Japan Travel |OT| We have to go back

Qikz · May 24, 2024

SolidSnakeUS said:
Thanks again. Also, thanks for putting up with all my stupid questions as I know it can sometimes be like "why isn't this person just Googling it?" and I get the feeling. You do a lot on here and it never goes unnoticed.

Mike has a lot of spare time waiting in airports to reply to people given he seems to fly around the world every other day haha

Asking someone directly honestly is always better than google, you can never be sure if the info you're getting on google is even legit anymore.

MikeHattsu · May 24, 2024

Qikz said:
Mike has a lot of spare time waiting in airports to reply to people given he seems to fly around the world every other day haha

Hey!

MikeHattsu · May 24, 2024

Mercury tops 30 degrees in Tokyo for the first time this year | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

A high-pressure front over much of Japan raised the temperature in Tokyo on May 24 above 30 degrees for the first time this year.

Nerima Ward in the capital recorded a high of 31 degrees, marking the first time this year the Tokyo metropolitan area had a temperature exceeding 30 degrees.

Kiryu in Gunma Prefecture recorded a high of 34.1 degrees, the hottest so far this year in Japan.

Other locations with high temperatures were Mino, Gifu Prefecture, at 33 degrees, Maniwa, Okayama Prefecture, at 32.2 degrees and Yamaguchi city at 30.2 degrees.

🔥🔥🔥

Qikz · May 24, 2024

MikeHattsu said:
Mercury tops 30 degrees in Tokyo for the first time this year | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

🔥🔥🔥

I tried to go in May this year and not July to avoid this, I was too late damnit. I even got delayed by getting ill at the last minute as well so I'm basically going in June.

Maebashi · May 25, 2024

MikeHattsu said:
Record 19.1 million international passengers used Haneda airport in FY 2023

International flight passengers at Tokyo's Haneda airport totaled a record high of 19.1 million in fiscal 2023, government data shows, with an increase in inbound tourist traffic following the relaxation of COVID-19 border measures contributing to the growth.

english.kyodonews.net

First time arriving at Haneda T2 International yesterday at 6pm, was a little suprised how quiet and small the immigration and customs hall was compared to T3 International.

The fun bit was the suddent go-around at 500ft due to a plane being abit close to the runway according to the Captain. Video

kami_sama · May 26, 2024

So it seems Mizuho has closed down both the Narita and Haneda Exchange Counters...
I liked to take some cash with me to have something to start with, just because.
They've replaced them with airport ones, but I can't find the rates anywhere.

sfedai0 · May 26, 2024

can you not hit up a 7/11 ATM? I havent exchanged for yen since my first trip in 2010.

MikeHattsu · May 26, 2024

Better to use the AEON ATMs at the airport since they don't have fees :p

kami_sama · May 26, 2024

sfedai0 said:
can you not hit up a 7/11 ATM? I havent exchanged for yen since my first trip in 2010.

It was mostly out of fear my card wouldn't work for any reason. Which hasn't happened, but still.
A stack of cash for another stack of cash was a way to avoid it.

MikeHattsu said:
Better to use the AEON ATMs at the airport since they don't have fees :p

Doesn't seem to be one inside T3. Will have to pay the 1% from Seven-Eleven.

ResetGreyWolf · May 26, 2024

MikeHattsu said:
Better to use the AEON ATMs at the airport since they don't have fees :p

Oh really? The ATMs at the airport have no fees? Is the exchange rate good? I pretty much never withdraw money at airports as they usually have the worst rates, but it sounds like I should withdraw some cash at the airport next time I'm in Tokyo

MikeHattsu · May 26, 2024

kami_sama said:
Doesn't seem to be one inside T3. Will have to pay the 1% from Seven-Eleven.

If you're talking about Haneda T3, there's one inside the baggage claim area, next to the toilets.

ResetGreyWolf said:
Oh really? The ATMs at the airport have no fees? Is the exchange rate good?

All AEON ATMs are no fees for foreign Visa/Mastercard. The exchange rate is whatever Visa/Mastercard offers (+ whatever fee your bank takes for cash withdrawals/foreign exchange).

zero_suit · May 26, 2024

sfedai0 said:
can you not hit up a 7/11 ATM? I havent exchanged for yen since my first trip in 2010.

7/11 was all I used.

Kwigo · May 26, 2024

WE JUST BOOKED FOR 2 WEEKS IN MAY 2025 OMG MY LIFELONG DREAM WILL FINALLY BECOME A REALITY

I'm sorry in advance for all the questions I'll be asking over the next 11 months <3

zero_suit · May 26, 2024

Kwigo said:
WE JUST BOOKED FOR 2 WEEKS IN MAY 2025 OMG MY LIFELONG DREAM WILL FINALLY BECOME A REALITY

I'm sorry in advance for all the questions I'll be asking over the next 11 months <3

OP is pretty damn good. I got a lot of my itinerary ideas from the Japan Guide website.

Kwigo · May 26, 2024

zero_suit said:
OP is pretty damn good. I got a lot of my itinerary ideas from the Japan Guide website.

I'll definitely deep dive into it now that the dates are set, but I just know that there'll be tons of extra questions :)

chairhome · May 26, 2024

I rented from ivideo, just noticed when i check "rental history" it says i'm supposed to upload my passport, but there's no place for me to do it. Should be picking it up in three days, do I just wait for it to become active within the next three days?

Grenchel · May 26, 2024

Just about to leave Osaka for Kyoto. Love, loved Osaka. The people are so friendly and fun; food is delicious. I don't want to leave :(

shadow2810 · May 26, 2024

shadow2810 said:
my family is planning to travel to Japan in July... in a group of 12...
How bad will this be...

so final number is 11... in Okinawa
and I'm the one searching for place to eat 💀

Kwigo · May 27, 2024

I already have a first question (didn't find anything in the OP): I searched for tattoo friendly onsen (I have a really small tattoo on my forearm) and apparently a ryukan would be my best bet, but in the same video I watched they said that ryukans are mostly not letting tattoed people get in (as in, you can't even book a night there) ? Is this true or was this a mistake ?

MikeHattsu · May 27, 2024

chairhome said:
I rented from ivideo, just noticed when i check "rental history" it says i'm supposed to upload my passport, but there's no place for me to do it. Should be picking it up in three days, do I just wait for it to become active within the next three days?

Send them a mail?

chairhome · May 27, 2024

MikeHattsu said:
Send them a mail?

Thanks. I did and they said it's only for customers renting in Taiwan.

MikeHattsu · May 28, 2024

Rain forecast in buckets along Pacific coast as typhoon nears | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

The Japan Meteorological Agency said torrential rains are expected over wide areas, including the Tokai, Kinki and Shikoku regions, and warned residents to take precautions.

The agency is also calling for vigilance against a strong typhoon, the first of the season, that is approaching Japan.

Agency officials said linear rain bands, which bring heavy rains, could form in Miyazaki, Kagoshima, Tokushima, Kochi, Gifu, Shizuoka and Aichi prefectures, and elsewhere.

The maximum amount of rainfall expected during the 24 hours through 6 a.m. on May 29 is 350 millimeters in the Tokai region, 250 mm in the Kinki and Shikoku regions and 200 mm in the Kanto-Koshin region and the southern part of the Kyushu region.

Start of the typhoon season in Japan

MikeHattsu · May 28, 2024

Oh no...

Kyushu bullet trains become first in Japan to adopt dynamic pricing

Some Kyushu Shinkansen line services in southwestern Japan will adopt dynamic pricing for advance tickets after a recent trial eased congestion, the operator says, becoming the first bullet trains in the country to use the system.

english.kyodonews.net

Some Kyushu Shinkansen line services in southwestern Japan will adopt dynamic pricing for advance tickets after a recent trial eased congestion, the operator said Tuesday, becoming the first bullet trains in the country to use the system.

The change applies to online sales of tickets for journeys starting July 1 that are purchased between a week and a month in advance for travel between Hakata Station in the city of Fukuoka and Kumamoto Station in Kumamoto Prefecture, said Kyushu Railway Co., also known as JR Kyushu, said.

As a result, customers will pay one of three prices -- 4,200 yen ($27), 3,800 yen or 3,400 yen -- for an advance adult one-way ticket including seat reservation on the section of the line.

Dynamic pricing means the amount charged is allowed to go up and down depending on demand and the timing of the purchase. The decision follows a trial of the system that began March 1.

Before the trial began, advance tickets for the same route were set at 3,800 yen for adults. If bought within a week of departure, a standard ticket costs 5,230 yen.

Vaskie · May 28, 2024

The wifey and I have are set on doing our trip to Japan in April/May 2026.

We have spent the past few months organising a huge document with all sorts of things including the full itinerary, but something we haven't quite been able to sink our teeth into is money, specifically converting british pounds into japanese yen, and how we are planning on taking that money.

Recently I came across Wise, and it seemed like a super useful card. What is everyone's opinions on it ?

After some conversations we have mostly decided to as soon as possible convert the budget for the trip to Yen as the conversation rate is amazing right now. We would then get the card, and since the currency inside the card is in Yen, we would just withdraw as we need it in Japan without having to worry about conversions, or having to take cash with us from the UK.

But I have a few follow up questions:

How much money do ATMs allow you to withdraw per day ? In the UK there is a limit per day but I couldn't find a limit for Japan

Is that limit per day, or per withdrawl ?

Is the plan above, to use Wise a good idea ?

Thank yooou everyone!

MikeHattsu · May 28, 2024

Vaskie said:
How much money do ATMs allow you to withdraw per day ? In the UK there is a limit per day but I couldn't find a limit for Japan

Is that limit per day, or per withdrawl ?

There's a limit of 100000 JPY per withdrawal in 7/11 ATMs and 50000 JPY in most others. You can withdraw multiple times a day (or even multiple times in a row at the same ATM), so it depends on what kind of limits your card has.

Vaskie said:
Is the plan above, to use Wise a good idea ?

Depends on:
How much you plan to withdraw in Japan since Wise takes fees after 30000 JPY of withdrawal.
What kind of fees you can get on credit or debit cards in whatever country you live in, if it's lower than Wise fees.
How much you'll use the Wise card outside of your trip to Japan (for some countries they charge a fee to buy the card).
If you think the yen will increase or decrease in value by the time of your trip.
How much you could increase the value of whatever you put into your Wise account by putting it into savings instead.

Vaskie · May 28, 2024

MikeHattsu said:
There's a limit of 100000 JPY per withdrawal in 7/11 ATMs and 50000 JPY in most others. You can withdraw multiple times a day (or even multiple times in a row at the same ATM), so it depends on what kind of limits your card has.

Depends on:
How much you plan to withdraw in Japan since Wise takes fees after 30000 JPY of withdrawal.
What kind of fees you can get on credit or debit cards in whatever country you live in, if it's lower than Wise fees.
How much you'll use the Wise card outside of your trip to Japan (for some countries they charge a fee to buy the card).
If you think the yen will increase or decrease in value by the time of your trip.
How much you could increase the value of whatever you put into your Wise account by putting it into savings instead.

We are planning on converting around £3000 GBP to Yen

Likely we would try to withdraw a chunky amount every day, but the fees seemed super reasonable at Wise.

We currently have a Santander Debit Card, but could get a Starling Bank Debit Card. We don't do Credit Cards so that is not an option.

If we had any Yen left over on the Wise account, we would transfer it back to GBP afterwards and take whatever loss there would be on the conversion and fee.

Since the Yen is at all time low, we were considering buying a LOT right now since it could be very different in 2025/2026.

We were curious as to if it's a good idea since I have seen others mention it on this thread, as well as on the JapanTravel reddit/discord

PS. We are planning on going for 22 days, the budget is around £6500, but £3000 is for anything while in Japan (so no flights, hotels, and a bunch of others)

MikeHattsu · May 28, 2024

Vaskie said:
We were curious as to if it's a good idea

Only you can answer that yourself by crunching all the numbers of what's on offer.

Or if safety of a locked in rate now is better than the uncertainty of where the yen will go before your trip as said. Could go even lower, or higher, nobody knows.

And I dunno about high interest savings accounts in the UK, but here in Norway you can get something like 5.2% interest a year with a locked in interest rate, so if you put it into savings ~£3000 would become ~£3156. You'd then of course depend on the exchange rate 1 year from now :p

Vaskie · May 28, 2024

MikeHattsu said:
Only you can answer that yourself by crunching all the numbers of what's on offer.

Or if safety of a locked in rate now is better than the uncertainty of where the yen will go before your trip as said. Could go even lower, or higher, nobody knows.

And I dunno about high interest savings accounts in the UK, but here in Norway you can get something like 5.2% interest a year with a locked in interest rate, so if you put it into savings ~£3000 would become ~£3156. You'd then of course depend on the exchange rate 1 year from now :p

We have different savings (both locked for 2 years, and always available), so that money would not affect any of the savings.

What I ponder is if let's say £156 of savings would be worth it versus the exchange rate a year from now.

It's a bit of gamble and we just wanted to see people's opinions on it.

MikeHattsu · May 29, 2024

Eeeh....

Kumamoto bus, train firms to drop national IC cards, embrace new cashless payment methods - The Mainichi

KUMAMOTO -- On May 27, five bus and train operators in Kumamoto Prefecture announced that they would discontinue fare payments using 10 national trans

mainichi.jp

On May 27, five bus and train operators in Kumamoto Prefecture announced that they would discontinue fare payments using 10 national transportation IC cards such as Suica, ICOCA and Hayakaken as soon as the end of the year. The national IC system is being promoted by the central government in part to make travel smooth across the entire country for foreign visitors, and the change is expected to impact convenience for both overseas and domestic tourists.

The five firms, all headquartered in the city of Kumamoto, are Kyushu Sanko Bus Co., Sanko Bus Co., Kumamoto Electric Railway Co., Kumamoto Bus Co., and Kumamoto Toshi Bus Co. These companies introduced the national transportation IC card payment system in 2016. National transportation IC cards currently account for 24% of the five companies' passenger payment methods.

However, while the central government subsidizes installing the system, there is no support for updates. The current system maintenance contract expires at the end of March 2025, and the companies estimated that updating the equipment installed on their some 900 total buses would add up to 1.21 billion yen (approx. $7.70 million).

A representative from the five firms' joint management promotion office explained, "With a continuous deficit in operating income due to population decline, we couldn't afford the update costs." This will apparently be the first time a transportation company has decided to drop out of the national IC card system.

Beginning in April 2025, the companies say they will instead introduce credit card touch payments and QR code payments via smartphones, which have become more widespread in recent years and can be accommodated with cheaper readers. The move is expected to reduce expenses to 670 million yen (about $4.26 million).

Similarly, the Kumamoto City Tram will discontinue fare payments using national transportation IC cards in 2026 to align with the region's buses, according to a May 28 Kumamoto City Transportation Bureau announcement. However, 51% of the tram system's passengers currently use national IC cards. The bureau stated, "We want to make this change clear to the public as soon as possible," but many users will be affected by the need to switch cards. The regional Kumamon no IC Card will still be usable.

Users have voiced confusion over the move. A 21-year-old student living in Kumamoto's Higashi Ward who was transferring from the tram at JR Kumamoto Station, said, "I only needed to have one card to use the tram, bus, and even when traveling outside the prefecture. It's unfortunate that I'll need to get a new card." Mineo Ueno, 66, visiting Kumamoto on a trip with his wife from Noda, Chiba Prefecture, commented, "We were able to use the national IC card in Nagasaki earlier. It will be a bit inconvenient if we need to switch between cards."

Rahvar · May 29, 2024

MikeHattsu said:
Eeeh....

Kumamoto bus, train firms to drop national IC cards, embrace new cashless payment methods - The Mainichi

KUMAMOTO -- On May 27, five bus and train operators in Kumamoto Prefecture announced that they would discontinue fare payments using 10 national trans

mainichi.jp

That sucks, contactless with my cards never work in Japan I always have to use the chip

chairhome · May 29, 2024

I'm finally back in Tokyo. Love it

NoobSauceG7 · May 30, 2024

Looking at places to stay and found some hotels in Shinjuku that look good, but wanted to compare them to some parts of Tokyo that may not be as crowded/touristy. Does anyone have suggestions of areas that have good access to train lines (like on the Yamanote or if there are other good spots that I may not be thinking of).

UnluckyKate · May 30, 2024

Anyone knows a good beach for snorkling / place to take a boat to go diving in Kyushu ?

MikeHattsu · May 30, 2024

UnluckyKate said:
Anyone knows a good beach for snorkling / place to take a boat to go diving in Kyushu ?

Well... Yakushima and Amami are technically a part of the Kyushu region...

UnluckyKate · May 30, 2024

MikeHattsu said:
Well... Yakushima and Amami are technically a part of the Kyushu region...

I know, but way tooooo far... They want to dive or spend a day or two a a nice beach... Well Yakushima it is I guess

MikeHattsu · May 31, 2024

Looked to book a specific hotel and checked out the prices on different sites, and the hotel had put this note up on a Japanese booking site:

View: https://www.threads.net/@mikehattsu/post/C7lmA-hoSxN

MikeHattsu · Jun 1, 2024

Hotels put up 13 million foreign guests across Japan in April | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

A total of 13.15 million foreign nationals booked into hotels and other lodgings in April, the largest number ever for a single month, according to the Japan Tourism Agency.

The number of foreign visitors to Japan has been increasing, and duration of stays lengthening

It marked the second consecutive month for the number of foreign overnight guests to reach a record high.

An agency official noted that visitor numbers noticeably increased during the Easter break and the cherry blossom season.

MikeHattsu · Jun 1, 2024

Shibuya to expand ban on street drinking year-round | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News

Local authorities in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward plan to ban drinking on the streets around Shibuya Station year-round.

www3.nhk.or.jp

Local authorities in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward plan to ban drinking on the streets around Shibuya Station year-round.

The measure is based on a request from shops in the area, and will likely run from 6pm to 5am.

An ordinance currently restricts nighttime drinking on the streets and in parks for certain periods and events, such as Halloween and the year-end holidays.

Officials plan to submit a draft revision at a Shibuya Ward assembly meeting this month and see the change take effect in October.

sfedai0 · Jun 1, 2024

Huh, seems like a move to drive people more to izakayas and restaurants. I dont hang out at Shibuya much but was there a issue with drinking outdoors?

MikeHattsu · Jun 1, 2024

sfedai0 said:
Huh, seems like a move to drive people more to izakayas and restaurants. I dont hang out at Shibuya much but was there a issue with drinking outdoors?

Well... There was this article last year:

Patrols to tackle growing issue of street drinking in Tokyo's Shibuya Ward - The Mainichi

TOKYO -- Following complaints from residents, the local government of Tokyo's busy Shibuya Ward in September began patrols aiming to stop people drink

mainichi.jp

When a Mainichi reporter visited Shibuya's Center-gai shopping street around 9 p.m. in late September, five foreign tourists were drinking alcohol and blocking the sidewalk. The travelers chatted loudly for a while, then left empty cans on the street and walked away after finishing their drinks. One, a 29-year-old U.S. citizen, told the reporter that there are many other groups like them in Shibuya and that he did not mean to do anything wrong. He then explained that they had come to Shibuya because of a viral video on TikTok in which a tourist described Shibuya as a fun place to drink and make noise on the street.

What do people who operate stores in the neighborhood think? A 38-year-old male restaurant manager said, "Customers are scared to enter when people are drunk and noisy in front of our restaurant, plus there's been more littering nearby. We're really annoyed by street drinkers."

According to the ward, street drinking by tourists has become more noticeable in Shibuya Station's vicinity since May, when the legal status of COVID-19 was downgraded to category 5 under the Japanese infectious disease control law. Problems such as obstruction of traffic, littering and nighttime noise have become common.

Dunno how big a problem it really is though, since I don't usually go to Shibuya at night :P

Maebashi · Jun 1, 2024

Vaskie said:
We are planning on converting around £3000 GBP to Yen

Likely we would try to withdraw a chunky amount every day, but the fees seemed super reasonable at Wise.

We currently have a Santander Debit Card, but could get a Starling Bank Debit Card. We don't do Credit Cards so that is not an option.

If we had any Yen left over on the Wise account, we would transfer it back to GBP afterwards and take whatever loss there would be on the conversion and fee.

Since the Yen is at all time low, we were considering buying a LOT right now since it could be very different in 2025/2026.

We were curious as to if it's a good idea since I have seen others mention it on this thread, as well as on the JapanTravel reddit/discord

PS. We are planning on going for 22 days, the budget is around £6500, but £3000 is for anything while in Japan (so no flights, hotels, and a bunch of others)

Wise UK user here, buy the yen now and keep on the card. 199/200 yen to the £ is pretty good, highest its been for past 10 years When your holiday is finished depending on the amount just leave it on the card, until you get a 'favourable exchange rate' or switch it to a different currency for the next country you go on holiday (conversion pending).

Have never taken cash out of the machines, so can't comment - mines always been card payment at the till.

Maebashi · Jun 1, 2024

Rahvar said:
That sucks, contactless with my cards never work in Japan I always have to use the chip

This is the 'go to' site on electronic payment in Japan https://atadistance.net/

Vaskie · Jun 1, 2024

Maebashi said:
Wise UK user here, buy the yen now and keep on the card. 199/200 yen to the £ is pretty good, highest its been for past 10 years When your holiday is finished depending on the amount just leave it on the card, until you get a 'favourable exchange rate' or switch it to a different currency for the next country you go on holiday (conversion pending).

Have never taken cash out of the machines, so can't comment - mines always been card payment at the till.

Thank you so so so much for your post, it's very much the push we needed.

We're taking just a bit of time to decide when we're going to do it, and how much we're going to do but Wise definitely seems like the way to go, and if we ended up not spending all of the budget, or the trip was to be delayed we could convert the money back to pounds, or a different currency for a different travel destination.

One thing that we were both wondering, if you have multiple currencies on the account, is that a worry when you're making payments with the card over in Japan ?

We have pretty much the whole trip figured out but need to check which payments are going to happen Pre-Trip versus During-Trip:

Flight: Pre-Trip
Hotel: Pre-Trip
Travel (Train - Shinkansen) - Kyoto to Tokyo: Pre-Trip (we're thinking of getting it through Klook)
Universal Studios Japan: Tickets: Pre-Trip (Klook)
Mobile Data (Sakura Mobile): Pre-Trip (Klook)
Insurance: Pre-Trip
Travel (Osaka Amazing Pass + Hakone Free Pass + Enoshima & Kamakura Free Pass): Not sure ? (we're thinking of getting them through Klook)
Travel (Bus/Metro/Train): During-Trip
E-Bike Day Rental (Kyoto): During-Trip
E-Bike Day Rental (Nara): During-Trip
Food: During-Trip
Miscellaneous: During-Trip

MikeHattsu · Jun 1, 2024

Vaskie said:
Travel (Train - Shinkansen) - Kyoto to Tokyo: Pre-Trip (we're thinking of getting it through Klook)

Universal Studios Japan: Tickets: Pre-Trip (Klook)

Mobile Data (Sakura Mobile): Pre-Trip (Klook)

Travel (Osaka Amazing Pass + Hakone Free Pass + Enoshima & Kamakura Free Pass): Not sure ? (we're thinking of getting them through Klook)

If you buy shinkansen tickets through smart-ex, it'll be cheaper.
If you're getting any of the express passes, then booking though the USJ site is better.
If you're getting a WiFi device, then iVideo is most often cheaper.
Depending on what you're planning to do in Osaka, the Osaka e-Pass might be better.

Maebashi · Jun 1, 2024

Vaskie said:
Thank you so so so much for your post, it's very much the push we needed.

We're taking just a bit of time to decide when we're going to do it, and how much we're going to do but Wise definitely seems like the way to go, and if we ended up not spending all of the budget, or the trip was to be delayed we could convert the money back to pounds, or a different currency for a different travel destination.

One thing that we were both wondering, if you have multiple currencies on the account, is that a worry when you're making payments with the card over in Japan ?

We have pretty much the whole trip figured out but need to check which payments are going to happen Pre-Trip versus During-Trip:

Flight: Pre-Trip

Hotel: Pre-Trip

Travel (Train - Shinkansen) - Kyoto to Tokyo: Pre-Trip (we're thinking of getting it through Klook)

Universal Studios Japan: Tickets: Pre-Trip (Klook)

Mobile Data (Sakura Mobile): Pre-Trip (Klook)

Insurance: Pre-Trip

Travel (Osaka Amazing Pass + Hakone Free Pass + Enoshima & Kamakura Free Pass): Not sure ? (we're thinking of getting them through Klook)

Travel (Bus/Metro/Train): During-Trip

E-Bike Day Rental (Kyoto): During-Trip

E-Bike Day Rental (Nara): During-Trip

Food: During-Trip

Miscellaneous: During-Trip

Happy to help out. So if you have multiple curencies on your Wise card, the payment is always made in the local currency, ie Yen. If there is not enough Yen on the card then payment it will be taken from the next available currency. Just a note that I've always used the physical card for payment, rather than via the phone by Apple Pay.

Edit: If you have not used a physical card before, don't forget to activate it before you leave, ie put £10 on it, and then do some shopping at Tesco etc, and use the card reader by inserting the card and entering the pin.

To change £ to physical yen, I have always used https://www.thomasexchangeglobal.co.uk/

Sorry I can't comment too much on your iternary, apart from booking flights (being an aviation/flight geek) but personally I prefer JAL, ANA - with JAL being better.

For Japan immigration & customs use https://services.digital.go.jp/en/visit-japan-web/ on your smartphone.

SolidSnakeUS · Jun 1, 2024

Outside of having a tracker in your passport wallet and luggage, would I need one anywhere else? Like, I could be missing something I'm not thinking about. Did anyone use one elsewhere for their stuff?

chrominance · Jun 1, 2024

SolidSnakeUS said:
Outside of having a tracker in your passport wallet and luggage, would I need one anywhere else? Like, I could be missing something I'm not thinking about. Did anyone use one elsewhere for their stuff?

I used one in all the things I would reasonably need to keep track of and could potentially be separated. I carried a backpack, a shoulder bag and luggage around with me, so a tracker went in each (the tracker normally attached to my house keys did double-duty for one of the bags, since I had no reason to touch those until I got back home), then there was the one for my wallet. Passport I just made sure to keep in the same place at all times, though in practice I think I ended up shifting it between two bags depending on what I wanted to carry that day/night. If you're extra paranoid I suppose you could get a passport holder and slip a tracker in there as well; I actually had a holder but ended up not using it, it wasn't really needed.

SolidSnakeUS · Jun 1, 2024

chrominance said:
I used one in all the things I would reasonably need to keep track of and could potentially be separated. I carried a backpack, a shoulder bag and luggage around with me, so a tracker went in each (the tracker normally attached to my house keys did double-duty for one of the bags, since I had no reason to touch those until I got back home), then there was the one for my wallet. Passport I just made sure to keep in the same place at all times, though in practice I think I ended up shifting it between two bags depending on what I wanted to carry that day/night. If you're extra paranoid I suppose you could get a passport holder and slip a tracker in there as well; I actually had a holder but ended up not using it, it wasn't really needed.

Oh shit you're right, my backpack. You're so fucking right about that. Keys will probably never leave that as I'm overseas, so it'll go along with it.

I have a passport wallet so most of my bills and cards would be in it and I do have a coin pouch, well, for coins.

MikeHattsu · Jun 2, 2024

Kyoto introduces express bus for tourists to ease congestion | The Asahi Shimbun: Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

A limited express bus for tourists went into operation [in Kyoto] to alleviate congestion on regular bus routes following complaints from residents.

"We want to verify the results of this initiative and further move it forward," Kyoto Mayor Koji Matsui said at a departure ceremony on June 1.

The municipal service is available on weekends and national holidays throughout the year.

City officials hope the service will ease congestion on regular buses to Kiyomizudera, which tend to be jampacked with tourists.

It takes 10 minutes from Kyoto Station to Gojo-zaka on the limited express bus, five minutes shorter than ordinary buses.

Tickets cost 500 yen ($3) for adults and 250 yen for children, more than double the regular fares of 230 yen and 120 yen, respectively.

Tourists can also ride the bus with a one-day combined pass for the subway and buses, which costs 1,100 yen for adults and 550 yen for children.

The bus runs on two routes. One is between Kyoto Station and Gojo-zaka, near Kiyomizudera temple. The other links Kyoto Station with Gojo-zaka, Gion, Ginkakuji temple and other popular sightseeing spots. The first route operates 16 times daily and the second one has 24 runs.

Residents cannot take the limited express bus with a commuter pass or a pass for seniors.

On my most recent visit to Kyoto taking the 206 bus from Kyoto station to Kiyomizudera was horrible, so hopefully this will help....

Buuuuttttttt... I also remember when they had these buses before COVID and they didn't cost anything extra to take and the bus only pass cost 500 yen... :P

ThreePi · Jun 2, 2024

Been a while since I've asked for advice since I've been to Japan so many times, but have a slightly different itinerary this time. Normally I do a week in Tokyo then a week in Osaka/Kansai area. This time around, I plan to be in Tokyo a few days, go to Sapporo catch a Fighters game at their new stadium, then come back to Tokyo for TGS. I just don't know if I should get a JR Pass and Shinkansen my way up, but I'd have to stop for a few days somewhere because I don't think I could do 6-7 days in Sapporo itself.

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