Thank you all so much for your advice!
Nov 3, 2014, 7:20 am
#1
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 13,573
Thank you all so much for your advice!
Just back from my 2.5 week trip to Japan and oh my goodness, it was amazing!
Thank you to all of you who made suggestions, gave me advice on language, food (vegetarian), etc. it really helped make my trip much easier and more enjoyable.
If I can help anyone else out with any questions they might have I am more than happy to do so - I stayed in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone, Koya-san, with various trips around and about on all manner of public transport.
And if anyone is thinking should I / shouldn't I go to Japan, do it! It wasn't super high on my to-see list, and without a work reason I probably wouldn't have gone any time soon, but it was one of the most amazing, magical places I have been to.
Thank you to all of you who made suggestions, gave me advice on language, food (vegetarian), etc. it really helped make my trip much easier and more enjoyable.
If I can help anyone else out with any questions they might have I am more than happy to do so - I stayed in Tokyo, Kyoto, Hakone, Koya-san, with various trips around and about on all manner of public transport.
And if anyone is thinking should I / shouldn't I go to Japan, do it! It wasn't super high on my to-see list, and without a work reason I probably wouldn't have gone any time soon, but it was one of the most amazing, magical places I have been to.
Nov 3, 2014, 9:00 am
#3
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 13,573
David, you will have a blast! I did so much walking, to the point I learnt the Japanese for blister plasters!! In terms of public transport, I highly recommend an IC card (payment card). I used Suica, which was the widely available to purchase option in Tokyo (that also worked in Kyoto and other places). You load it up with cash, and can pay for your train, subway, bus tickets, and also pay for things in stores (coffee, etc). Saves hunting for change, or having to queue at the ticket machines. You can also create a personalized 'My Suica' card, which you have your name on.
If you are going to Kyoto, note that the IC cards don't work on the city buses, you need coins (or pre-pay a day's pass at the bus station).
If you are going to Kyoto, note that the IC cards don't work on the city buses, you need coins (or pre-pay a day's pass at the bus station).
Nov 3, 2014, 9:24 am
#5
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 13,573
1) No, absolutely nothing whatsoever
2) A detailed description of where to find McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy's
Nov 3, 2014, 12:32 pm
#6
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: TYO
Programs: Tokyo Monorail Diamond-Encrusted-Platinum
Posts: 9,623
Nov 3, 2014, 2:06 pm
#8
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: London
Posts: 18,394
We already had a serial contributor who was adamant that there was no need to spend more than 1.5 days in Tokyo, everything worth seeing could be visited in that time.
Nov 3, 2014, 4:52 pm
#9
Join Date: Jun 2004
Location: Central California
Programs: Former UA Premex, now dirt
Posts: 6,531
Nov 3, 2014, 9:47 pm
#11
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Boston, Jo'burg, HK
Programs: AA EXP, Hyatt Lifetime Diamond, CX Gold, Mrs. Pickles travels for free
Posts: 13,149
Nov 4, 2014, 7:36 am
#13
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 13,573
Out and about, I found that people were a lot more aware of what being vegetarian meant that I thought would be the case. I asked several people throughout my trip if a particular food item was vegetarian (in Japanese) and not only did they point out if there was meat or fish, but also if there were eggs or cheese as well. The places I went for breakfast were especially good, pointing out where something I would have guessed as veggie had hidden meat or fish (e.g. the rice and egg bowl I thought sounded like a fine plan turned out to have fish in) but I managed to get toast and eggs easily, which I wasn't sure I would be able to do.
I did find a few restaurants where really nothing was terribly suitable (the udon restaurants, yakatori places, etc.), so settled for a bowl of plain rice (which they were more than happy to provide) and then hit a convenience store or bakery afterwards to supplement. The French breads were fantastic, and I found things like cheese, boiled eggs, salad items etc. readily available. I also 'cheated' a few times and ate at Indian and Italian restaurants, which were actually very good (I didn't have high expectations, but a pizza in Kyoto station was one of the best I have ever had, and as a serial pizza-eater in Italy, I don't say that lightly!!)
The ryokan, where I thought I was going to have serious problems (and I actually packed some emergency food just in case) proved to be exceptional. I asked the Shangri-La to call ahead for me, as they didn't speak English. The chef outdid himself. A full kaiseki meal, completely veggie, a huge assortment of tofu, seaweed based miso, several varieties of mushroom, tempura, fruits etc. I was so incredibly grateful that they made such an effort.
A highlight for me though was the temple stay in Koya-san, completely vegan food provided as part of the stay, so I knew everything was 'safe'. I had the most amazing tempura fig - I can't describe how amazing the flavor was, it was exceptional!
I loved trying some of the more unusual items, like lotus root, red bean creations, and some seaweed based items, even if not everything was to my taste (turns out I really am not a seaweed fan, and the texture of some items, such as the sesame-based tofu weren't my thing)
I think it would be quite hard being vegan in Japan, as I did end up eating quite a lot of eggs to get protein, and tofu wasn't nearly as abundant in veggie form as I thought it might (when it was present it was in meat or fishy things) but regular vegetarian was a lot easier than I was expecting.
Nov 4, 2014, 7:39 am
#14
FlyerTalk Evangelist
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2010
Posts: 13,573
How I managed to entertain myself for 10 days I will never know!
Nov 4, 2014, 2:09 pm
#15
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: Hilton, Hyatt House, Del Taco
Posts: 5,376
I actually found it much better than I expected. The first hotel I stayed at (Shangri-La Tokyo) was fantastic, the staff made me a card in Japanese explaining what I did and didn't eat, and that was useful at a couple of places where I otherwise would have struggled to communicate. They also pointed out to me the options I could and couldn't eat in their restaurants, and were willing to make adjustments to other dishes so I could try them. Their F&B manager was a star!
Out and about, I found that people were a lot more aware of what being vegetarian meant that I thought would be the case. I asked several people throughout my trip if a particular food item was vegetarian (in Japanese) and not only did they point out if there was meat or fish, but also if there were eggs or cheese as well. The places I went for breakfast were especially good, pointing out where something I would have guessed as veggie had hidden meat or fish (e.g. the rice and egg bowl I thought sounded like a fine plan turned out to have fish in) but I managed to get toast and eggs easily, which I wasn't sure I would be able to do.
I did find a few restaurants where really nothing was terribly suitable (the udon restaurants, yakatori places, etc.), so settled for a bowl of plain rice (which they were more than happy to provide) and then hit a convenience store or bakery afterwards to supplement. The French breads were fantastic, and I found things like cheese, boiled eggs, salad items etc. readily available. I also 'cheated' a few times and ate at Indian and Italian restaurants, which were actually very good (I didn't have high expectations, but a pizza in Kyoto station was one of the best I have ever had, and as a serial pizza-eater in Italy, I don't say that lightly!!)
The ryokan, where I thought I was going to have serious problems (and I actually packed some emergency food just in case) proved to be exceptional. I asked the Shangri-La to call ahead for me, as they didn't speak English. The chef outdid himself. A full kaiseki meal, completely veggie, a huge assortment of tofu, seaweed based miso, several varieties of mushroom, tempura, fruits etc. I was so incredibly grateful that they made such an effort.
A highlight for me though was the temple stay in Koya-san, completely vegan food provided as part of the stay, so I knew everything was 'safe'. I had the most amazing tempura fig - I can't describe how amazing the flavor was, it was exceptional!
I loved trying some of the more unusual items, like lotus root, red bean creations, and some seaweed based items, even if not everything was to my taste (turns out I really am not a seaweed fan, and the texture of some items, such as the sesame-based tofu weren't my thing)
I think it would be quite hard being vegan in Japan, as I did end up eating quite a lot of eggs to get protein, and tofu wasn't nearly as abundant in veggie form as I thought it might (when it was present it was in meat or fishy things) but regular vegetarian was a lot easier than I was expecting.
Out and about, I found that people were a lot more aware of what being vegetarian meant that I thought would be the case. I asked several people throughout my trip if a particular food item was vegetarian (in Japanese) and not only did they point out if there was meat or fish, but also if there were eggs or cheese as well. The places I went for breakfast were especially good, pointing out where something I would have guessed as veggie had hidden meat or fish (e.g. the rice and egg bowl I thought sounded like a fine plan turned out to have fish in) but I managed to get toast and eggs easily, which I wasn't sure I would be able to do.
I did find a few restaurants where really nothing was terribly suitable (the udon restaurants, yakatori places, etc.), so settled for a bowl of plain rice (which they were more than happy to provide) and then hit a convenience store or bakery afterwards to supplement. The French breads were fantastic, and I found things like cheese, boiled eggs, salad items etc. readily available. I also 'cheated' a few times and ate at Indian and Italian restaurants, which were actually very good (I didn't have high expectations, but a pizza in Kyoto station was one of the best I have ever had, and as a serial pizza-eater in Italy, I don't say that lightly!!)
The ryokan, where I thought I was going to have serious problems (and I actually packed some emergency food just in case) proved to be exceptional. I asked the Shangri-La to call ahead for me, as they didn't speak English. The chef outdid himself. A full kaiseki meal, completely veggie, a huge assortment of tofu, seaweed based miso, several varieties of mushroom, tempura, fruits etc. I was so incredibly grateful that they made such an effort.
A highlight for me though was the temple stay in Koya-san, completely vegan food provided as part of the stay, so I knew everything was 'safe'. I had the most amazing tempura fig - I can't describe how amazing the flavor was, it was exceptional!
I loved trying some of the more unusual items, like lotus root, red bean creations, and some seaweed based items, even if not everything was to my taste (turns out I really am not a seaweed fan, and the texture of some items, such as the sesame-based tofu weren't my thing)
I think it would be quite hard being vegan in Japan, as I did end up eating quite a lot of eggs to get protein, and tofu wasn't nearly as abundant in veggie form as I thought it might (when it was present it was in meat or fishy things) but regular vegetarian was a lot easier than I was expecting.