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Japan Travel |OT| We have to go back

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MikeHattsu

MikeHattsu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,916
David Kjellson said:
I don't really know what touts is, but it doesn't sound good.
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There's people on the streets trying to get you into bars and clubs (and even more seedier places, since its Kabukicho). They're just annoying since they sometimes follow you for a while and won't take no for an answer. And you should always say no unless you want to at best get ripped off or at worst get robbed and/or drugged. It's cheaper-ish to stay there than other places in Shinjuku though, and it's less seedy than it used to be.
 
TheAggroCraig

TheAggroCraig

One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 6, 2017
5,903
So it looks like my 2020 trip is going to land in late November, so I'll be staying through US Thanksgiving (I forget if I've already posted this lol)

How does that seem like for travel time there? I know the holiday isn't celebrated there, but I'm curious if that cuts down/is a worse time to travel with a lot of people or something. Still trying to decide where to stay, but instead of one place like last time it'll be multiple since I'll be doing a Kyoto/Osaka trip as well. I'll also have 4-5 others traveling with me so we'll need a larger place or multiple rooms depending on what we decide.
 
Reanimatoin

Reanimatoin

Member
Oct 26, 2017
1,406
Cleethorpes UK
David Kjellson said:
I don't really know what touts is, but it doesn't sound good. Any other places in the Shinjuku are that is more recommended?
I've never played a Yakuza game. Is it bad??
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No lol, that's just where the games take place. It's like saying is New York bad because GTA takes place there.

Kabuki-cho is the entertainment district of Shinjuku, lots of bars, restaurants, clubs and other fun shenanigans. A tout is someone on the street who approaches you to try to get you into their club, just tell them no and theyll leave you alone most of the time.
 
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MikeHattsu

MikeHattsu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,916
TheAggroCraig said:
How does that seem like for travel time there? I know the holiday isn't celebrated there, but I'm curious if that cuts down/is a worse time to travel with a lot of people or something.
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It's low-ish season (as much as there is any low season any more). Should be fine. As long as you don't stay too long into December at least.
 
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MikeHattsu

MikeHattsu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,916
Laevateinn said:
Kabukicho has gotten pretty lame and tourist friendly. Go there if you want to pretend you're staying somewhere sketchy.
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Tourists mostly hang around the southern parts like around Godzilla head, Robot Restaurant and Golden Gai though. Move more north towards where all the love hotels and such are and there's fewer tourists.
 
Laevateinn

Laevateinn

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,137
Chicago
MikeHattsu said:
Tourists mostly hang around the southern parts like around Godzilla head, Robot Restaurant and Golden Gai though. Move more north towards where all the love hotels and such are and there's fewer tourists.
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Maybe it's because I live in Chicago but it always seems funny to me that people think any part is that sketchy. I'm probably missing something because I don't drink so my ability to be ripped off is lessened.
 
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MikeHattsu

MikeHattsu

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Oct 25, 2017
8,916
A group of people I know got ripped off. Think one of them still posts on this forum as well. Couldn't believe that they were that stupid, especially since one of them lives in Tokyo :p
 
Valkerion

Valkerion

Member
Oct 29, 2017
7,228
Laevateinn said:
Maybe it's because I live in Chicago but it always seems funny to me that people think any part is that sketchy. I'm probably missing something because I don't drink so my ability to be ripped off is lessened.
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Most of the shady people in Japan won't bother with tourists/foreigners and in turn most tourists/foreigners tend to not know lol. Japan really isn't dangerous for foreigners especially even the "bad spots" are filled with tourists. But yeah its not like the Yakuza video games or anything where there are roaming bands of dudes looking to fight, even in areas like Kabi-cho which are "famous" for their red lightness. Particularly if you don't drink lol.

I mean, if you wanna see it get real, real quick, wait around a drinking area between 3~5AM and throw a random object at one of the fancy cars with dark tint waiting outside the various bars/clubs... then it might get a bit more Chicago-y haha.
 
kyo2004

kyo2004

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,580
Bogotá D.C.
How is Japan in December (like 1st to 15th-17th?)... Seriously considering going at that time since is my only window avaliable (vacations)...
 

Rahvar

Weight Loss Champion 2018: Most Lost
Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,152
Sweden
Starting in June/July ANA will start flying directly between Stockholm and Haneda. Won't have to go to Copenhagen or Helsinki first and can skip Narita. #blessed :p
 
AllenShrz

AllenShrz

Member
Nov 6, 2017
1,011
Just came back from Tomamu (Hokkaido).... Holy shhh!

It was deserted, no tourist, let be the airports, the hotels, the restaurants or the slopes.

Coronavirus plus the most hot winter in decades desimated the tourism over here. The melting snow, hot weather (in frebruary no less!) and the chance to get a virus sure can do some damage.
 
SpottieO

SpottieO

Member
Oct 25, 2017
11,601
My wife and I were planning on buying tickets this week for a trip to Japan in late May to June. We're a little worried about how coronavirus might impact that. Should we go ahead and purchase our tickets? It's 3.5 months away so maybe all this virus stuff will die down.
 
Laevateinn

Laevateinn

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,137
Chicago
SpottieO said:
My wife and I were planning on buying tickets this week for a trip to Japan in late May to June. We're a little worried about how coronavirus might impact that. Should we go ahead and purchase our tickets? It's 3.5 months away so maybe all this virus stuff will die down.
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Are you worried about catching it or travel being more difficult?
 
ninnanuam

ninnanuam

Member
Nov 24, 2017
1,956
I've got a basic itinerary done.

Friday: Fly into Narita, but earlier. Go to Tokyo meet up with some friends.

Saturday: Long trip to Matsue, probably too long really. Leaving around 8am should get there around 3. Check out Hearn Museum and the castle.

Sunday: Early start, unsure if I am going to day trip to Izumo or Sakaiminato or just spend the day in Matsue.

Monday: Off to Kyoto. I wasn't going to stay Osaka or Kyoto but Its four hours from Matsue by train and thats about as much as i want to do per day (trip to Matsue aside). I'm planning on stopping in Kurashiki so I'll be getting into Kyoto late.

Tuesday: Off to Toyama early. Stopping for an hour or four along the way. Going up the coast. Toyama is just a place to sleep. The stops along the coast are the reason for this leg.

Wednesday: Early morning trip takayama I wanted to see Takayama last time but didn't get there.

Thursday: leaving late on Thursday to head back to Tokyo.

Thursday to Monday in Tokyo.
 
DeusOcha

DeusOcha

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,591
Osaka, Japan
So everything set up; have a visa, got a plane ticket, and going to book a hotel. Issue is that checkin is at 1500 and I land at Haneda at 0500. Is it possible to visit the nearby hotel to checkin luggage and then take a shuttle back to airport to get some snooze in?
 
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MikeHattsu

MikeHattsu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,916
DeusOcha said:
Do I have to go through customs again?
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Not if you stay in the landside area.

It might be cheaper to just store your luggage at Haneda though:
www.haneda-airport.jp

羽田空港旅客ターミナル

フライト情報やアクセスのご案内、レストラン＆ショップ、フロアガイド、サービスをご紹介。羽田空港旅客ターミナル公式サイトです。
www.haneda-airport.jp www.haneda-airport.jp
 
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thepenguin55

thepenguin55

Member
Oct 28, 2017
11,796
Is Kawasaki worth visiting? It came onto my radar because I'll be in Tokyo for Halloween and there's the Kawasaki Halloween festival at Kawasaki station on October 27th. It seems like good food won't be hard to find anywhere I go in Japan and I'm sure Kawasaki has a museum there which could be interesting but is there anything around there beyond that stuff that anyone would really suggest checking out or should I pass on Kawasaki?
 
TheAggroCraig

TheAggroCraig

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Nov 6, 2017
5,903
thepenguin55 said:
Is Kawasaki worth visiting? It came onto my radar because I'll be in Tokyo for Halloween and there's the Kawasaki Halloween festival at Kawasaki station on October 27th. It seems like good food won't be hard to find anywhere I go in Japan and I'm sure Kawasaki has a museum there which could be interesting but is there anything around there beyond that stuff that anyone would really suggest checking out or should I pass on Kawasaki?
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I only went to Kawasaki for the warehouse arcade which closed back in November, it seemed very lively on a Friday night but I didn't really venture too much. I almost got stuck there too because I had no idea the majority of trains stopped at midnight so we had to run to another station or get stuck there for the night lmao
 
DeusOcha

DeusOcha

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
1,591
Osaka, Japan
MikeHattsu said:
Not if you stay in the landside area.

It might be cheaper to just store your luggage at Haneda though:
www.haneda-airport.jp

羽田空港旅客ターミナル

フライト情報やアクセスのご案内、レストラン＆ショップ、フロアガイド、サービスをご紹介。羽田空港旅客ターミナル公式サイトです。
www.haneda-airport.jp www.haneda-airport.jp
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Thank you! That's actually a great idea (and service I now know about) of having folks just hold onto luggage for X amount of time at anytime.More comfortable in knowing I can take a snooze with just a backpack instead of being surrounded by my 3-4 suitcases that I have to keep an eye on at all times.
 
Razgriz417

Razgriz417

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,105
damnit, looks like my friends and I are cancelling our end of March trip to Japan. Friend's wife had a coworker just return from japan and her work imposed a 14 day quarantine on her, tell her to use sick/pto or take it unpaid, not allowing her to return to the office. Spooked my friends wife as she just started the role a few months ago and cannot work remote. With all our Asian parents telling us to cancel, looks like I won't be going this year :/

I think the scare is overblown but with 1/2 of our group worried they will be quarantined and unable to work from home after the trip, looks like we have no choice
 
kami_sama

kami_sama

Member
Oct 26, 2017
6,998
So I'm planning on going this year again, but last time I went to a friend's apartment, so I didn't need to get a place in Tokyo.
What do you recommend for looking for accommodations?
 
Mendrox

Mendrox

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
9,439
Razgriz417 said:
damnit, looks like my friends and I are cancelling our end of March trip to Japan. Friend's wife had a coworker just return from japan and her work imposed a 14 day quarantine on her, tell her to use sick/pto or take it unpaid, not allowing her to return to the office. Spooked my friends wife as she just started the role a few months ago and cannot work remote. With all our Asian parents telling us to cancel, looks like I won't be going this year :/

I think the scare is overblown but with 1/2 of our group worried they will be quarantined and unable to work from home after the trip, looks like we have no choice
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Damn that sucks. :(
 
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MikeHattsu

MikeHattsu

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Oct 25, 2017
8,916
www.japantimes.co.jp

Haneda flight noise louder than in a pachinko parlor

In test flights for new low-altitude flight paths using Tokyo's Haneda Airport conducted by the transport ministry between Jan. 30 and Wednesday, noise in
www.japantimes.co.jp www.japantimes.co.jp

Alarmed by the significant rise in noise expected to come with new low-altitude flight paths using Tokyo's Haneda Airport, residents are calling for scrapping the plan.

In test flights conducted by the transport ministry between Jan. 30 and Wednesday, noise in Kawasaki ran as high as 87 to 94 decibels, louder than inside a pachinko parlor, according to data released by the ministry.

The reading was the highest among 19 test locations in Tokyo and Kanagawa and Saitama prefectures.

A ministry official said the reading was within their expectations, considering the location of the city.
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The maximum noise level at an elementary school in Ota Ward, Tokyo, adjacent to Kawasaki, reached 76 to 85 decibels, equivalent to levels in gaming arcades, the data showed.

At an elementary school in Minato Ward and an office of the Tokyo's waterworks bureau in Shinagawa Ward, over which aircraft will fly low during their landing approach, the reading hit as high as 78 to 81 decibels.

While saying that it will continue to analyze the impact, the ministry has no plans to change its schedule to start the new flight routes on March 29 in line with an increase in the number of international flights at Haneda.
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TheAggroCraig

TheAggroCraig

One Winged Slayer
Member
Nov 6, 2017
5,903
Razgriz417 said:
damnit, looks like my friends and I are cancelling our end of March trip to Japan. Friend's wife had a coworker just return from japan and her work imposed a 14 day quarantine on her, tell her to use sick/pto or take it unpaid, not allowing her to return to the office. Spooked my friends wife as she just started the role a few months ago and cannot work remote. With all our Asian parents telling us to cancel, looks like I won't be going this year :/

I think the scare is overblown but with 1/2 of our group worried they will be quarantined and unable to work from home after the trip, looks like we have no choice
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This is absolute bullshit, and I'm sorry for all parties involved
 
Subpar Scrub

Subpar Scrub

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,576
I'm taking one of those flights to Haneda in May 😬 didn't realise it was causing issues though.
 

Deleted member 28474

user requested account closure
Banned
Oct 31, 2017
6,162
David Kjellson said:
Me and my friends are going to book a place to live tomorrow, but the problem is that looking at a map of Tokyo is impossible when you are used to looking at your own much smaller city's map. We want to live in central Tokyo, preferably close to Golden Gai. Is Shinjuku the place to stay or is there another place that is more recommended?
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My friends and I stayed near Shinjuku Gyoemmae station which is not that far a walk to Golden Gai and places like that.

To be honest though, Golden Gai etc are fun but I had just as much if not more fun in these areas. Just check out any small places you see around and see what happens. I went to a little izakaya near that station, enjoyed talking with the chefs and ended up partying til 5 am with them as we went from bar to bar.
 
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MikeHattsu

MikeHattsu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,916
Looks like you'll be able to buy the JR Pass directly from JR online from June 1st:
www.westjr.co.jp

「ジャパン・レール・パス」Web販売サービス開始日などについて：JR西日本

JR西日本ホームページ
www.westjr.co.jp

It will let you buy an JR Pass up to 1 month from the first usage date. The new website will also allow you to book reserved seats.

Unfortunately it's more expensive than buying an exchange order though, and you can't buy it from this new website if you've got a Japanese passport and have lived outside Japan for 10 years like the exchange order.

From the same date you'll also be able to use any JR Pass on automatic ticket gates and also reserve seats at seat reservation ticket machines, so that's good.
 
mantis

mantis

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,826
Will the prices stay the same? Or will they also finally be increased? Always found it odd that they never did that since I started going to Japan. Not that I complain. :D
 
Mendrox

Mendrox

Banned
Oct 26, 2017
9,439
MikeHattsu said:
From the same date you'll also be able to use any JR Pass on automatic ticket gates and also reserve seats at seat reservation ticket machines, so that's good.
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What? No waiting for people anymore at gates?! Nice.

mantis said:
Will the prices stay the same? Or will they also finally be increased? Always found it odd that they never did that since I started going to Japan. Not that I complain. :D
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As Mike said, prices already went up a few months ago.
 
mantis

mantis

Member
Oct 25, 2017
2,826
Prices went up? Last time I've been to Japan was in September. So would not have noticed it.
 
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MikeHattsu

MikeHattsu

Member
Oct 25, 2017
8,916
Them prices over the decade for the exchange order:
0Rf2CdG.png




And the price if you buy while in Japan/at the new JR website:
jkmpBRA.png
 
ahdurian

ahdurian

Member
Oct 25, 2017
928
may have to cancel my end-of-March trip :(
since I have to do dialysis while I'm there, my brother is saying that there's news going on there that I may not be able to get proper treatments
going to consul twith my doctors first
 
Atom Heart Mother

Atom Heart Mother

Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,296
new jersey
So I'm flying Cathay Pacific and my flight takes me to Hong Kong layover to Tokyo but it says on the website flights have been suspended. I'm suppose to meet friends and go to an event in March but it looks like it's being cancelled. I'd love still go in March but all this fear about the virus is really stressing out my family.
 
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