AboutRobert Expertise General questions about tourism/travel and life in Japan, including shopping, visa issues, culture-shock, finding accommodations and employment, proper cultural etiquette, and common problems ex-pats in Japan experience. Bachelors Degree in Japanese Culture and Masters Degree in Marketing.
Expert: Robert Date: 12/13/2007 Subject: Japan Trip Recommendation
Question Hi Robert,
We'll be in Japan from 12/29 - 1/11 and we're looking to go to Kyoto, Osaka, and Nagasaki. We'll arrive in Narita airport on 12/30. Do you have any recommendations for us on where to go during this time of the year, accommodations, and transportation?
Answer Hi,
From Jan 1-3 pretty much the whole country shuts down for the New Year's holidays. So you may find it hard to get around more. But if you can see a famous shrine on New Year's Eve, you will see something you really won't ever forget.
At any rate ff you can, get a JR Rail Pass, which allows you to ride virtually any JR train in the country. You need to get it *before* going to Japan. It looks high when you first buy it, but you'll save a ton in the long run and not be so limited on where you can go. You can get more info on it at http://www.jtbusa.com/enhome/jrpass.asp
http://www.japanrailpass.net
If you choose not to do this, you can find rail fares
at http://www.hyperdia.com/cgi-english/hyperWeb.cgi
You can also find a Tokyo subway map at http://soli.inav.net/~ceicher/images/TokyoSubways.jpg
and other major city subway maps at http://www.reed.edu/~reyn/transport.html
Tokyo has a one day subway day pass for
all lines for 1000 yen too.
The exchange rate is around 110 yen to the US
dollar at the moment, which makes things
cheaper for you compared to a few years ago.
You will find many if not nearly all things there
to be very expensive, but you do not need to sell
your soul to find a good buy here and there. A good
website to look at is
Price Check Tokyo at http://www.pricechecktokyo.com
You can also see what Japanese money looks like at http://www.thejapanfaq.com/japanfaq1c.html
Note that you can not use
1 or 5 yen coins in vending machines and phones.
As for going from Tokyo Narita Airport, you can take
a bus or train, I urge you to take the train, since a
bus in traffic jams might take twice as long. I think
the Keisei is best--it will take you stright to Ueno Stn.
You can get complete info at http://www.narita-airport.jp/en/
Do not under any circumstances take a taxi from Narita
since it will easily cost you 20,000 yen!
For what to see in Tokyo depends on what you like.
A good photo collection at http://www.artisandevelopers.com/web/tokyo/
can give you many good ideas.
If you have not seen it yet, try to see Nara, Kamakura,
and Himeji Castle in Hyogo Prefecture. There is little
of interest in Osaka -- I'd say your time is better spent
elsewhere.
Try and go to at least one hot spring (called onsen)
while you're there. They are all over the country.
See http://dmoz.org/Regional/Asia/Japan/Travel_and_Tourism/Hot_Springs
for more info and guides. They range from free
to very high at hot spring resort hotels.
Regarding money, Japan is still very much a cash based
society - credit cards are taken in larger stores and
hotels, but not much in small shops and restaurants.
But you can go to any Japanese post office and get yen
from a Visa, Mastercard, American Express or Diners Club
credit card, or ATM card in the Plus or Cirrus networks
(look on the back of the card), or debit cards in the
Visa Electron or Maestro Networks.
For food, you didn't give any preferences, but you will
find most anything. See http://www.bento.com/ for a good
listing of restaurants, as well as maybe looking in some
ex-pat magazines like Tokyo Journal there.
Jet lag may be a problem, depending on you, the flight time
and arrival, whether you can sleep on the plane, etc. For
me, I leave L.A. in the afternoon, arrive the next day in
the evening, crawl into bed and wake the next day feeling
fine. Everyone is a bit different though. But Tokyo is a
24 hour city that never sleeps.
Also see The Japan FAQ at http://www.thejapanfaq.com/
for lots of useful info and good links, as well as
The Japan National Tourist Org. Page at http://www.jnto.go.jp plus Frommers Guide at http://www.frommers.com/destinations/japan/
and a Japan Photo Gallery at http://japaninfo.esmartweb.com/pics.html
Yahoo also has a good database of country and
regional guides to look through.
