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Recommendations for Japan Travel

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Re: Recommendations for Japan Travel

#231

Post by erjiang »

kondro wrote: post #224
ValentineC wrote: post #163

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I literally landed in Japan today for the first time since COVID: Had problems creating and topping up Suica/PASMO with multiple foreign Visa cards (ended up using Amex), but had absolutely no problems paying with Visa in stores that accept the usual myriad of cards.

That’s because you generally can’t use foreign credit cards to top up Suica.

This is interesting... when I visited recently I realized that Suica on Apple Wallet was more convenient than the physical card. The top reason is that you can use Apple Pay to top up your Suica whenever and wherever you are, without downloading any special app or needing to login to something.

However, one of my credit cards didn't work for that with no clear reason given, but a different one worked almost every time.

Re: Recommendations for Japan Travel

#232

Post by bentlegen »

mc32 wrote: post #230
bentlegen wrote: post #221

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The raw availability of something existing in 1996 (when Expedia launched, a decade before the iPhone) does not mean it was accessible or widespread. How many homes had the internet in 1996? How expensive were the personal computers necessary to access those travel portals? I feel your example only emphasizes the thesis.

By that time you could easily buy second hand PCs for a couple hundred or build your own pretty affordably —even on part-time going to college. For the most part you could use the PCs at work as well.

https://www.statista.com/statistics/269387/revenue-of-expedi...

Re: Recommendations for Japan Travel

#233

Post by zerocrates »

patio11 wrote: post #200
zerocrates wrote: post #183

Earlier quoted context omitted.

He posted mentioning this on Twitter quite recently so I think the post itself is new, but the content within may not be.

I was surprised Deus Ex had shut down, but it is not exactly like they had an obligation to send me a memo.

I just meant that you explicitly couched it as a distillation of advice you've given many times before, so it's perhaps to be expected if some of it isn't totally up-to-date.

Re: Recommendations for Japan Travel

#234

Post by mysecretaccount »

wittyusername wrote: post #57

This is interesting, but not great Japan advice. I just went and had a blast and did the opposite of his advice. I think people are different and want different things and don't feel bad if you just want to see the standard Japan checklist. His talk of everyone being surly..you know what, be respectful, everyone in Japan is so polite and nice that you will be happy with the level of service everywhere. I've been many…

Yeah, I have spent a year in Japan and visited most prefectures and disagree with the article. Of course you should get off the beaten path, but if you avoid it like the article recommends, you will have a much worse time.

Additionally, the advice to visit Gifu is terrible. I spent a week in and around Gifu-shi per Patrick's advice years ago and, while the area is charming as the article states, it is not somewhere you should visit before seeing a dozen other places.

Re: Recommendations for Japan Travel

#235

Post by FunnyLookinHat »

tmtvl wrote: post #42
rjh29 wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Well there are basically 10 places in Tokyo everyone goes to, and maybe they go to Kyoto or Osaka too. That leaves... the entire rest of the country. I've travelled around most of Japan and the majority of time I see zero foreigners. Seriously just pick a random city from Japan Guide or go to an onsen. Visit Kyushu, it's beautiful and nobody seems to travel there because it's too far away :P

I love Matsumoto (in Nagano Prefecture), it's a lovely city located right in the midst of some beautiful mountains. Nara is also nice, but I'm a mountain boy at heart.

I'm planning a trip to Japan (my first), and I'm mostly interested in small towns or villages as day trips from somewhere that is already well outside of Tokyo. Would Matsumoto fit that bill?

Ideally I'd take a train out of the city and rent a car or bike in whatever smaller city I make my hub. Would love any other advice you have, and open to DMs/emails/etc. :-)

Re: Recommendations for Japan Travel

#236

Post by mynameisvlad »

oska wrote: post #229
mynameisvlad wrote: post #174

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Highly disagree. A few years ago, I was lost in Ikebukuro trying to find the Metro station. I had already walked over half an hour but only found the JR stations. I asked one of the security guards “Tokyo metro eki…. Doko??” And even with my absurdly broken Japanese, I not only got directions in Japanese back to me, but the guard walked with me until the station was in sight to make sure I understood and could get to…

> but Japanese people will go extremely out of their way to help you > I got the world moved for me I'm somewhat uncomfortable with these characterisations of Japan and the Japanese people. Yes, Japanese people can be helpful to (obvious) visitors but with more and more people visiting Japan visitors shouldn't expect this to keep being the case, nor do visitors necessarily deserve this treatment. It probably will hol…

I don’t even know how to respond to this take.

Sorry that the Japanese people are generally far more courteous than anyone else I’ve met when tourists are in need of help and make an effort to get help in their language. Apparently, pointing out that every person I’ve encountered has been great to visitors is a bad thing or something.

If someone is going to be a tourist in a foreign place, would you prefer they have a breakdown in the middle of the city because they should expect the locals to be assholes that never help people who don’t speak Japanese out? God forbid someone try and interact with a local, that’s apparently entitled behavior now. What even is this take?

No, visitors should not rely on locals to help them out, but you also have no proof that the kindness shown will go away anytime soon. It’s not like tourism hasn’t been booming for the past few decades and nothing has happened. What makes you think something will suddenly change?

Re: Recommendations for Japan Travel

#237

Post by oska »

mynameisvlad wrote: post #236
oska wrote: post #229

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> but Japanese people will go extremely out of their way to help you > I got the world moved for me I'm somewhat uncomfortable with these characterisations of Japan and the Japanese people. Yes, Japanese people can be helpful to (obvious) visitors but with more and more people visiting Japan visitors shouldn't expect this to keep being the case, nor do visitors necessarily deserve this treatment. It probably will hol…

I don’t even know how to respond to this take. Sorry that the Japanese people are generally far more courteous than anyone else I’ve met when tourists are in need of help and make an effort to get help in their language. Apparently, pointing out that every person I’ve encountered has been great to visitors is a bad thing or something. If someone is going to be a tourist in a foreign place, would you prefer they have…

> but Japanese people will go extremely out of their way to help you

You are setting an expectation.

Re: Recommendations for Japan Travel

#238

Post by mysecretaccount »

riko41 wrote: post #55

Here are some additional ideas for off the beaten path Japan: - Rent a car, better yet, rent a cheap camper van[1]. Save a ton of money on hotels. - Get a local 4G internet card. Save on roaming charges. - Set the option to "Avoid tolls" and "Avoid motorways" on your favorite navigation app. Slower, cheaper and much better scenery. - Sleep on Road side stations(free and safe), bath on hot springs, wash your clothes o…

Can you sleep in a camper at michi no eki that lack campsites?

Re: Recommendations for Japan Travel

#239

Post by mynameisvlad »

oska wrote: post #237
mynameisvlad wrote: post #236

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t even know how to respond to this take. Sorry that the Japanese people are generally far more courteous than anyone else I’ve met when tourists are in need of help and make an effort to get help in their language. Apparently, pointing out that every person I’ve encountered has been great to visitors is a bad thing or something. If someone is going to be a tourist in a foreign place, would you prefer they have…

> but Japanese people will go extremely out of their way to help you You are setting an expectation.

I am anecdotally pointing out my experiences, which explicitly go against the comment I replied to which makes it seem like you will die on the streets in Japan if you wander too much.

Sorry not sorry that my experiences irritate you so much.

And, once again: What, exactly, would you prefer? A gaijin in the middle of Kyoto wailing about not being able to get back to their hostel because they’re too scared to approach a local? That person never even experiencing Japan because they’re too scared they’re going to get lost and be beaten to death by the horrible locals?

Re: Recommendations for Japan Travel

#240

Post by BonoboIO »

TEP_Kim_Il_Sung wrote: post #114
impendia wrote: post #58

Having lived in Japan for two years, what I'd add to this is to spend a lot of time walking, if physically able. For example, in my opinion the best way to explore Tokyo is to simply leave your hotel in the morning, wander around all day, and stop anywhere and everywhere that looks interesting. The excellent mass transit system means that it won't be a problem to get back. In more rural parts of Japan, there are sign…

Don't worry, any places foreigners are forbidden from entering, are clearly marked.

Where would that be?
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