Perhaps so, but operating the parking garages is something that I have consistently failed to do as I do not know the Japanese language.

I've seen individuals drive their cars up to a platform, and then the cars magically disappear. While I understand the premise of how these parking systems work, I'd be at a loss with how to operate it such that I can get my car back without causing a scene.

Agreed, especially so with a family or group as you mention.

Japanese taxis are cheap for short distances (up to 2km) compared to Toronto.

Parking cheaper than Toronto, downtown compared to downtown. And easy to find. Those automated multistory parking立体駐車場 establishments almost always have attendants.

Bus: Toronto - Montreal 50 - 70 CAD　　　Tokyo - Osaka 4000 - 6000 yen
(excluding the ultra cheap for both routes) ~500km

The starting fare in Tokyo is far far higher than in Toronto. When I was just there (a few weeks ago), I did the math. It worked out to around $9 CAD just to set foot in a cab. That's almost twice what it is in Toronto. I've never, unfortunately, met an attendant at one of those multistory parking lots. Must be my bad luck.

Totally agree that bus fares are reasonable in Japan. It's how I get myself from Narita to downtown Tokyo. Beats hauling luggage on the N'EX

It's more like 400y for the first km, then 100y for every quarter km thereafter.

Yes, I think you're right. The cost has dropped since the beginning of 2017.

I must have read an old decal in the cab and corroborated that information with experiences from years past.

Good thing that I was earning a Japanese salary in Japan. :)

Comparisons that rely on exchange rates are no use to anyone except tourists, and even then only as a guide for when to stop spending. Otherwise, a comparison on % cost of living is more use. And quite honestly, on that basis it's cheaper to take a taxi in Japan than it is in most western countries IMO.

No, the starting fare for taxis in Tokyo is Y410 - you can look it up. It was the same a couple of weeks ago. That's $4.68 Canadian dollars.

As mentioned, the fare only dropped at the beginning of 2017.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/201...ost-ridership/

Yes I know, and the post that quoted the rate was dated August 2, and the poster said "When I was just there (a few weeks ago), I did the math. It worked out to around $9 CAD just to set foot in a cab." So the new rates were certainly in effect a few weeks ago.

You missed this post

Yes. The moment you set of in your car at the airport and see how lunatic the drivers are in NA, SA, Europe, Asia or Africa you start missing Japan. Japan has IMO the most courteous and calm drivers of any nation. That said, their speed limits suck. Being used to >60 mph on country roads, it's quite a shocker to find yourself on roads with a 40 or 60 kmh speed limit.

Or day passes. The 800 JPY bus day pass in Kyoto gets you pretty much anywhere. Only disadvantage is that buses tend to be rather crowded. The 72H Tokyo Metro & Toei pass is IMO great value for foreign tourist too, provided that they take the subway a lot.

No. I found parking rather affordable. In downtown areas of medium-sized cities I probably paid around 2$/hour. That's definitely less than what you would pay in similar sized NA or European cities.

Or Australian cities. Parking rates in Melbourne and Sydney CBDs are insane, which to me is curious given the (relative) lack of public transport options. I have an upcoming trip to Melbourne, and the hotel I'm planning to stay in charges aud55/day for parking.

$55Australian is $43USD (I just looked up). So then, US is sort of similar. I stayed at Hilton in San Francisco Chinatown... $55USD/night. Lots of hotels in downtown Seattle are like $40/night. Seattle is a teeny-tiny town compared to Tokyo. Yet typical parking rate at a 4-star hotel in Tokyo is like 2-4x cheaper than Seattle.

Sydney (in particular) and Melbourne have some of the priciest real estate in the world. I'd disagree that the two cities lack public transport options: you can get pretty much everywhere by rail, bus or tram. Melbourne's CBD is so compact it's often quicker to navigate on foot. Day trips out of the city centres are a different matter though.

At the risk of digressing from this Japan-focused forum, what I did two trips ago to Melbourne was to book an apartment in Richmond on Airbnb that came with its own parking space. It was right next to Richmond station. To get into the CBD I took the train (10 minutes, tops, and the apartment came with MyKi cards you can use, just top up as and when you need to); for everywhere else, I drove. Last trip, rented another Airbnb apartment, this time on LaTrobe Street, again with free parking. Both stays I enjoyed huge, beautiful flats at roughly 2x the cost of what your hotel is asking for parking alone.

Driving in Hokkaido - March (Skiing)
 

We're going skiing in March. Thinking about Niseko. Was originally going to travel by bus. But the bus schedule is not very convenient, plus rental cars are so cheap that time of the year. Rental car would be 4WD, snow tires.

I've driven in Hokkaido only during summer. For me, driving in Jpn is very nerve-wrecking to begin with. But I think it's all mental, and I've not really had actual problems thus far driving in Jpn. I have very little experience driving in the snow, except I spent one winter in a very snowy place where they didn't plow the roads very well and I almost got into an accident one time. I have some hangups from that. I've never put chains on, etc. I've driven to Whistler quite a few times in winter, but the highway to Whistler is so well-maintained despite snow around the road, that it's not been a problem. It seems like the road from CTS to Niseko is maintained well in winter, but I'm nervous. Then again, rental car would be so much more convenient than bus. Would appreciate feedback from those who have driven in Hokkaido during winter time. Should I take a chance with a rental car, or play it safe with the bus?