka, and I'm trying to decide what to see out of: Exploring Osaka, exploring Kyoto, visiting Nara, visiting Koya-san. Any other suggestions would be appreciated.

3) Is it possible to see Okunoshima (the rabbit island), Miyajima, Himeji Castle, and the Peace Museum in Hiroshima in 3 days and two nights? I was thinking if I leave Osaka early and see Okunoshima on the way to Hiroshima, the museum that evening, then Miyajima all day the next day, then I could see Himeji on the way back to Tokyo the next day.

4) Has anyone seen Shomyo falls? I know it's near the Alpine Route, but I don't know if it's worth rushing a little bit over the route to see it before the last bus stops.

Thanks in advance for any answers.

>>1244130
lots

>>1246003
can't post with non-Japanese IP address

>>1245957
I want a recommendation on best aquarium as well because I heard the ones in Tokyo are very good. I also kinda want to check out an amusement park but I'm going alone so maybe that's a weird idea

>>1246173
Chains: Insulting them by fussing over orders and increasing workload.
Individuals: Insulting them by not eating the way it is.
Plz ask nicely.
1. You can request them to serve the sauce separately if that's not the case, very much unnecessary. .
2. Not aware of any dishes that have mayo so remove ityourself.
3. Don't order fish.
Just order plain items, not heavy and oily ramen stuff like that. Go to touristy places and get an English menu before you go in or when seated.

>>1244455
Even if you do get "tied down" with a job, if you discuss it with them, you can often work out unpaid leave if you can't save up enough paid leave.

>>1245869
Business class would probably make the long flight much more tolerable. I'm doing a short domestic flight with American first but then my actual long international leg is with JAL. I've heard JAL's business class isn't that much different than economy but I couldn't really say

>>1245930
I'm going for 3 weeks. I noticed the price really changed drastically based on what airport I flew out of.

>>1245146
>>1244937
If sakura is all you care about, just go to the southeast US. IIRC, GA has more cherry trees per sq. mi. than Japan.

>>1245670
I monitored flight prices for 8 months straight, every day, and bought at $1212 round trip from US. Only saw it go below that once, to $1150.

>>1246010
As far as I've heard, you're supposed to just make sure it isn't within 6 months of it expiring. Meaning, if you have a "young" passport, you're fine.

>>1246089
I just bought mine from japan-rail-pass.com, which is based in France. I'm in US, and I got it in the mail after 1.5 days. Free shipping. I was pretty shocked.

how do i get a japanese hooker? just in case i don't score with the locals

>>1246183
1. Might ask you to open your bags for casual inspection exiting customs for lone and young travelers.
2. Possible.
3. You need to devote a whole day for Okunoshima in that case. When you are done with it go back to Onomochi for ramen and cats if time allows then head for Hiroshima at Fukuyama as you were on the way in. Visit the Peace Musuem on the 3rd day then wrap up Himeji castle returning to Tokyo.
4. Are you fucking serious? You should stay in Toyama the previous night. so take Thunderbird from Kyoto and Hokuriku Shinkansen back to Tokyo.

>>1246183
>How long does it take to go through customs? I'm coming from the US, having a layover in Toronto, then going to Tokyo.

Depends on the airport. Customs in Tokyo and Customs in Fukuoka didn't take more than 30 minutes to clear. You'll walk in to an open area with queues and a couple tables with yellow forms. These are customs forms. Find an english one, fill it out, then get in one of the queues. A customs official will take your form, review your passport, and ask you several questions regarding purpose of visit and lodging. After that, you'll proceed to baggage claim. IIRC there's one more line to go through after picking up checked baggage, where you declare fruit/agricultural products, large cash sums, etc. After that, you're through and in the arrivals area.

No idea on Canadian customs, but I'm pretty sure that so long as your two flights are on the same ticket, your baggage will be transferred without you needing to pick it up and you only go through a light connection security screening. I've only done this in TPE, so not sure how it is in Canada.

If you buy a ton of shit, be mindful of baggage allowances. ANA gives two free bags on international flights. US3 give no free bags on domestic flights unless you have CC or status. For example, American will charge you $60 for two checked bags on domestic flights. It will be cheaper to mail things back than pay baggage fees and buy extra suitcases from Donqui.

>>1246200
>Business class would probably make the long flight much more tolerable.

It's the difference between a seat that turns into a bed and a seat that reclines a bit. I slept for 8 of an 11 hour flight on ANA, and was eating a pretty good meal the rest of the time. For JAL, depends on the plane. Most JAL transpacific routes should be full lie flat seats. IIRC last year some routes were still being served by planes with angle seats, essentially airplane lazy boy recliners. Seatguru will tell you which seats the plane has for thay flight.

>>1243188
Man, I forgot how fucking disgusting gyarus are. Thanks for reminding me OP.

>>1246214
LAX had the cheapest economy prices when I was watching, for an April-May trip. Between $600-$800.

>>1245957
>>1246190
Zoo: Ueno obviously; Tobu, Edogawa, Yokohama, Tama if you are into Kemono Friends
Aquarium: Epson Aqua Park Shinagawa, Sumida Aquarium under Skytree, Sunshine Aquarium at Sunshine City, Yokohama Hakkeijima, Kasai if you are into Oregairu
Amusement park: Fuji-Q for sure, Disney if you are into it, Seibu and Yomiuri for a local flavor.

>>1246149
This is a non-answer.
>>1246144
I'm actually curious about this too. Is spending extra money for 'peace of mind' actually worth it? I wonder if these insurance companies would actually pay up if something did happen.

>>1246221
>Are you fucking serious? You should stay in Toyama the previous night. so take Thunderbird from Kyoto and Hokuriku Shinkansen back to Tokyo.

I take that to mean I should definitely see the falls. I'll actually be staying in Omachi on the Nagano side of the Alpine route, then getting up early to go over the route and end up in Toyama. I'd like to hike to the summit of Mt. Tate, which means that it could be cutting it close when I get down the other side. One main reason I'm pressed for time is that I'll be using a baggage forwarding service to take my bags from Omachi to Tateyama station, and apparently you can't pick up your bags after 6:00 PM or so. What happens if I don't pick them up in time? I assume they just hold them until the next day, which would be okay since I'll just be dicking about in Toyama.

Thanks to you and >>1246224 for the infos.

Is Dogo Onsen worth a visit to Matsuyama? Anything else on the island? Should I stick to checking out Nikko instead?

What are the top things to see in Gifu prefecture. Thinking of visiting for sentimental reasons, but only if there's a lot to do

>>1246299
Broken panty vending machines and stale rice.

Has anyone here moved to Japan to get their PhD?

I heard they offer favorable conditions. Is that true?

>>1246310
Nearly all Japanese universities are complete garbage, but if your phd is in something useless, which it probably will be, go nuts, it couldn't hurt.

>>1246318
Except for the supremely high extra cost of pursuing 6 years of higher education abroad.

Unless it's like a STEM PhD on generous scholarship from Todai or Kyodai

Those two schools even have like no name recognition outside Japan. If you're from the US, flagship State U would be a much better bet even if you got into Todai most likely.

>>1246318
>You say the sex industry is completely inaccessible

>>1243188
>Japan's sex industry is almost completely inaccessible to foreigners
>almost

What part of "almost" do none of you people understand?

>>1246322
Sounds like you're just upset people are proving your memes wrong.

Tips for a good unlimited internet subscription plan? Those mobile and pocket wifi seems like a rip off with their speed restriction after using a certain amount of data. I can't buy a fiber connection either.

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Going to Tokyo and Hong Kong this Summer.

I've never been to anywhere in Asia before and I'll be bringing lots of cash for stuff to blow my mind.

Any great michelin star restaurants or crazy attractions /trv/ has for me? I'll listen to any and all recommendations.

Generally interested in anything that can't be found in the states, like whacky shit, restaurants where you sit on the floor with no shoes, or just cool fun stuff.

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>>1243332
i kinda just walked to the museum and stood in a 5 min line and bought one

>>1246352
What memes? That Japan's sex industry is *almost* completely inaccessible? Did you not see the links for options for foreigners under that very post. You're like trying to stir up shit that doesn't exist.

What memes am I exactly trying to project do you think?

>>1246363
>speed restriction after using a certain amount of data
wait what
I need to know that shit too since I work from online

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What's the best place to get fugu fish?

>>1246363
I bought a 100$ usd about priced data phone, and buy 30$ monthly sim cards for it. Decent data amount and good coverage in general. I love the little thing, i bought a Priori 3 to be precise. If you are there a few months or longer, it's worth the small investment, and i use it every year i go to study.

>>1246363
japan wifi buddy. I paid $100~ for a 3 week rental, and had 4G LTE the entire time with around 8GB used.

>>1246397
From what I've read, if you use more than 10GB over 3 days they're going to restrict your speed to 100kb/s during peak hours (6pm-2am). That is for most of the providers. What do you have?
>>1246407
>>1246411
Thanks for the suggestions.
I live in a dorm and don't have a landline in my room, so my current options are either sim card or a pocket wifi device. A few youtube videos here and there, some video phone calls and other random stuff will certainly eat up quite a few data. I have to look more into that.

>>1246418
>What do you have?
nothing yet. glad I saw your post before considering that as an option. I work from home and I stream on twitch on the side- so i'd need something that supports me video streaming at least. fuck

>>1246424
>I stream on twitch on the side- so i'd need something that supports me video streaming at least

What will your 4 followers do without you?

>>1246428
I recently join with the intention for a hobby, but ended up making $700 within a month of streaming from it. I don't expect to live off of it by any means, but I'd like to be active. Its a hobby, and it's pretty fun.

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There is now a /trv/ Japan LINE group!
If you would like to join, email your LINE ID to:

trv4chan@gmail dot com

>>1246478
what do you guys talk about?
Cool shit in japan or feelings and shit with sometimes japan?

>>1246411
I don't have a smartphone, but I think it might be very useful for my 3 weeks trip.
Are there good options for renting a smartphone with a SIM card and eventually wifi too?

>Japan's sex industry is almost completely inaccessible to foreigners who do not speak Japanese.

uhh what? This is one of the most popular brothels which even gets JAV actresses every so often

http://hentaitokyo.com/

They all speak english.

Best place to stay in Osaka? Want to be in a reasonably interesting place near transport. Cheers.

>>1246500
>almost

Nice reading comprehension bro. And that was just posted too. Do you not read anything?

>>1244032
Went to Kobe for the Chinatown area and it was great, compared to the Yokohama chinatown that was shit dumpling shills everywhere. Would definitely go back to Kobe to check out more of the city.

What kind of store would sell a cheap ass pair of sunnies?

>>1246405
Tsukiji Fish Market or Yamaguchi prefecture.

Is the Fuji-Hakone day trip any good? Will be going to Japan in July.

>>1246532
I don't know what specific day trip you're talking about, but I would personally recommend staying there for at least one night for the Onsen experience and to actually take time to enjoy it without rushing things

>>1246536
Thanks

>>1246500
I have to ask. Have any of you guys that are shilling this place ever been there?

Just looking at the menu, it looks like an overpriced deriheru place where FS can be added to the menu for a 10k upcharge. At that point, you're better off just going to Yoshiwara. More playtime for the same service.

Anyone been to Kamikochi? I'm thinking of staying a night or two there this August, since Nesubuta festival already made Aomori booked.

Why did I just pay $12 to wash my clothes?

>>1246562
By staying a night or two I mean camping in their dedicated campsites.

>>1246435
What's your handle? I'd follow.

>>1245671
That is pretty expensive, who the fuck did you fly with?

I went in December, just after Christmas and I flew from Perth with Garuda

>>1246532
>>1246536
Second the overnight idea. There's a three day pass that you can get in Tokyo that takes you to Fuji and Hakone and you can ride the bus as many times as you want. It's definitely not a place you want to rush.

>>1246511
>almost

This almost point you keep trying to make is kind of silly. Who cares if a majority of places are closed to you, when you can still get some at another?

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As someone coming from bumfuck nowhere in Sweden, living in Tokyo for the past 5 months has been partly tons of fun and partly a soul sucking experience due to the fact that I haven't been out in nature since I came here. It feels like no matter how far you go in Japan, you'll never be able to get out of the city and be truly alone. But I think I'm only feeling that because I haven't been out of the Kanto region yet.
I got a good road bike and a backpack, anyone got an idea where I should head towards to get some goddamn peace and quiet?

>>1246583
Because the ones you can go into are overpriced and the bottom 5% in terms of girls. In all seriousness though, if you want sex tourism go to Thailand.

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>>1246619
Dude, if you want a bit of a nature fix, go to Shiba park, it's near Tokyo Tower. Once you get inside, it shuts out the entire city. Alternatively, pop out to Mitaka for an afternoon, there are some nice wooded trails in a park near the Ghibli Museum. If you can't find nature, you simply aren't trying hard enough. Pic related, it's inside Shiba Park.

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>>1246629
Pic also related, it's Inokashira Park, the one in Mitaka near Ghibli Museum. It's actually pretty huge. Tokyo is full of green nature spaces, you just need to look for them.

>>1246629
>>1246631
I've been to a lot of parks in Tokyo, I wouldn't count them as nature. They are very nice places to be, but they only feel like really big gardens to me. Also, too many people around. I want to get out to the countryside and an actual forest.
You're right when you say I'm not looking hard enough though, I started finding some good locations right now by just changing up the keywords in my searches.

>>1246619
there are plenty of hiking spots around Tokyo (Mt. Takao, Mt. Mitake, Mt. Tsukuba, Kamakura, Hakone etc.).

>>1246640
I get what you're saying. So, here's some food for thought; if you have a day or three to spare, why not take the Shinkansen up north. Get off at Ishinomaki, and take the ferry out to Tashirojima. It's one of the famed "cat islands." However, stay after the last ferry leaves. The number of actual residents on the island are few, and there's plenty of forest for you to camp out undisturbed.

I'm on the plane boys

>>1246313
It's in CS. I heard they have a program especially for foreigners. Is that true?

>>1246677
Faggot.

>>1243188
Hey, i just saw adviced on other thread about AuPairs, seems a cool way to travel around and not get poor, is it legit or what ist he catch? any advice or comments on it?

Im going to Japan for the health services but need to do some other stuff so I have plausible deniability.

> what to do in 7 days?
> Travelling alone, first time in Japan

Will probably stay in Tokyo all nights and buy week ticket for train so anything within rail distance

Spending a couple of weeks in japan soon with my GF, we will be staying in osaka and mostly can only stay within the kansai region, anyone have any tips or recommendations of things to see and do beyond the obvious places plastered all over the internet?

Also any tips for our first time in japan would be very appreciated.

>>1246815
>with my gf
Fail

>>1246583
Read this post.
>>1245310
>>1245310
>>1245310

I don't understand why people have gotten so butt flustered over this point. All it says is "*almost* completely inaccessible" and then there are literally ***links to prostitution services for foreigners under it*** but people are still like NOO I CAN TOTALLY GET SERVED IN JAPAN WHY U LYIN BRO.

Like literally what the fuck. No one said you can't.

The stressing of limited options for foreigners needs to happen. Anyone who's been in these threads before there were even the links knows how incessant this bullshit was.

HURRR HOW TO FUCK KOTOMI HOW TO FUCK JULIA I HAVE MONEY. ETC.

>>1246823
You gotta understand there are a large amount of anons going to japan. Not everyone in this thread, or on 4chan looks the best always. I've talked with people who have gone to japan and complained that the dating scene is non existant, only to see pics of them there and they look like they crawled out of their mothers basement, or a rouge moon from jupiter.

Given the amount of people both male and female in japan I would say it is safe to assume that if you groom well, know a bit of the language, and are in decent shape your odds for sex of any kind increase greatly.

>>1246815
This post is useless if you don't tell us your interests.

>>1246837
>going to japan with a few of my mates
>ask what they want to do there
>"Haha anon we can figure all that shit out when we get there"

Worst fucking thing ever, no that eats into time that you could have spent seeing shit instead of debating what to do

>>1246837
Mostly want to soak up the country as a whole, culture and all that. Obviously we will go to most of the tourist hotspots. We both love food on all levels and anything quirky or fun pretty much.

>>1246846
Get 2 JR passes and map out some stops, you can get most places with a 7 day pass with a little planning Takayama is good for feeling old sense of japan, obviously Hiroshima is a neat visit. Most places if you line up the stops right will leave early in the AM and get you there really quick so you can enjoy the day before crashing wherever.

I'm managing to get around most of mid and southern japan in 7 days each day at a unique place

hows the sex industry in terms of male sex workers?

>>1246935
Its super secret, give it up gaijin you're never getting any.

>>1246938
i just wanna fuck some cute japanese boys, is that too much to ask?

New bread >>1246949

>>1246823
i just read that i cant even fuck them in the pussy
>only anal :(

Going on the 1st of June and have only got flights booked. What's the best way to get internet while traveling?

>>1246144
>>1246245
Let me answer this one:
Yes, you should buy travel insurance, but no, not the one that is offered at the end of a flight booking process etc.
Travel insurance is extremely cost effective and provides cover for missed flights, lost or stolen luggage, as well as (crucially) excellent medical cover.

I'm headed to Okinawa, Naha/Nanjo in a week. Doing that Airbnb, anyone have any suggestions?

How is Japan for hitchhiking? I'm planning a trip to Japan and it's either that or the railway.