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Hints for first time visitors to Japan

Hints for first time visitors to Japan

Old Nov 7, 2018, 6:09 am
  #121  
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Originally Posted by Braniff


Thank you so much. The Tokyo City Atlas is being ordered ahead of my next trip. Sounds like an absolute gem.
Just make sure you are aware of how much has changed since the last (2012) update.
Personally, I still hate going anywhere in or around Tokyo without it. But Ive also seen it steadily getting less useful.

I have two versions, the first (which was only published 4 years before my 2012 version) doesnt even include Shirokane Takanawa Station, which is my closest when Im in Tokyo.
I have to be cautious when using the 2012 version as many new buildings and developments (the area around Shibuya station has become a prime example) are not represented. Its still a fantastic resource (and for me a necessity), but the downsides are mounting up each year. If they ever issue a new update Ill be first in line to order it.
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Old Nov 7, 2018, 9:56 am
  #122  
 
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There was a newer atlas available for a brief time, but it had the lifespan of a moth, and I can no longer find it even on Amazon.jp. It was like the Tokyo City Atlas, only newer.

I think it is significant, however, that Amazon.jp offers literally dozens of monolingual Japanese-language atlases of Tokyo. The place is confusing even for Japanese people!

But there's no reason to be afraid. Japanese people tend to be kind and helpful to foreign visitors, and street crime is rare. If all else fails, look puzzled and say "Eki (pronounced "ecky")?" and someone will point out the direction of the nearest train or subway station.
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Old Nov 10, 2018, 11:44 am
  #123  
 
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Originally Posted by LapLap
Just make sure you are aware of how much has changed since the last (2012) update.
Personally, I still hate going anywhere in or around Tokyo without it. But Ive also seen it steadily getting less useful.

I have two versions, the first (which was only published 4 years before my 2012 version) doesnt even include Shirokane Takanawa Station, which is my closest when Im in Tokyo.
I have to be cautious when using the 2012 version as many new buildings and developments (the area around Shibuya station has become a prime example) are not represented. Its still a fantastic resource (and for me a necessity), but the downsides are mounting up each year. If they ever issue a new update Ill be first in line to order it.
Thanks LapLap. I have now received it and am enjoying going through it. I fully understand your comment that in some areas it is out of date. I think I found the numbering and locations of subway exits the most useful for my future travels.
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Old Nov 15, 2018, 7:03 pm
  #124  
 
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What about clothing? I've seen many references to clothing norms in Japan being more upscale than the US. As a middle-aged male tourist, will I be expected to have a jacket & slacks for nice restaurants? Are jeans ok for daily sightseeing, temples, etc.?
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Old Nov 15, 2018, 11:26 pm
  #125  
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Originally Posted by CO FF
What about clothing? I've seen many references to clothing norms in Japan being more upscale than the US. As a middle-aged male tourist, will I be expected to have a jacket & slacks for nice restaurants? Are jeans ok for daily sightseeing, temples, etc.?
Take a look at the UNIQLO “look book” for a glimpse of normal seasonal ware.
https://www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/lookbook?dptid=men

Make sure you are wearing socks that you are comfortable showing to the world (and/or have a spare pair in your pocket if you tend to sweat a lot down there). Many restaurants (and other buildings/temples) will require you to take your shoes off. You’ve said you are intense travellers, that may involve lots of visits in a day which may involve lots of taking off and putting on shoes. You’ll have to think about shoes that are comfortable but which are easy to remove - this could involve a compromise.

As a visitor who isn’t there on business you get a pass on most of the norms. Only person you need to worry about is the friend you are seeing. Ask them directly what you should wear that day in case he/she wants to take you somewhere “upscale”.

As the UNIQLO website lookbook will show, generally speaking, if you aren’t showing swathes of skin and the colours on display aren’t too ostentatious/obnoxious/tasteless you’re fine.
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Old Nov 16, 2018, 11:58 am
  #126  
 
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I'm in trouble - I'm not that cool & trendy...
Thanks!
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Old Nov 16, 2018, 5:08 pm
  #127  
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Originally Posted by CO FF
I'm in trouble - I'm not that cool & trendy...
Thanks!
Oh well, different strokes...

I shop at Uniqlo precisely because I am not cool and trendy. Its basic apparel that doesnt look ridiculous/out of fashion a year or two after purchasing it.

Next January, roughly half the people you see in Japan will be wearing a Uniqlo Heattech garment. You can spend about 950yen (less if you root around the bargain baskets) and join them. Sure, they arent as old fashioned and impractical as a union suit, but you arent going to convince me that Uniqlo longjohns and padded down gilets are the height of style.
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Old Nov 17, 2018, 3:03 pm
  #128  
 
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Originally Posted by LapLap
Oh well, different strokes...

I shop at Uniqlo precisely because I am not cool and trendy. Its basic apparel that doesnt look ridiculous/out of fashion a year or two after purchasing it.
Same here. They have nice, basic, mix-and-match garments, mostly in solid colors. I shop there when, for example, the weather is too hot or too cold for the clothes I brought along.
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Old Nov 28, 2018, 4:47 pm
  #129  
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Rental Cars
On a November trip four of us rented a car to explore the Fuji-Hakone-Izu area over four days hoping to catch the maple colours.
I have Japanese driver's licence (long expired) and drove in the local Tokyo-Yokohama area but was rather wary when away from home.
There used to be a general feeling that driving in Japan was not easy for foreigners what with left hand driving, no road atlas with English place names and poor to non-existent road signage apart from those in Japanese. I knew that it had got a lot easier but even I was astounded how much easier it was so I can recommend a car rental to any average driver. Perhaps not starting in one of the big cities though.
We picked up a Toyota in Kawaguchiko which is the centre of the Fuji Five Lakes area and has great views of Fuji. We were lucky to have perfect weather and the autumn maples were far enough advanced to satisfy our hope to see the autumn colours, even though they were probably going to get even better.
The car, in perfect condition, came with a proprietary GPS and was set to English. That meant that the spoken guidance was in English but everything else was in Japanese. It was not easy to use and despite spending time becoming familiar with the MapCode system before leaving for Japan we abandoned the whole thing because Google Maps provided easy and totally accurate navigation guidance on our phones (we did have a WiFi router) and in four days we made perhaps two or three wrong turns but recovered before proceeding more than a couple of hundred meters.
We used a mixture of back roads as well as expressways, Even the smallest mountain roads were well maintained and and it was unusual for them not to have guard rails alongside. Road signage was exemplary and there was always Roman Script as well as the Japanese script. The roads are numbered and Google Maps shows these accurately.
We were driving Monday to Thursday and in four days we were never passed by another car, nor did we pass another car until the last twenty minutes of our rental as we approached Mishima Station to return the car. The traffic was light and more to the point was orderly, No-one ever made a sign at us in disgust nor did we feel that any other driver warranted one.
From Kawaguchiko we drove up Mt Fuji to the Fifth Station (the end of the road, elevation about 7000 ft) It was an easy drive but on getting there we found it was a bit touristy and unattractive, We did it because it was there. Departing Kawaguchiko we headed to Hakone Lake via Gotemba. Gotemba has a Factory Outlet complex that draws day trippers from Tokyo and huge numbers of Chinese who seemed to be on package tours from China with the single purpose of shopping there. We said we would have nothing to do with it but the youngest in our group insisted on the short diversion so we agreed "one hour - maximum". We stayed three. It is enormous and very well laid out with all the superior brands and turned out to be a pleasant diversion, and even resulted in a bit of shopping.
From Gotemba we joined the Hakone Skyline Road (Toll) and stayed the night on the lakeside.
The next day we sidetracked over the mountain to Gora to visit the Open Air Museum. This was the second highlight of the tour and well worth the diversion. After the museum we followed the same road back to Hakone lake and then made for the Izu Skyliine Drive (Toll) leaving it before its end to drop down on the east coast of the Izu Peninsula at Futo and carried on along the coast to Shimoda that is almost the tip of the Peninsula.
The following day, our third, we tracked up the west coast of the Peninsula. It is a wilder and less developed side but with magnificent views of My Fuji coming up over and over again. Finally we turned inland for our last night, at a ryokan in Shuzenji.
We returned the car at Mishima Station that is a Shinkansen stop.
The message here is that if you enjoy driving renting a car in Japan is as easy as anywhere and allows you to get into the countryside and explore parts that most tourists will never see.

Last edited by gbs1112; Nov 28, 2018 at 4:54 pm Reason: Spelling
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Old Dec 1, 2018, 5:45 pm
  #130  
 
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Thank you gbs1112! Ive been putting off a car rental exactly due to the concerns you outlined. Watching behind a taxi driver or bus in larger cities did not help with that.
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Old Dec 2, 2018, 8:33 pm
  #131  
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The limousine bus from NRT has a 30% discount if you buy 4 tickets (2 roundtrips, for example), but I haven't been able to buy it online at their website, has anyone done it? Any suggestions? They only provide a phone but I doubt this will be efficient, any way to buy online? It cuts the cost from 12400 to 8000 JPY.
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Old Dec 3, 2018, 8:47 am
  #132  
 
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Originally Posted by nk15
The limousine bus from NRT has a 30% discount if you buy 4 tickets (2 roundtrips, for example), but I haven't been able to buy it online at their website, has anyone done it? Any suggestions? They only provide a phone but I doubt this will be efficient, any way to buy online? It cuts the cost from 12400 to 8000 JPY.
From what I can see under "where to purchase" at the link below, you can simply walk up to the Limousine Bus ticket counter at NRT and buy them. Perhaps print out this page if you have trouble communicating with the ticketing agent.

I usually take the N'EX or Keisei Skyliner instead of the bus, but I have never had any trouble buying a seat on the bus to central Tokyo. Those are large, intercity-type "coach" buses, and unless you are traveling during "Golden Week" or the New Year's period, there should be enough room.

https://www.limousinebus.co.jp/en/gu.../n_tcat03.html
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Old Dec 8, 2018, 3:17 am
  #133  
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Originally Posted by nk15
The limousine bus from NRT has a 30% discount if you buy 4 tickets (2 roundtrips, for example), but I haven't been able to buy it online at their website, has anyone done it? Any suggestions? They only provide a phone but I doubt this will be efficient, any way to buy online? It cuts the cost from 12400 to 8000 JPY.
Not the same offer, but very similar discount (27% for a return, applies to those travelling alone as well as couples/groups)
https://www.govoyagin.com/activities...us-ticket/8917
The ticket can be bought online but you will still need to go to the Limousine Bus desk to exchange the voucher before boarding.
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Old Dec 8, 2018, 4:48 am
  #134  
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Narita Airport - Sengakuji (or Shinagawa) not on the NEX

Not sure if I’m missing something obvious here, but I’m finding it fiendishly difficult to work out when I can get a direct train from Narita Airport (T2) to Sengakuji Station A07

Seems there is usually one that departs at 11:02pm, but it gets particularly tricky to work out when an earlier one might be.
Am looking to get one that costs around 1,350yen per adult and takes 75-80 minutes. Ideally no transfers. Am arriving with MU at 9pm, two adults, one kid and luggage.
If it’s a couple of hundred yen more that’s fine too.
We leave via HND so a dIscounted NEX return is of no use (and MrLapLap is Japanese)

Are there published timetables I can look at? The Keisei Access website is useless for this and I’m not certain I’m getting all the right information from the hyperdia portal.

Last edited by LapLap; Dec 8, 2018 at 5:05 am
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Old Dec 8, 2018, 7:16 am
  #135  
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Originally Posted by LapLap
Not the same offer, but very similar discount (27% for a return, applies to those travelling alone as well as couples/groups)
https://www.govoyagin.com/activities...us-ticket/8917
The ticket can be bought online but you will still need to go to the Limousine Bus desk to exchange the voucher before boarding.
Thanks, I saw it, they also have another $5 further discount, but they are not refundable if there is a travel snafu, do I will probably wait to get them at the counter for 500 jpy less and refundable.
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