I tend to take some in cash and some on Revolut when I go. The best thing to do is pay with the Revolut card whenever possible, rather than taking money out with it, as there is no charge for that.
-
Ever wanted an RSS feed of all your favorite gaming news sites? Go check out our new Gaming Headlines feed! Read more about it here.
-
We have made minor adjustments to how the search bar works on ResetEra. You can read about the changes here.
Japan Travel |OT| We have to go back
- Thread starter MikeHattsu
- Start date
I did this in anticipation that the BoJ would have shared some strong indication they were going to raise rates...this didn't exactly come to fruition, and if anything, any statement they released ended up improving the USD to JPY exchange rate slightly, but it was negligible in the grand scheme of things. I pretty much 'dollar cost averaged' a couple of times the month before my trip where the rate was sitting between 144-149, but whilst I was out there a few weeks back it was constantly between 150-152. Again, this was negliable, and it's nice knowing you have the rate locked in. If you're going in the next few weeks then I'd probably recommend it.
I'd repeat this method if going again and felt confident in the rate. For example, might potentially be doing another trip towards the end of October, and this week with it sitting at 155-156 I'm tempted to exchange half my potential costs to Yen already.
As for Revolut, they'll let you withdraw up to £200 (or the equivalent currency withdrawn) per month for free, but after that they'll charge you 2% or £1 fair usage fee per withdrawal. I used Wise, but all of these fin. tech banks have the same setup on withdrawing foreign currency.
With regards to cash, £250-£300 covered me fine for the three weeks I was out there, a lot more places accept card nowadays than how it used to be some years back. But if visiting an independant restaurant or cafe, make sure you always have some cash on you just in-case.
Well, it is done. Okinawa flight booked for Oct 26 and staying for 19 nights.
So now I can enjoy the "good" summer here in Sweden and then it won't be long until I'm back again. So in total that will be 45 nights in Japan this year, wish it was more. :(
Found a nice hotel in the middle of Naha, only 680€ for the entire stay.
So now I can enjoy the "good" summer here in Sweden and then it won't be long until I'm back again. So in total that will be 45 nights in Japan this year, wish it was more. :(
Found a nice hotel in the middle of Naha, only 680€ for the entire stay.
OP
OP
It won't be much of an exploration trip. So just gonna enjoy the food, weather and chill on the beach and stuff for a lot of it. Going alone on this trip (and perhaps having a buddy come out from Osaka for a few days) and I just want to do fuck all really for most of it. Take a ferry to one or two of the surrounding island, rent a bike and just explore the southern half of the main island "on foot" and then take the bus up north and maybe just spend the night in some nice spot to do some astrophotography since it's the best up there when it comes to light pollution.
I would've used the same amount of days on a vacation to just sit at home playing games or whatever during the autumn or winter anyway (because I'm working all summer and in return I will get 2x my normal salary in October). So might as well go somewhere nice. :P
I do not need a bunch of activities and stuff every day to enjoy a vacation. Did plenty of that on my last trip now.
At first I did think about maybe spending the last week in Osaka, but it became so much more expensive with the flights that way so I skipped that.
Welp. My trip is over. Like everyone else, the thread title is accurate. I didn't get a chance to go to Hiroshima, Osaka, or get close to Mt. Fuji. It'll be a few years, but I'll be back! MikeHattsu The OP was super helpful.
That's what I thought!
I assume flight/hotel costs increase during the cherry blossoms, and whilst it'll be great to see them someday, I can't justify it for a solo trip.
I'm going to pick up some Yen soon for this reason.
I feel like buying yen is always more expensive than just pay using credit card that doesn't charge extra for foreign currency.
Question: for anybody who takes adhd or anti-anxiety medication, did you decide to forego taking your medication ahead of your trip or look at legal alternatives with your doctor? If you chose to forego medication, how far in advance did you ween off of it?
Plenty of places, especially resturants, that doesn't accept cards still. But yeah, mostly you can get away with a good card
There's a process for some medications:
Import / Export Narcotics by carrying | NARCOTICS CONTROL DEPARTMENT
OUR GOAL IS DRUG-FREE WORLD, SAFE LIFE AND SOUND SOCIETY. THE NARCOTICS AGENT
www.ncd.mhlw.go.jp
ADHD medication differ in their mechanisms so side effects of stopping is dependent on what you take but also how your body reacts to it.
Last edited:
Unsure if you're referring to buying Yen in paper cash form, if so, then yes, the fee paid wouldn't be great doing that.
Think this is in reference to having an account with a particular bank which allows you to hold a number of different currencies on the card at the same time (say a Visa or Mastercard), so this allows you to exchange whatever your default currency is into Yen and lock in the current rate for when you're actually there. These cards don't charge you fees either when using them abroad for payment....but yes, there is an small exchange rate fee when doing this, typically around 0.3-0.4% depending on the bank.
It's really just about weighing up whether you think the current exchange rate is going to worsen just before or whilst on your trip there. It's the crystal ball scenario though, so always a gamble!
Last edited:
OP
OP
Foreign visitors pan Japan's Aichi Pref. for lack of nightlife: survey - The Mainichi
NAGOYA -- The second most common complaint foreign tourists have about Aichi Prefecture, home to Japan's fourth-largest city Nagoya, is a lack of nigh
mainichi.jp
Anybody here done the "Dragon Route" or "Rainbow Route"?
Not exactly, but I did go Tokyo-Kanazawa-Shirakawa-Takayama-Nagoya-Osaka, which is similar enough.
Shirakawa-go is great, and this is a good route to see it, and very easy to plan transport-wise. Go to Kanazawa from Tokyo and spend a couple of days there. Then do Shirakawa as a daytrip between Kanazawa and Takayama, and spend some days in Takayama. If you want to go from there to Osaka, it makes sense to stop in Nagoya on the way. Both Kanazawa and Takayama have enough things to do to fill a couple of days, and while they are still big tourist destinations, they're a lot less crowded than something like Kyoto.
The Rainbow Route instead seems to go directly from Kanazawa to Kyoto. Which is an option, but feels like a bit of a waste in my opinion. You can still do Shirakawa as a daytrip, but going back to Kanazawa takes just as much time as going to Takayama.
Surprisingly I also ended up liking Nagoya a lot more than I thought I would. It has this reputation online as a pretty crap city with nothing to do, but I enjoyed it more than Osaka. In a lot of ways it actually ended up being closer to what people told me Osaka is: a more down to earth, less glamourous and less touristy big city. But it is true that it lacks big, must-see attractions unless you're there during the Sumo tournament or want to see Ghibli Park.
I think the route is a bit hard to recommend to first time visitors, whose itineraries are already rushed as is covering just Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka-Hiroshima in 1 or 2 weeks. Even if you have some extra time, there are a bunch of places on the Tokaido-Sanyo Shinkansen line that might make more sense instead (like Himeji, Kobe, Okayama, Onomichi, or jut doing more daytrips from Tokyo). But if you have a month or are doing a second trip where you still want to revisit Tokyo and Osaka, I think it's pretty nice.
I could also see it being a thing for travelers that want to avoid the crowds of Kyoto and Osaka, but ultimately Kyoto is popular for a reason.
OP
OP
I am still unsure of how to structure my second trip. I know I want to do Okinawa and that I want to visit places around Tokyo(Kamakura, somewhere around Mt.Fuji, Nikko, ect) I'm also wondering whether I want to add northern Japan(main island), Kyushu, or something else.
Its a must stop personally. Like many cities in Japan, they have their own unique take on popular dishes. Miso katsu, hitsumabushi, tebasaki, and a bunch of others. If I didnt like food, I probably wouldnt make a stop there.
OP
OP
Foreigner hotel stays in Japan surges 68% to record high in March
Overnight stays at accommodation facilities in Japan by foreigners jumped 68.2 percent in March from a year earlier to about 12.70 million, the highest monthly figure on the back of a weaker yen, preliminary government data shows
Town begins work to block Mt. Fuji photo spot due to unruly tourists
A Japanese town has begun work to set up a large black screen to block the view of Mt. Fuji at a popular photo spot in response to what it calls unruly behavior from tourists.
Got back from my trip last week, mixed feelings on it. There were four of us and I think it ruined it for me, especially as all the planning fell on my shoulders. A lot of it felt like we were just ticking things off the list for the sake of it. I had to skip our Kyoto day trip too due to my bad foot, and one of my friends got weirdly defensive about it as if I expected him not to go either. I was more than happy limping around the local area and exploring by myself.
Anyway, I've already booked another trip for the end of October. Going solo this time so I don't have to worry about anyone else, but a bit apprehensive about travelling alone for the first time.
Anyway, I've already booked another trip for the end of October. Going solo this time so I don't have to worry about anyone else, but a bit apprehensive about travelling alone for the first time.
Realistically, would 10 days be enough? Never traveled to a foreign country. Was thinking of doing Tokyo and Kyoto. Not even sure how much money I'd need
10 days accounting for travel to and from, or no? You're basically losing a day on either end to travel and jetlag, so bear that in mind. Our trip last year was more like 15 days (we did Kyoto/Hakone/Tokyo/Nikko) and I could easily have spent more time. But you can hit a lot of good stuff in ten days.
Money-wise, the biggest expenses are going to be the flight over and hotels / accommodations. For flights, a ton depends on where you are leaving from and what you are willing to put up with. In the US, a budget airline from the West Coast like ZipAir could be as low as $500 round trip per person, but you'll have to put up with a lot of hassles / baggage limits. Where I am on the East Coast US, flights often run $1,500+. Similarly, for your stays, it runs the gamut from $60-80/night hostels to fancy ryokans (hot springs inns) that can be several hundred dollars per person per night. Food is generally inexpensive and delicious but of course you can splurge. For travel, there are great public transit options for Tokyo and Kyoto (well - Kyoto's buses are kind of crowded, but it's doable).
That's how much time I had, and it didn't feel rushed. Only difference is I did a day trip to Nara from Kyoto. Where are you from? Japan was cheap to me since the yen is so weak compared to the dollar. Not having to tip for anything helped a lot also.
I went alone for three weeks by myself and there was nothing to be worried about. I actually enjoyed it because I didn't have to accommodate for other people. What about solo traveling are you apprehensive about?
If it is 10 days not counting the day you leave and arrive, then it should be. 5 days in Tokyo, 4 days in Kyoto, and last day in Tokyo. Travel early to make the most of your day. I left Tokyo for Kyoto around 7 or 8 and got Kyoto around 10ish. Enough time to do stuff in Kyoto on that day. Generally travelled early in the morning cause most things don't open till 10 or 11.
My total budget including hotels, plane, trains, food, souvenirs, and admission for 21 full days was 8200 usd.
Budget about 1200 usd for plane.
Around 875 for 7 night in Tokyo/360 for the 4 nights in Kyoto. These are for decent hotels in more centralized spots in those cities. You can definitely find cheaper hotels or air bnbs. These are just what I paid for.
240 usd for train back and forth.
1800 usd for spend money including food, public transport, admission, souvenir. I spent about 180 usd a day. You do less or more on your budget, but I found this to be comfortable for me.
Budget doesn't need to be this high, but I found this to be a middle tier budget.
Last edited:
OP
OP
If you only got 10 days then staying in Tokyo for most of it and going to Kamakura (and Hakone) would probably be better than splitting the trip up between Tokyo and Kyoto.
Then you can visit Kyoto/Osaka/Hiroshima on your next trip to Japan :p
Oh wow, I am surprised to see so many responses. Going to Japan has been a dream of mine. I think I will write a more detailed list of what I'd like to do (the only thing on my list- go to Japan) to get your expert opinions!
Foreign visitors pan Japan's Aichi Pref. for lack of nightlife: survey - The Mainichi
NAGOYA -- The second most common complaint foreign tourists have about Aichi Prefecture, home to Japan's fourth-largest city Nagoya, is a lack of nigh
As a Nagoya area resident I'd say this is definitely true for visitors. Nagoya has plenty of nightlife depending what you're looking for or want to do. Sadly a lot of this comes with knowing people who know places or events. It's not as walk around and "oh this looks cool" as other cities which contributes to it's reputation
Like someone else said, food is pretty great here not that they advertise it well like everything else haha.
also better deals at used shops for games and anime goods that are way overpriced in Tokyo I noticed
Speaking of I just got back from Tokyo for Ado's concert and geeze tourists really do just flock to the used shops grabbing up everything possible it seems. Not complaining but I went to FINALLY grab a physical copy of Front Mission 1st and the line was like 45 minutes long…
Just booked my flight!
It's gonna be hot in August, but I don't have any other way until next year lmao
MikeHattsu any tips for Helsinki airport?
It's gonna be hot in August, but I don't have any other way until next year lmao
MikeHattsu any tips for Helsinki airport?
OP
OP
OP
OP
Plenty of time then. I've sometimes had 1 hour connection time there and it worked out fine (if a bit stressful :P)
Well, I forgot I had a 1h connection when coming back, so yeah, the more info the better.
OP
OP
Pray that the flight ain't delayed, and that there's no long queues at the transfer security control then :P
Use the automatic passport control gates, don't lounge around, minimum connection time is 40 minutes for non-Schengen to Schengen.
If you do miss your connecting flight and it's Finnair metal (not JAL) from Japan, then try to claim compensation :P
Is there no OT for people living in Japan here on Era?
Anyways, I've only got ¥377 left on my SUICA. I can still do a one way trip to go to work tomorrow, but I'll have to reload when I come back home. Been holding out on the yen going down to at least ¥158 for $1 again, but if not, I'll just bite the bullet. ¥157 is more than enough.
Anyways, I've only got ¥377 left on my SUICA. I can still do a one way trip to go to work tomorrow, but I'll have to reload when I come back home. Been holding out on the yen going down to at least ¥158 for $1 again, but if not, I'll just bite the bullet. ¥157 is more than enough.
There is, its linked in the OP.
Japan ERA |OT| We all お箸上手 and 日本語ペラペラ in here!
Travel thread here. Kudos to bananas for the banner.
www.resetera.com
.... how much money are you planning to put on your suica? Even if you put 100K yen on the card we're talking about saving of 1000 yen per extra yen to dollar ratio...
OP
OP
Record-high number of foreign passengers used Narita Airport in fiscal 2023 | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
The number of foreign passengers using Japan's Narita Airport hit a record high in fiscal 2023, which ended in March.
www3.nhk.or.jp
The exchange rate to USD has been hovering in the vicinity of 155-157 per dollar and is now just shy of that; I bought a few hundred dollars' worth on Revolut. Should make for nice walking around money on The Next Trip (tm).
(Watch the rate go to 160 or something instead)
(Watch the rate go to 160 or something instead)
Record-high number of foreign passengers used Narita Airport in fiscal 2023 | NHK WORLD-JAPAN News
The number of foreign passengers using Japan's Narita Airport hit a record high in fiscal 2023, which ended in March.
For me, it allowed me to have better layover periods with a larger amount of airlines. But entirely unsurprising. When Japan fully opened up, it was bound to happen.
OP
OP
So, I at least know a basic part of our plans to start with when it comes to our vacation to Japan. We're only going to stay in Tokyo for a couple of days (to get our bearings and get rid of the jet lag) before we move onto the rest of Japan. We're going to leave Tokyo for the last week or so of our trip and spend the most time there overall. I was maybe thinking of something like the Grand Nikko Tokyo Daiba hotel as a starting point. If anything, it'll have a great bay side room and it's right next to JR. Unless you got some other specifically good starting hotels for going into the city?
OP
OP
Well...
Top Yen Forecaster Sees Currency Sliding to Lowest Since 1986
The yen may weaken to 165 per dollar despite potential efforts from Japan to halt its decline, according to the currency’s top forecaster.
www.bloomberg.com
OP
OP
It is NOT near JR. It's near the Yurikamome. Staying in Odaiba is a bad idea most of the time, unless you're in Tokyo for only 1-2 days and only plan to explore Odaiba, or you're there for a conference/comiket at Tokyo Big Sight.
That is very good to know. Thought it was asking that rail but I guess not. Thanks for the info!